This February, a $105,000 Special Program State of California Song-Brown grant was awarded to PLNU’s School of Nursing. Song-Brown grants are offered through the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the Healthcare Workforce Training Act.  

Thirty-four California nursing programs applied, with two categories available: Capitation and Special Programs. The PLNU School of Nursing Special Programs grant was ranked 7th out of 17 awarded, with commendation for community involvement and a quality program.

The Song-Brown Special Programs grant will be used to purchase high fidelity, computer controlled simulation mannequins for the PLNU Nursing Skills Lab.   

“I think that we are most looking forward to providing our nursing students with learning opportunities that include the state of the art technology that high fidelity mannequins offer,” said Dr. Barb Taylor, dean of PLNU’s School of Nursing. “Students will get to practice their skills and knowledge with these mannequins in a safe environment that is as close to ‘real’ as we can get.”

This competitive Song-Brown grant is focused on nursing programs that are successful in:

• Placing individuals in medically underserved areas
• Attracting and admitting members of minority groups to the program
• Attracting and admitting individuals who were former residents of medically underserved areas and locating the program in medically underserved areas

For context the PLNU School of Nursing data demonstrated that:

• 73 percent of PLNU graduates serve in a Registered Nurse Shortage area (http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/General_Info/MSSA/RNSA_Map.pdf) 
• 34 percent of PLNU students are from underrepresented minorities
• 100 percent of PLNU clinical sites are in medically underserved and Registered Nurse shortage areas
• Faculty diversity mirrors student diversity
• National Licensing Examination (NCLEX) pass rates were greater than 93 percent for the past five years

All clinical courses have a community component with clinical sites located at:

• The Lemon Grove Care and Rehab, where students focus on gerontology and rehab
• The San Diego Unified School District, partnering with a family nurse practitioner implementing the CalSafe program to meet the health education needs of pregnant high school students and their children
• Welcome Home Ministries, working with incarcerated women transitioning back to civilian life
• Bayview Club, an outpatient mental health setting, working with this marginalized population 
• Continued work with the Mid-City Health Promotion Center, where we provide health education and health screening to the uninsured members of the City Heights community. In 2011, over 560 patients were seen.

PRESS RELEASE
Point Loma Nazarene University
Contact: Julie McKibben
Point TV: Channel 23 Marketing & Promotions Mgr.
Advisor: Alan Hueth (619) 849-2358
Date: February 10, 2012
Written by: Julie McKibben

Point-TV Adds New Shows to Channel 23
 With every new semester there are changes being made.  Every course, group, and medium at PLNU has room for improvement that will help spice up their class, organization, and product.  And PLNU’s broadcast journalism and media communication majors are doing just that in their COM 425 class by adding a couple of new shows to the Point TV, cable channel 23 line-up.

 One show that started last year is called the Sixty-Second Challenge. 
“These are short, one minute films that tell a complete story,” said Leah Murphy, Point TV’s station manager. The Sixty-Second Challenge films are mostly produced by the students who have an emphasis in film studies, however, even some of our broadcast journalism students are getting involved. 
Murphy said, “they are really fun because there are a lot of ways you can be creative.”

 Is He in You, is an idea proposed by the Point TV advisor Dr. Alan Hueth.  Its purpose:  to create short documentary-like scenes (30-seconds to one-minute) which show students involved in some common-to-PLNU-students conflict.  This title of “Is He is in You” plays off the Gatorade slogan, “Is It in You.” 
“The idea is based on the assumption that we (students and faculty) all struggle with conflict, and the perpetual question is: how do we handle it?  Do we allow Christ to take over our attitudes and behaviors at those times, or do we respond in the flesh?”   Hueth said. 

 “These scenes will be a reminder to all of us of our weakness in the flesh, and our need for Christ every moment of every day,” said Hueth.
Another show, which has been a regular on Point TV for the past five years or so is The Beat—which will showcase PLNU international studies, revealing who, what, when, where, why and how’s of getting involved in international study programs while at PLNU. 

The documentary show, Journeys—will be taking the PLNU community into the world of pornography addiction, exploring the problems and horrors of this fatal addiction.  Students bravely took on this topic in a half-hour episode of The Beat, last semester and the plan is to build on this work and create a documentary on this subject.
 The Point TV staples will continue this semester.  They include: Reel Students, a show that interviews film makers and showcases their most recent films; Acoustic Showcase, showcasing talented PLNU music composers and performers on campus; PLNU’s reality dating show, Loma Lovin’; PLNU’s bi-weekly live newscast, Coastline News with San Diego wide, nation wide and international stories.

 Even though some of the shows being produced are old ideas, “it is up to the producers on where they go with it,” said Murphy. And this year Murphy said there is a lot of fresh talent behind and in front of the camera who can take the shows in newer directions and, hopefully, continue to strive to create higher quality productions.