Indiana Nursing Schools Degrees & Careers

1. Few in the class know how to write in cursive.

2. Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail.

3. "Go West, Young College Grad” has always implied "and don’t stop until you get to Asia…and learn Chinese along the way.”

4. Al Gore has always been animated.

5. Los Angelenos have always been trying to get along.

6. Buffy has always been meeting her obligations to hunt down Lothos and the other blood-suckers at Hemery High.

7. "Caramel macchiato” and "venti half-caf vanilla latte” have always been street corner lingo.

8. With increasing numbers of ramps, Braille signs, and handicapped parking spaces, the world has always been trying harder to accommodate people with disabilities.

9. Had it remained operational, the villainous computer HAL could be their college classmate this fall, but they have a better chance of running into Miley Cyrus’s folks on Parents’ Weekend.

10. A quarter of the class has at least one immigrant parent, and the immigration debate is not a big priority…unless it involves "real” aliens from another planet.

11. John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.

12. Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.

13. Parents and teachers feared that Beavis and Butt-head might be the voice of a lost generation.

14. Doctor Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.

15. Colorful lapel ribbons have always been worn to indicate support for a cause.

16. Korean cars have always been a staple on American highways.

17. Trading Chocolate the Moose for Patti the Platypus helped build their Beanie Baby collection.

18. Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.

19. They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.

20. DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed.

21. Woody Allen, whose heart has wanted what it wanted, has always been with Soon-Yi Previn.

22. Cross-burning has always been deemed protected speech.

23. Leasing has always allowed the folks to upgrade their tastes in cars.

24. "Cop Killer” by rapper Ice-T has never been available on a recording.

25. Leno and Letterman have always been trading insults on opposing networks.

26. Unless they found one in their grandparents’ closet, they have never seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.

27. Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.

28. They’ve never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.

29. Reggie Jackson has always been enshrined in Cooperstown.

30. "Viewer Discretion” has always been an available warning on TV shows.

31. The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum.

32. Czechoslovakia has never existed.

33. Second-hand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.

34. "Assisted Living” has always been replacing nursing homes, while Hospice has always been an alternative to hospitals.

35. Once they got through security, going to the airport has always resembled going to the mall.

36. Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones.

37. Whatever their parents may have thought about the year they were born, Queen Elizabeth declared it an "Annus Horribilis.”

38. Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

39. Pizza jockeys from Domino’s have never killed themselves to get your pizza there in under 30 minutes.

40. There have always been HIV positive athletes in the Olympics.

41. American companies have always done business in Vietnam.

42. Potato has always ended in an "e” in New Jersey per vice presidential edict.

43. Russians and Americans have always been living together in space.

44. The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.

45. They have always had a chance to do community service with local and federal programs to earn money for college.

46. Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.

47. Children have always been trying to divorce their parents.

48. Someone has always gotten married in space.

49. While they were babbling in strollers, there was already a female Poet Laureate of the United States.

50. Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.

51. Food has always been irradiated.

52. There have always been women priests in the Anglican Church.

53. J.R. Ewing has always been dead and gone. Hasn’t he?

54. The historic bridge at Mostar in Bosnia has always been a copy.

55. Rock bands have always played at presidential inaugural parties.

56. They may have assumed that parents’ complaints about Black Monday had to do with punk rockers from L.A., not Wall Street.

57. A purple dinosaur has always supplanted Barney Google and Barney Fife.

58. Beethoven has always been a dog.

59. By the time their folks might have noticed Coca Cola’s new Tab Clear, it was gone.

60. Walmart has never sold handguns over the counter in the lower 48.

61. Presidential appointees have always been required to be more precise about paying their nannies’ withholding tax, or else.

62. Having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine.

63. Their parents’ favorite TV sitcoms have always been showing up as movies.

64. The U.S, Canada, and Mexico have always agreed to trade freely.

65. They first met Michelangelo when he was just a computer virus.

66. Galileo is forgiven and welcome back into the Roman Catholic Church.

67. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has always sat on the Supreme Court.

