Medical program gives SSHS students a head start
An innovative medical assistant program at Siloam Springs High School is giving students a taste of hands-on patient care and allowing them to graduate with certifications that will give them a head start.
The program, the first of its kind in the state, has already seen a lot of success in its inaugural year, according to Jamie Tims, teacher and registered nurse. All 18 students who graduated in May earned both their national phlebotomy and their national registered medical assistant (RMA) certifications, passing with no less than a score of 93 on the phlebotomy exam and 89 on the RMA exam, she said.
The certifications will allow students to get a job right out of high school, making anywhere from $11 to $15 an hour, or pursue further medical training, Tims said. So far, 14 of her students plan to go on to become
nurses, two plan to become physicians, one plans for a career in sports medicine and one plans to become a physical therapist.
Already, three students have received job offers, she said.
The program is part of the district’s career and technical education program, which includes seven areas of study such as agriculture, pre-engineering, industrial maintenance, and business and marketing. The high school has long offered health science classes, but this was the first year to offer phlebotomy and RMA certifications, Tims said.
RMAs have a broader scope of practice than certified nursing assistants (CNA), because they practice under a physician’s license rather than a nurse’s license, Tims said. An RMA can give injections, do an echocardiogram of the heart, draw blood, call in prescriptions, take vital signs, perform wound care and do clerical office work, she said.
“They can literally almost do anything that an LPN (licensed practical nurse) can do,” she said.
In preparation for the exams, students who had completed the required prerequisites took the twosemester medical assistant class starting last fall, where they learned how to do medical procedures such as giving shots and drawing blood in the school’s well-equipped lab. The school district also partnered with seven local clinics and Siloam Springs Regional Hospital to allow students to do clinicals, participating in patient care, Tims said.
The school district’s investment in liability insurance allowed students to have a more active role, she said.
“Our kids, as far as I know, are the only ones in the state that actually touch patients. … They are so far ahead of the curve because they’ve already had patient contact — they know how to interview a patient, they know basic CPR and lifesaving skills,” Tims said. “They are so much (more) advanced than any other student applying for the same program.
“That’s what we want, for them to really have a foot in the door to get into nursing school or to get into medical school and I have no doubt this will help them excel in whatever path they go down.”
Cindy Ruffing, human resources director for Siloam Springs Regional Hospital, said the program is a win-win for the school and the hospital.
“We were honored to be a part of the program,” Ruffing said. “The hospital believes it plays a role in the community to provide workforce readiness training and develop opportunities for people in our area.”
The hospital hosted four students who came Monday through Friday, putting in about 7.5 hours a week, Ruffing said. Hospital staff set up a rotational program so that students could experience all the careers the hospital has to offer.
Students spent time in regular hospital units, the emergency department, the urgent care clinic, radiology and pharmacy, according to Ruffing and Maria Wlesklienski, SSRH chief nursing officer. They also got to experience supporting departments, such as case management, maintenance, marketing, human resources and information technology, they said.
The students’ role was more to observe than provide direct patient care, but they did learn the ebb and flow of the hospital, Wlesklienski said. With the patient’s permission, students even got to witness the birth of a baby, she said.
Students were respectful, curious and showed willingness to learn and be engaged, Wlesklienski said.
“There is a shortage of health care professionals — nurses, lab techs — a shortage of individuals who work in hospitals professionally,” Wlesklienski said. “We have found that if we can spark the interest early before they go to college, it helps them make long-term decisions.”
There is also a hope that students will come back to serve their community, she said.
From a human resources perspective, students who have experienced an internship offer the advantage of having an understanding of workforce expectations, Ruffing said. The internships are also valuable because they may help students decide what they don’t want to do before they make an investment in a college education, she said.
For students who want to go on to college but can’t afford it, the certifications could potentially help them get a job out of high school with an organization that has an education reimbursement program, Ruffing said.
Nicole Bossler, who is headed to the University of Arkansas to study premedicine, said she has always been interested in the medical field and the medical sciences program at the high school gave her a chance to explore her career options. Her ultimate goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon, depending on where her interests lead her.
Bossler started her internship at the Ozark Community Hospital Clinic in Gravette before moving to Siloam Springs Regional Hospital. At the hospital, she especially liked working in the emergency department. She said the hospital staff members were very involved and eager to teach the high school students.
Bossler said completing the medical sciences program at SSHS has given her real-world experience that will open more opportunities when she finishes college. Most importantly, the program gave her the chance to try the medical field instead of taking the risk of earning a college degree only to find out it’s not for her, she said.
“I think it’s just really important to encourage different places to give opportunities to kids to learn these skills to be able to pursue their goals early in life so they can get a head start,” she said.