NCCU Department of Nursing Newsletter, Spring 2021 Issue 004

North Carolina University Spring 2021 | Issue 004

The Department of Nursing

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THE NEWSLETTER

Contents

Pinning Graduates, July 20

So it is not forgotten: Mission The Mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare compassionate and caring nurse leaders in health care who transform communities.

Vision Our vision is to be recognized as a regional nursing education program highly regarded for preparing culturally sensitive health care leaders.

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Message from the Chair

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Is Your Money Sick?

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The Dynamic Duo

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Peer to Peer Mentoring Program

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Updates from Eagle General

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In Other News

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At the Heart of it All

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The Eagle's Vaccination Clinic

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"Faculty quickly pivoted, creating ne ways of teaching an learning..."

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COVID-19 dramatically shaped the experiences of faculty and students in the North Carolina Central University Department of Nursing. Faculty quickly pivoted, creating new ways of teaching and learning, of working, and of delivering course materials to guarantee quality education for the students.

Faculty developed innovative strategies to ensure that students received the critical content and clinical experiences while remaining engaged.

Faculty innovation included virtual simulations and case studies, virtual breakout rooms for group work and real-time discussion. As a result of the success of these strategies during the pandemic, the department of nursing will continue to evaluate its teaching methods and course outcomes.

Already, faculty plan to use more virtual and online teaching methods, and strengthen the use of case studies. Students have been provided with a lab bag that contains supplies needed shall course delivery quickly change to remote. The department now has recorded videos to demonstrate skills, such as wound care and catheter insertion for labs incorporating senior nursing students.

Center. As a result of their work, faculty and students were interviewed for television and newspaper features.

It is with a heavy heart that I share sad news. Dr. Johnea Kelley, Department Chair of Nursing from 1978 to 1988 died on April 4th. She was a great nursing leader and trailblazer. A tribute to Dr. Kelley will be provided at the pinning ceremony.

Lastly, I want to applaud faculty and students’ resilience and perseverance for completing the academic year during a pandemic. The nursing department has demonstrated and strengthened its mission, to prepare compassionate and caring nurse leaders in health care who transform communities. Please continue to stay safe and healthy.

Yolanda M . VanRiel

Yolanda M. VanRiel, PhD, RN, MEDSURG-BC, ONC, CNE, ANEF Department Chair

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The nursing department faculty and students learned a lot about improvisation, patience, adaptation, and flexibility, which also serve as useful life skills. Faculty and students volunteered at NCCU COVID Vaccination Clinic along with Nursing alumni, Central Carolina Black Nurses Council, Inc., and other community members.

Students also volunteered at Durham VA Medical

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Professor Lily Chen getting the 1st dose of the vaccine at Durham County Health Dept.!

Senior Nicole Llanos and her preceptor, Caroline Murrell

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work too intently to be denied the ability to retire with dignity from their years of labor. This impels him to travel about the country to reach out to those in service to help them to answer the question: “Is Your Money Sick?”

* The poster, Interprofessional Education Collaboration: HBCU Nursing Program Perspective” has been accepted for presentation at NCNA’s Annual Convention, September 23-24 in Concord, NC. The abstract was submitted by Tina Scott and Erma Smith-King who are working collaboratively with the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program to develop an IPE program at NCCU.

Timothy Henderson, MHA, BSN, RN

Dr. Erma Smith-King's article, The Perils of Video Conferencing, was featured in the National Black Nurses Association Newsletter in the Fall 2020 edition.

Is Your Money Sick?

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Dr. Erma Jean Smith-King

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espite the many opportunities that a career in nursing affords, recent surveys reveal that many nurses do not feel knowledgeable about investing and other related financial processes. Timothy Henderson, our first speaker for the Rest and Relax series on January 27, showered the virtual audience with a plethora of information that elevated our financial acumen.

A notable take away was the calculation of one’s financial independence (FIN) number. Divide one’s annual salary by .05 or 5% and this equals the total value of accumulated assets needed to produce 80% of current working income passively.

