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Articles

DCN Achieves Continued Accreditation by HLC

9/18/2024

“Continued accreditation is a significant honor for our institution,” said Denver College of Nursing President Mikal Powers.
DCN Appoints Mikal Powers as President

9/17/2024

“We are excited to welcome Mikal to Denver College of Nursing,” said Denver College of Nursing Board of Trust Chair Dr. Andrea Lindell.
DCN BSN Program Awarded Continued Accreditation by CCNE Until 2034

5/20/2024

Following the scheduled on-site evaluation for continued accreditation with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Board of Commissioners with CCNE acted to grant full approval and continued accreditation to both track options for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program. This includes the pre-licensure BSN tracks offered at the Denver and Houston campuses, as well as the post-licensure RN to BSN offered through distance education from the Denver campus. The CCNE Board of Commissioners’ findings come after the evaluation review team’s visit to the Denver campus in the fall of 2024 that included discussions with students, faculty, staff, and community partners of both campuses. The college prepared a self-study report that was submitted to the review team and CCNE in advance of the visit that described the program’s compliance with the accreditation standards of CCNE. The Board of Commissioners at CCNE met in April 2024 and agreed with the review team’s recommendation that the program “substantially complied” with the standards for accreditation. The BSN program’s accreditation is now extended until June 30, 2034. Denver College of Nursing would like to thank the efforts of the members of the on-site review team for their dedication of time and efforts in a smooth and successful evaluation visit.
Denver College of Nursing Celebrates Ribbon Cutting for New Houston Campus

5/9/2023

Houston West Chamber of Commerce joined campus leaders in celebrating the new campus opening with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony.
Denver College of Nursing Presents Global Health Perspectives Peru 2022 Internship

6/1/2022

During the June 2022 break, students earned clinal credit in community health and pediatrics while serving in mobile clinics in and around Pucallpa, Peru.
Six Denver College of Nursing Students Serve the Needs of Communities in Dominican Republic

1/23/2019

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member provided healthcare and education to hundreds of Dominicans during their seven-day trip to the Dominican Republic. The school’s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with the Foundation of International Medical Relief for Children (FIMRC), a non-profit organization committed to bring improved healthcare to communities in the developing world (https://www.fimrc.org/). The students worked out of Restauración, and traveled to several remote villages. FIMRC supports local clinic staff, organizes health fairs, and educates mothers about breast feeding, mommy-baby nutrition, and breast cancer. The highest areas of need supported by DCN students included nutrition, menstrual hygiene, and childhood stimulation. DCN students facilitated a health fair focused on child assessments, in order to make the appropriate hospital referrals for families. They also provided mommy-baby education to help women determine when to bring their children into the clinic or hospital setting. Students educated Dominican's on things they could do to improve and maintain the health of themselves and their children to avoid unnecessary health emergencies. Danielle Frank said "we also had the opportunity to shadow doctors at the hospitals and rural clinics. We set up a mobile clinic in a remote village and provided blood pressure screenings to an otherwise underserved populations". DCN students described the experience as "overall, incredibly humbling. Throughout my time in the Dominican Republic, I realized how much I take access to healthcare for granted" (Frank). The group appreciated working along side each other toward shared goals of service, sustainability, safety, and social justice. Denver School of Nursing’s Global Health Perspectives program focuses on student development in global health settings around the world by combining classroom training with in-field service learning internships. GHP partners with nonprofits to promote its mission of healthcare education and sustainability in challenging national and international environment .
Four Denver College of Nursing Students travel to provide medical services in Peru

1/10/2019

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member traveled to Peru over the most recent break to provide healthcare and education to several&lt;br /&gt; communities. Sue Hammerton led students Carla Garcia, Janae Hixson, Michelle Nguyen, and Taylor Rockaway on a seven-day trip to Huancayo, Aco, U&amp;ntilde;as and&lt;br /&gt; other neighboring communities.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; The school&amp;rsquo;s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with the Foundation of International Medical Relief for Children (FIMRC), a non-proOit organization committed to bringing improved healthcare to communities in the developing world. FIMRC has roots in the area and provides services, education, and support aimed to serve the greatest needs of the communities. They also empower local individuals who have participated, and beneOit from previous projects to reach out from inside their own community to recruit others who may also beneOit from services. Members from prior groups also become leaders for the future to ensure program sustainability.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; The students assisted with anemia screening, baby showers, growth charting, blood glucose screening, blood pressure education, and rapid syphilis and HIV testing. Students, and faculty sponsor Sue Hammerton, also provided valuable education concerning partner violence as well as mother-baby bonding and postpartum care. DCN students demonstrated positive interactions with the new babies and educated new mothers who are breastfeeding about techniques, nutrition and when to bring their children to the clinic. In conjunction with rapid HIV and syphilis testing, there was also education regarding the prevention of pregnancy, and disease transmission. In addition to serving the needs of the local communities, the students had rotations in a local operating room, a suture clinic, and attended educational sessions regarding traditional Peruvian medicine.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; Students describe the trip as an &quot;incredible learning experience. For the first time I felt like I had valuable experience. I was able to interact with the children without being so caught up in the steps of the procedure that I was doing&quot; (Carla Garcia). Michelle Nguyen observed the importance of learning the local culture and healthcare systems in order to provide the best care. Janae Hixson appreciated &quot;working side by side with people that were passionate about helping others&quot;. These volunteer hours accumulated on these trips can suffice for certain clinical credits, but the experience may be one of even greater depth of learning and understanding.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; Denver College of Nursing&amp;rsquo;s Global Health Perspectives program focuses on student development in global health settings around the world by combining classroom training with in-Oield service learning internships. GHP partners with nonproOits to promote its mission of healthcare education and sustainability in challenging national and international environments.
Denver College of Nursing - Learning Resource Center - Records 1 Millionth Patron!

11/16/2018

On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, the DCN LRC welcomed the 1 millionth recorded patron to enter the facility. At just past 11:00 AM, DCN Student Mr. Charles Osuchukwu walked into the LRC and was pleasantly surprised to find out he was this patron! The gift bag he received (contents pictured later) was generously provided by Dr. Cathy Maxwell, DCN President; Mr. Jeff Johnson, Director of Admissions; & Mr. Leif Madsen, the LRC Manager. Leif has managed the LRC since 2009 when he joined the DCN Team and is proud to share this milestone with his friends and colleagues in the DCN and EA (Education Affiliates) communities.
PUBLIC NOTICE

8/9/2018

Denver College of Nursing is seeking comments from the public about the College in preparation for its programmatic evaluation of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The College will host a visit October 22-24, 2018 with a team representing the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The public is invited to submit comments regarding the college to the following address:   Public Comment on Denver College of Nursing Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 655 K Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20001   Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. Comments must be in writing. All comments must be received by October 1, 2018.
GHP Uganda Trip, June 2018

7/10/2018

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member provided healthcare and education to hundreds of Ugandans during their trip over the most recent break. The school’s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with the <a href="https://www.fimrc.org/">Foundation of International Medical Relief for Children (FIMRC)</a>, a non-profit organization committed to bring improved healthcare to communities in the developing world. The students worked out of three different communities in Uganda, the Maternal and Child Health Clinic (MCH), Budada Village and Bubungi. There were several stations set up to assist with electronic entry of laboratory information, GI Issues, rapid syphilis and HIV testing, an eye glass station and a nutrition station.   Additionally, students fundraised to bring an ultrasound probe to the MCH.  The students were able to perform the procedure on several expecting mothers, providing the first ultrasounds in the community. Students, and faculty sponsor Tara Haskell, also provided valuable instructions on how to use the machine to the staff members.  DCN students vaccinated the new babies and educated new mothers who are breastfeeding about techniques, nutrition and when to bring their children to the clinic.  “The woman who worked there, Sarah, a midwife was so overjoyed about this ultrasound. She was practically in tears! We got to try out the probe and it brought us to tears to see a baby on an ultrasound for multiple moms” (Brittany Roggow).  DCN students described the experience as life changing and humbling; realizing that many people around the world get by on very little in the way of resources and supplies. They were able to reach people of all ages who are normally underserved for a variety of reasons.  Students felt as though the patient education piece is often missing from these small communities, and found that once introduced patients were overwhelmingly grateful. Since GHP partners with FIMRC these patients can continue to receive healthcare through their clinics in the future.  Denver College of Nursing’s Global Health Perspectives program focuses on student development in global health settings around the world by combining classroom training with in-field service learning internships. GHP partners with nonprofits to promote its mission of healthcare education and sustainability in challenging national and international environments.
DCN Global Health students provide care in India

