As junior-level Radford University prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students returned for the fall semester, they were greeted with a surprise gift courtesy
of Carilion Clinic.
Each student received a nursing skills bag to be used in the Nursing 345: Foundations
of Nursing course. The bags were provided by Carilion Clinic’s Nursing Services Division and contained supplies necessary for practicing nursing skills during lab time. These
included items like trach care kits, sterile gloves, IV tubing and catheters, medication
administration tools, Foley kits, wound kits, dressings change kits, isolation kits,
ostomy supplies and more. Carilion’s Transition to Nursing Practice secured the items
for the bags, and the team packed them.
“Equipping nursing students with skill kits not only lightens their financial burden
but also empowers them to focus on what truly matters, which is becoming compassionate
and skilled caregivers for our future,” said Tami Frost, vice president and system
chief nursing officer for Carilion Clinic.
One hundred seventy bags were donated, which was enough to provide one for every BSN
student entering upper-division BSN classes this fall.
“We are grateful for partnership opportunities that help students reach their potential
as future nurses,” said Wendy Downey, dean of the Radford University College of Nursing (CON). “Being in the prelicensure BSN major is expensive. The donation of these skills
bags will save our students approximately $160 in the first semester of their nursing
courses and will ensure they have these resources on day one of classes.”
Downey said that Carilion Clinic has partnered with Radford’s CON to ensure that students
have modern equipment and supplies needed for skills practice, ensuring that students
can reduce cost as a barrier to becoming a nurse.
“We also partner with Carilion Clinic to provide sites for outstanding clinical experiences
as well as adjunct faculty who are expert clinicians,” Downey added. “This partnership
is integral to the delivery of our high-quality undergraduate nursing program.”
Frost agreed, adding, “The partnership between Carilion and Radford is crucial for
fostering a robust and competent healthcare workforce. It not only prepares nursing
students to be highly skilled and adaptable professionals but also supports Carilion
by cultivating a pipeline of well-trained nurses ready to meet the evolving demands
of patient care. Together, we contribute to improving patient outcomes, advancing
healthcare standards and promoting a culture of continuous learning and professional
development.”
The success of the partnership is evident in the number of nurses that Radford graduates
and the professional exam scores they need to begin practicing. According to the Virginia Board of Nursing, the CON had 229 students take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam in 2023. This is the highest
number of nursing graduates from an institution in Virginia sitting for RN licensure
last year.
“We have been working diligently on our curriculum and student success initiatives,
and we have already seen significant improvement in our NCLEX pass rates so far in
2024 to 95%,” Downey said.
The CON expects increased first-year and transfer enrollment in the nursing programs
this fall, which would likely increase the number of students sitting for licensure
in future graduating classes. Final numbers for fall semester enrollment will be released
in September.
