Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS) has kicked off the 2023 Patient Care Assistant Internship Program with partners Houston Methodist Hospital and Smithwood Medical Institute. This summer, graduating seniors will participate in a dynamic, hands-on experience in the healthcare profession.
These students are all part of the CIS programs on their high school campuses, which offer direct services, academic support, and mental health services, as well as resources to students in need. Each school has a dedicated CIS Student Support Manager who provides invaluable mentorship and assistance to these teens throughout the school year.
Since 2008, Houston Methodist Hospital has collaborated with Communities In Schools of Houston to provide local high school youth with the opportunity to participate in an eight-week Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Summer Internship Program upon graduation with hands-on training. They are mentored and supervised by registered nurses to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification and an opportunity for a college scholarship and job placement.
The program’s internship requires a 48-hour per workweek commitment, in addition to attending evening school at Smithwood for the Certified Nursing Assistant course. Here students learn the principles of the profession and participate in labs to prepare them for the CNA Texas State Certification Exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, the program participants transition from students to Certified Nursing Assistants.
“This is one of our premier workplace readiness programs in which students receive outstanding training and education through our partners Houston Methodist Hospital and Smithwood Medical Institute,” says Lisa Decant, CEO of Communities In Schools of Houston. “The depth and breadth of the program is incredible and gives our students an opportunity to advance in the medical profession, whether it is nursing, medical tech or other discipline. Many of them are offered jobs with Houston Methodist after they complete their college education.”
The Program Manager for Methodist’s Center for Nursing Research, Education, and Practice selects the participants and assigns them to Houston Methodist Hospital nursing units where they function in the role of PCA. The students begin their days at 7 a.m., working 12-hour shifts for four days in a row. They rotate nursing floors so that they are exposed to multiple disciplines, including maternity, cardiovascular, neurology and orthopedics.
For more information about Communities In Schools of Houston and its programs, please visit www.cishouston.org.
Courtesy of CIS of Houston.