Girl Scouts Earn “Exploration into Healthcare Careers” Patch at Naugatuck Valley Community College

Waterbury, Conn. – Seventy-five (75) Connecticut Girl Scouts, aged 12-17, will come to Naugatuck Valley Community College from 9-3 on Saturday, May 9, to earn a cadette/senior/ambassador level interest patch in "Exploration into Healthcare Careers.”

Scouts will have the opportunity to learn and ask questions about health care careers in an informal, interactive setting. Educators and students from a number of NVCC programs will be represented, including nursing, respiratory therapy and Emergency Medical Technician.

Several community members will also speak:

• Ralph Miro, director of emergency medical service at Waterbury Hospital, will discuss the EMT career and emergency room medicine
• Linda Spadoccini, director of the Medical Center Library at Waterbury Hospital, will explain how to use hospital libraries and search engines for school projects
• Joanne Plunske of Woodbury, CT, and her dog, Luke, an annual favorite of the girls, will talk about pet therapy.

Each program will offer hands-on activities, such as proper hand washing techniques, taking pulses with simulation mannequins and an ambulance tour. To fulfill the community service aspect of the patch, scouts will make get well cards for hospitalized members of the armed services.

The NVCC Admissions Office will also present about studying, college course preparation, the application process and scholarship information.

This patch program was written by Kathryn P. Jackman-Murphy, R.N., MSN, assistant professor of nursing at NVCC, approximately 5 years ago.

 “I realized that there were patches for the girls to learn about careers as specialized as aerospace and architecture, but not one that included my own career: nursing” said Murphy. “With the support of Mary Prybylo and Paul Heffernan of Waterbury Hospital, this program has been adopted by Connecticut Girl Scouts and is accepted by Girl Scouts of America, meaning girls from across the United States and beyond can earn this patch.”