5 Questions with Dwayn Hanford, A Well-Rounded Intelligence Pundit

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Dwayn Hanford

Dwayn Hanford is a 鈥淛ack-of-all-trades.鈥�

Hanford retired from the U.S. Army as an all-source intelligence technician, and is a team chief and senior intelligence officer for the Department of the Army Civilian in the 1st Information Operations Command, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He is also the president of the Excelsior College Alumni Association. Notably, Hanford is a graduate of Excelsior College, earning his Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts in 2005.

On September 8, Hanford will lead an online seminar discussion on 鈥�.鈥�

Excelsior Life sat down with him to discuss his educational and professional journey.

 

Excelsior Life: Where did you first hear about Excelsior College?

Hanford: I first heard of Excelsior College when it was Regents College. I was in the Army stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland in the early 90s. One of the civilians I worked with had her degree from Regents. At that time, I was enrolled in Anne Arundel Community College attending face-to-face classes. The Internet did not exist and I was not aware that Regents offered a distance education program. Years, numerous colleges, and many courses later, I found myself facing a residency requirement at a new college upon arriving at a new duty station. My education counselor advised me to look into Excelsior based on the amount of credits I had already earned. After speaking with an Excelsior advisor, I only required a few courses, which motivated me to enroll and finally finish my bachelor鈥檚 degree in Liberal Arts in 2005.

Excelsior Life: As an active duty army warrant officer and analyst/technician, you have had more than twenty years of experience. What is the most valuable lesson you鈥檝e learned from your military career?

Hanford: In both education and my career, the most valuable lesson I learned is team work.聽 Although I thrive in taking on a task by myself, I have found that working in teams can help me accomplish more than I can alone. These days I typically find myself as one of the oldest people on a team. It is a change from my 鈥渄oer鈥� to 鈥渕anager鈥� role, but I do enjoy helping younger people avoid the pitfalls that I fell into in my younger days. I have achieved more working with groups of people in my later years than most of my hard work trying to do everything by myself in my younger years.

Excelsior Life: Which courses are you currently teaching at Excelsior College?

Hanford: I am currently teaching BNS 307: Intelligence in National Security as a part of the Bachelor鈥檚 in National Security Program. I enjoy this course because I also had the privilege of designing this course.

Excelsior Life: How did you get into the career of national security?

Hanford: Many people do not stick with the career they chose when they were children, but I have. At the age of six I set a goal to join the Army and someday become President of the United States. After graduating high school, I accomplished goal one and joined the Army. I enlisted as an intelligence analyst in order to learn international relations and national policy to prepare for a career in politics. As the years progressed, I worked with many politicians and military decision makers discovering that I belong in the advisor to national policy role more so than being the elected leader. Politics may be in my future, but for now I am doing what I feel is the best way to serve my country.

Excelsior Life: What can attendees learn from your upcoming webinar?

Hanford: The webinar will discuss Excelsior鈥檚 National Security program. Attendees will learn what the college offers in this program. They will also hear some advice on getting a job in the Intelligence Community (IC). The advice will focus on where the jobs are, the fast-growing world of cyber, what not to do 鈥� especially online if you want to work in the IC鈥攁nd some resume advice. I have hired more than 10 analysts into the IC in the last three years and I have experienced good analysts that have poor resumes or interview skills that unfortunately don鈥檛 make the cut in this highly competitive career field.

Join Dwayn Hanford as he introduces participants to career possibilities in the Intelligence field and how best to leverage their experience and education to move into or up in this dynamic field. Whether you are in the military or working in the Intelligence Community within the Federal Government or similar agency, participants will learn what factors must align for their success and what avenues to take when encountering pitfalls.

To sign up to attend Hanford鈥檚 webinar, .

How to Avoid Labeling Yourself鈥攐r Letting Others Label You鈥攁s a Victim

Posted on by Gary McClain

Gary McClain, PhD, is a faculty member in the School of Health Sciences and therapist who specializes in helping clients deal with the emotional impact of chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

Victim. We seem to hear that word a lot lately. 鈥淰ictim鈥� is often used to describe individuals who are living with challenges that are not of their own choosing, that came about randomly, or were perpetrated upon them by others. Furthermore, victim also implies that other people have to step in and take care of you, because you can鈥檛 take care of yourself.

鈥淰ictim鈥� is also sometimes used as a derogatory term, to describe people who refuse to take responsibility for themselves and instead look to others to take care of them. We have a very complicated relationship with that word, for sure.

