Dr. Shannon Cox-Kelley

The Northeast Student Nurses Association (NSNA) attended Nurse Day at the Capital in Austin, Texas, on February 23rd and 24th. They joined nurses from all over Texas to let state legislators know how to help the nursing profession and how to improve health care for all Texans. This experience can easily open eyes to the many facets of the nursing profession, and inspire to get informed about nursing issues as well as encourage about the future of nursing in Texas. Nurse Day at the Capitol offers nurses the opportunity to speak directly with their state legislators or the legislator’s staff, and educate them on issues concerning nursing as well as any specific bills that nursing currently supports. The time at the Capital also helps nurses to learn about the nursing issues the Texas Legislature will take on in the 2015 session and how they can become a voice for nursing.

Nurse Day at the Texas State Capital

PTA Program Graduates 12 The Northeast Physical Therapy Assistant Program graduated 12 students in December 2014. Pictured from left to right: Charles Pence from Paris, Tyler Michael from Paris, Roxie Keys III from Rowlett, Dylan Collins from Bivens, Joseph McCain from Mt. Pleasant, Dustin Martin from Paris, Megan Mixon from Texarkana, Becca Fain from Sulphur Springs, Lindsay Curry from Mt. Pleasant, Brooke Edwards from Texarkana, Andrea Johnson from Hughes Springs. Not pictured: Sarah Creekmore from Greenville.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!

D E P A R T M E N T O F H E A L T H S C I E N C E S

Spring 2015

Volume 1, Issue 2

Special points of interest:

Nurse Day at the Texas State Capital

PTA Program Graduates 12

TRMC Heart Fair

Nix Receives Doctoral Degree

CNA Pinning

CE Spotlight

Upcoming Events

Inside this issue:

Nurse Day at the Texas State Capital

1

PTA Program Graduates 12

1

ADN Students Participate in TRMC Heart Fair

2

Nix Receives Doctoral Degree

3

Northeast Nursing News 3

Hughes Springs ISD Health Fair

3

CNA Pinning Ceremony 3

Upcoming Events 4

CE Spotlight 4

Northeast Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students participated in the “React Quicker, Save Your

Ticker” heart health fair held at Titus Regional Medical Center on Saturday, February 7th from 8

am - 12 noon. The fair featured many free and reduced cost screenings, including lipid panels,

hemoglobin A1c testing (diabetes), and prostate cancer screenings.

The Northeast ADN students created a presentation on “How Much Sugar Did You Drink

Today” led and organized by Stephanie Murphy. The students also worked the blood sugar and

blood pressure booths along with a new booth that offered education about the phenomenon of

heart disease and depression.

ADN Students Participate in TRMC Heart Fair

One soda per

day for one

year is equal

to a gain of

27 pounds

per year.

Page 2

Please join the Northeast Health Sciences department in

congratulating Dr. Tawny Nix on the recent completion of her

Doctorate of Business Administration degree. Earning the DBA

in Healthcare Management was a life-long educational goal set by

Dr. Nix. She began her career in healthcare as a Certified

Surgical Technologist, earning an AAS degree at a community

college in west Texas. While working full-time and raising a

family, she continued to pursue her educational goals in the

online learning environment, earning a BSB in Marketing and a

MBA in Finance with a healthcare concentration. Earning a

DBA required writing a dissertation and coming up with a topic

to study. This was a challenge for Dr. Nix because she had

diverse interests in healthcare such as patient care,

administration, management, the legal environment, and

finance. One topic, however, stood out that combined all of her

interests – how the PPACA (Obama Care) would affect

physician medical practices. After three years of very hard work,

Dr. Nix was conferred from Walden University in October

2014.

Congratulations

Dr. Tawny Nix!!

The Northeast Student Nursing Association (NSNA) is in full swing and has enrolled many new members. A NSNA meeting was held March 5 in the Whatley Foyer. The officers have several exciting details to promote nursing and to inspire current and future students with upcoming meetings. NSNA Officers NSNA Meeting Additionally, the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program received their Charter for their Alpha Delta Nu Chapter Gamma Omicron, the Honor Society for the Associate Degree Nursing Student. The first induction ceremony is being held this semester.

