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A new group of Fairfax County high school students began clinical rounds at The Boulevard Post Acute on Monday, Oct. 13, moving from classroom lessons to hands-on experience caring for residents.
The Fairfax County Public Schools nurse aide students assist with essential daily tasks, including helping residents get out of bed, bathe and eat. The clinical work follows nursing coursework completed at their high schools.
“They learn in the classroom and then they come out to work with us,” said Jane Hughes of Woodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, which manages the Fairfax facility.
The training can provide an early path into health care. Many participants become Certified Nursing Assistants and use that work to help pay for further nursing education.
“They are the heart of any health care facility,” Hughes said.
Three former students graduated from high school and stayed at The Boulevard as nurse assistants. Four other CNA graduates have taken nursing-related jobs elsewhere in the community.
Nursing programs are offered at West Potomac, Falls Church and Chantilly high schools in Fairfax County. Alexandria students can pursue similar training through the Governor’s Health Science Academy.
The Boulevard Post Acute, formerly known as The Virginian, has served the greater Fairfax area for decades. Its caregivers support patients who have left the hospital after surgery or other treatment but still need additional care before returning home.