Galen College of Nursing Chief Executive Officer Mark Vogt Accepts Position on NLN Board of Governors

January 4, 2018 — Louisville, KY — Galen College of Nursing is proud to announce that Chief Executive Officer Mark Vogt has accepted a position on the National League for Nursing Board of Governors, responsible for oversight of the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 40,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members.

The NLN Board of Governors has collective and individual responsibilities for organizational policy setting and monitoring, and to understand stakeholder needs and expectations to protect and advance their interests. Additionally, governors are expected to monitor and assess external environmental factors in which the NLN is operating to maintain and cultivate relevance for its members.

Said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, “Since he became President of Galen College of Nursing in 2004, Mark has been pioneering innovative pathways for entering the nursing profession and ensuring that students receive a positive experience in a contemporary learning environment. Mark will serve the NLN with dedication, excellence, caring, and integrity.

Galen College of Nursing has long demonstrated a commitment to the NLN and its mission in support of excellence in nursing education. Said Vogt, “The development of support and resources in nursing education is imperative to the expansion and advancement of a strong and diverse workforce. I value the opportunity to contribute and I am honored to join such an esteemed group of leaders as we work together in support of what I consider one of this country’s most valuable resources in healthcare.”

About Galen College of Nursing
Founded over 25 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing schools in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education and a mission to expand access to nursing education, the College offers baccalaureate and associate degree education and practical/vocational nursing (PN/VN) programs to over 5,000 students on its campuses in Louisville, Ky., Hazard, Ky., San Antonio, Tx., Tampa Bay, Fla., Cincinnati, Oh., and Online. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galencollege.edu.

About the National League for Nursing
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 40,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members. NLN members represent nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education, and health care organizations and agencies.

Veterans in Nursing

How Military Veteran Mauricio Alvarez found his ideal civilian career path.

After dedicating nearly nine years to military service, Mauricio Alvarez found support, camaraderie, and a great civilian career path at Galen College of Nursing. He talked with us recently about his journey.

“When I was a young boy in Mexico, I always wanted to join the Army, but my father didn’t let me do it. He preferred for me to go to school, so that is what I did. I earned an accounting technician diploma and went to work in a mine as a payroll clerk. Two years later, I emigrated to the United States. After four years of working odd jobs from dishwasher to roofing and construction, I longed for life as a soldier. So I talked to an Army Recruiter.”

The recruiter told Mauricio to earn his GED and become more proficient in English. So he attended San Antonio College, studying English as a second language and taking GED classes. In November 2007, he earned his GED.

“I found out from the second Army Recruiter I talked with that I didn’t need my GED since I already had my high school equivalent from my home country. But after all the processing, tests and immunizations, on January 7, 2007, I was shipped out for basic training. I served for 8 years, 9 months, 23 days and a few hours as a U.S. Army Soldier.”

Mauricio’s military experience was excellent preparation for a career in nursing.

“My first duty station was at Fort Hood, Texas, as a 92A Automated Logistical Supply Specialist. For the next four years, I trained as a combat lifesaver and was part of QRF [Quick Reaction Force]. I liked being part of the medical personnel taking care of soldiers. When my re-enlistment was up, I was offered a change of MOS [Military Occupational Specialty] and was qualified for 91B Combat Medic. I was stationed at Fort Sam Houston for AIT [Advanced Initial Training]. I graduated as a Combat Medic and Emergency Medical Technician. I spent the last five years as a combat medic.

“After my military service ended, and to fulfill my mother’s wishes for me to become a civilian again, I worked at Brooke Army Medical Hospital in San Antonio. I liked taking care of people and felt the satisfaction of making somebody else’s life better by fulfilling their medical needs. I started in a nursing school in Austin, but when my mother passed away, I returned to Mexico for her burial, and spent about six months there. I lost that chance to become a nurse.”

We asked Mauricio what makes veterans ideal candidates to become nurses.

“My skills and experiences as a soldier and combat medic will impact my nursing career by forging the discipline to follow nursing policies and protocols by the book, and by developing a strong desire to find and/or perfect new ways to provide medical care, leadership and management.”

“The clinical training veterans receive and experiences they acquire while serving as combat medics permit us to perform an extensive range of services. For example, we get experience in primary care by working at the troop clinic, experience in emergency and urgent care by having worked at the ER, troop clinic, and field clinic, plus quarterly disaster relief training while in service and public health. As combat medic veterans, we have gone through rigorous training exercises and work evaluation that follows performance measurement based on competency. Many combat medics earn the Expert Field Medical Badge in time of peace and Combat Medical Badge in time of war.”

Here’s what Mauricio said when asked why he chose Galen over other nursing schools.

“I was advised by my VA counselor that Galen had no waiting list like community colleges and universities did. Galen starts classes four times a year, so you can start just about anytime you’re ready. And if you’re just getting out of the military, there’s a time you can start shortly after your dismissal.”

Mauricio credits Galen College of Nursing with helping him transition from military service to a civilian career track. We have no doubt that he has a rewarding future in nursing.

“Galen College of Nursing has helped me personally to become part of something bigger than myself and to have structure, purpose and the will to achieve my goals to become a Registered Nurse and beyond.”

