Category Archives: School of Nursing

Mission to Guatemala – Day 1

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Mission to Guatemala 2012
by Jennifer Tong and Morgan King

Jennifer:  It was an early start to the morning as we gathered as a team to travel to Guatemala! This has a been a trip that I have been anticipating even before I started PT school at Belmont. The morning was filled with a combination of excitement and exhaustion. We arrived in Guatemala with all of our team members and all of our luggage! We all hopped on a bus and arrived at the pediatrics surgery center to have lunch and tour the facility. Before I talk about the surgery center, I need to mention the streets and the people that I saw. There were people walking everywhere and random booths set up by the locals. The toughest thing to see was the poverty in this country. There were these two children sitting on the sidewalk, holding a cup in their hand, and begging for money. This was just another reminder of how I take everything for granted, especially the things I don’t even think about that like a roof over my head, a bed, food, and water. Now, about the surgery center! This surgery center was built for children who are less fortunate and can’t afford to pay for the necessary surgeries. It was so inspiring to hear about the difference these surgeons were making in lives of so many children in Guatemala. I’m excited to see the difference our team is going to make in the lives of the people in Guatemala this week!

Morgan:  Arrived in Guatemala City around noon to a crowd of individuals waiting behind barriers at the airport (now I know what celebrities feel like). We loaded a school bus and headed to the Surgery Center for lunch and to take a tour of the facility. I was sort of in culture shock at the surgery center because I realized how fortunate we are in the United States to have so many necessities. The surgery center was perfect though for the families in Guatemala. Children’s paintings with bible verses were all over the facility. It was amazing to see the hard work and volunteers that have helped put the center together and make it possible to help families out in Guatemala with surgeries that would never be possible without the help of Shalom. After we left the surgery center, we took a “crazy” bus ride through the city to the Nazarene center. People are walking all over the streets (men, women, children). Let’s just saw I saw my life and other peoples life flash before my eyes with the traffic in Guatemala. Once we arrived at the center we checked in our rooms and all hung out with our team. We got the chance to learn about a lot of our members and talk about the culture shock of the things we saw in Guatemala. Now it’s bed time. Big day tomorrow! Full of exciting events at the Orphanage and local hospital.

Mission to Guatemala – Arrival

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Mission to Guatemala 2012
by Tiffany Campbell

Today was our arrival into Guatemala City. After arriving into the airport our whole team was transported by a yellow school  bus to the pediatric Moore Surgery center for lunch and a tour. Driving to the surgery center was nerve wrecking. Traffic rules are more like suggestions here, which is something I personally have never experienced. We received our itinerary for the week, watched a video about the surgery center, and Claudia gave us some words of encouragement for the week. She made it known to us even though we may not be able to speak Spanish, we can smile and give a hug because love is a universal language. After that we were very worn out from getting up so early and flights so we checked in at the Nazarene Seminary where we are staying for the week.

Team Members include: Tamara Garvey, Kelly Brown, Jennifer Tong, Andrea Wheman, Carly Walls, Allison Toole, Lindley Holder, Rachel Haddock, Darcy King, Alison Martin, Amanda Sisco, Morgan King, Aimee Costa, Mary Beth Long, Jami Graham, Constance Taras, Tessa Irwin, Britt Colston, Ashley Ganus, Sheila Robb, Jenna Briggs, Tyler Servedio, Casea Calvert, Tiffany Campbell, Leslie Simmons, Cassandra Goble, Jamie Adam, Natham Adam and Joe Doughty.

Applicants invited for DNP Inaugural Class

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Belmont University School of Nursing invites applications for its inaugural class in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program beginning this Fall.

The application deadline has been extended until June 29, 2012, although admission decisions will be made as soon as individual applications are complete.

The Belmont DNP is a 20-month post-MSN program offered in a hybrid format convenient for working nurse professionals throughout the United States — combining on-campus intensive weekend experiences approximately 4 times each semester with online coursework and interactions.

For 40 years, Belmont has been preparing nurse professionals, this year enrolling nearly 500 BSN and 100 MSN students.  For 7 consecutive years, 100% of Belmont MSN graduates have passed the national FNP certification examination on their first attempt.  This commitment to quality continues with this new advanced degree.

