HEALTH SCIENCES REFLECTIONS

A note from the Chair

Welcome to the first edition of RELECTIONS! With so many positive stories to share, the faculty and staff of the Health Sciences Division wanted to find a way to reflect on the past two years in a positive way. We hope you

enjoy this glimpse into the lives of a few students who surpassed unbelievable odds to pursue their dreams of becoming healthcare professionals. The determination of all students was astounding and the resiliency of the faculty and staff was nothing short of miraculous. The Health Sciences building received the most significant damage on campus with over 7.5 million dollars of structural damage from Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Together with the leadership of President Holdnak, our Facilities Maintenance Department, and BELFOR Restoration Company, we worked tirelessly to convert portable buildings that temporarily housed the Nursing, Sonography, Radiography, Surgical Services, Respiratory Therapy, Dental Assisting/Hygiene offices, labs and classrooms. Clinical rotations were diverted to hospitals two hours away until our local hospitals were able to reopen and effectively manage student rotations. Our Physical Therapist Assistant lab/classroom was moved into the Wellness Building with our athletes. The Dental Clinic was designated as priority to repair first

and it actually opened in Spring 2019 to continue serving the community while waiving all treatment fees. Faculty and staff shared large rooms with temporary office spaces while we patiently waited

for the Health Sciences Building to be restored. Despite the many challenges, we managed to minimize the interruption of curriculum, continue to meet program accreditation requirements, and graduate our students on time! We were able to finally move back into the Health Sciences Building in August 2019 to begin a “normal” year only to find ourselves closed again seven months later due to a global pandemic. It’s been said that hindsight is

20/20…………well, 2020 has proven to challenge us in even more unimaginable ways. Yet, when we take time to reflect on our recent past, it seems it prepared us well to again adapt and focus on the mission of educating students and changing lives. Bring it on 2021!!

What an overwhelming couple of years we’ve all experienced together. We struggle to put it into words. It is surreal. It has been humbling. It has been a study of humanity. Faculty and staff have learned what teamwork truly means – we’ve strengthened our relationships and inspired creative collaborations that may have never been cultivated had we not experienced these past two years together. Current students and recent graduates have lived and learned empathy and compassion on a personal level – lessons not found in a textbook, but ones that will continue to serve us all for a lifetime.

Laura Justice, CDA, RDH, MSEDChair, Health SciencesProfessor, Dental Hygiene/Assisting

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY FORECAST

Information above based on economic projections released in January 2018 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employing more people than the government or business sectors

Health care and technical occupations

will be the fastest-growing

job sectors in the coming decade

HEALTHCARE OCCUPATIONS & INDUSTRY

2016

EMPLOYMENT

JOBS

of all new jobs created

20261/5Accounting for

by

2026Highest growth between

While I was enrolled in the ADN program at GCSC I began working as a nurse intern at Bay Medical Center. Like many of my fellow classmates, I thought this would be a good way to get my foot in the door and experience what it was like to work in a hospital. When I received a text message informing me that Bay Medical was enacting their hurricane response

protocol, I didn’t think much of it. I had been through hurricanes before with little to no damage. I reported to work on Tuesday Oct. 9th, 2018 with snacks, a sleeping bag, two air mattresses, a pillow, a small electric fan, and my ever present book bag full of nursing textbooks and highlighters. Not even a hurricane and a mandatory sleepover at the hospital can keep a nursing student from studying!

What I didn’t know was that overnight Hurricane Michael would reach category four status. Bay Medical was rated to withstand a category three at most. While taking morning vitals, the glass shattered in the first patient room I started in. This began a cascade: the glass shattered; the patients were moved into the hallways and nurse’s station; the fifth floor flooded; water ran down the walls of the fourth floor and pooled into large lakes; the power went out; backup generators kicked in; cell phones lost signal; the floors rolled; the wind howled; and the staff tried to keep their fear hidden while reassuring the patients that everything was ok. Everything was very much not ok. The electronic charting system was inoperable and patient MARS were unavailable. With water flowing down the walls, over outlets, and over light fixtures metal door handles became a source of terror. Pooled water meant patients couldn’t leave their beds. Running water was shut off some time earlier in the morning leaving bed pans and urinals as the only option for patients. During the pandemonium of Michael, Bay Medical was also hit by a tornado and a fire broke out. I feared that the fifth floor would collapse, I would be electrocuted when opening a door, I would meet death in the long reaching fingers of a tornado, or I would be consumed by flames.

