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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Juniors and seniors from local high schools are getting hands-on experience in the medical field through the Nurse for a Day program.
The event, hosted by the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing Springfield campus, runs over two days. About 300 students in total attended according to Sara McPherson, director of the UIC College of Nursing Springfield campus.
“It’s just to allow high school students exposure to nursing and other healthcare-related fields,” McPherson said.
Students get the chance to shadow college students and see what their school experience looks like. They also work with high-fidelity simulation mannequins designed to mimic real hospital settings.
“With our mannequins specifically, they try to mimic a actual hospital setting,” senior Aniah Richards said. “So they practice with it before, and this is the best place to make mistakes. So we’re able to do that here before we go to a hospital and do that with patients.”
McPherson said the mannequins have realistic heart rates and breath sounds. Students can do other types of assessments just like healthcare providers would in real applications.
McPherson said there is a major nursing shortage, and events like Nurse for a Day help expose students to possibilities in the field. This is the fourth year the event has been held.