Victor Valley College
The Journal
The Bi-Monthly Nursing School and Allied Health Newsletter Letter
December 2011 Volume 1 No. 3
Allied Health Shakes Up the Shake Out Event
tims with very realistic looking
injuries.
Article By
Anita Arnold
Photos By
While Nursing students were
somewhat prepared for the
event, paramedic students had
no chance to prepare and were
surprised when at 10 am the
drill started and they had to find
and triage the injured. For the
next hour or so, victims were
transported to the mock ER in
room 3 of the Allied Health
building, where they were
evaluated and treated. “I thought
this was for real” commented
one passing student with obvious relief. Third semester nursing students staffed the ER and
ICU, as well as incident command positions such as communications, security and more.
Faculty Terry Truelove and
Diego Garcia played the part of
doctors.
Anita Arnold
October 20, 2011, VVC
students leaving the science
building were shocked to
find a woman sitting near
an injured friend, calling
for help. On the lawn in
front of the library someone
lay unconscious. Another
person sat against a lamp
post, bleeding and in a
daze. Sirens wailed in the
distance. Looking towards
the Allied Health building,
one could see groups of
paramedics rushing out to
locate and triage the
wounded. Doctors and
Nurses were standing at the
Emergency Room ready to
receive the casualties.
Ashley Rivera, Aimee Zimbro, and Paramedic students in the background.
What at first glance
looked like a major disaster
was in fact the 4rd annual California ShakeOut, the largest
earthquake drill ever to take
place in the US. In 2008 the
ShakeOut was created in Southern California to educate the
public about disaster preparedness. The event went statewide
the next year and is now held
annually in more than a dozen
states and British Columbia.
This year more than 8.6 million
Californians participated, and
Victor Valley College joined
with a fully orchestrated mass
casualty drill.
Nursing and paramedic programs joined efforts to make
this the most comprehensive
drill to date. Third semester
nursing students had prepared
through online training and
disaster awareness activities.
Students from the college’s
drama department volunteered
their time and artistic skills to
turn nursing students into vic-
Students found the ShakeOut to
be a great learning tool. Rosalinda Gonzales, a student who
played one of the victims said
“You could sense the stress in
our nurses and paramedics.
This exercise forced us to see
ourselves in action during a
stressful situation, and to recognize our weaknesses and
strengths”.
After the drill, Terry Truelove
debriefed nursing students, stating that he was very pleased
with the experience, “Everyone
did very well. Nurses stayed
calm and organized, and everyone played their roles beautifully”.
In the afternoon nursing students participated in a disaster
preparedness fair. Booths included information about disaster preparedness and resources.
Laura Whitehead from the Apple Valley Fire Department
made the students aware of the
Apple Valley CERT
(Community Emergency Response Team). CERT is a group
that provides free emergency
training and information to citizens throughout the year.
Nancy Thale provided information about FADD (Friends of
Animals During Disasters).
Tyler Bisbee gave an excellent
presentation about emergency
response and Pam Wolfe led
students in a critical care scenario. Deanna Scurlock, 4th
semester nursing student and
organizer of the fair, noted that
it is important to “provide this
type of exposure to make students more aware of how to
prepare for a disaster”. We may
not know when the next disaster
will strike, but preparation will
help to increase residents’ readiness when it does occur.
For more information about the
ShakeOut and CERT, visit
http://www.shakeout.org/ and
http://citizencorps.gov/cert/
about.shtm
Test Your Knowledge
A nurse is assessing a client who has a history of Bipolar II disor-
A. The client talks and jokes continuously throughout the conversation.
der. Which of the following client behaviors should indicate to the
B. The client is not interested in sexual relations with their partner.
nurse a need for further investigation?
