Lincoln Public Schools students like Kaddijatou and Wassan are registering strong pulses of academic knowledge this fall as they begin exploring their healthcare career options.
The Northwest High School juniors are both enrolled in the Basic Nursing Assistant (BNA) class in the Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program. They are learning valuable information such as how to change bedsheets for patients, properly dispose of personal protective equipment and collect accurate measurements for medical records.
Kaddijatou and Wassan said they have been pleased with how much knowledge they have already gained from the course. The BNA class is the first step of a pathway that focuses on topics such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, phlebotomy and healthcare ethics.
“I’m planning on going into labor and delivery, so I feel like this will really help me,” Kaddijatou said. “I want to get my CNA (certified nursing assistant) certification and then get a ton of experience with that.”
“It was highly recommended to take this class, and I’m glad I did,” Wassan said. “I’m planning on going into pediatrics, and with this being an intro to nursing class, I knew this was the first step to get experience to any kind of healthcare setting.”
Elena has also enjoyed her first few weeks of BNA lessons. She is setting her sights on becoming a physical therapist.
“It is so important to get this healthcare experience from Bryan College of Health Sciences because you get a real feel of how your job will be in the hospital,” Elena said. “The skill labs we do are very realistic, and you obtain so much knowledge about how to take care of patients and residents in the best way possible.”
Julia Phoenix offered words of encouragement to students one morning as they learned how to operate a weighted scale. She said it is rewarding to give them their first glimpses of the healthcare field. Phoenix has been a nurse for more than 13 years and has served in the medical profession for 17 1/2 years.
“I really do enjoy this program,” Phoenix said. “It’s great. I didn’t have anything like this in high school, so I think it’s really cool that LPS has all these various programs. I’m really grateful to have this role and be able to influence them and show them how exciting healthcare can be.”
Phoenix is part of a full lineup of experienced instructors from both Northwest High School and Bryan College of Health Sciences. Their goal is to help students become more familiar with dozens of possible healthcare routes.
“As instructors, we’re all nurses, but that doesn’t mean they have to go on to become a nurse,” Phoenix said. “They can go and study pharmacy or physical therapy or speech therapy. They could work in an operating room or in a clinic or in a skilled nursing setting. They can literally go anywhere with this.”
Wassan and classmate Kayliana said those expansive options are one reason why they would recommend the BNA course to other students. Kayliana said the course has reinforced her desire to enter the medical profession. She plans to become either a mother-baby nurse or a pediatric nurse.
“I think it’s really important to get a head start in the healthcare community,” Kayliana said. “You start learning if healthcare is a career you would like to do.”
“If you don’t know what you’re going to do, and you are interested in medical care, you can take this class,” Wassan said. “It can open more opportunities for you.”
Kaddijatou said she has especially enjoyed the course’s interactive setup. She and her classmates watched attentively as Phoenix led them through the 40-step process of changing bedsheets in a hospital, care center or assisted living facility. Both of the focus program’s classrooms feature multiple mannequins and electronic beds for daily lessons.
“I really like the hands-on things,” Kaddijatou said. “We do two days of lecture and two days of hands-on activities, and then on Fridays we have study hall so we can review everything. It’s organized really well. It’s been really fun.”
“I have really enjoyed doing hands-on activities to learn how to properly care for patients and having fun communicating with the people in my class,” Kayliana said. “We learn and have so much fun as well.”
Phoenix said the course’s dynamic curriculum has many practical benefits. One of those points of emphasis is teaching students about the empathy for others they will need in their careers.
“One of the big things is that they get to play the role of the patient in a lot of our activities, so they get to experience what that feels like,” Phoenix said. “That helps them be more understanding when you get into the caregiver part of it.”
Elena said she is more confident about her job prospects because of her time changing bedsheets and charting medical records. She felt her pulses of healthcare enthusiasm would grow even stronger as she moves through the focus program.
“Taking these Bryan focus program classes are so helpful when you want a job in the medical field,” Elena said. “You get to tell your future employers that you have had major experience, and you have amazing instructors who would be happy to reference you.”
Customize your high school experience with LPS Focus Programs! Discover how the Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program creates strong pulses of knowledge for the next generation of medical professionals.
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