HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Wallace State held its Little Lifesavers Camp at the School of Nursing and Center for Science Building. This two-day camp brought new education to different age groups about all the skillsets necessary for being a nurse.
It was the nursing center’s first year holding the camp and they reported day one, on Wednesday, July 15, saw roughly 60 soon-to-be second-, third- and fourth-students. On Thursday, July 16, they welcomed approximately 30 rising fifth- and sixth-grade students.
The camp rotated between seven different rooms for 45-minute intervals, with a lunch break around midday. Every room featured different aspects of nursing.
The “Mathletes” room, for example, had several stations. One labeled “Liquid Logic Lab” provided a hands-on activity demonstrating how to properly use droppers and measuring cylinders. This room also had a table for “Graph Masters” that introduced the children to charting graphs, while the next room focused on pattern recognition with “Mirror Magic” and building blocks.
The children also learned about blood types – what the different blood types are, which blood type is the most or least common and how donating blood can save a life.
The “Blood Typing” presentation explained that blood is made of four components: plasma, platelets, white and red blood cells. When blood is donated or taken for labs these components separate. This was demonstrated by using an empty water bottle filled with vegetable oil (plasma), dried kidney beans (red blood cells), mini marshmallows (white blood cells) and rice (platelets). When the bottle was shaken, the components would combine and then separate again once settled.
One classroom presented historical nursing figures throughout history. These were portrayed by Wallace State Nursing students themselves. One student was Florence Nightingale, who was an English social reformer and noted as the founder of modern nursing.
In addition to learning about emergency room procedures and germs, the campers also had the “Care and Compassion” room that gave them insight into the positive influence nurses have on their patients. In this room they crafted handmade cards with words of love and kindness.
