Twenty-three of Community’s prospective nursing students attended the University of Illinois-Springfield’s “Nurse for a Day” event on Sept. 18, where they experienced real-world nursing scenarios and learned more about the University of Illinois system’s nursing offerings.

During the event, College and Career Counselor Mrs. Karrin Hawkins said, students rotated through sessions where they spoke with practicing and in-training nurses, dressed wounds and practiced patient care in a simulation lab, and learned how to put on scrubs correctly.

In the simulation lab, Hawkins said, students cared for a bedridden “patient,” a life-like mannequin, practicing real-world, hands-on nursing scenarios.

“It just was a neat thing,” Hawkins said, “to see this mannequin move and our students try to take care of it.”

For senior Percy Matas, who plans on majoring in nursing, the field trip provided a chance to learn about the small-campus nursing school and interact with professionals at various stages of their careers.

We “talked to people who have already become nurses, some practitioners and current students,” Matas said, and “got to have one-on-one time talking to each of them.”

Matas was impressed by UIS, which partners with the University of Illinois-Chicago, offering smaller classes, a more intimate campus, and significant financial assistance for nursing students.

The school offers “about $50,000 for all four years” through partnerships with local hospitals, Matas said.

That financial support, the senior said, “is really helpful for someone going into a medical field.”

The experience, Matas said, was a valuable one.

“It helps someone who hasn’t quite thought about college,” Matas said, as well as those in the application process.

“I’m looking at colleges to apply to,” Matas said, “I’ve applied to many, and [UIS is] definitely one of the ones…on my list.”

Hawkins plans on returning in 2025 for the third straight year if students are interested.

For students considering other career fields, the College and Career Center has an October trip scheduled to tour Illinois State University’s new engineering school, which opens in the fall of 2025 and upcoming visits to the Midwest Technical Institute and Local 99, a Bloomington-Normal electricians’ union.

To stay up-to-date on future CCC events, visits and trips, Hawkins said, students can use the SchoolLinks events tab or “check Google Classroom faithfully.”