CAVIT Students Provide ‘Break ‘n Mend’ Hospital to Cure Younger Children’s Health Care Fears

COOLIDGE - Feb. 25, 2009 – A hospital can be a scary place for anyone, but especially for a young child. Students from Coolidge’s Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology are helping younger children tackle their fears surrounding hospitalization before they or a family member find themselves in need of real treatment.

CAVIT’s Allied Health Program students are curing hospitalization fears of second grade students from Maricopa, Coolidge and Florence elementary schools through the “Break ‘n Mend” hospital, a program which provides simulated pediatric care experiences.

The community awareness activity, created by Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), is designed to make children less afraid of hospitals in case they, or one of their family members require surgery or hospitalization.

Lynda Downs, a CAVIT teacher affiliated with the program, says a child’s experience in ‘Break ‘n Mend’ Hospital helps them communicate more effectively with health care providers should real medical care become necessary.

“As a result of our interactive hospital,’ Downs explained, “children will now be able to carry on a conversation with the medical staff a lot easier because they won’t be as scared.”

The second-grade “patients” in “Break ‘n Mend” arrive at the event just as if it was a real hospital. CAVIT students admit each youngster and provide them with a medical wristband, insurance card and play money.

Then treatment begins. Each child is predetermined to have a broken arm, leg or finger. The patients start in triage where CAVIT students take their temperature, vital signs, height and weight. CAVIT students then explain the importance of x-rays and lab work to their simulated patients.

A mock EKG is then performed to ensure the patient’s heart is in good shape before being sent to surgery. The children then proceed to pre-op where they are prepped for surgery by putting on their hat, booties and gown.

The hospital experience then continues as the child is transported by stretcher to the surgery area where injuries are bandaged up with stickers and smiley faces.

To complete the experience, the simulated patients then recover in the post-op area, enjoying juice and granola bars, before paying their bill and receiving their discharge papers. Before leaving “Break ‘n Mend” Hospital, each student receives a goody bag with a surgical gown, hat, booties, coloring book and other fun souvenir items.

CAVIT student Nayeli Torres is confident the “Break ‘n Mend” experience made an impact on the younger children.

“My favorite part of “Break ‘n Mend” Hospital was looking at the children’s faces when we told them why and how we do things,” Torres explained. “I feel we made a really good impression on the children.”

Fellow CAVIT student Israel Varela added: “I asked many of the children if they were scared of going to the hospital before they visited here. Most of them said yes, but they changed their minds after experiencing our activity.”

Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT) is the second comprehensive Joint Technical Education District (JTED) in state of Arizona and the first in Pinal County. CAVIT's Coolidge Campus opened its doors in August, 2008 to 11-12th grade students from 4 area high schools. CAVIT prepares high school students for direct employment and/or further education after they graduate. CAVIT students take their academic subjects at their home schools and are then transported by their schools to CAVIT. Currently, seven programs are available for area students: Cosmetology, Graphic Design, Fire Science, Law Enforcement, Medical Assistant, Nursing Assistant and Therapeutic Massage.

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