Author Archives: Eddie

The Valley Foundation School of Nursing’s Professors Colleen O’Leary-Kelley, Dr. Tamara McKinnon and Students Conduct Continuing Education Program at Faculty Led Program in Ireland this Past Summer

 

While preparing for a faculty led program in Ireland this past summer, Professor Colleen O’Leary-Kelley and Dr. Tamara McKinnon investigated the process of providing continuing education for nurses.

Last Spring, their contacts at the Nursing Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) instructed the two professors to submit their proposed CE program to the board online at http://www.nmbi.ie/Education/Short-Courses-Online/course-submissions.

SJSU Nursing students provided an interactive presentation about utilizing effective communications skills to nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals at the Markievicz House in Sligo, Ireland, during the Faculty Led Program.

“Within a few weeks we received approval from the NMBI for three category 1 Continuing Education Units for the course. The course was focused on Motivational Interviewing, and was prepared by the 12 senior nursing students as a required project for their FLP/Credit Toward Major summer course, “ says Professor O’Leary-Kelley.

“The students provided an excellent, interactive presentation that was well received by the public health nurses and social workers. The following day students provided a repeat presentation for staff nurses and administration at Sligo Regional Hospital and faculty from St. Angela’s College in Sligo, Ireland.” St. Angela’s College is an affiliate of the National University of Ireland–Galway.

School of Nursing Faculty Led Program 2016 in Ireland.

Department of Kinesiology Has a Major Presence at the WSKW Conference

The Western Society for Kinesiology and Wellness (WSKW) conference in Reno, Nevada next month will have many representatives from CASA’s Department of Kinesiolgy, Shirley Reeke, past department chair and professor is the keynote speaker along with many faculty participating in the program events that include:  Farzaneh Ghiasvand, Jenn Schachner, Stan Butler, Gong Chen, Daniel Bohigian and David Daum. Not to mention that Bethany Shifflett is the coordinator of the conference and president elect.

Air Force ROTC Receives Visit from Staff Assistance Team

 

Air Force ROTC, Detachment 045 recently had a Staff Assistance Visit team from its regional headquarters to provide guidance and advice after reviewing key compliance areas.

According to Lt. Col. Michael Pecher, “the Detachment always welcomes opportunities like this as part of its continuous improvement process and will use insights gained to continue to streamline its robust processes and operations.”

Karly Comfort, SJSU MSW Student Receives MSW Research Award

Karly Comfort

Karly Comfort, SJSU master’s student in social work was one of two students who received the MSW Research Award from the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) for her research entitled, “Thinking Positive, Being Connected, and Staying Active: The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Caregiving, Well-Being, and Self-Care’s Role as a Buffer.”

CalSWEC’s Research & Development Committee, in conjunction with the California Association of Deans and Directors, established the Research Award for MSW Students to encourage and support student research that will contribute to the evidence base for policy and practice for public human services. The research competition is open to all MSW students attending universities in CalSWEC’s consortium.

When Karly was asked why she decided to pursue this particular topic, she stated, “When you think of someone with schizophrenia living at home, what are the first five things that come to mind? Most likely you’d think about the factors that contribute to their safety and how to keep them safe. These factors probably include food, clothing, transportation, medical appointments, and activities of daily living.

In the background, beyond what you think of first, is the support person providing such items, the caregiver who is most likely a family member. That person gives so much of their time, energy, and heart to supporting, caring for, and providing for their loved one. Family caregivers are rarely thought about in the realm of mental health, which is a significant missed opportunity.

In the months leading up to my having to complete a final research project for the MSW program at SJSU, I met a few family caregivers of people with mental illness that provided me with a window into the unique demands and stressors that caregivers face. Therefore, I used my culminating research paper to examine what caregivers need in order to support their well-being.

My project showed that people with mental illness do better when their caregivers do better and have substantial support structures. I examined the well-being of family caregivers of people with severe mental illness and looked at how mental illness stigma and self-care impact their well-being. With the new knowledge and understanding I gained from my research, I am much more able to empathize with their efforts in caring for their loved ones, as well as for themselves.”

Awardees received $250 for the initial proposal and $500 as a winner. Congratulations Karly Comfort.

For more information: MSW Research Award-Winning Projects Delve into Aspects of Mental Health.

Department of Occupational Therapy Receives 10-Year Accreditation from Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

The Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts is pleased to announce that its Occupational Therapy Master’s program has received a 10 year accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

The ACOTE writes, “because the cited areas of noncompliance have been fully resolved within one year of ACOTE’s accreditation action, ACOTE further voted to grant a three-year extension of the accreditation term previously awarded. Therefore, the next on-site evaluation of the occupational therapy master’s program has been moved to the 2025/2026 academic year and the program’s Interim Report due date adjusted to spring 2020. A revised ACOTE Certificate of Accreditation that reflects the extension of the accreditation term will be forwarded to the program director.”

Congratulations to Winifred Schultz-Krohn, Occupational Therapy Department Director and faculty who worked tirelessly on this accreditation effort.