Answering the call. Adults going back to college Pharmacy Technology Lab Opens

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1 FALL 08 R o b e r t M o rr i s C o l l e g e Sch o o l o f N u r s i n g a n d H e a l t h S t u d i e s Answering the call T he number of jobs in the health care industry is growing every year. As the population of the United States grows older, so do the needs increase for individuals dealing with the complex health issues that accompany aging. Additionally, years of research and advances in science have enabled the medical profession to successfully treat more conditions that were once considered fatal or life threatening. New drugs treat old diseases; new and better surgical procedures repair organs or systems, literally giving individuals a new lease on life. As a result, more doctors, nurses, surgical technologists, medical assistants, physical therapists, and technicians of every sort are in demand at medical institutions across the country. As with all its programs, Robert Morris College continually studies changes in employment needs in the medical field. Starting with medical assistants, RMC has expanded to include programs in Surgical Technology, Fitness and Exercise, Pharmacy Technology and Nursing. There will always be a need for qualified medical assistants, and over the years, our program has kept pace with the changes in technology, explained Dr. Janet H. Davis, dean of the RMC School of Nursing and Health Studies. Students not only graduate with a solid preparation to sit for the medical assisting certification exam, she continued, but with a good foundation in computerized medical records, billing procedures, appointment management and insurance processing. CONTINUED INSIDE > Our students will have their rotations at top medical institutions it is all part of the RMC mission of preparing students for the work world. Dr. Janet H. Davis, dean of the RMC School of Nursing and Health Studies Focused curriculum. Accelerated programs. Instructors who mentor. Rotations at leading hospitals. Accredited degrees and certifications. IN THIS ISSUE Adults going back to college Pharmacy Technology Lab Opens

2 The following hospitals have formed affiliations with Robert Morris College in the nursing and surgical technology programs: Northwestern Memorial Hospital Children s Memorial Hospital Holy Cross Hospital Provena Mercy Medical Center Rush Medical Center advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Mt. Sinai Hospital CONTINUED from cover > Nursing statistics: RNs constitute the largest health care occupation with 2.5 million jobs. about 59% of jobs are in hospitals. RNs are projected to generate about 587,000 new jobs over the period, one of the largest numbers of all occupations; overall job opportunities are expected to be excellent, but may vary by employment setting. But the recent crisis in the nursing profession is what Dean Davis found as an immediate need that must be answered. Anyone who has been in the hospital in the past ten years will readily acknowledge that a relationship with a nurse is a true lifeline not only for patients, but their families. Knowing how important that role is, and knowing that the need for additional, qualified nurses was growing each day, was the impetus for establishing the Nursing Program at RMC. Starting such a program doesn t happen overnight. It took several years of work on the part of the RMC Board, administrators and faculty members to see the process through to opening day for the first class of student nurses. Not only do we have a strong relationship with the state agencies that oversee the program, but also the hospitals with which we have formed partnerships. Our students will have their rotations at top medical institutions it is all part of the RMC mission of preparing students for the work world. As a result, Robert Morris College has a waiting list for the nursing program. The academic requirements are strict, but we have been fortunate to have a good number of qualified candidates, continued Dean Davis. To accommodate the growing number of nursing applicants, RMC is increasing the number of students in the third year class. It s a clear indication of the RMC commitment to provide more students with a quality education and preparation for their chosen careers.

