Simulation Helps Prepare Students for Future Patients   

They blink. They breathe. They have seizures. And they even give birth. These are not humans, but rather, they are the interactive mannequins in the Kathryn M. Mershon Advanced Simulation Center at Louisville’s Galen College of Nursing campus. The labs help future nurses practice their clinical judgment and communication skills they will eventually apply to real patients, said Simulation Coordinator Brooke Vaughn.

Galen students work with a variety of mannequins in the simulation center, she said.

“Our adult mannequins are high-fidelity mannequins, which means they’re the most realistic,” Vaughn said. “They have body sounds like lung sounds and heart sounds that you can listen to on both sides of their body. We also have a mannequin affectionately called “Sim Mom” that simulates the birthing process.”

The center also includes “mid-fidelity” pediatric mannequins. “You can still listen to breathing sounds and heart sounds, but unlike the high-fidelity mannequins, the chest doesn’t move,” she said.

As students spend time in simulation, Vaughn and Simulation Faculty Carrie Martin present students with scenarios they might have to face while caring for patients in a hospital.

“We’ve made everything as realistic as possible, but it’s still up to our students to buy-in that it’s real. We encourage them to talk to the mannequin or simulator as if it were a real patient,” Vaughn said. “For example, if they have to administer medication and it takes two minutes for it to work, they’re going to have to stay with that patient for two minutes while it’s not working.”

In addition to these lifelike mechanical patients, the scenarios also include clinical elements such as running IV fluids and monitors with working alarms.

“Sometimes, we visually do things like simulate bodily fluids such as urine or blood,” Vaughn said. “The more real that we can make the environment, the more it helps the student. Usually, after a couple of minutes, they fall right into their role and treat it as a real clinical environment.”

About eight to 10 students and one facilitator are allowed per simulation room.  A scenario usually lasts from 15 to 20 minutes to avoid overwhelming the students. Afterward, Vaughn and Martin debrief students for about 40 minutes. “This is where all of the pieces come together and promote learning for the observers as well allowing students to learn from each other,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn added: “When we think about what we’re going to incorporate into a simulation, from a curriculum standpoint, we take several things into consideration. We look at clinical practice, theory content, testing data, and what’s going on in healthcare. We try to simulate an experience that students will see in the real world.”

Martin, who graduated from Galen in 2016, knows firsthand how students feel when they begin studying procedures in simulation. She completed the PN, LPN to ADN Bridge and Online RN to BSN programs. As an alumna, Martin said she recognizes that scenarios might be a little intimidating to students at first.

“I can understand their anxiety coming into the simulation, so I try to put them at ease,” she said.  “I love watching the moment their light bulbs go on once they understand what they have learned in theory, lab, and clinical, preparing them for the real world.”

Martin, who also works as a nurse at Norton Healthcare, said the scenarios are similar cases that she sees at the hospital. However, the most invaluable lesson the students learn is teamwork.

“Students will find that it’s OK to ask questions and that they’re not alone,” she said. “Nursing is a community, and we all want the same thing, which is what is best for the community we serve.”

Poverty Simulations Help Galen Students Solve Real-World Challenges

Welcome to Realville, USA. Galen College of Nursing San Antonio campus students were transported into the imaginary town with real-world lessons about poverty. College Director of Simulation and Clinical Learning Labs Dr. Renae Schondel, who organizes the four-hour poverty simulations, said the goal is to provide an eye-opening view into patients who lack sufficient resources.

Originally developed by Missouri Community Action Network, the poverty simulations used low-income volunteers to demonstrate the economic and healthcare challenges they face every day. Dr. Schondel learned about the simulations held in San Antonio from a colleague who suggested that she participate in the hands-on program in hopes that she would bring it to Galen. After she played a role in the simulation, she was eager to find a location that was as large as a basketball court to replicate the fictional town.

Since February, she has been organizing the simulation at a food bank. Last month, she switched to a local church where more than 80 students from VN, ADN, and BSN programs immersed themselves into the various poverty scenarios. Students had to learn how to navigate through all of Realville’s difficult situations.

“We had a bank, school, health clinic, quick cash store, homeless shelter, pawnshop, jail, supercenter similar to Walmart and a community action center that helps with rent vouchers and utility bills,” she said. “Some of these places were not always on the up and up. For example, the quick cash business might stiff you or the pawnshop could cheat you out of money, similar to what might happen in reality.”

And, of course, the town needed residents.

