1. By Tiffany Tran

2. The first week of Health Academy was quite
interesting. I did not know what the expect and
was a bit nervous, but Mrs. Hang made us all feel
welcomed. We had a nice tour around both St.
Francis and St. Joseph hospitals. Several
individuals involved in the Health Academy came
in to welcome and inform us on the expectations
in which we needed to fulfill. Officer Dick
informed us on where we were to park everyday
and how to get ahold of security in any situation.
Lastly, a surgeon showed us how to “scrub in” for
whenever we go on rotation in the operating
room.

7. My first day in the CICU was very interesting. I was able to
obtain information on why each patient was in the CICU and how
the nurses took care of them. I followed a nurse who was caring
for a 31-year-old woman diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. She has
not been able to move any part of her body nor could she speak.
The second day of my rotation I was able to feed and give
medicine to the patient through a feeding tube attached to her
stomach, take her temperature, and record her blood
pressure/pulse. I also had the opportunity to watch a physical
therapist work with her which was very fascinating because even
though the patient could not speak, she was able to smile at the
fact that she is slowly improving. Another thing that I had the
opportunity to gain knowledge on was dialysis. There was a
patient in there who was being treated for her kidney failure
with a method known as hemo-dialysis. I learned that in hemo-
dialysis, your blood flows through a tube that removes toxins and
fluids. the clean blood is then put back into your body. The two
major causes of dialysis are hypertension and diabetes. Patience
must go to treatment three times a week.

8. My rotation in the operating room was
intense! I loved every minute of it. The first
day I watched a lady get colon resection
surgery. There was a section in her abdomen
that looked like a tumor which they had to
remove. It was quite gruesome, but surprisingly
I was able to handle it. The tools used in
surgery look quite intimidating, there was one
that I found especially interesting. It was a
double-staple gun that cuts into the tissue and
seals each end of the split tissue to stop the
bleeding.
The second day, I observed a hip surgery.
The patient had an infection in his hip from the
hip replacement he had about ten years ago.
Everything I saw looked so unreal. The way the
doctors handle the tools and body parts was
interesting. In the operating room during the
hip surgery, the doctors had rock music playing
loudly, which made me a little more
comfortable. Overall, I had an amazing time in
the OR.

9. For my 9th rotation, I went to the NICU. I have been
looking forward to it for a long time so it was a really nice
experience. I love how the NICU is like another world
separated from the hospital. The nurses were very welcoming
and nice to me. The first day I followed a lady named Donna
who had 3 patients. Two of her patients were twins who were
3-4lbs and about two months old. I got to hold one of the
babies for a while and he was adorable. I also helped bottle
breast milk.
The second day I followed a nurse named Heather. She
gave me a nice tour of the unit. She had two pairs of twins who
she had been working with for the day. Two of her twins were
little girls who were only about 2lbs. They were born at
24 weeks so they were in critical care. The other twins were
only about a week old and were almost 4lbs. I really liked this
unit and would like to come back to visit so that I could see
how much the babies have grown and improved on their
health.

10. For my 10th rotation, I went into the burn unit. I was really
nervous because I was not sure if I could handle seeing all the
nasty burns on people. For the first day I did not really follow a
person, but I sat and watched a power point about burns and
burn management. The pictures on the power point made me
want to vomit - It was definitely not a good time. But then I
shadowed a nurse named Trish while she dressed a patient. The
patient was a man who got into a farming accident with a
machine. He had fallen and got wound up in the propellers of a
machine(I think). His left arm was wound up in the electric wires
and the whole left side of his stomach had second and third
degree burns. Both of his legs also had burns on them. The
doctors had to cut off his left arm because it was so stretched
out. To cover up his burns on his stomach, they used cadaver
dissection. This was pretty gross to see. The second day, I
followed a nurse named Emily, and she had been taking care of
the same patient who I saw the day before. Her other patient
had an infection on his right leg which looked disgusting.. but I
did not get to see much.

11. For my 12th rotation, I went into the NCCU.
The first day was not very interesting. I followed a
nurse who had one patient who had a stroke, but she
was being taken to get tests done when I got there.
Another one of her patients was very critically ill and
had just been back from surgery so he was sleeping
most of the time.
I really liked the second day of my
rotation, although it was on a Saturday. I expected it
too be really slow and boring but my nurse, Lisa, was
awesome. Her patient had been in there overnight
because of stroke-like symptoms. After a variety of
tests were done, they found out that she had two
brain tumors. This lady had a history of breast
cancer. When the doctor came in to tell the
family, he had said that the brain tumors looked
more like cysts formed on the surface of the
brain, which would be easier to remove since it is
not dug into her brain. I felt so bad for the family.
We then took her to get a CT scan which would
determine whether she would be able to have
surgery to remove the tumors or not. Overall, I
really liked my second day in the NCCU.

16. English Teacher: Clair Pennycuff
Psychology Teacher: Renee LaFever
Work Manager: Amiee Dominguez

17. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Under the direction of a physician or registered nurse, licensed practical nurses care for
those who are sick, disabled, or injured. In order to be an LPN, one must complete a
State-approved training program in practical nursing to be qualified for licensure. A
high school diploma is required for entry, although some programs are part of a high
school curriculum. An exam known as The National Council Licensure Examination is
required in order to obtain licensure as an LPN. One would need to be observant,
emotionally stable, sympathetic, and have good decision making and communicating
skills.
Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistants work under the physical therapist, helping them provide
treatment to improve patients’ mobility, treat physical disabilities, and relieve pain.
They also assist in providing exercise instructions, therapeutic methods such as
mechanical traction and ultrasound, massage, and gait and balance training. Most
clinics require one to have a high school diploma. Assistants are trained on the job
and most employer provide clinical on-the-job training. Having hands-on clinical
experience is vital in being an assistant. In most states, an associates degree is also
required to become an assistant. Physical Therapist Assistants have to be well
organized, detail oriented, and caring.

18. Physician’s Assistant
Physician’s assistants practice under the direction of physicians and surgeons. They are
trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services as directed
by physicians. Physician assistants must have experience as a registered nurse, emergency
medical technician, and paramedics. They should also have a desire to serve patients and
be self-motivated. One must also have a good bedside manner, emotional stability, and
the ability to make decisions in emergencies.
Psychologist
Psychologists study the mental process and behaviors of humans and animals. They do this by
looking for patterns that will help them understand and predict behavior. Psychologists
often use scientific methods, ethics, or procedures to test their philosophies. A doctoral
degree is required for individual practice as a psychologist. Psychologists with a Ph.D. or
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) qualify for a wide range of teaching, research, clinical, and
counseling positions. Important qualities would be sensitivity, compassion, and the ability
to lead and inspire others.
Anesthesiology
Anesthesiologists are physicians who care for surgical patients and pain relief. This long term
career requires completion of a premedical program at an accredited college or
university, a bachelor’s degree, and a certificate from the American Society of
Anesthesiologist or the American Board of Anesthesiology. Those who would like to
become a physician must be able to serve patients, self-motivated, and capable of
surviving long hours of education and training.

21. After High School I plan to continue school at KU or here at WSU. I hope to
major in pre-medicine, but right now I am still undecided. After college I
would like to start a career somewhere in the west coast.
Health Academy has opened my eyes to many of the possibilities in
healthcare. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to be in such a great
program. Through each rotation, lecture, and research project I have
gained more knowledge than I would ever imagine. This class has showed
me many things that I did not think I would ever be able to experience. I
can truly say that I will miss this class next semester. Thank you Mrs. Hang
for giving us all a great experience!