HEALTHCARE-WORKERS-IN-TRAINING LEARN TO “STOP THE BLEED” AT OCHSNER HEALTH
News Release
NEW ORLEANS, La. – More than 80 New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) high school trainees learned to “stop the bleed” at Ochsner Health recently. Healthcare trainees and their NOCC instructors spent two school days with Ochsner Education Outreach at Ochsner’s Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety Center on Jefferson Highway. In addition to this life-saving skill, the trainees practiced CPR, learned how to draw and inject medications, insert nasogastric tubes, and care for wounds. They were also introduced to the fields of infectious diseases and public health as possible career options. Work-based learning visits form an integral part of the NOCC career exploration and training process.
“At NOCC, we prepare young people to be the city’s workforce of the future, to have the option and the training to enter satisfying, well-paid careers in high-demand sectors like healthcare,” said Carlin Jacobs, Chief Program Officer at NOCC. “Work-based learning visits like this one help us to offer truly meaningful career preparation, which is one of the things NOCC does best. And that is thanks in part to the depth of our employer partnerships.”
NOCC trainees interacted with mannequins, simulated body parts, and working professionals throughout the day, including learning what various types of wounds feel like, whether surgical or accidental. They were also introduced to how diseases spread during a simulated social situation and conversation with Melvenia M. Martin, PhD, Scientific Director of Ochsner’s Education Outreach Program.
“We are thrilled to work with NOCC, to provide new opportunities for our youth to learn from professionals in our healthcare system, and to help the next generation enter and ultimately advance new careers in the healthcare industry,” said Dr. Martin.
NOCC’s career and technical education programs prepare New Orleanians to enter the region’s growth industries, including healthcare. Instructors in the healthcare pathway are multi-faceted allied health and nursing professionals who ensure trainees learn Basic Life Support, CPR, medical assisting and pre-nursing skills. All trainees work toward industry-based, professional-level certifications and credentials required for many high-demand occupations.
The Ochsner Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety Center is a multi-disciplinary, interprofessional training center that offers the most current technology to improve patient safety through the training of all practicing clinicians, along with students and residents. Its high-fidelity human patient simulators mimic the physiologic functions of a real patient. This allows learners to acquire and practice clinical skills in a safe environment.