On Monday, June 15th, the Ross Medical Education Center Port Huron staff and faculty welcomed Margie Love to the campus. Margie is currently employed at McLaren Port Huron Industrial Health as a registered nurse (RN) and phlebotomist. Before beginning at McLaren Port Huron Industrial Health, she worked for the St. Clair County Jail. She was invited by her sister, Medical Assistant Instructor Mary Jo Jobbitt, to speak with the Medical Assistant students regarding venipuncture and was very excited to do so.
She was able to speak to the students at length from her vast experience in the industry and they were very engaged and interested in all that she had to say. She shared with the students about life in the field. She also had a student volunteer demonstrate the technique that Ross uses to teach blood draws. After the student performed the draw, Margie also drew blood from a student to show how effortless phlebotomy becomes after years of experience. The students were all amazed at how quickly and easily a draw could be done after having done it for so long. She then had each student practice their technique on a dummy arm and gave them helpful pointers and praise.
The students all had great questions regarding what to do if someone is combative or if they faint during a draw. Kelly Reynolds, a current Medical Assistant student, commented that Margie was one of the best guest speakers that she has had the pleasure of hearing during her time at Ross. Another Medical Assistant student, Rachel Martin, agreed with Kelly saying, “I was able to learn so much from the time that Margie spent with us.”
The staff, faculty, and students were so thankful to have had the opportunity to have Margie visit the campus. Some of the students may have another chance to work with Margie in the future as she works closely with externs at Port Huron Industrial Health in order to give them a rewarding experience. The campus is already discussing when to invite her back again.