CAREERS IN HEALTH CARE

Natalie Sharp of Jackson practiced rescue breathing.

Jennifer Cox, left, of Scott City demonstrated the Heimlich maneuver on a "choking victim," Amanda Robinson, a student at Notre Dame High School.

English poet William Ernest Henley, who endured years of crippling physical pain caused by tuberculosis of the bone, couched his experiences with health care a century ago in the poem "In Hospital."

Henley describes lying in "a square, squat room (a cellar on promotion)," while "at their ease two dressers do their chores. One has a probe -- it feels to me like a crowbar."

Thankfully, health care has improved dramatically in the 120 years since Henley penned this verse. An integral part of modern quality health care is trained personnel who can execute the advances gained since Queen Victoria's reign.

Dr. A. Louise Hart, chairperson of the Department of Nursing at Southeast Missouri State University, said a number of factors make this a good time to explore employment in health care.

"Absolutely," Hart said. "As the world becomes more health-oriented; as the population ages, people with chronic illnesses are living longer, and so the care that they're going to need ... is going to increase."

People 80 years old and older make up the fastest-growing age group in the United States.

There are many educational opportunities in health care in Cape Girardeau. The Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School and Southeast Missouri State offer programs that provide or are preparation for accreditation in a variety of health-related fields.

But officials at both schools noted that employment opportunities in Cape Girardeau are not as abundant as educational options.

"The local hospitals basically are not advertising for any nursing positions right now, but other areas of the country -- Little Rock, Ark., Memphis, Tenn., -- all have nursing shortages," Hart said.

Hart added that students who receive training in Cape Girardeau and complete internships at local hospitals as a part of their education are often preferred when local openings appear.

"Because they have them in their system, and they have them oriented ... when a position becomes open they hire those students more readily than someone else," she said.

Statistics provided by Carol Kranawetter, director of the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational School of Practical Nursing, show that graduates of the school's licensed practical nurse program are almost always able to find employment or further education.

Of the 81 graduates of the school in the last four years, only one was listed in the category "never worked."

Chuck Keppler, director of human resources at Southeast Missouri Hospital, said the nature of health care causes employment problems for local providers.

"One of the problems," Keppler said, "with health care positions is that many of the jobs initially are part-time, and that causes some difficulty in hiring and retaining people, because a lot of people need full-time work. That's just the nature of health care -- we operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Keppler said that to combat those difficulties Southeast "provides a very excellent benefit package. Part-time employees have nearly the same benefits that full-time employees do."

Linda McVay, an employment specialist at St. Francis Medical Center, said she specifically seeks physical and occupational therapists because the field is very competitive for students seeking education and employers seeking therapists.

"Schools haven't been graduating enough of them to fill the need," McVay said.

Preparation for a career in health care can begin early for area high-school students. The vocational school offers seniors a "Careers in Health Care" class that introduces them to a variety of health careers, medical technology, anatomy and bedside care skills, said Daphna Fiehler, who teaches the class.

After completing the nine-month class, graduates are job-ready as an entry-level nurse -- a certified nurse assistant. Some pursue further education, ranging from licensed practical nurse training to medical school, Fiehler said.

"Most of them enter into health care because they want to help people, and then they find out that there are a variety of ways that they can help people," Fiehler said.

The vocational-technical school offers programs in practical nursing, respiratory therapy, emergency medical services, dental assistantship and certified nursing.

The LPN and respiratory therapy sequences, which usually have 20 to 25 students, are both year-long programs that combine rigorous class work and hands-on clinical training. Graduates of both programs take a national licensing examination to gain accreditation. After passing the exam they work in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, doctor's offices, American Red Cross blood drive groups and as school nurses, Kranawetter said.

Ken Pfau, director of the school's respiratory therapy program, said in the next couple years the school will grant an associate's degree in respiratory therapy.

The university offers a bachelor of science degree in nursing with a generalist preparation. Graduates are registered nurses.

The four-year program provides good training in medical surgical nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatry, community health nursing, home health nursing and leadership management, Hart said.

The university also offers an "R.N. to B.S.N. program" in which students can earn nine hours credit in one day, and a master of nursing science degree, which has family health nursing and family nurse practitioner options.

In addition to nursing programs, the university offers degrees in dietetics, speech pathology, health promotion, fitness and sports medicine, athletic training and social work, said health and human services adviser Linda Little.

Also, pre-professional options include pre-medical, pre-optometry, pre-radiology, pre-physical therapy, pre-chiropractic, pre-dental and pre-pharmacy, Little said.