Juniors in the medical academy at Royal Palm Beach High School got a first-hand look at what it takes to work in the medical field as they visited HCA Florida Palms West Hospital for “A Day in the Life of a Nurse.”
Chief Nursing Officer Cheryl Wild met with the students to talk about her career in nursing and answer their questions before the students broke into groups and toured the departments in the hospital, including the emergency room, where they learned how to use a tourniquet and a Lucas hands-free CPR Unit, as well as the pediatric unit where they learned about IVs and syringes and compared the size of the units from what is used to treat the tiniest babies to adults.
The students also visited obstetrics, the lab, the intensive care unit and respiratory therapy.
Over lunch, they had a question-and-answer session with several nurse leaders on staff and PWH CEO Jason Kimbrell. Royal Palm Beach High School Principal Michelle Fleming also visited to hear the students talk about their experiences and future aspirations. Seniors in the medical program at the high school also just started doing their clinicals with the nursing staff at the hospital.
