On January 10, 143 MCCN sophomores, a record number, participated in the College's traditional Sophomore Pinning Ceremony. Another first was that this class includes the first sophomores from MCCN's first satellite campus, at Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster, Ohio. Pictured left are MCCN-FMC Coordinator, Rachel Choudhury, and student, Anita Mitchell.

"This year's sophomore pinning is a milestone event because we celebrated the very first pinning ceremony with our 20 sophomores in the MCCN program at Fairfield Medical Center," says MCCN President/Dean,  Ann E. Schiele, PhD, RN. 

Historically, this ceremony was the first official donning of the "student nurse" cap and uniform, marking the beginning of clinical education.  Today's student no longer receives  a cap, but rather an engraved pin, reminiscent of the lamp carried by the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, as she cared for wounded Crimean War soldiers. 

The modern ceremony characterizes the spirit of caring modeled by Ms. Nightingale and represents the ministry that these aspiring nurses now undertake. Upon graduation in 2012, the class will receive a MCCN graduate pin to replace the gold lamp pin. 

Several students took significant roles in the ceremony: Ashley DeGoey, Aaron Powell, and Amanda Williams read from Scripture. Chelsi Cummings and Ashley James performed a musical reflection.  Stephanie Ledbetter and Meena Mathew said the closing prayer.

A special thank you is extended to Student Ambassadors: Brittney Bradshaw, Nicole Cistone, Andrea Colabuno, Yvonne Spencer, and Jenny Young, who assisted with the ceremony.

Event photographer Bruce Heflin took photos at the Sophomore Pinning Ceremony.  Photos of the event and of each individual pinning may be viewed and/or purchased at Heflin's website:  www.mypicturesnow.com.

The 62 Second Degree Accelerated Program (SDAP) students began their nursing education in January 2009 as the largest SDAP class to date. Since then, the class has maintained a continual 40 hours per week schedule of classes and clinicals, with just two week-long breaks.

This third SDAP group at MCCN completed their program on January 29, 2010, a mere 13 months after beginning.  At the ceremony, the Lamp Award was given to Shannon Murphy; the Inspiration Award to Abby Willis; and the Clinical Excellence award to Robin Konrad. The SDAP Alumni Caring Leadership Awards, including a $500 grant each, were presented to Shannon Candio and Cristen Durbin.

Congratulations on this accomplishment! Photos of the ceremony are available at www.mypicturesnow.com.

Students Initiate Unique Tradition

The first ever "Operation Christmas Cookie" at the MCCN-FMC campus took place in  December. Students baked cookies to be distributed among the nurses' break rooms throughout the Fairfield Medical Center (FMC) hospital.

"Clinicals start in January. The cookies are a way of introducing ourselves and showing our appreciation and excitement for the program partnership between MCCN and FMC," says student and organizer, Cora Arledge. "It's a thank you in advance to the nurses who will be helping the MCCN-FMC students as we rotate through clinicals."

A collaboration among MCCN, Fairfield Medical Center, and Ohio University-Lancaster, Fairfield features MCCN's first satellite campus and offers a Mount Carmel BSN close to home for students in the Lancaster, Ohio, area.

The nursing education offered at the Fairfield campus is the same program offered at the Columbus campus. The two campuses also share instructors: Margaret Stinner, MS, RN; Theresa Skybo, PhD, RN, CPNP; and new faculty member, Missy Mohler, MS, RN, a graduate of MCCN. Rachel Choudhury, MSN, RN, OCN, is the coordinator for the MCCN-FMC satellite campus. 

The MCCN-FMC program earned accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission in December.

"Here at MCCN we develop and create a learning environment that constantly strives to improve diversity and promote the preparation of culturally competent professional nurses," says Kathy Espy, Director of Diversity and Cultural Initiatives.

MCCN is committed to appreciation and recognition of diversity, to being responsive and supportive to its diverse student population, as well as taking steps to increase diversity in its student body and faculty and staff-a process of embracing diversity and inclusion that has been on-going here for 20 years.

Espy points out that diversity at MCCN is so much more than race, culture, lifestyle, or religion, and includes gender, ESL (English as a second language) students, first generation (first in the family) to attend college students, and single parents.

