DARLINGTON - Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County concluded its seventh year of the Club Scrub Program, designed to educate and encourage young students to have an interest in health care careers.
"Club Scrub" was designed by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health for the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative and includes a detailed program outline meant to spark seventh- and eighth-grade students' interest in the health care sciences.
MHLC started its pilot program with three of the seven Lafayette County school districts in 2010. Argyle, Belmont and Darlington participated for a total of 20 students. In 2011, Shullsburg students joined; in 2012, Benton students came on board; and in 2014, Black Hawk students were added to the mix. This year, Pecatonica Schools joined the Club Scrub sessions for a total of seven schools and 57 students participating.
During March and April, the students visit MHLC on five Tuesdays for 45-minute hands-on sessions to learn about health care careers side by side with MHLC employees. The rehab, surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy and nursing departments were selected to create interactive sessions. Suturing pig's feet, testing blood sugar and giving an orange an injection are a few of the things the students got to perform during the "Club Scrub" sessions.
The Memorial Hospital Auxiliary purchases each participating student a scrub top to wear during each session as a gift for taking part in the program.
The students fill out evaluations after every session to help the hospital continue to improve the program. The students are also encouraged to come back to MHLC during their high school years and job shadow in the departments in which they are interested as career choices.
"Club Scrub" was designed by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health for the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative and includes a detailed program outline meant to spark seventh- and eighth-grade students' interest in the health care sciences.
MHLC started its pilot program with three of the seven Lafayette County school districts in 2010. Argyle, Belmont and Darlington participated for a total of 20 students. In 2011, Shullsburg students joined; in 2012, Benton students came on board; and in 2014, Black Hawk students were added to the mix. This year, Pecatonica Schools joined the Club Scrub sessions for a total of seven schools and 57 students participating.
During March and April, the students visit MHLC on five Tuesdays for 45-minute hands-on sessions to learn about health care careers side by side with MHLC employees. The rehab, surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy and nursing departments were selected to create interactive sessions. Suturing pig's feet, testing blood sugar and giving an orange an injection are a few of the things the students got to perform during the "Club Scrub" sessions.
The Memorial Hospital Auxiliary purchases each participating student a scrub top to wear during each session as a gift for taking part in the program.
The students fill out evaluations after every session to help the hospital continue to improve the program. The students are also encouraged to come back to MHLC during their high school years and job shadow in the departments in which they are interested as career choices.
