A Salute to Nurses

THE COURIERPAGE 2 www.wcfcourier.com

WO-052211017

BY KAREN HEINSELMAN

[email protected]

WATERLOO — A year or so into her nursing job at Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Teresa Hippen got called to help out in the inten-sive care unit. She must have done something right.

The next day, Hippen, at Allen since 1995, received an invita-tion to apply for an open posi-tion in the intensive care unit.

“I’ve loved it ever since,” added Hippen, 45, a registered nurse.

Nursing in general is a demanding, fast-paced profes-sion with high stakes. The job description alone — maintaining and improving the health and life of human beings — demands as much.

Critical care nurses care for the sickest patients in the hospital, said registered nurse Denice Jackson, manager of the intensive care unit at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, part of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa.

These nurses also see a variety of cases and, because things can go south rather quickly, are often asked to make important deci-sions regarding their patients. All this amps up the intensity. According to several nurses assigned to intensive care units in Cedar Valley hospitals, they

wouldn’t want it any other way.“I love it and it’s a perfect fi t

for me,” Hippen said.Kayln Boge-Kleiss, 24, of Fred-

ericksburg, has worked in inten-sive care at Allen Hospital for the past two years. Second-shift nurses like Boge-Kleiss see a lot of admissions and transfers and staff turnover, and managing all this is part of the job.

Because patients in her unit are very sick, seriously injured or recovering from a major sur-gical procedures, the nurse-to-patient ratio remains relatively low.

“Yeah, I like how you can really focus on your two patients. ... Your focus is just on them and as an ICU nurse, we do every-thing,” Boge-Kleiss said. “Like everything.”

Critical thinking is a must in this fi eld, she added. Intensive care nurses work with a whole team of people, including physi-cians and specialists, but may also be responsible for tasks such as ordering labs and X-rays.

“I think we have a lot of auton-omy,” Boge-Kleiss said.

Which may come as a surprise to the public, she agreed. Yes, nurses do the “little things,” like brushing a patient’s teeth and giving back rubs — all very important to quality care, Boge-Kleiss stressed. But intensive care nurses also may be your saving grace if your heart stops, she added.

“We just handle so much insta-bility and chaos, and we have to learn to handle it well and just stay calm,” Boge-Kleiss said.It’s versatile, ever-changing work. Intensive care nurses treat trauma cases from the emer-gency room, patients recover-ing from open-heart surgery, cases of drug overdose, cancer patients and the list goes on.

“They pretty much specialize in about everything,” Jackson said.

Even after 40 years in nurs-ing — 16 years in intensive care — Sandy Wright Jacobson learns something new every day. A registered nurse at Covenant, Jacobson stays in her profes-sion because she enjoys the very essence of the work: caring for

people. She also knows her value as a teacher to younger nurses.

Not only do Jacobson and other critical care nurses tend

to physical needs, they assist patients and families with the emotions that come with facing tough life- and health-threat-ening situations. Some families struggle to make sense of medi-cal terminology. Others must make important decisions as their loved one reaches the end of life.

When Jacobson sees mouths hang open in confusion, she knows it’s time to jump in.

“I’m kind of like the liaison between the physician and the families, helping them under-stand what is going on and why it’s going to happen,” Jacobson said.

Even though dealing with sickness and death is a reality of the job, nurses say they aren’t immune from feeling stress and sadness and often rely on one another to get through the day.

“You give and you give and you give, and some days you are on your feet for 13 hours a day and you haven’t sat,” Hippen said.

But the knowledge of making a positive diff erence, no mat-ter the outcome, keeps Hippen coming back. ◆

Nurses on the front line of health care profession

On the CoverRegistered nurses Joy Hershey and Zachariah David tend to patient Denny Cox as he recovers from surgery in the intensive care unit at Allen Hospital.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Allen Hospital intensive care nurse Joy Hershey changes an intravenous bag for patient Denny Cox.

SALUTE TO NURSES SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011

THE COURIER PAGE 3www.wcfcourier.com

Waterloo | Grundy Center | Independence Waverly | Hospice Home

800.617.1972 | cvhospice.org

Thank you for Making Each Moment Matter.

Cedar Valley Hospice is proud of our team of trained nurses

and aides who are dedicated to providing compassionate care

at the end of life.

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WATERLOO — Six Allen Health System nurses have been named to the list of 100 Great Iowa Nurs-es for 2011 and were recognized at the seventh annual 100 Great Iowa Nurses Celebration in Des Moines.

Three of the nurses are Allen College faculty, two are Allen Hos-pital nurses and one is a Grundy County Memorial Hospital nurse.

