| OCR Text |
Show Sign Off- Take 1 - Wednesday, May 17, 1989 5 Act III Allied Health expands programs Dean Reed M. Stringham Special to The Signpost The Centennial year has brought another 36 health care students to the end of their formal education. They will now represent Weber State, the faculty and, of course, themselves as members of the 6 million strong allied health and nursing professions. They carry with them the proud tradition of the school and our hopes and best wishes in their professional and personal lives. The educational programs of the school assure a high quality learning experience for students. The program is also distinguished by an improved curriculum, faculty development and service to and recognition by the health care system. Health Services Administration, Respiratory Care and Dental Hygiene all received full accreditation by national accreditation groups. Respiratory Care and X-Ray have expanded their service to non-traditional students by providing classes off campus. Several faculty have received advanced degrees and two text books being used nationally were authored by school faculty. The faculty continues to provide outstanding leadership in national professional and health care organizations. Curriculum restructuring has led to the developmentof special programs such as the Long-term Care Track in Health Services Administration in conjunction with the Weber State College Gerontology Program. Clinical Laboratory Sciences has now integrated a PC based student accessed patient information system into 60 percent of its laboratory activities. School programs continue to provide a model of cooperation with health care and educational institutions. This is accomplished through activities as the delivery of Health Science Core courses to the Davis and Weber School Districts, Nurse Advancement and cooperative programs in such diverse locations as Snow College and Blanding, and Medical Records education funded by Intermountain Health Care Corporation. The year has been busy and productive for all and I extend heartfelt thanks to students, the health care industry and especially to faculty both on campus and at the various sites where the students of the School of Allied Health Sciences receive clinical training. The faculty and staffs continued dedication and professionalism now bring to an end a most successful year and positions us toward an eventful journey into the future. Weber State receives grant for geriatric nursing program By Kathryn Arbuckle Staff Reporter The largest maintaining section of our population is that of people 85 years and older. As a result of this, it is estimated that the number of needed nursing home beds will double what is available now. To try and cope with the increasing need for trained nursing home staff, the W.K. Kellogg Corporation has provided a $100,000 a year grant to six different colleges nationally. The School of Allied Health Sciences is one of these grant recipients. '" " Each year for three years the schools receive grant money to help them establish a program for geriatric nursing: If the programs are successful, the ideas they come up with will be shared with other schools nation wide. Mary Ann Anderson project coordinator, helps decide how the program will be set up. Her greatest concern is the welfare of the geriatric patient. "It's going to make a difference in the care of the clients," she said. "Everything Social Sciences tout accomplishments By Wendy Stock Contributing Writer The School of Social Sciences, which concerns itself with the studies of human society and its organizations, has had many accomplishments this year including a significant increase in enrollment. In June, approximately 100 students will graduate in Social Science fields. The Social Sciences include subjects like history, philosophy, sociology, psychology, political science, social work, criminal justice and military science. This year the Social Work Department, which covers the treatment of social problems, developed "Protecting Our Children: A Guide to Clinical Treatment Resources for Individuals and Families Impacted by Child Sexual Abuse," a manual for clinicians who treat victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. This department also helped establish the Sigma Phi Omega Gerontology Honor Society on campus. The Military Science Department participated in the "Flaming W Hike" in October and also in half-time during the Homecoming game. The ROTC sponsored a campus blood drive in January. Open Hour activities were enhanced by the participation of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the section of the social sciences concerned with the origin and structure of human society and its institutions. Their Open Hour and Brown Bagger topics ranged from the death penally to the meaning of Santa Claus. They were also involved in the Centennial Honors Lecture Series and the Utah Endowment for the Humanities program last year. The "Social Science Studies Connection," a newsletter which is sent to high school social studies teachers in Ogden, was another project. They also joined with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain and operate an archaeology laboratory. The Crime Lab and Criminal Justice Department have also been very active this year. The crime lab personnel are currently in training in the field of DNA forensic identification. They also work with the local fireand police departments in arson and drug investigations. Faculty in the department are involved in the Utah Board of Pardons, Region II Corrections Advisory Council and the Western and Pacific Association of Criminal Justice Educators. Membership in the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society tripled last year. The Political Science and Philosophy Departments are honoring Dr. Jean B. White and Dr. Jennings G. Olson, two professors retiring this quarter. White has worked at Weber State since 1969 and Olson has worked here since 1949. The department is now conducting a nation wide search for three new faculty members. Last year, faculty members presented papers in Salt Lake City at the annual meeting of the Western Political Science Association and in Washington D.C. at a meeting of the American Political Science Association. Twelve Political Science students traveled to Seattle in April to represent Weber State and Japan in the Model United Nations of the Far West conference. I do, I think of how it will funnel through from the faculty, to the students and eventually to the bedside of the patients." The training of nurses in geriatrics is essential. According to Dr. Robert Butler of Mt. Siani, N. Y., students entering Allied Health this year will spend approximately 75 percent of their time caring for the elderly. Anderson said that the Weber State program has three objectives: first, "gerontologize" the nursing faculty by giving them a theoretical background and a love for the elderly; second, revise the curriculum so students are taught the things they need to know; and finally, work with nursing homes to serve as clinical agencies for teaching and accommodating students. So far each of these objectives is being met with a great deal of success. The department had set a goal for nine of the faculty members to acquire gerontology specialties. The goal was met and surpassed when 1 7 faculty members took on the challenge. Five of the members were certified nationally. A "Geriatrics Assistant Care Manual" was written by three of the faculty members, Anderson, Dr. Karen W. Beaver and Ruth E. Wheeler. This manual contains contributions from over half the faculty and is being used nationally. Curriculum changes came in both theory and clinical experiences. "In the past nursing home nurses have been considered second class," Anderson said. "There have been a lot of stereotypes to overcome." The WSC nursing program is used on four permanent campuses and two floating campuses across the state. The effects of the new programs are being felt throughout Utah. |
