COVID impacted how high school students train for health careers

SALISBURY, Md. – Getting a hands-on learning experience is something some students aren’t taking for granted.

At Parkside High School, they offer a Health Occupations or Nursing Assistant Program which allows students to explore careers in health care.

“I love this program, I’ve been in it for 2 years, I love all the people here and the experience we get,” Nyliera Parker, a 12th grade student, said.

“We get to go to the hospital and we just get to do those real life situations,” Maddie Raygor, a 12th grade student, said.

“I think it gives you a chance to have real life experience with working in the medical field, instead of just jumping in as soon as you go to college,” Lilly Webb, an 11th grade student, said.

Students can put their skills to the test in hospitals and in long term care facilities. But, the Health Occupations Instructor told us that when COVID-19 hit, that shifted.

“Extremely stressful in the beginning when we were zooming, that’s not a really good experience for students in this type of program,” Karen Bunn, the Health Occupations Instructor, said.

Bunn said that when students were allowed back into the classrooms that didn’t mean learning went back to normal.

“We simulated the clinical experiences the best that we could in the classroom and in the lab area, but then when we got back into those clinical sites it was a whole different ball game,” Bunn said.

Once, the doors opened for students to get back into those facilities they had to use safety precautions and follow COVID-19 guidelines.

“It’s been a good learning experience and I don’t think it’s deterred anyone,” Bunn said.

Students we spoke with said seeing first hand the impact COVID was having on the healthcare system opened their eyes even more to what was happening.

“I realized that there’s a lot of people that need help and I mean there’s more opportunities for the job and more stuff to do,” Raygor said.

“I feel like because of COVID there are more safety precautions put in place and I actually feel better about that,” Parker said. “Everything’s cleaner and more put together.”

But, it never stopped them from wanting to pursue their passion in the health care field.

“I think when COVID first started it made me a little bit nervous, but I think that the more I’ve been around it and exposed to being in the health care system with the new protocols, I don’t think it’s bothered me as much, Webb said.

We are told that at the end of the program, students graduate with a CNA.