Stanbridge College is pleased to announce its Spring Vocational Nursing Career Fair on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Stanbridge College’s Vocational Nursing students and alumni will be able to network with over 30 Southern California Healthcare employers. Attendees will be able to meet potential employers, explore new career opportunities and gather advice on what skills and qualities employers are looking for in future employees.

Career Fair details:

Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Stanbridge College

Continue to Network

Are you a Stanbridge College graduate looking to network online? Join the Stanbridge College Alumni Groups on LinkedIn and get access to multiple resources including job search preparation, Alumni Workshop information and communication with professionals in your field.

To visit and join, please click here:  Stanbridge College Alumni Network

For more information on Stanbridge College Career Services call 714-949-9090 or visit www.stanbridge.edu.

Project Hope School student sitting on an exercise ball in the Therapy Skills Lab, while PTA Program Director Dr. Scott Bennie, explains how physical therapists use them to aid patient mobility.

At Stanbridge, the students were able to learn about different college and career options as they listened to presentations from faculty and staff in the IT, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant programs and the Career Services department. This tour is the second field trip that Stanbridge College has hosted for the children of Project Hope School.

During the tour, the Project Hope School students were able to explore IT classrooms and Healthcare Skills Labs on campus. In the Nursing Skills Lab, the kids were in awe as each one felt the pulse and listened to the heart beat of one of the many life-like nursing simulation mannequins. Members of the nursing staff demonstrated how Stanbridge students use these mannequins to learn clinical skills and bedside care. In addition to heart rates, the mannequins simulate breathing sounds, birthing, catheterization, tracheotomy care and other bodily functions and medical situations.

In the Therapy Skills Labs, the students learned about the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) and Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) programs. OTA Program Director, Satch Purcell had a student volunteer help him demonstrate how an Occupational Therapy Assistant would assist someone who is injured by providing them with special equipment and tools for eating and grasping items like clothing. Mr. Purcell also showed the students a variety of equipment and stations in the OTA Skills Lab including the platform swing, simulation bathroom, rainbow arch and arm bike.

Dr. Scott Bennie, PTA Program Director, showed the children how Physical Therapist Assistants help people

who are physically injured and teach them to use assistive devices and exercise equipment including wheelchairs, walkers and exercise balls. The kids were able to experience what it is like to be in a wheelchair and learn how they would maneuver down stairways and ramps.

At the end of the tour, Stanbridge College REACH, on behalf of the Vocational Nursing students of FTQ, presented a Canon PIXMA printer to the children as a gift to Project Hope School. On their own initiative, the students of FTQ raised the funds to purchase the printer for Project Hope.

For more photos of this event, please visit www.facebook.com/stanbridgecollege.

Continue to REACH

To learn more about Project Hope School and how you can support the education of homeless children in Orange County, please visit www.projecthopeschool.org.

Stanbridge College REACH is continuing its support of the Special Olympics Southern California by gathering volunteers for the 2012 Summer Games June 9th and 10th.

In 2011, over 1,100 athletes competed in the Summer Games in six different competitions including athletics (track and field), aquatics, basketball, bocce, golf, and gymnastics. Hearing the roar of the crowd, receiving high fives and knowing they have achieved a great accomplishment means everything to these athletes. Volunteer today and help provide much needed support to a very deserving group of people.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday & Sunday, June 9 – 10, 2012
Time: Full day or half day shifts available morning or afternoon. Times TBD upon registration.
Location: Cal State University, Long Beach and Recreation Park: 1250 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815

Registration: Click here or email vsauer@stanbridge.edu for information on how to register.

Volunteers are needed to help in a variety of shifts including fans-in-the-stands, scorekeepers, athlete staging, athlete awards, check-in, delegation escort, meal services and more.

The 2012 Summer Games is free to the public, so please encourage your family and friends to participate either as volunteers or as audience members.

Winning a medal is not the only thing that will make these athletes feel accomplished. The Special Olympics helps them make friends, feel accepted and overcome obstacles. Join us in supporting this inspirational event and volunteer today.

