Introduction to Healthcare Careers
Payton Glinkski never thought of a profession in medicine because she doesn’t like "blood and guts." However, with a virtual reality (VR) controller and headset, she learned that not every job in healthcare has a potentially gory element. She discovered that there are various careers in healthcare beyond nurses, doctors, dentists, and social employees. A two-year collaboration between OSF HealthCare, LaSalle County government, and the Regional Office of Education District 35 in North Central Illinois aimed to introduce middle school students to varied healthcare careers using VR technology.
Exploring Healthcare Careers with VR
The collaboration included design, equipment installation, and training, led by OSF STEAM, under the umbrella of OSF Innovation. Healthcare Careers 360, a web-based application, and the Enduvo VR Career Explorer remove barriers and permit middle school students to explore a wide range of healthcare careers. OSF I-80 Innovation Hub Director Zack Vankeulen explains that the web-based app and VR offer immersive learning in healthcare settings that will otherwise be off-limits to students on account of federal privacy and safety regulations. Students can explore careers corresponding to surgery technician, dental assistant, or emergency medical technician in a simulated environment.
Gamified Learning
While some students used VR headsets, others worked on computers playing games to discover and find out about items in medical settings. For example, Brooklyn Verda showed how she found a pressure washer in a biomedical engineering lab. Kids also had to seek out a bonus ‘lucky pickle’ after which watched videos in regards to the environment and profession they were exploring. Verda liked the gamified learning and didn’t find it too difficult. The gamified learning approach makes it fun and straightforward for college students to find out about different healthcare careers.
Targeting Hard-to-Fill Careers
OSF targeted careers which might be hard to fill in rural communities, corresponding to Earlville, Mendota, and Ottawa. Vankeulen says that they focused on these careers, in addition to large volume careers like nursing and dental hygiene. The collaboration for STEAM programming picked up steam when state lawmakers enacted Illinois PaCE, which requires school districts to organize students in grades 6-12 for a profession or technical education pathway.
Future Plans and Collaboration
The Regional Office of Education District 35 Superintendent Chris Dvorak says that he would like to proceed the collaboration and possibly expand the profession opportunities included within the programs. The ROE will hold future skilled development opportunities that may allow teachers to share thoughts, ideas, and successes as they proceed to support STEAM implementation. Earlville Junior High Principal Jenette Fruit has a philosophy that small schools can do big things, and collaboration is essential. Even if the technology brings recent challenges, Fruit says that students readily embrace it.
Learning About Sterile Environments
The ‘boundaries’ that Fruit references are the areas throughout the sterile environment in an operating room. Those are the sorts of concepts students are learning as they experience surgical procedures, patient interactions, and medical decision-making in a simulated environment that mirrors an actual hospital and clinical setting. Science teacher Kirsten Sweeney says that for a small, rural school district, it’s rare that students would have exposure to using VR headsets.
Next Steps
OSF STEAM builds programs to assist students see how their skills and interests align with potential careers, encouraging them to pursue further education and training. The next steps for college students include using one other OSF STEAM-designed web-based app called healthcareers.guide. It will allow them to explore more deeply one health profession, including duties during a typical day and salary. Students can even create a resume and a canopy letter as in the event that they were sending it off to OSF.
Conclusion
The collaboration between OSF HealthCare, LaSalle County government, and the Regional Office of Education District 35 helps to introduce middle school students to varied healthcare careers using VR technology. The program goals to get the subsequent generation able to fill the numerous shortage of healthcare positions, not only physicians, nurses, and vital staff but in addition the numerous necessary support roles. Without a robust pipeline, patient care and access to quality medical services may very well be in jeopardy, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Schools considering partnering with OSF for STEAM programming can contact events@jumpsimulation.org.
