Challenger Medical Education Blog

January 28, 2025 Nursing Newsletter

Written by Challenger Corporation | Jan 28, 2025 8:09:31 PM

  • From Loss to Purpose
  • Strike by Thousands
  • Boost Program Scores
  • Addressing the Nursing Shortage Crisis
  • QUIZ QUESTION!

From Loss to Purpose: STC Student Turns Personal Tragedy into Nursing Career 

When tragedy struck Landen Kroger’s family, it sparked a deep passion for making a difference in others' lives during their hardest moments. Now, as a nursing student at Southeast Technical College and a recipient of the Build Dakota Scholarship, Kroger is turning that passion into purpose. Employed as a patient care technician at Avera, he’s gaining hands-on experience while laying the foundation for his long-term goal of becoming a nurse practitioner specializing in oncology care.

From loss to purpose: STC student turns personal tragedy into nursing career
 


Massive Strike by Thousands of Nurses and Physicians Set to Rock Oregon Hospitals

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) has declared an open-ended strike that started January 10, following unsuccessful negotiations with Providence Health & Services. This unprecedented action includes 5,000 nurses from all eight Providence hospitals in Oregon and is backed by physicians and hospitalists in a united display of support. 

Massive Strike by Thousands of Nurses and Physicians Set to Rock Oregon Hospitals

Opinion: Addressing the Nursing Shortage Crisis Starts with Nursing Faculty 

The U.S. is facing a serious nursing shortage, and it’s only made worse by the fact that we don’t have enough nursing faculty to train new nurses. This creates a ripple effect—fewer nurses getting trained means patient care suffers. Part of the problem is the big gap in salaries between teaching and clinical work, plus limited resources for training programs. The good news? There are solutions: more funding, loan forgiveness programs, and better access to education for aspiring nurses. But it’s going to take teamwork from everyone—educators, policymakers, healthcare leaders—to make lasting changes.

Opinion: Addressing the Nursing Shortage Crisis Starts with Nursing Faculty 

QUIZ QUESTION

A 32-year-old woman with diabetes presents with a 3 days history of erythema, warmth, edema and pain of her forearm

A 32-year-old woman with diabetes presents with a 3 days history of erythema, warmth, edema and pain of her right forearm. Examination shows that she is afebrile with normal vital signs and has a slightly edematous area of erythema with indistinct borders on her medial forearm, extending to the posterior side of the upper arm, but not to the hand, and with no areas of fluctuance or induration. She has full active and passive range of motion, and normal sensation and pulses. She denies any insect bites. 

How should she be managed?

  • One time dose of IM penicillin followed by an outpatient course with amoxicillin
  • Outpatient management with cephalexin or clindamycin and close follow-up
  • Outpatient management with a 14 day course of erythromycin, then re-evaluation
  • Inpatient admission, IV antibiotic therapy with ciprofloxacin