To learn more about the 2012 Summer Games and Special Olympics of Southern California please visit: www.sosc.org.

Every May, patients, healthcare providers, nursing professionals and educators celebrate National Nurses Week and the work of nurses around the world. Established in 2003, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6th, National Nurses Day, through May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Since the Nursing program’s inception in 2006, Stanbridge College has maintained the highest NCLEX-PN pass rate in Southern California with a 5 year average 96% pass rate. Our faculty cares about each student and enables them to succeed with resources achieved from decades of nursing experience. Our graduates have learned to think critically, act with integrity and see others with compassion. During their educational journey, our students engage their community through service learning initiatives. In the past, our students in the Nursing programs have volunteered for public health fairs and flu shot clinics, donated to CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County and participated in Disasters Readiness programs with the County of Orange Medical Reserve Corp amongst many initiatives aimed at serving our community.

Stanbridge College would like to thank each of our Nursing faculty, staff and students for their commitment to the future of healthcare, patient safety and above all else their unyielding compassion for their fellow man.

In celebration, Stanbridge College is hosting a Free Ice Cream and Popcorn Social on Tuesday, May 8th and Wednesday, May 9th in the Student Lounge from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Learn more about National Nurses Week:

To learn more about National Nurses week and its history, please visit the American Nurses Association website at http://nursingworld.org. Discover the life of Florence Nightingale, online at http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/cms/.

Interested in becoming a nurse? Or do you know someone who is? To learn more about the Nursing, Healthcare and Therapy programs at Stanbridge College, please visit www.stanbridge.edu.

Here are the workshop details:

Prerequisite: Tracheostomy Care and Oxygen Delivery Devices Completion
Date: Saturday, April 28th
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Stanbridge College
CEUs: 8
Registration Price: $69.00

Registration: CLICK HERE to register or call Career Services at 949-794-9090.

For more information on this workshop, please click here to download a PDF flyer

Similar workshops elsewhere would charge $149 per student! However, Stanbridge College subsidizes workshop prices for its students and graduates, making it more affordable. Price includes all course materials.

Please note these workshops have a limited amount of seats available, so please sign up as soon as possible to ensure your participation!

Many trauma patients require a tracheostomy during intensive care. The tracheostomy workshop will better prepare you for work in any acute or sub-acute care setting where the tracheostomy is performed.  This comprehensive four hour workshop will focus on tracheostomy care, equipment maintenance, and artificial airway management. Completion of this course will enhance your resume and increase your chances of being hired in medical care facilities and home healthcare settings.

Workshop details:

Date: Saturday, April 21, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Location: Stanbridge College
CEUs: 4
Registration Price: $49.00
REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER or contact Career Services at 949-794-9090.

Course Topics Include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Reasons for a Tracheostomy
• Parts of the Tracheostomy Set
• Common Complications
• Tracheostomy Tube Change
• and more!

Similar workshops elsewhere would charge $149 per student! However, Stanbridge College subsidizes workshop prices for its students and graduates, making it affordable. Price includes all course materials.

Please note these workshops have a limited amount of seats available, so please sign up as soon as possible to ensure your participation!

Also, don’t forget Tracheostomy Care is a prerequisite for the Respiratory Ventilator Competency workshop on April 28th! Sign up today for both classes! Gain the skills to help you add valuable experience to your résumé and secure employment in the healthcare field.

In 2011, Stanbridge College raised and donated funds for 25 impoverished and blind people to receive cataract eye surgeries from the Lion’s Gift of Sight Hospital in Sri Lanka. Lion’s Gift of Sight Hospital was founded by the International Association of Lions Clubs and their support for Vision 2020, a global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness. The surgeries provided these people with corrected vision and the ability to see again. To continue their support in 2012, Stanbridge will continue raising funds to support another 75 blind and needy people in Sri Lanka with cataract eye surgeries.

