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Show Nursing program continued Continued frontpage 1 tensive upper-divisiclasses, said Dyer. Dyer said that the science classes arent the only important courses students enroll in. The other LEs, such as English, art and social sciences are also vital for student success. These classes not only prepare the students for work in the nursing program, but also help them better interact with a broad range of patients and a variety of people, she said. on The Professor: Marsha Morion Marsha Morton has been a nursing professor for 27 years. She is responsible for teaching the classes that nursing majors are required to take in their first two semesters after being accepted to the program. In the spring semester, Morton Health Assessment and conducts clinical groups for Introduction to Professional Nursing. In the fall, she teaches Gerontological Nursing (nursing for the elderly) and does clinical groups introducing students to medical and surgical nursing. PROGRAM TECHNOLOGY co-teac- hes "I don't remember ever not wanting to be a nurse. I always wanted to help people." Marsha Morton Professor of Nursing Morton always wanted to be a nurse. I dont remember ever not wanting to be a nurse. I always wanted to help people. While she was in school, she always excelled in the sciences and enjoyed hearing about the medical field. Her father taught at Ricks College (now BYU Idaho), where she ended up getting her associates degree in nursing. She completed her degree at Brigham Young University and went on to get her masters in adult health nursing at the University of Iowa. She specializes in adult health and gerontology. She has been working at Westminster for more than two decades, but not exclusively. Most professors at Westminster do not have to work in the fields they teach. This is not true for nursing faculty. You have to keep up a current nursing license, and it needs to be renewed every two years, said Morton. While most of the nursing faculty also moonlight at clinics and hospitals to keep their licenses current, many, like Morton, use their clinical classes to fulfill state requirements. I did work in the outpatient surgery at LDS Hospital up until a few years ago, she added, but now I mostly just use my clinical. Every one or two years, Morton will take a group of students to a Hopi reservation for May Term. She started organizing these trips in 1985. I lived down in Arizona for a number of years, and I became really close with a Hopi family. When she came to Westminster, she found out about the May Term program and was inspired to design a course. During the 1960s and 1970s, Westminsters nursing school worked with Saint Christophers mission in Southern Utah, and many of the older faculty were interested in reviving the program or creating something similar. Since then, Weve gone down there about fifteen times. Nursing majors are not the only ones who are invited on these trips. Education majors are encouraged to attend and tour Hopi schools. The opening of the Health, Wellness and Athletic Center (HWAC) brought great advancements to the nursing program. The HWAC is also home to the Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, which provides students with classrooms, the Along with the technology-ric- h building has a learning laboratory that includes a mock hospital, mock doctors offices, and pediatric and adult human simulators. "With this technology, we are able to provide mock clinical experiences that better prepare students for their experience in real settings." Jean Dyer The two simulators are fully interactive, as they have the ability to react to any medical situation. The simulators talk, move and can play out a large amount of medical scenarios, from headaches to sore throats. There are cameras in each room that allow professors and other students to observe while students are working with the simulators. Senior nursing student Georgia Ferris said that while the technology could be helpful, it was not always utilized to the best of its ability. Sometimes we would go in to work in the lab, but they wouldnt Nursing student Adam Rich examines another student during VOLUME XLI: ISSUE 8 6 class. Photo by Jeanette Moses Simulated humans provide nursing students with a variety of scenarios. she said. However, the technology may be more useful to some students than others. Jillian Figueroa, a junior in the program, participated in a certified nursing assistant program before attending Westminster. Doing injections on a mannequin is nothing like doing injections on a real person, said Figueroa. In my nursing assistant program, we practiced on actual humans, so the mock experience wasnt that beneficial to me. However, for those students who have no previous experience, its probably a good thing. Dyer confirmed this by saying that the purpose of the technology is all about the experience. With this technology, we are able to provide mock clinical experiences that better prepare students for their experience in real settings, said Dyer. They also help skills develop critical thinking and decision-makin- g and increase confidence. have the equipment we needed, CLINICALS Nursing students are given the opportunity to participate in a number of clinical experiences. Westminster sends students to clinical sites all over the Salt Lake Valley, including acute care and pediatric care and mental health facili- hospitals, long-term Photo by Andrew McQuinn |