More information about the Belmont DNP is available online at www.belmont.edu/dnp

Students hear from healthcare professionals from Community Health Systems

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Earlier this week, more than 200  Belmont University health science students and faculty attended a lunchtime panel discussion on “Emerging Issues and Hot Topics in Acute Care”  presented by health professionals from Community Health Systems and sponsored by the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing.  The discussion provided students with information about practice changes and new career paths that are developing because of the changes occurring nationally in acute care.

Community Health Systems is a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in the United States. The organization’s affiliates own, operate or lease 134 hospitals in 29 states, with approximately 19,800 beds. Community Health Systems-affiliated hospitals are the sole provider of healthcare services in more than 60 percent of the markets they serve.

Panelists included Barbara Paul, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Community Health Systems, a board certified internist who spent 12 years in fulltime practice before entering administration; Keri McKamey, RN, BSN, Emergency Room Director at Heritage Medical Center in Shelbyville, TN, who has 16 years experience in surgery and emergency nursing; Nina Jackson, RN, MSN, CCRN, Director of Critical Care, Step-Down and Cardiovascular Nursing at Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville, TN, who has over 23 years of critical care/ICU nursing experience;  Vickie Vaughn, RN, CNOR, Director of Surgical Services at Heritage Medical Center, who has over 30 years experience in the healthcare industry; and Jennifer Brandon, MS-CCP/SLP, Director of Rehabilitation Services at Gateway Medical Center, a practicing speech-language pathologist with over 12 years of experience.

“This was an exceptional opportunity for our students to ask questions and interact with practicing healthcare professionals to learn about the workplace they will soon enter,” said Dr. Cathy Taylor, Dean of the College of Health Sciences.

Ashley Pratt, a senior nursing student from Brentwood, said she learned “that nursing is not how it used to be and being able to adapt to changes locally and nationally is an essential part of nursing care today.”   Leslie Vecchio, a second degree nursing student from Nashville, said of the presenters, “it was inspiring to hear them tell their unique stories about how they got to where they are now and it was interesting to hear how the atmosphere on the clinical floor is changing to include more interdisciplinary interaction between practices, and also with patients and families.”  She added, “This really emphasized what we are learning here, the importance of teamwork. “

The Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing is preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals with clinical doctorates in nursing practice, occupational therapy and physical therapy, master’s level programs in occupational therapy and nursing for family nurse practitioners, and undergraduate programs in nursing and social work.  The College of Health Sciences along with the College of Pharmacy is housed at Belmont University in a state-of-the-art complex featuring advanced laboratories, a health services clinic with a teaching pharmacy, and cutting edge patient simulation technology which has earned the College national recognition as a Laerdal Center of Educational Excellence.

Folds receives Presidential Faculty Achievement Award

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Dr. Leslie Folds, associate professor of nursing, was awarded the 2012 Presidential Faculty Achievement Award at Belmont’s spring awards ceremony. The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award is presented each year to a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to student life outside the classroom. The award honors and recognizes excellence in faculty-student relationships, special abilities in meeting student needs – academic, personal and professional – and symbolizes Belmont University’s commitment to being a student-centered institution.

Folds said, “I feel so honored, blessed and humbled to receive the Presidential Faculty Achievement Award and to work at  Belmont University where  the focus for all of us as administrators, faculty and staff is to use our unique gifts to serve students. Every decision I make, I always ask myself ‘How will this impact my students?’”

Also nominated for the award was Dr. Kelley Kiningham from the College of Pharmacy.

Nursing student selected for Belmont’s Second Year Award

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Kelsey Maguire, a sophomore nursing student in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Belmont University Second Year Award.  The award recognizes an outstanding student who demonstrates values of leadership, service, scholarship and faith through actions and relationships which benefit Belmont and the larger community.

Kelsey is founding president of Belmont Nurse’s Christian Fellowship where she leads a weekly support group.  She is also a Towering Traditions leader, an Engaged Scholar, member of the Student Nurse’s Association and lab assistant for the School of Nursing.  She is an active member of Crosspoint Church and serves as assistant coach and choreographer for the Woodland Middle School JV Dance Team.

