Wallace State Community College’s Nursing Department hosts more than 1,000 first graders during “Let’s Pretend Hospital” week

CONTACT: Russell Moore, Communications and Marketing, Wallace State Community College, russell.moore@wallacestate.edu, 256.352.8443

HANCEVILLE – Wallace State Community College’s Nursing Department hosted its sixth annual “Let’s Pretend Hospital” last week, hosting more than 1,000 first graders from Cullman County. Nursing students used the popular project to teach children the importance of healthy eating, washing one’s hands to prevent infections and critical safety procedures. Classrooms were also transformed into mock X-ray, operating and emergency rooms, and the Wallace State nursing students shared time performing skits as nurses, doctors, technicians or emergency room patients, among other roles.
Wallace State began participating in “Let’s Pretend Hospital” in 2008 and uses the project each year to help the first graders become less hesitant about visiting a hospital, teaching important lessons in a laid-back and entertaining manner. It also serves as an educational experience for nursing students.

“Our faculty and staff view this as a part of the fulfillment of our mission, which says that we are dedicated to ‘transforming the lives of patients, families and the community.’ I challenged our students to embrace fulfilling our mission, to develop teamwork and to interact with a specific developmental age group. Our students designed ‘age appropriate’ interactive activities to communicate about the hospital and safety issues to these children while giving them a positive memory of the nursing profession,” said Wallace State Nursing Chair Deborah Hoover. “‘Let’s Pretend Hospital’ is always a chance for children to be exposed to a health care profession, view a community college campus located in their own county and for them to learn as well about healthy eating, safety issues and decrease their anxiety about the hospital.”
Before she enrolled in the program, first-year Wallace State nursing student Elizabeth Dueland was aware of “Let’s Pretend Hospital” because her children toured it last year as first graders.

“I told my kids it was time for it and they remembered a lot from last year. It’s very rewarding to see children remember things like that. It sticks in their heads and you hope they aren’t scared the next time they have to visit a hospital, whether they have to visit a hospital for themselves or for someone they know,” said Dueland, a Cullman resident. “The neat thing about this project is that everyone is involved and you really see how much pride our students and instructors have in this event. We like to leave a positive impression, and we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from the parents who’ve visited with their kids. This is like our baby and it shows the community a lot about Wallace State and the nursing program. That’s even one reason I became interested in joining this program.”
Sixteen elementary schools visited Wallace State’s campus during “Let’s Pretend Hospital” week, possibly marking the final time it’s conducted in the Robert T. Wilson Nursing Building. Wallace State broke ground on a new School of Nursing and Center for Science building in February 2012 and it is expected to open in fall 2013.
Hoover added that the week provided a chance for the nursing students to become better acquainted with each other and the positive feedback from visitors specifically praised the group’s kindness, organization and enthusiasm.
The mission of the Wallace State Department of Nursing is to promote standards of excellence in nursing education through student-centered learning while emphasizing integrity, compassion, resourcefulness, and diversity. The Department of Nursing will produce graduates who are dedicated and exceptional healthcare providers committed to transforming the lives of patients, families, and the community.
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.
  
Wallace State nursing student Natalie        Wallace State nursing student Blaine
Knox explains to Vinemont Elementary      Harris of Haleyville dresses up as a
first graders how she sustained an             bad germ during “Let’s Pretend Hospital.”
injury and why she is waiting in the
pretend emergency room during last
week’s “Let’s Pretend Hospital.”
  
Wallace State nursing student Joseph Dunn, of Hayden, serves as a nutritionist
during “Let’s Pretend Hospital” and explains to Vinemont Elementary first graders
the importance of a healthy eating, using a pear in the first picture to demonstrate
eating one’s fruits and a cheeseburger in the second to symbolize unhealthy eating.
  
Rachael Louviere of Arab holds up a           Amanda Cook of Blountsville serves as
pretend thermometer as she discusses       the Germ X dispenser as Cullman Primary
how to check one’s temperature during      Elementary students learn about bad 
“Let’s Pretend Hospital.”                                germs and the importance of washing 
                                                                        one’s hands during “Let’s Pretend Hospital.”
______________________________
Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu