(WXYZ) — You may have heard the phrase, "you have to see it to be it." It highlights the importance of early career exposure, allowing kids to see themselves in roles and help them understand what it takes to achieve those ambitions.
That's what one local nurse is doing to try and get more people into the field. She's reaching out to kids as young as 6 years old, and kicking off National Nurses Week by showing them a career in healthcare is within their reach.
"Nursing is not my job. I feel nursing is my calling," Tereah "Nurse T" Alexander told me.
She said that calling includes giving back. Even though she owns multiple businesses, she carves out time each week to offer free CNA training for students at Renaissance High School in Detroit, her alma mater.
"It's an obligation to actually educate and expose our next generation of nurses and health care professionals," Alexander said.
The program provides the teens with hands-on training, including CPR, where some students are discovering proper technique is hard work.
The teens also get a chance to use their CNA skills by offering care to seniors
"Helping with personal care, Baobabs. They're learning how to do oral care, nail care, foot care," she said.
Then, they debrief to share their knowledge.
then debrief to share their knowledge.
"It was down and dirty, like we did a lot. We learned a lot of skills. But getting the hands on the field for it was completely different," Aniya Lewis, a senior heading to the University of Michigan, said.
"(It was) nerve-wracking for sure. But you have to set all that aside because you can't let your patient see that you're nervous," Zion Lewis said.
The free event will expose young children to nursing and other healthcare professions. They'll see demonstrations and learn how to perform CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and proper handwashing. And see an ultrasound and a defibrillator device up close
"I think it is very important to go back as young as 6 to 13 to help that generation and expose them and break their fears of math and sciences," Alexander said.
She also wants to inspire them just as she was inspired as a child by her mother, an anesthesia tech for 35 years.
"Seeing my first delivery at ten years old, my mom had me at Henry Ford Hospital in the operating room. You know, I was excited," she said.
All that excitement is spreading among the students at Renaissance.
"All the feedback has been so positive. The kids are learning a lot," Dr. Cynthia Bridges, a chemistry teacher, said.
Other students in the school also see something special is happening.
"The kids have to wear the uniform every Wednesday. And the kids see this. And the kids are like, 'how can I be a part of this program?'" Bridges said.
While the high schoolers are being trained as CNAs now, they can get a part-time job to earn money in college. However, the goal is to cultivate the next generation of nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Lewis said she wants to be a veterinary surgeon.
