8th grade nursing presentation ideas

danu3 · Apr 12, 2005

I'm am working with a small group of nurses who are going to be presenting nursing as a profession to two 8th grade classes and I'm not sure where to begin. We have a video from Johnson and Johnshon that we got from their website, but I'm not sure how to engage the kids. Also someone suggested them giving bookmarks or something at the end but I'm thinking 8th graders don't want bookmarks. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Just random ideas.

Mentioned special area of nursing that most people never knew exisited like Nursing Attorney, Nursing Informatics, Forensic (sp) Nursing, Flight Nursing, ... etc.

What else, 8th grade... ahhhh... tell them in nursing you learn all about sex and sexuality (that should perk their interests) and not only that, you might have to teach it (that may or may not sound good ).

Travel nursing...

Nursing clothes from scrubs to business suites to normal street cloth (as in lots of psych units) to ... etc.

As a nurse, you can really gross out your friends with stories (this should appeal to a number of 8th graders). Prepare a few gross stories yourself.

Better yet, you can gross out your parents!

Let them know some nurses have Ph.Ds, some at a master level, all the way to an associate degree and to ...

Tell them in some cases you get to stay up all night and you get pay for it (graveyard shift).

Can you find some nurses who does not fit your stereotype nurse? Like a 6 foot 5 male nurse whith a bear, tatoo, piercing, and weighs 250lbs. If you find someone like that, get another nurse who is female 4 foot 5 and weight 80 lbs and have them stand next to each other.

If possible, you want to show them nurses come in all size, shapes, race, religious beliefs, hair style, gender, age, ... etc.

-Dan

kea6783 · Apr 12, 2005

This could be really exciting, I'm trying to think of ideas although 8th grade was quit a long time ago. I would use lots of props, lots of VISUAL and AUDIO, probably as little verbal as possible. Also, as for as stories go, the bloodier the better probably.. and for the girls.. I don't know.. maybe something about caring for kids? I liked the last posters' ideas.

As for the bookmark idea, It's great, but I think something else would spark their interest a little more.. I'll think about it... and get back to you!

BUMP

Guest70758 · Apr 12, 2005

We had a group that presented to young high schoolers, and they did a lot of hands on stuff, like taking pen lights and letting them watch the pupils react, having them listen for heart sounds on each other (no boy and girl pairs obviously), letting them use otosopes, etc. This all depends on how many people you are presenting to, of course.

I have nothing creative to offer on what you could hand out instead of bookmarks. If your school has a recruiter, they may have some ideas.

I agree... if possible take a man (or at least have pics/vids of male nurses), so that half of the class you're presenting to doesn't immediately stop listening.

It should be fun, and I'm sure it will go well. Good luck!

Nurse Ratched, RN · Apr 12, 2005

Too fun :).

Absolutely - bust every stereotype they have about nursing. Get 'em young.

danu3 · Apr 12, 2005

This could be really exciting, I'm trying to think of ideas although 8th grade was quit a long time ago. I would use lots of props, lots of VISUAL and AUDIO, probably as little verbal as possible. Also, as for as stories go, the bloodier the better probably.. and for the girls.. I don't know.. maybe something about caring for kids? I liked the last posters' ideas.

Good point. You do have to appeal to both the boys and the girls. The gross stuff, lots of kids (both genders) like them I think. But some might not, so you need to appeal to them also.

Hmmm... maybe you can start by asking what they want to become when they grow up. If a kid wants to become a lawyer, you counter there are nursing attorney. If a kid wants to go into computers, you have nursing informatics. If a kid wants to join the military, well, you get nurses in the military (I think one of the recent AJN journal has a cover of a nurse in combat uniform taking care of a local kid in Iraq or something). If a kid like airplanes, hey, you got flight nursing. If a kid wants to be a police officier, you got forensic(sp) nursing. If a kid wants to go into business, you have nurses who have MBAs. If a kid wants to go into library science, well you have specialize medical searchers who are nurses. Wants to teach, well, you teach patient all the time especially in public health, or one could go into nursing education. If a kid wants to go into an area where nursing has not touch, they can be a pioneer and combine that with nursing.

-Dan

danu3 · Apr 12, 2005

We had a group that presented to young high schoolers, and they did a lot of hands on stuff, like taking pen lights and letting them watch the pupils react, having them listen for heart sounds on each other (no boy and girl pairs obviously), letting them use otosopes, etc. This all depends on how many people you are presenting to, of course.

This trigger another idea. Is it possible to teach some simple head to toe assesment? That might be fun. Learn how to do transfer might be fun, they can transfer their teacher... :)

-Dan

Chad_KY_SRNA · Apr 12, 2005

Last year the health sciences teacher at the vocational school that I went to had a complete hysterectomy and while she was out recovering they brought the 8th grade classes from the local middle school over for orientation. The substitute didn't want them to not get the grand tour, so guess who got volunteered to tell them all about the program. I loved it, I really hope that I was able to get some kids interested in healthcare as a career. I love the idea of breaking down the stereotypes that are associated with nursing. Fair warning most of the biys will zone out on you. Good luck, hope you have fun!

DDRN4me · Apr 12, 2005

i love the idea of using the stethoscopes, penlights, etc....it will engage them and get their attention. call your state nurses association to ask for freebies to give out. either that or some stress balls or even penlights if you have the budget. Have fun, thats one of my favorite groups to teach!

LPN1974, LPN · Apr 12, 2005

Good point. You do have to appeal to both the boys and the girls. The gross stuff, lots of kids (both genders) like them I think. But some might not, so you need to appeal to them also.
Hmmm... maybe you can start by asking what they want to become when they grow up. If a kid wants to become a lawyer, you counter there are nursing attorney. If a kid wants to go into computers, you have nursing informatics. If a kid wants to join the military, well, you get nurses in the military (I think one of the recent AJN journal has a cover of a nurse in combat uniform taking care of a local kid in Iraq or something). If a kid like airplanes, hey, you got flight nursing. If a kid wants to be a police officier, you got forensic(sp) nursing. If a kid wants to go into business, you have nurses who have MBAs. If a kid wants to go into library science, well you have specialize medical searchers who are nurses. Wants to teach, well, you teach patient all the time especially in public health, or one could go into nursing education. If a kid wants to go into an area where nursing has not touch, they can be a pioneer and combine that with nursing.
-Dan

These are all great ideas, and a good way to start recruiting nurses, but will this kind of information really help to place nurses where the shortage is.....at the bedside?

Just a thought.....you might also want to play on the idea of people taking care of others during illnessses and surgeries, etc, so they would at least be presented with the idea of bedside nursing.

They also might like the idea of finding out what goes on emergency rooms.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2005

....discuss money too!

I like the idea of giving those injection pens. You can usually find them on Ebay.

Allheart.com has them for 60 for $75.00, but that's lots more than you can find them on Ebay, more than likely.

If you have time, see if you can get a drug rep company to give them to you...of course they'd have their label on them. lol :uhoh3:

allheart_1841_123541315

danu3 · Apr 12, 2005

These are all great ideas, and a good way to start recruiting nurses, but will this kind of information really help to place nurses where the shortage is.....at the bedside?

Hmmmm... probably not. But hopefully it will get them to go to nursing school. During nursing school, who knows, they may like bedside nursing during rotation.

-Dan