Health and Human Services News

School of Nursing partners with Mercy for “Earn as You Learn” program

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The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need for nurses in hospitals across the country.

To help the shortage locally, Missouri State University’s School of Nursing is piloting a Mercy Hospital Springfield program called “Earn as You Learn.”

“The nursing shortage is currently great,” said Monika Feeney, interim director of the School of Nursing. “The program allows students the opportunity to earn money while completing clinical time and evaluate if they would like to work at Mercy post-graduation. It also allows the hospital to evaluate if they are interested in hiring the student.”

Program details

In the program, nursing students are compensated for clinical hours as Mercy co-workers. They can also work additional hours as an aide or a sitter.

“This program will enable our current nurses to invest in the next generation by showing them the ropes before they graduate from nursing school,” said Chelsea Pliler, clinical student coordinator at Mercy. “Not only will nursing students get real-world experience, they will be earning money they can put toward their education. The experience they will gain from this program will help them confidently transition from student to RN and decrease their orientation time.”

The program pilot begins fall 2021. By spring 2022, nursing students at the senior clinical level will have the opportunity to participate in Earn as You Learn.

“It is a wonderful collaboration that we are very excited about. It is beneficial for the students, the clinical site and the university,” Feeney said.

If successful, Mercy plans to open the program to more nursing schools.

Focus on improving health, not losing weight

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Step by step: it’s a good mantra. It can help you make it through the day to day routine or refocus you on small goals when the challenges seem insurmountable.  

Dr. Sara Powell, assistant professor of kinesiology at Missouri State University, works on goal setting, motivation and the psychology of physical activity.

She has particularly focused on behavior change for individuals who’ve undergone bariatric surgery. 

The weight loss journey is tough, but the psychological hurdles are equally immense. 

What makes weight loss so hard

Powell encourages people to set goals not related to weight loss – goals that instead focus on health improvements. She uses the SMARTER acronym for these goals: specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, timely goals that you can evaluate and revise.  

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What’s in a personality?

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We often hear about personality types and tests, especially in the workplace.  

Many offices use tests like the NEO-PI or the Hexaco to evaluate how employees work and interact with each other.  

But what’s in a personality? Are our personalities permanent? Are they shaped by our experiences? How do we know personality tests are accurate? 

Dr. Amber Abernathy, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Paul Deal, psychology department head, answer these questions and more in the July episode of the “Health Queries” podcast.  

“I’m kind of a nerd when it comes to psychology and personality, and it plays a big role in our everyday lives,” Abernathy said. “It involves everything — how you see the world, how you take in events, how you interact with other people, how you cope — so it’s important to know where you fall on the scale.” 

Listen to the episode

On your mark, get set, marathon

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Many runners find themselves drawn to races and long runs – like marathons. But how do you begin to tackle the intense physical and mental hurdles that come?  

Dr. Sara Powell, assistant professor of kinesiology at Missouri State University, says that the distance is just one of the challenges to crossing the finish line. 

Beginning a training regime for a marathon

In addition to getting fitted for good footwear, Powell provides some tips for training:

  • Find an incremental plan online.
  • Set SMARTER goals.
  • Train in all sorts of conditions.
  • Practice positive self-talk and imagery.

In her time as a runner, Powell remembers one time in particular that challenged her more than any other: it was during the Boston marathon several years ago. It wasn’t her first marathon, or even her first in that prestigious race, but the adverse weather conditions – rain, near freezing temperatures and high winds – were incredibly difficult.

But the self-talk and imagery got her through – even reaching a personal record. 

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