Crown Point High School has been under construction for almost two years, and in that period many new classes were introduced, one of them being the Certified Nursing Assistant’s course where students can train and study for their CNA license. Usually, an eight-week course is done outside of high school, however, this class gives students many opportunities through hands-on labs in order to prepare for potential real-life medical scenarios. The class is taught by Lindsey Gonzalez, who has been in the medical field for years.
“I’ve been a nurse for about ten years. When I started in my third year of nursing, and when I was running the surgery center, I did most of the education. And then I decided to go back to school for it,” Gonzalez said.
This class allows for hands-on learning, giving the students accurate equipment to better their understanding of what to do in medical situations. Dummies allow students a way to safely practice. “Everybody learns differently, including myself,” Gonzalez said. “I like to be able to look at something and be able to put my hands on it. So I think having the mannequins and all the equipment in here where you guys can actually see what it feels like to not only be the CNA but to be the resident, is really important. I think it will help the students in their career to be really good CNAs, making them more empathetic towards patients and residents in the future.”
By the end of the school year, students will be placed in Majestic, a nursing home at the previous hospital in Crown Point, where they will be able to gain hands-on experience in the medical field. Students will aid the current CNAs working there in order to get their clinical hours so that they can receive their licenses at the end of the school year. This program also gives students an opportunity to see if they would like to pursue nursing without wasting time outside of school. The CNA program allows students to pursue their post-secondary goals while in high school.