Throughout all of this I had patients to take care of.

Patients were terrified for themselves and their families. I remember singing “You are My Sunshine” in a hallway while holding hands with a particular patient. I remember trying desperately to reach my family members as well as those of my patients. I remember the fear, the frustration, and I remember the day my patients were evacuated. I remember finally breaking down when I reached my home and fell into the arms of my husband and my mother.

I thought that I had faced the worst days I would ever have in my nursing career during Hurricane Michael. However, I was proven wrong with the pandemic in 2019. COVID-19 brought the inadequacies of health care to the forefront. My hospital was no exception. We were seriously lacking in PPE with only 53 N-95 respirators for the entire hospital. As the nation became over run, I held my breath and hoped the worst would miss me. Hadn’t I been through enough already? Didn’t I deserve a break? Months went by without a positive patient and I began to relax. Unfortunately, the time came. We received our first positive COVID-19 patient and I would be the nurse. I donned an N-95, a surgical mask to protect the N-95, a hair cover, shoe booties, a contact isolation gown, a face shield, and gloves and I did what I have been called to do. I took care of my patient.

Since the first positive patient many have followed. PPE is still in short supply. N-95s are to be reused up to five separate shifts and microwaved in a steam bag for sterilization between shifts. Full PPE must be worn for the entire 12-hour shift when working with COVID-19 positive patients. Not only is there the standard anxiety of taking care of a sick patient there is the added fear of becoming infected yourself and the utterly horrifying thought of spreading the infection to loved ones. I worry daily that I am coming home only to infect my husband. I haven’t hugged my mother in five months for fear of infecting her. Everyday life has been irrevocably altered. Yet, I show up every day again and again because I can do no less. I am a nurse, when faced with category five hurricanes and unprecedented pandemics I stand firm beside my patients.

Student Reflections - Adrienne Belcher - Bachelor of Science Nursing

No one ever tells you how to prepare for hygiene school. Even if they did, I don’t think it would make sense until you’ve lived it. No one tells you about the late study nights, the stress of finding reliable patients, the exhaustion of commuting an hour to school each way and spending more time at school than at home. Not to mention

what my class went through with a category-five hurricane destroying our clinic in our first semester and the corona virus shutting down our school halfway through our last semester. No one prepares you for these things, but then again no one tells you all the rewards either.

The sense of achievement when you receive the highest score on a test, or when you take a nearly perfect set of radiographs on a difficult patient. The satisfaction of getting an “excellent job!” from a respected instructor after spending three hours working on a patient’s oral health. The lifetime friendships made with classmates and instructors, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

The question I get asked the most is “If you knew how hard the program was before you started would you still have done it?” I still don’t know how to answer that because even if the trials I faced in hygiene school make it seem like it wouldn’t have been worth it, those trials are what made me into who I am today. I have learned more about myself in the past two years than in the previous 20. Dentistry has become more of a passion for me than I though it could and the opportunities I have had were once in a lifetime. And I wouldn’t trade my experiences in this program for anything.

Navigating college upon graduating from high school can be very challenging, Christina Hilton (Chrissy) did it with ease. Chrissy is a 2020 Gulf Coast State College Respiratory Care Program graduate and she has been an exceptional student. She was the youngest one in her class but she was also fierce in her studies and set her goals high.

The first time I met Chrissy she was just finishing her high school education and came to me to ask about the Respiratory Care Program. She had graduated with honors and she was well on her way to obtaining her AA degree. I was very impressed with how she handled herself. Starting such an intense program, such as Respiratory Care, is a big decision for anyone and one that she went above and beyond to prove she was capable of achieving. There were times when she was apprehensive about exams, but she never let her doubts stand in the way of her dream of becoming a Respiratory Therapist. She worked hard, never complained and her smile would make anyone’s day better.

Chrissy’s inspiration comes in helping others and she is the future of the Respiratory Care profession. I know that she dreams big and that she is going to continue her education. She is a credit to Gulf Coast State College and to the Respiratory Care Program. Chrissy is a hard worker, dedicated and determined and I am proud to honor her accomplishments. The significance of her completing this course with such high grades is a testament to her perseverance, dedication and how hard she worked to achieve her goal. She passed both of her National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) Exams and is now a Registered Respiratory Therapist .

