Seniors Kenisha Finley, Jennifer Fraley, and Olivia Dunsmore are currently in the advanced nursing class at Genesee Career Institute.

A requirement of the class is to assist with taking care of the elderly at a nursing home.

“We have do everything for them,” Finley said, “anything from feeding them to checking their vital signs.”

As the patients’ temporary nurses, students are required to take care of any needs the patients might have.

Students have to bathe and dress their patients, keep vital signs in check, provide hair and nail care, and, if possible, clean their dentures.

The three seniors shared both their favorite and least favorite part about the experience.

Finley said she enjoyed the professional experience but felt she and her fellow classmates needed better communication.

“I loved interacting with the patients and getting to know them on a personal level. It made me feel very professional, like a real CNA (certified nursing assistant),” Finley said. “But my least favorite part was the lack of the communication between us (students) and the real aids.”

Fraley said the stress was intense.

“Getting a real-world experience was the best part of it,” Fraley said. “I would say the stress of working on real people was my least favorite.”

Dunsmore enjoyed engaging with real patients, but she felt restricted with her work.

“Being able to bond with the patients was my favorite part,” Dunsmore said. “How closely watched we were and all the restrictions was definitely my least favorite part.”

Although there are hardships to working in the nursing field, the three seniors say they see themselves pursuing a nursing career.

“I see myself going further into nursing,” Fraley said.

Dunsmore agreed.

“I plan to go further into this career and earn my doctoral degree,” Dunsmore said.

Finley also said she wants to continue in the health field and plans on attending Saginaw State University to do so.

“Yes, I plan to get my CNA license in April,” Finley said, “and I plan to further my experience by getting my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)  at SVSU.”

Finley has a word of advice for anyone who plans to have a future in nursing.

“Have lots of patience,” she said. “Treat them (the patients) as your top priority rather than just a job.”