First graders tour hospital

Jennings Elementary School first graders celebrated National Nurse's Week with a trip to Whitman Hospital last Friday afternoon.

A total of 42 youngsters were able to attend the hospital walk this year.

The children were divided into three groups and each group took turns hearing about the different departments in the hospital.

"Nurse's Week shows first graders where nurses work," said Laurie Gronning, Whitman Hospital public relations specialist.

Students first viewed the helipad used by Life Flight from a hospital room window. As they exited the room, the children were able to ask a Whitman Hospital nurse questions.

"If there's two people that need help, do you take care of both of them?" one youngster asked.

"Of course, we take care of lots of people," the nurse responded.

Medical technologist Richard Ellis discussed bacteria and demonstrated how he takes blood samples. Ellis used stuffed toy replicas to show what a cold microbe and salmonella bacteria look like. He used a small needle to pretend to take blue blood from a stuffed unicorn.

Students also visited the imaging lab where Carolyn Wilson showed X-rays of a foot, chest, skull and arm. She explained the difference between an ultrasound, live picture and X-ray.

Wilson displayed an image of a dislocated finger, then one in which the finger had been corrected by a doctor.

"You guys are magic," one student commented.

Evanna Morgan, Jennings first grade teacher, said the idea for the field trip came from the need to appreciate local nurses.

She said this is the first year the elementary school and hospital have collaborated for Nurse's Week.

The field trip concluded with students seeing the inside of an ambulance.

"This event was a great success," Gronning said. "We hope to include other departments next year."