2/13/2018

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and DCN faculty members provided healthcare and community support to parts of India and the Dominican Republic over the December 2017 holiday. Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) is a non-profit organization committed to bring improved healthcare to communities in the developing world. The students worked out of Kodikanal, India in private and government hospitals.  These locations struggle with environmental hazards, and supply shortages. The students were able to relieve some of these shortages by helping to survey neighborhoods, build chimneys, and work with local childcare facilities and special schools. DCN students Sarah Coleman, Cassie Troxel, Nhun Guyen, Courtney Koskovich, Luz Gonzales, Andrew Still, Abby Cole, Jessica Drake, Rhiannon Kauffman, Alison Schlosser, Krista Kippertomke Jennifer Dufour, and Hannah Miles were accompanied by either Professor Marguerite Distel, RN, MSN or Tara Haskell, RN, CPN. Students served in both locations, treating various medical conditions such as hypertension, general infections, vision impairments, and nutritional deficits.  In India the students worked closely with children, and supported much needed community growth efforts.  DCN students described the experience was “eye-opening”, and said it will likely impact their professional choices going forward.  In addition to placing value on their specific trip, they encourage other DCN students to participate, as a “reminder why they got into nursing in the first place, which is to help people” (Cassie Troxel).  Denver College of Nursing’s Global Health Perspectives is a cross-cultural inclusive outreach program for undergraduate students with a focus on student development in global health settings, and in Denver. GHP partners with nonprofits to promote its mission of healthcare education and sustainability in challenging national and international environments. Students complete service learning volunteer hours, earn social credits, attend global development symposiums, and fundraise in preparation for the service learning internships.
Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students joined Dr. Shawn Elliott. BSN Program Director for the Legislative Connection Dinner, sponsored by Colorado Nurses Association (CNA)

2/13/2018

The Colorado Nurses Association held the eighteenth annual dinner at Scottish Rite Masonic Temple in Denver on January 30th. There were over 20 DCN students, from quarter one up to quarter seven, in attendance.  This was the largest number of students in attendance from state approved ADN or BSN programs. The focus of the night was the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact and the anticipated positive impact it will have on the Denver healthcare community.  Throughout the dinner current Colorado Legislators introduced upcoming bills relevant to the healthcare community.  DCN students were able to learn about upcoming opportunities, as wells as network within a large framework of seasoned healthcare veterans in attendance. CNA supports and encourages student participation through scholarships and mentorships.  For more information about events, scholarships, and other opportunities please visit their website: <a href="http://www.coloradonurses.org">www.coloradonurses.org</a>.  Please join us next year for an informative, enjoyable dinner with legislators and industry experts!
DCN September 2017 graduates get creative with their mortar boards!

10/16/2017

September 15th found 82 happy DCN graduates celebrating with family and friends. The graduates are getting very creative with the decorating of their mortar boards. The pictures below are just a few fantastic examples of how creative these future nurses can be!
Denver School of Nursing is Now Denver College of Nursing

9/27/2017

<h2>Why?</h2> Our regional accreditors (the Higher Learning Commission) recommended that based on our accreditation status we should no longer be considered a school, but a college! With fourteen years of excellence in Nursing education and thousands of successful graduates providing the best in Nursing care, WE AGREE!
Love Your Melon chapter at Denver College of Nursing celebrates one year

5/16/2017

Students partnered with the nationwide college charity, Love Your Melon, to fight pediatric cancer Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students joined the amazing story of Love Your Melon by starting a chapter. <a href="https://www.loveyourmelon.com">Love Your Melon (LYM)</a> is an apparel brand founded by two college students in an entrepreneurship class with the idea of providing a hat to every child battling cancer in America. Campus crews, made up of college students across the country, promote LYM apparel sales and deliver hat donations to the children fighting cancer at local hospitals in their community. Additionally, 50% of apparel sales are donated to non-profit partners in pediatric oncology. LYM strives to connect with all the children diagnosed with cancer each year, approximately 15,000 in America. The Denver College of Nursing chapter has forged the way connecting with brave kids battling cancer in the Denver community. DCN alumnus, Brittany Lines, created the Love Your Melon campus crew at Denver College of Nursing one year ago. She coordinated a student leadership to run the chapter, as well as recruited a crew of students to be active members. The DCN chapter of LYM exploded with participation and success in promoting hat sales. By increasing sales of the LYM brand, the campus crew earns hats to donate the children fighting cancer. Additionally, the crew earns adventure days to invite children to participate in. Denver College of Nursing students took local children fighting cancer on adventure packed days, including trips to the Denver Zoo and Denver Outlaws Lacrosse games. “LYM is about making kids feel like the superheroes they truly are while raising awareness and money to find a cure”, says Brittany Lines. The crew is constantly promoting sales by encouraging the Denver community, friends, and family to purchase hats from LYM and enter “Denver College of Nursing chapter” at checkout. With every purchase, the buyer and a child battling cancer each receive a hat, and 50% of profit is donated to research. Since the founding of the Denver College of Nursing chapter one year ago, many founding student members involved have graduated to pursue nursing roles in pediatric oncology. Current students have filled their shoes to continue to operate the campus crew. DCN is proud to support the students who find time to balance academic discipline with the passion to improve the lives of others.
Nurses Week at Denver College of Nursing

5/16/2017

Denver College of Nursing students and faculty rejoiced in a week of celebration for the nursing profession Denver College of Nursing hosted five days of activities for students to enjoy in dedication of Nurses Week 2017. Throughout the year, students are enriched with a challenging education. During Nurses Week, students are reminded of the impact they will have on their community and the valued career they are entering. Bethany Gresham, DCN student, who participated in nurses week says, “Denver College of Nursing possesses a culture that makes students feel important and valued as future nurses. Without the support of our faculty and staff, we as students would not have the success and love for our learning and chosen career that we do. Part of nurses week is saying thank you to nurses everywhere, but I think it's important for us to say thank you to the DCN faculty who teach us too.” Nurses Week at DCN celebrates current nurses and future nurses. The week began with a presentation from <a href="http://www.babyandcompany.com/center/wheatridge/">Baby + Co.</a>, a birth center in Wheat Ridge staffed with midwives. The center was founded in 2013 to offer women advanced care, while respecting every woman’s choice and birth wishes. The birth center offers health, nutritional, and emotional support that is evidence based. Students learned the importance of nurses to empower patients and felt inspired to see the difference they can make by providing holistic care and education. On Tuesday, students gathered for a pizza party in the commons area, which is usually crowded with opened textbooks and study groups meeting. Students casually interact with instructors, and upper classman students shared words with wisdom with beginning nursing students. “Having these activities and social gatherings allows the students to have more trust in their school and teachers, and it can take away the everyday stresses we often face! I also like that the faculty is so involved and invested in our education. It feels as if my instructors sincerely care about my education as they deeply care for patient’s lives”, says DCN student Erin Morgan. On Wednesday, DCN hosted a family feud trivia game and catered Jason’s Deli lunch. “Instructors at DCN educate students with the understanding that we are the nurses of tomorrow and will be taking care of them one day. There is a mutual respect and learning on both sides since evidenced based nursing practice is always changing”, says DCN student Taylor Caldwell. Instructors take an invested interest in their student’s education, personal well-being, and career goals. Trivia games participation is a fun, team environment for students and staff to be fun and competitive together. On Thursday, DCN hosted an Ice Cream social and on Friday, DCN hosted a rooftop BBQ Potluck for all to attend. Faculty share their stories and career experiences with students. Students interact and gain new perspectives to all the different nursing pathways. The gathering of hundreds of nurses throughout a week, from novice student nurses to experience faculty nurses at DCN, keeps the nursing profession culture alive. Student nurses are motivated to learn more and positively impact the life of every patient they touch. Faculty nurses are reminded of their love for nursing and teaching. Nurses have a profound impact on the local community they care for. Nurses Week is a time to remind every nurse of his/her importance and appreciation.
Seven Denver College of Nursing Students Serve the Needs of Ecuador Villages

4/24/2017

Seven Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member provided healthcare and education to hundreds of Ecuadorians during their seven-day trip to Anconcito, Ecuador. The school’s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with the <a href="https://www.fimrc.org/">Foundation of International Medical Relief for Children</a> (FIMRC), a non-profit organization committed to bring improved healthcare to communities in the developing world. The students worked out of Anconcito, Ecuador, in the province of St. Lena. FIMRC supports the clinic staff at Anconcito Health Post, organizes rural medical brigades, and conducts health examinations at local schools. Problems such as malnutrition, chronic disorders, and teenage pregnancy are very prevalent. The students assisted with health exams and education to address these persistent issues. DCN students Katherine Anderson, Bethany Gresham, Priscilla McKay, Alyson Wolach, Jennifer Housekeeper, Pauline Khumalo, and Janet Nguyen were accompanied by Professor Marguerite Distel, RN, MSN. Students served over 700 Ecuadorians, treating various medical conditions such as hypertension, general infections, diabetes, vision impairments, and nutritional deficits. Additionally, students provided women’s health assessments and education to teenage girls regarding the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV. “We cared for a 15-year-old pregnant girl who was having her first baby. She already had a sexually transmitted infection and needed to have a caesarian section delivery when she began labor. It was hard to find pregnant women in the community mainly because they do not seek medical care when they are pregnant. Instead, the doctors have to walk through the neighborhoods looking for pregnant women. They go door-to-door asking if there are any pregnant women in that home. It was the exact opposite of the United States”, says Bethany Gresham. DCN student Alyson Wolach added, “The most amazing thing to me was the healthcare tier system. A patient cannot seek high medical care unless the local healthcare clinic refers them. This leads people to not seek medical attention, despite all health care being free”. DCN students described the experience as life changing and humbling; realizing that many people around the world get by on very little in the way of resources and supplies. The villagers live in small bamboo houses with no constructed floors. Since it was rainy season, the ground floors of the houses were always muddy. Alyson Wolach recalls, “The people of Anconcito were so excited to learn about their health, but were worried that they would not be able to get care due to their limited resources. We educated them on little things that they could do to improve their health”. This included providing dental, vision, and wound care education. Villagers were gifted toothbrushes, eyeglasses, and wound care kits, as well. Students administered many vaccines to young children and older adults. Denver College of Nursing’s Global Health Perspectives program focuses on student development in global health settings around the world by combining classroom training with in-field service learning internships. GHP partners with nonprofits to promote its mission of healthcare education and sustainability in challenging national and international environments.
20 Denver College of Nursing Students Serve Food at Ronald McDonald House

