A total of 13 high school and college interns will spend the summer shadowing various departments at Box Butte General Hospital to gain experience in a variety of health care fields.
“The hospital started a high school intern program more than 10 years ago,” said Chief Nursing Officer Jane McConkey. “We saw the need to nurture and introduce local students to health careers so we could grow our own future workforce. All of our developmental programs (Health Professions Club, High School Cadet, and High School and College Intern) support students to learn more about health care careers and to meet admission requirements for most programs that require shadowing or volunteering in health care facilities. Students will find out more about each different area of health care during the internship and they may decide what they thought they wanted to do isn’t a good fit for them. This knowledge saves time and money when going to college.”
There are six high school (or just graduated) interns participating in the summer program for the first time.
AHS Senior Devin Ushio said he’s interested in nursing due to his mother being an LPN. “She urged me to explore a career in health care and I’ve talked with people who work at the hospital who make it sound interesting and exciting,” he said. “I’m interested in nursing because it seems like a good and rewarding career. I hope to acquire some knowledge about the medical field in order to help determine exactly what I want to have a career in, and hope to gain some experience about other departments as well.”
Recent Hay Springs High School graduate Christian Bila has always loved anatomy. “I enjoy learning about how the body works,” she said. “I’m interested in occupational therapy because of that, and because I like helping people learn life skills. I’d mostly like to focus on special needs children. I’m excited to explore the different departments to make sure the field I’ve chosen is really what I want to do.” Christian has been a member of the BBGH Health Professions Club for two years.
AHS Senior Ashley Quick enjoys helping people. “I think a career in the field of medicine will allow me to do that,” she said. “I’m interested in radiology/sonographry, having shadowed that department while in the HPC. “I found I’m interested in the internal workings and problems of a person’s body.” She said she’s thankful for having an opportunity to further her experience this summer as an intern at BBGH. “I’d like to learn more about the different departments,” she continued. “This experience will help me determine if I really want to pursue a career in the medical field.”
Klayton Nordeen is a sophomore at AHS. He said having a family member often in the hospital has influenced him to explore health care as a career. “I’ve spent time in physical therapy, so I have an interest in that,” he said. “I hope to acquire a better understanding of what goes on in a hospital through this opportunity.”
AHS graduate Bree Evans said her freshman year classes of anatomy and physiology helped influence her exploration of a career in health. “I was fascinated by how the body works,” she said. “I want to become an RN because I have always enjoyed helping people. I am very grateful for the opportunity to intern at BBGH as it will provide me a better understanding of nursing and to learn as much as possible while I’m there.”
AHS graduate Sydnie Hiemstra’s year in HPC helped her decision to explore health care as a career. “My interest grew when I did the cadet program last semester,” she said. “I’m interested in respiratory therapy, having enjoyed that department when I shadowed as a cadet. This internship is great, opening up more opportunity for new learning experiences. I’m also hoping to learn more about the different departments and how they work together.”
The five college interns participating for the first time are also excited about the opportunity.
Husband and wife interns Pat and Kimberly Jespersen are both pursuing careers in nursing. Both are enrolled at UNMC College of Nursing Kim is a graduate of Nikiski High School in Alaska, and Pat is a graduate of Hemingford High School. “As a young child, I always knew I wanted to help people, and by pursuing a career in healthcare I knew I could help patients,” Kim said. “Nurses are typically the first individuals to meet patients and they spend the most time with them while receiving care. I chose nursing because I want to be the patient’s first impression, while also being their advocate.” Pat echoed her sentiments, saying “I really enjoy being around and helping others,” he said. “This career choice allows me to do that. The health care world can be an intimidating place for many and I want to make it an enjoyable experience.” Both hope to gain valuable knowledge and experience from their internship at BBGH. “Working long shifts multiple days a week with an experienced mentor will be an awesome opportunity,” Pat said.
Alliance High School graduate and UNMC senior Chelsey Jelinek is excited about a career in nursing due to its stability. “And it is also a career that you will never stop learning in,” she said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the staff at BBGH and hope to acquire experience that I would not get otherwise.”
AHS grad and UNMC senior Brittany King’s mother and grandmother are both nurses. “From experience I know you help people in many ways through nursing,” she said. “It will be a great learning experience this summer, and I’m excited to start acquiring nursing skills through the internship.”
Another intern, Lauren Rieber is an RHOP Nursing student who has completed her pre-requisite classes at CSC and will start nursing courses at UNMC Scottsbluff in August. Ms. Reiber was active in the HPC from 2008 through 2011, and was also a cadet at BBGH. “I have always had a passion for helping people go through the healing process,” she said. “I like the hands on part of nursing, being right there with the patient; making them comfortable. I’d like to thank everyone at BBGH for allowing me this opportunity. It will help me develop skills that I will use at school and in my career. I’m grateful for that.”