Fundraising for the Lion’s Gift of Sight Hospital is a part of Stanbridge College’s REACH Beyond the Classroom Service Learning Initiative. REACH encourages students and staff to give back to their local and global communities in need. In the past, REACH has partnered with CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Low Vision Center at St. Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach, supplying 50 children with glasses.

Continue to REACH:

Stanbridge College encourages you to find out more about how you can help support the needy with vision correction.

To learn more about the International Association of Lions Clubs, please visit http://www.lions306a-1.org/index.html. To learn about Vision 2020, visit their website at http://www.vision2020.org/main.cfm.

Stanbridge College Nursing Instructor, Anne Garrett, RN, looks at a CT scanner and thinks of it as if it were a space ship in Star Wars.

According to her husband, Haydn, Mrs. Garrett can understand how “little people” think. With eight grandchildren, ages ranging from three to twelve, she would often write stories to them about nurses, doctors and hospitals. Because of this, her husband urged her to write down ideas for a children’s book.

Out of those ideas came “My Tummy Hurts,” a book about a child named Sam, who goes to the hospital because of a stomach ache. Sam, with his Transformer toy robot by his side meets with doctors and nurses who wear Superman printed scrubs. Sam also goes through procedures such as getting a CAT Scan.

“I know what the adults go through, when they are scared, hurting and unsure of outcomes, so I wanted this little boy to understand what could happen to him, from the ER to the operating room to recovery and discharge,” said Anne.

With 46 years of experience in the nursing profession, Anne anticipates that her recently published book will help alleviate any fears that children may have when visiting the hospital. For example, in the book, when the doctors ask the boy to get in the CT scanner and stay very still, the boy thinks of it as though he is stowing away on space ship, just like Luke Skywalker did in Star Wars.

“My hope is that the book may be available in all pediatric waiting areas, clinics, and doctors’ offices for kids to be assured that the hospitals are not too scary for them and that they can have an adventure…who knew that the CT scanner could be made into a Star Wars game?”

While her book teaches children what to expect as a patient in a hospital, Anne continues to teach young aspiring students how to be nurses in the Vocational Nursing program at Stanbridge College.

“I have really been involved in teaching for many years, as most senior nurses enjoy passing on knowledge to the newer graduates. I am about to start my 3rd year in April at Stanbridge, and I just love my work.”

As a nursing instructor, Anne feels that it is important for nursing students to be excited about their future careers. She believes that there will be a constant demand for nurses and urges new nursing students and graduates to continue their education throughout their careers.

“I hope that I can inspire the students of today to become the best nurses of tomorrow, as they start this amazing profession. We will always need caring, well-educated nurses to hold our hands, and we will always need the excellent caliber of instructors that the students are so lucky to have here at Stanbridge. Today’s students may well be here in the future passing their knowledge along as the lectures of tomorrow.”

Stanbridge College Vocational Nursing student, Lisa Daniels loves what she does.

“I am a Social Worker/Case Manager at a skilled nursing facility in Costa Mesa.  I have the pleasure of working with seniors, their families and their physicians everyday, toward the same goal…great care,” stated the term 1 nursing student.

Last fall, alongside fellow senior care professionals, Lisa was honored at the First Annual Senior Care Humanitarian Awards Ceremony for her work with the elderly. The ceremony, sponsored by Answers: Senior Care Solutions, recognized the humanitarian efforts of senior care nurses, caregivers, social workers, physicians and administrators in Orange County. Lisa was nominated by a home healthcare company for her social work in a skilled nursing facility.

“I do discharge planning, case management, care conferences, coordinating benefits and many other things that I hope change the life of each person for the better. I love what I do!”

The ceremony raised funds to benefit Community SeniorServ, a nonprofit social service agency that runs programs for senior citizens including Meals on Wheels, Senior Lunch program, Case Management and Adult Day Health Care centers.

“It is such an honor to be amongst so many great people who serve our elders in our community. What a great industry to be a part of!” said Lisa.

