By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
For students at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy, the journey to a nursing career starts early. Through a nursing assistant career and technical education (CTE) pathway, high schoolers are gaining real-world skills, professional credentials and head start in a field that’s urgently in need of new talent.
The program is supported by Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). According to Chavon Robinson, lead instructor for health care programs at BCCC, early exposure is paramount for young people interested in nursing.
“It’s very important for them to get exposure to the health care field now. I always tell my students that if you get your foot in the door, you can write your own ticket,” said Robinson. “It opens up so many other doors and pathways into other professional careers.”
The nursing assistant program at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy focuses on teaching students how to take care of vulnerable populations, and, in particular, older adults. Robinson explained that the aging population is increasing, spurring a need for more nurses to work in long term care facilities and community hospitals.
As part of the program, students learn how to assist patients with activities of daily living; communicate with each other on a team and their patients; and to promote dignity and respect when caring for patients. The curriculum covers subjects, like anatomy, physiology and kinesiology.
Students also have the opportunity to secure accredited nursing certifications.
“Once they successfully complete the training, they can get their certified nursing assistant (CNA) license and their geriatric nursing assistant (GNA) license certification through the Maryland Board of Nursing,” said Robinson. “They’re also getting their CPR certification.”
If a student falls short of earning the CNA or GNA credential, they still obtain valuable skills and experience that can lead to other careers.
“Even if I have a student who doesn’t quite make it through their CNA, they have their CPR certification, and they can still go work as a transporter in the hospital,” said Robinson. “They also get medical terminology as well, so they could work at a front desk of a doctor’s office and start there.”
The nursing student experience at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy
The adverse health outcomes that Black women face led 17-year-old Amya Moore to pursue the nursing assistant pathway. The Edmonson Village resident said she’s encountered horror stories of women not receiving proper care, and she felt compelled to make a difference.
“I’ve seen things where doctors and other health professionals think that Black people in general do not feel pain,” said Moore. “I’ve seen that when Black women get pregnant, they go unnoticed. Health professionals pay them no mind.”
Her middle school guidance counselor helped her discover Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy’s program. She said her family was excited about her decision and immediately believed she would succeed in the field.
The hands-on experience has been her favorite part of the program. One of the skills she said she’s become proficient in is taking blood pressures. She’s currently learning how to perform bed baths.
The teenager said earning her certification will help to shatter the preconceived notions people have about Baltimore’s youth. Her long-term career goals include becoming a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse, doula and midwife.
“This is my way of showing them that this is who I am and who I want to be. I’m not just my environment,” said Moore. “I’m going to be more than my environment. I won’t be a product of it.”
Lakeland resident Anyeli Baches Alfaro, a junior at the school, was not sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. But, when a family member had to give up on her dream of becoming a nurse because of financial struggles, it motivated her to carry that dream forward and pursue nursing herself.
Like Moore, her favorite part of the program is the hands-on experience. She said she’s learned about bedside manner, how to put stockings on patients, how to conduct bed baths and how to manage bed pans.
“I love the labs. I’m a hands-on learner,” said Baches Alfaro. “ I’m not a ‘read-a-book’ learner.”
She believes earning her certifications will have a significant influence on her future— financially and emotionally. She plans to continue her education in college with the goal of obtaining a registered nursing (RN) degree.
She would be the first person in her family, whose roots are in Guatemala, to attend college.
“I’ll actually be able to help others be more comfortable, especially those who are Hispanic and don’t know English,” said Baches Alfaro. “I’ve always noticed that when my mother goes to the hospital, she’s not able to get a translator. Every time it has to be the child answering questions. I want to have that impact where they can say, ‘Oh, you speak Spanish,’ and feel relieved.”
Jamiah Howell, a senior at the school, is following in her mother’s footsteps by pursuing a career in health care. She worked as a certified medical assistant (CMA), and Howell would accompany her to nursing homes as a young child.
Early in her freshman year, she admitted she failed to take the program seriously. But, she quickly grasped the level of effort required to manage the demanding workload. She’s already managed to secure her CNA and GNA certifications. She explained that obtaining the credentials at such a young age had made her feel like she’s “going to be somebody in the future.”
Growing up in Baltimore City, Howell said her peers’ professional aspirations can be limited at times.
“Because we live in a city where there’s so much violence, people feel like they can’t be where I’m at today, which is not true,” said Howell. “You can definitely be like me. I’ve seen so many people who’ve made it out of the hood in Baltimore. You can definitely do it— you just have to put your mind to it.”
After graduating in May, Howell plans to attend college. She hopes to become a midwife in the future.
“If you have your mind set on a dream, follow and pursue it,” said Howell. “Don’t let anyone else downplay your dreams, your goals, your future or your career. Just do you. As long as you focus on you and your career, you’re definitely going to get somewhere.”