The three Allen College faculty nurses are assistant professor Jac-queline Leutzinger, associate pro-fessor Anna Wehling-Weepie and professor, dean for the School of Nursing and ROTC coordinator Kendra Williams-Perez. The two Allen Hospital nurses recognized are intensive care nurse manager Lisa Franzen and care coordina-tion director Milda Mullesch. The Grundy County Memorial Hos-pital nurse named to the list is long-term care director Cathleen Hopkins.

“We’re pleased to have six nurs-es named to the list this year,” said John Knox, president and CEO of Allen Health System. “We are very proud of them and all our nurses. Our nurses carry out Allen’s mis-sion to improve the health care of the people and communities we serve. We have an exceptionally talented nursing staff , both at the bedside, caring for patients and in the classroom teaching the next generation.”

The University of Iowa College of Nursing, the Iowa Nurses Asso-ciation’s Iowa Nurses Foundation and the Iowa Hospital Association organize the 100 Great Iowa Nurs-es celebration. Nurses selected for this honor represent many sectors of health care including hospi-tals, long-term care facilities and school and offi ce nurses.

Nurses named to the list must hold a current Iowa registered nurse license and have practiced

nursing for a minimum of three years. Nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges, and selec-tions are based on the signifi cance

of each nominee’s contribution to the profession of nursing.

Allen has had a total of 28 nurs-es named Great Iowa Nurses in

the seven years of the program. To see a list of all 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2005-2011, visit www.greatnurses.org. ◆

COURTESY PHOTO

Allen Health System nurses named to the list of 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2011 are, from left, Milda Mullesch, Anna Wehling-Weepie, Cathleen Hopkins, Jacqueline Leutzinger, Lisa Franzen and Kendra Williams-Perez.

Six Allen Health System nurses named to top 100 listSALUTE TO NURSESSUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011


Iowa Hospice Appreciates Its Nurses

Congratulations to the Iowa Hospice Nurses in the Water-loo office on their dedication to providing comfort during end-of-life care. Thank you for your service.

Jay Keller ● Samantha Junker Kathi Eggleston ● Yvonne Warner Jaime Seehase ● Janice Torrey Brooke Gritzner ● Sarah Bruner

Peggy Warschkow ● Lori Paulson, ARNP

Happy Nurses Week!

1-800-HOSPICE (467-7423) WO-052211036

Providing great care takes a team of dedicated professionals. Within this team are nurses who guide and set an example for the others. Every year Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare recognizes a handful of these nurses with an Iowa Whea-ton Outstanding Nurse award. These nurses practice excellence every day and have demonstrated a commitment to quality care, professional development and the nursing profession.

For Jake Eggers, operating room nurse at Sartori Hospital, waiting for the patient to come in is not in his routine. Jake commonly steps outside the OR to introduce him-self to the next patient. This helps comfort the family while their loved one is in surgery.

Nothing will stop Jenni Etring-er from fi nding a way to help the unique cases she sees in special care rehabilitation at Covenant Medical Center. Recently, patients were researching non-traditional methods for their condition. Jenni took the time to listen to their ideas, facilitated physician orders and helped them carry out the treatment.

Amy Gherke is one nurse who

gets away with having her head in the clouds. The Aircare nurse put together a weight loss program for her emergency services col-leagues, which built camaraderie among the team and helped boost morale.

In Covenant Clinic Cardiology, nurses like Tammy Hamilton work to get to the heart of the matter. She will commonly make calls to patients after normal hours and address any further concerns they have, holding patient concerns

close to her own heart. Top nurses want the best out-

come for the patient, event if it’s not their own. Denise Hare of Covenant Clinic Kimball once worked through a billing issue with a patient over the phone only to

fi nd out the bill was from another medical facility.

Nurses are skilled in many aspects of health care. Anita John-son wears many hats, including ambulatory surgery nurse, Policy and Procedure Committee mem-ber and clinical educator for surgi-cal services. She shares her knowl-edge and experiences with other nurses and even gives an occa-sional fl ower to brighten their day.

Nurses are with patients dur-ing all stages of life, from birth to death. The staff at Mercy Hospi-tal in Oelwein gives each patient a quilt in their fi nal days to comfort them.

Nurse Nancy Lyons is known as the quilt lady and has made numerous quilts on her own time and dollar.

Help really is just a phone call away with Covenant’s Nurse on Call. Sharon Wilson is one of those nurses on the other end, answering all sorts of questions from medi-cation instructions to follow-up care. She’s also active in the com-munity volunteering for numer-ous organizations.

Thank you nurses, for all that you do. ◆

Wheaton nurses receive IWON awards

COURTESY PHOTO

From left to right (front) are Amy Gehrke, Jenni Etringer, Anita Johnson. Back row, from left, are Tammy Hamilton, Nancy Lyons, Jake Eggers and Denise Hare (not pictured: Sharon Wilson).

