Silent partners, Tribe funds plastic patients for student nurses, March 4

Coquille Tribe release – COOS BAY – Chester has one arm and no head. Even so, he performs an essential service for student nurses. “Without tools like this, it would be really hard for us to learn,” said Shaylynn Jensen of Coos Bay, a second-year student at Southwestern Oregon Community College. On a recent morning, Jensen and her classmates took turns treating Chester’s imaginary ailments. Eight students shared three plastic Chester Chests, working in teams to draw imitation blood and administer mock medications to the simulated human torsos. Opportunities to practice those skills will expand soon, thanks to a grant from the Coquille Tribal Community Fund. This week the tribe is announcing an $11,300 grant to buy 10 new Chesters for SWOCC’s nursing program.  The grant is part of $366,126 being awarded during the tribe’s annual Grant Week. Fueled by revenue from The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park, the grants will help 71 community agencies in southwestern Oregon. Since 2002, the fund has awarded nearly $6.8 million in community grants. “We’re glad to be able to help SWOCC educate future nurses,” said tribal fund Administrator Jackie Chambers. “More and more of our local residents are senior citizens – including tribal members. We’re going to need a lot more nurses in the years to come.” Chester is a “vascular access simulator,” designed as a realistic practice tool. SWOCC has some head-to-toe mannequins for full-scale simulations, but Chester is cheaper, simpler and easier to maintain for routine use. “He can be very helpful,” said lab instructor Leigh Eswonia. The new Chesters can’t arrive too soon. The old units are wearing out, forcing Eswonia to “MacGuyver” them with temporary fixes. She replaced one unit’s fluid reservoir with a recycled pop bottle, using adhesive tape to attach the simulated blood vessels. It works, for now. SWOCC’s nursing program is growing to meet the rising need for health-care professionals. Jensen and 30 other second-year students will graduate this spring. Coming behind them is a first-year class of 50. Altogether, 100 future nurses will be enrolled next fall, as the college prepares to open its new health and science technology building. Jensen, 20, will be this year’s youngest nursing graduate. Her all-business attitude is typical of the 2020 class – a group that Eswonia calls “very motivated.” “We’re thankful for donations because some of this equipment is so expensive,” Jensen said. “This is what helps us practice safe patient care so we’re prepared for the clinical setting.” A few months from now, Jensen and her classmates will be registered nurses, treating live patients in real hospitals. Most will choose jobs close to home, but their skills are also in high demand in bigger cities. “These guys can go anywhere they want,” Eswonia said. Wherever they go, they’ll owe their skills (at least partly) to a headless plastic torso.