High school students from across Texas and beyond spent part of their summer getting a first-hand look at life as a nursing student through the Longhorn Nursing Immersion Summer Camp. Held in two week-long sessions in June 2025, the camp welcomed a total of 117 students ages 15–17 to the Forty Acres for an immersive introduction to nursing education and practice.
Hosted by The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, the camp allows participants to explore the dynamic world of nursing through hands-on skills labs, simulation activities, hospital tours, and classroom instruction. Many of the activities were supported by the School of Nursing’s Learning Enhancement & Academic Progress (LEAP) Center, which fosters student success through academic and clinical skills development. Campers also completed certification courses in Basic Life Support (BLS) and First Aid through the American Heart Association.
Campers learn a wide variety of essential nursing skills, including medication administration techniques such as topical, oral, IV therapy, intramuscular injections and blood administration. They gain hands-on experience with Foley catheter insertion, EKG rhythm interpretation, patient charting and assessment, as well as wound care. Advanced simulations include virtual reality activities with personal protective equipment, pediatric and obstetric birthing scenarios, newborn assessments and exposure to advanced practice nursing care beyond the bedside. These experiences provide campers with a thorough preview of the skills required in nursing.
“We are proud to showcase the many learning options that are practiced at the UT Austin School of Nursing to high school students, who are actively pursuing a career in health care and the opportunity to experience college life,” said camp director DeAnna Baker, LEAP training and special projects director. “The camp allows high school students a glimpse into the many aspects of nursing that wouldn’t be available elsewhere and can help solidify their decision to become a future nurse or a health care professional. Campers have the opportunity to participate in and see what the School of Nursing does best—produce the best health care professionals in the world.”
The Longhorn Nursing Immersion Summer Camp was launched in 2023 as an innovative program created by the UT Austin School of Nursing to provide high school students with early exposure to nursing through hands-on skills, simulation experiences and real-world health care insights. Originally envisioned by former professor and Learning Enhancement and Academic Progress (LEAP) Center director Leigh Goldstein, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, CNE, and developed in collaboration with faculty and the LEAP Center, the inaugural camp quickly established itself as a pathway for future nurses to explore the profession before entering college.
Loree LaChance, DNP, MHA, RN, CNE, NCSN, a returning activities coach who has been with the camp since its inception, leads the IV skills sessions and teaches safety mini-modules during the week.
“I get to do a really cool skill, which is teach them how to start an IV,” she said. “The expressions on their faces and the sheer joy when they do it, and they get it—it’s the realization that they are capable of doing this pretty complex type of skill,” she said. “That self-discovery, that joy—that’s truly my favorite part.”
To help make the experience more accessible to high school students, the Longhorn Nursing Immersion Summer Camp offers a limited number of scholarships each year. This year, the School provided 19 scholarships through donations and a HornRaiser campaign.
LaChance has also supported the camp through student scholarships, funding attendance for two students this year.
“It’s great to see somebody have an opportunity to come and experience a top-tier school—to decide whether or not they want to be nurses and if this is the place for them,” she said. “The scholarship opens that door.”
For Hadley Powers, a 2025 BSN graduate and returning camp counselor, the experience has come full circle. She’s served as both a group leader and camp lead over the past three summers and also teaches BLS and First Aid to the campers.
“I really enjoy getting to meet the high school students,” Powers said. “I find it really exciting not only when they say they’re interested in health care but especially when they already know that nursing is what they want.”
For Powers, the camp offers a unique glimpse into what nursing school at UT Austin is really like.
“A majority of the camp takes place in the Skills and Simulation Center, which is very representative of nursing school here,” she added. “They learn Foley catheter insertion, IV insertion—those are key skills we learn in the program. They even meet actual professors they could have one day if they come here.”
One camper, Anna McVicar, a soon-to-be junior in high school, traveled from Sacramento, California, to attend. After researching nursing programs online, she was drawn to UT Austin’s immersive and interactive approach.
“I loved getting to do all the simulations—they were super cool,” she said. “Being here and getting this experience means a lot. I feel like I’ve learned from people who are really passionate about nursing.”
McVicar, who previously underwent knee surgery, said her early exposure to health care fueled her interest in becoming a nurse, specifically in pediatrics. After her validating and inspiring experience at camp, she’s now planning to apply to UT Austin. “This is definitely at the top of my list,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed my stay here. It’s been super awesome.”