“While in the service, we veterans were part of something bigger than ourselves. It is understandable that when we get out of the service and into the civilian world, some of us feel lost and don’t know what to do next. Galen College of Nursing has helped me personally to become part of something bigger than myself and to have structure, purpose and the will to achieve my goals to become a Registered Nurse and beyond.

“Galen instructors and staff are very helpful. I felt very welcome in this college. I graduated in October 2016 in Vocational Nursing (VN). I know that I will succeed and earn my Associate Degree in Nursing next year. As a nurse, I plan to work for the Veterans Administration Hospital, Brooke Army Medical Hospital, or other major hospital in the city.”

Galen College of Nursing could be the right choice for you, too.

Futuristic Simulation Labs Help Students Prepare for Real-Life Patient Care

Gaining the skills and confidence a nurse needs to work with patients requires a lot of hands-on experience. But you can’t start out practicing complicated procedures on actual patients in distress. So Galen College of Nursing has made a major investment in advanced technology in their simulation labs. These sim labs provide the most realistic way for students to safely practice the medical procedures they will someday perform on actual patients. The labs are now available to students at the Louisville, San Antonio, and Tampa Bay campuses.

Galen students get a head start.

These sim labs give Galen students a jump on hands-on clinical learning. In fact, depending on the program, some students start simulation training as early as the first quarter. That’s much sooner than in most other institutions. The types of procedures practiced in the lab correlate with the subjects the students are learning in class.

These aren’t your mother’s sim labs.

As Patrick Caufield, Simulation Technician at the Louisville campus explained, “With advances in computers, batteries, and wireless technology, what used to be a static, lifeless mannequin now has vital signs like heart rate and blood pressure. It can breathe, blink, sweat, convulse, give birth, bleed, cry and more. Battery and wireless improvements also allow us to untether the mannequin from the bed and place it in a chair, hallway, a car, or even move it around from location to location during a simulation.”

Who are the patients?

Students get to work with infant, child, and adult male and female mannequins, as well as with the equipment a nurse would typically use for the patients care. Galen even has a female mannequin that gives birth in an extremely realistic fashion.

What kinds of procedures do students get to do?

Galen attempts to simulate in the labs just about anything a nurse would face on the job. Students perform patient assessments; insert feeding tubes, breathing tubes and catheters; read heart rhythms; deliver babies, set up IV lines and more. According to Caufield, a typical simulation day is between four and eight hours depending on the complexity of what is being simulated.

The simulations are incredibly realistic.

“We make every effort to make the simulation seem as real as possible,” said Caufield. “Any procedure students need to perform is done just like it is done on a person. In addition to the high-tech simulators, we also apply special effects makeup and appliances when needed. There is no “pretend there is a bruise or wound there.” If there is supposed to be a bruise or wound, then one is put on our simulator to interact with.”

To make things even more life-like, instructors can speak through the mannequin to describe symptoms or react to the students’ care. The conditions of the mannequins can also improve or deteriorate depending on the care they receive.

What happens in the lab stays in the lab.

When asked to describe a few unexpected or surprising things that happened during simulations and how students handled them, Caufield gave a response that will put future students feel at ease. “To preserve the safe, friendly learning environment of our simulations,” he said, “We don’t discuss what happens in simulation outside of simulation.”

Learning by doing.

In the scenarios, students face in these labs, they have the opportunity to learn in a hands-on way, as well as to react and solve problems in real time. Their work in these labs is an essential complement to the knowledge they gain in the classroom. It’s a great way to prepare future nurses and, equally important, to give them the confidence they need to provide excellent care for patients in the real world.

Galen College of Nursing Names Dr. Joan Frey Academic President

March 27, 2017 — Louisville, KY — Galen College of Nursing announced today that Joan Frey, EdD, MSN, BS has accepted the position of Academic President. Since 2008, Dr. Frey served as the Dean of Galen’s Louisville campus, having lead in the role of acting Academic President since May of 2016. As Galen’s Academic President, Dr. Frey will be 100% focused on developing and maintaining the critical resources necessary to continue the advancement of academic quality in support of Galen’s growing role in nursing education.

Dr. Frey brings a wealth of experience in nursing to Galen, from patient care as a staff nurse, unit manager, then Nursing Director, to her tenure in academia with 17 years at Aultman College of Nursing  Joining the college as adjunct faculty, she gradually took on more responsibility, eventually becoming the nursing college Director.  In her role as Director, she was instrumental in transitioning the 114-year old hospital-based education program to an accredited nursing program under the North Central Association and National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. As Dean of the Louisville campus for 9 years, she was instrumental in building not only programmatic quality and growth but a culture of student-centered education which continues to thrive and evolve throughout the college.

Dr. Frey is also highly active in the nation’s largest nursing organization, the National League for Nursing (NLN). Since 1991, she has served in various capacities on committees ranging from public policy to finance, as well as elected positions on the NLN Board of Governors and NLN Excellence Awards Review Panel.

Her dedication to nursing and quality nursing education will be instrumental to guiding Galen’s academic present and future, as the school continues to expand access to quality nursing education and support the healthcare community across the country.