3/20/2017

Students Buy Groceries, Prepare Food, and Serve Dinner to Families at the Ronald McDonald House Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities to serve dinner to families staying at the Denver Ronald McDonald House (http://ronaldhouse.org/). The 20 students brought eggs, sausage, fruit, juice, and ingredients to make french toast bake. The students met at the <a href="http://ronaldhouse.org">Ronald McDonald House</a> in the early evening and used the facility’s kitchen to prepare the meal together. Students served breakfast for dinner and engaged in conversation with the families. Ronald McDonald House Charities began when Philadelphia Eagles tight end Fred Hill and his wife endured the complications of having a daughter with Leukemia in the hospital. Ultimately, the Philadelphia Eagles, local McDonald’s owners, and a pediatric oncologist came together to pursue a dream to provide housing and meals to enable families to remain by their hospitalized child’s side. The first McDonald House opened October 15, 1974. Today, more than ten million families have stayed at over 250 Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide. Ronald McDonald Houses focus on providing low-cost housing to out-of-town mothers and fathers needing to be near their hospitalized children. Denver College of Nursing students align themselves in support of the Ronald McDonald mission to create a world where children have access to quality health care and their families are able to better comfort and support them while actively participating in their care. Students were delighted to make the dinner a joyful and fun evening for families facing medical struggles and heartbreak. The meal serves up to 70 people in a community area of the Ronald McDonald dining room. Many students attend many Ronald McDonald dinner events throughout being in nursing school. DCN student, Priscilla Mckay, says “We see many of the same patients and families over and over again. I enjoy connecting with them every few weeks to months.” Another student, Sarah Burton, adds that she believes it is important for the community to see nursing students devoting their time to charities and caring for patients outside of the hospital. Denver College of Nursing student, Maggie O’Keefe, organizes and leads fellow students in approximately one Ronald McDonald volunteer event per month. Of the families she meets, O’Keefe says, “They spend their days talking to doctors, at their child's bedside, and hoping for miracles. If I can help make their lives a little better by feeding them a good meal and providing conversation that doesn't involve diagnoses, medications, and charts, then I feel I've done my part.”
Five Denver College of Nursing Students Serve the Needs of Haiti Orphanage

2/28/2017

<div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> Students provide eight days of medical visits and treatments to Haitian children and families  </div> </div> </div> </div> Five Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP), provided healthcare and education to hundreds of Haitians during their eight-day trip to Jacmel, Haiti.  The school’s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with <a href="https://lovetakesroot.org">Love Takes Root</a>, a non- profit organization committed to the support of children in the developing world. The students worked out of La Concorde orphanage to provide physical examinations, treat illnesses, and set up a medication administration regimen for 14 ringworm cases. They also provided medical care in the attached community clinic. Students had one day of foot-travel through the mountainous terrain, hiking medical supplies to surrounding villages and setting up a clinic serving over 40 people. In preparation of their trip, students gathered donations and brought eight suitcases filled with supplies and other goods.  DCN student Chelsea Harvey, said, “The La Concorde orphanage where we worked, has 65 children for whom we provided annual physical examinations and treated for pediatric illnesses. We set up an organized system for the nurse at La Concorde clinic to administer daily Lamisil for children at the orphanage with ringworm. The orphanage also had a clinic attached to it where people within the community can come in and be treated for medical conditions and illnesses.”  DCN students Alaina Hensel, Anna Maynard, Caley McManus, Chelsea Harvey, and Brittany Lines were accompanied by Barb Wilkerson, RN, PNP. Students served over 100 Haitians, treating medical conditions including hypertension, general infections, post-surgical infections, tuberculosis, malaria, clubfoot, pneumonia, ringworm, and scabies. Additionally, students provided woman’s health assessments and education to teenage girls regarding the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV.  “We had one child around the age of 6 with a case of pneumonia that we were able to treat with antibiotics. We also treated a few cases of scabies with anti-parasitics. We saw a few babies with general infections who we were able to treat with antibiotics. We saw one woman who had a breast mass removed who came to the clinic with a post-surgery infection and HIV”, recalls Brittany Lines.  DCN students describe the experience as life changing and humbling; realizing that many people around the world get by on very little in way of resources and supplies. Chelsea Harvey recalls an inspiring story from the trip of “a little boy at the clinic who had Typhoid who was not doing well. We did not have the proper resources at the clinic to treat him, but Barb Wilkerson gave his mother enough money to go to the Hospital Saint Michel in Jacmel. The boy was treated with IV antibiotics and returned several days later to thank us”.
Eight Denver College of Nursing Students Serve the Needs of Indian Villages

2/28/2017

<div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> Students provide 11 days of healthcare to the residents of villages in India  </div> </div> </div> </div> Eight Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and two DCN faculty members provided healthcare and education to hundreds of Indians during their eleven-day trip to Hyderabad and Bengaluru, India.  The school’s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with International Medical Relief (http://www.internationalmedicalrelief.org/), a non-profit organization working to provide access to health care in underserved and vulnerable communities around the world to create, sustain, and enhance global community health status. Fellow IMR teammates hosted the nursing students and faculty, staying with them in various apartments and hotels throughout the trip.  The students hosted clinics, traveling by bus and train to various villages in India and providing care to over 250 people each day. At each clinic, adults and children lined up to receive healthcare, a rare amenity for most villagers. DCN student Anne Marshall recalls, “When we stepped off the bus each morning, we were met by the villagers with flowers, parades, love, and appreciation.” Students and faculty were welcomed and blessed in temples and adorned with tikka marks on their foreheads. “We were constantly thanked, well more than what we expected for what we gave. The Indian people’s appreciation for our help, for life, nature, and God, were always apparent”, says Diane Ream, RN, faculty member. During the daily drive to and from the clinics, students took in the scenery of beautiful temples, camels pulling wagons, and children playing beside the streets. Students were able to appreciate the beautiful countryside of India, as well as some of its largest cities.  At the daily clinics, students provided community education, focusing on health topics such as hygiene, CPR, and hydration. Adults and children were triaged to receive either well care or medical care. The villagers received vision and dental exams, as well. Many villagers were given reading glasses and all the villagers treasured receiving a toothbrush and soap. Faculty member Diane Ream recalls the people seen “whose lives would be so much better if they simply had access to clean drinking water, basic hygiene items, basic health care, trash removal, education, and more food.”  Clinic sites were selected to provide health and wellness services to those areas of greatest need. Medical conditions the team encountered included cases of leprosy, scabies, post-operative complications, pregnancy complications, joint pain, and Ludwig’s Angina. Students provided nursing care, including dressing wounds, placing intravenous access, and administering antibiotic injections, respiratory treatments, and analgesic medications.  DCN students Anne Marshall, Dori Shiovitz, Cecily Fuller, Maggie O’Keefe, Susan Mclanathan, Colleen Jacobs, Leela Jennings, and Jennifer Morgan were accompanied by Diane Ream, RN, and Tara Haskell, RN.
Denver College of Nursing Students Provide Health Care Education to Six Peru Villages

2/28/2017

<div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> Students Provide 12 Days of medical visits, screenings, and vaccines to Peruvians  </div> </div> </div> </div> Four Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member, a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP), provided healthcare and education to hundreds of Peruvians during their twelve-day trip to Iquitos, Peru.  The school’s Global Health Perspectives program (GHP) partnered with <a href="http://dbperu.org">DB Peru</a>, a non-profit organization working in the lower Napo River region of the Peruvian Amazon, to improve living conditions for the people of Peru by providing health care and education.  DCN student, Natasha Heiland, said, “When we visited the villages, we took a boat loaded with several doctors, volunteer nurses, and medical equipment. We set up the clinics in the school house of each village. Because the villages are so remote, they don’t have health facilities; the nearest hospital is hours away by boat”.  DCN students Anne Burnett, Airi Busam, Natasha Heiland, and Brittany Rosner were accompanied by Sue Hammerton, RN, WHNP. Students conducted 180 medical visits, administered 80 vaccines, and screened 73 women for cervical cancer. HPV is the virus that causes human papillomavirus, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections; HPV immunizations were administered to 20 young women, which was a new vaccination to rural Peru.  “We gave antibiotics for infections, administered anti-parasitic drugs, provided wound care, treated dehydration and provided screenings and education regarding breast exams, HPV, and cervical cancer”, said Natasha Heiland. “We saw four unusual cases, including a child with osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone, a woman who had broken her arm two months ago and it healed twisted, a man with Lymphogranuloma Venereum, an uncommon infection of the lymph system, and a woman with ascites, an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity which had occurred after a very high fever”, recalls Sue Hammerton.  A health fair and soccer tournament was held by DB Peru, and Peruvians from several surrounding villages traveled for hours to attend. Students provided health screenings, administered vaccines, and provided first aid. Additionally, Sue Hammerton and the students taught a class on “The Golden Minute” to a group of Peruvian midwives to teach interventions to help struggling newborns breathe in the first minute of life. Anne Burnett recalls, “The villagers were so appreciative and excited to learn and receive health care that it made every second we were in Peru valuable and worthwhile”.
Denver College of Nursing Hosts a Campus Blood Drive

