On Friday, December 1, the eighth grade Career Explorations class of Gloria Rhodes welcomed Amy Turner, a former student of the Wilkes County school system. She is currently enrolled in the nursing program at Augusta Tech, where standards are very rigid. Turner related that her involvement with HOSA and electing to take the Health Occupations classes in high school inspired her to continue her studies in the medical field.

Turner wore her white, crisp nursing uniform and carried her stethoscope. She explained what "vitals" are, and in fact, had students check their pulses while being interrupted, so that they could see how hard it is to be accurate under such circumstances.

She detailed what a weekly assignment could be like, but she also stressed the importance of privacy. Students were amazed to hear how risky her job as student nurse could be while dealing with patients who may have dementia, hallucinations, delusions, and who may literally fight you, causing bodily harm. The students learned that physical restraints must be issued by physicians only and renewed every 24 hours.

Students were shocked to learn that maggots are used in a type of therapy that eats dead flesh. She said that a patient asked her if she had seen her "California babies," and it turned out that the maggots had been flown in from California.

Nursing student Amy Turner visited the Career Explorations class last week. Turner mesmerized the students with her accounts of numerous interesting experiences, but she stressed how important it is to prepare now so that when the time comes to further your education for a career, you will get those competitive spots.

Rhodes extended her thanks to Turner, as one of her former W-WMS teachers, for taking the time to visit the students.