68. They have never worried about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.

69. The Post Office has always been going broke.

70. The artist formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg has always been rapping.

71. The nation has never approved of the job Congress is doing.

72. One way or another, "It’s the economy, stupid” and always has been.

73. Silicone-gel breast implants have always been regulated.

74. They’ve always been able to blast off with the Sci-Fi Channel.

A recent article on Pharmabiz.com highlighted what many already know: healthcare jobs will continue to grow at a brisk pace...even in India.  Despite a shortage of properly trained human capital, jobs in the healthcare sector in India will grow at a 15% rate per year, according to the Pharmabiz.com article.  This trend is similar to the growth of healthcare jobs in the United States. 

Institutions such as Harrison College are addressing the need for healthcare jobs in the United States by continuing to offer and improve programs in Health Care Management, Therapeutic and Clinical Massage, Nursing, Surgical Technology, Occupational Medical Spanish, Medical Laboratory Technology and Medical Assistant.  In fact, Harrison College will be offering its Medical Assistant program in both on-ground and online delivery methods in September 2010.

To learn more about the excellent healthcare based programs offered at Harrison College, please contact one of our admission representatives.

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus student Ashley Carlock. Ashley is pursuing a degree in Medical Assistant and is nearing the end of her program.

Ashley started classes in 2006 but left to attend another college 9 months into her program. I remembered her leaving and asked her why she left and why she came back to complete her degree in 2009. Here is a little bit of what she shared with me in regards to her decision.

"I left because I thought that I could get the same education for less money. What I found was that there is a lot more to a college education than the cost. I found that many of the classes I took at the other college had 35 to 40 students in them. I realized how much I valued the small class sizes at Harrison College because I like the personal attention I could get from my instructors when I didn’t have to compete with so many other students for their attention. At one point I had to have surgery, and it really seemed like the teachers did not want to recognize that real life happens. I know at Harrison College I would have been treated better during that difficult time and that the staff and faculty would have had suggestions on how I could overcome some of the obstacles I faced to be more successful. I also missed the one-on-one financial aid I received at Harrison College. There came a point when I really just had to stop and think about what kind of environment was going to allow me to learn better and reach my career goal. That environment is exactly what I had at Harrison College so it made sense to come back to complete my degree. I realized that the value I found at Harrison College was service, quality eduction, and a degree faster so that I could go out and work in the medical field sooner. That is worth so much to me.”

Ashley is a new mom and takes a lot of pride in the fact that she has been able to spend the quality time with her son, Lucas, hold down a part-time job, and continue her education.  She is proud to be a role model for her family and looks forward to a career working in a local physician’s office before returning to college to pursue an RN degree after she has some working experience in the medical field.
 

Have you ever heard the phrase “make your passion your profession?” If I were a betting man, I’d wager that you have. The reason you have heard it is because it is good, sound advice. You’re supposed to think of the thing that you enjoy doing most in the world and make a career of it. Sounds simple right? Not so much. The world seems to be turning faster and faster, leaving us fewer hours in the day and leading us to wonder, “Where did time go?” We’re consumed with the responsibilities of work and family and, as a result, we’re left with less time to think about (and actually do) the things we’re most passionate about. If you’re in a similar position, and are struggling to find the thing you are most passionate about, consider these tips.

1. What do you love to do?

Do you have a hobby, or something you love doing in your free time? When you were a child did you love animals and dream about going through veterinary technology training? Did you enjoy playing video games and working with computers? Spend a few minutes brainstorming your hobbies and write them down. Then research the possibility of making money doing them, and determine which ones could lead to a career.

2. Ask your friends and family for their opinion.

You might be amazed at the responses you get when you ask your friends and family for their opinions. They’re usually willing to give honest, open appraisals, and many times they’ll give you a suggestion that you hadn't previously considered. They know you as well as anyone. Let them use that knowledge to help point you in the right direction.

3. Research, research, and research some more.

Once you’ve come up with a few ideas, start researching them. The Internet is an amazing resource. Use it to help you determine what types of jobs are available, the amount of training you may need, and how much money you can expect to earn in that field.

If you decide that achieving your dream will require additional education and training, then Harrison College may have the exact the program you need. From business and information technology to nursing and culinary arts, there are many ways we can help you make your passion your profession.