SALUTE TO NURSES

Hospice nurses care for patients and families at the end of life. Death is something that is an expected part of their day. However, in our culture even those who care for very sick people often are not comfort-able with death.

When Iowa Hospice Director of Education and registered nurse Brooke Gritzner began her hospice career she never thought it would become her passion. It intrigued her, but to some extent she, too, was uncomfortable.

“As with any nursing career, the more I learned, the better hos-pice nurse I became,” she said. “Patients and families taught me

and have given me much more than I have given them over the last 14 years. Not just in skills but about life.”

Today, Gritzner is known around the state as an expert in pain and symptom management. She over-sees internal and external educa-tion programs at Iowa Hospice.

“This job is a dream job for me. It takes my passion for hospice care and education, combines them and allows me to help others in the fi eld bring peace and dignity to those at end of life,” she said.

End-of-life care is usually breezed over in the nursing cur-riculum, so when nurses enter the health care arena they often are left to guess what to do to help patients feel more comfortable and fami-lies cope with the situation. Iowa Hospice has taken on the chal-

lenge to change this. Internally, Gritzner has created a superb ori-entation and ongoing education for the Iowa Hospice nursing staff . She also heads up a team of edu-cators who are out in health care communities teaching non-hos-pice nurses how to become more comfortable with those at the end of life.

“Knowledge is power,” Gritzner said. “Not just with the nurses but also with patients and families. When a patient is at end of life, there aren’t a lot of technical skills that are treating their conditions anymore. Dying is a new experi-ence for patients. They don’t know what to expect. I teach people to educate, educate, educate. When patients and families know what to expect, it alleviates their fear and brings about peace.’’ ◆

Iowa Hospice bringing peace to the dying

Brooke Gritzner

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011


( 3 19) 268-0401 : : www.NewAldaya.org

7511 University Avenue : : Cedar Falls, IA

Thanks to Our Nurses, You’ll Live Better at NewAldaya

NewAldaya Lifescapes offers a complete continuum of care—independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and extended care. It’s a new way to look at retirement living in the Cedar Valley, and we couldn’t do it without our trusted team of dedicated nurses.

Celebrating National Nurses Week,

May 6-12, 2011

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Ask a random doctor or nurse why they got into health care and many will say it’s because of a lifelong dream. Maybe it was the role models they looked up to as a kid or the books they read that steered them down the path to patient care. Regardless, many are living out their childhood aspirations behind a surgical mask, at a rural clinic or in front of a laboratory microscope.

But for many others health care is a second or third career.

Jeff Buck, an orthopedic nurse team leader at Covenant Medi-cal Center, never thought he’d find himself standing over patients in an operating room at 53. He fi rst took up sheet metal work at a young age. After high school, he completed a four-year sheet metal apprenticeship and received a sheet metal journey-man card. A back injury forced him to explore alternative careers and he soon found a future in health care as a registered nurse.

“I never had plans to be a nurse,”

Buck said. “I went into the health care fi eld for the job security.”

Brandon Nelson of rural Rein-beck had childhood dreams of being a carpenter. Now, Nelson helps repair patients instead of homes. He chose nursing while he was attending college and selling tools at a local auto parts

store. He now applies his passion for mechanics in the operating room at Covenant Medical Cen-ter. He says in health care, the opportunities are endless.

“There are so many branches of career paths in medicine that everyone’s bound to fi nd their niche,” he said. ◆

Some came to health care jobs later in life

COURTESY PHOTO

Jeff Buck, left, and Brandon Nelson, switched to the health care industry after years in other trades.

SALUTE TO NURSES

NewAldaya is proud to employ more than 50 highly professional licensed nurses including LPNs and RNs.

The nurses are responsible to provide highly skilled services such as medication administration and monitoring, physical assessments, wound care, intravenous medica-tion and fl uid administration, and direct care staff supervision.

Beyond these responsibilities come the passion and care for the people they serve. These services come from the heart and are the very reason why they are proud to have such amazing people at the heart of their Christian Caring mission.

The staff has experienced many

changes this year and tackled them all with grace and wisdom. Most recently, The Cedar Falls Lutheran Home transitioned to a new name.

As the board of directors, along with ME&V Advertising and Con-sulting, reviewed brand and mar-keting strategies, they found it was confusing to people.

Many people thought they had to be Lutheran to live at the Lutheran Home. They also didn’t under-stand the entire continuum of ser-vices, or “Lifescapes,” off ered.

The board of directors deter-mined that a change was necessary for the future of the organization.

After more than 14 months of discussion, prayer and careful

decision making, NewAldaya Lif-escapes “You’ll Live Better” was the winner.

The nursing staff from all areas of the campus proves that “You’ll Live Better” no matter which “Lif-escape” you’re in.