Each student was given a packet that contained a synopsis of the role they would play in a family. These descriptions ran the gamut from a single older person to multi-generations that included pregnant teenagers. If the part called for a student to play a person who received Social Security benefits, their “check” was included in the packet. The details had employment status and expenses for a month. Dr. Schondel also provided factual statistics about poverty in the San Antonio area for the participants.

“During the pre-brief, we asked students to look in their packets to find out the gender and age and act accordingly,” she said. “For example, if you’re an elderly person and you have various health conditions, you should act out those symptoms.”

Several faculty and staff members also got in on the act as a social worker or employer. “Well, our Realville employer worked from a no-rehire policy and was very no-nonsense,” she said, laughing.

Dr. Schondel, who has been in nursing for 30 years, plans to hold the simulations every quarter. She wants the poverty simulations to give nursing students an understanding of the sensitive issues their patients might face at an outpatient clinic, including the cost of prescriptions.

“Healthcare providers learn about certain medications from the companies’ representatives. They hear, ‘Well, this is going to take care of the symptoms,’ and then they think, ‘OK and then I’ll prescribe it’ while not realizing that it may cost $1,500 a month, even if it’s covered on the insurance. There’s no way that the patient can afford it,” she explained. “As a result, the patient doesn’t take the medication as prescribed and lands back in the hospital. It’s the nurses who find out from their patients, ‘I didn’t get it filled, because I can’t afford it.’”

Once the simulation was finished, Dr. Schondel gathered the students for a debriefing session where they provided feedback about the scenarios.

BSN student Krystal Edwards said the simulation was beneficial, especially for anyone who has never experienced what it is like to live in poverty. It also helped her learn how to treat patients from a nursing perspective.

“It was fascinating, especially for people who had never lived below the poverty line. As nurses, we can help guide patients to the correct avenues such as how to get food stamps and other important items, so they’re able to still get healthcare,” she said. “The simulation definitely helped me think differently about a plan of care. I look forward to participating in the simulation next quarter.”

Employees, Officials Help Galen College of Nursing Break Ground on New Louisville Campus

August 30, 2019 – Louisville, KY — Galen College of Nursing employees and officials gathered under sunny skies for the College’s groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning. The new 132,000 square-foot campus will be located at Terra Crossing Boulevard, off the Old Henry exit at the Gene Snyder Freeway. As the largest educator of nurses in the south, the new building will include both the Louisville Campus and the College’s national headquarters and will be completed winter of 2020.

Michael Nemes, deputy secretary of the Kentucky Education Workforce and Development Cabinet, was among the officials who praised Galen College for its mission to help students pursue a rewarding career in nursing.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer honored one of the College’s founders Kathy Mershon, who was an attendee at the event and is Galen’s board chairperson. “Kathy is a tremendous role model for so many people, and I just want to say thank you for being such a great citizen of our city.”

Fischer also commended Galen CEO Mark Vogt for his vision and leadership for the College.

“I really appreciate the commitment that you make each and every day to both your students, the profession of healthcare, and to our city,” Fischer said. “I love the energy that you bring to this college and to our city.”

Vogt thanked the partnership with BHDP Architecture, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, for its development of the new building. He also recognized the employees who have played an integral role in the College’s expansion.

“Galen is never about standing still. We are always looking ahead to where we want to go,” he said. “We have assembled the most caring employees that really drive our vision. When we finish our building, we are going to have the most advanced college of nursing, not only in this region, but I believe, in this country.”

Founded 30 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, baccalaureate and master’s degree nursing programs to over 6,000 students on its campuses in Louisville and Hazard, Ky., San Antonio, Texas, Tampa Bay, Florida, Cincinnati, Ohio, along with an Online Campus. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galenstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

Galen 2011 Kathy Mershon Leadership Award Winner is on a Steady Management Track

Galen College of Nursing alumna Theresa Kirk grew up in Norton, Virginia, a small town with a population of 4,000. From the time Kirk was a little girl, she was influenced by her family’s careers in medicine. Her brother is a pharmacist, two cousins are nurses, another cousin is the CEO of a hospital in Michigan, and his sister is a clinical educator for an emergency department in Roanoke, Virginia.

It’s no wonder that Kirk became a licensed practical nurse. In 2006, she moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in search of opportunities to expand her education and career.  Five years later, she graduated from Galen with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) then completed the Online RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in 2015.

