If you’re looking into Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) school, you鈥檙e starting down a meaningful and lucrative career pat. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a in OTA job opportunities over the next decade, meaning that an OTA career will be stable and offer a great salary right out of school.

Before you start your journey, it’s important to choose a school that will be a good fit for you and set you up for long-term success. Here鈥檚 how to choose the best OTA school for you.

What is OTA school?

OTA school is how you become an OTA. A good OTA program will include courses and lectures, hands-on learning, fieldwork, and exam prep. All these learning formats work together to prepare you to be a competent, successful OTA.

9 Considerations for Choosing an OTA School

1. Accredited OTA Programs

It鈥檚 important to attend an accredited OTA program. Accreditation means that a respected outside organization has thoroughly vetted a school or program and found that its curriculum, faculty, programs, and services are up to standards. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education () is an organization that reviews OT schools and programs to make sure that they鈥檙e preparing students for OT careers. There are also accredited online OTA programs, so you can be sure of a quality OT education both in person and remotely.

黑料网最新入口鈥檚 OTA program is ACOTE accredited, and we have institutional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). At the time of this publication, 黑料网最新入口 is one of only six schools approved to offer an OTA program through distance education, enabling students from select states to prepare for NBCOT licensure in just 20 months.

2. OTA Program Length

OTA school generally takes two years to complete but some programs are faster, and some let you go at your own pace. At Joyce, you can finish your OTA program and qualify as an OTA in just 20 months.

Compare OTA program lengths and choose a school that works with your lifestyle and plans. Some students want to stay in school for longer and take their time, and some prefer to move quickly through OT school and hit the ground running with a career. Either way, be clear on your own plans and learning style to choose an OTA program that you鈥檒l thrive in. Students looking for a fast-track program thrive at Joyce.

3. OTA School Cost

When you鈥檙e considering OTA school cost, remember to factor in:

• Tuition
• Books and materials
• Fees
• Cost of living and/or relocation
• Licensure and certification costs
• Financial aid

According to , the average cost of OTA school (including tuition and fees) as of 2023 is $38,545, which means that the average cost of OTA school per semester is around $9,600. Investing in your future with OTA schooling can feel intimidating, but it comes with a great return. The BLS that in 2022, the median annual wage for OTAs is $64,250, with top earners making an average of $85,580 per year.

You can also defray the cost with financial aid. Most OTA schools will have a financial aid office and resources to help you pay for school.

As of 2023, 黑料网最新入口鈥檚 OTA program costs $44,175. Our financial aid office is here to help you find scholarships, grants, loans, work study opportunities, and (if applicable) veterans benefits to help you pay for your OTA training.

4. OTA School Requirements

Many OTA schools have prerequisites, which can include physiology labs, general education classes, and medical terminology courses. Make sure you check the OTA school requirements for every program you consider.

Joyce鈥檚 OTA program has no college-level prerequisites. To enroll, students must have proof of high school graduation or its equivalent, pass a college readiness exam, and meet our general admissions requirements.

5. OTA Program Format

In the digital age you have access to different types of OTA schools, including traditional in-person classes and online OTA programs. Keep in mind that this career requires hands-on learning, so OTA online programs generally include in-person aspects like labs, clinical experiences, and fieldwork.

At 黑料网最新入口, you can do accredited OTA classes online and you don鈥檛 even need to live near our Draper, Utah campus. Distance learners from several states take advantage of our flexible, convenient OTA program. Joyce鈥檚 didactic courses are held mostly online, and out of state students travel to our campus for short periods to participate in labs. You can read more about our residency requirements and resources for distance learners here.

6. NBCOT Test Preparation

Your OTA program should set you up for success when it comes time to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy () test to earn your OTA certification. Look for schools and programs with a high NBCOT pass rate and courses dedicated to test prep.

We鈥檙e proud of Joyce鈥檚 98% NBCOT pass rate. Your final semester in Joyce鈥檚 OTA program will include a dedicated review course, which is a big way that we support students in successfully becoming certified OTAs.

7. OTA Program Curriculum

Accredited OTA programs will all cover the same OT basics, but the specific curricula will differ. Some will include general education courses, and some may have varying emphases, like pediatric or geriatric care. If you have a specialty in mind or know where you want to work, make sure to apply to OTA schools that cover your area of interest.

