MCCN Updates
Dear MCCN,
In collaboration with MCHS, we are reaching out to you with an urgent ask. You are likely aware of the community surge of COVID-19 positive cases throughout Ohio. Our patient volumes and rates of positivity continue to rise among both the community and within our Mount Carmel family. This has put an even greater strain on clinical resources and staff.
With all of you, we can get through this. But we are asking you to consider an opportunity for paid, part-time, casual employment with Mount Carmel Health System in patient safety attendant roles, multi-skilled technician positions or another position, all aiding our overburdened nursing staff.
In these roles, you will have access to and be required to wear appropriate PPE, and you will be trained for the skills necessary to perform the job duties prior to working directly with patients.
At this time, the MCHS locations with the most need include Mount Carmel St. Ann’s, Mount Carmel East and Mount Carmel Grove City. You will be asked to complete a required, fast-tracked pre-employment process including a virtual interview and orientation.
We know your health and the health of your families is paramount and that your nursing studies are a priority right now, too. If you have time to devote to helping patients in our hospitals, we would be profoundly grateful. You’ve already demonstrated your devotion to high-quality, compassionate care through your career choice. This is an opportunity to step up and put your skills and knowledge to work when it is urgently needed.
Please click here to apply and see where you are needed most. Thank you for considering this important opportunity.
Sincerely,
Jerry Mansfield, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer – Ohio Region, Mount Carmel Health System
Associate Dean, Leadership and Clinical Practice, Mount Carmel College of Nursing
Kathleen Williamson, PhD, MSN, RN
President and Academic Dean
Mount Carmel College of Nursing
To: All students, faculty, and staff
Dear Campus Community,
I want to begin by thanking all of you for your efforts to help make our college environment safe and healthy for all. Your efforts have made a noticeable impact.
I want to take a moment to update you as we begin scheduling and planning for the Spring 2021 semester. While our current public health situation is ever-changing, Columbus, Lancaster, Franklin County, Fairfield County, and our surrounding area have seen a recent spike in cases and hospitalizations. Health experts predict that case numbers will continue to rise throughout the winter months. Because the vast majority of our Spring semester occurs in those winter months, we are expecting to maintain a very similar academic set up as we have this Fall semester.
- Classes: While students should expect to see classes in largely the same format they are currently in – in-person skills labs and clinicals, and virtual didactic courses – we will be working with faculty to determine if there are times when in-person experiences may be helpful from time to time in primarily virtual classes. Additionally, we are working to set up a method for students to schedule times to come on campus if they want to have a study session with classmates. More details about that will come at the beginning of the semester.
- Residence Halls: Unfortunately, due to restrictions on congregate living and issues facing on-campus housing at other colleges, we will be keeping all residence halls closed for the remainder of the academic year. Students who need assistance finding housing options can contact Todd Everett, Associate Dean for Student Services, at teverett@mccn.edu.
- Special Events: We recognize the importance of several of our special events held in the spring, from pinnings to commencement, which is why we are working to find ways to provide those experiences in-person, providing for the guidelines, recommendations, and the health situation during those times. The student voice is important to our planning process for those events and our teams planning these events may be reaching out to gather more information.
- Student Services: Moving through the remainder of the academic year, we will be working to slowly bring more in-person student services back. Much of this will depend on Mount Carmel Health System’s plan to bring employees back to on-site work environments. As always, all of our student services are available virtually, including financial aid, business office, records and registration, academic resource center, and mental health and behavioral health services.
We appreciate your flexibility through these challenging times. If at any time you find yourself needing any kind of support, never hesitate to reach out. Thanks for all you do to keep the Nightingale Community strong!
Sincerely,
Mitch
Dear Mount Carmel College of Nursing Community,
Thank you for your continued flexibility as we navigate our RESTART 2020 for the fall semester. As we have alluded to in town halls and our communications, guidance from Mount Carmel Health System may change our approach to different subjects during our return. I write today to inform you of clarification and changes informed by guidance from MCHS effective August 18, 2020.
Out of State Travel
Any out of state travel is discouraged. However, if travel is necessary, please take proper precautions during your trip. Stay informed on State of Ohio and CDC defined hotspots online at:
- Ohio: States with 15% or higher COVID positivity rate
- CDC: States with 10,000 or more cases within a 7-day period
Since Ohio does not have a mandatory quarantine requirement, we cannot enforce one. Any student, faculty, or staff member who travels to a CDC or Ohio-identified "hot spot" is required to:
- Wear a face covering for 14 days from their last day in the hot-spot location. Follow all existing PPE requirements for their role.
- Monitor their condition for symptoms and if they feel sick, to not come to work. Contact their manager and their doctor about next steps if they feel ill.
- If they feel ill while at work, maintain 6 feet of physical distance and inform their manager or instructor, who will ask the individual to go home and contact their doctor.
