PEMBERTON – Toms River resident Katherine Parola is among a number of patients who have recently received some excellent care from Pemberton Township High School Medical Arts students.
Students Brianna Braman and Paige Wherley started their eight-week Nursing Assistant (NA) Internship Program at Deborah Heart and Lung Center. The brand-new program is unique to the region and transitions high school students who have completed specific high school curricula and prepares them for job readiness after successful completion of their hospital rotation.
Students will undergo supervised training with Deborah’s nursing staff during this eight-week period, practicing such tasks as vital signs, bed baths, feeding, setting up patient equipment, specimen collection, and EKGs.
Deborah’s Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Rita Zenna said, “Deborah is a teaching hospital, and while our core is in cardiology and vascular specialties, we also have a robust nursing program that has historically hosted college students for rotations. This is the first time we have accepted high school students into a formal internship program here.”
Pemberton Township High School Medical Arts Academy Advisor Elisabeth McCartney described how the program has been built over the years “to provide our high school students the academic skills needed for college success in the medical field. Additionally, our clinical components have created opportunities for our students to earn academic credits while in high school; certifications that transfer directly into the work force; and training for subsequent successful job placement.”
Nurse Diana Tocko, who serves as Deborah’s director of Quality, Clinical Practice and Education, was also excited about the new program. She noted the hospital’s nursing assistants play a vital role.
“They are on the front lines providing direct patient care and work closely with our nursing staff to make sure all of our patients daily needs are taken care of. We simply could not do our jobs without them,” Tockno said.
Over a three-year time, the program was collaboratively developed with the high school faculty and Deborah clinical staff, aligning the Pemberton Township High School Nursing Assistant I, II, and III courses with the job specifications of nursing assistants at Deborah.
Students who successfully complete the program will be able to work after graduation at a non-profit health care organization, or pursue certification through the state Certified Nursing Assistant program if they wish to do so after they turn 18 years old.
Pemberton Township School Superintendent Jeff Havers said “we truly value the opportunities Deborah provides for our students. Our partnership with such an esteemed organization benefits not only our school community, but the Pemberton community as a whole.”