As transitions continue on cam-pus, nurses also work to match staff gifts with areas of care best suited for patients, residents and tenants.

For example, in Bryhl Assisted Living, tenants’ care needs and services are assessed and delegat-ed by registered nurses specially educated to direct the needs of tenants.

Nurses are trusted to care at NewAldaya Lifescapes

See NEWALDAYA, page 6



The outlook on the future of nursing is bright, and is in clear view at Waverly Health Center through its Nursing Excellence Initiative.

The initiative focuses on orga-nizational plan-ning and pro-vides guidance to ensure that WHC nurses provide high quality, patient-centered care.

Evidence of the program’s suc-cess is displayed

through the extraordinary care provided by nursing staff mem-bers every day.

The initiative propelled medi-cal-surgical nurse Andrea Anhalt to win the 2011 Waverly Health Center Excellence in Nursing Award.

Anhalt has worked in the medical-surgical department for more than fi ve years. One of her nominators described her as a great example of nursing excellence and a role model for others.

As a bedside nurse, she gives compassionate care and focus-es on what is best for each of her patients.

According to the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, there are four key points to the future success of nursing in the U.S.

Through the Nursing Excel-

lence Initiative’s work toward making WHC a Magnet Recog-nized hospital, these key points are being addressed:

Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. Some 21 WHC nurses have been trained and serve as preceptors to support the orientation and transition of new nursing staff .

Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. In 2010, 85 hours of nursing continuing education were off ered on-site at WHC, 22.3 percent of nurses were certifi ed in their specialty

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and 13 nurses were enrolled in formal education programs. WHC benefi ts and policies sup-port professional development of nurses.

Nurses should be full part-ners, with physicians and other health care professionals, in redesigning health care. WHC nurses participate on shared decision-making councils that have an impact on the care and services provided. These multi-disciplinary councils assess needs within the hospital and make improvements to ensure safe, high quality, patient-cen-tered care.

Eff ective workforce planning and policy making require better

■

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data collection and information infrastructure. At WHC, nurses participate in important policy decisions. Nursing staff also take part in the development of a “Meaningful Use” project, which ensures electronic health information is used, exchanged and submitted in a way that

best improves quality of health care.

Thanks to the forward think-ing eff orts of the Nursing Excel-lence Initiative and the dedi-cated health care team at WHC, the hospital continues to pro-vide top-notch health care now and will do so in the future. ◆

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This allows individuals to remain as independent as possible.

In a large community like NewAldaya, round-the-clock nursing care is imperative.

There are nurses on staff 24/7 to provide extended care services.

A family member recently said: “We wanted to express our most heartfelt thanks for

the love and care given to Mom during the 3 ½ years this was her home.

“She often referred to her room there as ‘home’ and to the chapel as ‘my church.’”

As life transitions occur, the palliative care off ered at NewAl-daya is provided to promote comfort and family involve-ment for the resident (and their family) transitioning at the end of life.

The skilled nursing care area nurses provide services to people whose goal is to return

home. These patients typically expe-

rience a short-term stay after a surgery or hospitalization. NewAldaya has a great team of nurses and rehab therapists to support the patients as they work to reach their goal.

One patient recently wrote to the director of nursing, “You’re the leader, but it was wonderful being cared for by all the super awesome staff out on the fl oor. The nurses, the LPNs and the aides just did a magnifi cent job of taking care of me.” ◆

NEWALDAYAFrom page 5

SALUTE TO NURSES

Waverly Health Center nurses work toward the future

Andrea Anhalt


THE COURIER PAGE 7www.wcfcourier.com SALUTE TO NURSES

During high school in the mid-1980s, registered nurse Diana Hughbanks signed up for a co-op program at Western Home Com-munities. She realized her future held a career in nursing, but never did she expect that to be with one employer.

“This was my fi rst job,” she mar-vels, although she is not alone in her longevity: nearly 40 nursing employees have been with West-ern Home Communities for more than 10 years, and 10 of them have logged 20-plus years.

Hughbanks started as a certi-fi ed nurse aide, then worked as a licensed practical nurse and regis-tered nurse before being promoted to nurse management. In fact, she now supervises the CNA who fi rst trained her.

“It’s been fun to watch her growth,” Dorothy Boll refl ects with a smile. “She’s come a thou-sand miles since then.”

So, too, has the organization itself. When Dorothy started her nursing career in 1982, Western Home Communities consisted of one building at Eleventh and Grove streets. Now that building off ers assisted living services, fl anked by a nursing center and WHC’s fi rst retirement community for inde-pendent seniors. An entire sec-ond campus has been developed

on S. Main Street, most of it since 2001, with four retirement com-munities, nearly 120 villas and townhomes for active lifestyles, and Windhaven Assisted Living, where an additional 35 apartments opened last fall, bringing the total there to 83.

