Guest speakers discuss home health careers with VGCC Nursing students
Vance-Granville Community College Practical Nursing students recently learned more about the home health career field from representatives of Well Care Home Health, who visited the college’s Main Campus in late July.
The company, based in Wilmington, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. “Well Care is a unique company in providing home health,” Clinical Coordinator Mary O’Shea, a registered nurse, told the students. “It is an independent, family-owned business that is not affiliated with a major hospital, and it’s one of the few five-star-rated quality home health agencies in the state.” O’Shea said Well Care has grown dramatically over the years and now serves 42 counties in North Carolina, including the VGCC service area. “It’s awesome to be part of an organization that strives for excellence all the time,” O’Shea added. 
O’Shea said she could identify with the students, who were close to graduating, recalling that she graduated from the Watts School of Nursing in Durham. “I admire you guys for sticking with it,” she told them. “Nursing has given me a great career over 25 years, and I’ve always been able to find a job that allowed me to fulfill my family responsibilities. I don’t know a lot of professions could say that they did that.” O’Shea said that about half of her career has been in the home health field. “Home health is a really unique animal,” she said. “There isn’t another part of nursing where you go into someone’s home, where you’re invited into their home.”
She explained that Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) “have a vital role in the home health world” and often perform tasks, such as complicated wound dressings, that only registered nurses would perform in a hospital setting. O’Shea noted that Well Care home health nurses generally see each patient three times a week. “You arrange your schedule for each day’s various home visits, and are paid per visit,” she said.
Next, Well Care Human Resources Recruiter Kendra Dillingham addressed students and offered tips on obtaining jobs, including interviews, resumes and communicating with potential employers, as well as specific details about careers at her company. She said that one of the advantages of a home health career is that nurses have opportunities to get to know their patients very well. “Something I love about the health care community is that you all have so many opportunities to switch types of work and types of patients you work with,” Dillingham said. She added that computer skills are important for employment as a Well Care nurse because her company uses electronic medical records “100 percent.”
The three-semester VGCC Practical Nursing diploma program prepares individuals to provide nursing care to meet the health care needs of the individual throughout their lifespan. The role of the LPN is a dependent role under the supervision of the registered nurse (RN) and other health-care providers approved by North Carolina law. Graduates of the program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), which is required for practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Employment opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation/long term care/home health facilities, clinics, and physicians’ offices. For more information, contact VGCC Nursing Department Chair Erica Jastrow at jastrowe@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3457.
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VGCC schedules Sewing class at Main Campus
Vance-Granville Community College will soon offer a “Beginning Sewing” class on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The course, taught by Carol Montague of Oxford, is scheduled to be held on Monday evenings from 6-9 p.m., Sept. 11 through Nov. 27, in room 5203 (Building 5).
Sewing has always been a part of Carol Montague’s life. From the time she was very young, she remembers taking naps under her father’s work table. He was a canvas awning maker, cutting and sewing his work on a large, room-sized table. In 2002, she opened her business, called Hen and Chicks Sewing School. Both adults and children have benefitted from her classes, taught at her home and at the Oxford Housing Authority. She has also held numerous fashion shows at assisted living facilities, churches, her home, and the Oxford Housing Authority. Montague enjoys having her students give back to the community by donating hand-made items to the Durham Ronald McDonald House, making dresses for children for Haiti and comfort caps for cancer patients.
Montague believes in equipping the current generation with skills that have become too often ignored. “The value of sewing for yourself and others comes in many forms,” she said. “Unique and personalized gifts, clothing alteration, hard-to-find modest clothing, wearability, and one-of-a-kind clothing and crafts are just a few of the many advantages of learning to sew.”
Sewing is a life-skill, she added. “Adults learn drafting design skills by making or adjusting their own patterns, cutting skills, the value of precision work and how to combine color,” Montague said. “Students will be able to identify quality craftsmanship in ready-to-wear garments and spot hastily-made clothing fashioned out of cheap materials. They will be able to repair purchased items that need ‘fixing.’ Many have made a business out of the skill of sewing.”
The cost of the class is $80. Students will need to provide their own materials, a list of which will be provided. The deadline to register is Sept. 4.
Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/personal-enrichment or at any VGCC campus. For more information, contact Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu.
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VGCC ranked in top 20 online colleges in North Carolina
A national organization has recognized Vance-Granville Community College as one of the top 20 colleges in North Carolina offering online programs. California-based OnlineColleges.com ranked VGCC 19th on a list that included both two-year and four-year institutions of higher learning. Among just the two-year colleges, VGCC ranked tenth-highest.
“Focusing on affordability, student services, and the availability of online programs, we used the most recent government data to evaluate colleges and universities across the country,” said OnlineColleges.com representative Kelly Rivett of the way in which her organization ranks institutions. The website reported that 52.9% of VGCC students took some or all of their courses online, according to data collected in 2015.
OnlineColleges.com is a resource for people who want reliable information about online colleges and degree programs. Its stated mission is “to empower students with knowledge about distance education.” Interactive tools on the website allow students to filter close to 3,000 colleges by state, tuition, school type, military benefits and religious affiliation.
