Month: August 2017

When Bruno Bernacchi received surgery at a young age, he was in awe of the nurses who tended to his care. 

After freaking out about an “embarrassing” injury, Bernacchi, a junior nursing major from Maui, Hawaii, said it was the nurses who calmed him down and distracted him with jokes. 

“I moved around a lot as a kid and had a lot of different doctors, and I knew the ones who were good doctors were surrounded by good nurses,” Bernacchi said. “The [hospitals] that I had a good experience at were largely because I had good nurses.”

When he was younger, Bernacchi thought about studying medicine, but he said it was just “too cold and cut.”

“Doctors treat an organ; nurses treat the person,” he said. 

After completing a CNA program and starting his first semester in the nursing program at Dixie State University this month, Bernacchi said he’s looking forward to becoming a nurse and being there for patients like nurses were for him growing up.

For Bernacchi, a typical week as a nursing student includes a 9 a.m. class on Tuesdays and Fridays that ends around 2 p.m., going to labs, and practicing and reviewing skills frequently.  Bernacchi and the other prospective nurses also learn through various hands-on experience like attending labs and getting to work with actual patients at care facilities.

“You’re not leaving here with only theoretical knowledge; you leave here with the abilities to do what you’ve been taught,” Bernacchi said. “You practice what you’ve been taught and use it in the field.”

Nursing allows you to connect more with patients, he said.

“My father is an engineer and for him, sometimes there’s a disconnect between a problem somebody has and what the solution is going to be because it’s not the same language (and) not the same experience between the two people working on it,” Bernacchi said. “And it’s the same thing for medicine. Sometimes you have patients that have a problem, and the doctors tell [patients] doctor language and they don’t understand it; they get frustrated.”

He’s working toward his associate of applied science in nursing, which is completed in three semesters at DSU. He plans on furthering his education after graduation in the registered nurse to Bachelor of Science nurse program at DSU, which is another three semesters and is all online classes.

Bernacchi said he wants to work in trauma at a hospital in a large city.

“I like the fast pace and the ever changing nature of [trauma],” he said. “With long-term care patients, you kind of know what’s happening, and you know it’s going to be a predictable thing. But in trauma, it’s something new every day [and] a new thing to overcome every day where you have to apply your skills.”

Unlike Bernacchi, Matt Certonio, a junior nursing major from Spanish Fork, is in his second year of DSU’s nursing program and hopes to one day assist in an operating room during surgeries. 

“I like that kind of stuff, just almost from the scientific view like anatomy and physiology,” Certonio said. 

Certonio said he plans on attending graduate school to become a nurse practitioner in critical care. 

Because DSU is a smaller university that only accepts 40 students for the program each fall and spring semester, Bernacchi said there are more opportunities to get to know your professors and have one-on-one time. Vicky O’Neil, department chair and associate professor of nursing, said between 100 and 125 students typically apply for the nursing program during each application period.

O’Neil said acceptance into the program depends on overall GPA, prerequisite nursing courses GPA, and pre-admission exam scores. She said the admissions committee used to require an interview and letters of recommendation but no longer require them. 

“Interviews are time extensive, and they can be very subjective,” O’Neil said. “Letters of recommendation are very subjective and as a general rule, all of them say ‘Oh, they’re the best candidate.’” 

O’Neil said DSU will offer a pre-licensure BSN starting fall 2018 semester, and students can start applying by spring semester. 

To learn more about DSU’s nursing program, visit health.dixie.edu.

Two new deans have arrived on campus to diversify and progress the library and learning services department and the health sciences department at Dixie State University.  

DSU welcomed Kelly Peterson-Fairchild, dean of the library and learning services department, as well as, Dr. Eliezer Bermudez, dean of the college of health sciences, over the summer. Both deans have had time to settle into their new atmosphere and are already working to help improve the university. 

Kelly Peterson-Fairchild

Kelly Peterson-Fairchild joined DSU from the Oregon Institute of Technology where she spent the last 14 years as the library services director. In regards to leaving her life in Oregon, and moving herself and her family to St. George, Peterson-Fairchild said she is certain St. George is where she needs to be, and this is a “new experience to do good.” She also said she wants to approach her job as dean the way she approaches life, “like an adventure.” 

According to a press release from DSU’s public relations office, Peterson-Fairchild said, “I am excited to be joining Dixie State University and to be part of the innovative work happening both on campus and in the library and learning services,” she also said. “I look forward to expanding on collaborations to integrate our services into the curriculum and improve student learning.”

Peterson-Fairchild has already started working to update the library with plans to create a keyed map that will sit in the library and give students specific information on the different resources the library has to offer. She also hopes to build a better collaboration among the student-help areas such as the tutoring center, the writing center and the library itself, making it easier for students to access every option available to them. 

This will also be accomplished through the use of the new keyed mad installation. 

