Good communications and dependability are characteristics for a successful basketball team. And Muldrow junior Mason Anstine says that holds true for being a good nurse, which is what she is working toward becoming as a student in the Health Careers Certification Program at the Indian Capital Technology Center in Sallisaw. Mason, who plays on the Lady Bulldogs basketball team, noted another similarity.

“In basketball you have to know as much as you can about your opponent and know that each opponent is different. The same is true for the patients you see in a nursing setting. You need to know all you can medically about each one and that there are different treatments for different patients.”

The HCC program is taught by Leah Agent who brings five years of nursing experience to the classroom including a stint as an RN in Fort Smith.

“This is a one-year program where the students get training in home health and long-term care. In the first semester we get them certified as Certified Nurse Aides (CNA) so they can go to work right away at a hospital or nursing home. They also learn anatomy, physiology and terminology. The second semester is more hands-on where they go to facilities and do clinical work shadowing working nurses and CNAs and then help them complete their tasks. Most of our students seem to prefer the hands-on experiences.”

That is certainly the case with Mason because that’s the way she learns best.

“When something is taught hands-on, I think I pay more attention because the situation is literally right in your hands instead of just reading about how to do it.”

Mason’s interest in nursing comes naturally as she comes from a family of nurses and that interest is reflected in her work according to Agent.

“Mason’s a bright student who always gets her work done with a good work ethic and is always accountable and dependable. She would make an ideal employee in a health care setting.”