School of Nursing Students put nursing skills into practice To walk into the School of Nursing at Harding, one would not think he was in a school at all. The floors are carpeted, the walls are decorated and soft music is piped in. To the visitor, the school appears more like offices in some well-run complex. But there is a lot more there than meets the eye. Dean of the School , Cathleen Smith, says, "We try to create"an informal, open atmosphere - one that is conducive to learning. We strive to maintain a close relationship with our students and want them to feel comfortable while they are here with us during a stressful time ." And that's exactly what the baccalaureate degree entails - a stressful time. Requiring from 136 to 138 semester hours for graduation, the students who go into the program come out of it as young professionals due to the barrage of concentrated training they receive. The first year of the nursing TESTED by Mrs. Nancy Symanowitz.. Rosie Cross carefully prepares a syringe for all injectioll. program is the junior year of college. In addition to the basic nursing classes, the students are exposed to general medical skills in their "clinical experience." They are taught the basics - how to administer injections, give medica tions, bed baths - and they learn how to deal with the patient who is unable to do for himself. The senior year is filled wi th more classes and more clinicals. The clinicals are done twice a week at various hospitals in the area. Some of the facilities used are White County Hospital of Searcy, Central Arkansas General of Searcy, Doctor's Hospital of Little Rock, Baptist Medical Center of Little Rock and Baptist Memorial Hospital of North Little Rock. During the first semester of the senior year, the clinical time is spent in obstetrics . Each student is assigned to one family with an expectant mother. The students conduct home visits during the pregnancy, answering questions, teaching health care for the mother and the baby and making the family feel comfortable throughout the experience.
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