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Nursing News

The spring 2020 semester will be like no other that our team has ever experienced!

The corona virus pandemic also known as COVID-19 struck our nation and the entire world! Nurses are resilient! We converted our face-to-face lectures to online delivery practically overnight! Our pre-licensure programs have 10 semesters of “hands-on” clinical courses in several agencies in our community of interest across the Commonwealth. In a mo-ment’s notice our classes were placed online, students received lectures using delivery systems such as WebEx and Zoom. Our clinical courses converted to alternative delivery modes; virtual clinical simulation, case studies. Elders and persons with pre-existing conditions (co-morbidity) are at higher risk for contracting this virus. Scientist are working on developing an immunization. These facts along with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) created the need for special precautions for vulnerable patients. Health care agencies asked that the public not visit persons in nursing homes and long-term care centers; thereby, precluding student clin-ical rotations. Other facilities were concerned with conserving PPE. As a result of these issues the Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN) relaxed the rules associated with clinical learning. The KBN met with nurse admin-istrators across the Commonwealth of Kentucky and shared nursing programs were allowed to have virtual clinical experiences. Nursing faculty shifted into high gear and offered virtual clinical simulation experiences for the remaining six weeks of the spring 2020 semester. The spring semester brought many visitors to the CHER Building prior to the pandemic. We held a very suc-cessful Nursing Showcase with 100 students from many different high schools in Eastern Kentucky. Some brought their parents and they received program information from Drs. Clevenger and McClave. Students en-joyed “hands-on” experiences with taking vital signs, using pulse oximeters, wearing an empathy belly

(simulate pregnancy), cardiac arrest simulation (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), childbirth simulation, and use of otoscopes and ophthalmo-scopes. As you read this newsletter you will learn how our nursing faculty, stu-

dents and alumni assisted our community in this time of crisis. I am very proud to be a part of this team! On a moment’s notice we converted cours-es in all of our nursing programs to meet the challenges associated with a

worldwide pandemic that will be a part of the rich history for the More-head State University Department of Nursing.

Dr. Lynn C. Parsons Department Chair

In this Issue… Welcome from the Chair………………1

AASN Coordinator News.…..………...2

BSN Coordinator News...……………..3

Online Programs Coordinator News….4

Covid-19………………………………7

Welcome from the Chair

News from the AASN Coordinators 2

Greetings from Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Program

(AASN). The AASN is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education (ACEN) and has had a very busy year preparing for our continuing accreditation visit October 6-8, 2020. AASN faculty mem-bers attended the ACEN Self Study Forum held in Chicago in Octo-ber.

NURA 115 students participated in a Pediatric Service Learning event at Rowan County High School in fall 2019. Students in Dr. Teresa Fer-guson’s class created interactive evidence based projects on topics such

as bullying and peer pressure, hand hygiene, ATV safety, suicide prevention, and healthy snacks, etc. Spring 2020 brought many challenges with Covid-19, a world-wide pandemic and transitioning to online learn-

ing. We would like to com-

mend our students, faculty, clinical instructors and staff for the excellence transition to

Dr. Teresa Howell, DNP, RN, CNE

Program Coordinator

Dr. Teresa Ferguson DNP, RN, CNE

Assistant Coordinator AASN Mt. Sterling Campus

Where are you now?

We are interested in our alumni, all gradu-ates of MSU Nursing programs. Please take a moment to tell us where you are in your

personal and professional life. Send an email with your updated name, number,

current employment, and current location! Direct your email to Becki Alfrey,

re.alfrey@moreheadstate.edu.

Name_________________________________________ Maiden Name________________________________

Spouse’s Name____________________________ Maiden Name_________________ MSU Class Yr______

Mailing Address_____________________________________________________________________________

City_____________________________________________________ State______________ Zip_____________

E-mail Address_________________________________________________ Tel._________________________

Employment Information:

Business Name__________________________________________________ Title_______________________

Business Address____________________________________________________________________________

City_______________________________________________________ State_____________ Zip____________

E-mail Address___________________________________________________ Tel._______________________

NURA 115 class at the Rowan County Senior High School Health Fair

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AASN faculty members, Tonya Kenne-dy, Dr. Lauren Bates, Dr. Teresa How-ell, Christa Thompson, and Dr. Teresa Ferguson attended the ACEN Self-Study Forum in Chicago.

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News from the BSN Coordinator

Greetings from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program! As we

close out the spring semester and prepare for the start of the fall semester, I wanted to share an update regarding our BSN program!

