College of Nursing & Health Care Professions

Photos by Rick D’Elia GCU News Bureau The Thursday morning of Fall Commencement featured graduates of the College of Education (bachelor’s); College of Fine Arts and Production; College of Humanities and Social Sciences (bachelor’s); College of Nursing and Health Care Professions (bachelor’s); College of Science, Engineering and Technology; and College of Theology.       

Personal Financial Success Week, which began Monday and will continue through Thursday, provides students with information they desperately need, considering the number of Americans living in debt. “Every year we improve our outreach and connection to GCU students on topics of financial literacy and financial wellness,” said Dr. Randy Gibb, Dean of the Colangelo College of Business.

The second of seven makeup Commencement ceremonies Monday proved once again that graduates will travel long distances to celebrate earning their degree. “I just felt that desire to walk across the stage,” said Anthony Jackson Jr., who came all the way from New Orleans. “I wanted to feel that same intensity that the locals feel. I just had to do it.”

Nursing faculty cloaked students in white coats on Friday as part of the University’s first White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony is a rite of passage for the students, all of whom are seeking their master’s degrees to be advanced practice registered nurses. After being cloaked in her coat, Gina Mercado said she truly felt her purpose and “the significance of what I will bring.”

The first One Foundation Lunch and Learn of the 2021-22 academic year is scheduled for Monday, and this year’s topic offers faculty a topic ripe for discussion: “Human Flourishing: Embracing Our Purpose.” Monday’s session will focus on the greatest sermon ever, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Reading the news from Afghanistan in the past month was enough to bring GCU nursing alumna and former Air Force critical care nurse Christine Collins to tears. The children and women she helped were foremost on her mind. But reflecting on the positive and acknowledging her blessings has helped the mother of three cope. “I would always tell people that we’re just ordinary, plain people doing some extraordinary work on a daily basis,” she said.

Seeking re-accreditation for 13 degree programs simultaneously is unheard of. But the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions did just that, receiving re-accreditation for all of its academic programs from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. “This was a HUGE undertaking, and a success that we are very proud of,” said Heather Ziemianski, Assistant Dean of the Prelicensure Nursing Program.

If a student takes a tumble on a skateboard or turns an ankle in intramurals, they might just find themselves at the Lopes Orthopedic Clinic on the first floor of Chaparral Hall. The 2-year-old clinic is quickly becoming the go-to place for treatment when it comes to musculoskeletal injuries. It’s also where athletic training students can get hands-on experience. The unique Lopes Live Lab offers students an “opportunity, really, like none other,” said Michael McKenney, Assistant Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator of the Athletic Training program. Excerpted from the cover story on Lopes Live Labs from the August issue of GCU Magazine.

Kellie Lotshaw always thought she’d be working on the sidelines of a football field or with athletes in some other collision or action sport. But she’s stepping up in a different way. As an injury prevention specialist at Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center in Goodyear, the 2015 athletic training graduate is one of only 3% of board-certified athletic trainers who work in the corporate or industrial setting.

April X. Castillo dearly wanted to be a nurse, but there was an unexpected challenge. The admission exam for the GCU nursing program has a significant section on grammar. She took the test and failed twice. That’s when Dr. Jennifer Santos heard about her plight and offered to help. After a lot of private lessons on things such as comma splices and apostrophes, Castillo realized her dream of becoming a nurse. She is just one of many would-be nurses helped by the GCU English department — Santos and Dr. Heather Brody have volunteered their time to help them study for the language portion of the exams.