C. The client sleeps four hours each night and naps during the day.
(see the last page for answers and reasoning)
D. The client cries after discovering a recent weight gain of five pounds.
Nursing & Allied Health
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
The Journal Victor Valley College
December. 7, 2011 Page 2
Insight into “Men in Nursing”
Story By
Jonathan Portillo
Edited by Elizabeth Vandom
Jonathan Portillo, currently a
NP3 Student Nurse, was
given the opportunity to attend a “Men in Nursing”
conference on November 11,
2011, in Anaheim, Ca. Mr.
Portillo with Dr. Joseph
Morris received a warm reception from those attending
as well as those who hosted
the conference. Men and
women attending were from
a variety backgrounds, such
as nurses in all areas of expertise, students, teachers,
and individuals looking into
the nursing field as a career.
The conference began with a
history of the men who
paved the way for men in the
nursing profession. Key
figures such as James Durham, Jacob Rose, Dr. Luther
Christman were mentioned
as pioneers of nursing giving
those that attended insight
into their contributions.
The first keynote address
was from Dr. Eric J. Williams, a Professor of Nursing
at Santa Monica College.
Dr. Williams is recognized
as being the first African
American male faculty member in nursing at
Santa Monica College, where he began his appointment
in 2001. He addressed how men in
nursing need to
work as a team in
order to continue to
strive and work in
today’s nursing environment. The misconceptions of males in nursing
were briefly discussed during
his address, focusing on
some of the stereotypes that
our society has created. The
main goal regarding this
topic was to change these
stereotypes in order to bring
more men into the field.
Bryant Baldorado, RN, a
Clinical Staff Nurse at
Northridge Hospital Medical
Center, was the next speaker.
He was recognized for re-
ceiving the 2011 Nursing
Excellence in Community
Service by Nurse.com and
given the opportunity to
share some of his experiences while working around
the world with
“Operation Smile”
helping children
with cleft lip surgeries. Speakers
from a diverse
group of nursing
specialties, including but not limited
to a Wound Care
Nursing Specialist
and Management of a health
unit. They gave information
to interested students; educating them on skills needed
to pursue their professions.
Lastly that day they held a
“Roundtable Discussion”
identifying typical stereotypes and solutions for men
in the nursing profession.
Those seated at the separate
tables were asked to discuss
how society’s still unfavorable opinion of males in
nursing influenced their
views and lives in the nursing profession. Those who
attended also discussed how
they could change this unfavorable view of male nurses.
Several ideas were given
including putting up billboards and creating commercials that displayed the male
role in nursing. This exercise gave the guests who
attended the opportunity to
give input and help “Men in
Nursing” become far more
accepted by society. The
knowledge that men can
make a difference just by
being role models was said
to be very empowering to
Mr. Portillo. Any male in
the nursing field or even
those interested in becoming
a nurse should look into
“Men in Nursing.” It is a
great community that helps
each member become the
best they can within this
great profession. Feel free to
find more information at
http://aamn.org/
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
These sections are dedicated to highlighting the nursing Alumni of VVC. Their leadership and contributions to the community are worthy of acknowledgement.
Albert Rennie VVC School of Nursing Class of 1994
ALUNMI GIVING
Your contributions are welcomed. All proceeds help support the student community
service projects, pinning ceremony, and the growth and development of the nursing department.
Please Contact:
The Victor Valley College
Foundation in care of the VVC
School of Nursing at:
www.vvcfoundation.com
Nursing & Allied Health
Story and Photo By: Elizabeth Vandom
field of Psychiatric Nursing
and has worked in this field
for 15 years. Since he graduated VVC’s nursing program
he has attended Loma Linda
University where he obtained
his BSN, and later enrolled
in Cal State Dominguez Hills
earning his MSN.
