The St. John's College of Nursing's (SJCN) Teen Health Care Exploration program is an easy way for students to learn about the many different jobs within the field.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Many juniors and seniors in high school struggle to figure out what comes next after graduation. The St. John's College of Nursing's (SJCN) Teen Health Care Exploration program is an easy way for students to learn about the many different jobs within the field. 

The program is open to high school juniors and seniors. As part of the program, students participate in a panel discussion, where they hear from people working in a dozen different jobs. Students took advantage of the opportunity to learn what a day might look like in different positions. 

"You could really see a lot of light bulbs going off tonight when they were asking everyone all the questions about what they do every day, and how they got there, and the education, and all the different parts of health care," said Taylor Lashmett, a nursing student at SJCN. "They realized pharmacists actually interact with patients and don't just sit in a room and do math."

They also get the chance to practice certain nursing skills with state-of-the-art technology. This includes realistic mannequins that can simulate breathing, opening their eyes and other things. 

The students were able to watch staff deliver a mannequin baby before trying themselves. This included a detailed demonstration of what happens during a caesarean section. 

"Learning often happens in the classroom, but really when you're able to be in there and get your hands dirty and experience things, lots of times it kind of sparks that joy for some of those students," said Hannah Jugan, dean of students at SJCN. "We want students to spark an interest in what careers are out there." 

The students were also guided through the process of intubating patients, also using a mannequin. They got to try the process alone several times, while learning how much perseverance processes like that can take. 

Students from more than a dozen high schools in Sangamon County can attend the program. For more information, you can check out the SJCN website.

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