University of Southern Indiana
College of Nursing & Health Professions
Learning Caring Community
Volume 16, No 1 winter 2008 Dr. Nadine Coudret Dean Diane Utley Editor
FIRST USI DOCTORAL-LEVEL PROGRAM APPROVED
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved the College of Nursing and Health Profession’s request for the first ever doctoral level academic program at the University of Southern Indiana on December 14, 2007. The program will serve graduates of the master’s degree programs who are currently practicing as nurse educators, nurse practitioners, or nurse administrators. The Doctorate of Nursing Practice is an alternative to research-focused doctorates in nursing and is comparable to practice doctorates in pharmacy and physical therapy. Course delivery will use Nursing and Health Professions online learning technology with on-campus class intensives. The program will begin with 20 students and will be offered to both full time and part time students. Admission eligibility includes completion of the MSN degree. The DNP will welcome its first students in the fall semester of 2008. ——- from USI News
College of Nursing and Health Professions New Home of SWI-AHEC
Jennifer Craig has come home. The 2001 graduate of the University of Southern Indiana with degrees in Health Services and Dental Hygiene was recently hired as the program development specialist for the newly formed Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC) housed on the second floor of the Health Professions Center. The Southwest Indiana center will serve a ten county area that includes Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties. SWI-AHEC’s goals focus on the assurance of an adequate and diverse healthcare workforce, development of future generations of health care professionals, accessibility of professional continuing education for health care professionals, and accessibility of health care for the underserved populations of the ten Jennifer Craig county region. Jennifer is hard at work developing a network of individuals and agencies within the region in order to identify and address workforce and health care needs. An advisory board for SWI-AHEC will grow from that network. Prior to returning to USI, Jennifer practiced dental hygiene in Evansville and Indianapolis. She will complete her master’s degree in Public Health from East Tennessee State University in May.
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Student News
Bringing Smiles to East Africa
Barbara Johnston, a dental hygienist and student in Dental Hygiene Education, spent a month last summer on a mission trip in Africa. She provided dental care to children and adults in Mzuzu, Malawi and Nairobi, Kenya. Her trip was recently chronicled in the Evansville Courier and Press West Side edition. Barbara experienced some culture shock but she learned quickly to improvise in the clinics . In one location, she served her patients while sitting on a mattress on the floor since there were no dental chairs available. She described what must have been a very gratifying experience based on the comments of the children and adults she treated along the way. Barbara truly brought happy smiles to the faces of many East African people.
FNSO Students Plan Heart Hop
February 15 Chinese New Year Year of the Rat
OT Students in Field Work during Spring Semester The Occupational Therapy program has 30 students placed in a 3-month Level II clinical fieldwork. In addition to the immediate area, students are working in Texas, Maryland, Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana.
New Students in Imaging Sciences
Students majoring in Food and Nutrition are members of the Food and Nutrition Organization; they participate in a variety of volunteer activities, campus involvement, and career opportunities. On February 7, the group will be hosting a “Heart Hop” at Dexter Elementary School in Evansville. Dexter School promotes a healthy lifestyle with its policies of no vending machines, no sodas, non-candy fundraisers, etc. From the FNSO booth, children can choose heart healthy game activities and participate in a hands on lunch box activity in which they choose healthy foods from a food model display. Shelley Frazier serves as the organization’s president. Deadline for admission approaching The deadline for admission to the master’s program in Nursing for Fall of 2008 is Feb 1, 2008. Contact Jalane Weber at 465-1197 for information.
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The Radiologic and Imaging Sciences programs, Radiologic Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography, welcomed new students on January 14. Eighteen students will be participating in Radiologic Technology and eleven students comprise the new class for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. These two groups will graduate in spring of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences.
Faculty and Staff News
Simulation Center Benefits Respiratory Care Students
Tony Schmitt, Respiratory Care faculty, is making good use of the Simulation Center with his second year students this semester. Dr. Duane Kuhlenschmidt, chief of anesthesiology at Deaconess Hospital, demonstrated and assisted students with intubation and resuscitation in the simulation center this month. Tony and Dr. Martin Reed, Radiologic and Imaging Sciences program director, will begin a pilot research project for Respiratory and Radiologic Technology students in Summer and fall of 2008.
Nursing faculty present poster
Dr. Kuhlenschmidt intubates SimMan
“Connecting with Southern Indiana”
Gina Schaar and Tracy Kinner presented a poster of a research study conducted by Connie Swenty, Gale Hoehn, T.Kinner & G. Schaar with poster Kathy Phillips, Gina Schaar, and Tracy Kinner titled "Letting Mr. Sims Out of the Box." at the Mosby Faculty Development Conference in San Francisco, California on January 7 and 8, 2008. The study evaluated the confidence of the students to care for a certain patient population before and after performing a simulated clinical experience.
New Support Staff
Dr. Barb Williams, Occupational Therapy program director, is participating in Connect with Southern Indiana, a citizenship and community enhancement program sponsored by the University of Southern Indiana that focuses on raising awareness and on developing skills to assist individuals and groups. The organization will lead initiatives and address community and regional needs. The inaugural meeting was held in Santa Claus, Indiana on January 10.
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ——Abraham Lincoln
DENTAL HYGIENE FACULTY IN WASHINGTON
Pamela Shaw is the new administrative assistant supporting the Dental programs. Her duties also include payroll reporting for the College. Francesca Ball is the new Graduate Nursing program administrative assistant. We are pleased to have them as part of our valued support team.
Jennifer Bartek and Emily Holt, Dental Programs faculty, attended the North East Regional Board (NERB) Examiner Orientation and Calibration in Washington D.C. on Jan12th and13th. The training qualifies Jennifer and Emily to be examiners in 16 states for dental hygiene candidates taking the practicum portion of the examinations needed to achieve licensure.
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1st Year Nursing student serves in India
Amber Lang, 1st year nursing student, will be calling India home for 3 months every year. Her new husband has been a missionary there since 2005. His church has established a religious training school and a facility for women and children affected by AIDS/HIV. Amber, on her first visit this past summer, spent her days teaching English and helping to teach common hygiene practices to the village children. When they are not at the church school, they are at home in northeastern India in the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras.
So What is Leap Year?
A leap year is a year in which an extra day is added to the calendar in order to synchronize it with the seasons. Since the tropical year is 365.242190 days long, a leap year must be added roughly once every four years (four times the fractional day gives ). In a leap year, the extra day (known as a leap day) is added at the end of February, giving it 29 instead of the usual 28 days.
Winter Birthdays
Bob Hooper 1/1 Wanda Douglas 1/2 Mike Fetscher 1/6 Tracy Kinner 1/22 Jeri Burger 1/30 Nance Fiester 2/3 Marilyn Ostendorf 2/6 Phyllis Maddox Emily Holt 2/13 2/8
Rich Wire 2/25
LEARNING CARING COMMUNITY
is a monthly publication of the University of Southern Indiana, College of Nursing and Health Professions, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712. Report news, updates, birth announcements, and obituaries to Diane Utley at 465-1181 or dgutley@usi.edu.
This newsletter and prior newsletter issues can be read on the website of the CNHP at http://health.usi.edu
“INPUT FOR EXCELLENCE” offers students and staff an opportunity to make suggestions, offer praise, etc. “INPUT FOR EXCELLENCE” boxes are located in the School Community Lounge HP 0110, the Charles Day Learning Resource Center, and the Reception Desk in HP 2068. Use this handy tear-off to share your thoughts with us or email your comments to dgutley@usi.edu.
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