Student -Reflections - Christina HiltonRespiratory Therapy

Student Reflections -Kristi YoderDental Hygiene

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is proud to highlight Brooklyn Kinnaird, a graduate from the Class of 2020. This student is one of 18 graduates, whose education was impacted not only by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also by Hurricane Michael. Brooklyn initially wanted to be a nurse, but then decided she wanted to work a little more physically with patients. While

working on her Bachelor’s degree in Health Science, she shadowed five to six different physical therapy clinics in various settings and decided on a career in physical therapy. She said, “Helping people, seeing them get better and improve, is why I love it! Physical therapy is such a rewarding career that I wanted to become a part of.”Brooklyn applied to four different PTA programs back in 2018, but chose Gulf Coast State College for several reasons. “Good ratings on the national exam, professional & quick responses with advisors through email about the PTA program, & close proximity to where I live (Tallahassee),” were some of the main reasons mentioned during a phone interview with the program coordinator.

Brooklyn decided to relocate to Lynn Haven in August 2018, when she started the PTA program. She lived with a family friend (Monday – Thursday) and continued to work as a physical therapy technician in Tallahassee on the weekends (Friday – Sunday). Less than two months into the program, on October 10th, 2018, Hurricane Michael hit multiple communities in the Panhandle. Brooklyn’s family friend’s house had some damage, on top of that an unexpected death occurred, which forced her to relocate home to Tallahassee. As you may remember GCSC was badly damaged and many places shut down for quite some time, but classes resumed five weeks later. Brooklyn traveled from Tallahassee daily (Monday – Friday) to attend class on the Panama City campus and complete her first semester! Despite the two-hour commute, which included getting up daily at 5:00am due to a time change from eastern to central time zones, Brooklyn also continued to work in the field of physical therapy as a technician. When asked by her instructor if this was too much, Brooklyn replied, “Working in the field actually helped a lot, because I was able to practice some of the skills I learned, with the help of some great PTs I work with!”

Due to the hurricane and revised class schedule, she had to give up working some Fridays but was able to keep working 15-20 hours per week. Brooklyn remained in Tallahassee, commuting across time zones for the remaining four semesters of the PTA program, due to limited housing in Panama City.

During Brooklyn’s final semester in the PTA program, she was scheduled to complete two different clinical experiences in Tallahassee, FL. Finally, she would have a shorter commute, within her very own time zone! The first clinical experience that semester was seven weeks in length and Brooklyn excelled with treating patients in the outpatient facility. The final clinical experience Brooklyn completed was cut short by COVID-19. Brooklyn continued to complete other course requirements remotely, including her exit exam. The exit exam is a cumulative exam which tests knowledge learned over five semesters for the entire program. It helps prepare students for taking the national licensure exam. While this is a computerized exam, it is typically proctored by both instructors from the program on campus. Due to COVID-19, students had to take this exam remotely through Honorlock, which added to their anxiety. This application shutdown on Brooklyn, in the beginning of the test! After several attempts she was able to access the exam again and passed with flying colors. Brooklyn graduated on- time, despite Hurricane Michael and COVID-19! The PTA pinning and GCSC graduation ceremonies were canceled in the spring semester, but this class plans on celebrating their success in the program together at some point in the future! They have been through a lot and are stronger for it.

When asked about her future, Brooklyn responded with, “Overall the instructors did a great job getting us through the program despite all that has happened. I enjoyed the case scenarios and hands-on treatments in lab. While I would have liked to have more experience clinically with more complex patients, I feel prepared to enter the workforce.”

Brooklyn, we are proud of your accomplishments and perseverance here at GCSC. We know you will go on to help many people achieve their goals and make a difference in the community.