Dr. Eliezer Bermudez

Dr. Eliezer Bermudez was interim dean of the college of health sciences at Indiana State University before coming to DSU and has over 22 years of experience in the health science field. Bermudez is originally from Puerto Rico and received a Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles. He, his husband Brad and their cat Dolly moved to St. George over the summer and have been exploring the many adventures St. George has to offer.

Bermudez said he has a lot of plans for the health science department. Bermudez said his department is the largest on campus in regards to the number of students, and he wants to see that number continue to grow. He would also like to see the program become more diverse and plans on working to make that happen in the years to come.  Bermudez said he would like to solidify the accreditation the program has been building since DSU switched from a college to a university, and he hopes to accomplish this by the end of his tenure. 

According to a press release from DSU’s public relations office, Bermudez said, “these are exciting times to be involved in the health sciences at Dixie State University,” he said. “The College offers a broad array of health and human performance programs, many of which are accredited. We are starting new academic health programs to offer bachelor and master level degrees in the health fields. This is a college that will continue to grow in terms of students, faculty and academic programs.”

Both of the new deans have an open-door policy and said they are excited to start getting to know their students. Peterson-Fairchild and Bermudez both said they want to help students navigate through school as best they can, and are excited to get to know the student body better as the year progresses. 

Fall semester marks the end of summer, the beginning of another four months of classes, and a brand-new maze to navigate. 

For incoming and returning students alike, August through December may seem daunting. Most students have been in summer mode for three months, and it can be difficult to get back into the swing of things. For some, it is their first semester at Dixie State University or their first time away from home.

The most common mistake freshmen make during their first semester is thinking college is just another version of high school but on a larger scale, General Education Adviser Rose Hill said. Many students don’t realize how heavy the class load is or how much time they’ll spend outside of class studying.

Hill tells the students she advises, “You’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Kacey Brazzeal, a non-degree seeking business administration major from St. George, said the one thing he wishes he’d known before he started college is how much harder it is compared to high school. Underestimating the amount of work and the level of difficulty of his classes, he took 21 credits in his first semester and ended up doing poorly in most of them.

“I am not going to do that again,” he said.

There are a few tips Hill gives to new students, especially those who are moving to a new place. She suggests foremost, that students get to know their professors. They should be the first point of contact when it comes to questions about studies. 

Next, know key deadlines and due dates, not only for assignments, but registration deadlines as well. It’s common for students to realize after a few weeks that they want to drop a class; however, some wait too long to drop it and end up incurring fees they now have to pay on top of tuition. But if you know your advisers and talk to them, it can easily be avoided. Advisers know what classes are needed for each major and can help avoid those fees.  

Knowing where your resources are can also help you succeed. DSU has many resources available, such as the writing center and the tutoring center. These resources are there for students to take advantage of, but many people skip out on them, Hill said. 

“I think there is a perception that if you ask for help, you’re stupid or you’re an idiot,” she said. “But that’s not the case. We pay for these services with your student fees, so they literally work for you, if you think about it. You’re paying these tutors to help you, but yet you’re not utilizing them because of a perception?”

Hill also advises students to join or form their own study groups. It’s helpful to ask your professors about study groups so they can help you find one or help you form one. It is important that you get to know your classmates as well. Not only can you use them as a resource to help study for classes, but your classmates will most likely be your future colleagues and can help you network in the workforce, Hill said.

She also emphasized getting to know oneself. To know oneself is to know your strengths and limitations, when and where you study best, what’s best for your health, budget and more.

There are a lot of distractions in the fall semester, and as a result, it can sometimes be more challenging than spring semester to some. Madison Brostrom, a general education academic adviser, said there are many other activities in the fall. Whether it’s homecoming, football season or hunting season, there are many distractions that can get in the way, so it’s important that you maintain a balance between studies and fun.

On top of the transition from high school to college, for some, it will be their first time living in a new place or without their parents.

“Homesickness is a very real thing,” Hill said. “You are not alone. We have all gone through these feelings and all tried to adapt and adjust.”

When being away from home gets hard, Brostrom said students should remember to have fun. Get involved and find something you enjoy. It can be school activities, a club, or a fun class, like rock climbing. Brostrom also said to make sure to get enough sleep, which is something that college students often forget.

Living with roommates is yet another challenge to face. When it comes to roommates, Brazzeal recommends staying clean and avoiding passive aggressiveness. If there’s something wrong, just talk to your roommates, he said. Be up front with one another, and things will go much smoother. Your roommates can either be some of your best friends or they can be your enemies. What dictates it is how you interact with them and how you handle disagreements.

Overall, Hill advises students to find their authentic self and be true to themselves. Whatever major that may be, or whatever path it may take you down, you have to be true to you. At the end of the day, do what will make you happy, Hill said.

“Be kind to yourself, there’s just too much pressure in life already,” she said. “It is a marathon, not a race. Don’t feel like you’ve got to figure it out right now, it will come over time.”