Gainesville Eastside High School students urged to find their pathway in the medical field
Improving diversity and retention in the nursing field is at the heart of the Medical Skills Program at Eastside High School.
The outreach program launched by University of Florida College of Nursing faculty and nurses at UF Health Shands has helped numerous students from Eastside explore future careers as health care professionals. This school year's participants in the program received certificates and cords during a ceremony on Thursday in the school’s library.
“This is an opportunity for them not only for employment readiness, but it is preparing them for life,” said Leroy Williams, Eastside's principal. “They received job training and guidance from Ms. (LaMonica) Davis.”
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Davis is the coordinator of the program, Williams said.
The program works in partnership with The Education Foundation, Alachua County Public Schools Career and Technical Education, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Santa Fe College and UF Health Shands to provide hands-on experience to students, Davis said.
Students were presented with certificates of completion for Basic Life Support (BLS), and seniors in the program were recognized for their internship completion with UF Health Shands. BLS courses are designed for healthcare professionals and other personnel who need to know how to perform CPR and other basic cardiovascular life support skills in a wide variety of in-facility and pre-hospital settings, according to the American Heart Association.
“It is wonderful to see how much you all have grown and matured,” Davis said. “When you think about what is needed in the job market, it is medical health. There are so many opportunities in the medical industry.”
Former students who participated in the program say they are making at least $65 an hour to clean medical equipment, Davis said.
“When they can be the best citizens they can be, that is great for society,” Davis said.
Over 40 students have been hired in the medical field since the program began at Eastside eight years ago, Williams said.
The student speaker during the ceremony was senior Amaya Monroe.
Monroe said she has been in the program four years and is grateful for the opportunity to enhance her skills and knowledge in the medical field.
“I want to thank Ms. Davis for getting me in this program,” Monroe said. “We’ve learned things about the medical field. We were given the opportunity to learn what we wanted to do. The program helps you get a good job.”
Shannon Ritter, director of Alachua County Public Schools Career and Technical Education, gave the closing remarks during the ceremony.
Ritter encouraged students to enjoy their medical journey and briefly talked about how former UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez used to work in patient transportation during his rise in the medical field.
“Find your pathway in the medical field,” Ritter said.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Program in Gainesville helps improve diversity and retention in nursing
