The West Virginia University School of Nursing on the Potomac State College campus partnered with KVC West Virginia during the fall semester to incorporate an innovative experience for nursing students using telehealth services. Annie Kesner (right), a senior BSN student, gained valuable experience working with foster families throughout the semester.
Keyser, WV – December 9, 2020: In the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis caused by COVID-19, the West Virginia University School of Nursing on the Potomac State Campus partnered with KVC West Virginia to incorporate a new clinical rotation during the fall 2020 semester in the Alterations in Mental Health course. This new rotation included an innovative experience for nursing students to expand their understanding of mental health care in the community through the use of telehealth services.
KVC West Virginia is a private, nonprofit child welfare organization that provides a diverse array of services including foster care, adoption, in-home family preservation services, and outpatient psychiatric and behavioral healthcare.
As a leader in child and family mental and behavioral healthcare, KVC West Virginia’s partnership offered a unique opportunity for students to broaden their clinical experiences with, and awareness about adolescent mental health.
Clinical experiences ranged from participating in virtual training courses on parenting skills and bullying prevention to observing youth and family intake assessments. These new learning opportunities encouraged students to enhance their communication skills and clinical knowledge.
Students said that their experiences in this clinical rotation were “eye-opening” and “informative.” According to Heather Coddington, Nursing Instructor, “Many students reported more confidence in their ability to care for adolescents and families. Not only has this new clinical rotation benefitted our future nurses’ professional studies and experiences, students have also said they feel better prepared to be good parents in the future.”
“The KVC West Virginia staff truly made this a wonderful experience for our students. Teaching calls were interactive and engaging with staff members and included students in all aspects of the experience. Students were able to see the concepts they learned in the classroom applied in practice through this innovative, telehealth approach,” Nursing Department Chair Dr. April Shapiro said.
KVC Representative Walter Swoope stated, “Students demonstrated incredible professionalism and engagement during post-meeting discussions, and we look forward to continuing the partnership we have established.”
The University looks forward to incorporating more opportunities with KVC West Virginia into additional courses in the future.
For more information regarding the WVU School of Nursing program at Potomac State College, or to apply for admission prior to the application closing date of Jan. 15, visit https://go.wvu.edu/psc-nursing.