Photo contributed NEW COURSE — The new certified adult education phlebotomy course at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School has yielded success with eight members looking for a future in the field. JVS alumna Jen Radick, pictured at left with instructor Amy Fisher, first gained skills in cosmetology at the JVS as a youth and returned to learn a new trade. The class began in January and winds down in early April.

BLOOMINGDALE — The new phlebotomy course at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School has drawn success as students look for a career in the health field.

Eight pupils are taking part in the certified adult education class, which was created along with the certified nurse assistant program to offer adults pathways for job options. The course began in January and is held every Tuesday and Thursday until April 9. Instructor Amy Fisher said her pupils are applying their classroom knowledge to hands-on practice.

“We do coursework and the second part is lab,” Fisher said. “My focus is to make sure they will take what they are learning in the book and lectures and make it applicable in the lab.”

Pupils have been learning fundamentals such as lab operations, safety, ethics and patient care, in addition to preparing for testing to earn their certification. Other plans include working on resumes, polishing interviewing skills and applying for jobs. Half of the class has successfully completed 100 hours of clinical work at Trinity Medical Center, with more pupils set to begin. So far, Fisher has been receiving positive feedback.

“Trinity offered opportunities and said they would be considered as candidates for jobs,” she said.

A wide cross-section of people has been taking the course because they want to do something new.

“They want to further their careers and most are at the entry level in health care, while some were CNAs or transitioning from the veterinary field,” she noted.

One of them is Christina Palmer, a stay-at-home mother of four who chose to carve a different path and boost her self-worth in the process.

“I wanted some sort of career,” Palmer said. “I wanted something to use as a stepping stone into the health care system.”

She said her time in the class has prepared her for the workforce.

“I’ve been learning a lot. I feel like we have a good program and learn a lot more,” Palmer added. “It does set you up for success.”

Classmate Jen Radick said it felt like coming home.

“I graduated from here in cosmetology and am doing something out of my comfort zone,” Radick said. “We’re learning more at JVS than at any other school. I came out knowing more here in the 1980s and 90s.”

Meanwhile, Fisher praised her class for their achievement and has high hopes for their future.

“It is refreshing to be in this classroom. I’m used to teaching patients how to do things and nursing has always been my career, but empowering people to have a better quality of life has become my passion. I’m watching them be able to flourish and invest in themselves to be better people in this world. I want them to leave here feeling proud, confident and ready for their next chapter.”

Program Director Tammy Sismondo, who also oversees the CNA course, said the phlebotomy class was a welcome addition and would help fill a need in the health care field.

“For adult education, I think the first class has done well,” Sismondo said. “I think they will be an asset to the local hospitals and labs.”

JVS Adult Education Director Dr. Jim Hilton has also received positive feedback about the course.

“I’ve heard great things from the students and the instructors. The students were enjoying their clinicals, saw what it was like to work and felt prepared. It’s a really great group and they seem eager to learn and work with patients.”