3 Pharmacy technology lab opens at Chicago campus The new learning laboratory for students in the Pharmacy Technology program opened this summer, and the students are making full use of the set up, which provides the latest technological equipment for a program of this type. Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the preparation for such a position in hospital or retail pharmacies, grocery stores or mass retailers, merges the knowledge of pharmacology with the computerization of medical and insurance records. With new drugs coming out almost on a daily basis, more people are being treated and many for multiple conditions. Interactions between drugs, insurance coverage and appropriate pricing are just a few of the components pharmacy technicians must understand to succeed in the field. Technicians who work in retail or mail order pharmacies have varying responsibilities depending on state rules and regulations, the Bureau explained. They prepare prescribed medication, keep supplies ordered and stocked, label bottles with instructions and warnings and refer patient questions and concerns to the pharmacist. Nursing homes and hospitals also employ pharmacy technicians to deliver meds to patients and track medication in the patient s file. As with all healthcare positions, strong patient/ customer and communication skills are essential in this position. A unique aspect of the RMC Pharmacy Technology program is that it provides a solid foundation for students who want to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Working in the pharmaceutical field offers much opportunity for business majors, in addition to science and engineering professionals. The Bureau reports that at the top of the managerial group are executives who make policy decisions concerning matters of finance, marketing and research. Sales representatives, (wholesale and manufacturing), describe their company s products to physicians, pharmacists, dentists and health service administrators. These workers serve as lines of communication between their companies and clients. This is a continually expanding field from the business perspective as well as the science and research perspective, said Dean Janet H. Davis. A student with a business degree who has a working knowledge of pharmacy technology will be a much preferred candidate to a pharmaceutical company, she continued. Our program puts graduates a step ahead of the learning curve in this industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for pharmacy technicians is expected to increase much faster than average through 2016 and the job opportunities are expected to be good, for both full and part time positions.

4 FACULTY PROFILE: The Changing World of Dr. J Dr. Jay Shahed For nearly 13 years, Dr. Jay Shahed has been teaching in the RMC School of Nursing and Health Studies. A well-known figure in the medical assisting program, Dr. J, as he is called, feels he has truly found his calling as an educator in the health care field. Born in Jerusalem, his family moved to Chicago when he was fifteen. After college and medical school, he worked in occupational medicine, a practice he still maintains. But once he experienced teaching, he knew he didn t want to go back to a hospital setting. He discovered a passion for teaching, and specifically, teaching at RMC. Since RMC s health studies program has expanded over the past five years, Dr. J has continued to teach in the medical assisting program but has also taken a pivotal role in the formation of the Pharmacy Technology program. Today, he is teaching classes in the Pharm Tech program and observes Surgical Tech students during their operating room rotations at area hospitals. Dr. J approaches teaching with an enthusiasm that particularly focuses on students who may find the coursework initially difficult. I look for the students who are unsure, who sit in the back and I tell them, This quarter, you and I are best friends. There are certain expectations they have to meet with regard to attitude, dedication, appearance in addition to what they learn from teachers or books. Some of them are a challenge but they are the ones who really need me, the ones who want me to help them change and meet those expectations. It s this passion for teaching that garnered Dr. J the Teacher of the Year Award in 2005 and an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006 as a result of his efforts in the certificate review course for medical assistants. Change is also the constant in just about everything Dr. J. does. You have to look at the big picture, not the small pictures, he continued. RMC s health studies programs continue to change, to evolve because that is what the world needs. Today, when I talk to a pharmacy tech student, I don t expect him or her to end their education with an associate s degree. The whole program is a springboard to go on for a bachelor s and then an MBA. Can you imagine what kind of edge an RMC Pharmacy Tech graduate with an MBA can have for a job in the pharmaceutical field? Dr. J doesn t just encourage students with words, he teaches by example. Last year, he completed his own MBA at Robert Morris. It is a lot like learning all you can about the programs and certification requirements we expect our students to learn. When you put yourself in the students shoes, you become a better teacher. I want them to finish with an MBA, and now that I have completed mine, I can speak to them from a position of experience. Besides, he continued, I love change. Life becomes boring if you only stick with one thing.

