16 WCC CAMPUS VOICE - NOVEMBER 20, 1991
PHOTO: KARB4 MCLEOD
Nurses take to the field
By KARtN MCLEOD
To gain first-hand
clinical experience in
their field, student
nurses have been
observing health
organizations since the
nursing program was
first developed,
according to Chair of
the Nursing Department
C i ndy Arch i e.
She said observation
of experienced nurses
helps prepare students
for the work force.
Nursing students are
required to take a
sequence of nursing
classes, one each
quarter, including
summer, all of which
demand cl i n i cal
experience; Basic
Nursing, Adult/Child I,
Adu1t/Ch i 1 d II,
Psychiatric Nursing,
Adult/Ch i1d III,
Maternity and Gyneco
logical Nursing and
Adul t/Ch i Id 1»^.
Basic Nursing
requires that students
volunteer their time at
Wayne Memorial Hospital
as nursing
assi Stan ts.
In Adult/ChiId I the
students work on the
third, fourth, sixth,
and seventh floors of
the hosp i tal .
Dur i ng Adult/Ch i1d
II, students begin
giving medications
under supervision of
LPN''s and RN^s at the
hospital and working as
ass i Stan ts.
Prior to their •
clinical assignments in
psychiatric nursing,
students go through
orientation at the
Wayne County Mental
Health Cen ter.
[hen they work on
the fifth floor of WMH,
where they are allowed
to give patients
i njec t i ons.
Students also
observe at Cherry
Hospital and Howell''s
as part of their
assignment in
Psychiatric Nursing.
For Maternity and
Gynecological Nursing;,
students use the
Health Department,
Wayne and Lenoir
Memorial Hospitals, and
doctors'' offices for
prenatal and post
partum experience.
In Adult/Ch i 1 d
Nursing III, students
observe patients at
the Health Department,
Goldsboro Pediatrics,
and Home Health and
Hospice Care Inc. for
patient care outside of
the hosp i tal.
In Adult/Ch iId
Nursing lU, students go
to the emergency room
and Intensive Care Unit
for critical care
observat i on.
These classes are
requ i red for an
associate degree, and
students must write an
extensive case study
about some of their
observat i onal
exper i ences.
Archie pointed out
that cli n i cal
experience helps
Hospice supervis«' Deon Keen
welcoo»s WCC nursing student
'Hichelle Lewis.
prepare future nurses
for the varied
environments they will
encounter in the work
force.
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Aides fill health care needs
:
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By BRENDA ANNAL
A1ong wi th the
growing importance of
nurses comes a greater
need for nursing
assistants, and’Wayne
Community CoMege''s
Continuing Education
program is doing its
best to meet the need.
A1though WCC has had
a nursing assistants
program for the past 10
years, the program has
been revised in the
past 3 years to meet
the growing needs of
the community.
Wi th 3 di fferent
levels of classes, WCC
offers students the
chance to become
nursing assistants,
according to Roy White,
Director of Campus and
Occupational Programs.
Interest in the
program and the success
rate remain high, White
said.
A1I of the siots are
usually filled on the
first day of regis
tration, with a grad
uation rate of over 90
percent.
He said the 3
courses strive to keep
pace with the drastic
changes that have
affected the nursing
field in the past two
years.
Nursing Assistant I,
the first level of the
program, is open to any
student interested in
the course.
Nursing Assistant II
is open only to stu
dents who have already
graduated from the
f i rst 1 eve I.
The final 1 eve 1 ,
Nursing Assistant III,
is a refresher course
for individuals already
employed as assistants.
In the past 2 years,
500 to 600 students
have graduated from the
WCC Nurse Aide program.
Ceremonies are held
each quarter for levels
I and II.
On 1y a smal1 per-
centage of graduates go
on to a degree program;
the rest seek employ
ment in hospitals ana
retirement homes.
On Saturday, October
19, a class of thirty
Nursing Assistant I
students graduated in a
ceremony dedicated to
"those who overcome
their obstacles."
Ramona Jones
provided a sign lang
uage interpretation for
the audience.
The signed ceremony
White said symbolized
the goal of the
program: to create
assistants whose
knowledge and com
passion last a 1 ife-
t i me .
Sunday, November 17,
marked the first
graduation for Nursing
II students.
Farewell, Ritchie
By LIZ MEADOR
The k/>oi ce staff
sends a reluctant
farewell to Ritchie
Cox, who for the past 2
years has made signi
ficant contributions of
time, energy, and
expertise to the
production of the
Vo i ce.
Cox leaves WCC for
the radiology program
at Johnston Community
Col 1ege.
We will m i ss him
sorely but wish him
good fortune in his
career.
Hair
Tgdmkmns
iHair ‘Desi£ns, 1
736-7166
Frankye Watson
(owner)
Chris McGahan
Angila Sutton
Vanessa Rivenbark
Frankye W'atson
Hwy. 117 S.
Goldsboro, N.C.
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