One of her highlights was being selected for the Kathy Mershon Leadership Award during graduation in 2011. The award is named for one of the College’s founders, and the recipient is recommended for the award by both students and faculty.

“We were listening to one of the professors read information about the person who was going to win the leadership award, and my classmates turned around and said, ‘It’s you, it’s you, it’s you.’  I said, ‘No, it’s not me! It’s not me!’ When she called my name, I didn’t even hear her,” Kirk recalled, laughing. “I was very humbled to know that my peers had chosen me for that award.”

Kirk said she also was honored to meet and be photographed that night with Mershon.

Today, Kirk is an assistant manager at Medical Center Jewish South in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Jewish South is a freestanding ER system that serves Bullitt and Jefferson counties, as well as the surrounding area. Kirk’s role requires her to wear a lot of hats, she said.

“I still work the floor two nights a week, and I have one day that I’m in the office, handling reports,” she said. “I also manage staff scheduling and onboarding for the department.”

As an assistant manager, Kirk also has been getting involved with the Kentucky Nurses Association (KNA). She was recently appointed to KNA’s Policy and Procedure Committee. While attending a recent meeting, Kirk ran into a familiar face.

“I said to Kathy Mershon, ‘Hey, I won your award!’” she said. “It was really great to talk to her. Her mind is just full of information, and I would encourage any nurse who gets a chance to sit down and talk with her to just listen. She is a true leader.”

Kirk credits her clinical education at Galen for playing an integral part in her career at Jewish South.

“Galen’s program is set toward real-time patient care,” she said. “The simulation labs and interactive mannequins help students learn how to take care of patients from moment to moment.”

Education continues to play a vital role in Kirk’s career as she pursues her master’s degree. She encourages Galen students to remember why they chose nursing as a career and never stop learning.

“We need future nurses to help solve the problems healthcare is currently experiencing. We’re facing one of the greatest shortages of nurses that this country has ever seen, so we need people who can think critically and do the work. It’s one of the hardest things that you’ll probably ever do, but it’s one of the best things that you’ll ever do,” she said. “Nursing used to be a career where you just took care of patients, and that was it. Now, there are so many opportunities, including IT services, forensics, pediatrics, and travel nursing. Students should keep working on their basics, pursue BSN and MSN degrees if they choose, and the world is yours.”

Meet the Online RN to BSN Program Director Nancy Bellucci, Ph.D., MSN-Ed, RN, CNOR

Dr. Nancy Bellucci is a familiar face in a new role as the Program Director of the Online RN to BSN at Galen College of Nursing. She has been a member of Galen’s faculty since November 2016.  Before becoming the Program Director, Dr. Bellucci served as course lead faculty and chair of the Online RN to BSN Program Evaluation Committee. Dr. Bellucci said she will mentor and help nurses “build upon their skills and identify their gifts.” She detailed how the program will enhance nurses’ careers.

Where did you start your career?

I started on the medical-surgical floor in a hospital in southern New Jersey. From there, I became an operating room nurse and then a manager in clinical education, which lead me here as a member of academia.

What attracted you to Galen?

I was referred by someone who retired as an academic administrator, and she suggested that I apply for an adjunct position. I had been working at a number of other online programs at the time. When a full-time position opened, I interviewed for the position and became a full-time member of the faculty of the Online RN to BSN program.

How will students benefit from the Online RN to BSN program?

It serves as an excellent pathway to becoming a professional nurse, by way of all the different courses we offer in the program. It also serves as a great platform for a student to begin thinking about a master’s level education. All of the courses we offer in the Online RN to BSN program serve as the foundational platform for students to think about themselves, not only as a registered nurse, but also how they can impact society by being involved in policy and procedure changes, identifying challenges, and providing solutions that will benefit patients and the workplace. The program is designed to help the students achieve their goals in an ever-changing healthcare setting.

What are some of the responsibilities for your role?

First and foremost, I am a mentor. I think it is important that nurses help each other build upon their skills, identify their gifts, and be able to explore different career paths by way of quality projects. I actively mentor and engage in the socialization of the faculty to the new role, whether they be adjunct or full-time. I also oversee operations such as staffing and quality improvement to help enhance the curriculum. I attend student advisory council sessions and listen to students who provide feedback about the courses. I participate in program evaluation, curriculum and retention committees, and serve in all other capacities that help the program.

Do you have any advice for students entering the Online RN to BSN program?