Diversity and Inclusion Accomplishments

• Implementation of "The Learning Trail" Strategies and Initiatives for Success

• Lunch and Learn Programs with diverse themes and focus

• Support/advocacy for underrepresented student populations

• Support groups for males, students of color, ESL

• Counseling and mentoring

• Study groups for students, faculty to dialogue about diversity/cultural competency

• Additional strategies enacted within the First Year Experience

• Increased collaboration with Columbus City Schools

• Diversity Area with books/resources established in the Library

Get ready to celebrate, families and friends of the class of 2010! Undergraduate Pinning and Recognition Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 7, 2010, at 7 p.m. Commencement will be Saturday, May 8, at 1:00 p.m. Event locations to be announced in March.

The following is key information graduating students need to know before May Commencement. This information will be continually updated for students, providing important deadlines and suggestions to keep the path to graduation on track. 

• If not already submitted, potential graduates must submit the completed Graduation Application to the Office of Records and Registration (Marian Hall, Room 201).

• Community Service Program requirement must be completed and documentation submitted to Mary Nibert.

• Update degree audit to make sure student is on track to complete all graduation requirements. Pre-licensure students contact Records and Registration; RN-BSN and master's students contact Kip Sexton, Program Coordinator.

• The graduating student luncheon in March will provide details about Commencement, Undergraduate Pinning, graduation photos, and the NCLEX-RN application.

• The MCCN authorized cap/gown will be available at http://www.jostens.com. Graduation announcements and thank you notes (optional) also available at http://www.jostens.com (normal shipment is 2 weeks).

• Each graduating student will be allotted a specific number (to be announced) of Commencement tickets at no charge.  No tickets required for the Pinning and Recognition Ceremony.

• BSN graduates prepare for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) that will measure competency to perform as a registered nurse and is required for entrance into the profession.
  

"It was a great experience, and I learned so much."  "I'm so glad I had the chance to do this." "I got back so much more than I gave."  These are samples of students' comments about their experiences fulfilling the College's community service requirement.

The community service requirement involves application of one's skills and time to meet identified community needs of vulnerable and at-risk populations in accord with the College's mission. This will lead to learning and development through active participation in service that:

• is conducted in and meets the needs of the community;
• involves reflection and analysis of the experience;
• promotes the development of leadership skills, citizen skills, and social  responsibility.

The number of community service hours required varies according to the College program in which the student is enrolled: pre-licensure is 20 hours; RN-BSN is 10 hours; SDAP is 10 hours. 

Failure to complete the required hours prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student will graduate, requires completion of an additional 10 hours of community service.

The Co-Curricular Activity Summary (CCAS), a complement to the academic transcript, is a vehicle for recording awards, scholarships, community service, educational workshops, leadership activities, student government, and organization. Active participation must be verified by a College faculty or administrator.

Campus activities strengthen students spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, socially, culturally, and complement the academic experience.  The CCAS is verifiable documentation of students' accomplishments and holistic development at MCCN.

Co-curricular activities and experiences help students gain transferable skills applicable to many areas outside of the college setting.  As a verifiable college document, the CCAS can support the search for employment after graduation. 

Creating the CCAS should be an on-going process during the student's tenure at MCCN.  Each semester, access the Co-curricular Activity Summary Entry and Validation Form from WebCt. Complete one form for each college-approved out-of-classroom activity.  Ask the appropriate faculty or staff advisor to verify active participation by signing the form.  Submit the form to the Office of Student Life for documentation.

Questions?  Contact Colleen S. Cipriani, Director of Student Life at 614-234-5828 or email ccipriani@mchs.com.

Nearly 30 College residence hall students came together to make Christmas ornaments, enjoy Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, and watch "Elf."  Emily Berry (pictured left) won the ugly Christmas sweater competition, with Emily Lust taking second place, and Sarah Eichhorn taking third.

In the midst of their clinical experience at the Isabelle Ridgeway Care Center, Nursing 406 students found the time to bring the holidays to patients there. Pictured alongside one of the trees they decorated are students (left to right) Julie Wade, Janelle Iovino, Kelly Leopold, Iris Freisner (Assistant Instructor), Lisa McGinnis, Emily Sinay, Sarah Sabo, Nicole Thomas and Taylor King. They put up five Christmas trees to the delight of the residents.

Whew! We made it through another calendar year.  This is when we typically reflect on the last year and resolve to do better this year. However, as college students are constantly on the go - studying, attending classes, working, or participating in extracurricular activities - they may neglect to take the time to stop and reflect about what they want from life, and why. 

