Working in the medical field, some things can only be taught through experience. Mannequins are a great tool for learning how to care for the human body, but they don’t come with the unique emotions, fears and unpredictability that live humans do.
For Dublin students hoping to pursue a career in nursing, Tolles Career & Technical Center offers a new work-based learning program in partnership with OhioHealth, providing high schoolers with opportunities for hands-on learning and employment as upperclassmen in high school.
Building a program
With the new additions to Tolles’ pre-nursing program, juniors will take the State Tested Nursing Assistant certification assessment. Once they pass, they can apply for a 2x2 cohort program that alternates spending two weeks studying traditional classwork at Tolles with two weeks of working with a pre-nursing educator as a full-time employee at Dublin Methodist Hospital. The students are introduced to a variety of units at Dublin Methodist to ensure they receive a well-rounded understanding of various medical disciplines.
“When we can get students in a work-based learning environment, they’re working with adults. A lot of their coworkers don’t know that they are a high school student, and that allows them to mature and level up their social skills,” Tolles Superintendent Todd Hoadley says. “Those soft skills are just expected in the workplace and this type of program helps to solidify those skills which then creates a long-term pathway for success.”
“This job basically taught me how to adult,” Suhaylah (Sue) Rodriguez, a dual-graduate of Dublin City Schools and Tolles, says. “One of my coworkers even helped me with my taxes! The relationships I’ve made from this experience are something that I wish to take with me.”
One of the biggest components of the work-based program is learning how to work with patients, coworkers and supervisors in a professional setting. Reliability and responsibility are also needed to succeed in a nursing career.
“I was prepared for anything that came my way and if I wasn’t, someone was always there to help,” Rodriguez says. “I did get yelled at by patients a couple of times but I think it all taught me how to de-escalate different situations.”
Working closely with Tolles, changes are made to the program when needed, ensuring relevant topics are covered in the classroom before students enter the work-based program.
“We had a student that didn’t know how to do a certain task that a nurse felt that she should know how to do, so we contacted the school and said, ‘Hey, this skill is something that we need in the hospital, and it doesn’t look like you train on that’ and they were able to add that to their curriculum right then,” says Mindy Sanford, senior advisor of workforce development, partnerships and programs at OhioHealth.
Impacting the future
Educating high-school-age nursing students is a great opportunity for students and for OhioHealth as well.
More and more industry-leading companies in the area, in healthcare and beyond, have implemented work-based career pathways for high school students. This approach is often mutually beneficial, giving students crucial experience and pay while giving the company a qualified and coachable employee.
Some employers promote these programs to students as young as middle school to fill skilled worker positions down the road.
“We want them to be an entry point into a pipeline where we help them along the way to get to where they want to be,” Sanford says. “They get paid the same amount as a patient support assistant who's not a high school student and so they're making some good money, as well as great hands-on experience with everything they've learned in school.”
In addition to getting paid for their work hours, OhioHealth also offers college scholarships for students who decide to further their education in nursing while continuing to work at OhioHealth facilities. Once those students become state-registered nurses, many will then work full-time for one of OhioHealth’s many facilities.
Rodriguez says she would recommend anyone even slightly interested in a healthcare career to take a leap of faith and apply.
“Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re not sure about something,” she says. “Everyone is there to help you, so make use of the resources around you.”
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
