Junior nursing students explore roles, skills in the emergency department

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – To explore potential pathways in nursing, juniors at the WVU School of Nursing recently toured the emergency department at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. They also got an up-close look at helipad used for emergency air medical transportation.

The tour was organized by lecturer Lauren Vogel, who is also a WVU School of Nursing alum (Class of 2021).

“After graduation, I fell in love with emergency nursing and wanted to gain more exposure, so I accepted a full-time position in the Emergency Department at Ruby, where I’ve been working ever since,” Vogel said.

She said she arranged the experience for junior nursing students to give them a glimpse into the wide variety of roles and skills nurses use in the emergency department.

“The emergency department treats everything — from traumas, strokes, and cardiac arrests to abdominal pain, broken bones, coughs, colds, and even stubbed toes,” Vogel said. “It’s a place that helped me grow tremendously as a new nurse and still keeps me on my toes, quite literally.”

During the tour, nursing students saw the emergency department, resuscitation bays, mental health rooms and more. They spoke with Emergency Department Nursing Director, Chris Lindsey, and met Cassie Bell, a flight nurse and clinical preceptor.

“They even visited the helipad to get a feel for what it’s like to go out for a patient transport,” Vogel said. “The group learned a lot and really appreciated the experience. I am very grateful that they had this opportunity!”

-WVU-

MEDIA CONTACT:
Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu