"The phlebotomists here are always nice and reassuring to the blood donors who come in, and it shows me how I want to be with patients.”
The Oklahoma Blood Institute does several blood drives every year at Francis Tuttle Technology Center.
The partnership provides a valuable resource for the community, as donated blood is a guaranteed lifesaver for so many. But it also provides valuable experience for Francis Tuttle Pre-Nursing students, and OBI is happy to have them take part.
At the very least, Pre-Nursing’s participation motivates younger people to donate blood.
“Our mean age for donors is 35-65,” said Laurinda Field, OBI’s supervisor for a Francis Tuttle blood drive on Oct. 24. “The young people haven’t really gotten into it yet. So, if someone comes here and starts at 16, and then donates for the rest of their life, then that’s very rewarding.”
Kennyth Clark, a Deer Creek High School student in the Pre-Nursing program, represents the program as its president for the health student organization HOSA. He spent most of the morning of the blood drive walking the halls and encouraging people to come donate.
Clark said participating in the blood drive gave him valuable insight for his future career.
“It helps you see how all of this is done,” he said. “You see how it all works and how big of a help it can be for people.”
Pre-Nursing students run the check-in desk and hand out snacks to blood donors. They also provide an extra set of eyes and helping hands for OBI staff.
“They can come and observe the blood being drawn and see how that works,” Field said. “They also help out in the snack area, and they keep an eye out for people who may start to feel light-headed or squeamish.”
While participating in the blood drive, Pre-Nursing students take time to donate, as well. Victoria Eckiwardy, a senior at Edmond Santa Fe and HOSA vice president, said she was nervous about donating at first, but is now perfectly comfortable with it after learning about how it works.
“You’re observing what they are doing, so it gives you an idea of what you’ll do in your job,” she said. “And really, with any job in healthcare, you’ll deal with blood.”
Students also gain an appreciation for patient care as they experience the blood drive. OBI staff take special care to give donors appreciation and a safe environment to ask questions.
Cooper Barton, HOSA secretary and Deer Creek High School student, has also donated blood multiple times after initially being nervous about it. Now he is looking forward to interacting with patients the same way OBI staff are with blood donors.
“As we go further into the program, we learn about phlebotomy,” he said. “This is something that prepares us for what we’ll experience at clinicals in hospitals. The phlebotomists here are always nice and reassuring to the blood donors who come in, and it shows me how I want to be with patients.”