If you鈥檙e living with a chronic condition, I suspect that what you have read so far has already pushed a button or two, or brought up some unpleasant memories.

Health and victimhood

My clients often talk to me about their own perceptions of, and experiences with, the word 鈥渧ictim.鈥� Here are a few examples:

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 ask to live with a chronic condition. It鈥檚 the last thing I would have chosen. So while I don鈥檛 want to be referred to as a victim, let鈥檚 face it, I kind of am.鈥�

鈥淚 was just venting with a friend about some issues I was having lately with managing my chronic condition. She said to me, 鈥楧o you think it鈥檚 healthy for you to play the victim role?鈥� I was so angry and hurt. All I needed was for her to listen, not judge.鈥�

鈥淢y wife worries about me, and I appreciate that. But sometimes she does things for me before I have a chance to do them for myself. I have tried to explain to her that when she does that, she makes me feel like I am some kind of victim. And I鈥檓 not!鈥�

To me, these comments bring home the complicated feelings that individuals living with chronic conditions have in regard to the victim word.

When I hear the victim word applied directly to someone as a result of a health condition, it is generally referring to a diagnosis of a more catastrophic nature. I guess that鈥檚 why, for example, we often hear of someone described as a 鈥渃ancer victim.鈥�

To read more, .

Nursing Students Inducted into Sigma Theta Tau

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

鈥淵ou are Sigma Theta Tau; we are Sigma Theta Tau.鈥� With these words spoken by honor society president Jennifer Pettis, the nurses gathered in the Fort Orange Ballroom at The Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York, on July 13, 2017, were inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Founded in 1922, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) has recognized excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service in nursing. Its diverse and global membership includes more than 500 chapters worldwide, with members ranging from nurse executives, clinicians, educators, researchers, policymakers, and many others. The couple dozen new members鈥攁nd those not present鈥攋oined these ranks of more than 135,000 other honor society members in more than 90 countries around the world.

Guest speaker Lynda Dimitroff, Ph.D., opened the ceremony with discussions on the positives and negatives of nursing school, the importance of mindfulness, and several techniques to deal with the stressors nurses come across in the profession. She emphasized the art of humble inquiry (less telling, more asking) and introduced the idea that most nurses are human doings as opposed to human beings. She ended by reminding the honorees to take strength from what they value.

Chair of the Awards Committee Patricia Edwards introduced the recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award, Karen Cox, Ph.D. The executive vice president and COO of Children鈥檚 Mercy-Kansas City, Cox showcased exemplary leadership qualities in her years with the hospital. Thanks to her leadership creating environments that enhance nursing care, Children鈥檚 Mercy-Kansas City was the first hospital in Missouri to receive magnet designation in 2003. Under her guidance, the hospital received magnet re-designation in 2007, 2012, and 2016.

Cox congratulated those inducted and reminded all in attendance of the special time for the honorees who are also part of the 2017 graduating class. 鈥淢y Excelsior experience is what really set me on a path of really aspiring to have clinical excellence in the workplace and in academic excellence,鈥� she said.

The moment everyone was waiting for finally arrived. In front of their friends and family, the honorees recited the pledge to be inducted into STTI, promising to uphold the values at the root of the nursing profession: love, courage, and honor.

Graduates Inducted into Liberal Arts Honor Society

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

 

Excelsior鈥檚 Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda, a national honor society recognizing adult students who achieved and maintained high scholastic standards while handling their life responsibilities, welcomed its largest group of inductees on July 13.

The 121 new members were recognized during an induction ceremony held at The Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York, the day before Commencement. Those in attendance included 14 student inductees and new honorary members Mary Berkery, faculty program director; V. Blue Lemay, faculty program director; Rachel Stolicky, senior academic advisor; and Jean Taylor, executive director of learning assessments.

Lemay, who oversees the humanities program, was also the guest speaker. In her remarks, she described critical thinking as inquiry, questioning, and analyzing. 鈥淎nd you wouldn鈥檛 think that critical thinking maintains our democracy and sustains our economy, but it does,鈥� she said.

