Real-World Experience Shapes Future Nurses Through Forrest Health Summer Extern Program

Before this summer, Maggie Pearce had started only a handful of IVs.

By the time her second summer as a Forrest Health Nurse Extern came to an end, the Delta State University nursing student from Richton had started dozens, participated in trauma activations and emergency codes, and realized emergency nursing was exactly where she wanted to be.

"The Emergency Department isn't for everyone," she said. "It's very fast-paced, but I love it."

Pearce was one of 39 senior nursing students from 26 schools of nursing at colleges and universities across Mississippi who participated in Forrest Health's Summer Nurse Extern Program from May 18 through July 24.

The program pairs students with seasoned registered nurse preceptors, giving them hands-on clinical experience while building on the skills they've learned in the classroom. Forrest General Hospital hosted 32 externs with Forrest Health’s regional facilities also serving as host hospitals. Highland Community Hospital (HCH) in Picayune hosted three, Marion General (MGH) two, and one each at Jefferson Davis Community Hospital (JDCH) in Prentiss, and Perry County General (PCGH) in Richton. This is the first year for HCH and PCGH have participated in the program.

For Pearce, that meant spending 12-hour shifts in the Emergency Department at Forrest General Hospital, the flagship of Forrest Health, where classroom lessons quickly became real-life patient care.

"We learn so much in school, but sometimes we don't have enough time to get actual clinical experience," she said. "This program gave me the opportunity to apply everything I've learned."

Throughout the summer, Pearce inserted IVs, dressed wounds, cared for patients, and experienced the fast-moving environment of Mississippi's second busiest emergency department.

"Before I started this program, I had probably only started a couple of IVs," she said. "Now I've done so many that I've developed my own routine. Being able to perform those skills over and over and gain that confidence is something I really take pride in."

She also discovered that nursing extends well beyond technical skills.

"I've really enjoyed talking with patients," Pearce said. "I've had some great interactions, and I've also received feedback that's helped me become a better nurse."

Watching emergency teams work together left one of the biggest impressions.

"Some of the best emergency situations are actually kind of quiet," she said. "Everyone already knows what they need to do. It's almost like a musical happening. Everything flows. Everybody communicates and repeats back the process as they go."

Just as meaningful were the nurses who invested in her success.

"My preceptor, Christy Williams, RN, is always willing to answer my questions and talk through different scenarios," Pearce said. "But it's not just her. So many of the nurses will stop and explain why we're doing something a certain way and what we're trying to accomplish. They've been incredibly supportive and have made sure I was part of the team."

Pearce said the experience reinforced her desire to pursue emergency nursing. This fall, she will join Forrest Health's Student Nurse Tech Program while finishing nursing school and hopes to return to the Emergency Department after graduation as a registered nurse.

"I've encouraged so many of my friends to apply for this program," she said. "It's a great way to get experience before going out into the real world."

Pearce's experience was echoed by students across Forrest Health who spent the summer caring for patients in specialties ranging from Pediatrics and Intensive Care to Medical-Surgical nursing and community hospital emergency care.

For Reagan Baucum of Carriere, a Pearl River Community College student assigned to Forrest General’s Pediatrics, the externship provided valuable exposure to a specialty she had experienced very little during nursing school.

"Nursing students don't get a lot of pediatric experience," she said. "I wanted to see it firsthand."

Working alongside pediatric nurses strengthened both her clinical skills and confidence while reinforcing her goal of one day becoming a family nurse practitioner.

"We've had children come in looking so sick, and within 24 hours they're smiling, giving us hugs and high-fives," Baucum said. "That's what makes it all worth it."

At Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, Alcorn State University student Amyiah Mark gained experience in emergency nursing while performing head-to-toe assessments, assisting with wound care, starting IVs, monitoring stroke patients, and even participating in CPR.

"Every shift has given me new learning opportunities, strengthened my assessment skills, critical thinking, communication, and increased my confidence," she said. "One of the most memorable experiences was performing CPR. I'll never forget it."

While working on a Med/Surg unit at Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, Belhaven University student Kadie Craft discovered that some of the most meaningful moments had little to do with procedures and everything to do with compassion. While gaining experience with chest tube insertions, NG tubes, Foley catheters, IVs, and emergency situations, one patient interaction left the greatest impression.

"After I helped calm an anxious patient, she told me I was kind and thought I was going to be a great nurse," Craft said. "Hearing that reminded me why I chose this profession."

Because she was paired with a Float Pool nurse at HCH, Pearl River Community College student Aleigha Jarrell gained experience in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and Medical-Surgical units, giving her a broad look at several nursing specialties before graduation.

"Each unit has provided valuable learning opportunities that have helped me grow both personally and professionally," she said. "I believe these experiences will help me become a more competent and compassionate registered nurse."

This year's extern class included students from Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women, Pearl River Community College, The University of Southern Mississippi, Alcorn State University, Belhaven University and other nursing programs across the state. Throughout the summer, students worked alongside experienced nurse preceptors in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Pediatrics, Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Float Pool and inpatient nursing units.

The Summer Nurse Extern Program is a collaborative effort of the Mississippi Hospital Association Organization of Nurse Executives, the Mississippi Center for Quality and Workforce, and the Mississippi Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing. The program is designed to strengthen clinical skills, ease the transition from nursing school into professional practice and encourage graduates to remain in Mississippi's healthcare workforce.

For Forrest Health, the program represents more than a summer learning experience. It provides future nurses with the confidence, skills and mentorship needed to begin their careers while introducing them to a culture centered on teamwork, compassion and exceptional patient care. And for students like Pearce, it may also help them discover exactly where they belong.

"I've learned what I'm made of," she said. "And I know this is where I want to be."