Jumpstart, a pilot program in which BSN and Master of Science in Nursing Entry-into-Nursing students spend parts of the first week of the semester learning “universal skills” — proves to be a success.
At an administrative daylong retreat in fall 2023, Kathleen “Katie” McElroy, PhD ’16, MS ’10, BSN ’98, RN, CNE, associate professor and associate dean for the baccalaureate program, kept mulling over one question: “How do we support our students?”
She wanted to be able to connect with entry-into-nursing students earlier in their academic careers, she recalls thinking. “Some are coming from academically rigorous institutions. Some students didn’t have that opportunity but still have attributes that are going to make great nurses,” she says. “We have to support them before they even step in the doors because after that, it is almost too late.”
Meanwhile, Janet Wulf, DNP ’19, MS ’06, RN, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN, assistant professor and director of the master’s entry programs, also had discussions with faculty about how to support newly admitted students who did not have the necessary skills to successfully navigate the programs she directs.
So McElroy and Wulf collaborated to create Jumpstart, a program in which BSN and Master of Science in Nursing Entry-into-Nursing students spend parts of the first week of the semester learning what McElroy calls “universal skills” — contributing to effective teamwork, giving and receiving peer feedback, participating in team projects and accountability, studying, note-taking and test-taking, basic math, self-care and resilience, time management, “and how students can balance work, home, and school life in a realistic way,” McElroy says. “These are skills not solely related to nursing but that are needed to be great nurses.”
Launched as a pilot last fall, Jumpstart is required of all newly admitted BSN and MSN-E students both in Baltimore and at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland, accounting for approximately 270 students per semester.
“Providing this intervention to all students is an important component because we have seen that often those who need the most support are the last to seek it,” Wulf says. “And because these are universal skills, all faculty are invested in ensuring students build these skills as early in the nursing program as possible.”
Not all admitted students have skills in time management, studying, communicating, and writing, Wulf explains.
“In fact, student readiness varies dramatically, and we know readiness is shaped by student education, socioeconomic status, and personal life circumstances, so we know it is an equity issue. I see Jumpstart as an important step toward bringing students to a level playing field,” she says.
McElroy and Wulf asked the faculty teaching first-semester courses if they would be willing to give up some or all of their class time during the first week for an immersion into these universal skills. The faculty resoundingly agreed, and the result was six modules ready to be delivered to incoming students, each focused on a different skill. For example, Wulf and Tolvalyn Dennison, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CNE, clinical instructor, teach a How to Learn module. In one exercise, students are asked to fill out a weekly schedule that already contains time blocked off for classes and labs. Then the students are told to insert eight hours of sleep, family or friend time, exercise, meals/shopping, and work or other obligations.
“Then we do the math of how many hours of studying they will need to do for their courses, which is three to four hours for each hour in a lecture, and ask them to figure out where they will put it. When students realize that they need approximately 60 hours a week to attend classes and study for them, there are definitely some lightbulbs and reality checks going on in that room,” Wulf says. “But it’s so much better to be doing this in the first week of school than in Week Seven, when they realize they are not doing as well as they want to because they are not studying enough.”
The Teamwork module provides a way for students to set expectations and work with their classmates in a low-stakes environment, rather than jumping right into a big team project that impacts their grade, McElroy adds. They first spend time getting to know each other and reflecting on their own work habits and preferences. They then learn about and practice with specific tools that increase productivity and accountability, like team contracts and project trackers. Finally, they complete a short, fun group presentation using the skills and tools that were introduced.
“We are really hoping that we see some evidence that they are building those really important skills,” she adds.
For Ann G. Carlson, a BSN student, Jumpstart proved to be invaluable.
“For a course with a semester-long group project, Jumpstart was very beneficial,” Carlson says. “It allowed for team building on the first day of class that facilitated a smooth transition into the group project work. Jumpstart reinforced, for group projects, it is best to get started early and get to know your group members as soon as possible.”
The Jumpstart program pilot was offered again at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester. According to McElroy, the faculty will continue to evaluate the program and refine the modules, but given the results they’re seeing, they hope to offer it on a semesterly basis moving forward.
THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN THE SPRNIG 2025 ISSUE OF NURSING FOR/UM MAGAZINE.