PERKINSTWP.

Calvin Miller, a recreational therapist at Ohio Veterans Home in Perkins Township, gives a tour of the home Wednesday to students and teachers in the Sandusky City Schools Continuing Education Nurses Aide Class. (Register photo/TIM FLECK)

The Ohio Veterans Home had space.

The Sandusky Center for Continuing Education's nurse and home health aide training program needed it.

The two teamed up for the 2002-03 school year, to provide the students with real experience as they learn.

"For these people to get hands-on experience is just phenomenal," Gary Chetwood, director of public affairs for the Ohio Veterans Home, said.

Program Coordinator Ginny Mamere said the classes were previously held at Parkview Health Care and Providence Care Center, where classroom space was small.

"We really didn't have a home site," she said. "Most of the equipment had to be transported from one area to the other."

Mamere said the Ohio Veterans Home, which already plays host to a number of different health care training programs, was receptive to the idea of moving the Sandusky program to its facility.

"They are very much pro-education," she said. "There's lot of training going on there. It's such a great opportunity for the students to have a wide variety in their training."

Mamere said the students will be doing their clinical routines in the nursing center, working with the veterans who "seem to really enjoy having the students around."

Chetwood said the program benefits the OVH, as well as the students.

"What's good for us is that these folks complete the ... program and hopefully when they're done they'll like being here and we can sit down with them and offer them job," he said.

Mamere said the first class of the program, which started Wednesday, has five students.

"But now that we have more room, we'll be able to have much larger classes, as many as 10-12," she said. "In this area nursing is one of the fields that there's such a call. We need people to work in that field so badly. If we can get these folks started in it, it's a good stepping stone (to go on to nursing school)."

She said registration is open for the evening program, which starts Sept. 16.

"Those evening programs are pretty popular because people are usually doing their jobs then come to the class in the evening," Mamere said.

All contents © Copyright 2002 Sandusky Register