Student Reflections - Brooklyn Kinnaird - Physical Therapist Assistant

Reflections on a PTA Program Graduate of 2020 Written by Dr. Melinda Cumbaa, PTA Program Coordinator

Student Reflections - LaTonya HillBAS - Organizational Management|Health Services Administration

Student Reflections -Jennifer Powell Dental Assisting\ Hygiene

My name is LaTonya. On the evening of October 9, 2018, my son and I decided, at the last minute, to go to another family member’s home due to the impending storm. As many of us can attest, the storm was way more that we could have anticipated. We initially were not able to leave the cul de sac to survey the damage. Once we were able to get out, we returned

to find the metal roof of the carport formerly attached to the apartment wrapped around a tree that was barely standing in a nearby yard; and most everything we had was lying in rubble beneath the roof top of the apartment which was now on the ground. Soon after we left to be with family in Georgia until we could determine what would happen next.

My instructors at Gulf Coast State College were quick to make sure my family and I were safe and their primary focus was our well-being. They provided me with resources to help deal with the aftermath of the storm on a personal level as well regarding my education. My instructors sent me books that I lost in the storm and provided extra time needed to complete assignments. They continually let me know that although my education was important to them, so was my family. That extra support meant a lot because I felt my world spinning out of control and I needed it; and also because I knew they were going through the same challenges although they did not show it. I only saw and felt love and support from a college that lived up to their motto “Start Here Go Anywhere”.

My name is Jennifer Powell and I am 27 years old. I am currently in the 3rd semester of the Dental Hygiene Program at Gulf Coast State College. Last June I finished the Dental Assisting Program at Gulf Coast State College and passed the Dental Assisting National Board exam which led me to receiving my National Certified Dental Assisting certification. During my two years of my academic studies, it has been a

very challenging journey dealing with Hurricane Michael and COVID 19. Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Panhandle during my 1st semester of the Dental Assisting program and COVID 19 began during my 2nd semester of the Dental Hygiene Program. I have continued to work on weekends during my enrollment at GCSC but Hurricane Michael and COVID 19 have caused me to face unemployment for several months twice on top of trying to juggle my courses. Clinical hours were canceled while I have been enrolled in both the Dental Assisting program (Hurricane Michael) and the Dental Hygiene (COVID-19) programs and taking online lecture courses with even more fast paced work has not been easy. Through it all, I have kept my head high during both programs with all the uncertainty and still have maintained school as a top priority. Both circumstances have made me realize how strong I am as a person, and to make your dreams come true you will do everything you can to beat the odds to succeed. I honestly do not think I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for my inspiring and encouraging instructors in both programs. I’m proud to be GCSC strong.

The impact of Hurricane Michael on my family was minuscule in comparison to most. At times I feel that had I not been presented with the unique obstacles my family endured; I may not have graduated the ADN program at all. Since my husband was Active Duty, stationed at Tyndall during that time, my family was placed on evacuation orders. We evacuated after I had taken a unit test and at the time I was not at a good place academically. I was faced with the possibility

of failing 4th semester due to poor test taking skills.

At this time, I had already used my one re-entry into the ADN program after receiving two 80's on both attempts allotted on the math test requiring a 90 or higher. After the hurricane concluded we had been instructed to remain on evacuation until further notice as well as strict orders to not return to the area within 100 miles of Tyndall Air Force Base. After two weeks we were notified that we would not be able to return to the immediate area for an extended amount of time and that all Active Duty and family would need to make more permanent evacuation accommodations all the while the status of school as well as the grade I made on the test taken before evacuation were still not known .

It is at this time that we then decided to vacate our original evacuation location of Nashville, Tn to then go to Grand Prairie, Tx in order to stay with my brother and his family. After driving 7 out of the 9.5-hour drive from Nashville to Grand Prairie my husband receives a call that we would be allotted 72 hours to return to our home to be able to organize any insurance proceedings, and square away our home and belongings. After that 72-hour period the 100-mile evacuation order would be re-instated until further notice. At the time of receiving that notification we then had 24 hours to double back to the area before the 72 hours would begin. We then decided to continue to Grand Prairie so our two children, two dogs, two guinea pigs and turtle, could stay with our family, so that my husband and myself could make the most of the allotted time and keep our family out of any possible danger that could occur. After dropping off our children and pets and getting a good night's rest my husband and I then drove the 10-hours to Pensacola, the closest housing we could get. We arrived out our hotel in Pensacola at around 10 p.m. to find that the accommodations did not match the online description. At that time, my husband and I decided it would be safer to sleep in our truck than to sleep in the room. As luck would have it the Naval Base in Pensacola had one room available.

