OBU to Host Summer Nursing Camp July 15-17

February 18, 2026

High school students exploring a future in nursing will gain hands-on experience this summer at OBU’s School of Nursing “Called to Care” Camp, scheduled for July 15-17, 2026, on the OBU campus. The camp is open to incoming high school freshmen through seniors.

“Our camp is the perfect first step for anyone considering a career in nursing,” said Dr. Stephanie Parker, chair of the OBU School of Nursing. “It provides hands-on learning, mentorship and a glimpse into how faith and science come together in the healing profession.”

For Grace Goodin, a senior at Westmoore High School, attending last year’s nursing camp helped confirm both her college decision and her calling.

“One of the most impactful parts of OBU’s nursing camp last year was just getting to fellowship with the other campers,” Goodin said. “I had so much fun getting to know and learn with everyone and having the opportunity to meet my future classmates really helped me solidify God’s calling me to OBU.”

The three-day camp offers participants an up-close look at the nursing profession through practical and interactive sessions with a faith-forward approach. Campers learn basic CPR and first aid, practice wound care and dressings and work with high-fidelity nursing simulation mannequins. They also attend breakout classes designed to give students a realistic glimpse of nursing school at OBU.

“At nursing camp, we got to attend different breakout classes where we were able to get a glimpse of what nursing school looks like at OBU,” Goodin said. “One of my favorite lessons was when we learned basic practical skills, like testing a patient’s reflexes, checking their pupils, etc. Being in that class and practicing what I learned with my friends was so much fun and helped me realize how much I love learning about the body and nursing and has made me so excited to start nursing school myself.”

Beyond the hands-on instruction, Goodin said the relationships she formed with faculty made a lasting impression.

“Meeting the nursing staff during Nursing Camp definitely helped me see that OBU is what God has for me,” she said. “They are all so knowledgeable, loving and supportive and the kind of nurses and people I aspire to be. Being at nursing camp and meeting them helped me see that OBU is where I will continue to learn and grow in who God is calling me to be alongside and with the help my professors.”

The camp is directed by OBU’s nursing faculty and integrates Christian values into the study and practice of health care. That emphasis stood out to Goodin.

“The culture and environment at OBU and the School of Nursing was something that I’ve continued to carry with me from nursing camp,” she said. “Everyone I had the privilege of meeting was so welcoming and kind, largely because Christ is the center of OBU’s campus and the foundation for students learning how to be nurses. Having that atmosphere of love grounded in the Lord is something truly so special and irreplaceable.”

Early registration for the camp is $200 through March 31 and the cost increases to $250 beginning April 1. To register, visit okbu.edu/events/nursing-summer-camp/.

The camp reflects OBU’s commitment to academic excellence and servant leadership by pairing hands-on nursing instruction with an emphasis on compassionate, values-driven care.

As Goodin prepares to begin nursing school, she said her goals extend beyond mastering clinical skills.

“My biggest goal as I begin to start my journey into the nursing field is to love others just as God loves us,” she said. “I have no doubt that I will learn everything I need to at OBU over the course of my college career in order to be a successful nurse. But one of the things I am continually practicing is loving and caring for those around me, just as the Lord has demonstrated in my own life. This is so that one day, I am able to treat my patients physically with the skill I’ll gain at OBU but also help them spiritually and emotionally with the love of God.”