MEDIA RELEASE

Konawaena High School sophomore Lina Acol got a close up look into the world of medicine, thanks to a day spent shadowing a Kona Community Hospital nurse.

Acol spent Dec. 22 career shadowing a registered nurse in the hospital’s medical surgical unit, after a phone call from Konawaena High School career counselor Deborah Ramsey grew into an all-day program intended to foster the interest of a local student who wants to enter the health care profession. 

“My mom was paralyzed due to a stroke, had several heart attacks and underwent heart surgery. She passed away in April,” Acol said. “I wanted to go into nursing because of her and also to help my dad in the future.” 

Acol’s day included an orientation about hospital rules and regulations and a tour of the hospital. To make her fit right in, she wore scrubs and an official hospital identification badge, and lunched in the cafeteria.  

Much of the day, however, was spent tailing a nurse in the medical surgical unit to learn what a nurse typically does on a daily basis.

“We are delighted to have students like Lina come to the hospital and learn not only about the profession, but to also find out about the other health care careers there are,” said Emily Mendez-Bryant, community relations director of Kona Community Hospital. “It’s an opportunity for them to figure out what they want to do. Hopefully, they will come back to help us at the hospital in the future, whether to volunteer or to work.”

Founded in 1914, Kona Community Hospital is a 94-bed full-service acute and long-term care hospital with 24-hour emergency services that supports the west side of the island. It is a member of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a special state agency established in 1996, and is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  

— For students interested in learning more about a health care career in a hospital setting, contact Emily Mendez-Bryant at 322-6960 or via e-mail at ebryant@hhsc.org.

Kona Community Hospital: www.kch.hhsc.org