Albert Rennie, RN MSN,
graduated from the Victor ValFour years after gradualey College Nursing program
tion,
in 1998, Mr. Rennie
in 1994, then went on to work
took
on
the mantel of teacher
in a Medical/Surgical unit at
giving back to VVC by takSt. Mary’s Medical Center. He
ing students into Patton State
also worked on the Pediatric
Hospital for their clinical
unit in San Bernardino County
Psychiatric rotation. Of all
Hospital. He currently works
the schools Mr. Rennie atin Patton State Hospital in the
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
tended, Victor Valley College was stated to be his favorite. He attributes his desire to pursue a career as a
Psychiatric Nurse from his
prior instructor Nancy Green,
RN, who was his Psych professor during his time in
VVC. He offers a unique
view into the mental health
profession and gives back to
the nursing community
freely. The Nursing field
and the VVC nursing department are fortunate to have
his continued involvement in
educating future nurses.
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
The Journal Victor Valley College
December 7, 2011 Page 3
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Scott Face VVC School of Nursing Class of 2002
Story By: Connie Rivera-Albertsen Photo By: Scott Face
Interested in purchasing AD space to support this news letter?
Please contact the Nursing
Department at 760-2454271 for more details.
Scott Face, RN BSN, currently
works as the Medical Informatics Coordinator at a community hospital in Upland
(SACH). He works closely
with administration and physicians to better develop and
implement facility communication.
Mr. Face graduated from
VVC in December 2002. He
was hired as a nurse extern in
the critical care float pool at
the beginning of his third semester. He subsequently
passed the NCLEX in January
2003 and was hired as an RN
in CCU. The following two
years Mr. Face became certified to care for various high
risk patients including post
CABG and CRRT patients.
He later went on to earn his
BSN from California State
University San Bernardino in
2007. Since 2007 he has
worked with third semester
students in the ICU/ED rotation at VVC and frequently
preceptors students and new
hires.
Mr. Face says becoming an
RN has allowed him spend
more time with his family and
expand his professional horizons, “VVC gave me the foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills that empowered me to achieve all the
things I have achieved over the
last ten years.”
Scott Face is an inspiring example of how dedication and
hard work allows one to arrive
far beyond expectations.
Faculty Corner
Article By
Elizabeth Vandom
Photo By
Anita Arnold
where he began to work with
open heart surgery patients
and later began to assist with
open heart surgeries.
Professor Diego Garcia, RN
MSN, started out in the
medical profession much like
many of us in the Nursing
Program today. In order to
support his family Prof.
Garcia worked as an orderly
at St Mary’s here in the high
desert; he also worked full
time and attended nursing
school at VVC, graduating in
1979. From there he pursued
his desire to work in Rehabilitation at Ballard Rehabilitation Center. After two
years Prof. Garcia took a
position in St Mary’s Med/
Surg department in order to
refresh his RN skills. Three
years of working in St
Mary’s allowed him to recognize his interest in Telemetry and Cardiology.
This new focus pushed him
to take a position in St Bernadine’s ICU department;
When St Mary’s began
their Cardiac center Professor Diego moved
back up to the
High desert and
trained the nursing staff. He instructed St Mary’s
nurses to work
with the open
heart surgeons as
well as provided
needed education
on the management of the post
op open heart surgery patients. In 1987 Professor
Garcia started teaching part
time at Victor Valley College
before deciding to become a
full time faculty member in
1989. During the first couple
years of teaching, Professor
Garcia worked part time in
ICU, attended school part
Nursing & Allied Health
time for his Masters at
AZUSA Pacific, and taught
full time. One of the greatest
lessons he wants students to
remember is “if you want
something bad enough you
can make it happen.”
His passion to
achieve more and
to inspire others to
achieve greatness
permeates through
his lively lectures
and enthusiasm for
the nursing profession. He believes
in taking the time
to interject humor
in his lectures and
with his patients
not only to make
them relax and smile, but
also as a therapeutic means
to increase healing and understanding between him and
those he works with. He
continues to serve as Chairperson of the Allied Health
and Nursing Departments
allowing him to act as liaison
between the Nursing and
Allied Health Director and
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
the Nursing and Allied
Health Faculty. This position allows him to enact
change in the department and
ensure its continued smoothness in operation. He also
attends conferences and
seminars to continue to ensure VVC’s progressive
curriculum. Professor Diego
also has volunteered his time
with Professor Thibeault to
teach prisoners of our local
prison about diabetes management, diagnoses, and
prevention. He does his best
to maintain the prestige of
our school not only in the
seminars he attends but also
in the clinical sites where he
instructs. Above all else
Prof. Garcia would like to let
the nursing student body
know that if he could do all
that he did to get where he is
now, we can too.
