Victor Valley College
The Journal
The Nursing School and Allied Health Newsletter
Winter 2015 Volume 5 No. 2
Staying Healthy in Nursing School
Article By:
Alexa Libby
The stress that comes with nursing school can easily consume
the energy we need to take care of ourselves. This can prove to
be overwhelming during a time when we are learning and investing so much time in taking care of others. Having motivational tools, such as the Facebook group “Healthy Nurses”
started by NP3 student Mandy Kimbell, can help students motivate one another through a social networking setting. CNSA
will also be helping students beat the stress of nursing school
with a weekly walk every Thursday at 9 am called “Strides
Against Stress.” Some of our fellow classmates also have pointers for us all on how to stay healthy throughout the semester:
Christina Lopez, NP2 “...take
healthy snacks to school..and
don't skip breakfast..nothing too
heavy though...oatmeal, fruit,
Cheerios, protein bars, etc..”
Janice Fonda, NP3
“Try to exercise if u can!
Even if it's 20 min!”
Allison Taylor, 246
“Make time again for basic yoga practice at home & get back in
the gym for weights 2x/week for starters. Stretch daily.”
The nursing program, the teachers at
VVC gave me the knowledge and
education that I needed to become a
nurse and to help others, not only
patients by my own family as well. I
will never forget my teachers because
I truly enjoyed all that I learned from
them and will always be grateful
Sandra Polliard, NP3
“NAPS..... I take NAPS
while power studying, gives
my brain a break and lets
the info get stored.... “
Nursing & Allied Health
Rebecca Hutchinson, NP4
“Don’t feel pressured to go
out to lunch with your
friends especially if you
brought a sack lunch!”
Where are they now?
My name is Ester Barraza. I am an alumni of the 2008 class
for Nursing Program at VVC. I was Co-president of our class
and enjoyed very much years at VVC. Well except maybe
the days of testing .... ;-)
Currently I work for St. Mary Medical Center in the Emergency Department. I have been at St. Marys since my graduation as I was hired and started my career on the med-surg /
telemetry floor. In 2010 I was part of a team to help build and
implement the electronic charting Meditech system for the
Emergency room which was the base for the eventual transition from paper to computer charting for the entire hospital.
In 2012 I returned to school to obtain my BSN through
Grand Canyon University graduating with honors. Now I am
currently applying to Brandman University to finish my education to obtain my Masters & Doctorate in nursing.
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
The Journal Victor Valley College
WINTER 2015 Page 2
Article By:
Dawna Scott
RN Externs
work?
I am currently working on the medical-surgical floor. I really
enjoy this floor due to having different disease process. It has
helped me become more organized and proficient my time
management. I do wish to first work on the med-surg floor
when I first become a nurse. After I am comfortable and
more confident I would like to transfer to the emergency department.
The local hospitals that work
in cooperation with Victor
Valley College with an Externship program are Desert
Valley Hospital and Barstow
Community Hospital. There
are several students that take
advantage of this partnership
and embrace the opportunity.
Do you feel that working as an extern has given you an
advantage? Explain
Amber Ronald NP 4
What has it been like for you as an Extern?
Being an extern has been a great experience. Any extra time in
the hospital that allows for more exposure to the nursing world
is never a bad thing. The hospital I work for is very student
friendly and always offer a helping hand when I need. I cannot
say enough how amazing the staff is at Desert Valley Hospital. The nurses, charge nurses and doctors were so patient and
always willing to teach. I had numerous doctors take the time
out to explain in detail different diseases and disabilities to
me. The nurses on the med-surg floor are every new nurse’s
dream. Always willing to take time out of their day to make
sure everyone is ok. It was a great team moral.
Was it what you expected?
It’s what I expected and more. I knew I would be working
under a nurse but I was nervous because I didn’t know if the
nurses would be friendly and accepting of an extern. The nurses I work under are mentors, offering their knowledge and
guiding me throughout the day. I was fortunate to have nurses
that ALWAYS took extra time out to teach me every aspect of
nursing that was possible.
Is a day as an Extern like a normal clinical day?
My extern days are similar to a clinical day but I feel I have
more freedom to learn different things. In clinical we have
objectives we need to meet to fill the criteria for that semester.
In the extern class we also have objectives but I have the opportunity to learn different parts of the nursing world we are
not typically exposed to. In my fourth semester of school
while working as an extern I got a lot of experience with the
computers such as charting, admissions, discharges and learning how to check new and pending orders.
Absolutely. During my school break I first started the extern
program. When the class was on break I was able to continue
working on the med-surg floor and not lose my skills that we
always work on. Having such a long break and going back to
school can be really nerve racking so having the extern position I was able to stay on top of my skills. The repetition is
how you become proficient at something and working as an
extern gave me that advantage. While other students were
occupied with other things I still got the extra experience.
What has been the most difficult part of being an Extern
for you?
I think the most difficult part about being an extern would be
when I first got started. Prior to starting the program I had to
apply for the position at the hospital. When you are an extern
you are an employee for the hospital. So just like any other
employee you have to go through the hiring process. I had to
apply, perform a job interview and after getting hired do all
the paper work. It was hard because I was in school while the
hiring process was going through so I had a lot to balance but
it was definitely worth the hard work.
Any words of advice you’d like to share about your experience?
If I had any advice for the students it would be to apply for
the extern program. Even if you do not get hired, going
through the hiring process it was a positive experience. But if
you are one of the lucky to get hired I guarantee you will not
regret it. I cannot express how lucky I am to have gone
through the process and obtain extra experience. I got to
work with amazing nurses and became very familiar with the
CEO of the hospital. I have nothing but good things to say
due to such a positive experience through the whole process.
