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Show Students Learn Nurses' Roles By TOM BUSSELBERG BOUNTIFUL - Nurses man hospital intensive care units where patients may be hovering between life and death. NURSES ALSO are called upon to give physical as well as moral support to patients in convalescent homes, and must often give of themselves only to see that patient they've grown close to over the months or even years eventually pass away. In both instances, qualified nurses are in high demand de-mand and can usually obtain a job rather easily, even in today's troubled economy. But how does someone some-one decide if they really want that kind of an occupation? occupa-tion? FOR SEVERAL dozen Davis County high school seniors, the mystery's been largely removed as they've participated in the health nurse's aid program prog-ram offered in all six high schools in conjunction with Lakeview Hospital and Davis North Medical Center and Bountiful Convalescent Center. Students receive both "book-learning" or theory and practical hands-on experience during their semester in the program that includes several hours a day on-site during regular school hours as well as 10 or more hours after school in a job setting, explains Gerald Beeton, Woods Cross High School vocational vocation-al coordinator who's overseeing the program in south county. MARION LOESCH, nursing supervisor at Lake-view, Lake-view, and Ruth Ann Draper, nurses aide instructor, both indicate "it's not necessarily high grades but interest motivated to nursing" that may get students placed. BOTH THE hospitals and convalescent center use the same text but clinical experience varies. In the hospitals, students initially are taught skills such as bedbathing and then are given care responsibility over three patients for several hours. "By the time they get out of the program, they can get a job anywhere they want," Mrs. Loesch says. Hospitals know they're trained." They've received a "general orientation" that includes study of infec- tious control to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification. STUDENTS ALSO get a look into operations at the American Fork State Training School, Utah State Mental Hospital in Provo and the speech and hearing laboratory at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. And they all get a personal glimpse of what it's like to be blind and confined to a wheelchair. Students are required to wear an eyepatch for three hours and must go into a restaurant, unaccompanied, go through the motions or ordering a meal, and then write a paper. MANY STUDENTS finish their semester program and remain on-staff through their college training. "Parents need to support and encourage their kids to accept responsibility," Mrs. Loesch says. "The biggest big-gest problem is in the summer when they'd rather not come to work," for instance. But students who "hang in there" can often look forward to "writing their own ticket" later as a nurse down to the number of hours and time of day they want to work. "Those who do well in the program usually have interest in science," Mrs. Draper said. "They're a little more mature, concerned about people." LISA SHARP and Lynne Rogers work with students stu-dents at Bountiful Convalescent while Sheila Nevetell oversees things at Davis North. "It's a good learning experience, we get to work with older people," says Brad Wilkes, a Bountiful High School senior with intentions to enter some phase of health care in college. ANOTHER STUDENT says her training has helped her deal with her grandmother's physical problems. And Dennis Gehring, Bountiful Convalescent Center's administrator says of the students, "We're excited about having them. We feel like it gives a lot of people a chance to see what it's about. Hopefully it will change some attitudes." IT ALSO gives many patients a lift to get attention . from youthful, enthusiastic students, he adds. |