Health and Human Services News

Faculty fan-favorites

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Dr. Jennifer Yates, clinical assistant professor at the department of occupational therapy, and Sherri Ramirez, clinical assistant professor at the School of Nursing, are two fantastic members of our MCHHS faculty. 

Let’s ask them some questions! 

What’s been the craziest thing to happen in your classroom?  

Yates: I was introducing virtual reality as a means for therapeutic rehabilitation, but I think I will keep that experience between me and the students. I will say I am definitely not meant for virtual reality. 

Ramirez: I have a class that is very competitive. I love doing a Kahoot or a case study where they try to show they know the information. The names they give themselves in a Kahoot are very entertaining to the class. You never know what they are going to come up with. They also act out scenarios of what patients might do. That can always be interesting. 

Do you have a favorite class to teach?  
Yates posing with her students
Yates posing with her students and a recipient of a custom-made car for OT’s annual Go Baby Go event.

Yates: I love all the classes I teach and I have quite a wide array, but I am particularly fond of my assistive technology course. It’s a very hands-on course. The students participate in many community projects, but my favorite one is a program called Go Baby Go. The students adapt small, motorized vehicles for children with special needs. Most of these children would otherwise not be able to experience this type of mobility through play. Play is a child’s occupation and a fundamental right all children should be able to experience.  

Ramirez: I love teaching the medical surgical nursing class because they are so eager to learn, go to clinicals and take care of patients. They want to “get their hands dirty” and soak up as much information as they can in order to save lives. I can see how proud they are of themselves when they connect the dots of didactic and clinical practice. 

Where are you from?   

Yates: I am originally from Missouri, but I have lived around Nashville, Tennessee, and Dallas, Texas, for roughly 15 years before returning to Springfield in 2020.   

Ramirez: I’m a Navy brat and from everywhere. If I had to name my home base, it would be Texas, but I’ve lived in Springfield for the majority of my adult life. 

What brought you to Missouri State?

Yates: I’ve always known I wanted to eventually get back to southwest Missouri. After starting and owning my pediatric therapy practice, I knew the next step I wanted to pursue was teaching and research. Missouri State is my alma mater and it feels like home to be back here.  

Ramirez: I have known many faculty members from Missouri State from my previous hospital nursing positions and they were all impressive to me. They love their students and have a great rapport with the hospital staff.  

Learn more about the department of occupational therapy

What’s your favorite part about working here?  

Yates: The people for sure. I truly love coming to my job every day. The faculty, staff, students and administrators are all the best. We have a wonderful program that is next to none. I cannot say enough good things.  

Ramirez: I have worked at a couple of different nursing programs, and here I felt at home from day one. It doesn’t matter who I’m having a conversation with, the dean of nursing, the director of nursing or the AMAZING administrative staff in the school of nursing. We all have mutual respect for each other. 

Explore the School of Nursing

Faculty fan-favorites

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Alison Alaimo, clinical assistant professor in the School of Nursing, and Katelyn Maben, assistant professor in the department of physician assistant studies, are two Missouri State alums who are now members of our unique MCHHS faculty.  

Let’s have a chat! 

What’s been the funniest or craziest thing to happen in your classroom? 

Alaimo: For nursing, we discuss bodily functions that most people think are embarrassing. We even teach students how to categorize stool for charting. Every semester, I have to be prepared for every question you can think of (and some you don’t) on this topic. It is always a very entertaining few weeks!  

Maben: I wish I had a really great story to answer this question, but I really can’t think of any overly funny/crazy classroom experience yet — ask again in a few years! It’s bound to happen eventually, right?  

Where are you from?  

Alaimo: I’ve been a Missouri girl my entire life, having grown up in a small town about two hours away. I’ve been here in Springfield for the last 25 years. After I graduated from Missouri State, I just never left! 

Maben: I’m from Macon, Missouri — a small town about an hour north of Columbia. 

What brought you to Missouri State? 

Alaimo: Ever since I graduated with my BSN, I knew I wanted to teach nursing at Missouri State. After I graduated, I went out and worked in one of the local hospitals to gain practical knowledge. While there, I was able to start working as a nurse educator to get some practice in teaching. Finally, I found an opening as a clinical professor at Missouri State, and I’ve been here since.    