She told graduates that what remains constant in a changing economy are the methods you learn to approach problems. 鈥淚n a changing economy, the ability to ask questions and to think critically is actually crucial,鈥� said Lemay. She said the liberal arts graduate is prepared for the work situation in which a specific problem that hasn鈥檛 been seen before needs a solution. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l have the flexible, analytical mind which can work with ambiguity and uncertainty in order to successfully solve it. So that鈥檚 the benefit of a liberal education.鈥�

Alpha Sigma Lambda is the oldest and largest chapter-based honor society for full- and part-time students. Excelsior鈥檚 Sigma Zeta Chapter is one of more than 300 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Students are invited to participate in the honor society based on their earned grade point average of 3.2 or higher, completion of 24 Excelsior College credits, and representation in the 20th percentile of their class.

Excelsior Class of 2017: Lovepreet Cheema, Double Master-in-Training

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Lovepreet Cheema walked across the stage at Commencement as a cybersecurity master and immediately continued down the steps into her pursuit of becoming a criminal justice master-in-training. Cheema鈥檚 determination for earning not one, but two master鈥檚 degrees from Excelsior College stems from her thirst for knowledge.

An assistant registrar for SUNY Ulster, Cheema used the concepts she learned in her cybersecurity graduate program to think from a different perspective in the workplace. According to the graduate, her current degree program in homeland security and emergency management will also enhance her lens of the IT world, and how legalities and cybercrime can impact the lives of others. She explains, 鈥淐riminal justice is something I never touched before. It just seemed like the right time to explore.鈥�

Cheema, who is originally from India, came to the United States when she was nine years old. 鈥淚t was a culture shock,鈥� Cheema admits. 鈥淏ut the educational and job opportunities for advancement were very important to my family.鈥� Cheema currently lives with her family in Kingston, New York, one hour south of Excelsior鈥檚 main campus in Albany, New York.

Cheema is the first in her family to receive her master鈥檚 degree, graduating with a well-deserved 4.0 GPA. As a full-time employee and a 鈥渘ight person,鈥� there were a lot of late nights of studying and doing homework on her agenda. But the support from her family, friends, and colleagues is just what she needed to excel in her program. 鈥淢y parents have given me the freedom to pursue whatever I want in education and to pursue my goals,鈥� said Cheema. 鈥淢y best friend has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone to explore my potential, helping me accomplish more.鈥� She also attributes her motivation to pursue her second master鈥檚 degree from a dear friend and fellow colleague of hers, Patricia Law-Ormandy.

鈥淢y experience with Excelsior College has been wonderful. Especially, with the ease of education, affordability, and great instructors,鈥� Cheema explained. She completed her master鈥檚 degree program in just one year, noting that being able to maintain a full-time job and a personal life at the same time was 鈥渁mazing to her.鈥�

Cheema was joined by her entire family at the 2017 Excelsior College Commencement Ceremony as she celebrated her academic accomplishments.

Business & Technology Faculty Recognized for Exceptional Student Service

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Our amazing faculty are one of the reasons why our students get such a supportive and stimulating experience during their time with Excelsior College.聽 In this article, we look at the recipients of the Distinguished Faculty Awards 2017 from the School of Business and Technology.聽 The award is nominated by students and recognizes members of our faculty who have contributed to providing our students with an outstanding learning experience.聽 Faculty Program Director for Accounting, Dr. Santhosh Abraham, interviewed award recipient Dr. Dawn Wright, and Dr. Andrew Hurd, Faculty Program Director for Cybersecurity, interviewed Ken Desforges.

 

Dr. Santhosh Abraham interviews Dr. Dawn Wright

Abraham: Dr. Dawn Wright, please can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Wright: I am an Air Force veteran and graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. I attained the rank of Captain and was a Weapon Systems Operator/GIB flying F4E鈥檚 during the Vietnam War. After leaving the service, I earned a Masters鈥� in Civil Engineering from Auburn University and worked as a consulting engineer for 25 years and was a registered professional engineer in six states. After retiring, I returned to school and earned my Ph.D. at the University of South Alabama in Educational Technology/Instructional Design. I have taught for Excelsior since 2011. I currently live in Mobile, Alabama, my home for about 40 years, but I am relocating later this year to mid-Florida to get nearer my family and a bit warmer to boot.

Abraham: What is it that you enjoy most about teaching?

Wright: Teaching non-traditional students in an online environment is challenging but rewarding. I have enjoyed finding creative ways to connect with my students so they sense there is someone real who cares that they are learning and progressing in the course. Particularly for our military students, I enjoy finding ways to remove technology obstacles in their paths. I have found that my relatively crude instructional videos add something of value to my classes that my students cannot get from watching videos from people who are unknown to them.聽 I particularly enjoy helping struggling students who need a bit more time to complete a course. Our students typically are working fulltime with family obligations as well. The isolation exacerbates those stresses in an online environment. One particularly fond memory was of an Excelsior student who is my age. He was struggling and almost dropped, which would have caused him to miss graduation that year, but we persisted together and he finished. He sent me a photo of him receiving his Excelsior MBA on time.

