health academy electronic portfolio

1. Katie Zwicks
Electronic Portfolio

2. Introduction to Saint Gianni Catholic Health Academy
Students in program include seniors from both Bishop Carroll and Kapaun High Schools. The program is a collaborative project for the Catholic School Office, Newman University, and Via Christi Hospital where the students obtain high school and college credit during the program while discovering their careers of interest.

Program Director St. Gianni Catholic Health Academy,

Denise Clarke-Hang

3. Orientation Week
The first week of Health Academy, my class toured both St. Francis and St. Joseph Hospitals, giving us an opportunity to see the locations of the various units we would be having our rotations. Several individuals involved with making the academy possible came to speak with us and make sure we were aware of the professional standards demanded us Health Academy students in the hospital. A security guard informed us of where would be permitted to park and how to get a hold of security if we were ever in danger. While a surgeon showed us how to scrub in for our rotation in the operating room.

4. Hand Washing Presentations
There were several objections for the Hand Washing Presentations we presented to K 4th graders. We had to perform a skit, sing a song, design a poster, and effectively teach the students the importance of hygiene with the help of some magic soap.

5. Health Care Career Options Entry Level

Occupational Therapy Assistant
Job Description: Occupational therapy assistants work with occupational therapists assisting patients by making treatment plans, noting the conditions of patients, and assisting with routine tasks. OT assistants receive hands-on experience and on-the-job training. The average pay rate of a OT assistants ranges from $13 to $28 an hour.
Interest: There is a great need for OT assistants so it would be easy to find a job considering the current economy. (There is an estimated need for 10,000 OT assistants by 2016.) Through this job I could eventually become a licensed occupational therapist or could go into other career paths of nursing, physical therapy or mental health counseling.
Prior Work Experience: none required
School Requirements: Associates Degree
Sources: http://www.allhealthcare.com/careers/articles/2413?page=10

Medical Assistants
Job Description: Medical assistants perform basic clinical tasks, ranging from checking patients in to taking vital signs and preparing patients for assessments. They work in doctors' offices, hospitals, and medical clinics, to keep operations running smoothly.
Interest: Medical Assistants receive exposure to every aspect of patient care which allows them to take their careers in virtually any direction. Medical Assistants are in high demand and are needed across the nation. (It is an estimated need for 199,000 medical assistants by 2016.) This is one reason why I would be interested in pursuing this career. Medical assistants can use these skills to go into virtually any career. Jobs often pursued include nursing, medical records, and medical transcription. The average pay ranges between $9 to 18 an hour.
Prior Work Experience: none required
School Requirements: High School Education (GED)
Sources: http://www.allhealthcare.com/careers/articles/2413?page=10

6. h
Health Care Career Options Long Term
Child Life Specialist
Job Description: A Child Life specialist helps children and their families to handle their emotions that come with the process of hospitalization. They are educated in child development allowing them to approach children and properly educate, prepare and support the child through testing and procedures. A Child Life Specialist may also help to assist with drastic changes within a family who are suffering from a family member with a severe illness.
Interest: A Child Life Specialist job involves everything that I have inspired as my future profession including interaction with children, psychology and medicine, making this job extremely appealing to me. The number of child life jobs also continues to rise. Depending on the experience, a Child Life Specialist salary can range from $36,000 through $45,000 a year.
Prior Work Experience: To be eligible to be a child life specialist one must complete 480 hours of child life clinical experience under the direct supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist.
School Requirements: Minimum of a Bachelors degree
Sources: http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/childlife-career.html, http://www.childlife.org/

Labor and delivery Nurse
Job Description: Labor and delivery nurses follow a woman through labor and ensure that both a mother and her child get all of the support and medical care they need for a healthy delivery. They also care for pregnant women suffering from complications and mothers dealing with post-partum depression. A labor and delivery room nurse also tells information to the mother about childcare. Delivery nurses also must be trained in neonatal resuscitation and other critical skills, so they are able to assist in an emergency situation.A labor and delivery nurse helps to make the mothers pregnancy and delivery as safe and stress-free as possible.
Interest: I enjoy working in high stress situations and believe that this job would keep me on my toes and alert. With every case being a different, it would be hard for the job to get repetitive and boring.
Prior Work Experience: Being an EMT or a job similar will help better prepare you for the high stress situations you will face during labor and delivery although is not a necessary requirement to be a labor and delivery nurse.
School Requirements: Bachelors degree
Sources: http://www.edudecisions.com/articles/nursing-career/nursing-jobs/labor-delivery-nurse.php

