China Spring students gain practical experience in the nursing field and are prepared to enter the workforce after graduation

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – China Spring High School offers a variety of career and technical education programs aimed at providing students with hands-on experience that allows them to earn industry-based certifications.

One such program is the Health Sciences CTE program, which allows students to earn their diploma as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).

“I thought about the military, but I also want to become a medical assistant. I like helping people and that’s the path I want to take,” said David Avery, a junior from China Spring.

“By the end of this year, I will be CNA certified and already CPR certified, and next year I will be able to get my CCMA (Certified Clinical Medical Assistant) certification, which will allow us to work in hospitals,” Avery said.

China Spring CTE Program Students(Bradley Vaughn for KWTX)

The Health Sciences CTE program teaches students how to provide therapeutic services and, upon graduation, they are ready to enter the workforce. This is because students work in a hospital-like environment to prepare them for the nursing field.

“We spend a lot of time talking about the useful things we will need to know to enter the medical field,” said Avery Roberts, a third-grader at China Spring High School.

Students currently working in the Health Sciences Laboratory must complete required verifications in order to begin their clinical hours at a local nursing home.

Once students complete the required hours and competency checks, they will be eligible to take the state CNA exam at the end of the year.

Students will then be able to take the next level course, which is the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), where they will continue to work in the health sciences laboratory and begin visiting local medical clinics to complete the requirements for this certification.