Kelsey was nominated for the award by Dr. Beth Hallmark and professor Dede Kuhn.   Dr. Hallmark said, “Kelsey makes intentional choices to be honorable and upright; yet she loves others with a grace that is contagious.   I have seen her develop into a maturing young lady who is thinking about the world, Belmont and her own life, and how her actions and beliefs affect all of these things.”

The award will be presented at the university awards convocation on April 18.

Three Health Science professors nominated for University faculty awards

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Three health science professors have recently been nominated as finalists for two Belmont University faculty awards.

Dr. Martha Buckner, professor in the School of Nursing, is one of three finalists for the 2011-12 Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, the highest honor presented annually to a Belmont faculty member.  The award will be presented at graduation ceremonies on May 5th.  Learn more about Dr. Buckner at her profile page.

In addition, Dr. Leslie Folds, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, and Dr. Kelley Kiningham, Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy, have been nominated with two other Belmont faculty members as finalists for the Presidential Faculty Achievement Award for 2011-2012.  This award will be presented at Scholarship and Awards Day on April 18.  The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award recognizes excellence in helping to make Belmont University a student-centered community through their support of our students outside of the classroom.  Learn more about Dr. Folds at her profile page and about Dr. Kiningham at her profile page.

Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Buckner, Dr. Folds and Dr. Kiningham.

Graduate programs in the College of Health Sciences move up in US News rankings

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The three graduate schools in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing were recognized this week when U.S. News & World Report released its 2013 rankings of Best Graduate Schools, a tool to help prospective graduate students better understand the graduate school landscape and to identify programs that would be good fits. The rankings highlight the top programs in health, business, law, medicine, engineering and education, among other specialties.

In the 2013 rankings, Belmont’s Occupational Therapy program jumped from No. 90 last year to No. 58 out of more than 150 universities. Meanwhile, the School of Physical Therapy came in 51st out of nearly 200 other programs, and Belmont’s graduate nursing program was ranked at 234 out of 464 schools.

All the health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline who were asked to rate the academic quality of programs. Those schools with the highest average scores appear in the rankings.

School of Nursing announces new DNP program

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Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing recently announced the start of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Open to nurse practitioners who have already attained a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), the two-year post-MSN to DNP degree offers a flexible online/weekend hybrid curriculum to allow working nurse practitioners to complete their doctorates while maintaining full-time positions. The two-year program is accepting applications now with the first classes scheduled to begin fall 2012.

Dr. Leslie Higgins, a Belmont nursing professor and the director of the graduate studies in nursing program, said, “This new DNP builds on the already established excellence of a Belmont nursing education—in fact, this year the program is celebrating its 40th anniversary. By providing a practice doctorate, we will prepare skilled nurse practitioners to have an immediate impact on their communities, allowing them to apply current research to problems and to implement practical solutions across entire systems.”

Currently, 182 DNP programs exist in the United States, with Belmont offering one of only four Tennessee-based programs. The new program represents Belmont’s fifth doctoral level degree in addition to occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy and law.

Belmont’s School of Nursing receives applications for admission exclusively through the Nursing Central Application Service (NursingCAS), provided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).  Applications must be submitted through the NursingCAS system by May 1, 2012 for consideration for fall 2012 admission.

In addition to being a natural extension of Belmont’s current health science initiatives, the new DNP is also a response to a felt national need. In an October 2010 report titled “The Future of Nursing: Focus on Education,” the Institute of Medicine (IOM) noted that the 2010 Affordable Care Act will require a comprehensive rethinking of the roles and education of nurses:

The ways in which nurses were educated dur­ing the 20th century are no longer adequate for dealing with the realities of health care in the 21st century. As patient needs and care environments have become more complex, nurses need to attain requisite competencies to deliver high-quality care. These competencies include leadership, health policy, system improvement, research and evidence-based practice, and teamwork and col­laboration, as well as competency in specific con­tent areas such as community and public health and geriatrics. Nurses also are being called upon to fill expanding roles and to master technologi­cal tools and information management systems while collaborating and coordinating care across teams of health professionals. To respond to these increasing demands, the IOM committee calls for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and suggests that they be educated in new ways that better prepare them to meet the needs of the pop­ulation.

