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VOLUME 21, NUMBER 27
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duke univcRsity mc6icM ccnteR
JULY 26, 1974
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
113 Summer Students
Nurse, Medication Assistants Train at Duke
PROFESSIONALS-IN-TRAINING-EWen Newton of Pittsburgh (at left), Donna
Weisner of Charlotte and Dave Tyndall of Minnesott' Beach, N.C. are gaining
professional experience at the hospital this summer, putting into practice some of the
theories and skills they have been learning in school. Ellen and Donna are working as
professional nurse assistants while Dave is serving as a medication assistant. All three
are employed on the Neurosurgical Unit and have one more year before they receive
their Bachelor of Science degrees. Seated between them is Mrs. Grace Kelley, a patient
from Carthage, N.C. (Photo by David Williamson)
Possible Tumors Defected
In Breast Cancer Project
A Breast Cancer Demonstration
Project at the medical center has detected
33 possible breast tumors in the 645
women examined during the first six
weeks of operation, according to Dr.
Simmons Patterson, the Project
Coordinator.
Abnormalities that may be cancerous
thus have been detected in 5.11 per cent,
or one out of every 20 women examined >
to date.
The purpose of the screening project,
Patterson said, is to detect abnormalities
in individuals who have no breast
complaints, who are in excellent health
and who are unaware that any
abnormality exists.
The screenees at the breast project
have three examinations performed:
mammography (X-rays of the breasts),
thermography (photographic
representation of the heat emitted from
the breasts) and clinical examination of
the breasts.
Fifteen physicians from Duke, Watts
and Lincoln hospitals in Durham and
from Chapel Hill and Raleigh are
conducting the clinical examinations on a
volunteer basis. The X-rays are being
reviewed and interpreted by radiologists
from Duke and Watts.
By means of the screening techniques
employed, breast tumors are occasionally
found which cannot be felt by the patient
or examining physician. Breast
self-examination is also taught to
screenees.
The 33 women in whom a breast
abnormality has been detected have been
urged by letter to contact their personal
physicians immediately. These personal
physicians, in turn, have been alerted by
telephone and by letter of the results of
the examinations. Thus diagnosis and
appropriate treatment can be
immediately instigated.
The project, located near the
campus, is one of 27 similar projects
funded in the United States jointly by the
National Cancer Institute and the
American Cancer Society in an effort to
improve the treatment of breast cancer
through early detection. Breast cancer is
the most common cause of cancer deaths
in women of all ages in the United States,
and is the number one cause of death in
women 40-44 years of age.
One of the objectives of the project is
to screen 5,000 women in the first year,
another 5,000 in the second year plus
re-examination of the original 5,000. If
the project is successful these 10,000
women will be re-examined yearly for 5
additional years. The screenees are being
recruited from Durham and 16 counties
within a radius of 75 miles of Durham.
Last year, 157 women died of breast
cancer in these 16 countries.
The women who desire to participate
in the project must first contact their
local county chapter of the American
Cancer Society. They must be 35 or
older. A woman with any breast
complaint is ineligible for participation in
the project. There ■ is no cost to the
(Continued on page 3)
One hundred and thirteen young
people have been working at the hospital
for the summer putting into practice
many of the concepts and skills they've
been learning in classrooms across the
nation.
These young people, who will enter
the nursing and pharmacy professions
within the next two years have been
helping the hospital's regular staff in their
capacities as professional nurse assistants
and professional medication assistants.
This summer there are a total of 69
professional nurse assistants including 34
Duke students. All participants have
completed their junior years in
baccalaureate nursing programs and are
paid for working a minimum of 10 weeks
on wards throughout the hospital.
Although North Carolina colleges
contribute the majority of the students,
some have come from as far away as
Iowa, New York and Rhode Island.
The professional nurse assistant is
responsible for direct nursing care of
assigned patients under the supervision of
the charge nurse or team leader in a
patient area. To fulfill this responsibility,
the assistant acts within the framework of
the Nursing Services patient care
philosophy and the policies of the
hospital and the university. The program
is currently in its fifth year.