Mr. Henderson is a community-based nurse and licensed financial planner in over 25 states.He received the BSN in 1996 from North Carolina A&T State University and the MHA in 2007 from Pfeiffer University. Henderson & Associates specialize in helping professionals to get properly protected, debt free, and financially independent. He believes that healthcare professionals, especially nurses,

The Dynamic Duo Jennifer Farmer

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he Spring semester of 2021 is the first opportunity I’ve had as faculty to work with students and their preceptors in the Capstone experience. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Capstone, it is the last clinical for Nursing students before they graduate. In addition to in-person class with lecture, exams, and projects, the students must complete 120 hours of clinical time, working side by side with another nurse. “This experience will serve as a bridge towards the comprehension of the realistic role of the practicing professional nurse.” (Dumas, 2021)

The Student

Nicole Llanos, a senior from New York, was assigned to my clinical group this semester.

I worked with Nicole as a student in class in Maternity in the Fall, in which she was quiet and unassuming. This would not be the case in Capstone! From the moment I connected Nicole with her preceptor, Caroline Murrel (pronounced Carol-INE like the Neil Diamond song), a beautiful mentorship began.

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First, the pair met for coffee to discuss the details of the experience, review what Nicole was allowed to do and what she was not in clinical, compare schedules, and get to know each other.

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Then, Caroline brought Nicole Starbucks on her first day on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Duke Raleigh Hospital. Love, in my humble opinion, is bringing someone coffee. ;) And from there, the pair were off and running and a beautiful friendship began…I sat down via Web Ex after Nicole had completed 84 hours of her clinical time on a cold, rainy, spotty internet late February afternoon to talk all things Capstone (and share some screen time with Caroline’s dog, Bane, and my dog, Georgia).

Prior to becoming a nursing student at NCCU, Nicole had worked in a variety of patient care settings from long-term care to Hospice. She is a second-degree student. The first day she stepped into the ICU, she was “intimidated and terrified.” Talk about intimidating!

Her very first patient on Day #1, pulled out all of his lines, including an arterial line, and their other patient almost coded in the elevator en route to CT scan! And yet, she still showed up for Day #2.

Nicole asked Caroline to breakdown all of the monitors first, so she could understand what was going on with each patient-vital signs, cardiac, ventilators, and the I.V. pumps…SO MANY I.V. pumps in the I.C.U.!!! All labelled with drug, time, date, and RN initials, of course, and changed every 4 days per policy. Nicole learned what total care meant-every 2-4 hour assessments, intake and output, hygiene, turns, central line and Foley care. Most I.C.U. patients are sedated and continuous medication drips like Proprophol, Levophed, or Dex and require additional monitoring and titration based on labs and orders. She also was able to perform skills like: trach care, straight caths, NG tube placement and maintenance, drawing blood off central lines, initiation of peripheral IV lines, continuous dialysis, wound care, and bladder scans, just to name a few.

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When I asked Nicole if NCCU had prepared her for the I.C.U. experience, she replied “I was prepared-and shout out to Ms. Scott for her crazy scenarios and on the spot questioning” that prepared her for the skill and critical thinking necessary for I.C.U. patients. Caroline replied, “Nicole took the reins and ran with it!” Nicole stated that, “Caroline is a strong nurse and has a positive personality even on day in which they had heavy or complex assignments. When I asked Nicole, what were the three most impactful things you have learned from Carolina thus far? She responded with four, "change

excel skills!” I chimed in. “Other students sit down all day! Caroline continued, “They don’t chart, don’t pull meds, only observe!” Caroline would send Nicole in to help other staff prep for an intubation- prepare flushes, prep Levophed, and label the different medications in syringes.

She also made Nicole give and receive report, assess her patient on her own then switch patients, interpret labs and critically think, how hypovolemia leads to tachycardia leads to decreased oxygenation leads to intubation…

Anticipating the problem to prevent the problem using critical thinking instead of chasing the problem. Music to this clinical instructor’s ear!

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your caps, (laughter), wash your patients, anticipate what is going to happen next and be prepared (like for an intubation), and give a good report. Nicole interviewed and accepted a position in the Neuro I.C.U. at Duke Raleigh after graduation. There is a new 180 bed tower being built currently that is slated to open in July 2021 which will split the I.C.U. into separate, specialized ICUs. Nicole’s advice for the next cohort: “Practice your skills a lot and know why you are doing it. Then evaluate after…Also, be open to each specialty and experience because you may end up in a different specialty than you thought you would.”

The Preceptor

Mentoring and Advice for New Graduates

Caroline Murrell has been a nurse for four years, working in trauma stepdown, I.C.U., and as a travel nurse for two years before landing a permanent home at Duke Raleigh Hospital.

