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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.