Joyce has a comprehensive OTA curriculum that covers the lifespan from pediatrics through adult and geriatric populations. You鈥檒l learn both knowledge and hands-on skills from didactic courses, labs, simulations, and fieldwork. Take a closer look at Joyce’s OTA curriculum here.

OTA school is designed to be challenging. Look for schools with supportive faculty and student resources to help you succeed. Joyce鈥檚 student portal gives insight into how your OTA student experience would be here. It has links to student services like IT support, tutoring programs, and additional resources for student success.

8. Faculty Experience

Professors and faculty will shape much of your day-to-day experience at OTA school. Connecting with a faculty mentor can give you someone to turn to during school鈥檚 challenges and later, when you鈥檙e facing questions during your OTA career.

Look into each prospective school鈥檚 faculty. You鈥檒l want to learn from highly-qualified professionals with lots of teaching experience. At Joyce, we hire experienced, doctorate-prepared faculty.

9. Job Placement Support

The result of any good OT school is job placement as an OTA. Your education and licensure will qualify you for work and are important parts of this process, but your OTA program should also support you in finding a good job.

When you鈥檙e researching OTA programs, look for schools with career services offices. These will support your long-term success with jobs that are a great fit for you.

All 黑料网最新入口 students and graduates can access our career services for support. Career services tracks student job placement by program, showing that 76.9% of OTA graduates were employed.

罢丑别谤别鈥檚 a lot to consider when you鈥檙e choosing the right OT school. Remember, you are entering this field as an OTA to make a difference in your clients鈥� everyday lives. Take the next step in your OTA education by exploring a variety of programs to find the one that best fits your schedule and cultivates career opportunities.

Explore All Healthcare Education Options at 黑料网最新入口

From our renowned OTA program to our nursing pathways鈥攚hether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, discover which healthcare pathway aligns with your career goals by exploring our nursing programs.

Occupational Therapy (OT) helps people of any age living with injuries and disabilities learn to perform daily activities. For children, daily activities mean learning and playing.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) help children with a wide range of disabilities, injuries, and physical and cognitive needs play and learn. The skills built through pediatric OT set children up for lifelong growth and help build self-sufficiency.

If you enjoy children and are patient, compassionate, and creative, a pediatric OT career could help you make a lasting difference. At 黑料网最新入口, our OTA program teaches childhood development and the specialized skills you鈥檒l need in pediatric OT jobs.

What Do Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistants Do?

Pediatric OTAs collaborate with other professionals to carry out treatment plans for injured and disabled children. OT for children supports learning and playing skills, and can include a wide variety of physical, cognitive, social, and creative exercises.

All of these exercises and strategies support children鈥檚 development and build skills for independence so they can better operate in a world that isn鈥檛 accommodating for them.

It鈥檚 never too early to support a child鈥檚 development. Pediatric OT is an early intervention that builds a foundation for long-term success with physical tasks, social situations, and other activities of daily living.

How do Pediatric OTAs Impact Children’s Lives?

Pediatric OTAs have a huge influence on children鈥檚 development. Through the help of pediatric OT, many children develop lifelong skills for self-care and independence, like hygiene, dressing themselves, cooking, and cleaning. Pediatric OTAs assist children in finding ways to succeed in education, helping them build effective communication and social skills.

Pediatric OTAs love seeing their work make a difference in a child鈥檚 life. Opportunities to contribute to a happier life draw many pediatric OTAs to the field. If you鈥檙e looking for an emotionally rewarding profession, you鈥檙e in the right place.

What Children Benefit from Pediatric OT?

Pediatric OT, like all OT, is always tailored to each individual鈥檚 needs. Children with the same diagnosis can have very diverse needs, and good pediatric OTAs will creatively build treatment plans. In 黑料网最新入口鈥檚 OTA program, you鈥檒l learn what a day in the life of an OTA looks like, gaining the tools to work and effectively communicate with these young patients. Here are some general ways that pediatric OT can serve a variety of children.

