Nursing & Health Sciences Articles

For the second consecutive year, Pennsylvania College of Technology physician assistant graduates have bested the national first-attempt pass rate for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. Ninety-four percent of Penn College’s Class of 2023 graduates – who completed their degrees in August – passed the exam on their first attempt, while 100% of the 2022 graduating class passed on their first try. The nationwide first-attempt pass rate for both years is 92%.

Students in Penn College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter recently convened to prepare 144 plush monkey toys for children experiencing scary or difficult situations. The monkeys are provided by Aly’s Monkey Movement, a local nonprofit started by the then 10-year-old daughter of nursing student Kristy L. Creasy, who introduced the project to PTK members and provided instruction.

Penn College physical therapist assistant students visited The Williamsport Home, where they provided two 30-minute activity sessions for residents in the home’s independent living apartments. Each year, students select a community organization or event they would like to work with as part of a yearlong service-learning project. This year, the Class of 2024 voted to provide exercise and wellness sessions to older adults in area long-term care facilities.

Pennsylvania College of Technology student Jennifer C. Rebmann, of Danville, was recently presented a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students. Rebmann was among eight students nominated for the award during the Fall 2023 semester.

Jordyn G. Nichols, a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing, was featured in a Jan. 6 Williamsport Sun-Gazette story for the care she provided to a patient’s pup. When Chad Losell learned the arrangements he’d made for his dachshund to be cared for while he had heart surgery had fallen through, he considered postponing the life-saving procedure. “It obviously was causing tremendous stress on him, and I just wanted to take care of that completely,” Nichols told the Sun-Gazette’s Pat Crossley.

On their last clinical day at Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville, students in Penn College's LPN to RN program shared the spirit of giving with pediatric patients and their families, gifting them with new toys, books and activities for the holiday season.

Soon-to-graduate Bachelor of Science in nursing students recently presented research that integrated their final three courses: Adult Health Nursing III, Leadership & Management in Nursing, and Research & Theory in Clinical Practice.

A $50,000 gift from the Dr. and Mrs. Arthur William Phillips Charitable Trust has helped Pennsylvania College of Technology purchase laboratory equipment for students in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. A portion of the funding went toward a pediatric “phantom” for radiography students and the remainder aided in the purchase of a Super TORY S220 advanced newborn patient simulator for nursing students.

Kelly T. Bidlespacher, director of nursing, bachelor and graduate degrees, at Pennsylvania College of Technology, completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice in educational leadership from Grand Canyon University in November. Bidlespacher’s studies culminated in an evidence-based direct practice improvement project that she titled “The Effect of Teach-Back on Readmission Rates in Rehabilitation Patients.”

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s dental hygiene program provided free oral care to 22 children and teens during a Sealant Saturday event on Nov. 4. “The future of our community’s oral health looks brighter, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our students and volunteers offering free dental services to children in need,” said Tiana L. Minnick, instructor of dental hygiene, who spearheaded the event. “It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved.”