Caroline told us that she became a nurse after surviving two brain tumors, she enrolled in a 16-month program as a quick and easy way to get a job and pay off the expenses of her care. You see, both of her parents are physicians, so nursing was never on the table. Caroline has worked her way through all the roles: staff nurse, charge nurse, nurse rounder and finally, preceptor.

It was important for her to know the different skill sets required in each position to make her a well-rounded nurse and empathetic co-worker.

Caroline decided to precept because she “loves to teach and learn.” She has precepted other nurses before, but likes how “pliable” nursing students are, because they are flexible and receptive to new ideas and learning. When I asked Caroline if she felt Nicole came prepared with the skills to precept in the I.C.U., she answered, “Nicole was really prepared and capable.” According to Caroline, Nicole’s top qualities that made her an outstanding student were: that she wasn’t afraid to ask for help, she’s diplomatic, a quick study, and puts in the extra time to provide a high level of care. “She has a great work ethic and mad

When I asked Caroline how important is mentoring in nursing? She responded, “Super important to feel supported in decisions and in patient care, which, if not, leads to anxiety and doubt.” Even one person can make a difference, and that spreads in the culture in the unit.

Leading by example…having a good attitude, the heart, and the integrity of a nurse. When I asked Caroline what advice she had for new grads, this is what Caroline advised, “Congratulations on completing your degree! I can promise that while school may be finished the adventure of learning has just begun! One of the most amazing aspects of nursing is the ability to learn something new every day as long as you look for it. My best advice is to remain open to healthy and constructive feed-back, have grace for yourself, and practice diligent self-care. Nursing is an awe-inspiring profession that asks a lot from the most trusted members of the health care team. Remember to soak it all in, stay safe, and enjoy every step of your new journey! Welcome to the team friends!”

Caroline was accepted into the DNP program at Duke for adult gerontology acute care beginning this Fall. Nicole surprised her with balloons and a cake to celebrate. Since Nicole has finished her hours, they still get together, and even their husbands have become friends.

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"Even one person can make a difference."

NCCU Nursing Student Peer to Peer Mentoring Program We R i s e

Lily Chen

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As part of Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar sponsored Peer to Peer mentoring pilot project to promote mental health among our students, Dr. Sujaya and Ms. Lily Chen were trained as National Mental Health First Aid MHFA certified instructors on Jan 4-6. This was along with the program consultant Dr. Wanda Thruston from Indiana University. On Feb 27, Dr. Sujaya and Ms. Chen conducted the 8 hour in person MHFA training to 6 NCCU nursing students peer group facilitators (Elizabeth Bradley, Ashley Brown, Allencia Hinnant, Farath Patel, Natalie Roman, Ashley Sherman, and Dr. Valerie Cohen, one of the faculty advisors. Congratulations to the first group of Certified Mental First Aiders from NCCU nursing!

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Seniors Javon Maye and Erica Williams practicing drawing blood.

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pdates from agle General

Tina Scott, Roger Collins

Simulation Education on the MOVE....EAGLE PRIDE!!! AMPLIFED!!!

The Spring semester has been a productive semester for the Clinical Learning Resource Center (Eagle General Hospital) in so many ways. I am thankful to work with an amazing team of Lab Faculty that always go over and beyond no matter what the challenge. Despite COVID 19 restrictions we were able to safely complete simulations, clinical skills remediations and virtual tutoring sessions. Thanks to course coordinators/faculty, and clinical instructors, simulation continues to be enhanced with relevant evidence-based scenarios undergirded by INASCL Simulation Best Practices standards. Looking forward to continued integration of simulation in the curriculum as we moved toward upcoming semesters. Happy Safe, Summer Break!

Tina Scott MSN RN Simulation Coordinator Skills Lab Updates One of the Lab’s intermediate goals in teaching skills has been to record specific skills of videos to assist both the new nursing students in Foundations and seniors who were about to start their capstone rotations. The original targeted goal was to record just the really difficult skills that students were required to have a skills validation on. A lack of editing skills and time were always looming as deterrents. Dr. Smith-King was awarded a student from E-learning (distance learning) and volunteered this student to assist in this project (many thanks Dr. Smith-King!). This graduate student, Vianaire Sagero, met with Mrs. Scott and myself and together a couple of times. Together, we worked out a schedule where we would videotape specific skills on Fridays from 12-2. I enlisted the help of a senior nursing student, Yedaliz Llanos who was happy to volunteer her time as it would reinforce her skills.