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
The Journal Victor Valley College
December 2011 Page 4
Faculty Member Recognition
Instructor Shows Unyielding Resolve and Dedication
in school and later when a shift
was extremely difficult.
Professor Longoria arrived
to the United States in 1975.
She met her husband in Ger-
Story By:
Connie Rivera-Albertsen
Photo Provided By:
SalveLea Paligar Galamgam
One need not go far to find a
priceless gem within the VVC
Nursing Department. While it
goes without saying there is
more than one, we put the
spotlight on Renate Longoria,
RN MSN. Her many titles
have included; infection control, employee health, patient
educator, administration and
most importantly to VVC,
student nurse educator.
Professor Longoria says
her nursing ethics stem from
her upbringing in Germany.
She was taught never to give up,
arrive to work on time, and follow the rules and policies, all of
which are a great recipe to remain employed. She says her
core ethics helped her stay focused when she faced struggles
as a Medical Assistant. The first
struggle was to refine her
knowledge of the English language. She entered the VVC
nursing program the fall of
Professor Barbara Eitchen, Emeritus Kay McKinley, Professor Renate Longoria (center front) with
former NP2 Nursing class.
many while he was serving in
the US Army. They moved to
the High Desert to be closer to
his family. She enrolled at VVC
and was advised by a college
counselor she would be a good
candidate for the nursing program. In Germany she worked
1978.
“My reward is being told I
made a difference in their stay at
the hospital,” she goes on to say
now that she is facing a terminal
illness she is on the other side of
the nursing spectrum. “It made
me realize how important and
reassuring a caring nurse can be
in a patient’s hospital stay and
recovery.”
Professor Longoria’s nursing
career has come full circle, returning to educate nursing students at her Alma mater, “I
really enjoy bringing my love of
the nursing profession to my
students.” She goes on to say
one of the privileges of being a
student nurse educator is working with competent RNs who
graduated from VVC. She is
proud her daughter has chosen
the same career path and hopes
she will enjoy the same rewarding career. She strongly suggests new grads spend at least
six months to one year in a Med/
Surg unit; in order to give them
the opportunity to become organized and skilled nurses.
It is a privilege as current or
past nursing student to be
touched by such a dedicated and
loving nursing instructor.
VVC Students Attend the 2011 California CNSA Convention
Story and Photo By
Matty Gutner
Editor Elizabeth Vandom
CNSA President Matty Gunter,
Vice President Diana Marohn,
Secretary Chelsea Gallinger,
and Treasure Dawn Garcia were
fortunate enough to attend the
2011 CNSA Convention in Sacramento, CA. They were accompanied by two faculty advisors
Alice Ramming and Barbara
Eichen.
The CNSA convention was a
wonderful learning experience
for all nurses and future nurses
who attended. Students were
given the opportunity to learn
about advancing their education
through multiple individuals
who represented schools
Nursing & Allied Health
ferent perspectives and experithroughout California. For exences from which to learn. One
ample representatives from Kaiof main goals of the CNSA
ser and St. Judes Childrens Hoscabinet was to learn how to
pital were there explaining the
steps it would take to
become an employee in
their prestigious organizations. Hurst and Kaplan
NCLEX review also attended, explaining new
changes being put into
effect for future NCLEX
tests. “It was a very educational trip and well
Matty Gutner, Chelsea Gallinger, Diana
worth the drive,” stated
Lopez, and Dawn Garcia
Matty Gutner after attending the convention.
