CNA class boosts health care prospects for Northwest students

January 27, 2026

Lincoln Public Schools students like Naomi are setting themselves up for future success by learning many lifesaving lessons at Northwest High School.
 
Naomi and her classmates are showcasing their hearts for health care at the Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program. They became certified nursing assistants (CNA) this past semester by completing a CNA course filled with essential information. They also received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications after completing a training session led by Bryan Medical Center (BMC) staff.
 
Naomi, a junior at Northwest, said the focus program has increased her career options. She said the CPR training had given her additional confidence in her choice to become a medical professional.
 
“I’m hoping to go to medical school, and I think having that certification, along with other certifications, is really important, especially when I’m trying to get a job to get patient care hours, which is required in medical school,” Naomi said. “If you don’t know how to do CPR and you’re the only person available, that could cost the person’s life.”

 
Katie Cutshall, Traci Mellor, Mindi Jo Porto and Becky Loewe encouraged the Falcons as they learned Basic Life Support (BLS) techniques like chest compressions and checking for pulses. All four BMC employees have more than a decade of experience in the field. Mellor, an 18-year veteran who is a registered nurse and clinical training specialist at BMC, said she enjoyed the enthusiastic responses students gave during the training.
 
“They can save a life with these skills,” Mellor said. “I think that when they realize that, it’s really exciting for them, and that’s what we need. We need them out there in the community saving lives.”
 
Northwest seniors Skylar, Ali and Patrice are using their focus program knowledge to accomplish exactly that. All three Falcons earned their CNA certifications last year and are now gaining valuable job skills in Lincoln. Skylar, who is planning to attend nursing school after she graduates, is working as a CNA at a local health care facility.
 
“The Bryan Focus Program has been the biggest help to me and my future,” Skylar said. “It has allowed me to get a head start in health care and build up so much experience.”
 
Ali is also relying on the focus program to prepare herself for a medical career. She said it has helped her build confidence in clinical skills like communicating with patients and taking their vital signs. She felt she also developed responsibility, professionalism, compassion and integrity during her time at Northwest.
 
“Currently working as a CNA, the clinical experience was especially meaningful to me,” Ali said. “Everything I learned in the program has been more than enough to ready me for my position. Seeing patients laugh and smile and hearing them say thank you made all the hard work feel worth it. There is a wonderful human side in health care, and it reminds me of why I chose this path in the first place.”

 
Patrice would like to become an orthopedic doctor in the future. She said the focus program’s immersive approach to medical education made it easier to select her career pathway. In the CNA class, for example, students learn how to assist patients with practical needs such as cleaning teeth and making beds correctly.
 
“It showed me what a professional health care setting should look like and allowed me to dip my toes in the water to see if health care was the right choice for me,” Patrice said.
 
Juniors spend their first year in the focus program taking classes such as Introduction to Health Professions, Ethics in Health Care, Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Terminology. Ali said the CNA course was especially fruitful because of the many activities throughout the semester.
 
“What I enjoyed the most about taking the CNA class was how interactive the learning experience was,” Ali said. “Instead of only reading from a textbook, we were able to practice skills like transferring a patient and assisting with overall daily activities. Every passing week I felt myself becoming confident and capable.”
 
The CPR training session provided a snapshot of those career benefits. Mellor, Cutshall, Porto and Loewe taught students about many lifesaving techniques in one of the focus program’s classrooms. They discovered how to assess the scene for safety, activate an emergency response system, begin chest compressions, deliver ventilation to patients and run an automated external defibrillator (AED) device.
 
“It really mimics what it’s like in real life,” Mellor said. “They should be able to apply these skills to any situation that they come across somebody that is unresponsive.”

 
Naomi said it was fun to learn from the Bryan Medical Center professionals. She and one of her classmates gave a happy high-five after successfully operating the AED on a practice mannequin.
 
“It was good to see in a real-life situation how you would have to go about it,” Naomi said. “I really liked that.”
 
Skylar said she would encourage any LPS students exploring medical careers to consider enrolling in the focus program.
 
“The CNA class helped me to not only get my CNA license, but also just learn so much about health care,” Skylar said. “It was a great way to learn how to take care of patients and even practice it. All I want to do in life is help others, and this program is allowing me to do exactly that!”
 
Customize your high school experience. Turn your passion for medicine into a head start with the Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program. Explore this focus program today.
 
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