The small crowd of rising high school seniors surrounded the human-like mannequin, “Mr. Watkins,” touching his life-like skin, taking his blood pressure, counting his heartbeats and slightly jumping as he said “I don't feel good.”
The $45,000 “patient,” a new addition to the simulation lab used by the nursing program at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences (CCHS), was recently on display at Camp Compass, a one day program for rising high school seniors interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.
Alice Gullette, 17, a rising senior at Mount Pleasant High School learned to take a blood pressure and listen to heart sounds on “Mr. Watkins.”
“I was nervous. I work at a hospital, so I've seen it before, but I didn't know how to do it,” she said.
Around 20 students from Hickory Ridge High School, Cox Mill High School, Jay M. Robinson High School and Mount Pleasant High School spent the day involved in interactive learning sessions with various CCHS faculty and discussions by mentor student ambassadors.
“Sometimes it is easier to talk to a student that is in the throws of the educational environment more so than it is to a faculty person or the director of admissions,” said Dr. Dianne O. Snyder, chancellor of CCHS.
Both the new student ambassador program and Camp Compass were made possible by a one-time grant from the North Carolina Independent College and Universities.
“The grant is basically to find ways in which to provide access to students to the college environment,” Snyder said. “We are providing them an avenue to see if they want to become a health professional, whether it’s nursing or surge tech. It's really meant to expose these students to a variety of healthcare professions we have here at the college.”
Divided into small groups, the kids participated in hands-on learning sessions in several disciplines.
The entire day focused on careers in healthcare.
CCHS worked directly with counselors at the four high schools looking for students considering careers in the healthcare field.
“They had to fill out a bit of an application, and then they were selected,” Snyder said.
The high school students also spent part of the day at CMC-NorthEast observing professionals in their work environment.
Sixteen-year-old Leticia Joseph was excited to learn what surgical technology students experience in the operating room. Dressed in a surgical gown and rubber gloves, she stapled a simulated incision with a staple gun. Smiling ear to ear, the rising senior was sure that the medical field was for her.
“I thought it was amazing. I had never heard of it. I didn't know about it, but now I would consider it,” Joseph said. “I want to be a nurse. I don't want to spend my life in school. I want to get out there and help people.”
Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140.
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