Waterbury Promise Scholars Gain Hands-On Experience at Saint Mary’s

Waterbury Promise Scholars with Saint Mary's Hospital leadership.

Students shadowed professionals in different hospital departments, including Laboratory, Emergency Room, Clinical Engineering, Radiology, and Nursing Education. The students' academic backgrounds span health care studies, health science, nursing, allied health sciences, physiology and neurobiology, and radiology. One of the hands-on experiences the students had was learning about the Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System (LUCAS), an automated CPR device that performs continuous chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Before the shadowing sessions, students enjoyed lunch with Shawna Edwards, DNP, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Husnain Kermalli, MD, Chief Medical Officer. Both leaders shared career insights and practical advice for navigating the health care industry.  “Being a good communicator is an important part of your journey. Listen to understand and be open to feedback, because that will help make you better,” said Edwards. Dr. Kermalli highlighted teamwork and patient care, sharing, “It is important that we put the patient experience along with safety at the forefront of what we do. The reality of health care is that we work as a team.”

Students also discussed navigating mental health in the demanding health care field. Edwards reminded them that self-care is essential, “health care is always worth it. The impact may not always be something that you see, but there is a myriad of ways that prove what you do matters.”