Currently Lisa is pursuing her Diploma in Vocational Nursing at Stanbridge College. She was inspired to enter the program in order to learn clinical skills to enhance her work in case management. In the future, Lisa hopes to continue her work as a Case Manager at skilled nursing facilities or acute hospitals.

According to Stanbridge College President, Yasith Weerasuryia, “Lisa Daniels is a wonderful example of professional leadership. Her kindness towards seniors and efforts to go beyond what is expected of her are clearly shown in this nomination. We are very pleased that her skills are recognized within her field.”

This Valentine’s Day, show some love for the needy! Help Stanbridge College REACH raise funds to purchase bus passes for homeless people in Orange County. Join us at the Valentine’s Day Ice Cream and Popcorn Social in the Stanbridge College Student Lounge. Enjoy a tasty treat, hang out with your sweetheart and show your love for your community.

Each ice cream and popcorn treat will be on sale for $1.00 a piece. At this event, we will also be unveiling the new Stanbridge College pennant, on sale for $5.00 per pennant.

All proceeds from ice cream, popcorn and pennant sales will go to purchasing bus passes for the homeless. With a bus pass, people without a home are able to travel to shelters, soup kitchens and other organizations. They can access food, shelter and other donations. For some, a bus pass is a ticket to survival.

Event details:

Date: Valentine’s Day, Tuesday February 14, 2012
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM AND 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Stanbridge College Student Lounge

Your community needs more than candy and flowers this Valentine’s Day. Show Orange County your love by supporting those in need.

“Stanbridge College would like to thank every student, staff and faculty member for working with REACH to give back to our communities. You have made a difference for thousands of people here and around the world. We will continue to work together in 2012 to influence a positive change for our fellow man,” stated Yasith Weerasuriya, President of Stanbridge College

In a year of continued economic instability, Stanbridge College lent a hand to those who needed it the most. We supported the homeless and low-income families living in temporary housing programs in Orange County. Monthly meals were served at Lighthouse Ministries with Mariners Outreach and Project Hope School, feeding hundreds of needy families. Our volunteers assisted Veterans First OC at the 1st Annual Orange County Stand Down for homeless military veterans. With Rebuilding Together OC, we helped rebuild Mary’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Hundreds of donations were given to the homeless including sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothes, hygienic items, toys, school supplies and food. Pet supplies and food was collected and donated to our four-legged friends living in shelters at the Orange County and Irvine Animal Care Centers.

The year also brought natural disasters, famine and drought to several parts of the world. Stanbridge College students and staff were ready and able to raise funds quickly for the victims of the tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, the tsunami in Japan and the political turmoil in Somalia.

Throughout the year, Stanbridge supported the several organizations to provide medical services to those in need. Our Vocational Nursing students used their classroom skills to assist medical professionals at free medical, dental and visions camps open to the Orange County and Ventura County public. Cohort FTO took initiative by running the Children’s Book Drive for the children at CHOC’s Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Students, staff and faculty assisted in saving the lives of hundreds of people through our quarterly blood drives for the American Red Cross. Stanbridge College staff also raised and donated funds for 25 impoverished and blind people to receive cataract eye surgeries from the Lion’s Gift of Sight Hospital in Sri Lanka and their initiative for Vision 2020.

During the holidays, Stanbridge College partnered with Words of Comfort, Hope and Promise to support our US Marines currently serving overseas. We sent Christmas care packages of Christmas cards, food snacks and socks. Stanbridge also hosted a Christmas Toy Drive for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and gathered toys for needy children in Orange County. On Christmas Eve, Stanbridge students and staff spent their time serving a warm Christmas meal to veterans living in transitional housing programs.

In 2009 and 2010, Stanbridge College REACH Beyond the Classroom initiative was honored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Stanbridge College was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its exemplary service to America’s communities. The honor is the highest federal recognition a college can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

In 2012, Stanbridge College hopes to increase our REACH initiative and our partnerships with local and global non-profit organizations and support their mission to help our fellow man.  We started the year off by serving food and passing out donations at the Mercy House OC Cold Weather Emergency Shelter. Currently, we are hosting a Suitcase Donation Drive for the homeless, asking those who are able to donate new or used suitcases, duffel bags, tote bags or new plastic garbage bags.

