WCCTC’s Health Science Students Evaluate Their First Patient

At Walthall County Career and Technology Center, Health Science Instructor Lauren Bivens provided students the opportunity to work with a real patient by having her son, Colt Bivens, come for a wellness check-up. Colt’s check-up was utilized to promote a better understanding of how the measurement of growth and development occurs. The students were tasked with measuring height, weight, head circumference, pulse, and temperature. Students also evaluated Colt’s ability to identify colors and shapes using a sensory board made by previous students from WCCTC’s Health Science program, as well as his ability to jump, skip and count. This activity provided students with experience in documenting research find- ings by recording the results of Colt’s check-up on a growth chart. In doing so, students were able to see what percentile of growth he was in based on height and weight. Performing this exercise allowed students to provide quality care to a pediatric patient, obtain clinical experience and further their knowledge on growth and development.