One of IOM’s primary recommendations in the report was to “Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.” In 2008, only 13.2 percent of the nation’s 3 million nurses held a master’s or doctoral degree.

Belmont Health Science Students and Faculty Participate in Healthcare Interprofessional Case Competition

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Four health science students from Belmont, three from the School of Nursing and one from the College of Pharmacy, recently competed in the annual Interprofessional Clinical Case Competition (ICCC) sponsored by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance in Nashville.

The four students, Danielle Degati, Kate McFarland and Courtney Thompson representing RN nursing and Shanna Harris representing pharmacy, are on teams joining pre-professionals from ten different healthcare disciplines.   Other team members include medical and dentals students from Meharry Medical College; students from medical, nurse practitioner, law, dietetic, divinity, and speech and hearing pathology programs at Vanderbilt University; and pharmacy and graduate social work students from the University of Tennessee.

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College of Health Sciences & College of Pharmacy part of community health fair at Belmont basketball game

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As a show of gratitude to the University’s friends, Belmont opened its arms Jan. 28 with a Community Health Fair in the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb Event Center in conjunction with the men’s and women’s basketball games against Jacksonville. The free fair, co-sponsored by University Health Services, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Pharmacy and Belmont Athletics,  featured 30 booths with blood pressure, body composition and bone density screenings; CPR demonstrations; and information on tobacco cessation, breast cancer awareness, diabetes, healthy eating, self defense and recreation. Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Renfrew Center, Edgehill Community Garden, Edgehill Family Resource Center, YMCA and Real Food Farms had booths.

“Belmont has always been supportive of the community and has done a lot of partnering and programming in the area surrounding campus. This (was) a continuation of those services to share information,” said Director of Health Services Katy Wilson. “Students from all of the health sciences programs, athletics department and fitness and recreation center (were) heavily involved in the fair.” Click here to view photos from the Community Health Fair.

The fair was intended to put wellness and preventive health resources within reach of Belmont’s neighbors and fans with screenings, pamphlets and prizes. Although the event marked the first Community Health Fair at Belmont, it was an extension of the annual Pink Zone through an initiative with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to promote breast cancer awareness. The women’s basketball team wore pink uniforms. Fans received free pink T-shirts and pom poms.

“We have been fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with Susan G. Komen’s Nashville office. They set up a table in the hope of interacting with fans on game day,” Director of Athletics Marketing Jimmy Frush said. “We chose this doubleheader to reach a wide variety of people, ages and genders and to feature the many different programs and departments with Belmont’s Health Sciences. Hopefully, it (delivered) a valuable service to the fans coming to the game.”

Healthcare among professions with the lowest unemployment

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The Education, Healthcare, Business and Professional Services industries have been the most stable employers for recent college graduates.  That is according to a new report by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.

Unemployment rates are relatively low (5.4 percent) for recent college students who majored in Healthcare and Education because these majors are attached to stable or growing industry sectors. Recent graduates in Psychology and Social Work have relatively low unemployment rates (7.3 percent) nearly half work in Healthcare and Education. More than 60 percent of these recent college graduates who are working have landed in the Healthcare, Professional Contracting Businesses or Education sectors.  Students with advanced healthcare degrees fared even better.   Check out the full report for more information.

Dr. Cathy Taylor appointed Dean of College of Health Sciences & Nursing

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Dr. Cathy Taylor, DrPH, MSN, RN, has been named as the new dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University. Taylor currently serves as the assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Services Administration where she oversees delivery of traditional public health and primary care services in 89 rural counties and contracted services with Tennessee’s six metropolitan health departments. Dr. Taylor will begin her new position at Belmont on Feb. 1, 2012.

“Belmont’s outstanding reputation for excellence and commitment to teaching and service makes this the perfect fit for me and the logical choice for students, faculty and partners dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of our beautiful city and beyond,” said Taylor. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served Tennesseans and the Department of Health, and I am honored to join the Belmont team at this time of extraordinary growth and potential to produce the next generation of exceptionally talented health care professionals.”