To learn more about REACH, view upcoming events and find out how you can get involved, please visit www.stanbridge.edu/reach.

November 11, 2011 marked Stanbridge College’s 23rd Commencement Exercise for the Vocational Nursing and IT Fall Class of 2011.

Stanbridge College is pleased to announce the graduation of 125 Vocational Nursing and Information Technology students in the Class of 2011. November 11, 2011 marked Stanbridge College’s 23rd Commencement Exercise. The Fall 2011 Commencement also celebrated the inaugural class of graduates who earned their Associate of Science in Information Technology.

Guest speaker Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas provided the graduates with words of gratitude and congratulations. “When I look at this graduating class, there is no doubt in my mind that you are going to bring credit to Stanbridge College and most importantly, to yourselves,” stated Mr. Rackauckas.

“Our graduates assembled today are the embodiments of an unyielding commitment to success,” stated Yasith Weerasuriya, President of Stanbridge College. Mr. Weerasuriya went on to praise the graduates for their sacrifices in balancing their education with their professional and personal lives. He also strongly advised the graduates to use critical thinking, respectful communication and compassion for their fellow man as they continue on the next educational or professional stages of their lives.

Guest speaker Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas provided the graduates with words of gratitude and congratulations.

According to Valedictorian and Vocational Nursing Graduate Ofelia Angeles, “Many months of absorbing new [knowledge] while adhering to the high standard of learning at Stanbridge College, was a true test of our desire to become nurses. I remember when we started term 1, each of us were asked, ‘Why do you want to become a nurse?’ Regardless of our [individual] reasons, one thing is true – Our hearts directed us to fulfill our dream to become nurses because this is our passion and calling.”  November 11, 2011 marked Stanbridge College’s 23rd Commencement Exercise.

Stanbridge College offers on-campus and online degrees in Allied Health and Information Technology and places emphasis on industry certification preparation for its graduates’ professional careers. Stanbridge College maintains one of the highest continuous pass rates on the NCLEX-PN National Nursing Board Exam in California since 2007 with a 96% cumulative pass rate. Its IT degrees prepare students to test for a wide variety of top IT industry certifications including CompTIA and Cisco Certified Network Associate as recommended by an Advisory Board comprised of major IT employers in Southern California. Stanbridge College’s Career Services department also provides graduates with a multi-step career placement process including networking opportunities, alumni workshops, and job searching preparation.

Stanbridge College also encourages its students to participate in community service. Stanbridge College’s REACH – Beyond the Classroom Service Learning and Civic Engagement initiative provides students with opportunities to give back to their local Orange County and global community while earning credit towards coursework in a structured environment.

To learn more about Stanbridge College, Vocational Nursing and Information Technology programs and REACH, please visit www.stanbridge.edu.

View more photos of the Fall 2011 Commencement Ceremony on the Stanbridge College Facebook.

With overcrowded EDs increasing, nurses must be more vigilant about hand washing – even when the situation is distracting or if you are short on time. Meanwhile, researchers will continue to research what systems can improve hand hygiene practices in hospitals, especially in emergency departments.

Read the full news article on emergency department hand washing here. You can learn more about careers in vocational nursing by visiting Stanbridge College.

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Home health nurses make house calls and follow up with patients after discharge. These nurses generally do not check in to the office more than once or twice a week, and they have flexible schedules. Most home health nurses specialize in cardiac health, geriatrics, wound care, or diabetes care.

A recent article had words of caution for nurses looking into home health. Home health nurses must be more independent, be willing to work odd hours to fit with patients’ schedules, and must be good at communicating via phone and e-mail. A knack for technology is also beneficial, as home health nurses are more and more using telemedicine to check in with patients or to monitor vitals.