VGCC has expanded its online course offerings in recent years. In 2015, the college launched the VOLT (Vanguard Online Learning through Technology) initiative, primarily with working adults in mind. Through VOLT, six two-year degree programs are now offered 100-percent online — Associate in Arts and Associate in Science (both also known as “College Transfer”), Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Medical Office Administration – Coding Specialist, and Supply Chain Management. In addition, students can take online courses in combination with traditional face-to-face courses to complete any VGCC degree program.
A number of 12-week online classes will begin on Sept. 12. For more information on enrollment, call VGCC at (252) 738-3330 or visit www.vgcc.edu.
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VGCC students inducted into NC A&T Nursing partnership program
GREENSBORO — Eleven Vance-Granville Community College students were formally inducted into the North Carolina Piedmont “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN) program in a ceremony on Aug. 4 at North Carolina A&T State University’s Union Square Campus in Greensboro. RIBN is a partnership involving the university, VGCC, Davidson County Community College and Guilford Technical Community College.
At the induction ceremony, the A&T School of Nursing welcomed students from VGCC and the other community colleges who will be simultaneously enrolled at the university. RIBN students earn associate’s degrees in nursing over three years (while also taking A&T courses online) and then continue for one year of additional courses at A&T required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
This year’s inductees from VGCC included Caliegh Katz and Sarah Riley, both of Creedmoor; Chiatyra Turner of Ebony, Va.; Henrry Reboccar-Miguel and Alexis Williams, both of Franklinton; Nigoria Alston and Dawson Peoples, both of Henderson; Rachel Spall of Kittrell; Jessica Morris of Oxford; Kati Hand of Wilton; and Joshua Miller of Zebulon.
Erica Jastrow, the Nursing department chair for VGCC, pinned a “RIBN ribbon” on each of the college’s student inductees as part of the ceremony, while Academic/Career Coach Seletha Pherribo read a brief biography of each one.
With 11 out of the 18 students selected for this year’s cohort, VGCC had more inductees than the other two community colleges in the partnership, combined. In 2016, the first year of the RIBN partnership, the initial cohort consisted of three students, one from each community college.
The North Carolina Piedmont RIBN initiative is one of nine such partnerships that have been launched in North Carolina since 2008 under the direction of the Foundation for Nursing Excellence (FFNE) to increase the educational preparation of North Carolina’s nursing workforce.
VGCC Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Levy Brown was on hand for the ceremony and made brief remarks. “Students, we are very proud of you for taking this huge step,” Brown said. He encouraged the inductees to maintain their current levels of “enthusiasm, commitment and persistence” in order to be successful.
In closing remarks, Dr. Terry Ward, director of the A&T School of Nursing, applauded the students and said she was excited by the diversity that they represent. She also recalled that she started her own education at a community college, but there was nothing like RIBN at that time to help create a straightforward pathway to completing a bachelor’s degree. “We have developed a program which will allow you to move down this path of higher education seamlessly, setting you up for the awesome success that you desire,” Ward said. Using the metaphor of tying a ribbon, she added, “Today represents you tying yourselves together with us and with your colleagues to meet the needs in our communities for nurses. You are the future of nursing.”
In addition to RIBN, VGCC has a partnership with A&T to allow graduates of its Associate Degree Nursing program to transition easily to the university’s four-year Bachelor’s program. For more information about Nursing at VGCC and bachelor’s degree options, contact academic/career coach Seletha Pherribo at (252) 738-3518 or instructor Heather Wilson at (252) 738-3393.
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VGCC offers Business Accelerator course for entrepreneurs
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is offering a new six-part course, “From Idea to Open: The Business Accelerator,” on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting Sept. 9, in Building 7 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.
The instructor for the course will be Chisa Pennix-Brown, CEO of Lady Bizness, based in Greensboro. Pennix-Brown has over 15 years of experience in business coaching, community outreach, and social media insight. She holds a master’s of business administration (MBA) degree and has served as president of the Piedmont Triad Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. She helps to reassess strategic priorities and develop a clear plan of action contributes to leadership effectiveness and improved performance for executives and CEOs of businesses.
“Opening a business takes a lot of energy and planning,” Pennix-Brown said. “For those that have a great idea and want to turn it into a business to make money with immediate results, they need a program that is geared to go from ‘Idea to Open’ in a short amount of time.” Pennix-Brown said that the Business Accelerator is a specially-designed, “boot camp-style” course for serious entrepreneurs.
Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive a Business Accelerator Certification and “can expect to have a completed strategic, financial, marketing, and business plan,” she added. “This program is unique as attendees will have one-on-one access with professionals in the legal, accounting, insurance, financial, graphic design, and marketing industries to complete their business vision.”
Classes are scheduled for Sept. 9, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Nov. 4 and Nov. 18.
The cost of the course is $70.
Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center. The deadline to register is Aug. 29.
For more information, contact Tanya Weary at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.
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Water Main Break on Raleigh Road near First Street
There is a 12” water main break on Raleigh Road near First Street. Customers along this area and streets off of Raleigh Road may experience little to no water pressure. Crews are working to make the repair; however, until the broken water main is fully exposed there is not enough information available to determine the time frame in which the water will be turned back on. As soon as this information is available we will update this announcement.