New Vision Programs a Win for Thompson, Students
When Emma Smithers obtains her bachelor’s in nursing from Alfred State College and begins a one-year RN residency at F.F. Thompson Hospital this summer, it’ll be a homecoming of sorts.
After all, Emma spent several months at the hospital while a senior at Waterloo High School in 2019-20, participating in a Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES New Vision Program. She learned about anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology. She also shadowed medical professionals on clinical rotations. Although her New Vision experience didn’t go as expected due to the onset of the pandemic soon after the program’s internships began, New Vision still gave her a head start on her career.
“I knew nursing school was going to be grueling, but Dr. T. set those expectations early and gave us the tools we needed, in a safe environment,” she said of Michael Tiffany, DPT, noting that three years on, he remains a mentor and source of support.
Dr. Tiffany teaches the New Vision Health Therapy Sciences courses at our hospital. Nurse Hannah Young teaches the New Vision Medical courses, also on our main campus. The programs are similar but are tailored to students based on their future plans.
Students in both tracks host guest speakers throughout the year, including Thompson Health President/CEO Michael F. Stapleton, Jr., who encourages them to get their feet wet in health care at Thompson during college, and to return once they’re done. Like Emma, many follow his advice.
Grace DeWitt, a 2022 Honeoye and New Vision Medical alumna, now works as a patient care technician (PCT) while enrolled in the nursing program at Finger Lakes Community College.
“I love working at Thompson; it has been an eye-opening experience for me,” said Grace, who has an interest in inpatient oncology. “I have always known I wanted to work in health care, but working side by side with nurses has proved to me that nursing is the path I want to take. I would recommend to any New Visions Emma Smithers, RN (continued next page) Chelsea Manahan, a 2019 New Vision graduate, works part-time as a patient care technician at Thompson while pursuing her nursing degree. W Thompson Health student to pursue a career at Thompson, as I have learned so much this year alone.”
Chelsea Manahan, a 2019 Penn Yan Academy graduate, participated in the Health Therapy Sciences program during the 2018-19 school year. She initially was interested in becoming a physical therapist and got her bachelor’s from Nazareth College in biology, deciding nursing is where her passion lies. While pursuing her associate’s in nursing at Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing in Geneva, she works part-time as a PCT on Thompson’s medical/surgical floors and in our ICU.
“I can take the knowledge we’re learning in school and connect it in real life, working side by side with the nurses,” said Chelsea, who is interested in critical care.
For both Chelsea and fellow PCT Sam Church, working at Thompson during college not only complements classroom instruction but helps with tuition. They put some of their wages toward tuition, but as part-time associates, they also receive $3,000 per year in tuition reimbursement from the health system as long as they keep their grades up.
Sam was in BOCES’ Health Professions program her junior year at Bloomfield High School, with plans to become a certified nursing assistant. Her teacher encouraged her to apply for New Vision. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to gather college credits and explore nursing fields I’m interested in,” said Sam, who graduated from the Health Therapy tract in 2022 and is now majoring in nursing at Keuka College with an interest in emergency nursing.
Alaina Krenzer, a 2022 Midlakes High School and New Vision graduate, is also at Keuka College for a bachelor’s in nursing, with an eye toward pediatrics. In January of this year, she became a PCT at Thompson.
She said just as New Vision gave her “a step-up” on her college education and helped her solidify her goals, working at Thompson is helping her prepare for her career. “I really like the interaction I have with patients and their families, talking to them, hearing about their lives, and making an impact,” she said.
Christy Johnstone of Honeoye is a 2022 New Vision Medical graduate working per diem as a PCT while majoring in nursing at SUNY Brockport with plans to one day become a pediatric nurse practitioner. At Thompson, she takes vitals and sees a variety of medical conditions first-hand, plus she said it helps her hone her communication skills, conversing with a variety of staff and patients. Her advice: “I would recommend it to New Vision students as it gives hands-on training and reinforces what we learned in the classroom
If you know of a high school student interested in a healthcare career, he or she can learn more about the New Vision Medical and Health Therapy Sciences programs at www.wflboces.org/finger-lakes-technical-and-career-center.
If you would like to read the entire Partner's Magazine, CLICK HERE to download the full PDF.