NIAGARA, Ontario: High school students serious about careers in healthcare will get a firsthand look at educational and work opportunities in Niagara as part of the third annual March Break camp the Niagara Health System (NHS) is hosting with seven community partners.
Take CARE of Your Future (Career Awareness and Resource Exploration) will be offered for the third year in a row, this year from March 15 to March 19. Twenty-four Grade 11 and 12 students were selected for this exciting program in which they will interact with healthcare professionals, participate in exciting interactive presentations and workshops, and meet peers with similar interests and goals. Students will go on tours of various departments throughout the hospital and visit the Brock University Simulation Laboratory where they will learn how to perform medical procedures on patient simulators, which are human-like manikins.
“We have had an overwhelming response from students interested in spending the week exploring careers in healthcare in our region,” says Nancy Dillon, NHS Volunteer Resources Coordinator and co-organizer of the event. “This exciting program is proving to be a real success with high school students, and we expect this year to be even better with the participation of McMaster University medical students who are studying in Niagara and using Niagara Health System as their training ground.”
“This program was developed to provide students with a better understanding of all of the healthcare career opportunities so they can make informed decisions about their career goals and ensure that they are on the right academic path,” says Dillon. “Canada is facing a critical shortage of healthcare workers, and this career exploration program is an exciting recruitment opportunity for the NHS.”
Community partners Brock University, Business Education Council, District School Board of Niagara, McMaster University, Niagara Catholic District School Board, Niagara College, and Niagara Workforce Planning Board, provide resources, support and planning expertise to the initiative.
Students will participate in a number of activities and interactive presentations. All but one event will be held at the NHS Welland Site, with highlights as follows:
- Monday, March 15, 12:30 p.m., Brock campus: Visit to the Brock University nursing simulation lab, where robots simulate patients to provide hands-on education opportunities
- Tuesday, March 16, 9 a.m., Welland Site Auditorium: Students will feel first-hand the impacts of physical disabilities. For example, they might be splinted, have their eyes covered or placed in wheelchairs for the day.
- Wednesday, March 17, Welland Site:
- 9 a.m., Auditorium: McMaster University medical students workshops. Topics include doing medical assessments, suturing clinic, surgical knot tying and the academic steps to get into medical school.
- 1 p.m., Fracture Clinic: Students will apply casts with Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Bryan Rittenhouse and Orthopedic Technician Billie-Jo Whitty.
- Thursday, March 18, Welland Site:
- 10 a.m.: Tour of the Dialysis Unit.
- 12 p.m., Auditorium: Informal chat with Dr. D. Goswami about his career as a family doctor.
- 1 p.m., Auditorium: Presentation from Niagara College about programs offered in Niagara, including Paramedic, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Rehab Therapy Assistant.
- 2 p.m., Auditorium: Niagara Emergency Medical Services – Interactive presentation with Niagara Region Paramedics – Paramedics will bring the ambulance on site to demonstrate emergency response, resuscitation, proper lifting, transferring a patient from back board to stretchers.
- Friday, March 19, Welland Site:
- 9 a.m.: Tour of the Emergency Department.
- 10:30 a.m.: Tour of the Extended Care Unit.
For more information, contact:
Caroline Bourque Wiley
Public Affairs Consultant
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca
