Comstock's magazine 1217 - December 2017 | Page 77

Special Promotional Section
Genevieve Wright (right), a recent graduate from the Kaiser
Permanente Nurse Scholars Academy, with the program’s
executive director Jim D’Alfonso (center) and Priscilla Javed
(left), regional director of Nursing Professional Practice.
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GENERATION
NURSING
The need for nurses continues to grow — here’s
how educational programs are responding
BY TRISH MORATTO LITKE
Neal Oppenheimer spends 12-hour shifts
on his feet. As a student nurse, he takes
patients’ vital signs, reviews health histo-
ry and administers medication. Oppen-
heimer is in the Master’s Entry Program
in Nursing through the Betty Irene Moore
School of Nursing at UC Davis.
“It feels amazing to help people in their
recovery,” says Oppenheimer. “When a
patient or family member says ‘thank you’
with sincere gratitude, that’s what it’s real-
ly all about.”
Oppenheimer and his peer group rep-
resent the future of nursing. In 2017, the
field is undergoing transformations, both
nationally and locally, and healthcare pro-
viders are taking steps to prepare for the
changes ahead.
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