Want to be a nurse for a day? If so then join the CCBC Health Academy.

Seniors Maria Miocic, Kylie Tomacari, and Chelsea Homan are all students in the program, and April 12 they had the opportunity to shadow nurses at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland for the day.

CCBC covered all expenses except for lunch for the girls.

Upon arriving at the hospital the students were met by a nurse who showed them around the hospital and also shared some of the history of the nurses who used to work at the hospital. UPMC Presbyterian has a history room to showcasing important milestones and changes related to the nurses who work at the hospital since it first opened in 1893 including displays of uniforms.

Each girl then was paired with a nurse. Miocic was paired with a trauma nurse, Tomacari was paired with a cardiovascular nurse, and Homan was paired with a neuro trauma nurse.

The girls learned the ins and outs of nursing from caring for the patients and conducting procedures to entering medical information into the computer for documentation.

Miocic saw a woman with a gluteal replacement. Now, you might be thinking, man, I want one of those! But this replacement was only the outer skin. Skin was taken off of the women’s shins and placed onto her gluteus to fix painful sores.

“I enjoyed getting to see the atmosphere of working with trauma patients and [see how the staff] get along like family,” happily said Miocic.

Tomacari was fortunate enough to see a balloon pump removed. A balloon pump is used in the heart to increase cardiac output.

“It was a really good learning experience, and it helped show me the responsibilities of being a nurse,” commented Tomacari.

Homan unfortunately saw mostly medical documentation being done but did get to see medications administered through a feeding tube because the patient had a stroke and refused to eat. However, Homan also learned that paperwork is a big part of the job.

The students bought lunch in the hospital’s cafeteria at 11 a.m. and then went back to their assigned nurse to continue the day.

The day ended at 2:30 p.m. with a few photos and a long bus ride back to CCBC.