Dignity Health | Be well | Spring 2018

They can only miss one lecture. And they hand over their cell- phones at the start of each day to avoid distractions. “They have to come here really wanting to learn,” he says. Not as seen on TV Though she began the program with a strong interest in nursing, Diaz admits—a little sheepishly—that her impression of what goes on in hospitals was pretty much formed by watching TV shows. But at SECH, she shadowed a nurse in the emergency department and got a realistic look at hospital life. “Whenever the nurse saw a patient, ran a test, or filled out a chart, I was at her side, watching and learning,” she says. At the Family Birth Center, Diaz peppered the nurses with every question she could think of. What is it like to help deliver a baby? Volunteen at a glance What: An eight-week summer volunteer program Who: Teens 14 to 18 years old at Corning Union High School with a GPA of 3.5 or higher Where: St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff When: Summer 2018 Why: ›› Get an inside view of how a hospital works ›› Explore potential health care careers ›› Get a certificate of comple- tion at the end of the program How do you help a new mother breastfeed? How do you cope if a baby is very sick? And while she had butterflies at first, the program confirmed that nursing truly was the right choice for her. It also showed her what a “really big responsibility” it is to work in a hospital. “You have people’s lives in your hands, so you really have to love what you do,” she says. Diaz also discovered that being a future labor and delivery room nurse is the best fit for her professionally. That gives her a big head start on many of her fellow freshmen in the nursing program. She’s yet to meet anyone who’s gotten such a realistic, behind-the-scenes look at a hospital. “I grew inside,” she says, looking back on her time in the program. “Volunteen gave me the confidence to take on challenges and seek opportunities.” Dignity Health North State 11