grow and expand Victor Valley
Those that attended also
College’s CNSA charter. The
enjoyed the opportunity to netcurrent cabinet that attended
work with other students from
took part in a conference that
all over California, gaining difVictor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
addressed the expansion of
CNSA charters; providing them
with a valuable information on
how other schools increase their
participation. Matty Gutner
mentioned, “Our community
should be seeing big changes in
the future. Our cabinet looks
forward to uniting the community and Victor Valley College
nursing students.” Attending
these conventions is a wonderful
opportunity for all future nurses
within our community. If anyone is interested in learning
more about these conventions or
joining CNSA feel free to contact anyone in the CNSA cabinet. CNSA meetings are also
held every other Wed at 1230 in
room 32-12.
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
The Journal Victor Valley College
December 2011 Page 5
Test Your Knowledge Answer and Rationale
Correct Answer: B
C. A reduced need to sleep is experienced by all manic clients.
Although this client is not sleeping the recommended number of
Rationale:
A. While in the hypomania phase, the client may talk and joke continuously. The nurse should become concerned if the client’s behavior
exhibited large mood swings or exhibited flight of ideas. This would be
characteristic of a client in the manic phase.
B. CORRECT: The nurse should investigate this finding further. Clients who are in the manic phase are too busy for sex.
The hypomania phase is characterized by sexually irresponsible
behavior. Unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are common in clients who are in the hypomania
phase.
hours needed by the average person, this is not a priority concern
at this time. The client is able to sleep. The nurse should be more
concerned if the client reported that he/she was unable to sleep at
all. This would indicate the client was in the stage of acute mania.
D. A recent weight gain of five pounds would not be a priority
concern. During the hypomania phase, clients often consume large
amounts of food. The nurse should be more concerned if the client
had lost weight. This would be an indication that the client was in
the acute mania stage. During this stage, clients are often too busy
to eat or sleep. This can lead to exhaustion and death.
Don’t forget to order your scrubs and other
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students now and in the future have wonderful
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and go to
http://www.vvcrams.com/
Buy anything at this site with the use of the
code and support your fellow nurses.
Acknowledgments
Peers Empowering & Educating Peers (PEEPs)
This section is to thank those that worked hard to help create and promote this newsletter.
Director:
Special Thanks to:
Dr. Joseph Morris, CNS, GNP, PhD
Roderick Gray– For getting this rolling and showing us the way. Mr. Gray formatted the first two issues for us and continues to submit articles for Allied Health.
Supervising Instructor:
Prof. Alice Ramming, RN
Editor:
Elizabeth Vandom, SN NP3
Story Writers:
Anita Arnold, SN NP3
Matty Gutner, SN NP3
Connie Rivera-Albertsen, SN NP2
Jonathan Portillo, SN NP3
Elizabeth Vandom, SN NP3
The PEEPs program is a volunteer program designed for nursDiane Cline- For your assistance in keeping the end result brilliant.
ing and allied health students
enrolled
at VVC. The intention
Donna Derryberry– For all the extra hoops jumped through and all time spent on
making this newsletter happen.
of the program is to provide
supplemental support to stuNP3– For your continued support and dedication to making our school a better
dents that are having difficulty
place.
with comprehending the theoDr. Joseph Morris– For the inspiration to make this a reality.
retical and clinical concepts in
nursing or the allied health
To the Graduating Class of Fall 2011– For your hard work and generous submissions in this years Newsletter.
programs…for more information visit my PEEPs at
Prof. Alice Ramming– For keeping things in perspective and dedicating time to
Photographers:
the newsletter.
Anita Arnold, SN NP3
Connie Rivera-Albertsen and Anita Arnold– For their initiative in volunteering
Diana Lopez, SN NP3
their help and showing dedication and attention to detail in the end result
SalveLea Paligar Galamgam, SN NP3
Elizabeth Vandom, SN NP3
ATI Facebook page– Thank you for providing us with the review NCLEX question
Scott Face, RN
Nursing & Allied Health
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
WWW.VVCPEEPS.PBWOR
KS.COM
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861