Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680

SALT LAKE CITY (July 13, 2022) — Six nursing students from WGU’s College of Health Professions have been chosen to participate in an intensive volunteer practicum program with the American Red Cross of Utah. The students will interact with Red Cross teams, blood donors and the community in clinical settings expanding their exposure to providing care and helping build their clinical care skills.

“Starting this week, the students will begin a three-week community health volunteer program with the goal of completing 65 hours of work,” said Heidi Ruster, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region. “To get a range or experiences, they will help at blood drives and help families in vulnerable communities,” she said.

Jaycee DeJong, a surgical technician and one of the six WGU students participating in the program, said she went back to school to become a nurse so she would have more interaction with patients. “I want to make a difference for each of my patients,” she said. “That is also why I love the Red Cross. The generosity of blood donors and volunteers helps ensure our community is prepared and safe. It makes me feel great to be working toward the betterment of lives.”

The Red Cross of Utah plans to continue working with WGU to provide volunteer clinical opportunities for nursing students. “These students will work directly with blood donors and gain experience that helps round out their education,” said Ruster. “I am proud that the Red Cross is able to be a part of offering additional educational experiences for our future essential health care providers.”

Red Cross nurses bring relief to disaster victims, work in military hospitals, and collect lifesaving blood, according to Dr. Walter Kelley, Red Cross Medical Director for Utah.

“Our staff and volunteer nurses are critical to most everything we do, such as helping communities prepare, respond, and recover from disasters,” he said. “They provide lifesaving blood therapies to patients suffering from sickle cell disease, cancer, and many other diseases. Our nurses also develop and teach courses ranging from CPR/first aid to disaster preparedness.”

From hospital operating rooms to emergency disaster shelters, nurses are important members of health care teams, Dr. Kelley emphasized. “They are a comforting and critical presence, whether delivering simple reassurance or lifesaving treatment.”

The American Red Cross was founded by a battlefield nurse, Clara Barton. Today, nurses continue to support its mission of providing care and comfort to those in need. They also serve in a variety of Red Cross leadership positions, including board members, program directors, and chapter CEOs, Ruster said.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.