Students should take their time with the content. They also should look at the courses as an opportunity to expand themselves and their thinking.  Students should make sure to use the resources available in the courses to be successful, and if they find that they are hitting a barrier, they need to verbalize their concern to the instructor. Their instructors can help improve navigation in the courses and help them understand the content. A lot of these concepts are foreign to the practicing nurse because they are thinking about what they need to do at the bedside or what they need to give to their patients. Practicing nurses need the confidence to help expand their thinking beyond the bedside.

Fun facts:
Favorite candy bar:  Snickers, even though I have not had one in a long time.
Favorite sport: I like golf. It is probably the most boring sport you can watch on television. My favorite player is Tiger Woods.
Favorite food: Spaghetti and meatballs
Foods you hate: I hate seafood because my grandfather caught tons of fish. He grew up during the Depression-era, so we always ate what was on the table, and there was a lot of fish on a lot of nights.
Favorite hobby: Playing with my dog. He’s a little guy, a Maltese-Yorkie mix, so he’s a Morkie named Jersey.
Favorite movie: A Dog’s Purpose. It’s the life of a dog re-imagined through many different lifetimes to get back to his original owner. You’ll cry the whole time if you’ve never seen it.

Galen College of Nursing to Create Region’s Largest Nursing Education Facility

August 7, 2019 –Louisville, KY — Galen College of Nursing announced today the construction of a new Louisville Campus at Terra Crossing Boulevard, off the Old Henry exit at the Gene Snyder Freeway. The new campus, which will house both the Louisville Campus and the College’s national administrative headquarters, will be complete winter of 2020.

As the largest educator of nurses in the south, Galen’s vision is to elevate the student experience and inspire students and employees alike. “We will have the area’s largest and most unique education facility dedicated solely to nursing. This new Louisville campus represents our commitment to nursing education and healthcare in our region, as we continue to build a vibrant community of students, educators, and staff, dedicated solely to the cornerstone of patient care – nursing. We have designed an advanced, one-of-a-kind new space to provide our students the tools they need to deliver excellent patient care and outcomes, advance nursing practice, and pursue their professional goals,” said Mark Vogt, CEO Galen College of Nursing.

“We’re thrilled for Galen College of Nursing to expand its national headquarters and remain in Louisville,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “By teaching excellence in compassion and nursing, Galen is leading the way in addressing our nation’s nursing shortage. I look forward to helping break ground on its new state-of-the-art educational campus that will ensure Galen’s success in shaping the best caregivers in the country.”

A strategic design partnership was formed with BHDP Architecture, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, to help create a strong, forward-thinking experience for the College. Said Vogt, “We want the physical space to support the quality and innovation of the education delivered and we couldn’t be more excited about the new space they have created.”

Galen will be moving from its main Zorn Avenue campus, along with a satellite River Road location, to one location of 132,000 square feet on 11 acres of land owned and developed by Jefferson Development Group. Jefferson Development Group will retain ownership and management of the facility and has hired Whittenberg Construction Company and Louisville Paving as its contractors. David Hardy of CBRE was the real estate advisor on the transaction, bringing together Jefferson Development Group and Galen.

The new campus will house interactive learning experience classrooms, clinical learning labs and a simulation hospital where students practice clinical and decision-making skills through varied real-life situational experiences without compromising patient well-being. The heart of the new campus is the collaborative learning spaces for today’s learner. With an emphasis on student support, the new campus will feature a student resource center and library, private and group study rooms, and a variety of study spaces and casual seating, promoting engagement and collaboration, to ensure the success of its diverse student population.

Said Dean Connie Cooper, EdD, RN, CNE, “We are excited to be able to offer this kind of facility not only for our students, but our faculty and staff. They are among the most dedicated with whom I’ve had the honor to work. Our students come first, and the exceptional team we have in place to support them is what makes the difference in helping thousands of nursing students graduate and make a difference in the lives of others. Our new campus and the people in it will have a supportive synergy that will benefit our students, and the learning taking place, on a daily basis.”

The work is a culmination of years of strategic planning and behind the scenes support to make this exciting project come to life. “Our coordinated approach to economic and community development has once again allowed Louisville to retain a corporate headquarters and secure new development for our city,” said Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, chief of Louisville Forward. “We appreciate the commitment that the executive team of Galen has shown to continue to grow in our community. This new strategic location will be a perfect fit for providing education for nursing students and ties into the expansion and growth of medical centers along the Northeast parts of our city.”

