NJ high school students get hands-on hospital training

NEW JERSEY (FOX 5 NEWS) - Some high school students in New Jersey are learning technical skills they need to save lives. Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck offers students a one-week training program during the summer that uses high-tech mannequins to create real-life scenarios, like an opioid overdose and simulated child birth.

All of the students are interested in careers in healthcare.

Not only is the program teaching technical skills, instructors also stress the importance of clear communication and the vital role it plays in saving lives.

Nurse Cedar Wang, the director for Institute for Simulation Learning, said that close to 80 percent of serious medical errors are caused by breakdowns in communication by healthcare staff, according to studies.

Experts say that reports show communication breakdowns among medical staff is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind cancer and heart disease.

The teens said that they are learning how to work together and be effective communicators -- not a bad way for high school students to spend part of their summer.