Molly Schmidt, Hutchinson, is in her first year of the nursing program. Schmidt drew fluid from a vile for additional practice.
Story continued from page 7. the Hutchinson Clinic, but students can also be expected to travel to Wichita or Larned. Clinical hours vary depending on the semester. “This semester, we have 12 hour clinical days,” Hawkinson said. “They are long and tiring but filled with practical application for nursing skills and communication.” The clinical practice is one of two ways to get hands-on experience.The other way the nursing students learn through active participation is the use of simulators that work like an actual patient with programed symptoms. “They actually have names according to the patient that they are portraying for that day,” Carol List, nursing laboratory assistant/tutor, said.
Simulators Used By Nursing Students To Practice Procedures SIM-BABY: 3-4 month infant simulator used for pediatric simulations. Has voice, heart, and lung sounds and can have seizures.
NOELLE: Birthing Simulator. Baby is attached to a conveyer belt and is sent through woman for nursing students to experience birth.
SIM-MAN: Man or woman (connected to computer and compressor to run) Has heart, lung, and bowel sounds and talks.
I-STAN: Wireless simulator. Man or woman. Can closes and opens eyes, has voice, heart, lung, and bowel sounds, and can have a seizure.
Information provided by Carol List
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Nursing CONT’D
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Through creative technology, the nursing students can work with and practice on non-living patients who represent common symptoms that they may need to treat. It is an effective way for them to learn how to treat someone before doing so on a real person. “It allows the students to feel more comfortable assessing a patient and communicating with a patient,” List said. Along with the nursing student becoming more comfortable while working on a patient, they also gain skill in bringing comfort to the patient when they are sitting in the doctor’s office. People have individual gifts that set them up for the life they are going to lead. A degree in nursing requires a lot of knowledge and good training, and the desire for the field. “I decided to pursue nursing because I enjoy helping and caring for people,” Hawkinson said. The program at HCC has been accredited through the NLNAC, National League for NursingAccrediting Commission. “Having NLNAC accreditation means our program has met the highest standard set for all nursing programs across the nation,” Hackler said. “HCC has been granted the maximum amount (8) of years allowed by NLNAC.” At a national level, HCC is declared to have a strong nursing program. “The one thing about the program is that we’ve got really some of the best teachers and the best director and people who have been doing this for a really long time,” Collum said. “We’ve just got a great program, and we’re getting better and better all the time, and if I were going to pursue a nursing career as a teacher, I would definitely pick Hutchinson Community College.”
Dragon’s Tale
2/23/12 1:21 PM