The Catawba College faculty and staff and the College’s nursing students met the challenge of bringing close to 1,000 students, faculty, and staff back to the Salisbury-Rowan community safely during a pandemic with rapid COVID testing.
The spring on-campus semester began Monday, after the testing program ended Sunday. The Return to Catawba Committee, the Public Safety Department, and the Department of Nursing planned and executed drive-through testing for the majority of the campus community. Held at Robertson College-Community Center, the clinics began Wednesday, Jan. 20, with some 200 faculty and staff tested. A total of 550 students were tested Thursday through Sunday. College athletes were tested earlier by athletic trainers, upon their return to campus.
“This was an additional safety measure to ensure that we start spring as strong as we did last fall,” sald Dr. Valerie Rakes, Chair of the Department of Nursing/School of Health Sciences and Human Performance. “Last fall, Catawba did not have to implement remote instruction, due to the meticulous monitoring and policies in place for COVID-19.”
A total of 41 nursing students and six nursing faculty and staff conducted the testing. “My nursing students excitedly volunteered for this clinic and are also are assisting with COVID vaccinations in Rowan and surrounding counties,” said Rakes. Most students worked two to three days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“This opportunity allowed my students to complete experiential real-world training,” she said. “This gave the Department of Nursing an opportunity for service to our community and an ability to build on character and professionalism.”
Dr. Jim Hand, Dean of Health Sciences and Human Performance, said that “this type of service not only aligned with Catawba's values, it also provided necessary clinical experience for our nursing students. When the idea was first brought up, there was no hesitation. They just started planning. That is the group I get to work with; they are always looking for ways to serve.”
Persons tested at the three stations waited15 minutes in their cars to receive confidential results, after the nursing students completed lab work. Persons who tested positive were addressed by Student Health Center nurses and contact tracing was done. Persons who tested positive were sent home, if convenient, or to off-campus isolation areas for a 14-day period. Others who had been exposed to COVID were sent into quarantine for 11 days, according to Sandra Yamane, nurse practitioner who is Assistant Professor of Nursing and one of the planners. “We operated under an abundance of caution,” she added. “The nursing students took ownership, and it was a smooth machine. It’s critical for students to develop clinical reasoning and critical thinking. It’s going to make them better nurses.”
Dr. Constance Rogers-Lowery, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, said that the addition of entry testing, as well as upcoming random and targeted testing, gives us another tool to keep our campus safe and allow us to have a successful spring semester on campus.” The nursing students gained valuable clinical experience in community health required for their training, she said. “This purposeful combination of service and scholarship demonstrates the impact of an education at Catawba College, which develops scholarship, character, culture, and service in all members of campus community."
Dr. Forrest Anderson, Associate Provost, said that the most impressive part of the testing clinics was watching Catawba nursing students work hand-in-hand with their faculty and the college's nursing staff to test their peers, manage the lab, and communicate results to the college’s professional nurses. “The nursing students were on for four days and they were professional, energetic, and happy to serve Catawba, he said. “My favorite moments at Catawba College are when faculty, staff, and students come together for one common purpose — and no purpose is greater than insuring the health and safety of our community. This was an across-the-campus effort with Public Safety, Athletic Training, Facilities, Student Affairs, Nursing Staff, and Nursing Faculty coming together to figure out everything from antigen testing protocols to traffic patterns.
The Return to Catawba Committee members are Drew Davis, Chair; Dr. Constance Lowery, Dr. Forrest Anderson, Sandra Yamane, Bob Wallett, Dr. Jared Tice, Frannie Taylor, Teresa Bivins, Marcus Washington, Billy White, Jeff Hartley, David Najarian, Meredith Cole, and Larry Leckonby.