Now in its 30th year, Galen’s Louisville campus graduates over 700 nursing students a year with a 96% licensure pass rate. Said Vogt, “Galen’s mission is centered around expanding access to quality nursing education and helping to change lives by providing opportunity and opening doors. These doors will be opened wide.”

About Galen College of Nursing

Founded 30 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, baccalaureate and master degree nursing programs to over 6,000 students on its campuses in Louisville and Hazard, 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 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galenstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

Community Liaison Nancy Maebius Continues to Make a Lasting Impression on Galen Students

As the author of several textbooks and namesake of the resource center, Community Liaison and Education Consultant Nancy Maebius’ name stands out at the San Antonio campus of Galen College of Nursing.

Maebius, Ph.D., MSN, BSN, RN, has served as a consultant, educator and faculty member at Galen for 28 years and has written several textbooks and guides for Galen’s VN program.

Her tireless service to Galen and passion for vocational nursing (VN) led to the naming of San Antonio’s campus student resource center in Maebius’ honor in 2012. Among the speakers at the dedication ceremony was former Mayor Julian Castro, who is now a 2020 presidential candidate.

The visionary leader continues to leave a mark in an industry that is close to her heart: nursing.

Maebius, whose father was a physician, grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, the oldest of three children. Her parents encouraged them to pursue the career of their choice, so with an interest in science and psychology, she decided to pursue nursing education.

In 1963, Maebius graduated with a BSN from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked at the National Institutes of Health.  Two years later, she married her husband, who studied law at George Washington University. The couple moved to Austin, Texas, in 1966 for graduate school where she attended the University of Texas in Austin’s inaugural Master of Science in Nursing program.  She was also one of four founding faculty members in 1969 at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing in San Antonio and served on the faculty for nine years.

In 1985, Maebius began working in staff development for Humana Women’s Hospital. Six years later, she was recruited by Humana to help create the school’s curriculum and teach in the Humana Health Institutes’ VN program. The Institute’s name was later changed to Galen College of Nursing.

When she first began teaching in the VN program, Maebius used RN textbooks as there weren’t any nursing textbooks for VN students. As a result, she co-authored one of the first medical-surgical textbooks and co-authored the second and third editions.  She also co-authored the first two editions of one of the first Anatomy and Physiology textbooks for the program’s students.

For more than a decade, Maebius has taught Anatomy and Physiology and pharmacology in the VN program to over 1,100 students.

“I enjoyed working with a diverse group of students ranging in age from 20 to 61, many of whom were first-generation college students,” she said.  “The role of LVNs has expanded over the past 30 years, and many of our VN program graduates have continued their education, earning ADN, BSN, and MSN degrees.”

Maebius, who completed her doctoral work in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin in 1990, said teaching at Galen was an excellent opportunity to apply her research in the VN program.

“Reflecting on my years at Galen,” she said, “I have watched the school grow from one class of 30 VN students per year to our current enrollment of over 1,700 VN, ADN, and BSN students, while retaining excellence in the quality of the curriculum, faculty, and staff, and administrative leadership.”

Maebius added, “There has been a continued shortage of nurses, and I appreciate Galen’s single-purpose focus of nursing education that supports the critical need for nurses. I look forward to seeing what the next years will bring for Galen.”

Galen College of Nursing Announces Nancy Bellucci as Program Director of Online RN to BSN Program

 JULY 30, 2019 – Louisville, KY  — Galen College of Nursing is excited to announce that Dr. Nancy Bellucci Ph.D., MSN-Ed, RN, CNOR has been appointed the Program Director for the Online RN to BSN Nursing program.

Dr. Bellucci has been a member of Galen’s faculty since November 2016.  Before becoming program director, Bellucci served as course lead faculty and chair of the RN to BSN Program Evaluation Committee.

“Nancy is an innovative leader and passionate advocate for higher education,” said Dean of Online RN to BSN Kathy Burlingame EdD, MSN. “Nancy brings a wealth of experience and talent in curriculum development and nursing research. She embraces Galen’s commitment to excellence in nursing education. We are thrilled to have her leadership in our Online RN to BSN program.”

Prior to arriving at Galen, Dr. Bellucci served as adjunct faculty at Grand Canyon University. She has also published articles about the healthcare environment, interprofessional education, and higher education.  Most recently, her article “Doctoral Persistence and Balancing Competing Roles: Learn Strategies for Completing your Doctorate” was published in American Nurse Today.  She is a peer reviewer for the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and has presented at Sigma Theta Tau and the National League for Nursing.

