You might have seen some PBHS seniors walking around in medical scrubs. Do you know why? These students are studying to become nursing assistants in the Technical Career Center’s Health Occupations class taught by Mrs. Carmen Hoggard.

Being a nursing assistant is not for everyone. While being a nursing assistant can be stressful at times, it’s also one of the most fulfilling and rewarding careers a person can enter.

A Nursing Assistant’s job does not end with the physical needs of the patients. This is a job which requires compassion and a desire to make people comfortable and happy.

Working in a nursing home for a while, many of the nursing students can testify that although the job can be physically challenging at times, it can be just as difficult mentally. Residents of the nursing homes often suffer from depression, and the Nursing Assistant’s and nursing homes staffers are often the closest human contact afforded to many of these people. A sense of humor helps in this field.

In April the students from the Technical Career Center will be taking a two-part test to become Certified Nursing Assistants. The test is broken into two parts, written and clinical. The written part of the test is mostly common sense. The part of the test that most people dread is the practical part. Most people are nervous due to the fact that someone will be watching their every move. Some of the skills that the state examiner may ask the students to demonstrate grooming, taking a temperature and anything else.

Senior Kat Soriano said, “About 20 people have asked me why I was wearing scrubs. They’re very comfy. The hardest part about nursing is the emotional and mental feelings, getting close to your residents which we’re not supposed to, but you do anyways. It also helps not being cold-hearted; it makes you care for the resident a lot better.”

Britney Pinkerton, senior, said, “Around 30 people have asked me why I’m wearing my scrubs. The funniest part about nursing is watching (patients) smile when you do something good for them.” A little bit of advice: “If you can’t stand the smell, don’t take health--it’s the worst part,” said Pinkerton.

When some students who are in Health Occupations were asked what their first thoughts about the students in scrubs where, here’s what they said:

Whitney Barwick, senior, said, “My first thoughts were, ‘Oh boy, more people who will poke me with more needles (had it happen too many times)...but then I realized that these kids were going to be the ones who save lives in terrible situations.”

Laughing, senior Brittany Chittenden said, “I thought, ‘Great more people to make fun of like Stephane Cheshire!--which she’s one of my friends. I would have never thought she would go into nursing because she’s so klutzy, but it is a good program.”