Children on the autism spectrum and with ADHD

Neurodiverse children have widely varied needs, and pediatric OT can support many of them. Pediatric OTAs help kids with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD:

• Manage sensory differences by using tools to help meet sensory needs
• Communicate effectively
• Navigate social situations
• Build emotional regulation skills

Children with Down syndrome

Pediatric OT can help children with Down syndrome:

• Learn age-appropriate, self-care activities like feeding and dressing themselves
• Communicate effectively with speech therapists
• Manage sensory differences and needs
• Develop fine and gross motor skills
• Build social skills

Children with cerebral palsy

Pediatric OT helps children with cerebral palsy:

• Improve joint and muscle coordination
• Develop motor skills
• Build social connections and play
• Manage sensory needs

Children with spinal cord injuries

Many children with spinal cord injuries have to relearn skills that came easily pre-injury. Pediatric OT gives these children and their families the tools to gain or regain independence.

Pediatric OTAs can help children with spinal cord injuries:

• Adapt to mobility aids like wheelchairs, including learning to transfer in and out of the chair
• Learn or relearn how to walk
• Strengthen parts of the body affected by spinal cord damage
• Build or rebuild balance
• Develop skills for independence
• Navigate new ways to play

Children with developmental delays or other disabilities

Children with a wide array of developmental delays or disabilities can benefit from pediatric OT. Pediatric OTAs mix and match treatments as appropriate, but may help children:

• Learn adaptive technology
• Practice educational skills like writing
• Hone motor skills
• Integrate in social situations
• Manage sensory needs
• Build age-appropriate self-care skills

How to Become a Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant

To become a pediatric OTA, you must:

1. Earn an OTA associate鈥檚 degree

2. Pass the NBCOT qualifying exam

3. Apply for and obtain state licensure

This associate-level education and training typically takes two years, but some fast-track programs can accelerate the process. At 黑料网最新入口, you can become a certified OTA in as little as 20 months (just five semesters) of mostly online classes.

Joyce鈥檚 OTA training is comprehensive, so you鈥檒l take specialized courses on OT for every life stage, as well as psychosocial, physical, and psychological approaches to OT. During your final semester at Joyce, you鈥檒l complete fieldwork for hands-on learning and take an NBCOT review course, which prepares students to pass the qualifying exam and obtain OTA certification.

Once you鈥檙e certified, you can begin applying for pediatric OTA jobs. At 黑料网最新入口, our faculty is available to help all students and alumni find great jobs.

What Skills & Techniques do Pediatric OTAs Use?

Being a great OTA for adults is one thing, but effectively treating children is a whole other game. Pediatric skills for OTAs can include:

• Sensory integration therapy
• Play-based therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Art and music therapy
• Outdoor play and nature-based activities

Children of different ages benefit from different techniques. For example, early childhood OT with a toddler may use mostly play to build skills or strength. OTAs working with teens may still play but are likely to incorporate life and job skills.

Child-focused OT gives OTAs the opportunity to collaborate with other specialists, like art and music therapists and recreational therapists. These experiences make pediatric OT a varied and exciting field with lots of chances to keep learning.

How to Get Pediatric OTA Jobs?

At 黑料网最新入口, we encourage our students to take advantage of networking opportunities through volunteer programs, fieldwork, and networking events. Our career services office can also connect you with pediatric OTA jobs.

Pediatric OT is a growing field with a great job outlook. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 23% growth projection for OTA jobs in the next decade. This far outstrips the average job outlook, which means that pediatric OTAs have great potential for career advancement.

As the pediatric OT field grows, more diverse pediatric OTA jobs are hitting the market. These pediatric OTAs can work in schools, clinics, hospitals, summer camps, homes, speech and language centers, and more. As the field advances, more opportunities will arise.

FAQs 黑料网最新入口 Pediatric OTAs

How is a pediatric OTA different from a pediatric OT?

Pediatric OTAs work alongside pediatric OTs. Pediatric OTAs report to pediatric OTs and support them in building treatment plans, performing therapeutic activities exercises, managing and maintaining equipment, communicating with families, tracking patient progress, and more.

What are common conditions that require pediatric OT?

Children with a diverse range of needs and abilities can benefit from pediatric OT. Pediatric OTAs frequently work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and other disabilities.

