Hoover High School is fortunate to have Career Tech programs which are responsible for preparing students for careers in their respective fields. Of those, is the Medical Technology (Med Tech) program for students aspiring to work in healthcare. Students who complete the pathway earn certifications in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), First Aid and Bloodborne Pathogens. In addition, students can opt in to the Nurse Aide clinical experience once they reach Med Tech III for the opportunity to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). 

Current seniors in the program recently completed their clinicals at Meadow Wind Health Care Center, which is the required hands-on training in order to become a CNA. Mylee Deeser, a senior at Hoover High School and student in the Med Tech program, describes her first day of clinicals. 

“My first day of clinicals was filled with excitement, curiosity, and also a lot of nerves,” she said. “When walking into the facility, my classmates and I didn’t know exactly what to expect, which made us a little nervous, but after the first few hours we felt so comfortable, and even a little sad when we had to leave. We got to learn and experience so many hands-on things, and we are all so grateful for the opportunity we had.” 

Mrs. Brea Tan, the instructor of the course, felt that the students were well prepared. They had been practicing on their classmates and mannequins since the beginning of the school year. With every classroom to onsite experience, there are always some gaps. 

“There is always a slight learning curve between class and clinicals since students primarily practice their skills on manikins or each other,” Tan said. “Caring for real residents in a nursing home setting brings a new set of challenges. They must learn to be respectful of each resident’s physical, medical, and emotional needs and limitations.” 

Jaliyah Pizer, also a senior at Hoover High School in the Med Tech program, felt that Mrs. Tan supported her and her classmates throughout the entire course, especially the transition from classroom to nursing home. 

“I felt very supported by my clinical instructor. Mrs. Tan in my opinion is one of the best teachers for this class,” Pizer said. “She pushes us to be responsible and stay on task during class while also trying our best with every skill. Even though some days in class I wanted to be lazy there is no time for that in Med Tech. I’m glad she pushes us as much as she does because it really does pay off in the end.” 

Like any experience, there is always an experience that stands out as being the most beneficial. Tan felt that students benefitted the most from being able to converse with the residents in the nursing home. 

“One of the most beneficial aspects was the opportunity for students to sit and talk with residents, learning about them on a personal level,” she said. “While their primary responsibility is physical care, the emotional and mental support they provide is equally important. Each day, students were assigned to research a resident of their choice — age, allergies, code status, medical history, current medications — and also learn about the resident’s former occupation. This helped the students recognize that these individuals are not just room numbers, but people with full lives and valuable experiences. For the residents, this interaction helped them feel heard and cared for.“ 

Deeser mentioned how her favorite part of the entire clinical experience did happen to be with a patient she connected with. 

“My favorite part of the clinical experience was on my last day,” she said. “I had fed the same resident two days in a row, and it was so amazing to get to see his comfort levels grow with me. We had amazing conversations, and he was even sad to see me go. My resident was such a great end to my clinical experience.” 

Going into clinicals, Pizer was unsure that nursing was a career she wanted to pursue, but now that clinicals are over, and she has experienced hands-on situations, she is confident about her career choices. 

“Clinicals did change the way I feel about being a CNA,” she said. “Now that clinicals are over I feel better about performing on real people and encountering real situations. Not only that but before clinicals I was honestly uncertain on if this is what I wanted to do, after clinicals I realized that I loved what I was doing and would be more than happy to continue it.” 

Nursing is such a tough, but rewarding career. Tan has final recommendations for future students who want to go down the same path as Pizer and Deeser. 

“Being permitted to care for others — especially vulnerable populations — is a privilege, not a right,” she said. “It requires compassion, responsibility, and full adherence to both school expectations, and facility regulations, including professional dress, punctuality, completing tasks safely within scope and always leaving those in your care better than you found them. Future students should enter clinicals with the understanding that this work requires commitment, maturity, and genuine respect for those they serve.”