7. h
Health Care Career Options Long Term
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Job Description: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner is responsible for diagnosing medical problems of newborn children, developing and implementing treatment and prescribes medications and therapies with the assistance of a neonatologist. They closely watch the patients' status and observe changes which could lead to permanent disability. A Neonatal Nurse Practitioner provides technical assistance during deliveries of high risk newborns, assisting with stabilization.
School Requirements: Masters Degree
Sources: http://www.nationjob.com/jobs/Johns-Hopkins-Bayview-Medical-Center/Neonatal-Nurse-Practitioner---Neonatal-Intensive-Care-Unit-Baltimore-Maryland-JHBM16539.html

Chaplin
Job Description: The chaplain provides spiritual needs of patients, residents, clients, families and staff. The chaplain, through professional training and certification, can more fully relate to the spiritual and emotional well-being of the client. The chaplin offers prayer and reflection for their clients.
Sources: http://www.nacc.org/resources/job_chaplain.asp

Traveling nurses
Job Description: Travel nursing is one to take short-term positions across the country because of the shortage of nurses and their high demand. Hospitals and clinics are willing to pay top dollar for nurses to fill in for short periods. These nursing positions usually span three months to a year. The employer will also often supply a housing subsidy depending on the duration of ones stay and distance from their home.
Sources: http://www.studentdoc.com/travel-nursing.html

8. Professional Thank You Letters

13. Hand Made Thank You Letters

18. Mentor Forms

19. Mentor Forms

20. Mentor Forms

21. Mentor Forms

22. Mentor Forms

23. Rotation Reflections
*In order to comply with HIPPA laws, names and exact ages of nurses and patients have been changed.
Operating Room Week 11Day 1:My first day in the operating room I was able to see the end of a knee surgery, where the doctor was going inside the knee and removing hardware so the knee could heal properly. After the patient had been stitched back up I followed OR x-ray out of the room. They explained what role they play in the OR. They are responsible for checking the anatomy of the knee before stitching the patient back up. The next operation was able to watch was leg bypass surgery of a man in his 60s who had poor circulation to his legs causing him horrible pain. He also suffered from pancreatic cancer, the operation was in hopes to provide him comfort for the few years he had left to live. The procedure is done to improve the blood circulation down the feet. The conventional approach involves a bypass surgery, connecting a new tube (graft) between the arteries in the pelvis or groin, down to the knee or ankle. In the long term, the bypass remains open in 65% to 70% of cases.
Day 2: My second day in the OR I was able to watch a mastectomy on a woman in her 40s who had breast cancer. The doctor who removed the tissue that makes up the breast was followed by a plastic surgeon who reconstructed the breast with a tissue expander that would be injected with salt water every week to stretch the breast back to the size that it was before the operation occurred. I was surprised by how low key the operating room was and how laid back the doctors were. Since they were just surrounded by their co-workers and didnt have to act as professional as they do while they are around their patients the doctors and nurses take liberty to talk about whatever interests them.

Week 14
Rehab Services SFC
Day 1
My first day at rehab services I shadow a physical therapist. I was able to assist a man with AIDs walk down the hallway while working on his breathing because he suffered severe respiratory problems. After we finished his therapy, we went to see a patient name Grace. A teenage girl in acar accident driving home from a birthday party back in September. She hydroplaned on the high way when attempting to pass a semi truck. Losing control of her car, she hit a light pole at fell on the hood of her car igniting her car engine on fire where caught fire to her seat belt severely burning her face and chest. After her admission into the hospital, she coded 3 times and for 3 weeks was unstable not knowing if she would survive hour by hour. Her face was covered with a 3rd degree burn and her chest was covered in 2nd degree burn. After 5 weeks she started being more responsive and now she is working on physical therapy to stretch her skin grafts on her face chest and arms.
Day 2
Worked with Grace again, helping her stretch the skin around her mouth to give her wrinkles. Rhonda explained that when the skin turns white that implies it is being stretched. Braden another rehab therapist who was previously extremely ill with west nile virus who was supposed to remain paralyzed from the neck down due to the serve effect the virus had on him. He was very inspirational for Graces therapy purposes.