How much does a pediatric OTA make?

Factors like location, years of experience, and education impact your pay, but the average annual pediatric OTA salary is

Where do pediatric OTAs get paid the most?

According to , the highest-paying areas for pediatric OTAs are Washington DC, California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Massachusetts.

As a pediatric OTA, you could help build the foundation for many happy and successful lives. If you are interested in a fulfilling career as an OTA, start your journey at Joyce today.

罢丑别谤别鈥檚 never been a better time to work as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). With a employment outlook, OTAs have the opportunity to work in a variety of clinical and home settings.

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a great career if you want to make a difference in a person鈥檚 everyday life, and volunteer OT opportunities help get your foot in the door. For ways to gain valuable OT experience and boost your resume, here are five OT volunteer ideas to consider.

OT Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer opportunities, including OT internships or shadowing an OT, gives insight into the variety of OTA environments you could work in. Wherever you do it, OT volunteer work will teach you valuable skills that will propel your career forward.

1. Geriatric Facilities

Geriatric care makes up a large percentage of the OT industry, and most OTAs work with older individuals at some point in their career. Volunteering at a nursing home can give you a head start as an OTA, and many Joyce graduates make meaningful careers in geriatric care.

Skills and Experiences Gained

As an OT volunteer in a geriatric facility, you鈥檒l help patients regain and maintain skills they may have lost due to illness or injury. If patients live in the facility, you鈥檒l spend time assisting them with their daily tasks and tailoring their space to suit their individual needs.

Time Commitment

Nursing homes, resident facilities, and treatment centers each require different time commitments from volunteers. Be prepared to spend a few hours weekly for a few months if you want to complete a geriatric care OT internship, and check with the volunteer coordinator at local care facilities for specific requirements.

Required Qualifications

Most nursing homes and geriatric care facilities provide on-site volunteer training, so you don鈥檛 need a degree or prior qualifications.

2. Children鈥檚 Hospitals

Pediatrics is another big focus in the OT field. As an OT volunteer in a children鈥檚 hospital, you鈥檒l work with children born with a medical condition that results in developmental delays and chronic conditions, as well as children with traumatic injuries. 黑料网最新入口鈥檚 OTA program will teach you specialized pediatric OT skills to help you succeed in children鈥檚 hospitals.

Skills and Experiences Gained

Pediatric OT volunteers help children learn independence-building skills like tying shoes and brushing teeth. OT treatment for children often resembles play, and you鈥檒l need to be creative. This makes children鈥檚 hospital OT volunteer work so formative for many aspiring OTAs 鈥� creativity is key in OT.

Time Commitment

The volunteer time commitment varies between children鈥檚 hospitals, but many require about 100 hours spread out over six months to a year.

Required Qualifications

Most children鈥檚 hospitals require OT volunteers to be at least 18 years old and pass a background check and a health clearance screening. You鈥檒l also receive on-site training and orientation.

3. Special Needs Day Programs

Special needs day programs are a safe, structured place for disabled adults to participate in activities and build skills. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at special needs day programs, and Joyce鈥檚 holistic approach to healthcare sciences makes our OTA students a welcome addition to many volunteer teams.

Skills and Experiences Gained

OTA volunteers at special needs day programs will practice a holistic approach to OT. Much of your work here will revolve around developing social skills, work skills, and the tools for independence. Volunteering at special needs day programs will expose you to a wide variety of OT modalities.

Time Commitment

The time commitment for OT volunteers varies between special needs day programs. Make sure you go over any time commitments with the volunteer coordinator.

Required Qualifications

To volunteer as an OTA at a 鈥渟pecial needs鈥� day program, you鈥檒l need to pass a background check. Some programs will have additional requirements, so check with each facility.

4. Equine-Assisted Therapy

If you鈥檙e an animal whisperer, consider volunteering in equine-assisted OT, also known as hippotherapy. This is a form of animal assisted therapy that uses horses to help patients with physical, developmental, or psychiatric needs.

Skills and Experiences Gained

As an equine-assisted OT volunteer, you鈥檒l work with a wide variety of patients and learn how to incorporate animals into your OTA practice. Equine-assisted therapy requires great communication, so volunteering here will teach you crucial skills for your OTA career.