Return from Positive COVID-19 Diagnosis
Mount Carmel Health System is utilizing the following practice for colleagues returning to in-person work following a positive COVID diagnosis. MCCN will follow the same approach for faculty, staff, and students:
- If a colleague (and student in our case) tests positive, they are eligible to return 10 days from the end of their fever or the discontinued use of fever-reducing medication.
- No re-testing is required.
- Individuals must continue use of required PPE.
Thank you for all of your efforts to maintain a healthy and safe learning environment for all.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director of Compliance and Safety
Mount Carmel College of Nursing
In our efforts to provide a safe and healthy college community, we have put several safety measures in place for the benefit of our faculty, staff, and students. Part of this plan is a required COVID-19 Symptom Self-Screening.
This screening is required by anyone entering the MCCN facilities for work, teaching, class, or any other reason. This form assists with ensuring a healthy environment, and is a requirement. Failure to complete the screening could result in corrective actions being instituted. Below, you’ll find specific instructions for the form:
Bookmark This Link!
MCCN COVID-19 Symptom Self-Screening Form
Students:
- All students must complete a self-screen report prior to coming to campus (by August 17).
- The form must be completed weekly (every Monday) prior to coming to campus for on-site learning.
- Students in a clinical setting will follow screening guidance and requirements of their partner site.
- A copy of the completed form will be emailed to you to show proof to instructors.
- Students not coming on-site do not need to complete the form.
Faculty and Staff:
- All faculty and staff must complete a self-screen report prior to coming to campus.
- Reports indicating symptoms or positive tests may be shared with Colleague Relations.
- Faculty and Staff coming on-site regularly must resubmit the form every Monday before returning to teach/work.
- Those continuing to work from home and only coming on-site periodically must complete the form prior to any time they come to campus.
- If you do not plan on coming on-site, a form is not needed.
Students and colleagues who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop any symptoms, are asked to contact Mitch Joseph-Kemplin, director of compliance and safety, at mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu, who will refer you to Colleague Health (http://atmountcarmel.org/contact-employee-healthX) or appropriate health care resources.
Remember that face masks are required when on-site whether teaching, learning, or engaging in skills activities. Also, entry to campus is limited to Marian Hall – with limited exceptions made for Lancaster students coming to courses in Columbus. Help us maintain a healthy environment for all Nightingales by doing your part to prevent the spread of COVID-19!
When Mount Carmel East Registered Nurses Emilie Vassar and Kyle Stagg graduated from Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) in 2018 and 2019, they never could have predicted what the day-to-day of their jobs would look like in 2020.
“The surgical trauma step down unit we work in was totally transformed into a COVID-19 patient unit,” Stagg said. “It’s been a huge undertaking. I’m glad I had at least one year of working under my belt.”
Vassar agrees, adding that the added precautions and protocols of the pandemic have sped up her learning about safety and risks.
“All my nursing experience up to this point took a complete right turn when this pandemic happened and we had to start caring for COVID-19 patients,” Vassar said. “It was totally unchartered waters for everyone, but I work with some amazing nurses who provided great leadership. I could not have made it this far without them.”
Vassar and Stagg were both students at the Mount Carmel College of Nursing, and both started working in the surgical step-down unit at Mount Carmel East within a month of their respective graduations in 2018 and 2019.
“Our professors at MCCN taught us to always be prepared for the unexpected,” Vassar said. “With my patients, you never know what the next couple of hours will hold for them. They could do great and hold stable, or something could completely flip and suddenly you’re calling for rapid response—there’s no way to predict what any shift will hold, so you have to be ready and willing to learn and adjust every day.”
“You always know in the back of your mind that something big like this could happen, but you never actually expect it,” Stagg added, “So when it happens, your true reasons and passions for being a nurse come out. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person because I know this is exactly what I want to do and that I’ve chosen the right profession.”
But as passionate as these nurses are about their job, they both agreed that it’s important to lean on other people to get through this time, whether it’s asking questions on the job, or having someone outside of work to talk to at the end of the day.
“I have definitely leaned on the knowledge and confidence of the more experienced nurses,” said Vassar. “I can’t be afraid to ask questions, because it’s the only way to learn and help my patients. That was lesson number one for me on the job.”
Stagg agreed, saying that he’s grateful to benefit from the leadership team, his unit, and his fellow nurses. Additionally, because his fiancé also is a nurse, he has a strong support system at home.
“The sense of teamwork, and also being motivated by our patients getting better is what’s getting us through,” he said. “And I’m so thankful for the preparation I had at MCCN. This is never something we could have practiced for, but I felt so prepared because the program is so well-rounded. The college does a really great job.”
Vassar agreed, adding that every day she remembers her professors telling her to be ready for the unexpected.
“I was always ready for the worst, but I’m always hoping for the best.”