Tara Observing in Cancer Treatment

"It made me glad to see how much the nurses loved doing their job and helping the patients they have known for months or even years...With all of the ups and downs of my first experience, it helped me realize as a person how much love you can feel for a patient the moment you hear what they have been through... Seeing the patients smile even as they were receiving blood transfusions or chemotherapy gave me the knowledge and insight to leave the high school drama alone and do something that is more important- enjoy life."

Nicole's Preschool Experience

"I learned how to communicate with children. It's hard because they have a small vocabulary, so at times I didn't know what to say. [The teacher] also taught me about some of the learning skills that preschoolers need to develop. They have to learn how to hold the pencil the right way, so they can develop the muscles in their hands. They need to learn vocabulary, counting, and writing. I enjoyed my whole experience... I feel very proud of myself. I am a very shy person, and I have never done anything like this before. I was nervous to go to the school at first, but once I got there, I felt very comfortable. I feel like an adult. This is a huge accomplishment; and I will never forget this experience."

Annmarie Observing Surgery

"I was able to experience two major surgeries, a uterus being taken out of a body and someone who had prostate cancer was being operated on by the doctor who used the robot arms to get inside of him. I learned a TON of things from the nurses that I shadowed. Amanda, a nurse who works in the "core" of all the operating rooms, taught me how she prepares the instruments for all the surgeries every day... One specific thing I enjoyed most was how the nurses didn't treat me like I was a teenager. They talked to me as if I was a med student and they were mentoring me. That made me feel grown up and I felt like they were glad I was there...

My experience helped me grow as a person because I was treated like an adult, so I had to act like one. No one was holding my hand and telling me everything. If I wanted to know something, I had to speak up and ask my question myself."

"My Practicum experience helped me grow as a person..."

Alexis on her Practicum experience at the Bakery and the Chamber of Commerce:

"My experience helped me grow as a person because when walking into a new place, you can't be shy. You have to be friendly and personable. You have to be outgoing so you can work well with your coworkers. After rereading my reflection, I feel very good about what I did this week... I got to see what actually happens at jobs I could possibly want to do. I really like that I was able to see what I want to do after high school in real life."


Annie on her Practicum experience at Athletico:

"While I was working with a patient, he filled me in on some interesting tips about physical therapists. This patient told me that PT's have to have patience with the injured person, but along with patience, they have to push their patients to get better. During the patient's therapy, they might 'hate' the therapist for putting them through so much pain, but the patient will always say, 'thank you' and in the end, truly mean it.

The atmosphere at Athletico is perfect; it is the ideal work place for an athlete. I was amazed at the layout and immediately fell in love... My favorite thing this week was being able to stretch out a patient's shoulder. I actually got to see his range of motion which was 170 degrees. At the beginning of his therapy two months ago, his range was only 120 degrees. He has made tremendous improvement! It was so good to see how happy the patient was with his improvement and his drive to keep getting better! Stretching the patient out and actually working a knot out of his shoulder were incredible to experience.

Practicum this week helped me to grow as a student because I realized the dedication needed to become a therapist needs to start here in high school... I learned I needed to step out of my comfort zone and talk to the PT's and patients that I did not know. After reading my weekly reflection, I wish I could become a PT right now! I loved it! I was comfortable in the work place and could totally see myself becoming a PT! I am so excited to visit again! I plan to get a job at Athletico when I turn 18. My mentor said it would greatly benefit me!"


Kristen on her experience shadowing in the Emergency Room:

"This experience has helped me to grow because now I know a lot more about what I want to do. Nursing was in the back of my mind and didn't seem too interesting, but I really enjoyed it and would consider it for a career now that I know so much more about what they actually do."

Erica Learning from a Senior Citizen

Erica worked with the hospital social worker this week, which included learning a patient's history. Here are a few of her thoughts from her weekly reflection.

"As a person, I learned that I really love listening to old stories about travel and war. I could have listened to her all day, speaking about life and love. I wish we could have stayed longer. She was just so sweet and I want to be like her when I am older.

After reading this reflection, I realize how happy she made me when I talked to her, so maybe when I'm not busy at work, I could go and visit and nursing home. I think I would really enjoy talking to older people and listening to what they have experienced in their lives."

Jenny in the Family Birth Place

The following is an excerpt from Jenny's experience in Family Birth this week.

"The nurse gave the baby a head to toe check... The look on the parents' faces was priceless and it just made me so happy. I couldn't stop smiling and I just had an amazing feeling for the rest of the day. I loved seeing the birth and it was an amazing experience. But now I have a lot of options of what kind of nurse I want to be, and I know it is going to be a hard decision. I loved being in the special care nursery, but I think I would also like to be a pediatrician so I could see my patients grow up and get to know them well.

The only downside to working in a hospital is that they have crazy hours and I am not sure if I would like that. But I have a while to figure out exactly what type of nurse I want to be, and I am glad that Practicum is making it easier to decide. It is very helpful because if I do something in Practicum and I don't like it, then I know I can cross that off of my list of options."

Some highlights of placements this week...

- Annmarie watched the surgeons use a robot to complete a complex procedure.
- Jenny witnessed the birth of a baby!
- Erica shadowed a social worker and took a patient's history down.
- Danielle looked at x-rays of dogs and cats with broken bones at the vet.
- Melissa worked with a police lieutenant and a lieutenant's secretary, learning about police reports and police videos.
- Kristen watched an ER nurse take vital signs and get a patient's history.
- Michelle worked with Ms. Cunniff's roommate Nicole who is a physical therapist at the hospital!

Students will contribute the highlights of their placements this semester, and will share how their shadowing opportunities influence their career interests! Check back soon!

What is Practicum?

Practicum is an elective at Resurrection College Prep that helps students figure out what careers might be interesting to pursue in the future. There is a classroom component to the class where students evaluate their personalities, skills, natural roles, and abilities to help them discern which careers would possibly suit them well.
Students then work with the Practicum Coordinator to plan a schedule with mentors in their fields of interest. Students currently enrolled in the class will shadow professionals for up to 40 hours this semester.

Students who are juniors or seniors can enroll during the school year either first or second semester. Another popular option is for students who are incoming sophomores, juniors, or seniors to take the class in summer school.

Placements last semester included: Unforgettable Edibles catering, Le Flour bakery, Immaculate Conception School (Preschool, 4th grade, Jr. High and working with the Principal), the Resurrection Retirement Center’s activities coordinator, Do or Dye Salon, Northeastern Illinois University’s study abroad coordinator, the Anti-Cruelty Society, Signature Bank, Niles Animal Hospital, Hospital placements at the Resurrection Medical Center (Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, Family Birth, Cancer Treatment, Surgery, Emergency Room, Physician’s Assistants, and more).

It is an incredible opportunity for students to learn more about different careers before they choose a college major and make a career plan!