TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Jones Hall and the Troy Soccer Complex saw a gathering of emergency vehicles last Friday, as Troy students put their health emergency skills to the test.
During the College of Health Sciences’ training exercise, Troy and Huntingdon College students got the chance to test what they’ve been taught through numerous simulated emergency situations. Throughout Jones Hall and on the Soccer field, different stations were set up for students to react to simulated overdose accidents, and spinal cord injuries.
“It’s cool because we’re all going to go into different specialties,” said Rachel Ruoss, a fourth semester nursing student. “By giving us variety, now we can kind of get a little dabble into each of those and see what we do like the most, and we can be prepared to go into our specialties instead of being trained in just one specific thing.”
The training exercise was a collaboration between Troy’s Nursing and Master of Athletic Training programs, as well as the Huntingdon Master of Athletic Training program. Organizers said the simulation emphasized the importance of hands-on experience.
“Getting your hands on something instead of just reading a book or writing notes is probably the best,” said Dr. Troy Coppus, the MSAT Program Coordinator. “Back when I was in this, their position, I knew I learned best when doing something in the field. You can make a mistake and not worry about something bad happening.”
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For Ruoss, this experience allowed her to advance her abilities in a field that she believes is key to maintaining a caring supportive environment for people who need help.
“I think this field is really important because of the compassion we can have for people,” Ruoss said. “I think we live in a world that really lacks compassion and so we’re able to help those who are vulnerable and who need us the most right now.”
Fourth semester nursing student Hope Yerdon cited the current shortage of nurses and their roles as the backbone of healthcare for her passion in the field.
“Nurses are very important in maintaining the hospital,” Yerdon said. “We are the face of healthcare and it’s good for us to perfect these skills so that we can make them feel as comfortable as possible when they’re at their worst.”
