(PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo.) — Seventh grade students at Pleasant View Middle School swapped their pencils for a day of exploring future career paths and acquiring life-saving skills applicable in real-world situations.

UCHealth taught the Trauma Injury Prevention in Schools (TIPS) for the first time in Pueblo County on Tuesday, March 19, engaging with these enthusiastic middle schoolers in hands-on learning.

“So that’s what we do is we bring all facets of professionals in the medical field together today, everything from PT to surgeons to RNs to education coordinators,” said Education Coordinator for UCHealth Memorial Central, Mary Ann Caterina. “You name it, we’ve got it here today and that’s what’s really helpful as the kids are able to go ahead and probe for those questions and see if they’re interested in it.”

The morning began with students understanding what trauma is and learning about the quick actions they can take to quickly save lives in critical situations.

“Unfortunately, this year is going to be the first year for pediatric trauma, that penetrating trauma is the number one killer of kids,” UCHealth South Region Trauma Education Program Manager, Renee Hildebrand, said. “So, it’s really important for kids to know how to stop the bleed… putting pressure on it, applying tourniquet, it’s things like that.”

One by one students were called up and dressed appropriately for the mock-surgery.

The program also focuses on trauma prevention and having a conversation on the impact one’s choices can have on the rest of their lives. Some topics of discussion included the influence of social media and its potential risks, the importance of wearing seatbelts in vehicles, and the effects of drugs and alcohol.

Whether engaging in intense conversations or teaching life-saving skills, Hildebrand emphasized the critical need for this trauma-prevention program.

Seventh grade students were able to spend the day learning lifesaving skills like CPR.

“I’ve worked in the Springs for a number of years now, and I’ve really wanted to bring this to Pueblo because we need this, our community needs this, kids need to know how to do CPR,” said Hildebrand.

To help reinforce the significance of the program, students were given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a real-world scenario. They engaged in a hands-on experience where they were challenged to rescue a patient, understanding firsthand the importance of the skills they were learning.

“Right now, we are doing chest compressions and pulse checks, just checking to make sure if there are pulses,” said seventh grader, Alonzo Saunders. “If not, we will be resuming compressions, so every two minutes or say, we will say ‘pulse.'”

Students were divided into groups and introduced to the surgical procedure to save their patient.

As the gymnasium filled with a sea of scrubs, there was no doubt of the excitement in the air, but amidst the action, a few students couldn’t escape getting a little dirty, making the experience even more memorable.

“What happens is that kids are able to go ahead and cut into a skin which bursts a blood bag, and they retrieve a stone and then they suture them up,” Caterina said. “Then the toughest part is then they figure out if their patient survived or not.”

Several students found themselves dealing with a bit of mess as they tackled their surgical tasks.

Students not only acquired new knowledge and skills that could potentially save lives, but also gained exposure to the possibility of pursuing careers in the medical field. Another goal of the program is to provide awareness on the different roles within the UCHealth Trauma team.

“COVID, it really hurt and burnt out our medical industry and it’s opportunities like this that we’re able to go ahead and come into these middle schools and get these kids just channeled in the right direction and they get excited about it,” said Caterina.

The gymnasium buzzed with excitement as these students eagerly participated in the mock surgery.

This day of learning did the catch eye of one.

When asked if she would consider pursuing a career in the medical field, Addyson Ramos Pacheco responded with enthusiasm saying, “I would love to, actually I would be really excited!”