Teachers gain insight by shadowing
experience
by Cindy
AbolePublic Relations
Just as students gain from shadowing employees in the workplace, teachers learn about jobs and careers within today’s labor market.
As an alternative to attending a districtwide professional development course, four Charleston County School District teachers chose to spend their day learning from professional staff and employees at MUSC. Their goal was to rediscover jobs and the necessary skills required in today’s workforce to help steer students towards successful careers.
PACU nurse Lynn
Bond demonstrates the non-invasive blood pressure monitoring device to
James Island Middle School teacher Kelly Owens. In addition to
measuring blood pressure, the device also monitors a patient’s EKG and
oxygen saturations. “The experience proved to be more valuable than everyone anticipated,” said Erica Parker, CCSD School-to-Careers middle school counselor at Ft. Johnson and James Island Middle Schools. “Participating teachers raved about the opportunity. They saw it as a great chance for learning, experiencing and networking with other professionals in the community. Our teachers also acknowledged the importance of learning life skills and what employers expect from job candidates.”
This was a first-time experience for James Island Middle School language arts and reading teacher Kelly Owens. Owens, an eighth-grade teacher, was paired with Post Anesthesia Care Unit’s (PACU) Lynn Bond, R.N., and her staff.
“This has been a great experience for me as an educator,” said Owens, who followed Bond around the PACU unit on Jan. 20. “It was a nice change for me outside of the classroom. I thought teachers were the only ones busy within their jobs.”
Bond, a former teacher who switched careers to nursing in 1978, has since earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing and loves her role within the profession. She also teaches clinical nursing part-time at Trident Technical College.
“We provide care for all types of patients from neonate to the elderly,” said Bond, stressing the importance of technology and Spanish as highly-valued skills among today’s clinical staff. “Everyone in the PACU as well as other ICU areas within the hospital work effectively in teams. And with teamwork, there’s always an opportunity to teach and learn.”
Owens also discovered how PACU nurses are multi-skilled with knowledge and experience in surgery and patient recovery especially as they assist in the monitoring and recovery of cardiac, orthopaedic and other specialty-care patients.
“A patient’s status can change in an instant,” Owens said. “The area is so fast-paced, it's helpful if one is especially knowledgeable in a specialty areas or has some experience.”
Owens helps students relate to this by emphasizing real world advice. She continually challenges her eighth graders to plan and think ahead, especially as it relates to careers. She reviews activities like the job application process, assists in mock interviews and other related skills.
Eighth grade James
Island Middle School teacher Madeline Nesmith, right, talks with
biochemistry's Drs. Jeff Hansen and wife, Debbie, during a Jan. 20
teacher-mentoring visit to MUSC.James Island Middle School’s Madeline Nesmith teaches eighth-grade science. Her curriculum includes physical science with a mix of astronomy, geology, some physics and science methodology.
The CCSD faculty shadowing experience paired Nesmith with the husband-wife research team of Jeff and Debbie Hansen, both assistant professors with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Although they share lab space, each has different approaches to studying human cancer and aging. Debbie’s research focuses on the functional (or molecular) aspects of tumor suppressor proteins while Jeff is interested in studying the structural basis of what makes cancer cells mortal.
Nesmith, whose previous work was in a lab setting, soon discovered that the key to maintaining her student’s interest is to recognize science in everyday life.
“I believe it’s important that science be taught interactively within a school’s curriculum,” Nesmith said. “My students know how much I love science, especially microbiology. I’m excited to share what I’ve seen and experienced.”
Asked what qualities describe a good scientist, their answers include the following characteristics: curiosity, understanding (ability to problem solve), critical thinking, good study habits and attitude of interest.
“I remember being interested in science as a fourth grader,” said Debbie Hansen. “I learned from my teachers that there was a place for women in science and I wanted to be part of that. It’s important that MUSC maintain a strong, continuous relationship with schools and students across the Tri-county.”
“We have offered work site tours to many middle school classes in the past and this was a great opportunity for their teachers to observe the health care professions first hand and benefit from this experience,” said Susan Carullo, MUHA Human Resources manager of compensation and employment.
