On October 30, HOSA students were prompted with a disease and asked to use their knowledge about sterile technique in order to successfully complete a “surgery” on a pumpkin. 

The students were instructed to identify a disease and how they would treat it through surgery. Then, the students were assigned roles in the medical field such as the respiratory nurse, surgical assistant, or surgeon. The students, decked out in full personal protective equipment (PPE), successfully worked as a team in order to complete the surgery.

The WLHS health science teacher, Mrs. Rhaly, described the purpose of the experiment was to “help students learn the sterile technique by actually applying the technique.”

Furthermore, Mrs. Rhaly hopes students have “a better understanding of asepsis” which is the condition of an absence of disease-causing microorganisms or pathogens. In addition, Mrs. Rhaly believes this experiment will give her students “awareness of infection and how to decrease the spread of infection”.

Though the experiment seems comical, its purpose was much deeper than surface level. The activity gave HOSA students knowledge they can use in the real world.