ARCADIA, Fla. — Students at DeSoto County High School can become certified nursing assistants while they’re still in school.
“We’ve learned to do CPR," senior Emily Berini told Arcadia Community Correspondent Victoria Scott. "We’ve learned a lot of leadership skills. We’ve learned how to do occupied beds, unoccupied beds. We’ve learned how to do feet, like cleaning the feet.”
It’s all part of Desoto County High School’s career and technical education program.
“This would be a good program, especially for those who aren’t really big on school but want to do something big career-wise," said senior Kimora Brady.
School staff say interest in the nursing program has only grown.
You can watch FOX 4's Victoria Scott's full report here:
19 seniors are in the CNA class this year.
Last year there were 14.
“I think given all the events of COVID and the shortages that we’re experiencing, the more the merrier, and the healthier our nation becomes," said teacher Amy Wuthrich. "It also breeds confidence and skill and just compassion among everybody."
Several students in the program told Scott learning outside of a traditional classroom setting gives them valuable skills for the real world.
“It helps us just understand what’s happening in the real world and how to do it," Berini said. "It gets us prepared for when we go into the job, knowing what to do.”
Wuthrich said every senior who got their CNA license last year went to work at the local hospital or nursing home.
She also said the student number in her class doubled since COVID.
