Texas County Technical College has taken initiative to lend a helping hand at local events.
The college’s Licensed Practical Nursing students are starting their first semester with several opportunities to be active in the community. LPN students assisted recent health screenings at Houston Schools, helped district nursing homes conduct the Golden Age Games event and assisted at Texas County Memorial Hospital’s employee health fair.
In early September, LPN students were asked to assist the Houston public school nurses with routine health screenings for each student. The physical screenings included height, weight, dental, vision and hearing checks. Some of the LPN students were responsible for carrying out the physical checks, while others were responsible for guiding the elementary and high school students through the process, ensuring that they stopped at every station.
On Oct. 13, LPN students helped out at the Golden Age Games, an event where district nursing homes come together to compete against each other in a spirited, fun-loving contest. Some of the events included cow milking and hog calling. TCTC’s LPN students judged the contests, helped with resident care and provided support in a variety of ways. TCTC’s nursing education staff said it was an experience that would hopefully lend to the LPNs becoming well-rounded healthcare providers by seeing multiple sides to healthcare for the elderly.
On Oct. 28, LPN students assisted with healthcare routines during the TCMH employee health fair. Students checked blood pressure, vision and hearing. Additionally, they administered flu vaccines.
With three community events taking place during their first semester in nursing school, TCTC said its hope is that LPN students will stay involved in the community well after their educational careers are complete. Constant learning is an invaluable part of a healthcare professional’s improvement, and TCTC hopes each student will continually broaden the spectrum of healthcare situations each experiences.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
TCTC is accepting applications for the May 2017 Accelerated LPN to RN program. Applicants must be licensed practical nurses to apply. The admissions staff at TCTC recommends applying as early as possible. Two prerequisite courses, Composition and Introduction to Psychology, and one general education course for the program may be available beginning in January 2017. This allows new nursing students the opportunity to get one of the general courses out of the way so they can lighten the course load for future semesters when the core nursing classes are in progress. To apply, drop by TCTC’s campus or call 417-967-5466.