Abraham: You are this year’s winner of the Distinguished Faculty Award, what does it mean to you to win this award?

Wright: I am very honored to receive this award in recognition of my teaching. Too often in higher education, faculty who focus on teaching are overshadowed by researchers who many times look at teaching as an afterthought. I am glad Excelsior supports faculty research but also visibly recognizes teaching as being important.

Abraham: You received your award at Commencement in July, what is the best piece of advice that you would give to the many students graduating as they take the next steps in their journey?

Wright: My advice to graduating students is to understand that a very important skill they are taking away from their time at Excelsior is knowing how to learn. Continuous learning will be needed by everyone who wants to ensure their future employment and career progression. Earning a degree in a remote, online environment is evidence of a higher level of self-discipline and focus that will be valuable tools in their tool box.

 

Dr. Andrew Hurd interviews Distinguished Faculty Award Recipient, Dr. Ken Desforges.

Hurd: Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what you enjoy about teaching?

Desforges: I have served as a Director of IT/IS in both private and public sector enterprises for the past 18 years, and have led numerous technical teams performing IT/Cybersecuirty projects.聽 Currently I am the Director of Information Systems for the City of Diamond Bar, a city with a significant online presence and a population of 60,000. There I develop and direct comprehensive programs which deliver progressive information technology solutions to meet current and future needs; and I collaborate with all directors, managers, and staff to insure successfully integrated information technology initiatives. I have been Married to my beautiful wife for over 26 years.聽 We have 4 Children, 3 Boys and a 1 Girl (our Youngest) and we live in Sunny Southern California.聽 I have been an Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity (CYS) – Course Developer, Reviewer and Instructor since 5/2011, Teaching over 70 Course Sections to date.聽 In the IT & Cybersecurity program many of our students are active duty or former Military service members and I LOVE working with them, and helping them achieve THEIR Professional and Academic goals.

Hurd: What do you think is the most important part of the instructor’s role, particularly when dealing with online students?

Desforges: Treating them with respect, as adults; realizing that LIFE HAPPENS, and working with students within in reason and EC policy; being their course cheerleader – encouraging them to be their best and produce their best work.聽 Providing Clear Instructions and setting Expectations for QUALITY and demanding that, even when flexible on deadlines.

Hurd: You are one of this year’s winners of the Distinguished Faculty Award, so what does it mean to you to win this award?

Desforges: It is a wonderful acknowledgement of the efforts of MANY people, including administrators, staff, instructional designers, and current and former faculty who have been my instructors, mentors and now peers. I am very pleased to be recognized by students and the Excelsior College – School of Business and Technology, for carrying on the work of our visionary founders, leaders, and wonderful caring faculty who came before me.

Hurd: You received your award at Commencement in July, what is the best piece of advice that you would give to the many students graduating as they take the next steps in their journey?

Desforges: Commencement is amazing, you get an opportunity to meet your Excelsior College Faculty & Staff, make new friends/memories, and find out how to stay plugged in to your Alma Mater now and in the future.聽聽 I NEVER intended to Teach, I am receiving this award only because I came to commencement, and made some connections.聽 As you graduate, explore every opportunity, you never know what wonderful opportunities may be there. Go through every open door until you come upon a closed door, and then find the next open door. Never be afraid to take a risk, if you fall, get up and try again.聽 Ever Upward!!!

Dr. Estwick Moderating Webcast: Three-Prong Approach to Security

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

When:聽 July 27, 2017 @ 2:00 pm 鈥� 3:00 pm EST

The days of a fixed network edge are gone. Digital transformation, cloud computing, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have fragmented the traditional government network, making it nearly impossible to determine where an agency鈥檚 actual perimeter lies. Government systems have grown so complex that they have created an 鈥渆verywhere perimeter,鈥� including physical objects, cyber assets and network configurations, all of which must be properly secured.

Security is a constant battle for government organizations. Agencies need to safeguard critical applications and information, contain breaches and isolate hackers, as well as manage and secure IoT, while simultaneously meeting a myriad of compliance and regulatory obligations. So, how do agencies safeguard their 鈥渆verywhere perimeter鈥�?