ER - Week 8Day 1:The first patient that I was involved with while in the ER was Kerry, she was a patient who had overdosed on prescription medication. She was brought into the hospital by her family who was concerned about her when they went to her house and found her lying on the floor. They had to put a NG tube down her nose and into her stomach to put charcoal down into her stomach to try to soak up whatever medication might still be in her system. Right after the charcoal was put into her stomach, she threw it up and starting shaking because the medication she too was getting to her nervous system. The next patient I had was a code blue. She was receiving dialysis for kidney failure and her system shut down and she had a seizure. She was brought in by the ambiance and maintained a few minutes after she entered the room. I was able to pump her oxygen in while the doctors and nurses worked on getting her stabilized. Day 2:My second rotation in the ER I went to see a CT scan done a woman who was having chest pains and had a history of heart problems and heart attacks. Both the patients my nurse was caring for had influenza. One patient brought into the ER escorted by the police in handcuffs was a paranoid schizophrenic, who a man in his late 30s and had been taken to St. Joseph after being run down by police. He was not cooperating with the staff of the place where he gets his medication and then took off. He was brought in against his will and didnt want to be admitted to the hospital. He hadnt taken his medication for two days because it was causing a tremor in his left leg. Although, one of the nurses noticed it only caused a tremor when the nurse and patient were talking about it. The differences I noticed in the patient were that he was very impatient, uneasy, paranoid and slow to answer the nurses questions.

CICU/MICUDay 1: My first day in the CCU I followed Rin. She was a very energetic RN who really enjoyed her job. She was a very passionate nurse who genuinely cared about her patients well being. She decided to be a nurse after working in banking for 15 years. For most of my rotation, Rin did basic nursing duties and carting. Then I was able to go to another room in the CCU where I was able to watch an EDG. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera (flexible endoscope) which is inserted down the throat. The man who had the EDG done had been sick for a few days and threw up blood the day before being admitted into the hospital. The EDG would allow the doctor to see what was causing the bleeding in his stomach. The patient was given some anesthetics, although it did not have much of an effect on him. After the doctor got the camera down into the patients stomach he was able to find a tear in the lining of the stomach tissues which was causing the bleeding (known as a hemorrhage). He doctor believed that the hemorrhage had been caused by taking too much aspire. After the doctor examined the hemorrhage, he was able to give the patient a shot through the flexible endoscope into the lining of his stomach and then burned the tissue in his stomach back together. Day 2: My second afternoon in CCU I stayed with the charge nurse, Bill. He had a patient because each of his nurses in the unit already had two patients each and instead of giving a nurse another patient to care for, he took responsibility of caring for the extra patient. He was a very considerate man and was an excellent charge nurse. He explained that the extra responsibilities of a charge nurse included maintaining a positive atmosphere for the patients, asking the patients about the care they were receiving, helping assist the nurses with any extra needs they might have, responding to questions of the family, answering phone calls and staffing. The patient that the charge nurse had was a man by the name of Bob Lloyd. He was in a car wreck at the age of eight that left the front part of his brain severally damaged. Now, in his 30s, Lloyd is in the hospital for kidney failure after failing to go to two weeks of dialysis; a treatment he receives three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Because of the accident, Lloyd doesnt comprehend the importance of dialysis. The front part of your brain is where your ability to plan and make long term goals is held, because Lloyds doesnt function maturely, he doesnt understand that if he stops taking dialysis he would most likely die within a month. When I first went and saw Bob he was convinced that he no longer needed to be in the hospital, he was tired of it and was ready to go home. He claimed that he had important football managing he needed to be home to Coffeeville for. Currently, Lloyds mother is in the possess of getting custody of Bob since he obviously doesnt have the normal functioning capabilities of 31 year old adult but since she doesnt have authority over him yet, as his own person, he could get up and walk out of the hospital against doctor recommendations if he so pleased. If Davis does this, Doctor Mouse, one of the best kidney doctors in the state, would drop Bob as a patient, making it extremely difficult for Lloyd to receive health care from any other kidney doctor after having a bad reputation with Mr. Mouse. Lloyd is no longer welcome at the hospital in Independence, Kansas where he went for dialysis before becoming enraged when one of the nurses asked him to lose the attitude. Although Lloyd doesnt realize it, Mr. Mouse is his last hope to a recovery. Mr. Mouse asked for neuropcytriatic evaluation to be done on Lloyd to see if he qualifies for mental retardation or other disabilities making it easier for him to receive health care and for his special situation. I was able to observe the evaluation and interact with Bob.

