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A young high school student and his mother walk into the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center on a warm evening. After checking in, they follow a group of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer School of Nursing at 91��Ƭ�� students, who have spent weeks organizing this NurseReady event. Dozens of high school students, parents and current University undergraduates have gathered with the same goal: to learn what it takes to become a nurse.

The journey into nursing can feel distant and overwhelming before it even begins. NurseReady offers students a space to explore the profession, ask honest questions and gain clarity about their professional paths.

At the event, open to the public and hosted annually by the student-led Males Entering Nursing (MEN’s) Initiative, attendees take part in hands-on demonstrations, panels and mentor discussions. These interactive activities allow participants to learn directly from current nursing students and faculty about the realities of nursing school and explore varied nursing career paths.

Students from the Ellmer School of Nursing at 91��Ƭ�� lead many of the sessions, sharing their own stories, challenges and expertise with the audience.

For pre-nursing students at the University, events like NurseReady hold even greater significance. Many begin their academic journey on the University’s main campus, miles from the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center where the nursing school is based. 

“Without regular proximity to faculty or nursing peers, it can be difficult to fully picture themselves stepping into the role of a nurse,” shared Jonathan Romero, D.N.P., RN, clinical assistant professor at the Ellmer School of Nursing at 91��Ƭ��. “The profession, while deeply needed, can sometimes feel just out of reach.”

This year, 112 attendees moved through interactive stations where they practiced skills, such as IV insertion, airway management and patient simulation. In nearby rooms, panels of current students and recent graduates spoke candidly about the realities of nursing school. They talked openly about the workload, the pressure, the moments of self-doubt and the deep sense of purpose that keeps them going.

“Over time, the event has grown into a more structured, hands-on introduction to nursing that also became a social gathering and a type of reunion, where former MEN’s Initiative members return to campus and lend a hand at the event,” said Dr. Romero.

Among those helping lead the effort was Matthew McPhee (B.S.N. ’26), former president of the MEN’s Initiative, whose own path into nursing was anything but traditional.

McPhee began his career at the United States Naval Academy before serving six years in the Navy. It was during a Tactical Combat Casualty Care training that something shifted.

“I realized I wanted to be in a position where I could directly impact patients and their families,” McPhee said. “Nursing felt like the best way to do that.”

Now, a nursing graduate himself, McPhee worked alongside faculty and peers to organize outreach efforts and create spaces where others can see what he eventually saw: a future in healthcare that feels both meaningful and attainable.

For McPhee, NurseReady shows students the community within the nursing school.

“Some students don’t know what nursing really entails,” he said. “This gives them a glimpse. It helps them decide if it’s right for them. But it also shows them they won’t be doing it alone.”

That message echoed throughout the evening. Conversations between strangers quickly turned into encouragement. Questions that once felt intimidating became easier to ask. And, for many attendees, the idea of becoming a nurse shifted from abstract to achievable.

“Attendees get to see that we’re all in this together,” McPhee said. “Students and faculty work together with the goal that everyone in the program succeeds in becoming a professional and competent nurse.”

What began as a simple introduction to nursing has evolved into a lasting bridge into the profession, reminding students that they belong.

The MEN’s Initiative recently received support through a Town-N-Gown grant, helping ensure programs like NurseReady can continue creating pathways into nursing for future students.