Page 10 - Saint Martin News Winter 2020

CWSP HIGHLIGHTS
10 Saint Martin de Porres High School Winter 2020 News
Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital
NATASHA LOPEZ ’20
On the western edge of Cleveland, overlooking the Cleveland Metroparks, sits the 488-bed Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital that is busy with patients, doctors, nurses, and personnel working to provide quality care to everyone who enters its doors. Amid the hustle and bustle of this hospital, you will nd Natasha Lopez ’20 nestled in the Respiratory Therapy Department every Thursday.
Natasha performs a myriad of tasks on a daily basis. After settling in for the day, she heads to the equipment room to check for deliveries and restock all the respiratory supplies on the shelves. In order to ensure top safety for patients, she checks for expiration dates on all plastic equipment and disposes of supplies that are not up to code. Her favorite tasks include working on spreadsheets to record the number of patient stays, which then a ects the volume of equipment and sta ng her department schedules each month. “My coworkers are so friendly! They treat me as if I am an actual respiratory therapist even though I
am nowhere near one. They always remind me that I am part of their team and how important my role is in their department.”
Natasha’s work study experience has helped shape her future plans as she hopes to attend Ursuline College next fall to study nursing and then become a NICU nurse. Through
her previous job in the Human Resources Department at MetroHealth and now in the Respiratory Therapy Department at Fairview, she has seen both the business and medical sides of the hospital and knows this is where she is meant to be in the future. “I realized that I love this line of work because they are helping people every day. Even if I don’t have the opportunity to speci cally shadow a NICU nurse, my experience has solidi ed that nursing is my next step after Saint Martin.”
After re ecting on her high school years, Natasha appreciates her work study experience for giving her great communication skills that have carried over into every aspect of her life. Through her involvement in volleyball, gospel choir, drama, and softball, alongside rigorous academics and the Corporate Work Study Program, Natasha is con dent that she is prepared for her next steps into college. “Saint Martin is hands down the school to go to if you really want to be prepared for the real world, no questions asked.”