Join us on July 27 for a live webcast on why a 鈥淭hree-Prong Approach to Security鈥� is necessary in today鈥檚 ever-changing technology landscape. You will learn how this approach seamlessly connects physical, network and cyber systems, and understand why each component plays a vital role in a comprehensive security strategy.

The link to the recorded webcast is: 聽聽

This webcast will discuss:

  • Challenges that agencies face when protecting multiple security vectors
  • Three components of an effective security strategy
  • How to secure physical systems to prevent backdoor attacks
  • Key areas of focus for countering cybersecurity attacks
  • Best practices to consider when combining physical, network and cyber security
  • And more鈥�

鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌�.

Various technology manufacturers as well as government employees will be in attendance. Our audience will be interested in hearing the panel鈥檚 thoughts and experiences regarding top of mind priorities, challenges, and best practices in an effort to better their cyber security initiatives within an agency.

NCI Attends 2017 AFCEA Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

NCI was invited to moderate a panel on 鈥�Building the Pipeline of Cybersecurity Professionals鈥� at the 2017 AFCEA Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium that was held at the Baltimore, MD Convention Center in June.聽 The panel was well attended and featured educators and professionals from academia and government.聽 The panel discussed the importance of building a pipeline of cybersecurity professionals within the public and private sectors and how academic and training institutions can partner to address the national cybersecurity workforce shortage. 聽In addition, the panel discussed available academic and training opportunities, the various cybersecurity career pathways, and other opportunities available to advance careers within cybersecurity.

Learning objectives include:

1) Identify available cybersecurity educational and career opportunities;
2) Identify partnerships between academic and training organizations that maximize options to pursue cybersecurity credentials;
3) Identify trends in cybersecurity research, academic programs and training.

The panel was approved for 1 CompTIA CEU:聽聽A+, Network+, Security+, Cloud+, Cybersecurity Analyst (CSA+), and CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP).

Audio file from the session is located here:聽

Excelsior College Inaugurates Dr. James N. Baldwin as its Third President

Posted on by Mike Lesczinski

Excelsior College inaugurated its third president, Dr. James N. Baldwin, on Friday, July 14, as part of its annual Commencement ceremony in Albany, New York. Brig. Gen. (ret.) Jerry Neff, chair of the College鈥檚 Board of Trustees, presided over the investiture.

鈥淗uman learning has, in effect, been our endless quest for the truth 鈥� and, despite what we read, see, and hear in the news today, the truth always matters,鈥� proclaimed Baldwin during a 12-minute inaugural address focused on his upbringing, the transformative power of education, and Excelsior鈥檚 future. 鈥淗old those you disagree with accountable for the truth 鈥� and hold those you agree with to an even higher standard of accountability鈥痑nd integrity.鈥�

Sharing his vision for the future of Excelsior, Baldwin, who has served as president since October 2016, promised to build on the College鈥檚 past successes while placing a relentless focus on providing access, affordability, and an exceptional student experience. Excelsior, a private, nonprofit online college, is home to five schools and more than 32,000 adult learners.

鈥淔or 46 years, we have served as a beacon for those left behind by traditional educational institutions.鈥疘 can promise you this…We will reclaim our place as a leader and innovator in higher education,鈥� said Baldwin, to wide applause from the more than 2,400 in attendance, including over 400 graduates, family, and friends.

In addition to the inauguration, the ceremony included the awarding of the President鈥檚 Medal to Dr. Betty A. Rosa, Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, and the granting of honorary degrees to Dr. Carolyn A. Woo, former president, and CEO, Catholic Relief Services, and Dr. Karen Cox, executive vice president and COO of Children鈥檚 Mercy-Kansas City. Cox also served as Commencement speaker.

Excelsior College is a regionally accredited, nonprofit online college focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. The College contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are 鈥� academically and geographically 鈥� removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity. Learn more at excelsior.edu.

Instructor Daria Byrne Earns Faculty of the Year Award

Posted on by Nursing Staff

By Bonny Kehm, PhD, RN
Faculty Program Director, BS & MS Programs in Nursing

Daria Byrne, EdD, MSN, RN is a recipient of a 2017 Faculty of the Year Award. Dr. Byrne received this award based on student nominations.

