On a given afternoon, high school students taking part in the University’s allied health program could find themselves practicing their running stitch on a raw chicken or working on a “patient” in the simulation lab at Noble Hospital in Westfield.
In this seven-day offering, future doctors, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, phlebotomists and EMTs interact with Noble’s allied health professionals and have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the health care industry. They hear what pneumonia sounds like, take blood pressure readings and listen to heart rhythms.
“Students have a real hands-on experience,” says Professor Karen Manning, Chair of the Nursing Program, noting this is just one of the new offerings in the University’s Nursing Program, which is scheduled to graduate its first class in May.
“So many things have happened this year,” Manning says.
In October 2013, the program received full accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The three-day survey examined and evaluated the Westfield State curriculum, faculty, administration, practice partners and feedback from students and faculty, among many other factors.
Securing the accreditation was critical to the first graduating class. “It is very important that nursing students graduate from an accredited program. It is not only necessary for their career, but also needed to continue their education,” says Manning.
Other accomplishments in the program include the first international trip to Guatemala in March, which allowed students important clinical experience. Partnering with a church, students set up a tent to reach out to the community, including the homeless population. They distributed toothbrushes and hand-sanitizing products while also instructing the public about health issues, from diabetes to stress management.
“We are going global,” says Manning.
A new mentoring program has also been initiated, pairing a senior nursing student with an incoming nursing student. “The pair begins communicating before the freshman even arrives on campus,” says Manning.
The mentoring is part of the seniors’ Nursing Leadership course, which enhances the experience for both freshmen and seniors, because freshmen get a full, enriching orientation while seniors have the chance to review their experiences by discussing them.
Manning explains, “They have to meet face to face within the first month of school, and the seniors are required to write a paper on their mentorship.”
“We now have a nursing club that is very active,” adds Manning. “They have done a lot of fundraising for the Boston Marathon survivors as well as for their first pinning ceremony.” Manning says the close-knit group of nursing students enjoys getting together.
As graduation approaches, the students will be launched with a broad knowledge spectrum, so they can choose whatever specialty they prefer.
“A lot of the first cohort transferred into the program, so they have been in college five to six years. They are ready to graduate,” says Manning emphatically.
By the time the first class of 21 students graduates, they will have completed a 200-hour internship during their last semester. Manning adds, “We try to place them in their medical area of interest whenever possible.”
The students will graduate with plenty of clinical experience. “Our strong relationship with Noble Hospital in Westfield has been wonderful,” says Manning. The simulation lab is located between their medical and cardiac unit, so the students are couched in an actual medical environment. “Because we are there every day, the students have such a great rapport with the Noble staff.”
Looking ahead, the Nursing Program plans to offer opportunities for registered nurses to earn bachelor of science in nursing degrees and licensed practical nurses to study to become registered nurses. These initiatives are slated to be part-time studies, with completion within two years.
While females still outnumber males, Westfield State has a higher percentage of male students than other similar programs. “The special thing for me is how close the students are to each other,” says Manning. “Whether they are in the simulation lab, at a clinical or in class, they are always helping each other.”
The following are snapshots of two students in the Nursing Program’s first graduating class. By Claudia Moore-O’Brien M.Ed. ’00.
ERIC TUVELL ’14
Eric Tuvell ’14, from Reading, started at Westfield State as a biology major in the fall of 2009 and transferred into the then “new” nursing program a year later because he had an EMT license and was interested in pursuing a career as a paramedic.
“I’m glad I made the switch,” says Tuvell, a 2012 recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership. “The professors in the program are awesome.”
As a nursing student, Tuvell led the Nursing Club. “Pretty much all the nursing students are involved in the club—even students who are not officially in the club often participate in club fundraising and other activities,” he says.
Tuvell says of his future, “I’m hoping to work in the intensive care unit at a teaching hospital. After gaining some experience, I’d like to get involved in either critical care transports or helicopter/flight nursing, such as Life Flight. At some point, I might be going for my master’s degree.”
Working collaboratively with other students was Tuvell’s favorite aspect of the program. “I also really enjoyed helping instruct students in the EMT class,” he adds.
JOSEPHINE LANNON ’14
“My older brother, John Lannon ’12, told me about the nursing program back in 2010. My grandmother, for whom I’m named but whom I never met, was an Air Force nurse. So, in a way, I felt like it was my destiny,” says Josephine Lannon ’14.
She says this fate was also reinforced in 2009, when her brother was hospitalized after a serious car accident. “He is still alive today because of the nursing care he received, and that was extremely influential in my decision to become a nurse,” she says.
An Amesbury native, Lannon says, “The professors and staff who have built this program have put their whole hearts into it. They are smart, caring and compassionate teachers who push us, guide us and value student input as the program grows.”
Eventually, Lannon, a 2013 recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership would like to earn a master’s degree in nursing and “move up the clinical ladder.” For now, following graduation, she looks forward to working in a hospital setting near her hometown.
She says, “I feel fortunate to be a part of the Westfield State University’s Nursing Class of 2014.”