Admissions We accepted 26 students in our January 2020 cohort and we look forward to watching them develop and find their passion in nursing over the next few years. We have also filled all 60 seats available for our August 2020 cohort. Graduate Recognition Ceremony

On Friday May 8, 2020, the BSN program hosted its first virtual Graduate Recognition Ceremony via We-bEx. Program faculty and staff were honored to recognize and welcome our 21 BSN graduates into the pro-fession. We also recognized a number of program award winners (BECKI WILL YOU DIRECT READERS TO WHERE YOU PLACE THE AWARD WINNERS AND GRADUATES?) 2020 NCLEX Passage Rate The BSN program continues to offer quality programming for students from the service region and beyond. The BSN program had their first December (2019) graduates since expanding their program in Spring 2017 and we are pleased to report that all 15 pre-licensure graduates the BSN program were successful on their first NCLEX attempt. Therefore, our December 2019 graduates had a 100% passage rate. We are very proud of our graduates and their contribution to the region! We are in hopes that our May 2020 graduates will fol-low suit and we can report those same results in the fall! Accreditation The BSN program maintains accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through April 2025. Currently, the BSN faculty are working on the required mid-cycle Continuous Improve-ment Progress Report (CIPR) that is due in December.

Dr. Kim Clevenger BSN Program Coordinator

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Congratula-tions to Made-line Wilson, Haley Mills, Ariana Jack-son, Olivia Ritchie, Abi-gail Dietsch and Rachel Branham as reward recipi-ents for the spring 2020 graduating class!

Dr. Lucy Mays Online Programs Coordinator

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Family Nurse Practitioner Program

(FNPP), with a primary care focus graduated a cohort of nine students December 2019 and an additional five students this May. These students have completed 600 practicum hours and course work to enable them to sit for certification exams. There are currently 52 active students enrolled in the MSN Program. The MSN maintains accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The next CCNE site visit will be scheduled for Fall 2023. There are currently 65 students enrolled in the Post-licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program. We had twelve December 2019 graduates and nineteen May 2020 gradu-ates from the Post-licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program. We are very proud of our graduates and look forward to seeing the positive contributions they make to the health care environment. Please join us in congratulating the award recipients and graduates for spring 2020 in both the Masters and

RN-BSN cohorts!

News from the Online Programs Coordinator 4

Congratulations Alicia Stidam, Tara Cruse, Court-ney Addison, Rachel Cole and Samantha Schnei-der!!

Congratulations to Rachel Cole and Samantha Schneider as award recipients!

Congratulations Hannah Howard, Misti Fannin, Te-resa Gevedon, Olivia Hafer, Allie Lester, Savannah O’Neill, Felicia Richards, Chelsey Shepherd, Lindsay Cox, Keishia Fraley, Angela Gilespie, Dena Jefferson, Danielle Minix, Joshua Perry, Thomas Schrader, Charles Smith and Kenna Waddell!

Congratulations to Teresa Gevedon, Joshua Perry and Savannah O’Neill as award recipi-ents!

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NURA 115 Class at Ro-wan County Senior High

School Health Fair

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AASN Award Recipients for the spring 2020 semester are from left to right:

Kaylee Davis-Excellence in Simulation –Morehead campus Elizabeth Rooney– Highest Program Comprehensive Award

Nicole Garcia- Community Service Award Sarah Arnett– Excellence in Simulation-Mt. Sterling campus & Art of Nursing

Congratulations to the spring 2020 graduates of the Morehead State Uni-versity Associate Applied Science in Nursing! They are: Sarah Arnett, LaRanda Ballard, Zoe Boggs, Dillon Burberry, Emily Caskey, Paige Clark, Kaylee Davis, Sa-vannah Dillon, Karley Donovan, Cassandra Frederick, Nicole Garcia, Erika Hatfield, Kristian Jordan, Adriana Kretzer, Quinn Lehmann, Jordan Moore, Elizabeth Rooney, Lacy Schnitzler, Karen Sebey, Crystal Donathan-Smith, Ashley Sparks, Haylee Stachon, Alexan-dria Stephens, Brooke Taylor, Andrea Webb, Keely Wheatley and Kay-la Young! Again, con-gratulations on your graduation!

