From hospitals and beyond: High schoolers tour medical facilities for glimpse of health careers

Working in a mock abdomen cavity, high school freshman Dakota Unterberg moved a laparoscopic grasper as she watched a screen showing where she placed the tool.

Ariana Simpson, a classmate, assisted her by moving the surgical camera so Dakota could grasp a small ring and place it on a target, a quick game to show Ferris High School students a few tools used in abdominal operations.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to do it,” Dakota said after she placed two rings onto separate upright pins. “You had to be coordinated and pay attention to what you’re doing.”

They were among a dozen Ferris students in a college and career prep class who toured Providence Holy Family Hospital on Tuesday, out of 100 high schoolers with Spokane Public Schools visiting Providence hospitals for career day, aimed at showing them a variety of health care professions.

Rogers High School students toured Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, and North Central students went to St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center.

Providence partners with SPS and the Washington Alliance for Better Schools to run the event geared toward getting high school students to think about possible medical careers.

At Holy Family, the students went through the hospital lab, pharmacy, post-surgical floor and an empty trauma room in the emergency department.

“I have a lot more respect for people who work in hospitals now, because I realize how much goes into it and how many people it takes to make it all work,” said Leah Veselits, a Ferris senior.

She’s unsure about a health care career, though.

“I think I’m a little too squeamish,” she said.

Ferris teacher Neil Strawn instructs the college and career class. He said the tour helps even the younger students to consider potential jobs.

“It gets them to think about it a little earlier so they can start to think ahead, or even rule things out,” Strawn said.

Scott Hahn, a lab technical supervisor, told the group about how the work there requires attention to detail, like making sure a lab sample matches the correct patient. Barcodes on patient wrist ID tags should match up with lab work.

He showed them where the blood supply is stored and different machines in the lab to analyze samples. In deciding on that work, “it’s all about loving science,” he said.

Troy Everett, a freshman, thought that was the best stop.

“I got to see stuff you don’t see in school,” Troy said, “and I liked seeing the lab, how they store all the blood and how they work with it.”

Tara Armstrong, a Holy Family lead surgical technician, led the students in the laparoscopy demonstration held in a meeting room.

“It’s like ring toss in the abdomen,” Armstrong said.

She and co-workers talked about the different professionals involved in hospital surgeries. They had a table at the station filled with tools used in operations for students to view.

The surgical simulation got the attention of freshman Addison Crites, who said she’s thinking about surgery as a possible career.

“It was very difficult,” Addison said after taking her turn. “This was the cool part – more hands-on. It was cool to see the emergency exam room and how it would work once you got out of the ambulance.”

ICU nurse manager Heather Barfield led six students into the ER.

“It’s kind of organized chaos” in early trauma care, she said. “There can be 15 to 20 people in the trauma room. When you’re in the middle of it, it doesn’t feel chaotic, because everybody has a task.”

In the pharmacy, students learned about different steps the workers take to ensure medications are secure and sanitary.

In the meeting room, Ferris students saw respiratory therapist Jennifer Wallace-Gilstrap, who showed them how to do peak flow measurements for asthma patients.

Susan Scott, Holy Family’s chief operating officer, and Adam Richards, chief nursing officer, talked to the group about starting as nurses and later finding flexibility within health care to take on new roles.

Scott said health care jobs are found in many places beyond a hospital, from medical billing and pharmacy work to being a nurse or doctor.

“There are lots of jobs outside a hospital,” Scott said. “In health care, you can start in one role and move around.”