Nearly 60 members of Girl Scouts Heart of the South attended the “More Than Scrubs” event on May 2 at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women and the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital.
“More Than Scrubs is an incredible opportunity for Girl Scouts to explore careers they may have never considered before,” said Shanna Montgomery, program specialist with Girl Scouts Heart of the South. “Sometimes all it takes is one inspiring experience to spark a dream.”
Participants earned a custom patch and first aid badge after an exciting day of hands-on activities with Baptist Memorial’s critical care ambulance, simulation lab and triage team. These activities helped participants gain problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills as well as insight into how health care professionals care for patients and collaborate in a hospital setting.
Dr. Morgan McFadden, an OB-GYN resident physician with Baptist Women’s Hospital, said, “I’m passionate about women’s health, and this is a very special event for me, having been a Girl Scout myself. It’s rewarding to share a bit about what I do and to help destigmatize topics in women’s health that can be perceived as embarrassing to discuss.”
McFadden held a session on the science behind menstruation while Nancy Childress, a registered nurse with Baptist Women’s Hospital, talked about being prepared for puberty and periods.
Other topics covered at the event include minor injuries, overdoses, splints, heat-related injuries, bone injuries, recovery position (used for an unconscious person who is breathing normally and has a pulse), calling for help, managing and stopping bleeding and how to respond to choking and CPR emergencies.
Participants also explored clinical and nonclinical career paths in health care and attended a career talk at lunch. For their service projects, younger groups of girls put together activity bags with such items as coloring books while older girls assembled 100 personal hygiene bags.
