College of Nursing & Health Care Professions

By Bob Romantic GCU News Bureau Shanna Cunningham gets affirmation almost daily on her decision to attend GCU and start a second career as a nurse. Sometimes it comes from the classes she takes or the faculty members she comes in contact with. Sometimes it’s in the Scriptures that are scattered about the College of Nursing building. Sometimes it’s in her dealings with health-care professionals at local hospitals. And sometimes it even comes when she’s working part time as a waitress at Babbo’s Italian Eatery in north Phoenix. “When I’m just talking to customers and I tell them where I go to school, they’re like, ‘Ooh and aah, that’s a good school. You’re not going to have any problem getting a job,’” said Cunningham, 42, a mother of four who previously worked as a manager in a law firm. “And people in the medical field, they know and respect GCU for putting out good nurses.” The statistics bear out Cunningham’s experiences. In 2011, GCU nursing graduates achieved a 95.79 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examinations (NCLEX), which are required in order to be licensed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. That was the best […]

Seizures, foaming at the mouth, rapid heart rates, drug overdoses… you name it, simulation mannequins can replicate it. And all of it was on display Monday at GCU Arena.

Laura Maurer began teaching as a GCU clinical adjunct instructor two years ago and is nearly done with her master’s degree in nursing education. She says she enjoys helping students build confidence in how they approach patients.

Doug Carroll, Michael Ferraresi and Bob Romantic of the GCU News Bureau are blogging from commencement on campus. Here are some of their stories and observations from Friday’s ceremonies for the Colleges of Nursing, Education and Doctoral Studies.

In a visit to the Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped, GCU seniors in the nursing program’s community health course provided basic information about dental hygiene, nutrition, exercise and protection from the Arizona sun.

The north Phoenix hospital offered Dr. Tim Larkin’s class a glimpse at some of the most tranquil, comforting amenities available in modern health care. The students met chaplain Patrick Hansen as part of a Spirituality and Health Care course that emphasizes the impact of faith on health and wellness.

The 14 students and eight faculty members from Changchun Medical College received a warm sendoff from the College of Nursing after a memorable two-week visit to campus that included a number of educational and social highlights for the guests and their hosts.

After a 16-member contingent from GCU spent an 18-day nursing exchange in China last July, the College of Nursing returned the favor by welcoming a 22-member student and faculty contingent from Changchun, China, for a two-week stay. “We have been blessed this week with our colleagues from China,” said Dean Anne McNamara in an introduction at Monday afternoon’s faculty lecture. The contingent spent last week in Phoenix getting acclimated to the time change and life at GCU: living in the residence halls, taking a campus tour, attending Chapel and the Gathering, and even dressing in togas to attend last Thursday night’s “Mr. GCU” student event in the North Gym.

GCU’s recent growth as an institution was on display Friday for a record number of high school students from across Arizona at the annual Health Sciences and Nursing Day. An estimated 2,500 students — an increase of 1,000 over 2010 — visited campus, attending a number of breakout sessions and touring points of interest such as the cadaver and simulation labs. About 60 high schools were represented, from as far as Prescott, Bisbee, Tucson and Nogales. Dr. Cheryl Roat, associate dean for the College of Nursing, had a standing-room-only audience for her early morning talk on “The Top 10 Reasons to Be a Nurse.”

The College of Nursing opened the doors to its new simulation lab Thursday, providing tours of the state-of-the-art facility and an opportunity to speak with instructors on how it will be used. In addition to the SimMan3G room, there also is an obstetrics room with a birthing mother and babies, a pediatrics room with a child mannequin, three exam rooms and a makeshift apartment for Home Healthcare and Hospice.