HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Before his youngest son Brody was born with a congenital heart defect, Wallace State alumnus Jason Simpson had a passing knowledge of nurses and what they do. He has a sister-in-law, a registered nurse at Huntsville Hospital, and other friends and acquaintances who are nurses.
“I had some limited understanding of how difficult a job it could be, but knowing some facts is nothing compared to being on the receiving end of the care provided,” said Simpson, who is the chief meteorologist for WVTM-13, the NBC affiliate in Birmingham.
“I know I did not give them enough credit for the medical knowledge and the multitasking talents they must have to be effective,” he added. “In Brody’s case, he had his own nurse in the NICU at Huntsville Hospital and at Children’s of Alabama in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. For 12 hours at a time, that person had to know everything – and I mean everything – about his condition to report to doctors on rounds. The care that goes into documenting and recalling critical information is amazing.”
On April 20, Simpson will return to Wallace State to serve as the keynote speaker of the Celebration of Nursing: Heroes of the Past, Present and Future. Tickets are on sale through April 14 and include refreshments and a catered dinner. Nursing professionals can also earn one contact hour of continuing education credit by attending the event. Visit www.wallacestate.edu/nursing50 for more information and to purchase tickets.
Simpson will share some of Brody’s story and how that affected his outlook on nursing and the health care field in general.
“I don’t think you can come through what we have with the life flights from Huntsville to Birmingham, ambulance rides, two open-heart surgeries and 12 other operations and not have a changed view of nursing,” he said. “Our family has seen some of the best in the business between Huntsville Hospital, Children’s of Alabama and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Greater respect obviously comes to mind: greater trust, empathy for how grueling the job can be and a desire to see them succeed.”
And while Brody was the one to receive hands-on care by his nursing staff, Simpson said he and his wife Lacey were comforted and sometimes calmed by their actions. He recalled an incident on New Year’s Eve two years ago when they rushed Brody to Nationwide Children’s in Columbus, Ohio for life-saving surgery.
“While he was recovering on New Year’s Day, he became very sick,” Simpson said. “Most of the time our nurse would have been the first one in the room, but our Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Olivia got to him before anyone else and did her job supporting the nurses and doctors with utmost professionalism and pride. Her calm but firm demeanor helped Lacey and me stay calm and understand what was happening in the whirlwind around him. That’s something I will never forget. She did not have to do it, but she did. I imagine there’s a lot of the job we see done in hospital rooms every day that a nurse doesn’t have to do – but it gets done because there’s a need.”
The Wallace State Nursing program is currently accepting applications for entry in fall 2023. The Department of Nursing Education offers several pathways for nursing students.
The traditional pathway includes eligibility to sit for certification as a certified nursing assistant after the first semester, a certificate for Practical Nurse after the third semester and an associate degree in nursing at the end of the fifth semester. Students passing each mark can sit for the certification or licensure exams necessary to begin working in the field as either a certified nursing assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse.
The UAB/WSCC Joint Enrollment pathway allows students to complete the first four semesters of pre-requisites before applying to Wallace State and UAB to concurrently earn both an associate degree and bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Mobility programs allow certain certified professionals currently licensed to complete a nursing degree in an accelerated pathway in three semesters. Those professions include Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic, Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Medical Laboratory Technician, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Therapist or awarded a certificate and licensed as a Practical Nurse in the State of Alabama.
Applications will be accepted through May 15. Visit www.wallacestate.edu/nursing or contact Rachel Kreps at 256-352-8411 or rachel.kreps@wallacestate.edu. An Exploring Nursing at WSCC Information Session will be held on Monday, April 24, from 2-4 p.m.