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Congratulations to the spring 2020 Bachelor of Science in Nursing Graduates! Graduates are: Hay-ley Back, Helyna Bissell, Ashley Bowling, Rachel Branham, Sydney Chadwell, Abby Dietsch, Holly Haskins, Ben Hill, Aaron Hutchinson, Arianna Jackson, Sydney Logan, Ashlee Manns, Alex Meador, Haley Mills, Kaitlin Moore, Olivia Moore, Michaela Oaks, Olivia Ritchie, Sarah Setzer, Cheyenne Wells and Madeline Wilson! Again, congrats on your graduation!

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Nursing News is published by the

Department of Nursing

Morehead State University CHER 201

316 W 2nd St. Morehead, KY 40351

Tel. 606-783-2296 Fax. 606-783-9104

www.moreheadstate.edu/nursing

COVID-19

COVID-19 has had a worldwide impact. The Depart-ment of Nursing at Morehead State University rose to the occasion to adapt to a changing learning environ-ment and healthcare delivery system. The pre-licensure programs transitioned to an online format for delivery of theory and a large portion of clinical content. Exam-ples of this included: The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Program students transitioned to the online environment through MSU Live via WebEx on Blackboard. Clinical experi-ences were provided through the use of Kaplan mid-fidelity virtual simulation and vSim® for Nursing. vSim® is designed to simulate real nursing scenarios and permits students to interact with patients in a safe, lifelike online environment. These adaptive, interactive vir-tual simulations provided personalized feedback and a full simulation learning experience for every student to promote confidence and competence in patient-centered care. Students would meet with clinical instructors via ZOOM for a 30-minute preconference, complete the simulation, and then meet via ZOOM for a 30-minute de-briefing and post-conference. After this students would complete a plan of care for their virtual patient. The Pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program students completed the remainder of their clinical requirements via Lippincott CoursePoint Plus vSim. BSN students were already familiar with the use of this product as it was already embedded within their courses; with the exception of two. This product simulated nursing scenarios that were co-developed by Laerdal and Wolters Kluwer. This product allowed students to interact with patients in a safe, realistic virtual environment and helped rein-force the lessons of prioritization and clinical decision-making skills. On student’s regularly scheduled clinical day, clinical faculty conducted pre and post conferences and students discussed the care of their simulated pa-tients; just as they would have during a regular patient care day. Students were also required to complete an assessment and develop a plan of care for their simulated patients. Students also utilized Evolve Case Studies to aid in the completion of their clinical hours for the semester. Approximately 86% of our NURB 499 Practicum students had completed the Kentucky Board of Nursing’s (KBN) required 120 hour practicum. In addition to KBN’s requirement, the BSN program requires an addition-al 60 hours. Practicum students obtained the remainder of their practicum hours in the same manner as de-scribed above. The Post-licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program students had completed clinical requirements by the time Kentucky mandates for social distancing were in place and continued online delivery of programming as usual. The MSN Program requires 200 practicum hours in each of three practicum courses for a total of 600 practi-cum hours. Some students were able to complete practicum experiences in previously assigned health care fa-cilities. Other students were displaced due to closure of health care facilities and furlough of health care pro-viders. The MSN Faculty worked with students to continue practicum related learning activities for those dis-placed from practicum. Numerous simulations were presented via WebEx and structured around a typical pri-mary care encounter. Patients presented with a chief complaint. Students then collected a history of present ill-ness, completed a review of symptoms and had to request patient findings related to physical assessment. Stu-dents then developed a differential diagnosis and a plan. Simulations were detailed and included diagnostic testing results with student interpretation. SOAP note development and submission were the final component of the simulations. These simulations included a telehealth COVID-19 patient, chest pain, shoulder pain, well woman and unintended pregnancy and well child. One hypothyroidism simulation was developed by a student, who posed as the patient. Students responded very positively to this adapted learning environment and evaluat-ed the experience favorably. Not only were these simulations a good learning experience, but a good way to network with students, with an added benefit of entertainment.

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Nurses with ties to MSU at epicenter of pandemic (from Morehead State News)

With more than 160,000 confirmed cases, New York City has become the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak of the corona-virus (COVID-19). Medical professionals from across the nation have gone to the city to offer support to its exhausted healthcare workers, and two nurses connected to Morehead State are among those who’ve traveled to New York to lend a hand. Tim Smallwood is a student in MSU’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program who will graduate in December. Smallwood is working at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center. Small-wood said he wanted to work in New York because he wanted to be of use in the place he was needed the most. He contacted a medical staffing agency and was able to get the job at Maimoni-des. “I reached out to see where the biggest need was,” said Smallwood. “The way the media was going on about all the cas-es and the nurses being overwhelmed, I wanted to help.”

