Maine Twp. East program puts students in jobs at Lutheran General
Two best friends from kindergarten now are both working as nurses at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital because of the inspiration and career opportunities they received in a program at Maine Township High School District 207.
The job shadowing program, begun 13 years ago, enables students to spend time with Lutheran General Hospital nurses, observing all aspects of nursing and health care while gaining hands-on experience in a professional clinical environment.
“The job shadowing program has been really great for me,” said Michelle Papciak. “The program helped me figure out my path early on and gave me the experience, skills and motivation to become a nurse and do what I love to do.”
Papciak and her friend, Monica Ostrega, both Maine East graduates, participated in the shadowing program together. After graduation, they continued on their parallel paths.
With the experience they gained, they were able to quickly secure part-time positions as nursing care technicians at Lutheran General.
After a year of employment, they were eligible for $8,500 in tuition assistance for nursing school through Advocate’s Advancing Careers through Education program.
Using the tuition assistance, they both graduated from North Park University’s school of nursing, Ostrega in 2009 and Papciak in 2010.
With their new credentials, and the advantage of their experience at Lutheran General, both soon were hired as registered nurses.
“I really encourage students who have interest in health care to check out programs like job shadowing at Lutheran General,” Ostrega said. “I learned a lot, all the nurses I got to work with were great, and it set me up for a successful future.”
Each fall and spring semester, students enrolled in the Maine East and Maine West Healthcare Careers class who sign up for the job shadowing program are bused to the hospital twice a week to shadow nurses from more than 20 departments, working in many different specialties and sub-specialties.
Among the areas students get experience in are neonatal intensive care, pharmacy, pediatrics, rehabilitation, medical imaging and patient transport.
Every effort is made to give the students a real feel for all aspects of the job. Program participants attend Lutheran General associate orientation, are issued hospital identification badges and uniforms and are expected to follow hospital policies and procedures. After completion of the program and class, which includes keeping a shadowing journal and writing a paper on the semester’s experience, students are recognized at the hospital with a graduation ceremony.
Started in 1997 with a small group of Maine East students, the program currently accepts 42 students per semester. The program is free to all participants, and all necessary supplies are provided by the school and Lutheran General Hospital.