Each year during National Nurses Week (May 6 – 12), we recognize the dedicated nurses who care for and support our students. This year, we’re expanding on that celebration by also highlighting a future nurse and our Career and Technical Education Nursing Assistant program.
It is no surprise that our nursing shortage continues to grow nationwide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has shared that the country will need more than 189,000 new registered nurses each year through 2034 to replace workers who leave healthcare or retire. Programs such as ours help address this need by giving high school students a head start in a nursing career or a jump start on their continued education.
Dezeray Brandow (left) checks the vitals of her classmate at Donald R. Kline Technical School.
One of those students is Dezeray Brandow, a senior at Donald R. Kline Technical School from Catskill Central School District. Dezeray, who has been working in a nursing facility since last spring as a dietary aid, shared how she joined the program.
“I always knew I wanted to get into healthcare, I just didn’t know what kind,” said Dezeray. “My counselor recommended I come to Questar III’s open house to see what I liked. I was between EMT and this program, but when I stepped into the nursing assistant classroom, I just felt a click.”
As to why it clicked, Dezeray believes it’s a combination of her nurturing personality and a personal experience. During her grandfather’s illness, she witnessed her aunt, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), care for him, and it helped shape her path.
Through this one year program, students learn essential patient care skills, including taking vital signs, assisting with daily living activities, infection control, and basic nursing procedures. Students also participate in clinicals at local nursing homes, gaining first-hand, real-world experience. Dezeray and her classmates visit two locations, The Pines at Catskill Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and the FASNY Firefighter’s Home in Hudson.
“We get to do everything we learn in class,” Dezeray stated. “We feed residents, care for them, position them in bed, get them ready for the day, take them to activities. I’m learning how to care for people, how to remember simple things, like their favorite shirt, or wearing their hair a certain way.”
Dezeray went on to share that she enjoys her time at clinicals and how it’s a real learning opportunity. Staff at both facilities are appreciative of their help and are also willing to teach students along the way. She also shared that she is grateful to have her teacher, Ms. Beth Hulbert, and clinical instructor, Ms. Susann Kropp.
“Ms. Hulbert is a great teacher,” Dezeray said. “She explains things well, and she gives us the reality. Not many people will hold our hand in the real world, especially in nursing school, so I feel like this step prepares me for what’s next. It’s not like in your home district where they’ve known you all these years. This is the real world.”
“I’ve only known my teachers for a year, and I feel really close to both of them,” Dezeray shared. “I love their work ethic, and they’re really good examples of who I want to become as a nurse.”
With graduation around the corner, Nursing Assistant students at both our Hudson and Troy locations are preparing for the upcoming NYS Certified Nursing Assistant licensing exam. Those who earn their license will have the ability to enter the workforce immediately as a CNA. As for Dezeray, she plans to continue her education next fall.
“I am going to college at SUNY Delhi to pursue nursing and my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing),” Dezeray said. “I’m hoping I can work as a CNA while I’m in college because I want the experience.”
Experience is something Dezeray already has plenty of. Alongside her time in our program, she has spent the past year working part-time at a local nursing home as a dietary aide. Looking ahead, Dezeray plans to shift her focus from caring for the elderly to welcoming new life into the world as a labor and delivery nurse.
“I’m a very hands-on learner,” Dezeray said. “I’m glad that I chose to come here because I think this is going to prepare me to become a better nurse.”