Health and Human Services News

Stellar staff 

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We are pleased to recognize academic advisors/retention specialists Emma Watkins and Julie Jones.  

Watkins advises undergraduate students with majors within the departments of biomedical sciences, kinesiology and public health and sports medicine, while Jones advises majors in the School of Nursing and the School of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences. 

Let’s find out more about them. 

What is your favorite part about working here?    

Watkins: Being surrounded by an incredible team at MCHHS, the students, and, of course, being able to enjoy the bear sauce in the dining halls once more. 

Jones: The MCHHS advising team is my favorite part of working at MSU and a close second would be our student body.  This team has been incredibly supportive and a joy to work with.  I love the cohesiveness of my co-workers, as well as the camaraderie they have on a personal level. 

What brought you to Missouri State? 

Watkins: As an alumna, I deeply valued MCHHS for providing me guidance during my undergraduate years. In addition to the supportive community and opportunities for personal development, I felt a strong urge to give back. I hope to provide current students with the same level of support I received. 

Jones: MSU has a strong community presence and I’ve had many family members who are alumni. I’ve worked in higher education for over a dozen years and academic advising has been something I’ve always been interested in pursuing. I always thought it was parallel to my other experiences. When this position opened, I was excited to learn more about it. 

Where are you from? 

Watkins: I’m from Dittmer, Missouri (about an hour south of St. Louis). 

Jones: I’m originally from Stockton, Missouri. I lived in Kansas City for about three years, but otherwise I’m an Ozarks native. I lived in Nixa for 23 years and I’m an avid Nixa Eagles fan! 

How long have you been at Missouri State? 

Watkins: I’ve been at Missouri State for two months as of Sept. 5.  

Jones: I’ve been here for two months too. 

What are you most looking forward to this school year? 

Watkins: Building connections with students and being an active member of the community. 

Jones: I’m excited to keep learning nuances of the programs I advise and getting to know my students.  I’m eager to have one year of MSU experience under my belt so I can be more comfortable knowing what to expect and have a broader knowledge of the college.  

What is your favorite memory here so far? 

Watkins: Welcoming residence hall students to campus and handing out goodies during House Calls. 

Jones: Briefly participating in SOAR. I primarily observed the other advisors, but I enjoyed watching the enthusiasm of the incoming freshmen.  I hope to have many more “favorite memories” in the coming years! 

Learn more about MCHHS

New leadership in nursing

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Key role changes have occurred in the School of Nursing. Namely, Dr. Kathryn Patterson is now the school’s director and Alison Alaimo has taken on the role of undergraduate program coordinator. 

School of Nursing director 

Patterson is passionate about the nursing profession, as she’s been a nurse for 40 years and “has never regretted a day.” 

This motivation is what led her to apply for the position of director. 

Kathryn Patterson

“As director, I can share my passion and commitment to nursing with our faculty and students,” Patterson said. “I want students to know that we can help them succeed if they are interested in becoming a nurse or advancing their nursing education.”  

Nursing is much more than passing tests; it’s a profession defined as both an art and a science. Patterson firmly believes that as healthcare continues to advance and evolve, so must the education of nurses. 

“Science is our evidence, and art is the heart and soul of the nursing profession,” Patterson said.

It’s her hope that all students in the nursing program understand the impact and responsibility that comes with being a nurse. Therefore, the focus of all programs is to continuously evaluate, improve and advance the education they provide.  

Her goal is to ensure graduates are equipped with the clinical and academic expertise needed to thrive in today’s complex healthcare environment. 

Undergraduate program coordinator

Alison Alaimo

Alaimo is an alumna of both Missouri State’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014 and her Master of Science in Nursing, with an emphasis as a Nurse Educator in 2020.  

She applied for the position because she enjoys working with students.  

“I hope to be an integral part of the work we’re doing to make the MSU nursing program a model educational program,” Alaimo said. 

