Where are they now? Deer Lakes' Paige Thompson

Paige Thompson is every patient's biggest supporter. 

After all, she said, you never know what someone else is going through. 

"You always have to have respect for everyone," Paige said. "You have to encourage (patients).as much as you can. I like being there for someone, to show compassion and to encourage them to get better so that they can go home to their families. I lost a lot of family members when I was younger. To care for somebody is rewarding, to know that they were cared for and to support their families, it feels good on the heart." 

Paige, a 2021 Deer Lakes graduate who attended A.W. Beattie's Health and Nursing Sciences program for three years, is now an Emergency Room Technician at Allegheny Health Network.  

Her daily responsibilities include taking vitals, providing fresh linen, administering IVs, taking blood draws and EKGs. She began her career out of high school working as an aide in a nursing home.  

Paige recently returned to the Career Center to discuss her career trajectory and to do hands-on competencies with students. 

Unsure if she would like being in the medical field upon graduation, Paige decided to work as an aide instead of going to nursing school. She will begin attending St. Margaret's School of Nursing in January. 

"I'm thankful I took a little bit of a break from being in school to make sure I liked being in the field," she said. "It can be a lot mentally. It can be difficult learning how to connect with a patient and then detach yourself when you're done with work. You have to learn how to separate home life from work. I think I took the right path for me." 

Paige also discussed how the Health and Nursing Sciences program prepared her for working in the medical field. 

“I want students to realize that Mrs. Dietz’s previous students did use this experience,” Paige said. “It is useful and effective. To this day, I will still reach out to Mrs. Dietz if I need anything. She will always support you and be there for you to help you succeed.”