2/28/2017

<div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="section"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> Students and Faculty Donate Blood to BONFILS Blood Center  </div> </div> </div> </div> Denver College of Nursing partnered with BONFILS Blood Center to host a blood drive on the Lower Downtown Denver campus. The school’s student commons area, usually utilized for group studying and socializing, was transformed into a blood donation center. Many students enjoyed the break from reading textbooks to donate blood, while other students made it a priority to donate blood despite continuing to study for exams. Nursing school faculty members joined the campus event to donate blood between instructing classes.  <a href="https://www.bonfils.org/index.cfm">BONFILS Blood Center</a> staffed the blood drive with four phlebotomists to run an efficient and safe event. Potential donors completed a personal health interview, a health history questionnaire, and had vital signs and hemoglobin checked to become eligible to donate. “When a potential donor is denied eligibility, it is to protect the patient who would receive the blood. Certain medications, recent tattoos, out of country travel, and some diseases disqualify a donor. We have to do extensive screening to ensure safety to the recipients receiving the donated blood”, says a BONFILS Blood Center staff phlebotomist.  <div> BONFILS Blood Center needs thousands of donors, of all blood types, each week to meet the needs of our community. The average adult has about ten pints of blood in his or her body; roughly one pint is given during a donation. The entire process takes about one hour to complete the donor questionnaire, health screening, and enjoy post-donation snacks. The donation itself takes only ten minutes. Trevor Johnson, a DCN student, valued the quick process of giving blood, while he continued to study on campus, saying “I donate to save a life in need”.  The DCN campus blood drive collected 28 units of blood from 84 donors, including 26 first time donors. Taylor Caldwell, a DCN student, who gave blood for the first time, stated “Blood is the elixir of life, and we can share it with those in need safely through donation”. It is estimated that 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate at any given time, yet less than 10% of that eligible population actually donates each year. DCN students realize the importance of donating blood as artificial blood products are still years away.   </div>
Denver College of Nursing Students Feed Over 100 Ronald McDonald House Families

8/16/2016

Fifteen Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students cooked and served dinners for over 100 Ronald McDonald House-Denver family residents and staff, said Mike Ruschival, director of student services. DCN’s Student Nurse Association has committed community outreach and service hours on a regular, ongoing basis for the two Denver-area Ronald McDonald Houses, said DCN student Alex James, community event coordinator for the DCN Student Nurse Association (SNA). Over the past four years, DCN’s Student Nurse Association has involved over 200 students donating over 500 hours of time to serve meals to nearly 400 families residing at Ronald McDonald House Denver and Aurora. “I have always believed that the Ronald McDonald House is a way for us students to learn and listen to families speaking their truths,” James said. “I am just grateful for the opportunity to be able to do this for families that just need a hand in their time of strife. I believe that this is a great service provided for the families and we all at DCN hope to continue working with the Ronald McDonald House of Denver.” For the past 36 years, Ronald McDonald House® Charities of Denver has offered a loving home away from home to families needing to be near their seriously ill or injured children while they're being treated at metropolitan area hospitals. In 2016, Ronald McDonald House-Denver opened its new wing to accommodate an additional 44 families, increasing the total number of families accommodated to 73. The Denver and Aurora Ronald McDonald Homes usually are at full capacity. “The Ronald McDonald House’s mission is to provide a ‘home away from home for families of children being treated at area hospitals and to support community programs that serve the needs of children.’ One of the ways our community helps is to provide family meals. Parents of in-patient children spend their entire day with their child in the hospital, which is isolating and stressful. When families come back to the House in the evening, being served a warm meal and having time to sit and talk to other families is richly rewarding. I have had families tell me how much they have enjoyed talking to our dinner providers and how nice it is to know someone cares about them,” said Sandra Wiersma, Denver house manager, Ronald McDonald Charities of Denver. DCN students who participated included: Madison Harris, Alicia Bryniarski, Priscilla McKay, Lauren Humphrey, Maggie O’Keefe, Sarah Burton, Eryn Slap, Meaghan Mitchell, Shannon Ball, Ashleigh Garvin, Kellie Lind, Susan McClanathan, Kendra Ginn, Brie Essman and Alex James.
Denver College of Nursing Presents Diversity in Action Award to Ruschival

8/9/2016

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) has recognized Michael Ruschival, director of student services, with the nursing college’s Diversity in Action Award, designed to reward a faculty or staff member for their new ways of including and addressing diversity in the curricula or on campus, said Dr. Cathy Maxwell, president of DCN. With the Denver College of Nursing since 2010, Ruschival provides guidance to the student body, serves as liaison to career services and coordinates campus-wide activities, programs and services that foster students’ academic, personal and professional development. He directs these services to create a stimulating and supportive environment that enhances the personal development, learning, educational success and career preparation for all students, Maxwell said. In nominations submitted by faculty, staff and students, Ruschival was cited as “always available for the students; always going above and beyond to helping students of all different backgrounds, often above his normal job duties.”  Other nominations stated “he works with all students to assist them with their many needs.  He shows kindness to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, and his work with the Student Nurse Association also supports his approach to diversity at DCN.” He holds his master of science in organizational leadership from Colorado State University-Global Campus, his graduate certificate in health informatics from the University of California-Davis Extension and his bachelor of arts from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN.  DCN’s student population represents a variety of racial backgrounds, including a male enrollment of 13.5 percent, the highest ratio in Colorado. DCN created the Diversity in Action Award in honor of the first black woman to complete nurse’s training in 1879 in the United States. Mary Mahoney, a nurse, and a women’s rights and civil rights activist, was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame in 1976 and the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
Denver College of Nursing Students Treat 1,500 Patients in Cambodia

8/9/2016

<div> </div> Seven Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and two DCN faculty members provided six days of healthcare in Cambodia, caring for over 1,500 patients in six community acute care clinics, said Marguerite Distel, RN, DCN assistant professor and academic coordinator for DCN’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program.  In DCN’s first-ever healthcare trip to Cambodia, the student and faculty team partnered with the Loveland, CO-based nonprofit <a href="www.internationalmedicalrelief.org" target="_blank">International Medical Relief (IMR)</a>, which works with universities across the country to help medical students participate in medical mission trips.  “Each day, at each clinic, an orderly line would form of people seeking care and help,” Distel said. “Our team would work quickly to treat as many people as possible each day. We were able to see first-hand the difficulties in providing healthcare to rural locations across the globe. For one clinic, the team had to abandon their bus and load their clinic supplies and over 30 people onto the back of a farm truck to make it to the clinic. The roads were impassable due to the rainy season.”  DCN students Leah Boisseaux, Kelsey DeShazo, Kayla Jenulis, Stephanie Massaro, Hannah Plath, Whitney Roth and Jean Sederberg were accompanied by Distel and Barbara Calo, RN. Four clinics were held in rural locations and two were in the city of Phnom Penh.  “We focused on the common conditions of headaches, abdominal and joint pain, dehydration and respiratory disorders,” Distel explained. “We performed health screenings, wound care and referrals to local healthcare providers, including local physicians, dentists and pharmacy staff who were members of the team. Additionally, we provided a community education seminar to 60 community leaders on topics ranging from basic hygiene and prevention of diarrhea to respiratory and mosquito-borne illnesses.”  Denver College of Nursing’s GHP program combines classroom training with in-field service-learning internships. The college partners with in-country nonprofits to make the best use of the healthcare infrastructure that exists in that country to allow for continued care of patients.
Six Denver College of Nursing Students Provide Care for Hundreds of Denver’s Seniors, Homeless

8/9/2016

Students Provide Eight Days of Healthcare, Education, Meal Service for Six Denver Nonprofits  Six Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, assisted by a DCN faculty member who is a mental health specialist, provided healthcare, performed assessments and educated seniors and homeless individuals about health issues at Denver area nonprofits and for veterans undergoing treatment at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital in Aurora, said Marguerite Distel, RN, DCN assistant professor. For Denver Urban Ministries (<a href="http://denum.org/">http://denum.org</a>), students assessed and performed intakes for the underprivileged, monitoring their blood pressure and conducting blood sugar tests.  They assisted them in shopping at DeNum’s food pantry so they could choose healthy and nutritionally balanced food options. Also, in collaboration with Food Bank of the Rockies (<a href="http://www.foodbankrockies.org/">www.foodbankrockies.org</a>), students unloaded the food truck and restocked DeNum’s food stocks. Students conducted community outreach for Colfax Community Network, where children and families who have endured abuse, addiction, crime, harassment, hunger, loss of employment and neglect, receive care, medical clinic assistance, food and housing in a network of “motel communities.” (<a href="http://colfaxcommunitynetwork.org/">http://colfaxcommunitynetwork.org</a>) Interacting with over 70 homeless people over the age of 55 at Senior Support Services, which provides outreach and needed services to low-income and homeless seniors, DCN students prepared and served breakfast two mornings in a row and conducted a health fair, connecting the underserved to service organizations. (<a href="http://www.seniorsupportservices.org/about.html">http://www.seniorsupportservices.org/about.html</a>) For those cared for at Denver Rescue Mission’s The Crossing (<a href="http://www.denverrescuemission.org/">www.denverrescuemission.org</a>), students arrived at dawn to prepared and serve breakfast to hundreds of homeless people and continued work there, preparing food for that day’s lunch services for hundreds more. For five days, in a clinical partnership with the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, students, under the supervision of their clinical faculty, placed IVs, dosed medications orally, intravenously and intramuscularly and performed several head-to-toe assessments. The six DCN students who participated included Alyssa Benjamin, Daya Bhakta, Anna Maynard, Megan Mitchell, Emily Moats and Lisa Shurter. They were mentored by DCN faculty member Toni Esperanza, assistant professor and a mental healthcare specialist. Each quarter, DCN students engage in service-learning globally as part of their participation in the Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program. DCN conducts clinical internships with homeless and at-need populations of Denver inner-city organizations twice yearly as part of the GHP program.
Denver College of Nursing Students Complete Twelfth Healthcare Trip to Haiti