Daria Byrne has served as an adjunct faculty member for Excelsior College School of Nursing since June 2012, teaching various courses in the graduate nursing school curriculum. She currently works full time as the vice president of product management at PeraHealth, where she leads product development and works closely with technology, client services, clinical adoption, and marketing teams, as well as external stakeholders to understand customer needs in order to drive product strategy and accelerate marketplace adoption. Prior to gaining healthcare product management experience, Dr. Byrne worked as a registered nurse for nine years in a variety of clinical roles including at the bedside in general and critical care areas, as a charge nurse in the emergency department, and as a house supervisor.

She has a BSN and a MSN from the University of Central Missouri and an EdD in leadership and policy from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Byrne and her husband, Phil, have four children, Cole, 14, Jenna, 12, Finnegan, 7, and Lochlan, 4. When she is not working, she can be found in the cheering section of sports and robotic events for her children, and spending time with her husband and friends.

Student comments include: 鈥淪he cheerleads her students along the way when life gets in the way, and she makes us want to keep fighting because she demonstrates such confidence in our ability to overcome and finish the journey. Her responses to us on blackboard provokes thought, and promotes an atmosphere for great discussions with our peers.鈥�

Dr. Byrne commented on receiving the award, 鈥淲ow! What an honor. I am so appreciative of this award. I want you to know how thankful I am for the nomination and the award.鈥�

Work/Life Balance: A Five-Step Approach to Achieving It Your Way

Posted on by Gary McClain

Gary McClain, PhD, is a faculty member in the School of Health Sciences and therapist who specializes in helping clients deal with the emotional impact of chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

The term 鈥渨ork/life balance鈥� gets tossed around a lot. I use it a lot myself when I talk about my own life and with my clients.

I occasionally do a workshop on this topic for local companies. Employees come in during their lunch hour and I talk to them about the importance of having balance in their lives. But I often wonder if I am giving them anything of real value. They tell me how most days, they have no time to do anything more for lunch than grab a sandwich to eat at their desks. Some are working well into the evening, others are rushing from work to pick up children, who are then going to need dinner and help with their homework, or to be transported to Little League practice or dance lessons.

I ask myself: What can I tell them about how to achieve work/life balance when they have so many demands on their time?

Tipping the scale

The problem with work/life balance as a term is the word 鈥渂alance.鈥� It conjures up an image of a scale, in perfect balance, with an object on each side of the scale. It鈥檚 all too easy to assume the object on one side should represent work, with the object on the other side of the scale representing the opposite of work, such as relaxation or fun. (By the way, 鈥渨ork鈥� doesn鈥檛 have to mean employment. Responsibilities at home also consume your time and belong on the work side of the scale.)

For most of us, that kind of balance is impossible. And maybe not even desirable. As a result, any possibility of work/life balance is easily written off.

But I think that when we write off work/life balance, we ignore the message. And it鈥檚 a simple message: in the midst of your hectic life, take some time for yourself to recharge your batteries.

To read more, .

A Shot in the Arm: Alumna Boosts Nursing Program with New CPNE Site

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Christus Health CPNE Site in Alice, Texas

Jennifer Gentry remembers taking her Clinical Performance in Nursing Exam (CPNE) like it was yesterday. Now a chief nursing officer in the in Southern Texas, she鈥檚 helping other aspiring RNs complete their degrees by hosting a CPNE testing site at CHRISTUS Spohn location in Alice, Texas.

As any Excelsior student in the School of Nursing can tell you, the CPNE is the capstone of the associate degree program. It鈥檚 the assessment designed to measure a student鈥檚 ability to demonstrate the expected behaviors and skills of a beginning-level associate degree-prepared nurse. Once successfully completed, the CPNE validates that the student possesses the competencies to begin practice as an entry-level nurse. With the associate degree in hand, individuals can sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) that allows them to practice nursing in their state.

Gentry recalls her CPNE experience as the most chal颅lenging event in her nursing career, but one with big benefits. Starting her career as an LVN, and then progressing through Excelsior鈥檚 associate, bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 programs in nursing, Gentry鈥檚 career advanced as well. With that success came a desire to give back to her alma mater. 鈥淚 feel like, honestly, Excelsior has done so much for me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 would not be where I am today without Excelsior and without the format for learning that fits so well with my learning style, personality, drive, and I wanted to give back to the school.鈥�

And give back she has. In addition to work to create the CPNE site, she is a member of the adjunct faculty and serves as a member of Excelsior鈥檚 Alumni Leadership Council, where she helps guide and represent the interests of the College鈥檚 more than 160,000 graduates. In her role as a council member, she proposed that Excelsior create a CPNE testing center at her home hospital.

