Mentorship- Junior and Senior Year

Monacan High School’s Health Professions and Thera Mentorship Overview:

The HPT Mentorship program provides students with the opportunity to explore a variety of health careers, develop knowledge and skills related to health care, and transition from student to professional. Students may rotate among various departments of local health care facilities in the community to develop an awareness of the many career opportunities available in health care or they may spend it in one particular department upon approval. Mentorship instructional opportunities must be planned and supervised cooperatively by the local education agency and the training sponsor.

Steps in establishing a mentorship:

1. Create a Partnership advisory group composed of industry leaders, community officials, administrators, and parents to develop program standards, policies, and procedures such as: transportation, uniforms, liability insurance, behavior issues, OSHA standards, and CDC guidelines.

2. Contact key people in local health care facilities to develop a commitment for Mentorship learning sites and opportunities for students to rotate through various departments to observe/assist professionals at work.

3. Prepare an Affiliation Agreement clearly stating the responsibilities of the facility, school, teacher, and students. Neither the facility nor the school shall discriminate or deny participation on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability.

· Facility: Provide career specific unpaid work-based learning experiences for students during designated times and assign professional mentors to facilitate the mentorship learning experiences.

· School: Provide liability insurance coverage for students and instructor, require health history screening or physical examinations for students prior to mentorship learning experience, and provide students with the knowledge and skills to have a positive mentorship learning experience.

· Parent/Guardian: Provide reliable transportation to each learning site. Monitor progress being made to complete require hours.

4. Identify materials, resources, and equipment necessary for implementation of mentorship learning.

5. Develop classroom instructional objectives and mentorship learning training site competencies.

6. Establish an effective communication process with administration, personnel, parents, and students.

7. Develop Performance Evaluation instruments.

8. Determine guidelines for mentorship orientations and supervision of students. Students must have direct, professional supervision during rotations. HPT instructors should be available either in person or by electronic means to facilitate and monitor the mentorship program.

Guidelines for Mentorship:

1. The number and length of rotations will vary depending on the program goals, student interest, and industry partnerships. Prerequisites such as Health Science Explorations, HPT Biology and HPT Chemistry should be first taken to support the program goals. The mentorship should provide the student with a variety of learning experiences that will give the student the broadest possible understanding of the career of interest.

2. Students should have a clear understanding of what they are and are not permitted to do, regardless of the learning site. They must know their scope of practice.

3. Written training agreements must be on file for all students participating in mentorship opportunities which must be filed before students begin participating in training at the work site.

5. Student mentorship experiences should be monitored with Activity Task Lists, attendance logs and journal entries for each rotation.

6. The selection of training stations shall be dependent on the following:

a. number of health care facilities/agencies willing to accept students;

b. number of willing professionals available for direct supervision;

c. type of service provided by the station;

d. patient/client/resident rights;

e. interest and aptitude of students;

f. distance from school to facility; and

g. transportation arrangements.

7. Students will spend 80 hours (.5 credit) or 160 hours (1 credit) in the mentorship program. During that time, students should master the following essential knowledge and skills:

a. communication skills

b. safety and body mechanics

c. professional ethics and confidentiality

d. patient/client/resident rights

e. legal responsibilities

f. CPR and vital signs

g. infection control / standard precautions

8. During each rotation, students should have a Task Sheet, individualized assignments, and Journal entries. Mentors will receive performance evaluations to be completed for student grades.

9. Students should use a time sheet to document attendance and punctuality. The student must inform the learning site and coordinator if an absence is necessary for illness or required school functions.

Coordination of Mentorship

The coordinator of the Health and Physical Therapy Program assumes a number of responsibilities in addition to the preparation and delivery of the mentorship grades. The affiliation with the learning facilities requires that the coordinator establish and maintain working relationships with healthcare partners and appropriate communications among facilities.

1. Assure that students have successfully mastered the essential knowledge and skills in HSE, HPT Biology and HPT Chemistry being accepted into the mentorship program.

2. Establish guidelines defining student responsibilities and fees.

3. Establish policies for transportation.

4. Enlist cooperation of HPT staff in the development and achievement of mentorship objectives.

5. Develop and maintain a plan for coordinating all mentorship activities.

6. Develop schedule of student rotations and document student experiences. Monitor student rotations through a maximum of 4 different areas of interest. A minimum of 20 hours must be volunteered before moving onto the next area. Evaluations from each rotation will be required and processed.

7. A written procedure for dealing with accidental injury, illness, or incident must be established. Procedures should include:

a. Call teacher, parent, or 911 if necessary

b. Assist student, administer first aid

c. Complete accident/incident report

8. Monitor student performances, attendance, and professional dress.

9. Assess all of the student work, mentor evaluations, portfolios, and journals. During senior year a grade will be given for each nine weeks by following the grading policy below.

Mentorship Portfolio project:

All journal entries from mentorship included

Pictures from Mentorship

Resume of community service hours

Final paper

Freshmen / Sophomore Community service hours - ( # of hours completed / 15 hours required)

Junior / Senior Community service hours = hours completed/10 hours required.

** senior year community hours are due by end of 1st semester

Mentorship hours completed / Hours required = grade