The medication assistants, most of
whom are from the University of North
Carolina's School of Pharmacy in Chapel
Hill, are responsible for the
administration of medications to assigned
patients and are also under the
supervision of the charge nurse or team
leader in a patient unit. They also
measure and record patient vital signs as
they pertain to the administration of
medications and participate in ordering
medications for the unit.
This is the eighth summer that the
hospital has provided jobs for future
pharmacists who have completed a
minimum of three years in their
respective programs. Forty-four students
are taking advantage of the opportunity
to gain practical work experience at the
hospital during their vacation months.
Duke students serving as professional
nurse assistants and their ward
assignments are:
Carolyn Adair, Cabell A; Connie Bessons,
Cabell B; Wendy Koenig, Cardiology; Sally
Tom, C.C.U.; Laura Barbour, F.T.N.; Susan
Bowers, Carter; Elizabeth Montgomery,
Williams; Rudolph Antoncic, NSU; Gwendolyn
Ball, RR; and Julie Butcher, ACU.
Marshall Sutton, ACU; Ellen Newton, NSU;
Patricia Friderichs, McDowell; Elizabeth
Featherston, Reed; Zoe Anne Tillson, Halsted;
Frances Wilmer, Cushing and Karen Timlin,
Cushing.
Lisa Flint, Matas; Rosemary Hickey, Matas;
Karen Hilbert, Howland; Terri Jackson,
Howland; Margaret Forrester, Holmes; Carrie
Goodwin, Welch; Jean Herbert, Strudwick and
Patricia Roth, Welch.
Elizabeth Greene, Osier; Teresa Jones,
Hanes; Sarah Maxwell, Minot; Katharine
Stebbins, Long; Beth Stevenson, Long; Phylis
Harris, E.R.; Susan Nashold, E.R.; Carissa
Reynolds, 3 West; and Louisa Stiles, 3 West.
Other students serving as professional
nurse assistants and vvard assignments and
colleges are:
EAST CAROLINA'university,
Greenville, N.C. — Barbara Baldwin, Matas;
Christine Carroll, Carter; and Suzanne Cribb,
C.C.U.
ATLANTIC CHRISTIAN COLLEGE,
Wilson, N.C. — Linda Sugg, Cardiology.
SALVE REGINIA COLLEGE, Newport,
R.l. — Julie Ann Elies, R.R.
D'YOUVILLE COLLEGE, Buffalo, N.Y. -
Mary Jo Holland, Howland: and Janet
McMenanim, Halsted.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE yNIVERSITY,
University Park, Pa. — Margaret Yuschak, 3
East.
WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY,
Winston-Salem, N.C. — Gladys Faulkner, Cabell
A; Donna Daniels, Prevost; and Carol Everette,
IRU.
WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE,
Buckhamnon, W, Va. — Jill Jacobs, Holmes;
Linda Lieving, Sims; and Deborah Riffee,
Howland.
BEREA COLLEGE, Berea, Ky. - Brenda
Smith, Hanes.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Greensboro — Jennie Boyette, Osier; Marilyn
Shlplett, Long; Margaret Palmer, NSU; Sarah
Ann Ussery; Strudwick; Barbara Cobb, Welch;
Jacqueline Lyon, Holmes; Deborah Dunn,
McDowell; Frances Thrower, Reed; Jennifer
(Continued on page 3)
Duke’s Patient No. 1 Succumbs
Arthur Carl Lee, who was Duke
Hospital's Patient No. 1 when the
hospital opened 44 years ago, died in
Charlotte on July 17. He was 87.
Mr. Lee was chief engineer for
construction of Duke's West Campus
during the late 1920's and early 1930's,
and he oversaw construction of the
hospital and the schools of medicine and
nursing.
When the hospital opened to patients
44 years ago last Sunday, July 21, Mr.
Lee was the first to be registered. He
complained of back trouble.
Over the years Mr. Lee and his ranking
as Duke’s first patient had been
publicized a numbei of times. The most
recent instance was in INTERCOM June
1, 1973, in a story alwut Duke's one
millionth patient.
ARTHUR CARL LEE