8/9/2016

Six Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, along with an adjunct DCN faculty member, conducted medical clinics in Jacmel, Haiti and in a rural mountainous area in collaboration with the nonprofit, <a href="www.lovetakesroot.org" target="_blank">LOVE Takes Root</a>, said Marguerite Distel, RN, DCN assistant professor. “Every quarter, DCN students engage in service-learning globally as part of their participation in our nursing college’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program,” said Distel, who also serves as DCN’s GHP academic coordinator. “This was an extremely successful clinical rotation and healthcare trip. The DCN team started their week of service quite quickly, as Haitian patients were waiting outside clinic doors. Students were able to triage the ones who needed care the most, people with open fractures, TB, infections, hypertension, diabetes, dehydration, viral illnesses and children with respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.” Accompanied by DCN clinical instructor Barb Wilkerson, RN, and co-founder of LOVE Takes Root with her husband, Dr. Rick Wilkerson, DCN students Danielle Cleary, Kristen Howorko, Katie Lightner, Tyler Linne, Lisa Shurter and Lindsey Ziemba hiked up the mountainside, carrying backpacks filled with medical clinic and pharmaceutical supplies to care for the rural villagers. At the orphanage in Jacmel, the student team provided care to the 60 children at La Concorde orphanage, checking eyesight and BMI. At the nearby public hospital, St. Michele, students experienced first-hand the lack of medical care in Haiti and led training for the clinical nurse in the principals of primary care. Founded in 2010 by Wilkerson and her husband, Dr. Rick Wilkerson, an orthopedic surgeon, LOVE Takes Root strives to break the cycle of poverty through a commitment to local empowerment and an establishment of roots of trust and health in Haitian-owned and managed programs. While working in Port-au-Prince in the aftermath of Haiti’s most devastating earthquake in 2010, Dr. Wilkerson saw an adjacent shelter that was filled with children. He visited with “Mamma,” a 70-year-old grandmother who was feeding, housing and caring for over 50 orphaned children in a debris-covered make-shift tent with little food, clothing or medical treatment available. Dr. Wilkerson’s experience gave birth to the nonprofit LOVE Takes Root six years ago and the La Concorde orphanage in Jacmel.
Denver College of Nursing Students Care for over 400 Burmese Patients in Myanmar

6/8/2016

Four Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and one DCN faculty member provided six days of healthcare in Myanmar, helping hundreds of Burmese, many of whom had never before seen a healthcare provider, said Marguerite Distel, RN, DCN assistant professor and academic coordinator for DCN’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program. Teaming with the Loveland, CO-based nonprofit <a href="www.internationalmedicalrelief.org" target="_blank">International Medical Relief</a> (IMR), which works with universities across the country to help medical students participate in medical mission trips, DCN and IMR worked with a nurse from Singapore and a general surgeon from Nepal to triage, assess and educate approximately 100 people per day in a six-day clinical tour that traveled to remote villages outside the capital city of Yangon. Myanmar is recovering from Cyclone Nargis, one of the world’s deadliest tropical cyclones, where the UN estimates 2.4 million people were affected, 84,500 people were killed and 53,800 went missing. DCN students Alyssa Benjamin, Daya Bhakta, Lauren Bliel and Jill Lysengen were accompanied by Julie Lohre, DCN adjunct faculty and nurse practitioner. Together, they also reviewed oral healthcare with and gave free toothbrushes to the Burmese; adults chew a tree root mixed with tobacco and give children candy at bedtime which deteriorates the health of their gums and tooth enamel. “We focused on acute major illnesses, which included treating people suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. We treated people for dehydration, musculoskeletal and respiratory disorders. Others we referred to the closest local hospital for disease education and physician referral,” Lohre explained. “Students prepared interactive presentations for the villagers. Helped by translators, our education focused on hygiene and the importance of proper handwashing. We taught them about the ease of solar disinfection of water, where heat and UV rays kill 90 percent of disease-causing pathogens. And, because of the intense heat and humidity of their climate, we emphasized the necessities of rehydration and the maintenance of hydration during their long working days,” Lohre added.
Denver College of Nursing Students Give Peruvian Midwives, Villagers Healthcare Support

5/16/2016

Students Train Peruvian Midwives, 100 Villagers about Resuscitation with Infant Simulator Working with a newborn inflatable simulator known as NeoNatalie, five Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu) teamed with two nonprofits, <a href="http://www.dbperuong.com">DB Peru</a> and <a href="hbb@aap.org">Helping Babies Breathe</a>, to train lay midwives in remote Peruvian villages about techniques to resuscitate newborns, said Marguerite Distel, RN, assistant professor and academic coordinator of DCN’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program. “On our way out to the villages and tribal communities along the Napo River, we worked at the crowded health outpost of Mazan, a larger village located on the isthmus between the Amazon and Napo Rivers. We participated in a Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) training where the two trainers not only had been in Denver one year ago and knew of DCN but also were giving training to midwives in eight regions of the Amazon,” said Sue Hammerton, DCN adjunct professor of pharmacology. DCN students, accompanied by Hammerton, Christina Bruce, Caitlin Connett, Brianna Essman, Kelly Lake and Ellis Whalen traveled by boat to all the remote Peruvian areas to participate in general adult nursing care, health education to villagers and vaccinations. A key concept of HBB is The Golden Minute. Within one minute of birth, a baby should be breathing well or should be ventilated with a bag and mask. The Golden Minute identifies the steps that a birth attendant must take immediately after birth to evaluate the baby and stimulate breathing. “When working with all the 31 midwives and health providers —including one male midwife—we decided not to use the mask for resuscitation since masks are in short supply in the jungle. We emphasized The Golden Minute, mouth-to-mouth and the gentle blow of air in our training. The midwives embraced the simulation and went on to get training in breast and cervical cancer checks, PAP smears, glucose checks and other wellness and prevention methodologies,” Hammerton noted.
Denver College of Nursing Students Give 400 Hours of Healthcare to Haitian Orphans

5/3/2016

Six Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, accompanied by a DCN faculty member, provided 10 days of pediatric care and community health education in a Haitian orphanage and mountain clinic with the nonprofit, <a href="http://www.lovetakesroot.org">LOVE Takes Root</a>, said Marguerite Distel, RN, DCN assistant professor. “Every quarter, DCN students engage in service-learning globally as part of their participation in our nursing college’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program,” said Distel, who also serves as DCN’s GHP academic coordinator. “In the heat of Haiti, our students backpacked supplies and hiked into the Mountain Clinic affiliated with LOVE Takes Root’s orphanage and clinic in Jacmel, Haiti. For a full day there, they provided assessment and treatment for adults and children.” Accompanied by DCN clinical instructor Barb Wilkerson, RN, and co-founder of <a href="www.lovetakesroot.org">LOVE Takes Root</a> with her husband, Dr. Rick Wilkerson, DCN students Margaret Erickson, Paige Hoagland, Bridget Lawless, Matthew Rosenstein, Karly Ward and Nay Washington provided week-long care to the 50 children at La Concorde orphanage. The nursing team worked in clinic, led community healthcare education, donated blood, served in the local hospital and organized the orphanage’s clinic for its first full-time Haitian nurse for the children. Founded in 2010 by Wilkerson and her husband, Dr. Rick Wilkerson, an orthopedic surgeon, <a href="www.lovetakesroot.org">LOVE Takes Root</a> strives to break the cycle of poverty through a commitment to local empowerment and an establishment of roots of trust and health in Haitian-owned and managed programs. While working in Port-au-Prince in the aftermath of Haiti’s most devastating earthquake in 2010, Dr. Wilkerson saw an adjacent shelter that was filled with children. He visited with "Mamma,” a 70-year-old grandmother who was feeding, housing and caring for over 50 orphaned children in a debris-covered make-shift tent with little food, clothing or medical treatment available. Dr. Wilkerson's experience gave birth to the nonprofit <a href="http://www.lovetakesroot.org">LOVE Takes Root</a> six years ago and the La Concorde orphanage in Jacmel.
Denver College of Nursing Students Dedicate 100 Hours of Community Outreach