Time Commitment

Most equine-assisted therapy organizations require their volunteers to make a regular time commitment, even if it鈥檚 a small one, like an hour every week.

Required Qualifications

Most equine-assisted OT volunteers must take a short training course before beginning. After that, you can take the reins and help horse therapy patients!

5. OTA Policy Organizations

Leadership training is big at 黑料网最新入口. We encourage students with a special interest in leadership roles to volunteer with OTA policy organizations. Rather than working with patients directly, you鈥檒l shadow OT policy-makers in these positions.

Skills and Experiences Gained

Volunteering with OTA policy organizations can prepare you for a future shaping big-picture changes in the OT industry. This behind-the-scenes career path influences the daily experiences of OTAs and patients. The leadership skills you鈥檒l learn here will serve you during your whole OTA career.

Time Commitment

OTA policy organizations have varying time requirements. Reach out to the volunteer coordinators at your local organizations for more information.

Required Qualifications

Most OTA policy organizations give on-site training and don鈥檛 require their volunteers to have prior qualifications before jumping in and helping. You will need to pass a background screening.

Why Do Volunteer OT?

Volunteer OT is a great way to:

• Learn about various OT specialties
• Boost your resume
• Find mentors
• Make connections with potential employers
• Serve your community

OT Volunteer Programs

Most OTA programs require students to complete OT volunteer hours or spend time in the workforce getting hands-on experience.

Joyce鈥檚 OTA program includes 16 weeks of clinical practice fieldwork, during which you鈥檒l work with a diverse group of patients and get a feel for the industry. Any OT volunteer work you do before your fieldwork will get you ahead, helping you decide what you want to specialize in your practice.

FAQs 黑料网最新入口 OT Volunteer Opportunities

How to get OT volunteer hours?

If you鈥檙e in an OTA program, your school likely has connections to OTA organizations where you can volunteer. If you know you鈥檙e interested in a particular specialty, you can get OT volunteer experience by calling up relevant organizations in your area. Most will have a volunteer program you can join.

Where to volunteer for OT?

Check out geriatric facilities, children鈥檚 hospitals, special needs day programs, equine-assisted therapy organizations, and OTA policy organizations for OT volunteer opportunities.

Does OT volunteering count toward observation hours?

Volunteer hours usually count toward observation hours on OT program applications. However, some schools have strict guidelines about what counts, so it鈥檚 worth checking with their specific policies.

What does an OT volunteer do?

OTA volunteers can work with therapists to help with stretches and simple therapies. They also clean toys and equipment and fill in where needed to keep things running smoothly.

How to get OTA jobs?

Read more about OTA job opportunities and application tips here.

Volunteer OT is a great way to learn where you want to specialize while preparing for a rewarding career as an OTA. If you鈥檙e ready to dive in, check out Joyce鈥檚 OTA program today.

Explore All Healthcare Career Paths at 黑料网最新入口

From our renowned OTA program to our nursing pathways鈥攚hether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, discover which healthcare volunteer and education opportunities align with your career goals by exploring our nursing school.

However, healthcare students also have options for lending their skills where they鈥檙e most needed. Here are a few opportunities for volunteering while you鈥檙e still in school.

Related resource:聽5 Volunteer Ideas for Aspiring Occupational Therapy Assistants

Opportunities Abroad

The image of a globe-trotting doctor or nurse helping underserved populations in distant locales is a powerful one, and plenty of healthcare professionals are inspired by visions of bringing care to the far reaches of the globe. Doctors Without Borders is probably the example that immediately comes to mind of healthcare professionals bringing care worldwide.

Fortunately, several programs offer for nursing students. The kind of work you can do abroad is as varied and wide as the field of nursing itself. Public health and health education are certainly common, but if you have a specialty such as optometry or pediatrics that you want to explore, you likely can. What鈥檚 more, the range of places you can work is immense.

Working abroad also means you can be assigned to a large hospital, a small clinic, a school, an assisted living facility, or some other place in need of your work. Your time abroad might even introduce you to areas of healthcare that you didn鈥檛 know you were interested it. You could end up working on a public hygiene campaign in a developing country and decide you want to use those same skills in the States.