Which area are you working in? Is this where you’d like to
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
WINTER 2015 Page 3
Specialty Nursing & Male Nurses
What is it like being a male nurse?
Being a male nurse nowadays, isn't as rare as it used to be. I chose to be in the nursing profession back when I was only 12 years
old.
I believe being a male nurse has many advantages. First of all, as a male we obviously possess more musculature than our female
counterparts and will most likely have more strength thus making it easy for us to move patients by ourselves. Now, I am not saying that females do not have the strength to assist patients but I’m merely stating a fact that men are more muscular than woman.
Wearing scrubs 12hrs/day is more comfortable than wearing jeans and shirt or suit and tie. As a nurse, we are obviously required
to wear scrubs as our uniforms and they are very comfortable compared to anything that I have ever worn and it gives me maximum range of motion and mobility when I am doing clinical.
Many men value careers with relationship-oriented components, something nursing offers in spades. There is also a highly technical side to nursing, another element of the profession that is often appealing to men. Men who had early exposure to male nurses
may also find themselves more motivated to break into this female-dominated field. Yes, there are barriers, such as gender stereotypes and lack of male role models, but with many individuals, these barriers have become an important reason to tackle them.
The nursing field offers many different patient care environments, some of which may be particularly appealing to men, such as
anesthesia, flight, emergency, or trauma nursing. Other nursing specialties in the field that male nurses may want to explore include middle management, nursing education, nurse practitioner, oncology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and administration. Nursing is
not a one-size-fits-all profession; for both male and female nurses, the wide array of specialties makes it possible to pursue one’s
specific areas of interest in the field.
Napoleon Lluch NP4
I am excited about becoming a nurse. Going into it, I knew the majority of nurses were female, but I didn’t think anything of it. I
think what struck me most was during my o.b. rotation. I really, really enjoyed my o.b. rotation. It was my favorite part of clinicals. While at the hospital, I was asked a few times if I was comfortable. I thought this was an odd question. Of course I was comfortable, I am practicing becoming a nurse! My reply was I am, I just don’t want any patients to be uncomfortable. I know a mother-to-be may prefer a female at her side during labor.
I look forward to joining forces with all the nurses out there, male and female. I don’t think about gender at all. It is only an issue
if people think it is one. Which is weird to me. All nurses do nursing work. It makes no difference which gender anyone is. Also,
having a mix of males and females in any profession is a good thing, it increases the different points of view, which can aid teamwork.
Aaron Jackson NP4 :)
Murse
Being a mursing student in the nursing program isn't as different as people perceive it as. Yes we do get the opportunity of helping other nurses lift their patients more often, but that's understandable. I would say the only experience I had where I felt out of
place was doing my clinical rotation for OB and Post Partum. This specialty is definitely an area
where the murses get the funny looks from the dads and the friendly quotes of "I don't want him in
here". Believe me sir that makes two of us. Other than that being a murse is a great feeling and a
great accomplishment.
Matthew Johnson NP4
Nursing & Allied Health
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
WINTER 2015 Page 4
The Journal Victor Valley College
September 11th Memorial Ceremony
On September the 8th Victor Valley College CNSA members collaborated with ASB/ Auxiliary Services Director Robert Sewell,
ASB cabinet members along with Firefighter Paramedic academies; together they demonstrated great support by setting up a massive grid. The placing of 3000 flags on this grid honored the heroic first responders and victims who lost their life that day. This
display was the centerpiece of the memorial to be held on the morning of September 11 th.
September 11, 2014 marked the 13th year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center.
The morning of September 11th at 6:30am city officials and VVC Foundation members, faculty and fellow students
gathered to pay tribute. First responder and Emergency Medical Technician Reggie Cervantes spoke firsthand about what she experienced. She spoke of the bravery and the sense of community that New Yorkers displayed. She emphasized how this same sense of
community needs to carry through not just in times of adversity but in everyday life.
A moment of Silence was held to mark the time of the event and bagpipes played at the close of the event. The students who attended from the nursing program and firefighter paramedic academies provided a stunning backdrop of maroon blue and white which
was fitting of such a patriotic event.
If you are interested in participating in next years 9/11 event please contact a CNSA cabinet member, attend a CNSA meeting, or
express interest on the CNSA Facebook page. An interest list is forming and all are welcome to help.
Article By
Lori-Sherrie Guiterrez
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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
Nursing & Allied Health
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
WINTER 2015 Page 5
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
The Journal Victor Valley College
WINTER 2015 Page 6
We would like to thank High Desert Alarm for their donation towards a scholarship for a VVC Nursing student!!
The other businesses listed below have given donations to support our CNSA Welcome Back meeting.
If you would like to donate to CNSA and VVC students please contact Nursing Department at 760-245-4271.
Nursing & Allied Health
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861
WINTER 2015 Page 7
The Journal Victor Valley College
Acknowledgments
This section is to thank those that worked hard to help create and promote this newsletter.
Director:
Dr. Joseph Morris, CNS, GNP, PhD
Supervising Instructor:
Prof. Sally Thibeault, RN
Editor:
Dawna Scott SN NP4
Alexa Libby SN NP3
Story Writers:
Lori Sherrie Gutierrez SN Np4
Nursing & Allied Health
Special Thanks to:
Dr. Joseph Morris– For your encouragement and continued support.
Prof. Sally Thibeault– Your words of encouragement and support for all our efforts!
NP4 class of Fall 2014– Congratulations Fall Class of 2014!!!
Laura Katnic– Your are always willing to lend a hand whenever asked and we thank you.
Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395
ph: (760)245-4271 fax:(760) 951-5861