To date, we have recorded 8 different skills video segments. At this point, we have one more video session left to record and to complete the edits. Video segments records include: inserting and discontinuing a urinary catheter, inserting and discontinuing an NG tube, applying restraints, performing a moist to dry dressing, handwashing, performing trach suctioning and trach care, performing a venipuncture, discontinuing an IV access.

This project is expected to be completed in two weeks.

Clinical Lab Instructor 15

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Roger Collins RN MSPH

IN OTHER T NEWS...

Nursing Career Meet Up Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin

he Nursing Career Meet Up took place on Wednesday February 24th, 2021.

Organizations such as Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Duke School of Nursing (Nurse Anesthesia Program), Duke Health and Federal Bureau of Prisons were in attendance.

Students had the opportunity to ask a laundry list of questions. The Department of Nursing looks forward to continuing and expanding these partnerships in the future. We also would like to acknowledge and thank the Career and Professional Development Center here at the University who has been collaborating with us to ensure that employers are using handshake to post

AVID Guest Speaker Appearance by Mrs Tina Scott Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin

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n Tuesday March 9th, 2021, Mrs. Tina Scott was the guest speaker for AVID class of Carrboro High School Students.

Some of the students expressed interest in the field of nursing and were able to hear Mrs. Scott speaks, share some personal anecdotes as well as advice. Students were attentive and are hoping to be able to come to campus and tour Eagle General Hospital.

jobs and recruit our talented students.

Do You Know My Story?

Dina Gorham On February 4th, I celebrated my 59th birthday. Those that know me know that I celebrated the entire month. Three year ago, February 8th, I was rushed to the hospital during the evening by my husband, not knowing that I had a high blood sugar of almost 1400. It was unreadable and was having a silent heart attack, and was having a stroke. I was even in a coma. My blessing, rushed me to the hospital. To God be the Glory I survived and was allowed to remain amongst you, my family and friends.

I opened my eyes to not only see my husband but I also saw standing before me A NCCU Nursing Student: Brandon Moore. Four months later I came back to my Nursing family.

I am thankful to be a part of the Department of Nursing and with Nursing as a part of me.

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I RISE!

At the Heart of It All: A Working Profile

Courtney Collins

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ursing Student Services has its secrets.

student appeals. And like the cartooned caricature of the many-armed office facilitator, NSS’ best kept secret was manifested in the friendly face of Mrs. Dina Gorham. Friendly until you cross her, that is. But today the administrative support associate laughs at the different kind of questions that disrupt her work flow. “A typical work day, for me?”

She pauses as if to make sure the inquiry was not misguided. “Calm, cool, and collected.” Hearing the soprano notes of multiple e-mail alerts seem to counter her answer. In an area full of supposed academic emergencies, the 3 adjectives must have been a personal choice. Dina sips her coffee. Still reading her e-mail she adds, “They are busy. In and out of my office – file room and back. Full of inquiries in my inbox – I manage the main NSS inbox along with my own – to phone calls, to inperson visits.” Another dose of laughter. “A lot of ‘quick questions’ that aren’t really quick!”

These secrets lie atop of the mouths of coffee mugs and break room counters.

These secrets scratch across opening file drawers and chirping keyboards. These secrets are student files, manifested through paper and electronic story. Stories told through Webex in exhilarated thrill of destined futures in healthcare, transcribed by tolling hands, translated through course codes and final grades.

Tucked away in their corner of North Carolina Central University’s campus, the offices of Nursing Student Services greets one of two main entrances to the unbadged Nursing building. And when the trees outside the office windows begin to wave their green leaflets again, the fervent multitasking returns. Like honking cars in the infamy of L.A. traffic, students’ murmurs rises to a fever. They shout for academic check-ups by way of PIN’s for registration and matching course loads tailored for their unique progression. They whisper nervous questions about admissions letter arrivals and back-up plans. They reach for encouragement and council. They seek guidance. They wish to drink from a fountain of information.

Like the rest of the world, COVID-19 imposed complications in communication that required Dina to maneuver across a renewed sense of normality. Before, advisors were but a few footsteps away. Although referred to as an honorary advisor to emphasize the amount of information she is required to know when answering student and faculty inquiries, she is not required to carry the complete advisory arsenal. Without being equipped with ‘give me one moment while I grab an advisor for you’ dialogue, she was unable to assist in the way she wanted to. “Students still came by. But it was not in me to turn someone away due to COVID. Even for health reasons… but since you guys (NSS advisors) were working from home, there wasn’t much I could do to help.”