Excelsior Nursing Alumna Helps Texas Nursing Students

鈥淪he [Gentry] has a passion for Excelsior鈥檚 program,鈥� says Kim Hedley, assistant dean of Excelsior鈥檚 associate degree in nursing program. Gentry鈥檚 support is mission-affirming, Hedley attests, noting it helps Excelsior meet students where they are 鈥� academically and geographically. By hosting a CPNE testing site in the southern part of the state, it reduces travel time for many Texas students. More than 11 percent of Excelsior鈥檚 associate degree nursing students are in the Lone Star State, the second largest concentration after New York.

Once the seed of the idea was planted, it grew slowly as it took nearly a year to set up the site and complete such details as signing a contract, hiring and training faculty, and securing the necessary equipment. The inaugural testing at the new CPNE location was on September 11, 2015, when five students demonstrated their skills. With the CHRISTUS Spohn site now up and running, it joins the more than 10 other CPNE sites across the United States.

In addition to her role on the Alumni Leadership Council, Gentry serves as an advocate for Excelsior鈥檚 nursing program as a mentor. The word is out, she says, that she鈥檚 an Excelsior alumna and she鈥檚 available for anyone who may need help. That even includes her next-door neighbor, Bonnie Harris, an LVN at CHRISTUS Spohn who passed her CPNE in fall 2015.

鈥淲e have been neighbors for about two years. I did not pass my CPNE the first time, and she [Gentry] was supportive and encouraging, making me feel like I could pass. I did pass the second time, eight months later, and she was as excited as I was. She has been a nurse manager for Spohn, and has worked her way up to CNO of the two biggest campuses in the Spohn system, while remaining down-to-earth, approachable, and being patient- and nurse-oriented at the same time. She is amazing, and I feel very grateful that she is my neighbor, my boss, and my friend,鈥� says Harris.

One of the things that appealed to Gentry in her Excelsior studies was the relevancy of each degree. 鈥淓ach time I went back [for another degree] the information was very relevant to what I was doing and it was almost as though Excelsior was acting as my mentor/preceptor into the new role that I had stepped into,鈥� says Gentry. 鈥淲hat I was learning in school, I was applying to day-to-day work and what I was learning on day-to-day work, I was applying in my degree program. You just can鈥檛 beat that.鈥�

Now Gentry鈥檚 assuming the role of mentor. By helping to set up the CPNE site at her home hospital, her staff benefits as well. She notes that staff are learning more about the validity of the competency-based education model, the facil颅ity鈥檚 nursing leaders have an opportunity to become Excelsior clinical examiners, and the exposure helps stimulate interest in the hospital鈥檚 nurses to further their education.

Harris supports this notion, saying, 鈥淓arning my associate degree has meant the world to me. I have practiced as an LVN for 11 years in various settings: hospitals, outpatient surgery, doctors鈥� offices, hospice, nursing homes 鈥� you name it. I would feel frustrated at times when something needed to be done that I had the knowledge to do, but not the credentials. 鈥� [Now] I feel that I have so much more to offer the nursing profession, and that I can go far in my career.鈥�

Gentry is not only a staunch advocate for Excelsior鈥檚 nursing program, but also for the profession of nursing. She鈥檚 a member of the Texas Nurses Association and president of her local district. 鈥淚 have a lot of passion for what I do and I feel a strong social responsibility to use my knowledge and skills to impact health care and the work environment for nurses for the better anytime that I can,鈥� she says. Gentry seeks to be politi颅cally active in the health care arena, bringing her knowledge and skills to bear on health care and nursing issues. She notes, 鈥淲e need more nurses involved and engaged in that process.鈥�

Advice for Taking the CPNE

Her commitment to Excelsior and the nursing field are elements that have helped Gentry prepare for a successful career. As she lays the path for future successful Excelsior students, she offers some words of advice as they anticipate taking the CPNE. She says, 鈥淭hey [Excelsior] have set up a very good program and they provide all the tools that you need to be successful, so use those tools, prepare, know your critical elements, and then when you get there, just breathe, and 鈥� try to let some of the stress go so you can think through what you鈥檙e doing and the why, and you鈥檒l be fine.鈥�

 

This article was written by Dana Yanulavich and was originally in the Spring 2016 edition of the Excelsior College Magazine.