Maben: After graduation, I stayed with Missouri State’s PA program by taking students for their clinical rotations. I always thought I’d come back as an educator at some point, and I have! Missouri State feels like home to me and I’m glad to be on faculty here, pouring into future PAs.  

What’s your favorite part about working here? 

Alaimo: The STUDENTS! They are so eager to learn everything they can. Taking them to clinical settings and watching them apply what they have learned in skills lab and the classroom is incredibly rewarding.

Maben: I love watching students master a concept, skill, or technique for the first time. They work so hard to accomplish their goals, and it’s amazing to see their confidence growth. We have such great, hard-working students, and it is fun to be alongside them in their education.  

Explore the school of nursing 

Do you have a favorite class to teach? 

Alaimo: My favorite class to teach is the Art and Science of Nursing I. This is essentially a nursing fundamentals course. This is the students’ first course in which they get to participate in clinical experiences. I love seeing how far the students have progressed by the end of the semester in both the clinical and didactic components.    

Maben: My favorite thing to teach is Women’s Health. This was something I already loved as a clinician, but I am hopeful that by educating future PAs I can make a positive impact on the way future providers approach patient care in this setting. 

Dive into the department of physician assistant studies

Celebrating alumni success

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The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Jacqueline Bates, DNAP, with the Clinical Instructor of the Year Award during its 2022 Annual Congress, Aug. 12-16, in Chicago. 

Established in 1991, the Clinical Instructor of the Year Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the teaching of student registered nurse anesthetists in the clinical area.  

The award recognizes the individual’s commitment to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high-quality patient care. 

About Bates 

For more than 15 years Bates has been an adjunct professor and clinical educator of Gonzaga University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She also is a staff CRNA at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where she instructs medical students, nurse anesthesia students and nurses in the characteristics and methods of administration of anesthetics, signs and symptoms of reactions and complications, and emergency measures to employ when necessary.  

In addition, she is on staff at Pullman Regional Hospital, as well as an independent practitioner, delivering anesthesia care in digestive disease and eye disease centers. 

Bates received her doctorate in nurse anesthesiology practice from Missouri State University. She earned a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, as well as a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Washington State University in Pullman. 

“This award is an honor and a privilege,” Bates said. “I approach students and patients by reminding myself every day about the Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take things personally – others’ comments about you are a reflection of themselves. Don’t make assumptions – no matter what you observe you never know the whole story and; always do your best.” 

Learn More about the School of Anesthesia

Developing skills for the future of healthcare

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The healthcare industry is always evolving. New machines and tools are being created and best practices continue to be altered. 

Missouri State’s School of Anesthesia is hoping to stay ahead of the curve on these changes within healthcare by providing students with the best educational resources.  

This year, the anesthesia department offered its first ever Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) workshop to the students in the program.  

“The use of ultrasounds is being incorporated into our practice now,” said James Keaton, CRNA, clinical assistant professor. “We thought it would be a good idea to offer our students the opportunity to get some experience using them.”  

The importance of POCUS 

Being able to effectively monitor patients is one of the most important jobs of a Nurse Anesthesiologist. 

It is important for students to get as much practice in POCUS as possible because everyone’s anatomy is slightly different. Experience will enhance students’ knowledge immensely. 

“By using ultrasounds, we are able to quickly and effectively assess a patient’s condition,” Keaton said. “We can look at someone’s heart and airways to assess how their body is functioning and alter the anesthetic accordingly.” 

Because of its usefulness, POCUS will now be included on the certification exam.  

“The national accrediting body recently announced that students will be required to learn and understand the use of POCUS in our field, so it’s important for us to start that training for our students now,” Keaton said. 

Outstanding first workshop 

Seventy-six students in the anesthesia program were able to go through the POCUS training during the workshop.  

Twenty-four students from departments around the college volunteered their time to get ultrasounds taken of them. 

“The cooperation between departments around the college was amazing. It gives students a better idea of what we do and the program we offer,” Keaton said.  

The workshop was held in the nursing simulation lab in O’Reilly Health Sciences Hall, one of the amazing facilities on the MSU campus.  

This educational opportunity would not have been possible without the generosity of several companies who lent their machines to the program for the weekend. 

Those companies include: 

    • Butterfly iQ. 
    • GE. 
    • Phillips/Braun. 
    • Sonosite/Fujifilm. 

Learn more about the School of Anesthesia