CNA apprentices received their completion certificates at Renown Regional Medical Center. All nine passed the state exam.
Hall and Steinman Published in NISOD
Political Science Professor Precious Hall, PhD and Executive Director of Retention Support Programs Joan Steinman, EdD have written an article about student success, published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) on Dec. 14.
The Truckee Meadows Community College faculty members’ work is entitled “Helping Students Survive So They Can Succeed,” and is posted in the NISOD Innovation Abstracts, Volume 39, No. 31. Their article describes how a student resources team began and evolved at TMCC, and outlines the development of Wizard’s Warehouse food pantry and a student emergency resource fund.
“The TMCC food pantry was not operational until 2016, but in 2013 we created the Student Resource Fair, an event that brought community agencies to campus,” Hall and Steinman wrote. “Hosting the Fair once per semester produced great results; however, we determined that it needed a corresponding website that was always current with critical information.”
Wizard’s Warehouse food pantry, a partnership with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada (FBNN) has grown from the student resource team’s efforts. There are two food pantries, one is located on the Dandini Campus, and one is available at Meadowood Center. In the first year, more than 150 students have been served. The resource committee also noticed additional unmet student needs.
“We began our emergency fund in the fall of 2015 with $50 from our Foundation Office’s employee payroll deduction program,” they wrote. “In 2016 we had over $900 contributed directly from employees. To date, we have provided over $6,000 in emergency funds for such issues as bus passes, medical expenses, child care, tuition payments, bereavement/compassionate airfare, and emergency bill payments.”
The article was written as a culmination of Dr. Hall and Dr. Steinman's NISOD excellence awards and presentation of their work as a seminar at NISOD's annual conference in May. To read the full article, please visit the NISOD Innovation Abstracts.
“There are many excellent resources through NISOD, such as webinars that are posted and archived, and the Innovation Abstracts,” said Cathy Brewster, Professional Development Manager. “The username and password may be shared, and the TMCC community has access to all of these resources.”
“If you know of a student in need, please contact the Counseling Center,” Dr. Hall added.
For more information about Professional Development at TMCC, please call 775-674-7965, and for the Counseling Center, call 775-673-7060.
All CNA Apprentices Pass State Exam
This Fall, a new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) apprenticeship program began as an innovative collaboration of Renown Health and Truckee Meadows Community College—and the first class of nine apprentices graduated on Nov. 16.
The unique program provides CNA students a job and income while they study in classes taught by TMCC professors. Courses take place right where the apprentices work, at Renown Health facilities.
The students started their coursework and worked as Patient Safety Assistants. They gradually advanced in labs and work responsibilities as they progressed through the course.
Apprenticeship students were then eligible to sit for the state certification exam. After passing the CNA test, they will be able to transition smoothly into their health care career.
“The CNA apprentices all passed their CNA certification exam with the Nevada State Board of Nursing, and TMCC has the highest pass rate of any similar-size program in Nevada,” said Cheryl Olson, TMCC Nevada’s Apprentice Project Director. “The apprentices will complete their apprenticeship with Renown in the next few weeks.”
For more information about apprenticeship programs at TMCC, please call the William N. Pennington Applied Technology Center at 775-856-5300.
Maxine S. Jacobs Nursing Program Grads Pinned
Twenty graduates of the Maxine S. Jacobs Nursing Program were pinned at a completion ceremony that took place in the V. James Eardley Student Services Center on Dec. 14.
Melissa Brock is the class Valedictorian and Heather Dixon is Salutatorian. Brock was also the 2017 Northern Nevada Nurse of Achievement (NNNA) scholarship recipient, awarded by NNNA.
In addition to the presentation of pins and a class memory slide show, TMCC President Karin Hilgersom, PhD presented a speech at the ceremony. Director of Nursing Jody Covert addressed the graduates and their families, as did graduate Magdalena Kiejna.
“Passion is the key ingredient to the study of nursing and life,” she said. “It’s with respect, compassion, and a strong sense of self and others that we take our next steps into the big world as Registered Nurses. Remember, you must always have faith in people, but most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.”
For more information about the Maxine S. Jacobs Nursing Program, please call 775-850-4054.
Contributions to TMCC Good News are Welcome
Additional contributions for good news are welcome. If you have an achievement or volunteer experience to share with the TMCC community, please let us know.