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Mease Dunedin Hospital To Offer Junior Nursing Camp

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: May 26, 2008

DUNEDIN - Nurses, nurse practitioners and educators at Mease Dunedin Hospital will provide about 15 middle school students with what the health care professionals hope will be an unforgettable summer camp.

The professionals also hope the experience inspires some of the youngsters to enter the field of nursing.

Deborah Covert, a registered nurse practitioner and educator at Morton Plant Mease Health Care, said she has been thinking of offering this opportunity to middle school students for a long time.

She has been educating little ones ever since she paid for her first car by babysitting, Covert said.

The free camp will offer youngsters who will be in the seventh or eighth grade next school year a chance to see nurses in operation through many hands-on experiences. The camp will be conducted from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. from Monday, June 23, until Friday, June 27, at the hospital.

Camp instruction will be led by Morton Plant Mease registered nurses and nurse practitioners, many of whom are also educators.

The camp, funded by the nonprofit Morton Plant Mease Foundation, will show youngsters the many opportunities found in nursing. Even at this early age, they will soon have to start making choices about what they want to study, she said.

Youngsters will tour the emergency room along with other hospital departments, discover how to take pulses, learn about surgery and the proper way to administer CPR. They will hear about a variety of health topics from nutrition to neo-natal care from experts in each field.

Youngsters participating in the camp must have at least a 2.75 grade-point average, be interested in nursing and receive a letter of reference from a teacher. Applications, available online at www.baycarejobs.com, must be submitted by Monday, June 9.

Mease Dunedin Hospital is at 601 Main St.

Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

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