For Kaylee Fridinger, her path to BCTC started long before she ever walked through the doors of the Health Occupations program. As a middle school student, Kaylee heard about BCTC from older friends who would share stories about their experiences at school. Their enthusiasm sparked her interest, and she knew early on that she wanted to pursue a hands-on technical education.
A natural caregiver, Kaylee initially considered becoming a veterinary technician before deciding that working with animals might not be the best fit. With family members working in healthcare, including an aunt who is a nurse and a mother who is an X-ray technician—healthcare felt like a natural direction.
After exploring BCTC programs during seventh and eighth grade, Kaylee discovered Health Occupations and knew she had found her fit. She applied as soon as applications opened and was among the first students to submit hers. “When the acceptance letters came out, I sprinted down to the mailbox,” Kaylee recalled. “I opened it right there at the mailbox and went screaming up the driveway, ‘Mom, I got in!’”
Now a Level 3 Health Occupations student from Brandywine Heights High School, Kaylee is putting her BCTC training to work through a co-op at St. Luke’s Allentown Emergency Department. Landing the co-op required more than simply expressing interest. Kaylee worked with BCTC’s Work-Based Education team to prepare a professional resume, identify preferred St. Luke’s locations and departments, complete an application and participate in an interview.
After being accepted, Kaylee completed additional requirements, including physical, work permit documentation, uniform ordering and a weeklong orientation. Her orientation included training in vital signs, EKGs, patient care procedures and St. Luke’s electronic charting system.
Once she began working in the emergency department, Kaylee quickly discovered that the fast-paced environment suited her personality. “I've always known that I learn in very fast-paced environments,” she said. “I feel like that would really help me learn faster.”
Her responsibilities include taking patients’ vital signs, performing EKGs, cleaning rooms, answering call bells, assisting with bedside commodes and bedpans, and transporting patients when appropriate.
One of her biggest challenges initially was learning how to perform EKGs. After practicing regularly, however, Kaylee quickly gained confidence. “There was a week straight where all we did was EKGs,” she explained. “Every EKG that they got, they put on me. By that Thursday, I was doing EKGs all by myself.”
Kaylee says the skills she developed in Health Occupations gave her a strong foundation for her co-op experience. Vital signs were skills she had practiced extensively at BCTC. One difference that surprised her was how technology is used in the hospital. “Here we learn how to do manual blood pressures—hands-on, very old school,” Kaylee said. “At the ER, everything's on a machine.”
While the emergency department can be hectic, Kaylee enjoys the unpredictable nature of the work and the opportunity to interact with patients. “It is a little hectic sometimes, but that's what comes with the job,” she said. “You never know what you're going to get. I like the surprise.” Kaylee plans to continue her St. Luke’s co-op during her senior year, spending Fridays at BCTC while working in the emergency department during the week.
Her long-term goal is to become an emergency department technician after high school. She also hopes to pursue St. Luke’s registered nursing program. Through the hospital’s education benefits, Kaylee could have an opportunity to receive financial assistance toward her nursing education in exchange for a work commitment.
For Kaylee, the co-op has provided a valuable glimpse of the healthcare profession and helped her see where her future could lead. She also encourages younger students considering BCTC to look closely at their own strengths when choosing a program.
“Take your strengths and run with it,” Kaylee advises. “If you are very hands-on and you like working on cars, maybe automotive or collision. If you are very artsy, maybe drafting and design. If you are very caring and compassionate and you want to learn about healthcare, Health Occupations or SMART.”
Most importantly, she encourages students not to be intimidated by learning new skills. “You're going to be practicing on your peers,” she said. “Don't be scared.”
Kaylee’s journey demonstrates how BCTC can provide students with the skills, experience and confidence to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world. From a determined middle school student sprinting to the mailbox to a Level 3 Health Occupations student caring for patients in an emergency department, Kaylee is already taking meaningful steps toward her future in healthcare.