To our surprise our home, due to wind direction and the protection of the houses around us, did not receive the detrimental damages that most of our neighbors had. We squared away everything and helped who we could and after the allotted 72 hours had expired, we then drove back to Texas to be with our family. One day after returning to Texas test grades were uploaded and again, I failed to make a grade that would put me at a passing level. After a few weeks we are then told that schools will be resuming November 5th.

Evacuation orders at that time were then changed to allow us to be in town only during daylight hours, and overnight stays were to be outside a 50-mile radius from Tyndall. Limited vacancies in the area resulted us to Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO) in the Destin/Fort Walton Beach area.

Due to accommodation schedules we could only stay at each place for 1-2 weeks at the most. The accommodation situation then required my family to commute each morning 2 sometimes 3 hours each morning and evening for my daughter and myself to continue with our schooling. During times that I was not in class I was at our home cleaning up debris with my husband or helping neighbors and friends at their homes until my daughter's school days ended and we would then begin our 2-3-hour trek to where ever we were staying at the time, my sons school could not re-open due to substantial damages. All the while my academic status did not change much. I then received a grade on the second to last test that worsened the situation I was already in.

I was left with making a decision to either continue in the hopes that I would make the two needed grades on the final test and exit HESI that would put me right at a 70, or I could withdrawal from the program under the extraordinary measures status and hope that I would be allowed to re-enter into 4th semester at a later time due to the extraordinary circumstances by the approval board. At this point there was no guarantee that I would be approved for re-admittance, but on the other hand if I fail to acquire the 70, I would not be able to be re-admitted at all. I then decide I am going to try to accomplish the impossible. I then received a grade on the last test that put me in situation of requiring me to get an 88 or higher on the Exit HESI to pass for the semester. Which is not difficult for most students, however I struggle with ADD and Dyslexia which has contributed to my poor test taking ability, so for me making above an 80 on a timed test seemed impossible. I take the first attempt at the HESI and I do not pass. I am then required to take the second attempt at the exit HESI. The second attempt of the HESI was schedule for two days before pinning. Therefore, I would have to go through the 3 weeks of practicum and essentially finish every step needed for graduation all while not knowing if I am going to make the grade needed to actually graduate. I spent two of the three weeks of practicum on a night shift with the last week on day shift with only 36 hours to transition from night shift to day shift all while driving back and forth to Lynn Haven twice a day on days that I was not at Sacred Heart in Destin for Practicum or sleeping. There was one day that we had to move from one rental to another right after I got off one morning, we also were not allowed to check into the next rental until after 4pm. Luckily a great friend had a rental close enough for me to be able to sleep at their rental until ours was ready. There was another day were after only sleeping one hour after a practicum night shift, we receive a call that the house is actually for sale and the owners wanted to show it, so I had to get back out of bed gather our pets and kids and leave the house for two hours for the realtor to show the house. In the 8 weeks after the hurricane until graduation we moved 7 times. At this point I am spending every waking moment studying harder than I ever had in my entire life. I listened to Licensing Board test prep lectures any time I was driving, read HESI test prep books, used online resources, flash cards, and also sought help from my good friend Cameron Fitzgerald who drove out to Destin a few times to help me study. Exit HESI take two day comes. My final glimmer of hope in passing 4th semester, or failing just shy of a passing grade to then lose any chance of re-admittance into the ADN program for the second time had come.

After a few hours pass I am the last person left in the testing room. I answered the last test question with less than 2 minutes remaining before the test would shut off. The test ends and the final score appears. I had made the exact score I needed to pass the program not one point more or less than what I needed. I passed fourth semester with a 71. I left the testing room in utter shock and elation.

Student Reflections - Stevy Welker ADN Registered Nurse

The Health Sciences Division at Gulf Coast State College offers a variety of degree and certificate programs to help you

secure a top job in the health care field. By choosing a health career, you’re already

on your way to success!

Health Sciences Division at Gulf Coast State College

Which Health Sciences profession is right for you?

CONTACT US TODAY!gulfcoast.edu/current-students/academic-division/health-sciences

ucarlini@gulfcoast.edu

850-913-3311

Ulysses Adam Carlini III Academic Program Specialist, Health Sciences