The Northeast Certified Nurse Aide programs pinned 22 CNA students on Friday, March 6th. Please congratulate the following students on their achievement: Shalow Baltazar, Kimberly Brown, Azeneth Castro, Patricia Caudillo, Kelly Haley, Barbara Henson, Latambra Lewis, Francisco Martinez, Erika Moreno, Laquitta Norman, Juliegh Ragsdale, Ronda Sawyer, Racheal Thompson, Makisha Townes, Katie Williams, Sangeeta Yeager, Candice Zilch, Katie Adame, Chelsie Freeman, Paige Green, Jessica Haley, and Destiny Pate.

Nix Completes Doctoral Degree

Certified Nurse Aide Pinning Ceremony

Northeast nursing students participated in the Hughes

Springs ISD health fair on January 17th organized by the

Lone Star Wal-Mart

Pharmacy. The students

checked pulses, took blood

pressures, and checked

blood sugars at this wellness

event for the community.

Page 3

Volume 1, Issue 2

Northeast Nursing News

Hughes Springs ISD Health Fair

The community health worker (CHW) is a person who is a liaison that provides mediation between health care, social services, and the community. The CHW is a trusted person and has a close understanding of the ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, and life experiences of the community he/she serves. The CHW also assists people in gaining access to needed services by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency for individuals through a range of activities such as outreach, patient navigation, community health education, informal counseling, social support, advocacy, and participation in clinical research. In the rural healthcare environment, the CHW focuses on building culturally competent lesson plans, interpersonal skills, and serving as the frontline health worker in the community.

Northeast offers a community health worker certification program (160 hours) that is 8 weeks in length which provides study in chronic disease knowledge, patient resources, and teaching skills. The goal of the program is to provide care coordination skills to assist at risk patients with managing their care, locating resources, and communicating with their healthcare provider. The program consists of face to face lectures, online activities, and community-based training. This immersion in the community pulls together theoretical and applied learning, and also enhances the role of interdisciplinary teamwork into the community health worker profession. At the completion of the program, graduates are qualified to obtain the Department of State Health Services Community Health Worker certification. The next CHW program at Northeast is scheduled for April 7th-June 1st. The classes are held on Tues. & Thurs. 6pm-10pm and Sat. 9am-5pm.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER, CONTACT THE HEALTH SCIENCES CE COORDINATOR AT 903-434-8350

D E P A R T M E N T O F H E A L T H S C I E N C E S 2 8 8 6 F M 1 7 3 5 , M T . P L E A S A N T , T X 7 5 4 5 5

P H O N E : 9 0 3 - 4 3 4 - 8 1 0 0 / F A X : 9 0 3 - 5 7 2 - 6 7 1 2 E - M A I L : S C O X K E L L E Y @ N T C C . E D U T O L L - F R E E : ( 8 0 0 ) 8 7 0 - 0 1 4 2

ADULT CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT (ACLS):

June 15th-16th

BASIC CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT (BCLS):

May 12th

EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDER COURSE:

May 16th—June 11th

PHLEBOTOMY TECHNICIAN TRAINING:

August 25th—December 3rd

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN: TBD

EKG TRAINING: TBD

INTRO TO HEALTH PROFESSIONS:

Summer I & II, Fall 2015

MEDICAL CODING SPECIALIST: Fall 2015

MEDICATION AIDE UPDATE:

July 25th 8am-4pm

October 17th 8am-4pm

MEDICATION AIDE PROGRAM: TBD

CPR FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS:

April 10th 8am-4pm

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER (CHW) TRAINING:

April 7th—June 1st

June 8th—August 14th

October 19th—December 11th

PATIENT NAVIGATION TRAINING:

June 8th—July 6th

September 14th—October 9th

CERTIFIED NURSE AIDE / PATIENT CARE

TECHNICIAN (PCT) TRAINING:

June 3rd—August 13th

August 24th—October 15th

October 19th—December 10th

MEDICAL ASSISTANT INFORMATION SESSION:

April 9th 6p-7p UHS 245

April 20th 6p-7p UHS 245

Upcoming Events for Health Sciences

We’re on the Web! www.ntcc.edu

CE Spotlight What is a Community Health Worker (CHW)?