The patient had driven into a ditch, gone home, and when checked on, seemed fine. However, he was later found passed out in his garage. He was suffering from hypothermia, and he was rushed to the hospital. In the emergency room, medical staff performed CPR for an hour at which point a nurse invited Lana, a Chippewa Valley High School senior in the Medical Careers program, to take over the CPR.
Lana described the scene as chaotic, with 15 people in the room and lots of blood. She explained that, at the time, she felt excitement, hope and terror. Adding that although he was unconscious, the patient’s eyes were open and moving side to side. She called them, “piercing blue eyes that seemed to look into my soul.”
As Lana began CPR, she realized that the patient’s ribs were shattered. She performed CPR for two minutes, as had each medical professional before her. She then encouraged her classmate, Morghan, to take over. Morghan had previously declined the opportunity, but with Lana’s encouragement decided to give it a try. Morghan felt scared and surprised, saying that, “It didn’t feel real.” The patient was cold and his chest indented. But even in that state, his eyes were open and his hand grabbed her arm. The nurse helped by giving her a rhythm to follow and soon her two minutes were up.
Both students felt shaky after the experience, with the adrenaline remaining for a couple of hours afterward. And for the next few days, they could still see the patient’s face.
What an experience for these students!
Lana and Morghan are part of the Medical Careers CTE program at Chippewa Valley High School. They spend two hours per day, four days per week, at McLaren Hospital in Mt. Clemens rotating through many different units within the hospital, and gaining numerous experiences in each, including the incredible experience described here. This was not a regular classroom experience. This was intense and memorable and impactful. This shows the power of real experiences, of CTE, and internships, and community partnerships.
At a time when it seems quite challenging to truly engage students in their learning, our CTE programs do just that. From Medical Careers to Auto. From Graphics to Mechanical Design. From Cybersecurity to Marketing. And in every CTE program, students are engaged in hands-on, real-world, high-interest experiences that they truly enjoy and grow from. I only wish that all students had these opportunities.
As I finished talking to Lana and Morghan, I asked them each for a final reflection about the experience, and also about how they see Medical Careers impacting their future. For Lana, she is happy to have gotten the experience and hopes that she will do even better next time. She is looking forward to a career in nursing. Morghan had already decided that she does not want to go into nursing. Her medical career path will be in Occupational or Physical Therapy. These two students, high school seniors, had an amazing experience that they will each remember forever. They also have bright futures in medical careers, thanks in part, to the power of CTE.