Dr. Bellucci’s educational background includes an ASN degree from the Atlantic Cape Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Education from Thomas Edison State College, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from Capella University. Dr. Bellucci is certified as a perioperative nurse (CNOR).

Founded 30 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 5,000 students on its campuses in Louisville and Hazard, 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 associate and baccalaureate degrees. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galenstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

Galen College of Nursing Expands Footprint at Appalachian Regional Healthcare Campus

July 22, 2019 – Hazard, KY – As part of their commitment to nursing education and the future of healthcare, Galen College of Nursing announces the expansion of its Hazard campus at the ARH System Center in Hazard, Kentucky. These exciting renovations will almost double the size of the campus today.

Over 10,000 square feet will be added to provide advanced simulation labs, a second clinical learning lab, and a student resource center with a variety of inviting seating and study rooms, ideal for students to spend time working and studying.

“This expansion not only reinforces our commitment to increasing educational opportunities and supporting healthcare in this region, but to supporting learning outcomes and student success,” said Audria Denker, RN, DNP, EVP Prelicensure Nursing Education at Galen.  “We are building our academic and clinical learning environments to foster our students’ connectivity and academic success.”

In 2017, Galen College and ARH joined together to offer additional nursing education in support of both the local nursing workforce and the need for nurses throughout Eastern Kentucky. Renovations are set to be completed by the fall of 2019.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the expansion,” said Joe Grossman, President, and CEO of ARH. “Galen’s nursing program is supporting the critical need for nurses in this region, and we are excited for the potential to grow, and to support the additional investment and commitment to this community.”

Galen College CEO Mark Vogt added: “The relationship with ARH has been extremely beneficial for our students. These improvements are emblematic of our mission to provide a culture of academic excellence for our students and expand access to quality nursing education.”

Founded 30 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, baccalaureate and master’s degree nursing programs to over 6,000 students on its campuses in Louisville and Hazard, Ky., San Antonio, Texas, Tampa Bay, Florida, Cincinnati, Ohio, along with an Online Campus. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galenstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

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Galen Graduate Johnathan Pritchard: Nurses are Everyday Superheroes

As a little boy, Johnathan Pritchard, MBA, MSN, RN loved superheroes. He always felt it was heroic to save someone’s life.

“I thought I wanted to be a police officer or a firefighter, and as I got older, I realized that nursing was a pretty incredible profession,” he said. “I felt if I really wanted to be a superhero, nurses are everyday superheroes.”

Pritchard heard an ad on the radio about Galen College of Nursing and decided to pursue his career goals. He enrolled in Galen and completed both the PN and ADN programs.

“My classmates and professors were incredible,” he said. “I enjoyed working with them, and it was a great experience.”

After he graduated from Galen in 2016, he landed a staff nurse position at The Kidz Club. The Kidz Club provides skilled nursing care to children who are medically complex and unable to attend a regular childcare facility.

“There are always moments when you’re practicing as a nurse, and medical situations don’t always go as planned. But the skills I was able to learn from Galen helped me during those situations,” he said. “I’ve always felt very prepared for what I might see and what I would have to do in order to ensure that my patients achieved an optimal level of health.”

Pritchard continues to advance in his career by leaps and bounds at The Kidz Club. While there, he eventually became a charge nurse and then promoted to Director of Nursing at one of the facilities in Louisville. Today, Pritchard is the Director of Nursing Operations, and he oversees the daily operations at seven facilities, which include six in Kentucky and one in Florida. He has been working with the company for six years.

“There’s a lot of case management that goes into what we do, and so we build a plan of treatment for these kids that’s signed off by their primary care doctor,” Pritchard said. “It’s much different than a hospital where a patient comes in, we treat them, and we send them on their way. Instead, these children are with us, so we really get to know them and their families. We really feel like we have an opportunity to help impact that child’s life as well as help these families.”

Pritchard is grateful that he has been able to apply his educational background to his career. He has been able to accomplish some of his superhero goals of making a difference in a little person’s life.

“Galen really built the foundation of nursing for me and allowed me to go on to do other things with my degree. Nursing is a wonderful profession, and I think that’s why some people get into it,” he said. “Nursing has its stressful moments, but Galen has prepared me for those types of situations that you’ll run into. It really has enhanced my career.”