Once you’ve determined what it is you’re most passionate about, give it a try and don’t stop! Success is not easy and it’s not guaranteed. Even the most successful people have many more failures than victories. The key is to keep trying and don’t give up! 

                                            Marissa Werling, a student at Harrison College, formerly Indiana Business College, is currently taking classes to earn her Surgical Technology Degree. She works part-time in the Learning Resource Center at the Fort Wayne college as a work-study student, allowing her to have a flexible work schedule while attending classes. I asked her to write about a recent experience she had when she participated in a job-shadowing exercise at a local hospital. This is what she had to say about her hands-on experience:

As a Surgical Technology student at Harrison College, I had the opportunity to shadow a practicing Surgical Technologist (ST) and observe surgery at Dupont Hospital. After changing into scrubs, I was taken into the operating room (OR) where a surgery called an Elevated Mesh Lift procedure was going to be performed. The ST showed me how to set up and prepare for the surgery. She explained to me from start to finish what my job as a ST would entail: preparing the instruments and items used for surgery and how to pass surgical instruments to the surgeon. I was amazed on how much preparation and organization it takes to set up for a minor procedure. She also took me on a tour of the central supply room, decontamination room and equipment room.

As the patient entered the room, the ST introduced herself and the anesthesiologist prepared the patient for surgery. After the patient was asleep, the circulating nurse paged the surgeon to the OR. This surgery involved anchoring various muscles in the lower body of the patient so that she would have additional support. The surgeon explained that the patient is a vegetarian and due to absence of protein in her diet and also having given birth to large babies, the patient required this surgery in order to increase the quality of her life. I was able to watch the entire procedure and was grateful for an opportunity to experience what my job as a Surgical Technologist would be like


 

What is a career college? I get this question often when speaking with high school students and non-traditional students looking for adult education programs that will aid in career advancement. Harrison College is an Indiana career college. Being a graduate and an employee, I feel I can give you the basics on what makes career colleges different and why that difference is exactly what many students are looking for today.

Career colleges offer education that is related to specific careers and fields of study. This education is designed to assist the graduate in finding a career position—not just another “job.”

Most career colleges are owned and operated by individuals, private investors, or public corporations. They pay taxes yet receive no direct financial support form the state.

Career colleges are accredited. Accreditation simply means that the college is held to high quality standards in academics and sometimes in career placement of graduates. Accreditation means that the degree the graduate receives is WORTHY of the hard work and investment the student made. Accreditation can be both national and regional.  Note: always check to make sure the college you are interested in attending is accredited. You want to get your monies worth--so ask them about their accreditation and then research it online.

Career colleges focus on the needs of both students and employers! Often there is an atmosphere of service for the students—making it that much easier to achieve a degree while still maintaining family, work, and other life-obligations. Many career colleges like Harrison College also use Advisory Boards made up of local professionals and business owners. This allows the college to stay on track with what is needed by local employers--making graduates that much more prepared and employable!

Harrison College is an Indiana accredited college that offers degrees in the following areas:

• Medical Assistant
• Criminal Justice
• Massage
• Health Care Management
• Finance
• Business Marketing and Management
• Help Desk
• Human Resources
• Nursing
• Network Administration
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Laboratory Technology
• Fashion Merchandising
• Systems Administrator
• Veterinary Technology

For a complete listing of degrees offered at Harrison College, click here.

For more information on how career colleges are meeting the needs of the 21st Century Workforce, check out this video or visit the Career College Association site.

I had the pleasure of attending Harrison College's Indianapolis East campus Advisory Board meeting recently.  The Indianapolis East campus focuses on Indiana Nursing School Degrees and Careers.  The Advisory Board meeting brought in many industry experts from those that work with professionals holding surgical technology degrees to those working with medical reimbursement specialists.  One of the highlights of the meeting was learning that one of our recent graduates recently landed a massage career with the Indianapolis Indians, and this person was the first massage therapist ever hired by Indians' organization.

Some other exciting news that was revealed at the meeting was that the Indiana Board of Nursing recently completed their final visit of the Indianapolis East campus and granted Harrison College full approval for its Nursing program.  Additionally, a simulation lab has been set up at the Indianapolis East campus that will utilize a 3G manikin to simulate an actual physician's office.  Lastly, the Learning Resource Center at the campus has made significant upgrades to add new collections, online databases, e-books, DVDs and documentaries for all of the campuses programs.

