Health
Careers

Program Description

Health Careers at the Windham Regional Career Center introduces students to a variety of medical, biomedical, and healthcare occupations. Due to the program’s multiple pathways, students are prepared to either pursue healthcare work after high school graduation or continue on to additional education at the college level. Many students choose to do both: working part-time in the field while attending college, often with financial help from their employer. Students are encouraged to participate in both the BUHS/WRCC STEM Academy and HOSA, a national organization for students pursuing careers in healthcare.

Nutrition/Human Growth & Development

The focus of the Nutrition class is to provide sound, relevant background knowledge in the science of human nutrition and to translate the scientific principles of nutrition into applicable concepts of care. This course offers opportunities for the student to identify dietary modifications relating to the development stage of the patient as well as the role of adequate nutrition in maintaining the health of the individual throughout the life-span. *This course is offered for college credit.

The focus of the Human Growth and Development class provides an overview of the physical, intellectual, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development of human beings from birth to adolescence. Emphasizes how hereditary and environmental influences impact the development of the whole child.

Medical Terminology/Licensed Nurse Assistant

This course includes an introduction to the many career opportunities in the healthcare and biomedical sciences fields and the introductory skills needed to pursue employment after graduation or continue on to college level learning.

The study of Medical Terminology introduces students to the language of medicine. Students will gain an understanding of basic elements, rules of building and analyzing medical words, and medical terms associated with the body as a whole. Utilizing a systems-approach, the student will define, interpret, and pronounce medical terms relating to structure and function, pathology, diagnosis, clinical procedures, oncology, and pharmacology. In addition to medical terms, common abbreviations applicable to each system will be interpreted.

The Licensed Nurse Assistant Certification class provides instruction in the roles and responsibilities of the Nursing Assistant. Body structure and function, infection prevention, nutrition, principles of growth and development, safety in healthcare, home health care, and care of the older person are some of the topics emphasized. Instruction and practice of basic patient care skills required for Nursing Assistants is provided. The student must successfully meet all objectives of the course; pass exams, laboratory skills performance and the clinical experience to be eligible for course completion. At the completion of this certificate, students are eligible to take the Vermont Board of Nursing LNA Licensure Exam.

Successful students earning their LNA will be eligible for employment as soon as licensure is obtained. This class provides students a pathway to employment right after high school as well as a pathway to a college major in health careers. Many students actually choose to do both: employment right after graduation while attending college part-time.

Anatomy & Physiology

Necessary life functions and survival needs will be examined, followed by an orientation of the language of anatomy. Thorough analyses of intracellular function, tissue types, the integumentary system, skeletal tissue and the human skeleton, joints, muscle tissue and the muscular system, the fundamentals of nervous tissue and the nervous system.

This course is rigorous and geared toward students who are planning to pursue a post-secondary degree in a healthcare, medical field or biomedical engineering.

For more detailed information go to our Program of Study.

Clubs and Activities

HOSA

Future Health Professionals, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, is an international career and technical student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Technology Education Division of ACTE.

Industry Recognized Credentials

Basic Life Support/CPR
Bloodborne Pathogens
First Aid
LNA (Level 2)
OSHA 10

Your Instructor

Jean Hodsden

I am in my first year of teaching at WRCC. I have been a nurse since 1988 when I graduated from Boston College. Most of that time I have been a school nurse in the elementary and middle grades. I am honored to be able to encourage and teach the next generation of health care workers.

Your Instructor

Becky Steele

As a nurse for over twenty-five years, I have long enjoyed helping other people gain an interest in becoming healthcare professionals. I have a Master's of Science in Nursing and have taught in the nursing program at Vermont Technical College for the past 10 years along with serving as VTC's Southeast Region Site Director. I love nursing and I enjoy teaching any healthcare related topics. Teaching at WRCC in the Health Sciences Program is a perfect fit for me.