Springfield School of Innovation adds patient care, phlebotomy programs

The Springfield City School District’s School of Innovation (SOI) new Patient Care program will allow students to learn basic skills related to being a Certified Nursing Assistant. Contributed

The Springfield City School District’s School of Innovation (SOI) new Patient Care program will allow students to learn basic skills related to being a Certified Nursing Assistant. Contributed

The Springfield City School District’s School of Innovation has added two new programs this year — patient care and phlebotomy — that will help equip students with credentials for sought-after jobs.

“These are great opportunities for our students to get ahead of the game when it comes to a career in healthcare,” said Superintendent Bob Hill. “The (district) is providing numerous avenues for our students to find a future that they are passionate about and also equip them with the right tools to ensure their success.”

In the patient care course, students will learn basic skills related to being a Certified Nursing Assistant, such as taking vital signs, bathing and dressing a patient, cleaning a wound, reading EKGs and learning medical terminology.

Students will then take a certification test at the end of the semester, and if they pass, they’ll receive the proper credentials to apply for healthcare jobs at hospitals and nursing homes.

In the phlebotomy course that will begin in January, students will learn how to do finger sticks, routine blood draws and mouth swabs while sometimes practicing on real patients.

Students will also take a certification test at the end of the course to become Certified Phlebotomy Technicians to work in hospitals, nursing homes and laboratories.

Both courses are instructed by nurse Durinda Au, who has been a nurse for over 30 years in various settings, including operating rooms and pediatrics.

Last year, the School of Innovation added a drone aeronautics program, as well as certification programs in welding and carpentry.

The School of Innovation is a second option for high school students in the Springfield City School District to focus on project-based learning instead of traditional classroom instruction.

For more information, visit www.scsdoh.org/o/si/page/about.

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