Hands-on Learning: Lynn Haven Students Make the Rounds at Bay Medical Center

By Donna Vavala, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

May 6–PANAMA CITY — Eight third-grade classes from Lynn Haven Elementary took a guided tour of Bay Medical Center on Monday.

The 125 students split into groups and rotated through the various departments. Members of each class wore different color T-shirts with the name of their class emblazoned on the front. Judy Malone’s class was called “Malone’s Masterminds.”

At the “Germ Farm,” they learned about hand washing from Janice Sturm, a registered nurse.

To illustrate how germs travel, Sturm asked for three volunteers. She asked the first to pretend the wall phone was ringing and to pick up the receiver. Sturm asked the girl to shake hands with one of the other students and asked that student to shake hands with the third volunteer.

After the handshaking, Sturm brought out a blue light and examined the volunteers’ hands. The germs that had been passed by the volunteers glowed under the blue light.

To further illustrate her point, Sturm asked the kids to wash their hands while the rest of the class sang “Happy Birthday,” which takes 15 to 20 seconds, the length of time necessary to get rid of the germs. Afterward, Sturm again examined their hands with the blue light, and the germs were gone.

“This is the sixth year for the tour,” said Christa Held, hospital spokeswoman. “This is a way to let students know that the hospital is not a scary place and to let them think about future careers.”

Radiology Supervisor Jack Cunningham had “McKenzie’s Miracles” look at an X-ray and try to identify which body part was pictured.

“This person was shot in the leg,” said Cunningham. “See the fragments of bone that went to the soft tissue? The doctor had to use a rod and screws to hold the leg in place so it could heal.”

Cunningham followed with an X-ray of a knee with a joint replacement and one of a person’s chest with a implanted pacemaker.

Kim Standefor, also a registered nurse, showed the students a surgical tray and the various instruments. She showed what tools would be used for stitches, and the class groaned.

“It wouldn’t hurt because the area around it would be numbed, or you would be anesthetized and you wouldn’t care,” Standefor said.

“Why don’t they care?” asked a boy.

“Because they’re asleep,” Standefor said.

Over at the emergency medical services building, the classes got to climb into an ambulance, see where the paramedics sleep and check out the dispatch room where 9-1-1 calls come in.

“How many calls do you get a day?” one of the children asked. “Ninety” was the response.

“What’s one of the weirdest calls you ever got?” another asked.

“We had a lady call and want us to come and get her dogs so she could go somewhere,” said dispatcher Kyle Peak.

Up in the nursery, registered nurse Christie Wave talked about the care and feeding of a newborn baby and used a realistic looking doll to demonstrate her points. “What’s important about the way you hold a baby?” asked Wave. “To prop up the baby’s head,” said one of the girls. “Why?” asked Wave. “Because.”"How big is a baby’s stomach when they’re born?” Wave asked. After, several guesses, Wave said it was the size of a marble. “Let’s check the diaper,” said Wave, pulling it down to reveal a brown smear. Most of the kids, who had crowded around to look, backed away repulsed. “It’s only melted chocolate,” said Wave, with a laugh. After visiting about half of the 10 departments on the tour, some of the classes broke for lunch.

When asked what they liked best of what they had seen, the answers varied.

“I liked it all,” said Peter Delafe, 9. “I learned how to take care of a baby, how they can only fit a little food in their stomach and how to hold them.”"I liked watching my teacher donate blood; you can save three people’s lives,” said Alex Raplee.

Nine-year-old John Lents put down his sandwich and thought about his answer.

“The elevator and the gift shop,” he said.

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