Their career paths took both Boll and Hughbanks to Martin Health Center, then in 2006 to the newly-built Thalman Square Memory Support inside Windhaven. Working with dementia patients had become close to Hughbanks’ heart by that point, and she was named director of health services.

The design of Thalman Square allows 32 residents with various types of dementia to live in small-er, home-like surroundings that feature a central town square and daily activities and socials.

“This is where my passion is and where I can be the most produc-tive,” she explains. Several nurses who had worked together in skilled nursing transitioned to Thalman Square together.

“We had worked together well, and if we’re not cohesive then residents aren’t getting the best quality care,” Hughbanks says. “We’ve built that kind of culture with nurses who’ve started here

Nurse longevity benefi ts residents of Western Home

Windhaven Assisted Living resident Mary Ellen Dreier enjoys a visit with Sharon Lukes, RN, BSN, director of health services.

Courtesy Photos

This group from the nursing staff has put in a collective 240 years of service at Western Home Communities. First row, from left: Julie Thompson, LPN; Dorothy Boll, resident assistant; Carla Nash, RA; Sherry Peters, LPN; Kate Leopard, LPN. Back row: Barb Hughes, LPN; Valerie Cornish, RA; Diana Hughbanks, RN; Sharon Lukes, RN, BSN; Emillee Cunningham, RA; Ann Lynch, RA; Deb Card, RN.

See LONGEVITY, page 8



A non-profit service organization since 1912

www.WesternHomeCommunities.org

266-57645500 S. Main

277-2141420 E. 11th

Thanks to allour nurses.

Resident Mary Ellen Dreier with Sharon Lukes, RN,Director of Health Services at Windhaven Assisted Living

Your care goes above and beyond. You are the best of the best!

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Nurses evaluate whole patient to prevent fracturesNurses have always taken the

lead in evaluating the whole patient. Today that is even more

important. Doctors, nurse

p r a c t i t i o n e r s and physicians assistants are under pressure to evaluate the main complaints with a focused work-up. The bigger picture of the whole patient gets lost if nurses do not screen the

patient fi rst.Nurses evaluate the age,

height, weight, smoking status, history of falls and fractures, current medications, medical history and nutritional status. This is the basic screening for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the underlying cause of hun-dreds of thousands of deaths and nursing home admissions

annually. What are the risk factors for

osteoporosis? When should you suggest further screening?

Is the patient shorter than they were in high school? Are they no longer standing as straight as they once did? A half inch of shortening gives a 50 percent chance of unno-ticed vertebral compression fractures. Suggest a DXA with vertebral fracture assessment. Finding a previously unknown vertebral fracture reveals a fi ve-fold increase in fracture risk independent of DXA t-score or BMD.

Age is a big deal. A woman at age 80 with a t-score of -1.3 is just as much at risk for a frac-ture as a woman at 50 with a t-score of -3.1. Fracture risk is what matters to the patient, not t-score.

Smokers are at increased risk for osteoporosis and hip frac-ture. Family history of a par-

ent who broke a hip is the only other thing that risky.

Prednisone and inhalers for asthma also increase risk for osteoporosis and fracture. Duration of use is a multiplying factor.

A body mass index of less than 20 is a surprisingly serious risk factor for osteoporosis and fracture. You can be too thin. Previous fractures of all sorts are also predictors of future fractures.

Nearly all Iowans need to take vitamin D. Suggest a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test to be sure. A passing score is about 35 and we aim for between 40 and 80.

Calcium citrate is needed by those patients not getting 1200- to 1500-milligram cal-cium in the diet. Patients with heartburn, GERD, colon issues, taking any form of antacids or refl ux medicines, taking cal-cium between meals, consti-

pated, or just older than 50, should take calcium citrate, not calcium carbonate.

Nurses, do the right thing by screening your patients for osteoporosis and fracture risk. You already have the infor-mation. Patients with the risk factors listed above should be

evaluated. Any woman over 50 or post-menopausal, or man over 70 automatically qualifi es for screening.

Prevent fractures before they happen. Learn more at www.BoneDocBlog.com or call Dixie at 233-BONE (2663). Dixie is my nurse; she knows a lot! ◆

SALUTE TO NURSES

Jay Ginther, M.D.

is director of Cedar Valley Bone Health

since we opened. Our team is like a family.”

Many long-time nurses agree, no matter where they work inside Western Home Communities.

“When the CEO comes to see you when you’re in the hospital, that says a lot,” said Carla Nash, a resident assis-tant at Windhaven Assisted Living and 21-year employee. “Every family crisis I’ve ever had, they’ve been there for me.”

