Summer can be a time for teens to hit the pool with their friends, take a family vacation — or scroll for even more hours than usual on their cellphones. But some teens in the Tampa Bay region are spending part of their time off from school focusing on their careers.
A group of 25 rising ninth- and 10th-graders spent this week attending a summer camp for aspiring health workers at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa.
During the three-day camp, which wraps up on Thursday, teens have toured operating rooms, imaging labs and ambulances.
Nurses and other health professionals are giving them hands-on experience with skills like putting on sterile gowns and gloves, and clamping and cutting umbilical cords (artificial ones, of course).
“It’s not easy, huh?,” nurse Heather Filicko joked with one girl as she helped her put on a glove without breaking what’s known as the sterile field, or an area free from contaminants. That required ensuring her bare skin never touched the outside of the glove.
In another exercise, teens laughed and cheered their way through a relay to see which group could swaddle mannequins of newborns the fastest. Some diapers and plastic limbs may have fallen off along the way before a victor was crowned.
Giving teens a glimpse of life in health care
Students like Sophia Fulkroad relished the opportunity to learn.
“I really wanted to come because I’ve always had an interest in the medical field and helping people,” said Sophia, 14, who added her favorite TV show as a young child was “Doc McStuffins," a cartoon about a girl who plays doctor to her stuffed animals.
Health issues, like a knee injury Sophia sustained in ballet, have forced her to spend more time in hospitals than most kids her age, she said. The experience has inspired her to pursue a career in health care.
“I just want to provide some relief and comfort to other people as my doctors have to me,” Sophia said.
With a shortage of health workers in Florida and nationally, it's important to inspire a new generation to meet the need, said Melissa Menke, who runs the program.
“Everybody needs health care workers in all areas and subspecialties, so we are looking at this as an investment for us, too. We're spending time with these kids, getting to know them, hoping to get them thinking about what they want to be and then maybe encouraging them to come back to us,” said Menke, a regional manager of clinical professional practice for BayCare, the health system that owns the hospital.
The camp can put kids who want to work in health care on paths to success early, she added, while also giving other teens a chance to realize it’s not what they want to do before they commit a lot of time and money pursuing it.
“So we really want to just give them as many opportunities to see what they can, ask us questions and fuel their minds a little bit with what the possibilities could be for them,” Menke said.
The good, the bad and the ugly
Students peppered health workers with questions about their jobs, asking them about rewarding moments, but also about the not-so-fun parts — does it get hot wearing all that personal protective equipment during surgery? Or have they ever gotten sprayed with bodily fluids?
Surgical technician Carol Sumner obliged, sharing with a group of teens that fluid had indeed splashed past the protective barriers of her gown in some instances.
“Eww!” one girl squealed before another asked, “Did you have to go shower?”
“Oh, yeah,” laughed Sumner, “Would you want that on you for 10 more hours?”
Getting a glimpse of nursing life is what drew Ella Claire Milligan to travel from Lakeland for the camp.
“It's really exciting. I love it,” she beamed.
Nursing is a family affair for Ella, 15, who said her grandmother was a nurse for 40 years on a neonatal intensive care unit. She may also want to work with babies, but she’s not sure, which is why she likes learning about a variety of roles at the camp.
“I'll get to see what fields I think I would be interested in and then some other parts of nursing I might not want to do,” Milligan said. “So it's just a cool experience to get to do while I still have options.”
The camp is in its second year and costs $50 to attend.
Students get tips on applying for jobs and learn what it takes to get hired in different health roles, from entry-level that don't require college degrees to specialties that involve years of schooling.
It's a lot for a bunch of 14- and 15-year-olds to take in, especially on summer break. Fortunately, some emotional support was on hand: pet therapy dogs like Diva, a Rottweiler who, along with her handler Karen Giardinelli, volunteers at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital.
“She was super cool; she was like all over everybody, and she seemed like she was having the most fun,” said Gerardo Parrillo, who came to the camp from Land O’ Lakes to get a better sense of what health field he may want to enter.
Teens excitedly crowded around Parrillo, 15, as Diva gave him a high-five with her paw and snuggled up for more pets.
This may be some students’ last chance to enjoy the camp due to the age limits, but organizers encouraged them to stay connected with the hospital. They can apply to be volunteers or request to shadow shifts in specific departments.
Disclaimer: St. Joseph’s Hospital is run by BayCare, which is a sponsor of WUSF.