“Dr. Taylor has done excellent work for the Tennessee Department of Health and for the health of the citizens of Tennessee,” said Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “We will miss her leadership, but we are excited for Dr. Taylor in her new role at Belmont University where she will stay nearby, grooming students for careers in population health in Tennessee and around the nation.”

As the chief academic and executive officer of Belmont’s College of Health Sciences & Nursing, Taylor will be responsible for the programmatic leadership, financial management, personnel administration and planning and development for the College.

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “Dr. Taylor brings to this position a perfect combination of high-level healthcare experience, proven leadership ability and eager enthusiasm for educating tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. I am confident that her expertise and commitment will build on the College of Health Sciences and Nursing’s already exceptional quality and reputation.”

In her current position, Taylor has directed development and implementation of successful statewide tobacco cessation and diabetes prevention programs and increased public, private and academic partnerships aimed at improving the health of Tennesseans. As a consultant to China’s Ministry of Health, she contributed to the re-design of China’s rural health care delivery system. Prior to joining the Department of Health, Taylor chaired the board for the Tennessee Center for Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement and served as an assistant professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and as director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Disease Management Program. She has held administrative and clinical positions at Alvin C. York VAMC, served in nursing director and supervisor positions at Fentress County Hospital, Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Hendersonville Community Hospital, and as a public health nurse in Fentress and Rutherford Counties. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is the recipient of a number of grants and awards.

Taylor earned a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Tennessee-Memphis, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama-Huntsville and a Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University in 2005.

Harvey presents at national nurse practitioner conference

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Dr. Carrie Harvey, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, recently presented at the national clinical conference of the American College of Nurse Practitioners in Denver, Colorado.  Over 200 health professionals attended her session entitled, “A Systematic Approach to 12 Lead ECG Interpretation.”  The session provided the nurse practitioner with a systematic approach to interpreting the 12 lead ECG. Participants were briefed on major physiologic underpinnings using actual case studies and electrocardiograms.  Normal and abnormal 12 lead ECGs were reviewed and a stepwise interpretation
approach was introduced.

Wofford named principal co-investigator for community health project

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Dr. Linda Wofford, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, recently was named as co-principal investigator for Project Diabetes, an eleven-month grant from the State of Tennessee to impact obesity rates and diabetes incidence in the high risk African American school-aged population.

The grant will evaluate an existing after-school program at McGruder Family Resource Center in north Nashville, and will include participation from Belmont undergraduate and graduate nursing students.  The program uses the CASTLES curriculum to help the children increase their physical activity, develop skills to improve nutritional choices, and improve self-esteem related to school performance.  In addition to evaluation of the existing after-school program, the long-term focus is to impact a community identified need (increasing childhood obesity) with a sustainable community-based program.

The program includes several community partners:  McGruder Family Resource Center, United Way, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Vanderbilt Center for Health Services, and Belmont University School of Nursing.

College of Health Sciences hosts health fair

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Fourth-year pharmacy student Elizabeth Cain spent Wednesday morning using free hand sanitizer to lure passers-by to visit her peers at Belmont’s first Health Fair. The fair offered an unprecedented opportunity for Cain’s classmates to gain hands-on experience while on campus, she said.

“This is a great opportunity for students to test their skills, give flu shots and glucose tests. It is a great way for us to share our knowledge,” said Cain while volunteering at the fair. “It is a free service with informative information, and it showcases the graduate schools that are taking part.”

Students and faculty from the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing joined with University Health Services to host the five-hour Health Fair which put wellness and preventive health resources within reach of employees and students with free health screenings, pamphlets and prizes. The event in the McWhorter Hall and the Inman Center lobbies marked the launch of a year of monthly seminars on health and wellness as well as current events in health care. It also showed people the unique resources we have right here on our campus, said Director of Health Services Katy Wilson.

“We wanted to make people aware of programs we have and wellness opportunities in the Belmont community,” said Christin Murphy, a graduate assistant in the Department of Fitness and Recreation. She took the body mass index of people who stopped at her booth and encouraged them to lower their numbers by signing up for personal training sessions and fitness classes in Beaman.

“It is important to get out to students that health care is important at any age. This fair could persuade undergrads to consider careers in the health sciences field,” said fourth-year pharmacy student Amanda Harris.