Are you interested in home health nursing, or are you pursuing a different specialty? Let us know in the comments.

Find out more about a career in vocational nursing: visit Stanbridge College.

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Stanbridge College is pleased to announce its Allied Health Career Fair on Thursday, December 8, 2011. Stanbridge College’s Vocational Nursing and Occupational Therapy Assistance students and alumni will be able to network with over 28 southern California Allied Health employers. Students will be able to meet potential employers, explore new career opportunities and gather advice on what employers are looking for in future employees.

Career Fair details:

Date: Thursday, December 8, 2011
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Stanbridge College

Prepare for the Fair!

To help students and alumni prepare for the Career Fair, here are few tips from Stanbridge College Career Services:

•    Prepare multiple copies of your resume to hand out.
•    Dress as you would for an interview. Make sure you look your best to impress any potential future employer.
•    Network with all of the potential employers, not just the ones you are interested in. You never know which opportunity might be the best for you.
•    Collect contact information from the representatives of each company and be sure to follow up by sending a Thank You message after the fair.
•    Be prepared to share with employers why you have chosen your career path. They want to know why you’re passionate about your career.
•    Ask questions: Career Fairs are excellent opportunities for you to learn what is important to employers when they decide to hire.

Continue to Network

Are you a Stanbridge College graduate looking to network online? Join the Stanbridge College Alumni Groups on LinkedIn:

Vocational Nursing Alumni Group
Information Technology Alumni Group

For more information on Stanbridge College Career Services call 714-949-9090 or visit www.stanbridge.edu.

Tele-ICUs, however, are not yet widely implemented or accepted. With cameras constantly watching, health care workers and patients might feel more vulnerable. It is not yet clear how ICU footage might play in malpractice lawsuits and nursing reviews. Patients might feel that cameras are an invasion of privacy.

On the other hand, tele-ICU programs have seen success where implemented. Health care workers can play back footage to double check when doses were given. Mistakes are caught sooner, and there is greater adherence to best practices. Mortality rates decreased.

While this technology and guidelines for its implementation are still in its infancy, more hospitals are installing tele-ICUs on a trial basis. What do you think of tele-ICUs? Would you be comfortable with cameras on you – as a patient or as a nurse?

Read more about this upcoming technology here, and be sure to visit the Stanbridge College website to find out more about a career in vocational nursing.

What can a nurse do to ensure that they are protecting themselves, patients, and their family? Here are a few tips from an article on NurseZone:

• Wash your hands before and after touching your scrubs.
• Always launder your scrubs between wearing – and make sure to use hot water and a hot dryer to kill off bacteria.
• Short sleeves might help prevent pathogen transmission.
• Wear protective garb such as aprons and gloves for any task that might involve contact with bodily fluids and/or splashing.
• Change out of your scrubs as soon as possible after your shift—and if possible, when you’re on lunch. Otherwise, you could carry pathogens to the general public or your family.

How diligent are you about washing your scrubs? Are these suggestions reasonable? Do you have any suggestions? Let us know in the comments or on the Stanbridge College Facebook page.

For more suggestions, read the full article here.

Learn more about starting your career as a Vocation Nurse at Stanbridge College online.

• Communication goes both ways. Engage patients in a dialogue; help them understand and come to a decision about their treatment options. Patients should feel comfortable asking questions.
• Respect diversity. Behavior such as eye contact and certain tones of voice vary across cultures. Diversity training can help you better communicate with patients from any background.
• Be aware of language and literacy barriers. Written instructions are useless to illiterate patients.
• Don’t use lingo when speaking with patients. Most patients will not understand the acronyms and lingo used by health care professionals – and even worse, some lingo can be misunderstood. An example from the article: a patient overheard a physician discussing him using the acronym “SOB.” The patient didn’t know that “SOB” was short for “shortness of breath.”
• Try to give patients choice. A patient might feel out of control and vulnerable in a hospital situation, but giving a patient choices can help give them a sense of agency.

