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It All Starts Here
By: Brittani Thompson
What do you want to become in life? A lawyer, computer tech, teacher, veterinarian, or
even
a dentist, it’s all about what fits you, but for me I want to become a nurse, and Central High School is where it all starts. Central's
nursing program is designed to give you an opportunity to earn your MNA / CNA Certification while still in high school, as well as
learn first aid CPR training.
Many people see nursing as a job all about working with blood, but it's not, you learn more than just that. You learn
medical terminology such as -oma which means tumor, and -cardio which means heart. But that's not it, there's more where
those came from. You learn over 400 medical terms while in the Nursing magnet. We also have a chance to go into the lab, a
room set up with dummies and beds designed so we can practice different skills like: hand washing, partial bath, and full bed
baths, making up an occupied and unoccupied bed, and giving denture care to the patients. An occupied bed is when the patient
is bed bound and isn't able to move on his own; that's when we learned how to make up a bed with the patient in it. An
unoccupied bed is when there is no patient in the bed at the time. We practice some skills on each other as well as ourselves if
needed.
HANDWASHING IS THE KEY STEP!
The first skill we learned was hand washing, knowing how to wash your hands properly when entering and
exiting a patients room. There are 17 steps to washing your hands correctly. Each one is very important. They are:
Remove watch and bracelets or push up 4 to 5 inches above hand. Remove all rings except a
smooth wedding band.
Stand away from sink so clothes do not touch the sink.
Turn on the faucet and adjust the water to a warm, comfortable temperature.
Wet hands thoroughly, including three to four inches above wrists.
Hold hands with wrists lower than elbows during the hand washing procedure.
Apply a generous amount of soap to hands.
If bar soap is used, rinse it well before lathering and before returning it to the dish.
Rub palms together to work up a good lather for at least 15 seconds.
Steps 10 – 13 should last at least 20 seconds. Wash using friction and rotating motion.
Wash the palms and back of hands.
Wash fingers and between the fingers.
Wash the wrists and lower arms.
Clean well under fingernails by rubbing against palms.
Rinse arms and hands.
With a clean dry paper towels, pat dry starting at fingertips working to the wrist.
Turn off the faucet with clean and dry paper towel and discard.
Christian Care Communities
Over a period of time, towards the middle or end of our junior year, several students get a chance to experience clinicals
at a local nursing home called, Christian Care Communities. Working there provides very good one on one experience with a
patient for 3 days. It seems like everyone has a good time, and enjoy working and learning things about the patients such as their
needs and wants. We learn as much about them as they learned about us. There are some patients that we bond with and there
are others who just can’t stand the fact that we are bathing and feeding them.
If you love to work and care for people, then join the Nursing magnet. It all starts here!