If you are interested in learning more about any of the nursing degrees or massage programs available at Harrison College, please visit our website at www.harrison.edu.

Recently, the Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus submitted the following nominations for the Indiana INTERNnet IMPACT Award. The IMPACT Award is given in recognition of the hard work career services professionals, students and intern sits do to prepare students for successful careers after graduation. Below are the nomination we have submitted. The first nomination is for a student, Brenda Cox, and the second, for our Medical Program Coordinator, Kim Bricker-Brown.

 

Outstanding Intern Nomination--Submitted by Kim Bricker-Brown

Brenda Cox, a current Medical Assistant student completing her education at Harrison College and a 160-hour internship at Sandcrest Family Medicine has continually demonstrated superior leadership skills and professionalism.

After completing just 4 weeks of the externship experience she secured a position with the practice. Her employer noted that Brenda is always willing to learn new tasks and displays  an overall enthusiasm for both the externship experience and her new position.

In the classroom, Brenda is an extraordinary leader and mentor to her fellow students. She comes to class ready to learn, participates actively in discussions and assignments, and is always willing to lend a hand. She has always been willing to participate in volunteer opportunities such as a recent Health and Wellness Clinic at Rock Tenn Company in Columbus.

Having completing a recent course at another Harrison College campus, her instructor made a point to inform us that she was one of the best students she had ever had the pleasure to have in class. This comes to no surprise to one of her instructors at the Columbus Campus who remembers that Brenda would often go the extra mile to excel in her coursework and strives for perfection.

Most recently, Brenda had the opportunity to demonstrate her skills and capabilities as a medical professional when a classmate was involved in a car accident. She sprung into action to assist the driver of the vehicle, securing both the vehicle and the victim until emergency response personnel arrived on the scene. Brenda maintained both poise and confidence as she calmed the victim. She communicated effectively with emergency personnel both on the scene and when she took it upon herself to follow up with her classmate in the ER.

Outstanding Career Services Professional Nomination-Submitted by Jeanni Urbahns

I have nominated Kim Bricker-Brown, the Medical Program Coordinator (MPC) at the Harrison College, formerly Indiana Business College (IBC), campus in Columbus, Indiana, . 

Kim Bricker-Brown is the head of our Medical Assistant (MA) externship program. Every MA student is required to complete a 160 hour externship in a physician’s office. Every quarter Kim is busy making contacts and building relationships in the medical community in order to secure and support the MA externship program. Here are just a few examples of the effort she puts into the internship program.

• Kim provides every medical assistant student with information about the required externship from the moment they begin classes.
• Focus on the end career goal is maintained throughout the two-year, Associate of Applied Science degree program.
• Students are held accountable for their educational and professional progress.
• Students are given many opportunities to plan and prepare for their externship experiences. Many students live outside of the Columbus area; they are given additional support when seeking externships closer to their homes.
• If a proposed intern site has not had prior experience with the Harrison College MA externship programs, Kim will make an appointment to sit down with them face-to-face to explain all aspects.
• Kim makes quarterly site visits to check on the progress of each extern.
• Kim uses site feedback to strengthen the MA program and to assist externs on an individual basis.

In the end, the comments of our extern site managers lead me to feel that Kim would be an excellent candidate for the INTERNnet IMPACT Award for Outstanding Career Services Professional.


Chris Armuth, Office Manager, Nashville Family Medicine, Nashville, Indiana

“I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased we are that we participated in you MA externship program. In 2008, we decided for the first time, to take on a Medical Assistant extern. She turned out to be an excellent student, who was willing to learn anything we were willing to teach. She ended up being someone that we hired with a great attitude and work skills. We couldn’t be happier with our new employee. Thank you for sending her our way and we look forward to working with you in the future.”

Trish Huffman, RN, Internal Medicine Associates, Columbus, Indiana

“Internal Medicine Associates has had the opportunity within the past year to have had three students from Indiana Business College (IBC). We also had a student extern from another college.

