In the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis caused by COVID-19, KVC West Virginia partnered with the West Virginia University School of Nursing on the Potomac State Campus to incorporate a new clinical rotation during the Fall 2020 semester in their 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 leader in child and family outpatient mental and behavioral healthcare, and our partnership with the WVU School of Nursing offered students a unique opportunity 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 demonstrated incredible professionalism and engagement during post-meeting discussions,” said Walter Swoope, KVC West Virginia Donor Relations Manager.

“The KVC West Virginia staff truly made this a wonderful experience for our students,” said Nursing Department chair Dr. April Shapiro. “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.”

Students said that their experiences in this clinical rotation were “eye-opening” and “informative.” According to Heather Coddington, WVU 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.”

We look forward to incorporating more opportunities with West Virginia University into our programs in the future.

About KVC West Virginia

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. The Joint Commission accredits KVC. The organization is a subsidiary of KVC Health Systems which touches the lives of more than 60,000 children and families each year and more than 300,000 in its 50-year history. Learn more at kvcwv.org