If it’s not their bosses and co-workers making it a good place to work and build a career, it’s defi nitely the resi-dents they spend time with daily.

“I love what I do,” Nash says. “You learn a lot from them, and you get a lot of hugs.” ◆

LONGEVITYFrom page 7

Study fi nds staying up latecan be hazardous to waist

McClatchy News Service

Staying up late at night can lead to an additional 2 pounds a month weight gain, research-ers reported. The study showed that people who go to bed late eat more food, have worse diets and are more likely to have a higher body mass index.

Many studies over the last 10 years have pointed to the need for people to sleep when they’re supposed to (at night) and to sleep for the needed amount of time — about eight hours for adults. Keeping a healthy sleep schedule allows the body’s circa-dian rhythms to stay in sync and keeps a range of metabolic and physiological systems running smoothly.

The new study adds to the sleep-weight connection.

Northwestern University scien-tists examined 52 adults on their sleep and dietary patterns. More than half of the participants were normal sleepers — meaning that the midpoint of sleep occurred at or before 5:30 a.m. Late sleep-ers (44 percent of the sample) got less sleep and went to sleep later.

Late sleepers consumed more calories at dinner and after 8 p.m., ate more fast food, drank more high-calorie soft drinks and had lower fruit and vegetable consumption. Overall, late sleep-ers consumed 248 more calories per day than normal sleepers. The late sleepers tended to eat less in the morning, then steeply increased their caloric intake in the afternoon and evening.

The study was published online in the journal Obesity. ◆



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HEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENTHEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENTInvites applications for faculty positions for our

Practical Nursing program The University is searching for highly motivated individuals, who identify student success and learning as top priorities, whileusing innovative teaching strategies. BSN required, MSN strongly preferred .

Interested applicants should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and three references with contact information to:

KAPLAN UNIVERSITY IN CEDAR FALLS

EOE.

KAPLAN UNIVERSITYAttn: Faculty Search

7009 Nordic Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

e-mai l to [email protected]

-052

2110

26

WO-052211027

Nurse Practitioners, RNs, LPNs, Medical AssistantsSend resume to:Human Resource DepartmentP.O. Box 2758Waterloo, Iowa 50704319.235-5390FAX 319/287.9249

We specialize in you.

The Cedar Falls Lutheran Home is now

NURSESEvery Other Weekend 6:30 PM - 7 AM RN

Casual/PRN -LPN/RN positions available

7511 University Avenue, Cedar Falls, IA 50613www.newaldaya.org

You’ll Live Better

WO

-052

2110

28

Apply in person at:

E.O.E

The tools and resources you need to fi nd the health care jobs you want. In the places you want them.

Resume Tips | Career Assessment Career Advice | Post Your Resume

Find everything you need at WCFCourier.com

SALUTE TO NURSES

Cedar Valley Hospice nurses and aides offer compassionThe compassionate and car-

ing nursing professionals at Cedar Valley Hospice say shar-ing incredible experiences with patients and families is a privi-lege of their work.

“Providing comfort for patients and families makes you want to get up and go to work every day,” said Betty Hackett, Cedar Valley Hospice Home director. “What we give is very little compared to what we get back.”

Hackett is one of the organiza-tion’s 20 nationally board certi-fi ed hospice and palliative care nurses who have devoted their careers to end-of-life care.

Last year at Cedar Valley Hos-pice, 59 hospice nurses and 22 hospice aides cared for 1,020 patients and their families. They provided compassion, friend-ship and dignity at a time when they were needed most. The knowledge and extensive educa-tion required for hospice nursing is highly evident as they accom-pany people on one of life’s most challenging journeys — the end of life. Cedar Valley Hos-pice nurses are registered nurses who receive additional train-ing in end-of-life issues. Care is supplemented by a team of professionals, including hospice aides who are certifi ed nursing assistants, many of whom are board certifi ed in hospice and palliative care.

Cedar Valley Hospice nurses and aides are part of an interdis-ciplinary team including physi-cians, social workers, chaplains, grief counselors and trained volunteers. Together, they pro-vide expert medical care, pain management and emotional support tailored specifically to the patient’s wishes. Care is provided to meet the needs of terminally ill patients and griev-ing families wherever they call home — this could be their own residence, an assisted-living facility, nursing home, hospi-tal or the Cedar Valley Hospice Home.

The nurses are specially trained in pain and symptom control techniques that help

alleviate the suff ering often associated with a life-limiting illness. Cedar Valley Hospice nurses make regularly scheduled visits, provide patient and fam-ily education and skilled patient care, and are available on a 24-hour per day, on-call basis for emergencies.

