A ‘Day in the Life’

Wearing surgical scrubs and standing over life-sized mannequins, high school students get a firsthand look at what it’s like to care for patients in settings ranging from an outpatient clinic to an emergency or operating room.

Alongside Baptist Health advanced practice providers (APPs) in a simulated learning environment, the teens scrub in for mock surgery and perform hands-on activities such as intubation, suturing and wound care.

The “Day in the Life” experience introduces students to the role of an APP, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs). Students interact directly with APPs and see how these professions contribute to patient care across primary and specialty care, procedural and surgical settings, and throughout the hospital.

“They were able to get a deep dive experience, a real-life feel of being an advanced practice provider,” said Paul Cook, youth development project manager for Baptist Health Community Health & Well-Being and manager of Tipping the Scale youth mentorship program.

Baptist Health APPs recently teamed up with Tipping the Scale to provide hands-on learning in the first “Day in the Life” event at Baptist Health’s new Center for Professional Excellence, which includes a state-of-the-art simulation lab and classroom-based training for the health system’s workforce

“If we want young people in our community to consider these careers, we first have to help them learn these roles exist and understand what APPs actually do,” said Heather Augustyniak, DNP, MBA, FNP-C, executive director of Baptist Health Advanced Practice Providers. “We want to introduce students to these professions early, allow them to interact directly with APPs, and provide hands-on experiences that can help them envision themselves in these careers.”

Rotating through various stations, 40 high school students participated in mock outpatient clinic visits, where they learned how to collect a patient’s health history, perform a physical exam, interpret diagnostic testing and provide patient education.

Students also learned about care patients receive when admitted to the hospital, scrubbed in for mock surgery and practiced intubation and suturing. Additionlly, they learned how to remove staples, care for wounds and educate patients when they're discharged. Other hands-on activities included checking blood pressure, learning about heart rhythms and electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, and checking oxygen levels.

“I hope the students took away an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives and I hope it inspires them to continue to find their path, whether it be as an APP, another role in health care, or something else entirely,” said Meghan Hall, MSPAS, PA-C, Baptist Health Advanced Practice Provider professional development specialist and Surgical Oncology physician assistant at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center.

APP roles top jobs in United States

When it comes to jobs in health care, APP roles make up the fastest-growing career paths and consistently rank at the top for best jobs. And in recent years, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have taken the top spots for best jobs overall in the U.S. based on growth potential, salary and job satisfaction, among other factors.

Amari Allen, who recently graduated high school and was in the Tipping the Scale program for four years, plans to study nursing at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee. She enjoyed learning about the various roles APPs can perform throughout the health system.

“It was eye opening, especially for someone who wants to be in the advanced nursing world,” Allen said. “We always hear what nurses and doctors do, but not advanced practice providers.”

Investing in the future

The event also reinforced Baptist Health's commitment to investing in the community and students long before they reach college or graduate school.

"We have an opportunity to look further upstream in workforce development," Augustyniak said. "Building the health care workforce of the future starts well before professional school. By exposing students to these careers early, we can help them understand the incredible opportunities these professions offer and begin to see a pathway for themselves."

Hall added that for the APPs, the experience was just as impactful.

“The level of engagement from our APPs was incredible,” she said. “Throughout the day, I found myself pausing to take it all in and was so proud of our team. You could tell we had a group of people who love what they do and that they were willing to volunteer their time to share this on a Saturday with the group of students was something I will never forget.”

Looking ahead, Augustyniak hopes to expand “Day in the Life” into a multidisciplinary experience that allows students to explore different health care professions while also seeing firsthand how those roles interact and work together to care for patients across Baptist Health.

“Health care is a team sport, and we want students to experience not only the different career paths available to them, but also how those professions come together to care for patients,” Augustyniak said. “By creating meaningful experiences early, we have an opportunity to inspire the next generation of health care professionals who may one day care for our community.”

To learn more about the work Baptist Health does in the community and investing in the future generation, go to BaptistJax.com/Community.