When you get back, you鈥檒l be a better student and eventually a better nurse because of what you saw, did, and learned during your time away. That experience will stay with you for the rest of your career and life.

Related resource:聽Characteristics of Professionalism in Healthcare

Opportunities at Home

If you鈥檙e not interested in flying to Tanzania or Sumatra, plenty of volunteer opportunities exist closer to home. Draper, Provo, and Salt Lake City all offer a variety of .

If you鈥檙e looking to flex your caregiving muscles before graduation, you could volunteer in a senior center or work with children. Coaching youth sports might not seem very much like nursing on the surface, but it will help you develop the on-your-feet, high-energy attitude you鈥檒l need for your shifts. If you want to hone your administrative skills, you could volunteer with the library system or the election board. Animal shelters are an option too. Providing care and attention to dogs and cats isn鈥檛 all that similar to what nurses do, but it can be rewarding.

Regardless of what you choose, take the opportunity to turn it into a resume builder. Note the skills you鈥檝e gained and the experiences you鈥檝e had, and perhaps get a letter of recommendation from the volunteer coordinator. Anything to help you get that future healthcare job!

Related resource:聽How to Balance Nursing School With Work and Family Life

When Disaster Strikes

Disasters are probably the single most dramatic opportunity for any healthcare worker. When earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis hit, that鈥檚 when workers and volunteers have to scramble to make sure the affected population is adequately cared for.

The American Red Cross offers classes and Even if you don鈥檛 get to actually work on a real disaster situation, it will prep you for a future moment when calamity hits your community and suddenly every healthcare provider has to spring into action. Hopefully those are skills you鈥檒l never actually have to use, but when the worst happens, you can be among those most prepared for it.

黑料网最新入口 has taken a proactive approach to nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic. As colleges adapted to social distancing protocols, Joyce students were gaining valuable clinical experience volunteering in the Medical Reserve Corps (), a federal network of volunteers sponsored by the Salt Lake County Health Department that was actively deployed throughout the Salt Lake valley to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Joyce Students Stepping Forward

Led by Jill Dubbelman and other dedicated faculty, Joyce’s senior capstone nursing students volunteered with the MRC, getting hands-on experience in the field with extensive PPE training and a crash course in FEMA disaster coordinating. 鈥淪tudents have provided numerous hours supporting quarantine sites, by giving medical care and more. These students have tested thousands of individuals across the valley and donated thousands of hours toward this response to COVID-19.鈥� reports Bryan Lewis, emergency planner for the .

He goes on to say that 鈥渢he MRC task force is assisting with multiple operations, including identifying 鈥楥OVID hot spots鈥� and testing these areas, offering COVID-19 testing and screening at multiple locations for free, and going to numerous long term care facilities, homeless and refugee communities and providing education, screening and testing for individuals. Other areas the task force is supporting include providing medical support at quarantine and isolation facilities for individuals who have nowhere to go.鈥�

Getting Involved with the Medical Reserve Corps.

When COVID-19 was identified in January of 2020, Bryan Lewis knew he needed to take action quickly to get medical volunteers and supporters mobilized in response to the global health crisis. 鈥淚 started quickly researching organizations and reaching out to organizations with medical programs, and one of the programs I came across was (Joyce).鈥�

After coordinating with clinical instructor Jill Dubbelman, a plan was set in motion to mobilize the capstone nursing students into strike teams for the Medical Reserve Corps. Jill worked to quickly train the student teams in PPE and lab testing to get them prepared for work in the field. 鈥淲e tested 122 homeless people our first day while testing at a day shelter. The health department and 4th street clinic could not believe we did so many in one day.鈥� says Jill.

Between April and November, 鈥渙ver 77 (Joyce) students and faculty gave a combined of nearly 10,000 hours (to the MRC)鈥� 鈥� an ever-growing number as students continue to volunteer. 鈥淭he students, super excited, quickly jumped to the plate and went above and beyond and assisted in multiple medical operations such as quarantine and isolation support, and COVID-19 screening and testing.鈥� says Bryan.

