One-week summer camp offers plenty of hands-on activities
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| Nurse Gail Wilson of the York Hospital Operating Rooms, right, explains to WellSpan Summer Health Care Careers Camp students some of the things they’ll see on their behind-the-scenes tour of the Operating Rooms. |
In one room of the Medical Simulation Center at York Hospital, high school students practiced intubating a patient, inserting IV lines and administering epidurals.
In another room, students used an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machine on a mannequin which was electronically programmed to act like a live patient.
Another group listened to a nurse anesthetist student as she used a medical mannequin to demonstrate how to sedate a patient prior to surgery. Students, awaiting their turn in each group, watched as closely as if they were viewing the latest summer blockbuster movie.
The 16 high school students, representing nine districts, gave the free, week-long WellSpan Summer Health Careers Camp a four-star review.
Besides the Medical Simulation Center, students visited the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Academy, the Operating Room, Clinical Laboratory, Respiratory Care classroom and Rehabilitation. Hands-on activities were scheduled in each area.
“We want to open the students’ eyes to different health care careers out there that they may have never thought about before,” said Stephanie Workinger of Human Resources.
One of WellSpan’s strategies to meet future demands for health care workers is to educate young people about these careers and the high demand for professionals in these areas.
Jared May, a sophomore at West York, said his favorite part of the week was visiting the EMS Academy. “It was neat because they showed you what they would do to save a life. It was a great experience. I enjoyed seeing the various departments and potential jobs.”
Joshua Baker, a sophomore at Red Lion, said, “I was surprised at all the different areas. I have a much better idea of what I might want to do as a career.”
Kennedy Miller, a sophomore at Central, said, “It was an exciting week and I learned a lot. I would definitely recommend the camp to others.”
Workinger said this year’s camp featured more hands-on activities for the students, based on the feedback of past attendees.
“This was an absolutely fabulous group,” she commented. “They were attentive and engaged. The schools did an excellent job of selecting the students.”
By design, this year’s students were younger than those in the past, according to Workinger.
“It gives them more time to pursue their interests in high school by selecting advanced classes,” she said. “Judging from their enthusiasm, I think a number of the students will choose a career in the health care field.”