4/7/2016

Five Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and an assistant professor led community outreach and assisted in open clinics, dedicating over 100 hours to Denver area nonprofits serving homeless and senior populations and veterans undergoing treatment at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital in Aurora, said Marguerite Distel, RN, DCN assistant professor.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &amp;ldquo;Every quarter, DCN students engage in service-learning nationally and globally as part of their participation in the nursing college&amp;rsquo;s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program. Twice a year, DCN students apply their skills to benefit Denver&amp;rsquo;s nonprofit community, facilitating food distribution, performing health assessments, providing meal service and distributing help wherever it&amp;rsquo;s needed,&amp;rdquo; said Distel, who also serves as DCN&amp;rsquo;s GHP academic coordinator.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; At &lt;a href=&quot;http://colfaxcommunitynetwork.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Colfax Community Network&lt;/a&gt;, students worked in the nonprofit&amp;rsquo;s open clinic, providing healthcare outreach for children and families experiencing abuse, addiction, crime, harassment, hunger, loss of employment and neglect.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; To provide meal service for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.seniorsupportservices.org/about.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Senior Support Services&lt;/a&gt;&amp;rsquo; low-income and homeless seniors, DCN students raised $2,000 among themselves, and cooked and served breakfast three times in one week for over 225 seniors.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; For &lt;a href=&quot;http://denum.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Denver Urban Ministries&lt;/a&gt;, students accompanied client families through the intake process, connected those families to resources, and helped families through the food pantry so they could choose healthy and nutritionally balanced food options.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; In a clinical partnership with the Veteran&amp;rsquo;s Administration Hospital, students assisted with procedures in the emergency department and in urgent care. Under the supervision of their clinical faculty, students attended to intravenous therapy and diabetes assessment&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; The five DCN students who participated included Caitlin Connett, Katie Lightner, Woobin Lim, Amanda Raskind and Ellis Whalen, and were mentored by DCN faculty member Toni Esperanza, assistant professor and a mental healthcare specialist.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; DCN will conduct clinical internships with homeless and at-need populations of inner-city organizations every six months as part of the nursing college&amp;rsquo;s GHP program. The next effort will take place in June 2016.
Denver College of Nursing Students, Faculty Devote Over 800 Hours of Care to Ugandans

1/11/2016

Four Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, two faculty members and a recent alumnus led community health education outreach on nutrition, provided care to pregnant and new mothers and provided care to ill pediatric patients and severely malnourished children in Kei and Yumbe, Uganda, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN. Accompanied by DCN faculty members, Tara Haskell, adjunct professor and pediatric nurse, and Micah Hughes, assistant professor, DCN students assisted in the pediatrics, labor and delivery wards and therapeutic feeding center of Yumbe Hospital for nine days. Yumbe Hospital has no running water or electricity, Haskell said. “We were impressed with the quality of care provided to the patients by the hospital’s nursing team, who had so few resources. Many of these nurses would work 16 hour days, come back after sleeping four hours and work another 16 hours without complaint. Often, there were two surgeries in the same room at the same time. Yet, the hospital has low rates of infection. I was inspired by how the nurses made a difference in their patient’s lives.” DCN students Amanda Raskind, Aria Turney, Austin Vaughn and Patrick Vogelsong, plus DCN alumnus Ian Morlock, RN, helped Yumbe Hospital nurses to deliver babies, assisted in C-section deliveries and conducted full assessments of newborns, pediatric patients and new mothers. They prepared and administered IV medications, fluids and blood, performed lab draws and started IVs on multiple patients. In the hospital’s therapeutic feeding ward, DCN’s team treated severely malnourished pediatric patients. This included daily weights and measuring the right formula amounts to nurture the children to a healthy state before they could go home. They provided nutrition education for the parents to help reduce the risk of the children being readmitted for care. Children who are undernourished and malnourished cost Uganda more than 5% of its national income, according to The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). Badly fed or undernourished babies are sickly and highly vulnerable to diseases like malaria or anemia. The cost of treating these diseases in Uganda is calculated at $254 million each year. The team also traveled 50 miles south of Yumbe to Arua, to lead a community health education program for 50 Ugandan nursing students. “When we met with the nursing students of Arua Comprehensive School of Nursing, we identified all the areas of DCN’s community health education program, including how to deliver nutrition information to villagers whose diets are vitamin deficient,” Haskell said. “Malnutrition makes malaria symptoms worse in people of all ages, but especially new mothers and their newborns. We wanted to help those future nurses educate and empower their communities so that everyone’s health standards improve.”
Denver College of Nursing Students, Faculty Devote Over 385 Hours of Care at Tough Mudder

1/11/2016

Thirty Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and three faculty provided over 385 hours of health care at the 2015 Tough Mudder in Snowmass, CO, where event organizers maintained a fully operational emergency medical field tent to treat injured Tough Mudder participants, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president. “Students and faculty worked in close partnership with an expert team of medical practitioners, local emergency departments and EMS providers. Together, they provided advanced field medical care and stabilized any injuries which could occur onsite,” she added. The DCN team included faculty members Megan McClintock, undergraduate programs chair, Jennifer Morgan-Osborn, adjunct clinical instructor, and Diane Ream, assistant professor of nursing. Students included: Thad Alstrup, Brian Andrukat, Lauren Bleil, Leah Boisseaux, Christina Bruce, Elise Budagher, Leslie Carlos, Danielle Cleary, Bethany Darnell, Desiree Davis, Emily Field, Mike Gnacinski, Kristen Grivas, Stephanie Guardado, Tyler Linne, Brittany Liposky, Jill Lysengen, Steph Massaro, Anna Maynard, Audra Mesko, Gina Mumma, Halley Olert, Jeanie Sederberg, Lisa Shurter, Stephanie Thomas, Austin Vaughn, Karlee Ward, Ellis Whalen, Tom Wilkes and Lindsey Ziemba. “Tough Mudder events attract a wide range of participants,” DCN’s McClintock noted. “This was the second year for DCN students to partner with Tough Mudder. DCN faculty provided a trauma nurse training course prior to the students and faculty volunteering in the medical tent. Our team provided assessments and medical treatment to participants who ranged from 20-year-olds to 60-year-olds, and from cancer survivors to war veterans.” The 2015 Tough Mudder included 14,000 participants who came from across Colorado as well as the United States. Tough Mudder events helped raise money for wounded veterans and its official charity partner, Wounded Warrior Project. In 2014, participants raised over two million dollars for official Tough Mudder charities.
Denver College of Nursing, Colorado Community College System Execute Articulation Agreement

1/11/2016

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) and the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) have fully executed an articulation agreement in which any graduates of the 13 CCCS institutions with an Associate of Nursing Degree (ADN) are eligible for admission to DCN’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN program option) distance education degree program, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president. “DCN offers its RN to BSN program in a distance education format to meet the needs of a diverse, geographically-dispersed student population,” Bankirer said. “DCN and CCCS support the goal of furthering the education of nurses in healthcare facilities and removing barriers to nurses progressing in their degree attainment. DCN is committed to working collaboratively with CCCS to create a more highly qualified nursing workforce since education enhances both clinical competency and care delivery.” “We are pleased to partner with Denver College of Nursing to provide this opportunity to pursue a BSN degree to our nursing graduates,” said Nancy J. McCallin, Ph.D., president, CCCS. “We very much like how this transfer opportunity will enable our graduates to advance their career opportunities from anywhere while further strengthening Colorado healthcare.” She added that getting a baccalaureate credential will open up a greater variety of nursing positions to CCCS graduates.
Denver College of Nursing Students Donate 60 Cases of Food to Denver Rescue Mission

1/11/2016

Denver College of Nursing’s (DCN) students conducted a food drive on behalf of Denver Rescue Mission and donated 60 cases of food to the organization which helps those experiencing poverty and homelessness, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president, DCN. “DCN’s Student Services executes many quarterly outreach events so students can develop a sense of community among their peers and their community,” Bankirer explained. “One way we help DCN’s students become excellent health care providers is to give them a platform where they can transform the lives of others. Giving back to those in need will always be a part of their lives as nurses.” Denver Rescue Mission meets the needs of those experiencing poverty and homelessness through emergency services, community outreach, long-term rehabilitation programs, transitional programs and assistance for permanent housing. Since 1892, the Mission has been changing lives in Denver’s community. Each day, Denver Rescue Mission serves more than 1,000 meals and now they are asking for your help to feed those in need, said Denver Rescue Mission (<a href="http://www.denverrescuemission.org">www.denverrescuemission.org</a>).
My door into global community health: Nurse’s path to Uganda starts with a special mentor

1/11/2016

As an intern with GHP, I was able to spend many days in clinical situations at a rural hospital in Yumbe, but outside of that, I had the opportunity to dig deeper into the community health aspect of this journey.
Denver College of Nursing Students Give Two Weeks of Care to Inner-City Nonprofits, VA

10/9/2015

In their first-ever provision of healthcare to Denver inner-city nonprofits and the Veterans Administration Hospital, four Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students provided care and community health education over an intensive two-week-long period in multiple settings, said Diana Kostrzewski, DCN dean of nursing education programs. DCN students participated in a service-learning clinical partnership with the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in the emergency department, gastrointestinal clinic and the oncology clinic. “There, our students spent two full days in patient transport, a full day of triage and a day in the emergency department where they attended to patients with a wide range of health issues, ranging from diabetes to amputation,” said DCN’s Micah Hughes, assistant professor and director of the nursing college’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program. “It’s through DCN’s GHP program that our students both engage in community health outreach and complete valuable clinical hours in the community,” he added. The GHP program is a service learning program at Denver College of Nursing that partners with like-minded NGOs and sustainable international and domestic clinical programs. The four DCN students who participated included Leslie Carlos, Mary Morrissey, Gina Naccarato and Amy Pape, and were mentored by DCN faculty member Toni Esperanza, assistant professor and a mental healthcare specialist, and Julie Lohre, DCN adjunct clinical instructor. Other nonprofits served by DCN’s team included Brandon House and Irving House, both under the auspices of Volunteers of America, Denver Urban Ministries, The Gathering Place, Lawrence Street Shelter, Lutheran Family Services and the Senior Support Services Center.“These internships really changed us,” DCN student Morrissey said. “As nurses, we all now have a better understanding of our community, especially as it relates to needs of and the resources for our homeless, our mental health patients and our veterans. I now feel better able to serve our populations as a result of this GHP internship.” DCN will conduct clinical internships with homeless and at-need populations of inner-city organizations every six months as part of the nursing college’s GHP program. In December, 2015, five DCN students will serve healthcare internships with those Denver organizations, Hughes said.
Denver College of Nursing Students Provide Care to Ugandan Children, Regional Refugees