“We are developing a drug education program and need to conduct surveys on drug abuse on college campuses,” said third-year pharmacy student Jaime Tausend, also head of Generation Rx, a patient care project through the American Pharmacy Association that educates people about prescription drug abuse prevention. “The fair lets me reach out to college kids I would not see in the community and get the word out to faculty and staff to help us jump start our program”

The Health Fair coincided with lectures on bath salt abuse, building relationships with healthcare providers and total-body wellness for colleges students. During “10 Things Every College Student Needs to Know About Their Health,” physical therapy students discussed healthy eating, gym etiquette and sleep deprivation as well as shared free smart phone applications to help students tract their calorie intake and jogging routes.

Opportunities throughout the day included: blood pressure, glucose, lipids and bone density screenings; backpack awareness and CPR demonstrations; and information on tobacco cessation, breast cancer awareness, counseling, healthy eating, self defense and recreation.

Wilson said Health Services plans to host a similar health fair during a spring basketball game to reach Belmont’s neighbors and sports fans.

School of Nursing faculty members co-author published article

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Dr. Beth Hallmark and Dr. Sharon Dowdy are co-authors of an article published this month in Nursing Education Perspectives, a bi-monthly journal of the National League for Nursing.  Dr. Hallmark is director of the College of Health Sciences Simulation Center and Dr. Dowdy is an associate professor in the School of Nursing.

The study explored the effects of deliberate practice on the retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) psychomotor skills among nursing students. The practice sessions were short, six minutes a session one time a month. Differences in performance between students who had deliberate practice and a control group, with no practice beyond the initial training, were compared every three months for one year. The intervention group performed better than the control over the 12 months. There is a need in nursing education for deliberate practice of relevant and high-use skills for students to improve their performance and gradually develop their expertise.

The article can be viewed at the National League for Nursing website.

Belmont Nursing Students Excel in Summer Program at Vanderbilt Medical Center

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VESNIP2011A.jpgFor the past five weeks 22 Belmont nursing students participated in a summer internship program called Vanderbilt Experience: Student Nurse Internship Program (VESNIP) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center along with students from other regional nursing programs. Six Belmont nursing students were awarded the highest honors at the culminating awards ceremony held last Friday July 8, 2011 in the Teaching and Learning Center at Vanderbilt. Of the twelve total awards given, six went to Belmont students. Chelsea Stevens and Kathryn Russ received Credo awards, Christopher Russell received a People Pillar award, Emily Tice received the Evidence-Based Practice Award (which came with one-year access to the VUMC biomedical library), Chelsea Shirley (pictured at right with James Barnett, Director of the VESNIP program) received an award for fulfilling all five of VUMC’s pillars, and Katherine McFarland received the Nightingale award for overall professional leadership.
Chelsea Shirley was singled out for her quick thinking in a crisis situation. According to her preceptor, Ms. Shirley “stopped us from giving Amidate because she remembered he [the patient] had an allergy… It was quick thinking and she said it loudly enough for the team to hear. Her preceptor, other nurses, and I want to reward her for an action that prevented an allergic reaction that causes seizures.”
This is the seventh year of the VESNIP program. The program began as a partnership between Belmont School of Nursing and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, an outgrowth of Dr. Leslie Fold’s dissertation work. Dr. Folds leads Belmont’s efforts in the program and noted that “the caliber of students who are participating has increased each year.” It has now expanded to a total of 62 students from four area nursing schools. The VESNIP positions are very competitive and are considered elite opportunities for students from around the region.
All 2011 VESNIP participants from Belmont University are pictured below.
VESNIP2011B.jpg

Health sciences students serve at local community health fair

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Earlier this spring, students from the College of Health Sciences served at a health fair at the I.W. Gernert High-Rise in Nashville’s Edgehill community. Students from the School of Pharmacy explained and recruited individuals for a pharmacy needs assessment and students from the School of Nursing did respiratory system assessments and patient education. The health fair was planned and executed in part by members of the Nursing Education Partnering for Community Health Improvement (NEPCHi). Dr. Ruby Dunlap, Associate Professor of Nursing at Belmont, is chair of NEPCHi for 2011 and coordinated student participation in the health fair. In addition to Belmont’s College of Health Sciences, partners with NEPCHi include Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Tennessee State University School of Nursing, Metro Public Health Department, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, and Tennessee State’s Extension services. NEPCHi is also facilitating a joint pharmacy study by Vanderbilt School of Nursing, Belmont School of Pharmacy, and the Edgehill community leadership.

