Fisher Nursing Opportunity Program Gives First-Year Nursing Students an Early Start

The inaugural cohort of 20 students in the Fisher Nursing Opportunity Program spent time on campus this summer getting acclimated to college life, with a focus on academic readiness and training to take the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification.

Funded in part by a grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust with additional support from a Wegmans Family Foundation grant focused on strengthening the healthcare workforce in Monroe County, the program provides a year-round network of academic, social, and financial support to help students thrive while pursuing their educational goals. Eligible students receive room and board scholarships and a stipend to support on-campus living and engagement.

For the 20 incoming first-year nursing students, their summer before college looked a little different, as they moved to campus early to participate in a five-week residential institute. In that time, the were immersed into the community, the nursing major, and life at Fisher.

“When you talk to a nursing major, one of the things that they want to do more than anything is get out into the healthcare workforce,” said Dr. Tricia Gatlin, dean of the Wegmans School of Nursing. “Doing the certified nursing assistance training is allowing them to have a skill set as a beginning first-year student to be able to work in the field."

Hayden Bezon has always known that she wanted to be a nurse and was excited to begin her journey early. “The opportunity to become comfortable with the school and know my way around was really enticing. Having the chance to get the experience of working in a hospital or a medical environment before going to nursing was also extremely valuable.”

Throughout the five-week program, students completed 60 hours of CNA didactic work, 30 hours of clinical, and 20 lab hours, in addition to 60 hours of academic enrichment with focuses on English, life sciences, chemistry, and math.

“I've learned a lot about college life, how to structure my days, and how much time I should be putting towards studying versus not studying, free time, and what classes will really look like,” shared Hainuo Hodgkins.

At the completion of the program, students receive authorization to sit for the CNA licensure, and once passed, many intend to seek employment at a local hospital while pursuing their degree.

“My goal is to get a job at a local hospital around here and start working as a CNA throughout my years of nursing school to become comfortable working in that environment so that I can have that experience when I go to apply to nursing jobs,” added Bezon.

Hodgkins added that clinical experiences at nursing homes and a visit to Mercy Flight Central opened his eyes to the type of nursing he could pursue. “I had no idea what type of nurse I wanted to be. But now, geriatrics is of interest, or being an emergency responder nurse has also really stood out to me as something I really want to do.”

During the program, students were also able to take part in fun activities like a visit to Buffalo Bills Training Camp and SeaBreeze Amusement Park.