10/1/2015

Four Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and two faculty members assisted Ugandan nurses and provided clinical care to patients in the Yumbe district, across from the South Sudan border, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN. Accompanied by DCN faculty members, Micah Hughes, assistant professor and director of DCN’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program, and Connie Dunbar, DCN adjunct clinical faculty, students Jay Ferrell, Jane Jung, Claribel Najera-Torres and Rebecca Wynkoop assisted in the pediatrics, labor and delivery wards of Yumbe Hospital. “The DCN team worked in an important part of the Yumbe Hospital, the Therapeutic Feeding Center (TFC),” Hughes explained. “The TFC is an emergency malnutrition ward to children who are admitted from throughout the Yumbe district and the South Sudan. The West Nile region of Uganda is in one of the most severe droughts in the past 50 years. As a result, malnutrition and the impact of other infectious diseases are at the worst levels I’ve seen in the 12 years I’ve been providing patient care in this region.” UNICEF reports that Uganda has stretched its capacity to assist both its own communities and approximately 130,000 new South Sudanese refugees in the remote West Nile sub-region, including women, child survivors of sexual violence, and separated and unaccompanied children in urgent need of protection. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates of nearly 20 percent can be found among the South Sudanese refugees. UNICEF and partners are planning a response to needs for an additional 80,000 refugees in 2015. (http://www.unicef.org/appeals/uganda.html) DCN’s Hughes developed a partnership between The Mango Project, a sustainable nonprofit, and Yumbe Hospital to provide preserved mangos for the pediatric and TFC wards and for breast-feeding mothers and hospitalized children. “It was impressive to see the Denver College of Nursing students adapt to this challenging environment and collaborate in community healthcare with the local Ugandan Mango Project leaders,” Hughes stated. The Mango Project (www.themangoproject.com) first worked in the region in 2003. It was co-founded by Hughes, who serves as its executive director. The Mango Project trains locals to preserve mangos for distribution to local communities during the 10 months out of the year when mangos and other fruit are not available. Since 2012, over 300 hybrid mango trees have been grafted and planted into The Mango Project orchard near Rodo, Uganda.
Denver College of Nursing Students Feed Ronald McDonald House Families Breakfast for Dinner

9/24/2015

Seven Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students raised funds for food and cooked and served breakfast for dinner for over 60 Ronald McDonald House-Aurora family residents and staff, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president. DCN’s Student Nurse Association has adopted the two Denver-area Ronald McDonald Houses for their ongoing community outreach and community education programs, explained DCN student Tyler Linne, vice president of the DCN Student Nurse Association (SNA). “We students raise funds among ourselves to feed the families, shop for their food, cook for them and serve them each quarter,” Linne said. “But, what’s most important to us, as nursing students, is the opportunity to connect with these families, to talk to them about the health concerns they have for their children undergoing care at Children’s Hospital and to leave a part of ourselves behind to offer them comfort and support.” The seven DCN students who participated included: Ann Abraham, Laura Alcorn, Brittany Lines, Tyler Linne, Mykella Phillips, James Potter and Aubrey Totsch. Over the past three years, DCN’s Student Nurse Association has involved over 166 students donating over 500 hours of time to serve meals to over 250 families residing at Ronald McDonald House Denver and Aurora. At the end of 2014, Ronald McDonald Houses had 300 local Chapters in 62 countries and regions around the world and Ronald McDonald House programs can be found in 89 percent of the world’s best children’s hospitals. Every year, RMHC helps nearly nine million families stay together while their children undergo treatment.
Denver College of Nursing Students Scale Fourteener for Children’s Hospital Climb for Kids

9/24/2015

Seven Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, joined by an alumnus, faculty and family, scaled Mt. Bierstadt, a Colorado fourteener, to raise funds for Children’s Hospital’s “Climb for Kids,” said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president. In the tenth annual Climb for Kids, Children’s Hospital raised over $150,000 for its Learning Services and Pediatric Mental Health Institute, in order to provide healthier lives for children. Each year, teams climb 14,000 feet to the summit of Mt. Bierstadt to honor children with much bigger mountains to climb. Joined by DCN alumnus Kim Kretvix, the seven DCN students, accompanied by faculty member, Micah Hughes, included: Thad Alstrup, Mike Gnacinski, LaChele Mack, Alexis Pappas and her partner, Clinton Smith, Cassie Rodriguez, Matthew Rosenstein, and his wife, Rachel Rosenstein, an RN, and Ellis Whalen. DCN participants climbed in behalf of the nursing college’s Team Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program, which is a service learning program at Denver College of Nursing that partners with like-minded NGOs and sustainable international and domestic clinical programs. In recent years, DCN’s GHP interns have engaged in pediatric community healthcare in Haiti, Honduras, India, Peru, the Philippines and Uganda. DCN’s GHP program is guided by DCN’s Micah Hughes, assistant professor.
Denver College of Nursing Students’ Blood Drive Exceeds Bonfils Goals

8/21/2015

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) Student Nurse Association (SNA) hosted a day-long blood donation drive in July for the Bonfils Blood Center, collecting 25 percent more units of whole blood than projected by Bonfils, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN. In the SNA-sponsored drive, 34 units were collected at the DCN site, which will help over 100 patients in the community, according to Michelle Lowry, community donor representative for Bonfils Blood Center. “Not only did DCN help Bonfils exceed its projections, but also we received four units of double red cells. This is simply fantastic,” Lowry added. “It was also a very busy drive and several more people from area businesses were interested in donating as well. DCN’s location at 19th and Market streets is a very good spot for us.” Every day, nearly 200 hospitals and healthcare facilities across Colorado and in the Rocky Mountain region rely solely on Bonfils Blood Center for blood products, requiring Bonfils to collect nearly 3,000 blood donations each week. One single blood donation can save and enhance the lives of up to three patients.
Denver College of Nursing Student Turney Receives $11,000 Scholarship

8/21/2015

Elmira K. Beyer Scholarship Based on Educational, Professional Goals, Academic Achievement Denver College of Nursing (DCN) student Aria Turney has been awarded the $11,000 Elmira K. Beyer scholarship through the University Women’s Foundation of Jefferson County (WA), said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu). Turney, who is in her final year at Denver College of Nursing pursuing her Bachelor of Science in nursing, currently serves as president of DCN’s Student Nurse Association (SNA). Also, she is one of the authors of a published paper on physiological aging and plans to become a nurse practitioner in pediatric oncology. “Aria has demonstrated repeatedly her professional zeal, which has resulted in her receiving a second scholarship from her hometown area for women pursuing careers in medicine and healthcare, the Lisa T. Painter Scholarship” Bankirer noted. Turney received the Lisa T. Painter Scholarship in 2015 and 2014; the scholarship is awarded to residents of Port Townsend, WA, from where Turney originates. Prior to enrolling at Denver College of Nursing, Turney received her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science and health promotion from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. “I grew up in Port Townsend, WA, where the locals believe ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and this close-knit community has provided me tremendous support,” Turney said. “I plant to carry on their traditions. I always have been passionate about helping and elevating others and I’m excited to spend the rest of my professional life doing so.”.
Denver College of Nursing Students Complete Tenth Healthcare Internship in Haiti

8/20/2015

Denver College of Nursing’s (DCN) Global Health Perspectives (GHP) student team, accompanied by two DCN clinical instructors, undertook a new community health outreach program in a Haitian mountain village with the nonprofit, LOVE Takes Root (<a href="http://lovetakesroot.org" target="_blank">http://lovetakesroot.org</a>), said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN. “Students, faculty and Haitian healthcare workers teamed with LOVE Takes Root to extend community healthcare in the Jacmel, Haiti region. For the first time, the teams extended care from the La Concorde orphanage to a remote mountain village,” Bankirer said. “The team treated patients, adults and children alike, under trees in the center of a mountain village as well as provided community education in the urban center of Jacmel, Haiti.” Accompanied by DCN clinical instructors Barb Wilkerson, RN and Kyia Mountain, RN, DCN students Laura Glenn, Eva Morales, Angela Naple, Nora Smith, Melanie Thompson and Andi Toogood collaborated with nursing students from Notre Dame College in Haiti and clinicians of St. Michele Public Hospital. The nursing teams worked to improve access to community healthcare. They provided education and treatment for dehydration as well as parasitic infections. “Children in Haiti are in desperate need of improved nutrition and access to adequate health care. Many children in Haiti suffer from HIV/AIDS, diarrheal diseases, measles, malaria and pneumonia. Similarly, they have high rates of fatalities due to injuries,” Wilkerson added. Founded in 2010 by Wilkerson and her husband, Dr. Rick Wilkerson, an orthopedic surgeon, LOVE Takes Root strives to break the cycle of poverty through a commitment to local empowerment and an establishment of roots of trust and health in Haitian-owned and managed programs. While working in Port-au-Prince in the aftermath of Haiti’s most devastating earthquake in 2010, Dr. Wilkerson saw an adjacent shelter that was filled with children. He visited with "Mamma,” a 70-year-old grandmother who was feeding, housing and caring for over 50 orphaned children in a debris-covered make-shift tent with little food, clothing or medical treatment available. Dr. Wilkerson's experience gave birth to the nonprofit Love Takes Root five years ago and the La Concorde orphanage in Jacmel.
Denver College of Nursing students dedicate over 600 hours of healthcare in mission to Peru

