The goals of Health Occupations are to provide students with opportunity to acquire knowledge and concepts from the health sciences, to appreciate the need for professional values and ethics, to understand and use medical terminology, to maintain effective interpersonal relationships, and to practice hands on skills related to career choices. Central students may enroll in this program through the Signature Learning Center. This two-semester course may be taken by junior students as part of the Health Occupations major or as an elective by senior students. The course provides concurrent instruction in career development and in human anatomy and physiology. Approximately two days per week are devoted to the study of careers and three days to anatomy and physiology.
Content is designed as a foundation for the second year course.
The student is provided opportunity to perform skills common to multiple health occupations, but routinely as part of nursing or medical technology. Medical laboratory skills include use of the microscope, growth of cultures, preparation of slides, urinalysis, blood counts, and use of the autoclave. The course content includes appliance installation, theory of operations, trouble diagnosis, and repair procedures and techniques, plus a working knowledge of heating and air conditioning. Also included are customer relations and business practices. Practical experience is provided on automatic washers, dryers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, refrigerators, freezers, gas and electric ranges, vacuum cleaners, furnaces, window and central air conditioners, and small portable appliances.