Healthcare Professionals of Tomorrow

Pascagoula-Gautier’s CCTI Partners with Singing River Healthcare Academy

Tina Hughes

Pascagoula-Gautier College and Career Technical Institute’s Health Science program is going above and beyond the curriculum to prepare students for careers in the medical field. Taught by Jenne King, MSN, RN, the program has partnered with Singing River Healthcare Academy, which is Mississippi’s first and only medical apprenticeship program, to give students the handson experience they need to excel in the healthcare industry.

King’s role focuses primarily on year 2 and 3 within the Health Science program. These years are devoted to instructional time, job shadowing, clinicals, and the earning of certifications. Year 2 students shadow school nurses within the school district, while year 3 students do their clinicals within the local hospital. During students’ third year of the Health Science program, they are exposed to various aspects of the medical field and given the opportunity to end the program certified as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), MA (Medical Assistant) or a phlebotomy technician. This gives students the ability to leave high school with the certifications they need to immediately enter a career. The program has successfully cultivated a strong partnership with Singing River Healthcare System, so the students who graduate are welcomed to join the staff there.

Otherwise, if students are hoping to continue their education, they are leaps and bounds ahead of other candidates in terms of their clinical experience. This is extremely important to King, whose primary objective is to expose her students to as wide a variety of aspects within the medical field as possible. When asked why this is so important to her, she emphasized that, “Students have an idea of what career path they are interested in, but until they are able to experience it first-hand, they don’t really know what they will enjoy doing.”

Spring 2024 was the first semester for Singing River Healthcare Academy’s medical assistant program to be offered as a CTE course. King’s students piloted the program and excelled with a 100% pass rate on their national certifications. Her students emphasize that King’s instruction was an integral part of their success, as recent graduate, Awa Ndimbalan, says, “Mrs. King’s teaching made learning easier and engaging. She explained things in a way that was easy to understand, and she gave lots of practice with real-life tasks and handouts. Her class was interesting, and she really knows how to keep us motivated. I’m so grateful for her, because she made sure that we had the best experiences in the hospitals and clinics.” Another proud graduate, Nydjia Lawrence states, “I am who I am because of Mrs. King…I had no family in healthcare to teach me what to expect, but she always made me feel like she was family.” These page: Jenne King pictured with students who passed their exams to become registered medical assistants and registered phlebotomy technicians. (L-R back row) Daniella Martnez, Kailyn Hyde, Haley Jones, Shmiyah Hunter, Emma Brandenstein, Carlisle Roberts. (L-R front row) Jenne King, Waiki Sanders, Awa Ndimbalan, Tori Williams, Leona Burtt, Arely Ochoa, Mary Alice McCullough, Gisselle Fernandez, Alyssa Thompkins, and Richard Moore, RN, BSN. Above: Mary Alice McCullough and Arley Ochoa practicing their phlebotomy skills. testimonies demonstrate King’s devotion to her Health Science program, as well as to her students.

As the medical field is constantly evolving, King emphasizes the importance of the act of learning. She says, “In this field, you have to use problem-solving skills to determine the best path for treatment. There’s not always a right or wrong way, but usually five different paths you can take, and you must determine which of those is the best for the patient and will yield the best results. With this in mind, learning isn’t a one-time thing, but rather an on-going process.”

When speaking of the program’s success rate, King is extremely proud of the time and effort the students pour into training and development. She expressed also how strenuous it can be, with students completing the program in as little as 16 weeks. Stemming from the concepts of proper scheduling and planning to produce student success, King is very disciplined in the initial structure for the classroom. From the very first day, students are given a planner to organize thoughts and assignments. She also requires specific amounts of study time to be set aside daily. King believes these high standards to be helpful in laying the proper foundation for these future medical professionals to achieve career goals. Her approach may seem tough, and she laughingly states, “They hate me at first, but then they come to appreciate me.” She encourages students to give the process a chance, and the end result pays off by producing young professionals who are made aware of the extensive possibilities available in healthcare and also, fully capable of entering the workforce after graduation. Giving the students a chance to ob- serve and work with local clinics, school nurses and hospital staff has greatly equipped them to step into roles that establish their future career paths. Having these life skills and solid handson experiences not only keeps students

King’s teaching made learning easier and engaging She explained things in a way that was easy to understand, and she gave lots of practice with real-life tasks and handouts Her class was interesting, and she really knows how to keep us motivated I’m so grateful for her, because she made sure that we had the best experiences in the hospitals and clinics” more aware of available opportunities, but it also establishes them as highly sought after employees. Nydjia Lawrence comments, “The program truly does prepare you to care for patients, especially with the simulation labs with mannequins.” King’s apprentices have proven to be far more equipped than their peers when they enter future programs to further their nursing education and upon graduation, many are offered a job by the Singing Riv- er Healthcare system. Former student Awa Ndimbalan emphasizes that working alongside actual healthcare professionals truly gives trainees, “A taste of what the job is really like.”

When asked how other CTE centers can build a similar structure to include hands on training and certifications, King credits two things to Pascagoula-Gautier’s success: Derek Read, the center’s CTE director, for his vision to develop the program and the area’s local health facilities for their support in establishing training opportunities. Read’s goal is to develop future workers, and he believes programs such as this are pivotal in that venture. “The progress of the program hasn’t surprised me, but it has surprised business and industry,” he comments. As word of this program’s success has spread, local healthcare companies have begun calling to request workers from Singing River Healthcare Academy.

With this mind, it is evident that Pascagoula-Gautier’s College and Career Technical Institute is embodying the district’s mission to create meaningful opportunities for the learners of today to become the leaders of tomorrow.