Students Impacting Their Community

Joyce students have worked tireless hours to help fight against the spread of COVID-19. The strike teams they created have administered more than 30,000 tests, which has helped augment the medical response in quarantine and isolation facilities. They have helped improve testing capacities significantly according to Bryan, 鈥渁t 1 facility we tested 500 people in under 3 hours with the students鈥� help, and we can now test 1 patient every 2-3 minutes per team. (Joyce) allowed us to more quickly and efficiently reach out to populations that needed us the most, such as homeless populations, without these students it would be difficult to test these populations. These students improved our testing capabilities significantly, and freed the health department up to perform other essential tasks such as contact tracing.鈥�

When it comes to how the MRC has helped make an impact overall during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryan says, 鈥淭he Medical Reserve Corps has been instrumental in the response to COVID-19. The MRC has identified hot spots, performed screenings, provided medical support, and performed thousands of COVID-19 tests throughout the valley. Without the Medical Reserve Corps work, I do not believe we would be where we are currently鈥︹��

Above and beyond the call of duty, students are finding other ways to make life a little easier for the populations they are serving through the MRC. Nursing instructor Jill Dubbelman shared a few stories about how the students lended support, 鈥淎manda Murdoch and others have donated clothes and crayons, coloring books and games to the shelter when they found out there were children there.鈥� While other students like Camille Camocaho, offered to translate Spanish 鈥渁nd was a big help with her shelter because there were Spanish speaking patients she could help.鈥� Even during the long hours focused on testing people throughout the Salt Lake valley, a few students lended a hand when they saw that a couple of kittens needed rescuing. Student nurses Nicole, Bret, Paige, and Stephanie 鈥渨ere testing at the men鈥檚 resource center at night with Bryan and they had to call in a fire department to save the kittens.鈥�

What Students are Saying

鈥淚 really got to know my fellow classmates and instructors. I gained stronger and new relationships, which made COVID19 easier to cope with. It also taught me skills I wasn鈥檛 planning on gaining!

Although hours were required for capstone, I still volunteered with MRC after completion of hours and actually just got a job with them! It is nice to know that I can make a difference in the community.鈥� – Mikayla Gibson, Student (ADN)

鈥淢y experience with the MRC has been eventful and unforgettable. I have learned to adapt quickly and be reliable. It has also been incredibly fun and rewarding and I have been able to form great friendships.

I have loved the autonomy of participating in the MRC and the feeling of actually doing something to improve and serve my community. It is so rewarding to know that I am contributing to the success of my state through this pandemic. Serving others is the most important part of nursing in my eyes, and I am being provided with ample opportunities to serve by being a part of the MRC.鈥� – Alta Findlay, Student (ADN-BSN)

鈥淚t has been amazing to work with the health department and other nurses. The patients are nothing short of kind and respectful.鈥� – Samantha Brimley, Student (ADN)

鈥淛oining the MRC put me on the front lines of the COVID pandemic and I have enjoyed every minute of it. We work hard, we work fast and are committed to giving the best care and finding results in the most efficient manner during this time.

It鈥檚 been very enjoyable to be able to be a part of such a big part of our world history. Every day we are deployed out to test for illness, and I鈥檓 grateful every day to be a part of the medical profession. I鈥檓 very proud of the work that we all do in order to help control the spread of COVID as well as other everyday healthcare work. It has really opened my eyes to an entirely new, community-based side of healthcare.鈥� – Anna Tremea, Student (ADN-BSN)

鈥淚t felt great to take part in such impactful work as a student, it was such an honor. We had patients and other people looking to us for answers. I felt like everything I had learned in school up that point was finally falling into place and that I could actually help people. It was so fulfilling!鈥� – Jessica Reilly, Student (ADN)

Our Plans for the Future

As the pandemic continues to affect our local communities throughout Utah, Joyce and the MRC are committed to providing necessary testing and medical support to those affected by this global crisis. Through the hard work and dedication of its committed faculty, Joyce is continuing to pave the way for their capstone students to get out of the classroom and into their communities, where they can get hands-on clinical experience and gain valuable skills that will prepare them for a successful future in nursing.

If you are interested in joining our robust and active student community, check out our nursing programs and schedule an appointment to speak with an Admissions Advisor. Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, you’ll join a community of nurses dedicated to making a real difference. Start your journey at our nursing school today.