BURN
Rotation 5:
Day 1 My first day in the burn unit I followed Leah, she had her associates degree and had only been out of school for a few months so it was really easy to talk to her cause she was around my age and she could relate to me. She really liked working in the burn unit because of the specialty care that each patient needs. I liked the aspect that burn pulls from every age group; there was a girl with burns who was 3 years old to up a man who was in his 70's. One of my patients, Marissa, was burned when she knocked over boiling water that they used to bathe in because they didn't have gas at their house. She split the water down her back and legs, her sister was also burned but it wasn't as severe. She was pretty cranky whenever we would come into her room because she knew she was going to get poked or have her bandages changed. The other patient was a elderly lady who burned her feet but she was recovering quickly and was getting ready to be released. A man that came into that unit while I was there was a middle age man who was working on his car and it exploded and burned his face and arms badly. He face was very swollen where his skin was gone.
Day 2 My second day in the burn unit I shadowed Sherry, she was a PRN. She spent 5 years in the burn unit and then decided to try something new and now works at a plastic surgeons office in the recovery room, she works at Via Christi as a PNR, and also has a job as an at home nurse, educating families receiving Medicare on how to control their child's asthma. She finds problems with their house or living style that causes their asthma to act up. I had the same little girl that I had the previous day, she was getting ready to go home but would have to come back to the hospital to have a skin graft in a couple of weeks and would have to have a nurse come in twice a week to make she her bandages were getting changed properly at home. A little boy had just been admitted as I got there, he was 8 years old and while riding his bike to school he was hit by a car. It wasn't burnt anywhere but he was put into burn because the other intensive care units didn't have any room for him.

28. Professional Speakers
MEG TRUMP
Respiratory Therapist On November 13, 2009 the Kapaun students went to listen to a speaker who taught at Newman University in the Respiratory Therapist department. She gave very helpful information on their daily activites, how they evaluate, treat and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. The therapist is responsible for therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures. They care for all types of patients from premature infants to the elderly. Respiratory Therapists provide care to asthma and emphysema patients and give emergency care to patients suffering a heart attack, stroke, drowning or shock. After learning how to properly open up the airway for a ventilator we, students, were each able to give it a try in a real life sanerio.
CLINT STUCKY
Assisted Occupational Therapist Occupational Therapy focuses mainly on strokes but deal with other motor skills. Areas of Concern in Occupational Therapy are work, play, household duties and etc. Occupational Therapists work with physical disabilities, developmental, physiological problems. Occupational Therapist can work in general hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, schools etc. Jobs for Occupational therapists have a strong job outlook and can easily get a job with a degree. Newman University is the only OTA in Kansas. There is a difference between Certified OTA and Registered OT. Certified OTAs work under a Registered OT. Then we had an average lecture just as one would in a regular OTA class.

RON SHIPLEY
Radiologist OverlookThe head of the Radiology department at Newman University gave our health academy class a very descriptive overview of what radiology entails including career paths and the different types of advanced technology used to see inside the body today. Whenever radiology came to mind I have always thought x-rays; although, now advancements in technology have given physicians many other options to take a look inside their patients. Different advancements include MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computed tomography) and PET (ultrasound nuclear medicine/positron emission tomography). Radiology uses sounds waves, the bodys own magnetism and radioactive substances inside the body to create their images. Career paths available through radiology include Radiology Technician, Radiologists, and many specialized careers. SUSAN ORSBON
Cadaver LabFollowing the Radiology Overview, my health academy class was able to go to the Cadaver Lab at Newman University. The director of the Anatomy Department gave us an overview of the different fields where her course would be required or beneficial. Some of those degrees included forensic science and pre-med programs. We were able to look inside two different cadavers, one woman and one man, that her students had dissected. I found this lab very beneficial; it gave me such a better visual understanding of how the human body functions and the anatomy of the body. Following the dissection, each student was responsible for visiting each station which had various bones in which you read the description and decided which bone fit the proper description.

JOHN LEYBA
Biochemistry Scientist Career and Medical Laboratory Career Dr. Leyba was a very inspirational speaker. He gave us a really realistic idea of what a medical career entails and the determination it takes to make it through the selection process. His lecture was very informative about many different topics, his information was rather random but it helped you get an overview of many different topics and careers. He was very wise in his thoughts and opinions. He had witness many students in discerning what career was the ideal for the student.
BERNADETTE FETTEROLF
Nursing (RN)BernadetterFetterrolf gave my health academy class an extensive overview of nursing programs in general and then what Newman Universitys Nursing program offers. She explained how accreditation works and how the Nursing program is approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Commissions on Collegiate Nursing Education. She gave detailed course information and the necessary curriculum that is required to become a nurse. Instructors in the art and science of nursing takes place in campus classrooms and laboratories. Clinical instruction in local health care agencies enhances the learning that occurs on campus. She stressed the admissions process into nursing school is highly competitive. Depending on the school itself the admissions process changed drastically. Creighton and Rockhurst are among the schools that have direct entry nursing programs, Newmans program is separate from admissions to Newman, just as Kansas University School of Nursing is a separate application. All of the programs remain highly competitive. Securing a spot in a direct entry is the safest route to ensure that you will receive your nursing degree but it also comes great monetary need. SHARON NIEMANN
Nurse Anethist
Sharon Niemann spoke to my Health Academy class about what her job entailed. She spoke to us of the many challenges of her studies and also the great rewards that it provides. One of the main points she focused on was the selective admissions process in order to go to nurse anesthesia school. You must maintain a certain GPA throughout your first 4 years of schooling and have a required number of years of practicing as a nurse in the field before you can apply to through the rest of the schooling to become a nurse anethist. There are only 108 of these programs within the nation and Kansas is lucky enough to be the home of 2 of these programs.

