Health and Human Services News

Student on the Street: Rikki Beldon

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Rikki Beldon is a second semester nursing student at Missouri State University. She is originally from Shelbina, Missouri, and attended South Shelby High School.

Her favorite course has been Fundamentals of Nursing.

“We really got to see a lot of hands-on things,” Rikki said. “We had a lab portion where we learned how to do things like start IVs and care for someone who needs assistance. It really prepared me for what’s coming up in clinicals.”

For Rikki, the best part of being a Bear is “being able to make different connections. The campus is big enough, yet small enough to still see people you know and recognize every day.”

After graduation, Rikki plans to work in the St. Louis area at a hospital. She hope to eventually become a travel nurse, helping people from location to location.

Learn more about MSU Nursing Program

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.

Looking at vaccine inequity in Missouri

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As COVID-19 vaccines rolled out across the country, vaccination disparities across racial and ethnic lines became quite clear. 

“Current data shows the rates at which the Missouri population is being vaccinated: approximately 36% for white people, 29% for Black people, 43% for Hispanic people, and 56% for Asian people,” said Dr. Melissa Penkalski, associate professor of nursing at Missouri State University.  

What’s causing the difference? 

The vaccination disparity has many explanations, according to Penkalski. 

Some communities have risk factors that can make members more susceptible. This leads to some communities with higher incident or infection rates. 

“These factors include lack of access, living in crowded housing, working in essential fields, stress, and chronic health conditions,” Penkalski said.  

The state is working to combat vaccine inequity, Penkalski noted. Improving access, providing education and making the vaccine readily available helps to ease the disparity.  

Penkalski stresses that vaccine hesitancy can be attributed to a lack of information on the topic. Providing people with additional information and acknowledging their concerns and beliefs can help to overcome this challenge.  

Get vaccinated

MCHHS student organizations spotlight: Student Nurse Organization

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Nursing school is a big commitment. The Student Nurse Organization (SNO) at MSU wants to make sure no one goes through nursing school alone.   

SNO’s mission: To empower future nurses by promoting community engagement through service events and providing a system of support through the undergraduate nursing experience.  

“We hope members take away that nursing is a community-centered profession,” said Madelyn Cooper, SNO president. “We hope they graduate with a sense of compassion and care for all members of the community.” 

SNO members practice community engagement through different service ventures, like making care packages for Harmony House, meeting with nursing home residents and donating to local food banks.  

SNO during COVID-19 

In the time of COVID-19, SNO looks different but is still available to provide a community for nursing students. 

“Right now, we are choosing service events that minimize exposure as much as possible,” Cooper said. “We are encouraging members to utilize resources that allow community service to be done from home.” 

All meetings will be held over Zoom.  

Want to join? 

The first meetings of the fall 2020 semester are Sept. 3. Zoom links are on SNO’s Campus Link.  

  • Current nursing students meet at 1 p.m.  
  • Pre-nursing students meet at 4 p.m. 
  • For more information, join the SNO group on Facebook and follow SNO on Twitter.  

Learn more about SNO