For Wheeling High School Students Lizeth Leon and Karen Pliego, the College Nursing Assistant Training course they took their junior year is paying off in terms of active employment as well as preparation for their future careers.

Leon and Pliego, now seniors, were among 54 High School District 214 students who earned their state certifications last spring—a 100% pass rate for the district—as part of their training in the Health Science Pathway. They used their certification to start working as certified nursing assistants at the Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre in Wheeling during the summer. 

“We call [CNAs] the eyes and ears of the healthcare team,” says Jane Weller, the dual credit CNA educator for District 214.  “I tell them you have to be self-directed, you have to be focused, you have to be committed. And they are really into it.” 

Weller, who worked as a registered nurse for 25 years, says the Health Sciences Career Pathway and the CNA program open up a wealth of opportunities for students who want to pursue careers in the healthcare fields. According to U.S. News & World Report’s 100 Best Jobs of 2019, 16 of the top 20 jobs are in healthcare—and these careers are projected to grow.

District 214 students who want to earn the state Nursing Assistant certification start with the Introduction to Health Careers and Medical Terminology courses before their junior year, when they take College Nursing Assistant Training. The CNA class is a dual credit course with Harper College that requires a $50 dual credit fee, compared with approximately $1,000 to earn the same certification as a student at Harper.

Through the CNA course, students undergo extensive college-level training to learn how to take patients’ vital signs, handle CPR and assist patients with eating, showering and toileting, among other basic skills to assist people with activities for daily living. Students are also required to accrue 40 hours of clinical work at area facilities such as Lexington of Wheeling and Symphony of Buffalo Grove. This year, the program is partnering with Northwest Community Hospital, which will provide representatives to discuss the role of patient care technicians, who  provide the same services as CNAs, and potential job opportunities.

A critical part of the overall CNA training is acquiring the confidence to work with patients who are suffering from different issues. “These are real-life people with real-life family members,” Weller says. “We’re not dealing with these people at their best. They’re not feeling well. We just need to care for them. We just need to be competent and do our job.

“I’m amazed at the maturity of these students,” she adds. “I don’t think some [adults] could deal with a dementia patient, or the people who have terminal cancer, or the people who are on renal dialysis. These students have risen to the occasion, and it’s wonderful.”

For Leon and Pliego, the experience they’re gaining is invaluable. Pliego, who plans to pursue a career as a registered nurse, says working at the Greek American Rehabilitation & Care Centre has given her a lot of on-the-job training. “I really like working there,” she says. “One of the things I’ve learned is taking care of the residents [means] having a lot of patience and being caring. It’s very important to take the patients into consideration because they’re people with feelings.” 

Leon, who eventually wants to become a registered nurse specializing in neonatal care, says working at the Greek American Rehabilitation & Care Centre has taught her how to manage multiple patients and duties while staying in touch with the personal side of patient care.

“So long as you have communication with your residents, things go pretty smoothly,” she says. “It helps you learn so much. Not only medical stuff, but it helps you connect to people. It helps you to understand that other people have feelings, other people have needs.” 

Mordechai Finkel, director of human resources for the Greek American Rehabilitation & Care Centre, says hiring Leon and Pliego has worked out well for the facility. “CNA is a position that throughout the industry is extremely hard to fill,” he says. “Most people do not want to go into that kind of profession. {Students] would rather go flip burgers—there’s no burger that ever spoke back to you. These students have dedicated themselves to dealing with patients who are tired, cranky, upset, and you’re giving them all your best.

“We are very pleased, very impressed [with Leon and Pliego],” he adds.