A Plea for Help

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
Sihanouk HospitalFriends, family, and colleagues,
Those of you who have kept up with this blog know that our experiences here at Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH) have been invaluable. From day one, we were welcomed with open arms and unbelievably warm hearts. The nurses and staff here have given us more experiences and love than we could have dreamed. We had the privilege of being the recipients of these generous hearts for three weeks, but the patients that depend on SHCH for medical and nursing care get that love every day.
It is with great sadness that we report that after 15 years of serving Cambodia’s poor, Sihanouk Hospital is facing a significant financial crisis. Losing some of its greatest benefactors to the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan, SHCH is at a crossroads. They give hope to the people of Cambodia who are unable to pay for needed medical care. The employees and staff that have become our friends and extended family give 100% of themselves to this organization every day because they believe in what they do. They will soon be out of work. The nursing and pharmacy students who have been lucky enough to visit over the years have been witness to the unbelievable quality of care given by SHCH’s health care team. The experiences they’ve had have changed and will continue to change their lives forever, but if the hospital closes, new classes and generations of Belmont students will never have the chance.
We are sending out a plea to any and all people who have benefited from Belmont’s Cambodia mission, be it former students, family members who have seen what an impact this experience has had on your loved ones, or blog readers who are moved by what you read here. We know how important SHCH has been to this country and just cannot stand to see it disappear. We truly believe that God sent us here for a reason, and this is it. This is how we can give back to Cambodia what it has given to us. Together, we can save the hospital! In order to keep the hospital at full capacity, we are setting a fundraising goal of $200,000 – an amount that, in the grand scheme of things, is a small price to pay for all the good things done here, and an amount that with God’s help can be exceeded. If we know just 200 people that could give $1000 a piece, we can save the hospital and the community of hope built by SHCH.
We reach out to you – those we know care about the people of Cambodia – to rise to the occasion! Please find it in your hearts to donate – even the smallest amount brings us that much closer to our goal. Also, share this page with your friends and family by copying this message to your Facebook page!
Follow this link to donate: https://www.hopeww.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=749
(Please be sure to include “Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE – Belmont University” in the comment box under “Additional Information”)
Never-ending thanks for the love and support you have given us!
Sincerely,
The 2011 Belmont Cambodia Mission Team

Surviving the “Dry Season”

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Rachel Franks, School of Pharmacy
Rachel - WaterfallThis is my very first blogging experience so please bear with me! I am excited to be able to blog about today, somewhat because it’s my birthday, but mainly because of what an AMAZING day we had. We are in the distant Ratanakiri province and after having to endure the 12 hour bus ride on a bumpy dirt road to get here, our day today has made it worth every mile. We had a very adventurous day!
We began our day by eating breakfast poolside. I would describe our hotel as a resort in the middle of a tropical garden. The buildings were carved out wood and the grounds were filled with deep green leaves and bright pink and orange flowers.
Our first adventure was swimming in a waterfall. We were so excited to be able to go swimming because the climate in Cambodia is extremely hot and humid. I am originally from Florida and I thought it was hot and humid there, little did I know, it can actually be worse! The waterfall was surreal like something from a movie set. The water felt great! Since we were the only one’s there it felt like our own secret playground. We swam around and climbed on the rocks. Some students claimed they could feel fish gently nibbling on their legs and feet. Luckily, this did not happen to me!