7/6/2015

Six Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, accompanied by a DCN faculty member, teamed with DB Peru, Inc. to provide healthcare to remote Peruvian villagers along the Napo River in Peru, where the nursing team focused on community health and infectious disease projects, said Dr. Diana Kostrzewski, dean of nursing education for DCN. The nursing teams also delivered medical equipment and supplies to two hospitals in Iquitos, the Hospital Regional and the Hospital Apoyo, to medical clinics in Mazán and in the jungle villages of Orellana and Mangua. Peru has some of the highest incidences and mortality rates of cervical cancer in the world. “Remote Amazonian women are dying from cervical cancer, without adequate screening or diagnosis, placing enormous burdens on their families, their communities and the healthcare system,” said Diana Bowie, president, DB Peru (<a href="http://www.dbperuong.com">http://www.dbperuong.com</a>). DCN students helped collect information on women’s health and cancer for DB Peru’s surveys and conducted rapid HPV tests so that villagers could receive treatment that same day. DCN students Devon Johnson, Erin Kinney, Heather Leck, Christina Nocito, Robin Mohr and Amy Pape were accompanied by DCN faculty member Pam Chandler, adjunct clinical instructor. “This healthcare trip taught us how different living in poverty is in different environments. While the jungles provide food sources, they present the challenges of clean water, access to healthcare and exposure to infection and illness,” said DCN student Heather Leck. “We were fortunate to have six students who were well-prepared and understood our objectives,” Bowie said. “On one particular day, we arrived at a village where a teacher requested an educational session on water purification in Spanish. In front of 150 teenaged students, the DCN team taught their subjects in Spanish and made a difference.”
DCN Students Team with International Medical Relief To Provide Healthcare to Remote Impoverished Province in India

7/6/2015

Seven Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, accompanied by a DCN faculty member, teamed with Denver-based International Medical Relief (IMR) to provide healthcare to over 1,700 people from the impoverished Uttar Pradesh Province in India, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu). “Students went to Anupshahar, one of India’s poorest regions, where poverty, crime and child marriages dominate people’s lives. DCN teams provided community health courses in handwashing, clean water and oral hygiene,” Bankirer said. “The teams served the teachers and students of Pardada Pardadi School and cared for villagers from Dhairy Kader, Malakpur and Pagona.” DCN students Peg Alig, Emily Field, Mike Gnacinski, Nicole Greco, Katie Kahl, Alex Mead and Erin Tousley were accompanied by DCN faculty member Amrita Comer, assistant instructor of nursing. The DCN and IMR teams partnered with local clinics and Pardada Pardadi, a local all-girls school committed to serving impoverished families in the rural Anupshahar region of India. The medical professionals and students provided clinical care and community health education for 1,700 patients. Clinical donations valued at $250,000 included 2,300 prescriptions for the community members of Anupshahar, said Dr. Michelle Sauer-Gehring, vice president of education and development for IMR. “DCN’s team alone donated 10, 50-pound bags of medical supplies. This partnership between IMR and Denver College of Nursing’s team was amazing and together we provided critically needed healthcare,” Sauer-Gehring said. “Global healthcare provides nursing students the best learning environment,” said DCN student Kahl. “In triage, we focused on assessments but also determined when people required immediate medical care, such as infants with temperatures or adults with malaria. In community education, we had to teach people how to hold a toothbrush, how to wash their hands. For hundreds, if not thousands of these people, we were the first-ever medical professionals to physically touch them and care for them.” Since 2000, Pardada Pardadi has been improving the lives of females in rural India. Its mission is to empower community women from the poorest sections of society. The school provides free education for girls and job opportunities for women, to create a new generation of self-reliant and educated females who will break the cycle of poverty (<a href="http://www.education4change.org">http://www.education4change.org</a>). International Medical Relief (IMR) provides medical, dental and surgical care to under-served and vulnerable people around the world through medical mission trips and recruits qualified medical teams of volunteer doctors, dentists and health care professionals to conduct overseas medical clinics in areas where health care is limited or difficult to obtain (<a href="http://www.internationalmedicalrelief.org">http://www.internationalmedicalrelief.org</a>).
Denver College of Nursing students, faculty assist in pediatric open heart surgeries in Honduras

6/17/2015

Students Provide Patient Care, Nutrition Education for Patient Families in Second Healthcare Trip Five Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, accompanied by two faculty members, completed the second DCN Global Health Perspectives healthcare internship in Honduras, supporting The Friends of Barnabas Foundation and its comprehensive pediatric cardiac program, The Little Hearts Project, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president, Denver College of Nursing (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu).
Two Denver College of Nursing student teams provide healthcare in Haiti

6/17/2015

Eight Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students and two faculty members completed healthcare internships in Haiti to provide care at the orphanage founded by NGO Love Takes Root in Jacmel and continue clinical assessments for skin disorders and scabies for the orphans from Espwa, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu).
Denver College of Nursing Names McClintock New Undergraduate Program Chair

6/17/2015

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) has named Megan McClintock as the nursing college’s new undergraduate program chair where she will oversee planning, organizing, directing and evaluating faculty, administrators and student outcomes and performance, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu).
Higher Learning Commission approves Denver College of Nursing for distance education, master of science in nursing programs

6/17/2015

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) has received formal notification from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) that DCN has been approved for distance education courses and programs and that the HLC has approved the nursing college’s request to offer the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu).
X-Games Attendees Receive Breast Cancer Education from Denver College of Nursing, Boarding for Breast Cancer

6/17/2015

Sixteen Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students teamed up with the nonprofit, Boarding for Breast Cancer, in Aspen, CO to provide breast cancer education to thousands of X-Games visitors and discuss the realities of cancer prevention and detection.
Denver College of Nursing students team with International Medical Relief to care for 700 patients in typhoon-ravaged Philippines

6/17/2015

Denver College of Nursing Students Volunteer Over 250 Hours in Healthcare Mission Five Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students, members of the nursing college’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program, accompanied by a DCN faculty member, teamed up for the first time with the nonprofit International Medical Relief (IMR) on the island of Leyte in the Philippines to provide medical services to underserved patients.
Seven Denver College of Nursing students volunteer 25 hours for breast cancer outreach

6/17/2015

Seven Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students teamed up with Boarding for Breast Cancer (b4bc.org) in Vail, CO to provide breast cancer educational outreach to outdoor sports enthusiasts at the Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships. “This is our fourth collaboration with Boarding for Breast Cancer,” said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu). “DCN students have been partnering for the past two years with Boarding for Breast Cancer, which hosts grassroots events with local mountain resorts, using outdoor sports events as a platform to promote healthy, active living. In addition to educating thousands of people about how to live a healthy, active life, DCN students encouraged women to be their own health and wellness advocates.” Participants received coaching on methods of early detection and had an opportunity to identify and learn the difference between lumps, cysts, and carcinomas by feeling life-like artificial breast molds. DCN students helped visitors learn cancer facts and engaged visitors in conversations about breast cancer prevention and best health practices for daily life. The DCN students who devoted 25 hours in the three-day-long educational outreach event also will serve in upcoming international healthcare internships through DCN’s Global Health Perspectives (GHP) program. The DCN students who worked with Boarding for Breast Cancer in Vail included: Jenny Giberson, Shannon Krajewski, Hailey Ledbetter, Hannah Plath, Caitlin Scherr, Nicole Schumacher and Ellis Whalen. Founded in 1996, Boarding for Breast Cancer is a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing education, prevention and support programs for young people and the action sports community at large. “Breast cancer education, early detection and new treatments have extended women’s’ lives by years,” noted Micah Hughes, DCN assistant professor and director of the nursing college’s GHP program. “We are honored to work with Boarding for Breast Cancer. I am proud of the outstanding education and service learning outreach that DCN nursing students conducted in Vail.” According to the American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/survivor-facts-figures), the overall five-year relative survivor rate for female breast cancer patients has improved from 75 percent from 1975 to 1977 to 90 percent for 2003 through 2009. This increase is due largely through improvements in treatment to earlier diagnosis resulting from the widespread use of mammography.
Denver College of Nursing Presents Diversity in Action Award to Wallenberg

6/17/2015

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) has recognized Kelly Wallenberg, assistant director of admissions, with the nursing college’s Diversity in Action Award, designed to reward a faculty or staff member for their new ways of including and addressing diversity in the curricula or on campus, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, president of DCN (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu).
Denver College of Nursing Students Raise $600 to Feed Ronald McDonald House Families

6/17/2015

Denver College of Nursing (DCN) students raised $600 among themselves to prepare and serve three dinners for over 30 families staying at Ronald McDonald House-Denver and Ronald McDonald House-Aurora, said Dr. Marcia Bankirer, DCN president (www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu)
Ecuador June 2019
Denver College of Nursing Presents Global Health Perspectives Uganda 2019 Internship
Denver College of Nursing Presents Global Health Perspectives Cambodia 2019 Internship