For more suggestions, read the full article here.

Learn more about starting your career as a Vocation Nurse at Stanbridge College online.

This holiday season, Stanbridge College asks you to help us serving a warm Thanksgiving meal to hundreds of homeless and needy in Orange County. On November 26th, Stanbridge College is once again partnering with Mariners Outreach to prepare and serve food to over 400 people. These people do not have the luxury of a warm house in which to celebrate Thanksgiving. We are asking you to step up and show the spirit of giving to people who desperately need our help.

Event details:

Date: Saturday, November 26, 2011
Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm *
Location: Lighthouse Outreach Ministries: 1885 Anaheim St. Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Register: Click here to register on the REACH upcoming events website.

* For those available, we need 1or 2 people to arrive on-site at 1pm to help prepared food. If you are able, please email vsauer@stanbridge.edu.

In addition to preparing and serving the food, we are encouraging people to drop off donations. If you are able to donate, here are some suggestions:

• brownies, cookies or candy
• sodas – these are such a treat for these men, women and children and they go so fast!
• clothing items – especially socks, old back packs and toiletry items.
• blankets, plastic bags and cloth bags

Let’s work together to provide holiday cheer and warmth to our Orange County community.

While the assumption is that this “generation gap” would cause tension in the workplace, Santamour poses questions to his readers: does the generation gap exist? Are there tangible tensions? In his follow up piece, readers take issue with the idea that the generation gap is something new or that it even exists; many comment that healthcare workers should behave professionally and competently no matter what their age.

Click here to read our previous blog post about issues that might arise from generational differences. As a nurse, have you experienced problems related to differences in age? How did you overcome the issue?

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While death might be routine for healthcare workers, Wood writes that the process is often new for families. A key change to pain management is the branching of palliative care from hospice. Many patients require intensive care for their pain but are not terminally ill; these patients could benefit from palliative care. Nurses can also play a role in familiarizing families with the hospice and palliative care programs available to them. New devices can help comfort patients both in a home setting and on a unit. New strategies for improving nutrition as a means of symptom management can also help improve the comfort of patients—and these strategies can empower patients’ families.

You can read the full article here. Have you worked in hospice or palliative care? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.

Learn more about a career in nursing by visiting the Stanbridge College website.

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As you monster mash your way through the evening, please enjoy a spooky and safe Halloween!

When approaching technology, Funk advocates four guidelines to follow.

Use technology appropriately. Just because a new technology or test is more complex or expensive does not always make it the most effective.

Use technology safely. Every technology has its risks, and weighing those risks for each patient is important. Not every technology is right for every patient.

Use technology equitably. Prejudice should not exist when determining which procedures to give to a patient.

Use technology humanely. Technology cannot replace human decision-making skills in a healthcare setting.

You can read the full article here. Let us know your experiences with implementing nursing technology in the comments!

Learn more about starting your career as a Vocation Nurse at Stanbridge College online.

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As healthcare reforms are being implemented, Jones suggests that nurses should strive to work with other providers to create positive change in what could be a challenging situation for California.

What do you think of upcoming reforms? What affect do you think they will have on your career as a nurse?  Let us know in the comments!

Learn more about starting your career as a Vocational Nurse: visit Stanbridge College online.

Read the full article here.

Visit Stanbridge College to learn about starting a career in Vocational Nursing.

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Compassion fatigue is “a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion” that can strike nurses and other caregivers.  While compassion fatigue absolutely impacts nurses on a personal level, it also has an impact on their work and ability to provide patient care.  Fortunately, nurses can take steps to identify early symptoms and to prevent full blown burnout. 