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Farewell for now…

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Suzanne Hutson, Nursing Student
As the week comes to an end our group is met with a bitter-sweet feeling. We must say goodbye to our new friend Cambodia and say hello again to our loved ones.
Today we said goodbye to our wonderful friends at the hospital. One of the nurses made us a feast that was served Cambodian style, called “hot pot”. There is a hot plate with a pot of broth in the middle of the table with vegetables, meats, noodles, and other yummy things such as pork rinds to put in the pot for cooking. It was a huge meal and we shared it with our friends who showed their immense appreciation. We tried to express our gratitude to them since we have found them to be truly servant-hearted, gracious, generous and full of love. We were showered with gifts. Different team members expressed their feelings and explained that our experience here in Cambodia has been one full of love. The main highlight that most everyone from the 2011 team shares about this country is the love. We can sure learn from this abundance of love!

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Back in Phnom Penh

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Cody Chlasta, Nursing Student
Arm Wrestle
We are back in Phnom Penh and starting home visits outside the city while the rest of the group is working in the hospital. Today was my first day back in the hospital since arriving from Ratanakiri. My clinical experience today was spent in the OR where I was able to witness a surgery on a patient who had been cut by a large knife or sword on both hands. It is only the second surgery I have seen, but I would like to try and compare and contrast the two. First of all the one I saw in the U.S. was an open heart surgery while the one I witness here in Cambodia was a reconstruction of the patients hands and wrists, so the surgeries had many procedural differences already. The surgery here had already started when I arrived in the OR. The surgeon started work on the left hand where he needed to fix two broken fingers through the use of screws and repairing tendons in the wrist. The same was done for the patient’s right hand as well. From what I saw everything the surgeon did for the patient here would have been done for a patient in the U.S. But like I said I have not witnessed this type of surgery yet in the United States. As for the staff in the room it was very much the same as in the U.S minus the perfusionist who is used in an open heart surgery and was not needed for this procedure. There was a first assistant who was helping the surgeon directly with the surgery whether it was cutting sutures or helping with moving the patient’s body into the correct position. There was also the anesthesiologist who monitored the patient’s vitals and another nurse assisting with supplies and lighting. Compared to the surgery I witnessed in the U.S I would say there is not much difference except for maybe the equipment here is slightly older. I left the OR feeling fascinated about how much they can repair the body after such extensive damage.

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Perspective of an Overwhelmed Soul

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
Arin Turnham, Nursing Student
Small SpaceSo many wonderful experiences occurred today. We all went to church at the Phnom Penh Church of Christ from 9:30 until 12:00. The speaker covered the subject of second chances and used Jonah as a Biblical example of how God seeks people out regardless of what trials and tribulations are happening in our lives. Three different people shared their experiences of second chances and every one of them were very moving. After church, we got to see a man be baptized.
Once we left the church, we then rode the bus to participate in a rice drive for different families who are in need of food for themselves and baby formula for their children. From the second I stepped off the bus and
looked into the eyes of the beautiful people, I was instantly moved. Regardless of what these families lack they expressed a happiness that I have never witnessed before. Boys around the age of 7 were holding their infant-aged siblings as if they were their fathers. Every child took care of one another. Many of the breathtaking mothers are currently pregnant. I met one woman who was holding a baby and is expecting her 9th child within the next few months. Another woman has four children and has not received contact from her husband since the last time she saw him four months ago when he left for work as a fisherman. She and her family live in a two room house that is the size of many living rooms in a middle class American home. This woman
held such dignity and optimism when I was around her, and it really amazed me that she could have such a beautiful outlook on life when it seemed like she was in a binding situation. It was truly moving.

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Saturday

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Daniel Stirling, Pharmacy Class of 2013
On Saturday the group woke up early and made a short but interesting drive from Stung Treng to Kratie. There we witnessed a true rarity, freshwater dolphin. In Cambodia these playful and enigmatic creatures number less than 100. A boat ride on the Mekong let us observe them upfront and in person. We then headed back to Phnom Penh, our Cambodian home away from home. By the time we reached our destination we were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from the previous days, but, as we have recently become accustomed too, had little time to rest. In this case we were all very glad for this as we were treated to an amazing home cooked meal from Ohmpea, Susan Taplin’s driver and dear friend. Not only were we provided with various dishes including chicken, fish, noodles, but we heard great stories and singing from Ohmpea himself. It was refreshing to see the bond Susan and Ohmpea had with each other, a true friendship that neither time nor distance could hinder; a friendship that should be an example to all of us.