Smallwood said he’s learning a lot while serving patients in Brooklyn, but one of the greatest les-sons he’s learning is to be a good patient advocate, working with doctors and other medical pro-fessionals to provide compassionate care for patients. He said it’s challenging work because he must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and the treatment protocol for COVID-19 pa-tients is new. He said the work takes an emotional toll because patients must be so isolated. “It’s a sad situation because there’s no family there for the patients,” he said.

In terms of his safety, Smallwood said he’s aware of the risks but is taking all the precautions he can to keep himself safe. “I do have concerns because I know the virus doesn’t discriminate,” he said. “Right now, I know I’m healthy, and those people need me. They need people there to give them the treatment and care they deserve.” Across the East River, Jessica Glinski-Elliott is working at New York Health + Hospital/Coler on Roosevelt Island, a nursing home that was renovated to treat COVID-19 patients who are recovering and have been taken off ventilators. She graduated from MSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) pre-licensure program in 2012 and is a doctoral nurs-ing student at Valparaiso University. Before the pandemic, she was an oncology nurse at Porter Regional Hospital in her hometown of Valparaiso, Indiana. Glinski-Elliott said she decided to go to New York to help after talking to a friend who had been recruited to work in New York by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “It was an opportunity for me to come here and help,” she said. “We’re all transplants, the workers who came here to help are from all different states. This is something I really wanted to do.” Glinski-Elliott said that although the patients she works with are improving, they still have COVID-19 and are still con-tagious, and therefore must be isolated. Patients are assigned four to a room in the facility where she works, and there are no televisions or comfort features, making isolation even more difficult for patients. “It’s really sad because they are unable to talk with their families,” Glinski-Elliott said. “They’re just people at the end of the day, and they’re lonely and they need help. I see them getting better and hopefully, the next step for them is get-ting discharged to go home.” Like all hospitals, the facility where Glinski-Elliott works is short on PPE supplies and other essential equipment. She said this has caused her to realize how much modern nursing relies on technology and added that the current situation requires nurses to think outside the box to make the most of what they have to treat patients. “Every day is a new challenge to overcome, and I feel like I’m growing as a nurse,” she said. For more information about nursing programs at MSU, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/nursing,

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(left) MSN students meet via WebEX with instructors for simulations while facilities are closed to students. (right) Jacki Byrd is a student in NURG 635: Practicum I in the MSN Program. She developed a simulation over a patient with malaise/fatigue. Other practicum students worked through collection of the history of present illness, family history, past medical history, review of symptoms, physical assessment and developed a plan of care. The other practicum students were on tar-get and correctly diagnosed and treated hypothyroidism! As you can see from the picture, Jacki really got into the patient role. This was a great learning experience and was quite entertaining!

Since the middle of March, both the Academic Counseling Coordinator, Carla Aagaard, and the Regional Aca-demic Counseling Coordinator, Lorrina White, are busy connecting with pre-licensure and post-licensure stu-dents via email and telephone. They offer the following advice for pre-nursing and nursing students. C onnect with academic advisor O rganize classes and schedules R egister O r iginal work showing honesty and integr ity N ever give up when the “going gets tough” O ptimistic V ested in and committed to being a nurse I magine greatness R est & Relaxation U nited with professors and fellow nursing students S tudy Hard

Nicole Garcia is a 2020 graduate of the AASN program at MSU. She has made over 1,000 masks for various organizations in our area, including St. Claire and other facilities. She is currently working on blue and yellow masks for employees at the Morehead Walmart. Nikki completed hours toward her practicum experience in the ICU at St. Claire until transi-tioning to online courses, and her diligence toward mask-making started there. She states, " I never dreamed when I started that I would make anywhere close to 1000 masks. I just wanted to help my preceptor and the ICU nurses at St. Claire. Then OB wanted some and it just grew from there."

Last week she made 75 in one day. Prior to her mask-making, she focused her services on making blankets for the St. Claire OB unit. She stated that prior to beginning her nursing courses at MSU, she did several volunteer activities but feels this semester her mask-making has been the most rewarding one. "It fits my passion for nurs-ing and helping at the same time!" When she's not making masks or blankets she enjoys spending time with her family and states she's preparing for the NCLEX-RN. Best of luck in your future endeavors, Nicole, and thank you for representing MSU Nurs-ing!

Nicole Garcia