Healthcare professionals speak at OHS

Representatives from Shannon Hospital visited Ozona High School’s certified nursing assistant (CNA) and patient care technician (PCT) students to talk about healthcare careers. 

The Shannon guests also spoke about what is most rewarding in their line of work.

“The most rewarding thing for me is when a student contacts me years later and tells me where they are in their career, and I know I had something to do with that,” Dusti Allen said.

“Going to schools and talking to students is the most rewarding part of my job,” Gladys Vallejo said. “Seeing them grow up, graduate from high school, then complete an RN program and succeed in their careers is very rewarding.”

Students also tried virtual reality simulations that allowed them to perform activities such as knee surgery and emergency rescue scenarios.

“The VR set was really cool,” OHS senior Mercedes Perez said. “I did a knee surgery operation, so I was like a surgical tech and was handing the surgeon all of his tools for the knee surgery.”

“It was pretty fun. I did the paramedic one and saved a guy from a car crash,” Allison Allsup added.

Vicki Childress, who teaches the CNA and PCT programs, discussed what she hoped students would take away from the Shannon visit.

“I wanted them to hear about the different options they have and the opportunities, whether while going to college or after, to work there,” Childress said. “Shannon is the only hospital in the San Angelo area, and they have a wide variety of medical areas that these students can go into.”

Childress also offered advice for those interested in the program.

“Going into CNA and PCT, you need to have a desire to work in healthcare and a desire to help others,” she said. “That’s the first thing. Beyond CNA and PCT, there are endless medical careers and opportunities. While working with patients and being exposed to different areas of the hospital, students will hopefully find an area they become really interested in, and that usually guides them in the direction they want to go.”

Students shared their thoughts on what they hope to pursue after completing the program.

“I think I’m going to go into the paramedic field because I want to help people,” Allsup said.

“I’m definitely going into the medical field,” Perez said. “I really liked being in the operating room, and I think I want to do something there. I’m just trying to figure it out and get through my basic BSN in college.”

“The most rewarding thing is taking students into clinical sites and seeing them actually provide patient care—witnessing their communication with patients and their success with CNA,” Childress said. “They do a lot of direct, hands-on patient care. With PCT, they expand that—they draw blood, perform EKGs, remove IVs. There’s more advancement in skills, and watching them grow is the best feeling I could have. They mature quickly, and I love that they take their job seriously.”