It's possible to help them contemplate on their ambitions and future by using a simple four-step exercise.  First, by drawing a "lifeline,"students identify peaks and valleys in their lives and note patterns of successes and failures. Second, the students write down what they  hope to accomplish and experience.  Next, they develop a brief vision statement describing the ideal image of their future.  Finally, students practice mentally visualizing their ideal future to help develop the skills and attitude needed to create the reality.

Although the calendar year is over, we still have half the academic year to go.  Your student needs your continued support and encouragement to successfully complete the spring semester.  As college is a very demanding time in your student's life, please encourage them to visit Judy Bischoff, MA, LPCC, our college counselor/consultant.  They can confer on the stresses of college life and gain insights and receive help with issues such as stress management, anxiety/depression, financial concerns and eating disorders, to name a few.  All visits to Judy are strictly confidential and the first 10 visits are free.  Students may call Judy directly at 614-278-3049 or the Employee Assistance Program 614-337-7001 to schedule an appointment.

Colleen S. Cipriani, Director of Student Life; 614-234-5828; ccipriani@mchs.com

• Our rate of flu infection at the College was extremely low considering how many students are enrolled here at MCCN, thanks to the diligence of the faculty, staff, and students performing hand hygiene and staying home when ill.
• 100% of the seniors and SDAP students received both the seasonal as well as the H1N1 flu vaccines.  Over 50% of the underclassmen received both flu vaccines as well. 
• Keyboard covers were purchased for all the computers both in the College and in the campus apartments.  Disinfectant wipes are available in the computer labs for students to clean the keyboards before and after use.
• Disinfectant wipes were placed in all classrooms for students to clean their desks/tables prior to and after class.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer was also placed in each classroom for student and faculty use before and after class.
• Everyone needs to continue to be diligent with cleaning and hand hygiene as we start the new year, as the CDC is projecting another spike of H1N1 flu cases in January-February.

Kathy Walters, MS, RNC, NNP-BC,

Assistant Professor / Student Health Nurse; 614-234-5408; kwalters@mchs.com.

Last October, MCCN Student Government Association (SGA) representatives attended the American SGA Midwest Student Government Training Conference in Chicago.  It was a long, exhausting, but rewarding day. 

Juniors, Emily Lust and Emily Berry, attended workshops on "13 Steps to Dramatically Improve Your Student Government" and "Administrators ARE NOT the Enemy: Learn How to Get Along With Yours."  Sophomores, Dani Smith and Brittany Richards, attended workshops on "Ready to Rumble? How to Engage in "Successful" Conflicts" and "The Advanced Marketing Secrets Behind Facebook and MySpace."  Freshmen, Kelsey Horton and Lyndsay Melvin, attended workshops on "Parliamentary Procedure: Rules Governing Formal Meetings" and "The 25 Worst Mistakes Your Student Government Can Make." 

During the next semester they will share what they learned with other SGA representatives at their monthly meetings.

This fall SGA held senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman class meetings to provide students an opportunity to voice issues and concerns.  SGA representatives then met with College administrators to obtain answers and work out possible solutions.

Colleen Cipriani, SGA Liaison,

Director of Student Life, ccipriani@mchs.com.

Nursing students now inhabit a new world, with demands for maturity and personal responsibility beyond anything previously experienced.  How can you as parents (or close friends) help them meet these challenges?  Here is a three-step guide:

1. Acknowledge their discomforts. You care.  You don't want your student to feel uncomfortable, so you might say something, such as, "It will be okay" or "Don't worry about it."  Yet not feeling that things will be "okay" or feeling "worried" are real feelings, and such feelings are normal.  Understand that and help your student move from awareness of a challenge to finding ways to successfully confront and conquer it.

2. Remind them of successfully managed previous challenges.  When faced with new situations that we find difficult, we can forget how well we responded to similar situations in other settings.  Recalling reasonable connections to past successes will help them link to those personal resources and "forgotten" abilities now and into their future.

3. The most important skill for successful independent adulthood is effective problem solving.  Asking questions to define concerns and discover reasonable ways to manage them is probably the most valuable assistance you can give.  This might include looking at past challenges or awareness of what students can do now as young adults, but could not then when they were "kids."

You could give them a reasonable solution, but what would they learn from that?  Questions provide students a model for problem solving thinking and the experience of feeling capable of solving problems themselves.

Judy Bischoff, LPCC, Clinician/Consultant; 614-546-3322; jbischoff@mchs.com.