31. Cover Letter for Resume
Human Resources 929 N Saint Francis StWichita, KS 67214-3882
To whom it may concern,
I am pursuing a career in order to gain further experience in the medical field. Enclosed is my resume for your review.
My background is exceptionally strong in the hospital setting; through my selection into Saint Gianna Catholic Health Academy I have been able to observe many life changing events. It has been a major influence on my outlook on health care. I have witnessed the birth of a baby, a patient revived from cardiac arrest, psychiatric testing and evaluation, a mastectomy, an EDG, along with the daily tasks of varied health care jobs. I have been expected to act just as any other hospital employee holding me to a high professional standard. Through these opportunities I feel that I have strengthened knowledge and understanding of the medical field making me an excellent applicant for this position.
In addition, the Laptop Initiative Program has allowed me to develop my innovative thinking skills. It has allowed me to express my creativity and forced me to approach learning differently with the use of technology. Through the Laptop Initiative Program, I have been able to exemplify my ability to be a team player. With the medical field constantly becoming more technology based, I believe this will be an essential skill to posses.
I am driven, focused and hold a high communication proficiency. I am confident that I would be an asset to your staff and would appreciate your time in an interview.
Best Regards,
Katie Zwick

32. Resume

33. References for Resume
Chris StewartHead of Kapaun Mount Carmel Theology Department and Teacher
4820 E Orme StWichita, KS 67218
(316) [email protected]
Cameron CarlsonAdministration/Associate Principal of Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School
2927 E Sennett StWichita, KS 67211
(316) [email protected]
Damon CookManager of Knollas Pizza East
1700 Chevy Chase DrWichita, KS 62710
(316) 680-5899
Denise Clarke-HangInstructor of Saint Gianna Catholic Health Academy
218 North BleckleyWichita, KS 67208
(316) 612-4812(316) [email protected]

34. Career Paper Summary
Registered Nurse, RN
Nursing is a healthcare profession that provides services to every aspect of human need (McCutcheon and Phillips 180). Nurses work to promote patients health, prevent disease and help patients cope with illness. They are advocates and educators for patients, families and communities. Registered Nurses have many different responsibilities, when providing direct patient care, they observe, asses and record patient symptoms and progress. The nursing field is a large and versatile field ranging from administrative positions to bedside care (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 1).
A nursing degree gives RNs a variety of ways in which they can specialize in a certain area of care. These ways include a particular work setting, type of Through further researching, I have found that every aspect of the career covers what I am looking for in job. I have always enjoyed caring for people. Even when I was young, I would wait on my sick grandma when she was admitted into the hospital for various operations and illnesses. A nurse fits my caring and compassionate personality; I have always been one to help and comfort people through hardships and times of trouble. The flexibility the career allows is another reason this career struck my interest. I want to be able to raise a family while maintaining a job; this career would allow me to do so. As for educational purposes, I find the anatomy and psychology fascinating. My faith is also a very important aspect in my life that I feel should be incorporated in nursing. Breitenbachs faith has also influence the way she looks at her job.
My faith in God plays a role every shift. Without my faith I would be so sad and confused all of the time. I would be asking why constantly. Because of my faith, I know that God has a plan for each little baby and the ones that don't make it have the greatest reward, beginning with him (Breitenbach).

35. Future Plans
Following my graduation from Kapaun Mount Carmel, I plan to attend Kansas University for two years and then go to the Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City where I will attend the School of Nursing.

36. Through Saint Gianni Catholic Health Academy I have been able to observe many life changing events. It has been a major influence on my outlook on health care. I have witnessed the birth of a baby, a patient revived from cardiac arrest, psychiatric testing and evaluation, a mastectomy, an EDG, along with the daily tasks of varied health care jobs. I have been expected to act just as any other hospital employee holding me to a high professional standard. Through these opportunities I feel that I have strengthened knowledge and understanding of the medical field.
Saint Gianni Catholic Health Academy has been a great experience, I am extremely thankful for all those who make this program possible. Not only have I grown in my understanding the typical health care jobs, it has also opened my eyes the many intricate layers of the hospital that make everything possible.
Final Thoughts

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