By: Reilly Buselli
Photo by: Ashley DeJesus
This week, the Allied Health One students have begun to learn the foundational skills necessary for a position in the medical field. These skills include putting on and removing non-sterile gloves, gowns, masks, and protective eyewear. They are also learning how to don surgical gloves and properly cleanse their hands for medical procedures. In addition, these students are working on how to properly behave in an isolation unit. Isolation units are places where highly infectious patients go to ensure that their infection is not spread throughout the hospital.
Each student moves at their own pace—practicing each skill until it is second nature. The skills begin with reading material and instructional videos, followed by hands-on practice. Once the students are confident in their ability, they perform it in front of three peers who sign off when the student is proficient. Only then can the student perform it for Mrs. Elders who gives the final signature that the task is completed.
The students are currently working on their first skills unit, with three more to go this year. This skill learning process will continue throughout their high school career, ensuring that they are prepared for whatever the medical field throws at them. In the end, the students are certified as medical assistants, which is a certification that is greatly valued by many healthcare employers.
Although they are only one year into the program, these students have learned skills that many do not learn until much later in their training. These students are proving that with the right opportunity and some passion, high school students can take a fundamental step towards a career in healthcare. Thanks to the Allied Health program, these students are on their way to being the kind of professionals that they have always dreamed of becoming.