Shadowing students explore jobs, health care careers
On Feb. 16, participating Charleston County School District (CCSD) students experienced life outside the hallways and classrooms of their respective high school campuses. For half a day, high school juniors and seniors met and talked with health care professionals and MUSC employees to discuss their work and follow the daily contributions to their jobs and roles with patient care.
Each year, both Human Resources departments from the University and Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) coordinate a campuswide Shadowing Day activity to coincide with statewide and national recognition of National Job Shadow Day 2006. This effort pairs community schools and employers to allow students to explore careers and see firsthand how school relates to the workplace and careers.
“It is exciting to provide career exploration opportunities to students so that they can be aware of the many options health care has to offer,” said Susan Carullo, MUHA Human Resources manager of compensation and employment.
More than 50 students from Stall, Baptist Hill, Burke, St. Johns and West Ashley high schools participated. The group assembled in 2West Ampitheater in the main hospital. There, they were greeted by organizers and received tokens and information about the program’s events. Students were greeted by Sabra Slaughter, Ph.D., chief of staff, Office of the President.
“I see the future of health care in this room,” Slaughter said. “MUSC is one of the most exciting places to work in South Carolina. There’s not a single talent or skill that can’t be applied in the health care industry. It’s a special place filled with special people.”
Students were matched with participating departments including pharmacy, physical therapy, nursing–(Ambulatory Clinic, PACU, ICU, Radiology, Heart & Vascular Center/Cath Lab, Transplant, Postpartum, Emergency Medicine), occupational therapy, laboratory, dietary, social work, accounting/budgets, information technology, human resources, Wellness Center/physical education, pediatrics research, biochemistry research, and Physical Plant.
This program is just one of several school-business partnership activities organized between MUSC and CCSD. MUSC is involved in several school-related activities from career day visits, mentoring and related initiatives.
“This program gets better every year,” said Jodi Bateman, CCSD Schools-to-Careers coordinator. “For some students, this experience may be the only time they meet or interact with a professional inside their work environment. The students enjoy an experience that’s positive. This has been a great program that has been continually successful.”
Baptist Hill High School junior Kyra Bodrick was one of several students participating in this year’s program.
“The experience was very interesting,” said Bodrick, whose career interests include pharmacy and nursing. Bodrick was matched with Department of Pharmacy Services’ Cheryl Ezman, Pharm.D., coordinator of training and program development. The pair toured various pharmacy settings from decentralized pharmacy areas to satellite settings around the medical center and Children’s Hospital.
West Ashley High School’s Darryl Hunt and Kora Collins spent their morning touring specialty areas within Radiology and the Heart & Vascular Center to learn more about managing information and systems within these areas. They first met with Radiology IT's Jay Crawford and Marilyn Banks to discuss usage of the department’s Picture Archiving and Communication System as well as other systems used to help store, manage and display radiology’s digital images. The students also spent time with Heart & Vascular Center’s Nick Whichard, information services manager, who outlined automated systems and technologies used to manage heart and vascular patient procedures and images.
“The role of information technology is to provide physicians and staff with technology improvements and systems that allow them to be more effective in how they provide patient care,” said Whichard.
Bateman predicted that as students return to the classroom following their shadowing day experiences, they will evaluate their experiences by reviewing notes and discussing answers from prepared questions they posed to employee participants about their job or their careers.
For students who show further interest, they may be encouraged to seek volunteering activities at MUSC or additional guidance from their school-to-careers counselor.
“The experience also introduces students to valuable work skills and other tools that they’ll need as they entry the job market,” Bateman said. “The experience can be a little intimidating to a teen—meeting people for the first time, interaction, and asking questions. Preparing students through this program is just one step towards building confidence and self-esteem in themselves.”
“A parent contacted me after her daughter’s job shadowing day experience and indicated that the time she spent at MUSC Medical Center helped confirm her interest in nursing and a career in health care,” Carullo said. “This program makes a difference in the lives of these students.”
Friday, Feb. 24, 2006
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