On October 26, the Future Healthcare Leaders Club hosted its first hands-on event, a vital signs skills lab.

Students first listened to a presentation over vital signs, then had the opportunity to practice taking each other’s blood pressure, both manually and with a machine.

“It was interesting to try taking the blood pressure manually,” senior Gretna Nguyen said. “We could hear the pulse and count the beat to figure it out instead of just looking at a machine.”

The club aims to use these activities to teach students skills they will be able to use in their future careers.

“In every healthcare career, taking vital signs is basic information that everyone uses, and it’s very important because a lot of decisions are made based on them,” club leader Teresa Springer said.

The club has been meeting since last spring, but the meetings have mainly consisted of presentations by healthcare professionals. This was the first hands-on opportunity the students had to test the skills they learned.

“It was exciting to learn how to take blood pressure,” senior Kaylin Smith said. “It was great to get the hands-on experience.”

Springer explained that the club is planning several more hands-on events in the next couple of months. Next week they will be visiting UNL, and two weeks later they will participate in Stop the Bleed to learn lifesaving procedures.

“At the learning center at Southeast Community College, there’s a great opportunity for students to get more hands-on activities for learning and see if they want to take that to the next level,” Springer said.