Founded over 25 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing schools in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education, the College offers practical/vocational nursing (PN/VN), associate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs to over 4,000 students on its campuses in Louisville, KY; San Antonio, TX; Tampa Bay, FL; Cincinnati, OH; along with an Online Campus. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.  For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galencollege.edu.

Nursing Careers Just Keep Getting Better

Nursing holds top slots in America’s best jobs.

In the old days, when you heard “nursing can take you anywhere,” the phrase usually described a career as a military or traveling nurse.

And yes, you still can go all over the world as a nurse. But more and more of today’s nurses are changing the world without traveling, or without even working from a clinical setting. Nursing roles have expanded far beyond the clinic, the practice, or even hands-on patient care. Nowadays, a nurse can find himself or herself managing data. Teaching other nurses. Researching global disease states. Or developing public-health policy.

Indeed, I can think of very few career fields with so many paths that can lead in so many directions. Today’s nurses have more opportunities, and more ways to influence health, than ever before. Thanks to expansion, and with it, increasing specialization, nursing today offers a mix of clinical and non-clinical specialties.

In fact, Johnson & Johnson lists no fewer than 104 nursing specialties on its “Discover Nursing” website. 104 specialties – that’s amazing! Imagine the possibilities. Read on, and see what nursing can hold for you!

Impressive salaries are part of the package.

Depending on your specialty, your nursing degree can take you to a pretty healthy salary range, too. The median pay for a nurse anesthetist in 2014 was $154,000. Nurse midwives averaged around $97,000 per year, and nurse practitioners earned around $95,000.

And many of these fields will only expand from here. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects up to 35% growth in the careers mentioned above, as well as a minimum 16% increase in general Licensed Practical/Vocational and RN jobs.

The time is ripe.

It appears that nursing is not only among America’s best careers – it’s also among those for which demand continues to rise. If you’re considering starting, or continuing, your career in nursing, there’s a lot working in your favor.

Galen Celebrates National Nurses Week by Giving Back

May 8, 2015  — Louisville, KY — Every year, National Nurses Week focuses attention on the diverse ways America’s 3.1 million registered nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals. This year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has selected Ethical Practice. Quality Care as the theme for 2015. National Nurses Week 2015 runs May 6 to May 12, which is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of nursing as a modern profession.

During this week, Galen College of Nursing will be hosting a Dare to Care and local family needs the drive to honor Nightingale’s service efforts. Faculty, staff, and nursing students will be honored by receiving free pizza lunches and snack breaks, informative emails, fun fact quizzes, and cupcake treats on Nightingale’s birthday. Additionally, Galen will offer daily drawings for prizes in support of its students with gas cards, restaurant gift cards, Galen wear, and books.

Traditionally, National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses, who comprise the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. Galen College of Nursing is recognizing all nurses and nursing students for their dedication and service.

Editors and reporters: For interview opportunities, please contact Director of Marketing Anna Kitson at 502.410.6215, akitson@galencollege.dev.

About Galen College of Nursing

Founded over 20 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing schools in the United States.  With a focus solely on nursing education, the College offers practical/vocational nursing (PN/VN), associate and online baccalaureate degree nursing programs to over 3,000 students on its campuses in Louisville, Ky., San Antonio, Texas, Tampa Bay, Fla., Cincinnati, Ohio, along with an Online Campus. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate degrees. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galencollege.edu.

Galen College of Nursing Student Helps at Scene of Accident

February 11, 2015–San Antonio, TX — Galen College of Nursing San Antonio student Ramon Selvera jumped to the aid of an injured driver and passenger. Having witnessed a roll-over accident in which the driver was injured, Selvera jumped out of his automobile and immediately performed an assessment of the driver and passenger, then helped to keep him calm until emergency personnel arrived on the scene.

Active duty Air Force RN, 1st Lieutenant Jonathon Gann also witnessed the accident and Selvera’s act and later contacted school officials to identify the person on the scene who at the time only identified himself as a nursing student but was wearing Galen College of Nursing scrubs. The RN wanted to find out who this person was to recognize him for his life-saving actions and honor him with a certificate from his unit.

“I know you all are doing great things preparing your nurses because this student was caring and knew what he was doing,” said Jonathon Gann, RN to Dr. Audria Denker, the school’s Interim Campus President.

“We are so proud of Ramon, his caring assertiveness, quick thinking and ability to be calm and focused in the face of trauma,” said Denker. “It is our responsibility to teach our students to do just that and it is amazing when you see it in action. We can’t wait to honor him at the school. He said he just needed new scrubs, but we plan on doing more than that!”

When asked about the incident, Selvera said, “My instincts and training at Galen kicked in and I did what I have been taught. We were performing physical assessments in clinical, so the information was fresh in my mind.”

Galen College of Nursing has been solely focused on quality nursing education since 1989 and is uniquely positioned to offer students the opportunity to go from New to Nursing, to RN, all the way through BSN, inside one nursing education college.

Editors and reporters: For interview opportunities, please contact Galen College of Nursing Director of Marketing Anna Kitson at 502-494-3460, akitson@galencollege.dev or campus president Audria Denker at 502-544-6601, adenker@galencollege.dev.