Many of our students take my Humanities 110 course during their first year at Mount Carmel College of Nursing.  The last two classes of that course are dedicated to a "Mini-Retreat" during which the students are asked to talk to the class about someone or something that inspired them or continues to inspire them.  The people, things, and events discussed make these class days very touching and emotional.  Many tears are shed - some joyful ones and some very sad and bitter ones - as student after student tells story after story of people in their lives who have made them the wonderful, sensitive, and caring young people they are.

The subjects of many of these students' presentations are Moms, Dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters, cousins - probably many of you who are reading this.  Read on as I quote some of the things our students have said about how you have inspired them. 

"My mother ... went through several surgeries and kept strong in her faith. I ... was so very inspired by her positive attitude and thanks towards God.  Her journey has inspired me to look at life and our relationship differently... I'm so very happy to have her here to tell me how she thinks I need to do things!"

"My parents are an inspiration to me not only because they chose to adopt, but because race was not a factor in their choosing of children.  All they saw was a child who needed a home ..."

"Overall, my mom is an amazing person in my eyes, and I am extremely grateful for the sacrifices she has made for me. I am very lucky to have always had her around when I was younger, which I realize in hindsight I often took for granted."

"The most important family members who have had an impact on my life have been my mother and father. My family has become the most important thing to me in my life."

... and I could go on.  Every time my students speak in this kind of glowing and grateful language about their parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, I ask them "Does __________ know you're saying this beautiful stuff about them?" 

I hope you do know "this beautiful stuff"!   Who you are has made our students who they are - good people don't happen by accident!  On behalf of the many people our future nurses will care for, dear families, thank you for inspiring them to be compassionate, caring, loving and determined.   We can all grow old with confidence that your children will be there to care for us.

 Pete McClernon, College Chaplain; 614-234-1590; pmcclernon@mchs.com.

Now, more than ever, as we face challenging economic times, philanthropy will play a key role in the health and well-being of our communities. By working together, we have the opportunity to focus on building long-term investments that will impact healthcare and nursing education for years to come. One investment that will always be sound can be found at Mount Carmel College of Nursing: our students.

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of our communities by building a network of loving, dedicated, healthcare professionals for tomorrow. It is nurses who come face to face with patients and their families; nurses who carry out life-sustaining treatments; nurses who recognize life-changing situations and nurses who, with compassion and caring, help patients and their loved ones cope.

Here are the facts -- our communities and our nation face a continuing need for nurses.

• The U.S. nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025.  A shortage of this magnitude would be twice as large as any nursing shortage experienced in this country since the mid-1960s.  A rapidly aging workforce is a primary contributor to the projected shortage.

• Ohio's shortage is particularly acute and is expected to worsen, projecting a shortage of 32,000 nurses by 2020.

• In the state of Ohio alone, 40% of practicing nurses are expected to leave the field within the next 10 years, due in large part to retirement.

• To meet the projected growth in demand for RN services, the U.S. must graduate approximately 90 percent more nurses from U.S. nursing programs.

• Enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs increased by 3.5 percent from 2008 to 2009. Though this marks the ninth consecutive year of enrollment growth, nursing schools point to a shortage of faculty, insufficient clinical education sites, and budget cuts as barriers to future growth.

• Survey data shows a surge in enrollments in graduate nursing programs, which is promising given the need for nurses to serve in teaching, leadership, specialty, and primary care roles.

• More Mount Carmel College of Nursing Fast Facts     [click here]

The College's continued vitality and strength results in large measure from the support received from our faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends. Whether through philanthropic donations or volunteer opportunities, we welcome your engagement in Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Our collaborative efforts to help students realize their dream of a nursing education will be multiplied beyond measure as our healthcare professionals serve those in our community with compassion and commitment today and in the future.

If you have already made a gift this school year, thank you for helping hundreds of bright minds enjoy an incredible college experience. If a gift to Mount Carmel College of Nursing is still on your list, click here [Making a gift] to show your belief in our mission and reinforce your commitment to making a difference.

We wish you a happy and healthy New Year.

Jan Burkey, Director of Development, MCCN, 614-234-3837

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• The MCCN Online Campus Store can also be accessed through the commercial MCCN website under the "Current Students" header.
  
• For those who want to do on-site shopping, please stop by the campus store located on the 4th floor in Marian Hall across from the Student Services office.