Taos Middle School Course Provides Healthcare Career Insights and Live-saving Skills

According to recent projections, the United States will face a significant physician shortage within the next ten years, and more than 275,000 additional nurses will need to join the workforce before 2030 to meet the growing need for healthcare services. Taos County, like many rural places in the US, already struggles to recruit and retain healthcare professionals. However, inside the current curriculum, middle students in Taos are not exposed to careers in the healthcare field as they begin to consider their professional interests and goals. 

Recognizing the value of exposing students to opportunities in medicine and healthcare early, a health teacher at Taos Middle School reached out to LOR with an idea: create an experiential enrichment course featuring skill development and certification in areas like vital signs assessment, rescue breathing, CPR, AED usage, and backwoods first aide, as well as field trips and guest presenters to cultivate and encourage students’ interest.

LOR’s funding will provide the Taos Middle School Lifesavers with training supplies, including manikins, suture and phlebotomy practice kits, EpiPen trainers, stethoscopes, and wound packing kits. It will also cover the transportation and meals costs of all 15 students participating in the course’s offsite activities.