Nursing Assistant program students practice taking vital signs

Career and Technical Education students in the Nursing Assistant Program at Mount Vernon High School practiced basic nursing skills during their class on Friday, October 18, 2024. Among the skills they are learning are infection control, communication, safety and emergency procedures, vital signs, job interview skills and resume-building skills.

Students started by washing their hands, organizing their equipment and beginning to communicate with their patients, who were their classmates. They then began measuring vital signs, such as blood pressure, of their patients.

“I like the class so far,” said Sienna Regman, 12th grade student at MVHS. “We’re learning the foundations of nursing to become nursing assistants at the end of the school year. I like it because a lot of us do want to progress into becoming registered nurses or even farther than that. I think gaining the experience – we’ll have clinical experience – and just kind of learning how to do the basics will set us up for success. I’m excited for clinical; I just want to see how everything is in real life and deal with real people and help them to apply what I’m learning now in real life.”

Students who are eligible may sit for the New York State Long Term Care Nursing Assisting Certification Exam. The course, taught by Nursing Instructor Bonnie Ball, prepares students to succeed on this exam.