5 Adults going back to college? You still have time. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently ran a story about a man named Russell Kearney, a 53-year-old bread truck driver in North Carolina who decided to give up on the racks of Wonder Bread and find a different career to last him through to retirement. By the time he reached 57, he had returned to his community college, completed a program in Surgical Technology, and now works in the operating rooms as a certified surgical technologist in his hometown. Spending ten or even five years at a job that provides a welcome change of pace, a good income, some potential for working past 65 and a pension plan is a very attractive option for baby boomers who are looking at retirement and are thinking, Not yet! The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2014, 41 percent of people 55 and up will still be working, and, according to the article, the former bread truck driver, Mr. Kearney says, I see older people who could work rings around younger people. Just because you got a few years on you, you can do it. Robert Morris College has a history of serving not only freshmen who matriculate right out of high school, but also the non-traditional student who may have delayed college because of other obligations or someone who is interested in changing careers. The programs in nursing, surgical technology or exercise and fitness are perfect examples of providing options for students who are looking for something different but don t want to spend four years getting a degree. The accelerated programs enable students to complete an associate degree in eighteen months or a bachelor s degree in two and a half years, explained Mablene Krueger, provost at RMC. There is also the option of attending graduate school for furthering one s career through a Master of Business Administration or a Master in Information Systems. The phrase, you re never too old to learn is particularly true for people who are looking at their careers and are thinking, there must be something more, but do I have time? You absolutely do! continued Ms. Krueger. I look at it as a new but unwritten chapter in anyone s life who is ready for a change. For additional information on programs at Robert Morris College, call 800-RMC-5960 to speak with an admissions counselor or check out the website at

6 401 S. State Street Chicago, Illinois RMC Editor: Nancy S. Donohoe, Meet Dr. Davis Janet Haggerty Davis, dean of the RMC School of Nursing and Health Studies, gets a lot of good-natured ribbing from her colleagues about the number of initials after her name. With four different degrees under her belt, there really isn t much left for Dr. Davis to pursue in academia. But her desire to learn is a trait she obviously inherited from her parents Bill and Lorraine Haggerty. I am very fortunate that they valued education for their children, she explains. Both of my sisters have graduate degrees and our parents strongly supported those goals. Originally from Virginia, Dr. Davis and Dan, her husband of 30 years, live in Chicago with their two daughters. Once she earned her bachelor s in nursing from Georgetown, she continued until she completed an MS in Nursing, an MBA and ultimately a PhD from Loyola University in Chicago. She is also a registered nurse. I ve wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little girl, she continued. But I decided early on that I wanted to teach. However, teaching was just the beginning. One of her professional goals was to be integrally involved in establishing a school of nursing. And Robert Morris College gave me the opportunity to do just that. Prior to coming to RMC, Dr. Davis was the director of Academic Affairs/Programs and the Director of the Center for Learning Excellence at the University of Illinois College of Nursing and the Academic Dean at Concordia University/West Suburban College of Nursing. Upon arriving at Robert Morris, she served as associate dean in the School of Business Administration. Since becoming dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the division has grown to five majors at seven campuses. We have enjoyed phenomenal growth over the past few years and I attribute much of that success to the faculty and their eagerness to excel, she said. In addition to procuring educational research grants totaling over $180,000, Dr. Davis has authored over 50 published works and is a contributor to health care journals. Presently, I am working with the faculty on a Preceptor Handbook to be used in medical assisting programs. It s a project I m really excited about because I have always wanted to write a book. The talented faculty on my team are making this happen. I ve wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little girl. But I decided early on that I wanted to teach. Janet H. Davis, RN, MBA, PhD Dr. Davis has been recognized as a Distinguished Member of Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Phi Chapter, a Sigma Theta Tau Distinguished Writer, and has received the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing Outstanding Teacher award. She is a CAAHEP program evaluator and a Higher Learning Peer Consultant. I am really lucky to work at Robert Morris. I have a true passion for academic administration my intent is to bring out the very best in each of my faculty members and students, and to open up a world of possibilities for them. Welcome to Scope! Scope is the new periodic newsletter for students, alumni and friends of the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Robert Morris College. We hope to keep you informed of current events and new programs and provide you with information you can share with friends and family members who may be interested in a career in the health care field. Let us know what you think. We re open to suggestions and input, and encourage you to learn more about opportunities for changing or advancing your career with a degree from Robert Morris College. Yours for a healthy future, Janet H. Davis, RN, MBA, PhD Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies