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VHS CNA seniors host "senior prom" for residents of Church Hill nursing home

The Rogersville Review - 5/9/2017

CHURCH HILL ? It's prom season in Hawkins County, but the residents of Church Hill Healthcare & Rehab wouldn't have had a prom on Saturday night, May 6, without the help of some Volunteer High School Health Sciences students.

Many of the residents had either never before attended a prom or the last one they had attended had taken place 50 years or more ago.

But thanks to the efforts of the Certified Nursing Assistant students, with help from two other VHS Health Sciences students, the residents got to attend their very own Senior Prom 2017, complete with recorded music, green punch served in champagne flutes, cookies and other refreshments.

The students even managed to find prom dresses for some of the female residents.

Some students took to the dance floor to share dances with the residents.

Karri Vaughan, Human Resources Director at Church Hill Healthcare & Rehab, said the prom would not have been possible without the planning, fund-raising and caring efforts of the students.

Vaughan recalled that the students had performed the "clinical" portion of their CNA training at the Church Hill facility last fall.

While taking part in "clinicals," she said, the students had had to report to work at 5:30 a.m. on assigned days and had worked until 9 a.m. along side certified CNAs.

They also trained under the direction of CHH&R Nurse Educator Paul Haverly, who has more than 30 years of experience.

"Paul has a saying that he always tells the (CNA) students: 'It's not about you. It's about the residents," Vaughan said, adding that the 2017 class of VHS CNA Certification students appeared to have taken Haverly's words to heart and decided to give back to the residents with whom they had worked during their clinical tours.

Even though the VHS students completed their clinical training last December, Vaughan said, they voted to come back and hold a Senior Prom for the residents during the 2017 prom season.

"At the end of the day, they love the residents," Vaughan said.

VHS Health Sciences teacher and HOSA Adviser Betty Brennan, RN, identified the students who helped with the Senior Prom on Saturday night as: Junior Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) students Lauren Bruner, who is president of the VHS HOSA chapter, and Bethany Frazier. Also, Senior CNA students Lemoure Lane, Ben Smith, Kaili Williams, Zoe Greer and Ally Stidham worked during the May 6 prom.

She also noted that the students had worked on Saturday morning at a fund-raising event for the Senior Prom. Brennan noted that four other CNA students were working at other jobs on Saturday night and were unable to help with the Senior Prom.

Brennan said that all eight members of the 2017 class of VHS CNA students have passed the state CNA Certification Examination.

One of the VHS CNA students has already turned 18 and is currently employed at CHH&R, according to Vaughan. She noted that a second is about to turn 18 and will be applying to work as a CNA at CHH&R soon.

Brennan said state regulations limit the number of students allowed to enroll in the CNA certification classes in high school to 15 because of the intensity of coursework.

She noted that she expects to have a dozen or more students enrolled in the CNA class that will begin this fall.

In addition to all eight members of the 2017 CNA class having passed the state-mandated examination, Brennan said, other VHS HOSA students have done well in regional and state competitions and are now awaiting national competition in Orlando, Fla.

She noted that VHS student Zoe Greer took third place in personal care in state competition. The third-place finish at state is sending her to the national personal care competition.

Junior Lauren Bruner, meanwhile, has been active in the Barbara James Service Award program and has accumulated more that 150 volunteer hours ? or about 50 more than needed to qualify for national competitions.

Bruner was still adding to her volunteer hour total Saturday night by helping with the Senior Prom at Church Hill Healthcare & Rehab.

And they partied into the night.

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