With having students from two different colleges, I have to say I am more impressed with the students from IBC. Students from IBC seemed more prepared and eager to do tasks at hand of a Medical Assistant. I would often have to remind myself that they were not on the payroll!
I can say that we have hired 2 out of the 3 students from IBC this past year. I would recommend this program to anyone.”

“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Adams

The following was written by Vene Bartlett, a student at the Harrison College Columbus, Indiana campus. Thank you, Vene, for sharing your this with us all.


No matter how old they are, one of my favorite things to do is hold my grandchildren on my lap and rock them, just as my grandmother once did to me, slowly back and forth while patting their little legs in a steady rhythm. What a comfort it had been for me as a child and here I find myself passing it along to a new generation. What an example my grandmother was to me! And now, I find my grandson, Malik, only three years old, patting my arm or back the same way. I find great pleasure in thinking that my great grandchildren and their children who follow will find the same comfort that I felt as a child.

Sometimes I sit and think about the impact that my life has on my grandchildren and the example I am setting for them in word and deed. One value I plan to pass along to future generations is the belief that a college education is a priority.

You see, we are a family of adult learners who value education at any age. Dave Bartlett, AKA “Grandpa”, is currently a student at Harrison College’s distance learning program in pursuit of a network administration career. I am a student at Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus taking day classes that will assist me in a career as a medical reimbursement specialist.
My oldest daughter, Megan, is a student at Harrison also. She attends classes at night. My youngest daughter, Amy is a registered nurse and is currently teaching at the campus at nights.

I know that our belief in education will impact generations to come. As a mother and grandmother, I have always stressed the importance of studying hard and doing your personal best in school, but as adult education program student, I, and the rest of the adults in my family, have put this belief into action and become a living example of what education can do. We have become living examples to the children.

If you are an adult learner and experiencing days when you think you just can’t do it anymore, ask yourself what kind of an example am I setting for my family and remember the power you have to make a positive impact on the ones around you.

I am happy to report that my ten year old granddaughter, Makala, is already planning her college education at Harrison College.

Medical Assisting is a hot career choice in today’s job market. Careers in medical assistant positions are in high demand as Baby Boomers enter into their retirement years.
 

Harrison College, formerly Indiana Business College, has recognized the importance of educating skilled medical assistants for many years. In fact, Harrison College was the first of the Columbus Indiana colleges to offer medical assisting as an Associate of Applied Science degree. We were also the first in town to offer a program recognized by The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
 

All of the medical assistant student participate in an Externship during their final quarter. This experience allows them to put into practice the many healthcare skills they are trained to perform. The students are expected to complete 160 hours of training as a physician’s office where they assist in treatment of patients and front office procedures. 
 

As the Medical Program Coordinator for the Columbus, Indiana college campus, Kim Bricker-Brown, CMA (AAMA), conducts performance evaluations for every student as they complete their externship. Here are just a few comments Kim received recently while talking with employers about our medical assisting students.

 

Cathy Murray, Manager, Batesville Urgent Care, Batesville, Indiana

“I believe that IBC has sent us great students. They seem to be well prepared for the extern sites and the workplace as well. All of the students sent to us from IBC are very motivated, friendly, and energetic individuals who are ready to learn everything they can while at our site. We enjoy having the students at our sites and find having the students a great learning experience for us as well!”

Chris Armuth, Office Manager, Nashville Family Medicine, Nashville, Indiana

“I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased we are that we participated in you MA externship program. In 2008, we decided for the first time, to take on a Medical Assistant extern. She turned out to be an excellent student, who was willing to learn anything we were willing to teach. She ended up being someone that we hired with a great attitude and work skills. We couldn’t be happier with our new employee. Thank you for sending her our way and we look forward to working with you in the future.”

Trish Huffman, RN, Internal Medicine Associates, Columbus, Indiana

“Internal Medicine Associates has had the opportunity within the past year to have had three students from Indiana Business College (IBC). We also had a student extern from another college.

With having students from two different colleges, I have to say I am more impressed with the students from IBC. Students from IBC seemed more prepared and eager to do tasks at hand of a Medical Assistant. I would often have to remind myself that they were not on the payroll!

I can say that we have hired 2 out of the 3 students from IBC this past year. I would recommend this program to anyone.”