By BRIDGETTE NORRIS
Walking the hallways in familiar blue scrubs, seniors Haylea Bettmann and David Rivera are third year health care academy students.
After three years of taking health care academy classes, the students have become cardiopulmonary resuscitation certified, have gained knowledge of first aid and patient care, as well as learning anatomy, physiology and basics of medicine.
“This class helps you learn rules and regulations in the heath field. I want to go into the medical field and thought it would be helpful,” Bettmann said.
The health care academy has three levels. The first class, Health Science 1, is available to any student. To continue onto Health Science 2, the student must be recommended by the hospital staff and Elisabeth Smith, the health care academy teacher. For class 3, the student must have previously taken both health science classes. The student must attend an interview and are chosen by the hospital staff.
After completing three years, the students have an opportunity at the end of Level 3 to qualify for a certificate as a nurse assistant. The students take an exam at the end of the course, and if they pass, they receive the certification.
Rather than spending five days a week in the classroom like health science students, the seniors have the opportunity to job shadow off campus three days a week.
“I really enjoy going out to do clinicals. Things we have learned in the class, we can apply. Time goes by fast when we are there. I learn with hands-on experience and am able to pick things up faster,” Rivera said.
Job shadowing consists of volunteer by aiding the nurse and patient in anything they need help with, like bathing patients, making beds and assisting with physical therapy.
“I enjoy working with people and feeling like I’m helping. It would be a career I would enjoy,” Bettmann said.
Both Bettmann and Rivera feel as if the class has been beneficial so far and will continue to be, as they want a career in the medical field.
“The students will have a very good foundation from this class and it is preparation. They get to try out nursing and being in hospitals before they spend money on it during college and find out they do not like it anymore,” Smith said.