3.10.20 issue of The Standard

Page 1

Veteran support MSU organization helps student veterans in need

‘Internalize’ Short film depicts mental illness using abstract visuals

Season’s end

Bears basketball loses in semifinals in St. Louis

THE STANDARD PAGE 6

PAGE 4

PAGE 2

M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

VOLUME 113, ISSUE 21 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

TheStandard_MSU

@TheStandard_MSU/@Standard_Sports

MSUStandard

issuu.com/TheStandard-MSU

As US expects crisis nurse shortage, MSU prepares students to fill empty roles DESIREE NIXON Staff Reporter @DesireeNixon17

KENDRA KERNEL/THE STANDARD

Freshman AJ Sellers examines her birth control package and pills. Some students have noticed a change in the brand of birth control they use after picking it up from Magers’ pharmacy.

Women notice change in brand of birth control from Magers Health KELSEY BENACK Staff Reporter @kelseybenack For two years, sophomore cell and molecular biology major McKell Norris has either had her mom mail her threemonth supply of birth control to her in Springfield or has picked it up when she visited home. Why does she not have her prescription go through Magers Health and Wellness Center, a closer on-campus option? She said her at-home pharmacy gives her the brand

she wants while Magers will not. Like Norris, other Missouri State students have noticed when they go to Magers to pick up their birth control, they cannot attain the brand they want, or there is a different brand on the box completely. Rumors began to surface that Magers switches women’s birth control prescriptions. Magers pharmacist Randy Bass clarified that the process of assigning women “branded generics” is not the same as changing their prescriptions — it just changes the name on

the box. “We don’t just change (prescriptions),” Bass said. “We go to a generic substitution, a generic equivalent. Any change we would do we would have to go to the physician, and the physician would have to write an order for it. We just can’t change (prescriptions) on a whim.” What is a branded generic form regarding birth control? The market has many different names for the same product. What Bass calls a branded generic is the main category under which all

identical products fall. “Basically there are only about 40 to 50 products, but many of them are just the same branded trade name,” Bass said. He said this simplification means to reduce confusion. “To make it easier, less complicated and less likely of making mistakes, these companies would come out with what is called a branded generic,” Bass said. Why switch it in the first place? u See BIRTH CONTROL, page 8

MSU responds to high CDC travel advisories by canceling certain Study Away trips immediately BRITNEY HUISH Staff Reporter @brithuish COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, has seemingly sent the world into a panic, with some nations shutting down travel outside the country. Italy is second globally with the most active cases with a total death count at 133 as of March 8, 2020, as well as 19 out of its 20 regions infected. Due to this, the U.S. Center for Disease Control elevated their travel notice for

Study Away trips in Italy. MSU responded to the travel notice by suspending all travel to countries with level 2 and 3 CDC advisories as of March 3, 2020. Upon return, students are screened and go through quarantine advisement at Magers Health and Wellness Center and each student’s county health departments are alerted. Courtesy of Leigh Stracener’s Instagram, @leighalila Junior Leigh Stracener is Leigh Stracener posed in front of a cathedral in one of the many students who Milan, Italy, before her trip was cut short. were abruptly sent home during time abroad. Italy to a level 3, which adThis is especially concern“I got to Milan on Jan. 13 vises travelers to reconsider ing for Missouri State students who are currently on their non-essential travel. u See MILAN, page 8

A student goes to the clinic. They have a stomach ache, fever and cough; the first person they see is a nurse. Those nurses will become far and few between. The nation is expected to face a nursing crisis of nearly 1.1 million people. Missouri State University is trying to prepare students to go and fill those positions. Clinical Associate Professor Kathryn Patterson says the struggles of the crisis are hitting close to home and nurses are difficult to train. The baby boomers like herself are advancing into higher positions, retiring or dying. However, there are not enough people enrolled in medical programs to fill those bedside nurse positions as others are exiting. Patterson said this filling issue is causing the crisis. “Baby boomers are getting out of the workforce and the amount that is coming in is just not enough to fill the roles,” Patterson said. However, Patterson said the MSU School of Nursing is trying to change the program to allow more people to graduate and help to fill those roles. “We have made changes in our admission,” Patterson said. “We used to take one cohort of 70 students a year; we now take one each semester of 48 students. This will increase our total volume to 96 students a year.” In addition to taking more students, they have tried to adjust the program to be the most effective. There are now four semesters instead of five semesters. According to Patterson, this can hopefully bring the students to a job sooner. Patterson acknowledged that it may seem strange to other majors that they can only accept 96 students a year. However, this is per state law. “When you are teaching nursing they have to master certain clinical skills and have clinical experience,” Patterson said. “This is regulated by the state board of nursing. For a new student, there can only

