Vantage Health Technology senior Avery Braaten (Antwerp) practices the eye test with Aleeah R. during elementary school screenings at Van Wert Early Childhood Center.
Did you know that Vantage Health Technology seniors provide helping hands to local school nurses with student health screenings? For the past several years, one of their most favorite community projects has been to help the school nurses perform hearing and vision screenings for students from kindergarten through high school. All students must be tested and the job is overwhelming for just one school nurse.
Vantage senior Health Tech students were trained on how to use the audiometer to test hearing by Melissa McCoy, M.A. from the Ohio Department of Health. Their instructor, Mrs. Wendy Baumle provided training on the Snellen charts for vision screenings and the color blindness test. In addition to the hearing and vision screenings, the Vantage students also help take and record the height and weights of the elementary students.
This experience for the Health Technology students is not without its’ challenges. One of the biggest has been helping the elementary students who do not speak English as a primary language, understand the test and getting an appropriate response from them. The senior Health Technology students are just beginning their screenings with Van Wert kindergarteners. They are also scheduled to assist at Crestview this fall.
The school nurses, Theresa Whittington from Van Wert City Schools and Sandra Grooms from Crestview Local Schools are very appreciative of the student help. They also evaluate the high school students on their positive attitude, ability to accept constructive feedback and being a team player.
New Vantage senior Health Technology instructor, Wendy Baumle says, “The senior Health Technology students have told me this is their number 1 experience as far as learning a health related skill and being able to apply it in “real life.”
You can see the Health Tech seniors in action as they pitch in to help at the Van Wert United Way Day of Caring Bloodmobile at Trinity Friends on Friday, September 25. If you haven’t made your appointment yet, please call 1.800.RED.CROSS.