The nursing staff of Cedar Val-ley Hospice has more than 545 years of experience in the orga-nization, and the majority have received their National Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse desig-nation including Maureen Apel, Karen Arends, Joselyn Beck-strom, Elisabeth Brock, Ange-la Broell, Debra Card, Becky Corbin, Rebecca Cummings, Allison Delegardelle, Laura Edler, John Fox, Betty Hackett, Jennifer Hoelscher, Laura Kazda,

Susan Morgensen, Krista Mul-der, Jennifer Schneider, Cindi Stone, Stacy Weinke and Sheryl Wilshusen.

Hospice aides at Cedar Valley Hospice who have earned the designation of Certifi ed Hospice Nursing Assistants are Gayla Billington, Jamie Cole, Riann Fuelling, Jamie Knowles, Aman-da McMurrin, Melissa Moran, Judy Mulder, Fran Richmond and Debra West.

Cedar Valley Hospice is a not-for-profi t organization serving Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Grundy, Tama, parts of Benton, Chickasaw, Delaware, Fayette, Floyd, Hardin, Linn, and Marshall counties. For more information, contact Cedar Val-ley Hospice at 272-2002 or visit www.cvhospice.org. ◆

Courtesy Photo

Registered nurse Lynette Winstead and Lori Bantz, hospice aide, are an important part of the care team at the Cedar Valley Hospice Home.



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Trisha ArnoldKarie BensonJoan BlanchardDustin BozwellDenise BrittJennifer BruceMaxine BuhrJulie BurgartDixie BurkBarbara BurkleDiane CastlePat CayaChelsea CheeneyKandis CiesielskiJon ClintonBrenda CooperScott DoyleDeAnn EilersLexie FodorLaura FooteSue FrostJulie Gleason

Melissa GroeneveldKari HaisletAshley HallGale HennagerBarbara HershbergerJennifer HowellAmy JohnstoneJacqueline JorgensenCarolyn JunkTara KaiserRenee KeningerShawna KuehlAllyson LandphairJennifer LaubePaul LovellNiki MaasKathleen MangrichAlison McFaddenKelli MeskimenLisa MoellerLindsay MostekKem Mulder

Melanie NeffMary PattersonAnna Liza PerssonLisa PhillipsKaren PlumAmanda RidderErin RobertsDiane RogersElizabeth RogersJeanne RothamelAbbie SchraderCrystal SchraderCarrie ShepardJulie StarbeckBridget StarkBethany TraskNatasha VogelMelissa WalztoniBecky WestKatrina WillemsSara Yoder

CVMS 2011 Nursing Staff

www.cedarvalleymedical.com

Merri BurgartMelissa GitchCourtney KannegieterMandi KoenenErica MartensRoberta MeyerVanessa MirandaCari O’BrienAmy OhlJudy OwenKelly RourkeKristina White

CVMS Medical Assistants

SALUTE TO NURSES

Effects of photos that stigmatize overweight people studied


When news outlets use nega-tive images of overweight people — sloppily dressed, eating junk food — to go with stories about overeating, they actually con-tribute to the problem of obe-sity, according to a new study from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Researchers at the Rudd Center studied fi ve major online news websites and the images that went with their stories about weight and dieting. Almost three-quarters of the images of

overweight people portrayed the subjects in a “negative, stigma-tizing manner.”

The study is published in this month’s issue of Journal of Health Communication.

The researchers classified “negative” or “stigmatizing” as photos that show the sub-jects poorly or unprofessionally dressed or eating unhealthful food, as well as photos that cut the subjects’ heads out of the

frame or depict only their abdo-mens or lower bodies.

While these stories often focus on the problem of obesity or are informing the audience how to lose weight, the researchers say the photos that accompany them actually exacerbate the problem.

“What we’ve observed in other experimental research is that when people are exposed to neg-ative images of overweight or

obese people, they’re more like-ly to express prejudice toward overweight people,” said co-author Rebecca Puhl, director of research and weight stigma initiatives.

And when people with weight problems face this kind of prej-udice, she said, it lowers their sense of self-worth and that can cause them to eat more.

“When they’re stigmatized by their weight, they’re more likely to engage in unhealthy eating,” she said. “Stigma is a form of stress and a common coping method is eating food.”

Anonymity is frequently the reason given for showing sub-jects with their heads cut out of the photos, but Puhl doesn’t buy it.

“Why do the photos have to be so degrading?” she said, adding that the people in these photos

are often shown drinking soda, wearing clothing that’s too tight or revealing bare midriff s. “If they want to simply depict peo-ple who are obese, they can do so in a positive or neutral way. It’s an added layer of trying to showcase these people in dehu-manizing and degrading ways.”

To counteract these images, the Rudd Center has developed a collection of photos that depict overweight and obese people more positively. The photos, with subjects neatly dressed and often in professional settings, are available for all news outlets to use for no charge.