be one faculty member for every six to eight students.” The limitations with numbers continue whenever the students graduate and enter the workforce. A nurse can only have a few patients that they deal with. If they have too many, this causes safety concerns, Patterson said. Students of the nursing program recognize the restrictions on how many they can serve. They note that when considering nursing, people need to know what they are getting into. “That is one thing every nurse needs to consider when on the hunt for jobs,” senior nursing major Morgan Kyle said. “There are laws that prohibit nurses from having too many patients.” However, Kyle said there are more people being born than ever before. This will allow for more health problems to arise. Some of the big ones nursing students are concerned about are increasing suicide attempts and parents not vaccinating their children. “The workload will probably only increase thus the need for nurses will too,” Kyle said. Both Kyle and Patterson noted that even though nursing has its challenges, it is worth it. They said they think there are many benefits to being present at some of the best and worst moments in people’s lives. And unlike some professions, this one allows for change through a nurse’s career. “It is a profession that lends itself nicely to doing multiple things throughout your life,” Patterson said. Patterson said hospital nurses could become a school nurse once they have kids or become a professor towards the end of their career. Essentially, nursing allows for flexibility. Students in the nursing program have often said it is difficult. However, Kyle had some encouragement for those that may be struggling. If you fail a test it does not mean you would fail at being a nurse. “Everyone fails a test, everyone fails a class and everyone jumps over obstacles,” Kyle said.

“Baby boomers are getting out of the workforce and the amount that is coming in is just not enough to fill the roles.” -Kathryn Patterson, MSU professor

University officials concerned about crosswalk safety CAROLINE MUND Staff Reporter @cemund32 Drivers are taught to yield to walkers and bikers, pay attention and don’t text and drive. While this is foundational knowledge for drivers, there have been a handful of accidents reported around Missouri State intersections. The intersections with a higher rates of accidents reported are Grand and Campbell Avenue, National and St. Louis Street, JQH Parkway and Cherry Street, Jefferson Street and Elm Street and Grand and Glenstone Avenue.

However, the street students reported on having the most accidents and injuries Grand and National. Clinical psychology graduate student Roberta Kerosevic said she was crossing the street at the crosswalk at Grand and National when a driver almost hit her even though she had the right away. “There was a guy literally just going straight towards me,” Kerosevic said. “Not too fast but fast enough that I had to swerve around the front of his car.” While Keroservic was not hurt, it did shock her. “There needs to be cameras that actually record and save

this so these people can get ticketed or some kind of punishment where they have to pay,” Kerosevic said. Junior marketing and sales major Allee Crabb had an accident on Grand and National. She was stopped at a red light when she was rear-ended. “I think more strict punishments should be in place for accidents happening on campus,” Crabb said. “My stopped car could’ve easily been a student walking to class.” According to Cole Pruitt, MSU’s transportation manager, one of his major concerns is pedestrians. On the City of Springfield website, since 2009 pedestrian

JAYLEN EARLY/THE STANDARD

Cars travel through the intersection at National and Grand Street frequently, one of the most dangerous intersections in Springfield. related accidents have increased. To help with this problem, the city made a new campaign called the SGF Yields. The purpose of this is to “ini-

tiate a cultural change in that drivers don’t necessarily Springfield toward being more yield for pedestrians and crosspedestrian friendly and respon- walks,” Pruitt said. sible.” u See INTERSECTIONS, page 8 “I have certainly experienced


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
3.10.20 issue of The Standard by The Standard at Missouri State University - Issuu