Explore the School of Nursing

The double life of a soon-to-be graduate

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Caleb Huettenmeyer, a fourth-year student graduating from Missouri State University’s School of Nursing, looks forward to what the future holds after graduation. 

“I’ve put in a lot of time, effort and work toward getting my degree,” Huettenmeyer said. “I’m excited to put everything I’ve learned into action.” 

Huettenmeyer secured a job at the prestigious Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis as an emergency room (ER) nurse.  

“They’re ranked number one in Missouri and 11th in the country, so it seems like an incredible opportunity to work with them,” he said. 

His goal is to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) the second week of June before he begins this position. 

Preparation for becoming a nurse 

Coming to MSU in fall 2019, Huettenmeyer completed his two years of pre-requisites and then applied to the nursing program in January 2021. After an extensive interview process, he was accepted as one of 48 out of over 150 applicants—beginning his journey through nursing school in fall 2021.  

Huettenmeyer began officially as a patient care associate (PCA), then transitioned to a nurse technician on the floor a few months later. Since August 2022, the rest of his nursing school days have been filled with work as an ER nurse technician at Mercy Hospital. 

“This past semester, I’ve been working almost every weekend,” he said. “I love the work, but it’s an intense job.” 

Typically, nursing students are expected to be on the floor as a general nurse technician before specializing. However, because of nursing shortages and his passion for the specialty, Huettenmeyer was able to nab the ER nurse technician position almost immediately. 

“I was rejected twice before meeting with them in person and persuading them to let me prove myself,” Huettenmeyer said. “They hired me soon after.” 

Nurse Boomer

Surprise! Guess who?!

For four years, Huettenmeyer has kept the secret of being our beloved Boomer bear. 

“It was like leading a double life. I’m excited to finally share the surprise with my friends at school when I wear the feet to graduation,” Huettenmeyer said.  

“I never got to go to a tailgate as myself, so I’m excited to return as an alumnus.” 

In addition to being Boomer, he was: 

After Barnes-Jewish, Huettenmeyer would like to transfer to an ICU somewhere and then become a flight nurse. The 10-year plan has him becoming a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) sometime in his 30s. 

“I’m ready to move on to the next chapter,” Huettenmeyer said. 

“The past two years have had some rough spots, but the friends I’ve made at Missouri State truly got me through it.” 

 Explore the School of Nursing

Innovating hands-on learning

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Investing in resources to give students hands-on learning opportunities is a top priority for MCHHS.

One of the resources is the Simulation (SIM) Lab located in O’Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center.

The SIM Lab is a controlled hospital environment with real machines and mannequins used to simulate a real-life health care experience.

“The main purpose of the SIM Lab is to give students going into health care professions a chance to interact with the health care environment before they are thrown into their profession,” said Alexis Curran, MCHHS simulation coordinator.

“We create a scenario where it may be something they will see in the hospital. This will help prepare them for patient care.”

How the lab operates

Students use the SIM lab starting in their junior year. Faculty members monitor and control the lab.

The lab has a control room. Faculty and lab techs will sit inside and observe. They’ll also control the mannequin and the cameras.

“The lab uses a recording system so students can watch in a different room and help critique each other.”

The lab has several hospital rooms to replicate different scenarios. They include:

  • Medical surgery room.
  • Clinical room.
  • Intensive care unit (ICU).
  • Maternity room.
  • Pediatric room.

Continuing to evolve

To give students more real-life scenarios, the SIM Lab continues to be upgraded and used in different situations.

“Last fall, we also started using simulated patients (SPs), which are human actors who take on a patient profile to make the scenario seem more realistic,” Curran said.

“Our students don’t perform skills like catheters or NG tubes on our SPs, but they have been a great asset for helping our students learn communication skills, and students have reacted positively to working with a live person.”

The goal for the future of the lab is to have departments within the college collaborate to give students more diverse experiences that are as realistic to the patient care setting as possible.

Learn more about MCHHS resources