Blue Ridge Job Corps Center (BRJCC) students have kept busy this month with several National Groundhog Job Shadow Day events. Groundhog Job Shadowing provides students with firsthand knowledge on how the skills they learn in the classroom correlate to their chosen occupations, giving them real-world insight. One hundred twelve students and 40 staff in 10 groups, shadowed workplace mentors at the following site over the course of 11 days.

Southwest Virginia Mental Institute (SWVMHI) in Marion, Virginia welcomed 22 Blue Ridge Job Corps Center (BRJCC) Certified Nursing Assistant students to shadow their employees over the course of four days. Prior to entering the state hospital, students sign confidentiality agreements. For an entire shift, BRJCC, students shadowed Psychiatric Aides as they went through their regular work activities. Psychiatric Aides at Southwest Virginia Mental Institute hold state certifications as Nursing Assistant. Southwest Virginia Mental Institute Human Resources Director, Kimberly Sayers, did an awesome job coordinating the event. She also sent two staff from the hospital to BRJCC for an Information session a week before students were to begin shadowing.

Over the course of two trips, thirty Blue Ridge Job Corps Center (BRJCC) Medical Office Support and Medical Assistant students job shadowed at Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion Virginia. Mountain State Health Alliance Education Coordinator, Tina Allison, organized the BRJCC Job Shadow event. Tina met with the BRJCC students and discussed the significance of Electronic Health Records. She also projected training modules on a screen for students to view diverse aspects of the vocation outside of what they see in their textbooks. Furthermore, Tina had BRJCC students meet with the hospital’s Human Resource Generalist, Rhonda Pruitt. Rhonda explained the characteristics of a good employee, reviewed the hospital’s policy on social media, and cell phone use. She also covered interviewing questions and discussed the personality assessment that most healthcare agencies use to screen applicants.  Afterward, Tina set up job shadowing in Radiology, Laboratory, Admissions, Emergency Room, and Medical Records for the BRJCC students to observe.  Mountain State Health Alliance operates several hospitals and nursing homes in the Southwest Virginia area.

Forty-Five Blue Ridge Job Corps Center (BRJCC) students were well received by Johnston Memorial Hospital in Marion, Virginia. Johnston Memorial Hospital is operated by Mountain States Health Alliance. Michelle Mabe, Director of Organizational Development, arranged three separate job shadow trips to accommodate all the students. Michelle spoke with BRJCC students about making a good first impression, interviewing skills, and company policies. BRJCC students also job shadowed in the Intensive Care, Radiology, Medical Records, Maternity, Catheterization Laboratory, and the Cancer section of Johnston Memorial Hospital.

Theresa Worley, Nursing Educator at Bristol Regional Medical Center (BRMC) in Bristol, Tennessee, planned job shadow activities for 15 Blue Ridge Job Corps Center (BRJCC) students. BRMC Human Resource Department gave an overview of the hospital and the services they offer to BRJCC students. They also discussed being on time, good attendance and the company’s policies. Next, the students were split into two groups. Group one shadowed in the Radiology, Emergency Room, Medial Records, and Catheterization Laboratory departments. Group two shadowed in the Bristol Regional Medical Center’s Simulation Laboratory where students worked with a manikin named Jerry, that simulates real life health emergencies. Jerry was in cardiac arrest and the student had to perform CPR on him. The two groups switched assignments to expose every student to all the activities.