When choosing my senior year schedule I opted to go to Co-op Tech for half the day to get a feel for one of my potential college majors, nursing. So far in the CNA (certified nursing assistant) program I’ve learned alot about this field and about myself. With this kind of occupation you deal with people who are in a vulnerable state and who could be going through a lot of feelings, both physically and mentally. Nurses and Nursing Assistants have to possess a lot of qualities such as patience, empathy, compassion, etc.
This course specifically is geared towards teaching you to care for those in a nursing home, but you also learn about care in other types of facilities. At the end of this class, I will be able to take the CNA state exam and while I’m in college, I will be able to work as a nursing assistant part time. In this photo I was practicing the skill of “turning a patient”. About every 2 hours patients have to be turned for the purpose of good blood circulation and to prevent bed sores which are ulcers caused by friction of sheets/clothes or general pressure from laying on one area of the body too long. Being in this program has opened my eyes to the idea that nursing might not be my area of interest for many reasons, but I would still like to pursue something in health care. As of right now, I plan to attend college for physical therapy to become a sports physical therapist. Being in the CNA trade class has taught me that there are so many different fields of healthcare and even though we mainly learn about the tasks of a nursing assistant, healthcare workers all have certain similar duties. I encourage upcoming seniors to join Co-op Tech so that they can learn more about possible career options or just gain experience in a field that interests them.