“When we see negative imag-es in media outlets, we often will contact them and explain to them why it’s damaging and we’ll suggest the alternative photos that we’ve got,” Puhl said. ◆

“What we’ve observed in other experimental research is that when people are exposed to negative images of overweight or obese people, they’re more likely to express prejudice toward overweight people.”

Rebecca Puhldirector of research and weight stigma initiatives.

Study suggests degrading images can cause obese people to eat more .

■



Thank you to our nurses and associates for

their dedication to Wheaton Franciscan

Healthcare and the patients that they care

for during their time of greatest need.

Covenant Clinic

Covenant Medical Center

Mercy Hospital

Sartori Memorial Hospital

www.WheatonIowa.org/employment

Your Compassion Makes You Great!assion Makession Makek

WO-052211011

SALUTE TO NURSES

Hyperactivity disorder not just a childhood problem

SUNDAY, MAY 22 2011


FORT WORTH, Texas — As a boy, Mike Garza struggled in school. He missed graduating with his high school class because he failed Spanish. Three times he fl unked out of college.

“All through school, I couldn’t stay focused,” he said. “I always wondered what was wrong with me.”

At 62, Garza fi nally learned why it took days for him to complete a project that others fi nished in hours. Attention-defi cit hyper-activity disorder had stalked him his entire life.

Now 70, Garza is among an estimated 11 million people in the U.S. with ADHD, a neurobiologi-cal condition that causes poor attention, restlessness, impulsiv-ity and procrastination.

The biggest misconceptions about ADHD in adults are that it doesn’t exist and that chil-dren outgrow it, said Dr. Aash-ish Parikh, a psychiatrist with the ADHD Clinic of North Texas in Arlington. But about 50 percent of people continue to have symp-toms into adulthood.

The disorder affects about 4 percent of adults in the U.S., but only about 11 percent of them receive treatment, accord-ing to Children and Adults With Attention Defi cit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

“There is a population out there that is isolated and needs some support,” said Kari Dossett, co-founder of CHADD in Texas. “We know ADHD tends to be misunderstood.”

Whereas children with ADHD may be more hyperactive, adults are more restless, Parikh said. They may have diffi culty mul-titasking and sitting still dur-ing a meeting, or they may make impulsive decisions that others question. Adults tend to have frequent job changes and failed relationships, Dossett said. Low frustration tolerance, boredom, time-management problems and procrastination are common.

“At home, they may forget to pay the light bill,” Dossett said. “In relationships, they may not be able to read social cues, so they end up blurting out things or interrupting people.”

Garza, who’s in his fi fth mar-riage, knows the diffi culties well. “I heard thousands of times that I was not trying or I was just lazy,” he said.

He developed coping strate-gies, relied on organizers and channeled his hyperactivity into sports. Although he bounced from one college to another and tried diff erent jobs, he eventually earned a doctorate in psychology in 1976 from East Texas State Uni-versity. Soon afterward he found success as a college professor, but it was not without challenges.

“When I started teaching, sometimes I would show up on the wrong day and wonder where were my students?’’ he said.

Just as challenging as living with ADHD is getting diagnosed in the fi rst place. There’s no blood test to prove that someone has ADHD, Dossett said. Rather, the diagnosis is based on the client’s history, standardized behavior rating scales and observation. The disorder is diffi cult to diagnose in adults because it can mimic other problems, Parikh said.

“Oftentimes a parent fi nds out they have it when their child is diagnosed,” Dossett said.

Garza fi nally got help after he asked his physician for medica-tion to help him focus. Adderall, a commonly prescribed stimulant, changed his life.

“It was the diff erence between night and day,” he said.

Stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin work for about 75 to 80 percent of adults, experts say.

“One of the best reasons to treat ADHD is really self-esteem,” Parikh said. “If your whole life you have been told negative things about yourself, it’s going to have an eff ect. Treating ADHD doesn’t just improve concentra-tion, it helps them feel good about themselves.” ◆

This year, we have six more.Every year, nurses across the state select and honor 100 Great Iowa Nurses. This year, six more Allen nurses made the list.

They include (l-r) Milda Mullesch, Anna Wehling-Weepie, Cathleen Hopkins, Jacqueline Leutzinger, Lisa Franzen and Kendra Williams-Perez. Twenty-eight Allen Health System nurses have been named Great Iowa Nurses since the program began in 2005. We’re pleased to have so many winners, but we’re really not surprised. Great nursing runs deep at Allen.

Our nurses have been caring for the Cedar Valley since 1925. Year after year, Allen has great nurses. Year after year, you get great care.

allenhospital.org

Year after year,Allen has great nurses.

WO-052211016

Documents

A Salute to Nurses