Department Co-Chair and Associate Professor Jessica Lippa
As the need for more medical workers in New York State continued to grow due to the coronavirus, Alfred State College (ASC) Nursing Department faculty members stepped up to answer the call of duty locally at area hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
While some faculty members worked at these locations for the first time, others took more shifts and worked longer hours at facilities where they have already been providing care in addition to their teaching responsibilities. To help the nursing faculty, Alfred State donated supplies, including personal protective equipment.
Department Co-Chair and Associate Professor Jessica Lippa noted that even though balancing online teaching, family life, and working at healthcare facilities was a challenge, her faculty did an excellent job of making it work.
“I am honored to work with this group of faculty members who have stepped up to support our communities in their time of need,” said Lippa, who served as a family nurse practitioner at St. James Hospital.
The following are some examples of ways ASC Nursing helped out:
• Associate Professor and Department Co-Chair KathyAnn Sager worked as an assistant director of nursing at Corning Guthrie Hospital.
• Adjunct Instructor Taylor Craft worked as a registered nurse on the medical-surgical floor at Jones Memorial Hospital.
• Assistant Professor Marilyn Oggeri served as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) at Corning Guthrie Hospital.
• Adjunct Instructor Jean Gonska worked in the ED at Olean General Hospital.
• Assistant Professor Kimberly Howard worked in long-term care for The Pines Health Care and Rehabilitation Center of Cattaraugus County.
• Lecturer Jennifer Ross primarily worked at Jones Memorial but also worked per diem at St. James Hospital.
• Adjunct Instructor Hannah Tiffany worked at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira.
• Assistant Professor Ruthanne Ashworth worked as a nurse practitioner at Jones Memorial.
School of Arts & Sciences Pioneer strong
Alfred State College
Spring 2020 Alumni & Friends Magazine
Nursing Faculty Fill the Need for Healthcare Workers
Lecturer Jennifer Ross
Mother & Daughter Nursing Alums on the Front Line vs. COVID-19
While many people continue to help flatten the curve by staying home during the current pandemic, countless nurses such as Cheryl (above) and Katlyn (left) Richardson are also answering the call of duty in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus.
“What better way to teach students than to lead by example; to answer the call to serve in a time of crisis.”
Speaking about Alfred State Nursing faculty stepping up and doing their part to help, Lecturer Jennifer Ross said, “Our faculty are nurses first and foremost. Nursing is a calling and one that serves as the foundation of working in education, as we are passionate about helping students fulfill their dreams of becoming nurses. We all took the Florence Nightingale Pledge to ‘dedicate myself to devoted service to human welfare,’ and each graduating nursing class continues to take this pledge.”
Looking to the future of Alfred State Nursing, Lippa pointed out that spots are still available in ASC’s nursing programs for the fall 2020 semester, and that the college is even looking to increase enrollment in response to the current shortage of nurses. Additionally, Lippa said, the college will be seeking current nurses who are interested in applying to be clinical faculty.
In addition to their chosen profession and tackling the coronavirus head on, Cheryl and Katlyn Richardson have other bonds that unite them, being mother and daughter, as well as Alfred State College (ASC) nursing alumni. Cheryl graduated from Alfred State in 1997, and Katlyn followed in her footsteps by earning her nursing degree from ASC in 2013.
Cheryl said she is proud to call herself an Alfred State alum, and that she never dreamt that her career would take her in so many different directions, as she has trained in almost every hospital unit. Recently, she has worked in the Emergency Room at Noyes Hospital in Dansville, in addition to her duties as a home care nurse in Allegany County for the Visiting Nurse Association of Western New York, where she has been employed for 21 years.
Katlyn, meanwhile, is currently working as a clinical nurse leader at Rochester General Hospital (RGH) in the Adult Emergency Department (ED), which is one of the 12 busiest in the country. She is one of six clinical leaders that manage the department.
Katlyn’s biggest job is not only maintaining the safety of her patients, but also that of her staff members at any given time. While managing the clinical flow of the department, she is still responsible for providing patient care and steps in to assist other nurses and providers.
“As a leader, we are looked to for help, to answer questions, and be a resource in any way possible,” Katlyn said. “I got called into action by default you could say. I chose emergency medicine to make a difference and to make an impact on patients’ lives. I chose to be a leader to make a difference in my department and the future of nursing. I will do whatever it takes to help these patients, to help my team, and to keep as many people as I can safe.”