Academic advisors find their hands full and heads exhausting different hats — even the objectively ugly ones. “Why doesn’t the Nursing program want me?” Is a question that takes many forms and falls from many different mouths every Spring semester, and this one was no exception. And like all questions, someone must be there to answer and then chaperone from one academic plane to another.

And then arrives the added stress of concerned admission inquiries. When faculty are eager to welcome the new students that managed to cross the threshold into upper-division Nursing, part-

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Much akin to secrets, student files lie in different beds: prospective, pre-nursing (lower-division), and upper-division Nursing. With compliments of

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Dina Gorham and Mother

The sentiment beacons Mrs. Tina Scott, the simulation and lab coordinator, through the heavy door to NSS. She wheels a 5-tier filing unit in front of her, hefty with four bins of student files. She then gives one of her prized enthusiastic greetings. Tina proceeds to explain the presence of the wheeled cart. “….I trust you. If you need to shred certain items, you can make that discretion…”

Dina nods in agreement.

Tina concludes, “OK…Helping the students, that’s what we do! Hopefully I helped you with my organizing these folders… now let me go and help the community (at the vaccination center).” She chuckles beneath her mask, already excited about the next NCCU venture.

“I appreciate you two, love ya’ll!”

The phone rings at the shut of the door. Dinas eyes gravitate from the cart to her office phone, a small smile tilting her mouth.

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Origin stories are a popular trend, through science and literary means, and Dina muses aloud of hers. “I’ve always wanted to be a secretary.

I love the clerical aspect of being a secretary it’s impressive to me. The second thing I enjoy is typing. I love to type! And that comes from a high school typing course. Back then it was type writers.” Laughter. “…So…as the years progress into into computers, as far as typing…just know the details of how to type a specific type of letter, take those minutes,” She gazes in infatuation.

“The act of writing seems like it’s dying. A dying culture….anyway, that feeling when you accomplish something is great.”

Inspiration is drawn from the legacy her mother left her. She was a high school teacher who encouraged many children, not only her own, to focus on what they chose to contribute to the world. “She left a legacy that I imagine parents wish to leave their children. …doing what you need to do for your position, getting the job done, and doing with class. She did that. She inspires me.” This motivation helped Dina find her way to her own niche in the work world.

To tell you a secret, she ignores the next phone call that threatens to cut off her speech. With a reminiscing tone she explains, “For me? I feel blessed to be able to come in like I can. Because of the relationships that I’ve built with my coworkers and supervisor …not that it’s easy, but they don’t make it hard for me. They don’t treat me differently or cater to me just because I’m—” a pause and a smirk, “older, or that I had a silent heart attack – emphasize the silent. … The Lord has blessed me that I was allowed to come back from that to my job. That’s my every day, that’s my secret.”

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-ies belonging to NSS are usually winded — borderline cantankerous with managing the tidal wave of placing students in the appropriate places and Matrixducking misplaced emotions. Dina describes her experience in the spring and summer phenomenons, “During admissions, when we have to deny students acceptance into upper-division, I’m usually the first number they dial.” She stops to answer the phone. “…

What was I saying? Oh, yes. It is difficult to diffuse their emotions, and it becomes a point of greater tension when they realize I’m not an advisor that can explain why.” The phone rings again. “…that’s really the only thing that gets to me. I don’t think anyone likes to feel feelings of helplessness when trying to calm someone down.” The phone rings again. “But, you know, filing is the never ending task. That will have you feeling helpless!”

THE EAGLES' VACCINATION CLIN

Dr. Jones, Mrs. Farmer, Dr Baker, Ms. Chen, & Dr. Smith-King working the vaccine clinic.

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Dr. Gordon and Mrs.

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NIC

. Chen in action!

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Dr. Cohen flaunting her skills in her demonstration in administering the COVID vaccine to Dr. Jones. (Purely for the camera!)

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On the front lines serving the community!

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We Rise Newsletter Spring 2021 Department of Nursing at NCCU

editor-in-chief Courtney Collins contributors (alphabetical) Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin Lily Chen Valerie Cohen Roger Collins Jennifer Farmer Dina Gorham Patricia McDowell Tina Scott Erma Smith-King Yolanda VanRiel

Visit https://www.nccu.edu/chs/nursing