In an article in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, Barbara Lombardo, RN, MSN, PMHCNS-BC and Caryl Eyre, RN MSN outline symptoms of compassion fatigue and steps to prevent it. Symptoms include:

• Patient interaction problems, such as avoidance of patients or lack of empathy toward patients
• Physical problems such as headaches, digestive problems, sleep disturbances, and muscle tension
• Emotional symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety, poor concentration, and memory issues

What can you do if you are suffering from compassion fatigue?  The article has a few recommendations, including:

• Seek out resources in the workplace, such as an Employee Assistance Program
• Meet with your supervisor or a more experienced nurse to discuss strategies for coping
• Find help from your Pastoral Care Department for your spiritual concerns and needs
• Develop healthy rituals such as providing yourself with proper nutrition, getting enough sleep, and exercising
• Create a “relaxation space” at work where nurses can listen to calming music and de-stress

You can view a full list of symptoms and strategies for preventing compassion fatigue by reading the full journal article here.

Visit Stanbridge College to learn about starting a career in Vocational Nursing.

A recent article in the American Journal of Nursing analyzes the outcome of a nurse providing innovative care: the nurse created step-by-step visual instructions for a patient by taking photos with a cell phone.  This type of intervention, driven by an understanding of the patient’s needs and a willingness to explore alternative solutions, is an interesting example of how nurses can creatively address the issue of discharge instructions.  Of course, the article also notes how even this solution is not “one-size-fits-all” for a variety of reasons, including photography policies, the patient’s willingness and ability to use a camera phone, and the appropriateness of the instructions to the medium.

Self-care instructions can continue to become more tailored to the patient’s learning style, but we should also not dismiss “low tech solutions” when creating innovative solutions for communicating with patients.

What are some examples of inventive patient care that you have witnessed or participated in?  Let us know in the comments.

Click here to read the full journal article.

Visit Stanbridge College to learn about starting a career in Vocational Nursing.

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Stanbridge College nursing students from cohort FTO organized and gathered over 200 picture books to benefit the children of CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Within a few months of graduating, the vocational nursing students wanted to aid CHOC Children’s based on their previous clinical work and lessons in pediatrics and their interest in community service. They asked their fellow students, instructors and Stanbridge College staff to donate children’s picture books in either English or Spanish.

Stanbridge College encouraged college-wide participation in the book drive as part of its REACH – Beyond the Classroom Service Learning and Civic Engagement initiative. The REACH initiative provides students with community service opportunities enabling them to give back to their local Orange County and global community while earning credit towards coursework in a structured environment.

Noelle Andres, nursing student and leader of the Children’s Picture Book Drive for CHOC stated, “We really wanted to help out CHOC for the children’s education. We felt it was important to carve out the time to give back to our Orange County community. Even though it was a lot of hard work to balance this with our courses, in the end it was very rewarding.”

According to Yasith Weerasuriya, “We are very pleased that the nursing students of FTO took the initiative to organize this book drive for CHOC. On their own time, the students worked with our REACH team and on their own to encourage fellow students to participate. Their accomplishment is truly inspiring and we are very happy to have been able to help facilitate their civic engagement for this wonderful Orange County organization.”

Continue to REACH

Stanbridge College encourages its community to learn more about CHOC Children’s to support children in need. To learn more about Stanbridge College’s REACH – Beyond the Classroom, please visit the Stanbridge College REACH program.

On September 24th, Stanbridge College will be working with Mariners Outreach to serve lunch to those in need of a warm meal. Stanbridge College REACH is asking you to be a hero for hundreds of homeless and low-income families in Orange County by becoming a volunteer today.

Date: Saturday September 24, 2011
Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Lighthouse Outreach Ministries: 1885 Anaheim St. Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Register: Click here to register on the REACH Upcoming Events Website

In addition to preparing and serving the food, we are encouraging people to drop off donations. If you are able to donate, here are some suggestions:
• brownies, cookies or candy
• sodas – these are such a treat for these men, women and children and they go so fast!
• clothing items – especially socks, old back packs and toiletry items.
• blankets, plastic bags and cloth bags

Stand up, stand out and be a hero for your local community.

Click here to explore the several strategies for staying safe around patients. 

Visit Stanbridge College to learn about starting a career in Vocational Nursing.

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