PCPS Community Comes Together

The Panuska College of Professional Studies has created a biweekly newsletter to share the stories of those who answer the "call to care" during the COVID-19 crisis. You can read the entire May 1 issue here.
PCPS Community Comes Together

The Panuska College of Professional Studies has created a biweekly newsletter to share the stories of those who answer the "call to care" during the COVID-19 crisis. You can read the entire May 1 issue here.

Here are just a few highlights from the newsletter.

Join the Love Letter Link or the Rainbow Hunt

Gerianne Barber, Director of our Counselor Training Center in the Department of Counseling and Human Services, sent this email out to her family and friends, inviting them to join the Rainbow and Love Letter Link Initiatives at the Jewish Home, where her Mom is a resident.

TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS I wanted to let you know that the Jewish Home has started two initiatives.

One is called the LOVE LETTER LINK. Essentially, they are asking that we send pictures and cards to our family members to “flood” their rooms and the home with cheer. If you are able, please send a card or note to my mom. I know she would enjoy it and I would be grateful for your help. The home will share the cards and notes and use them to decorate the rooms of residents! This will surely boost their moods and help add joy for both the residents and the staff. There are some residents who may not have family, so cards and notes for them would be wonderful as well. There are several options for safely sending/delivering these to the Jewish Home.

• Feel free to mail them through the US Postal Service. We are able to then receive them safely and deliver them safely. Address is: Mary Grace Barber C/O Jewish Home of Eastern, PA 1101 Vine Street, Scranton PA 18510

• Email your notes to: Nicole Lipinski @ nlipinski@jhep.org. She will print out letters and even pictures on a color printer, and then we’ll get them to my mom.

Ever since I was a little girl, my mom always told me that a rainbow was just an upside-down smile. Without a doubt, I still chase those rainbows and always have hope when I see one. As the ugly Beast started to appear in Europe, we saw the Italian people singing from their balconies and posting banners, paintings and drawings with rainbows that included the message “Tutto andrà bene.” That translates to “Everything will turn out OK.” As COVID-19 began to make its way across Europe, we then started to notice those same rainbows appearing in people’s windows in Canada, and through the United States. Rainbows were everywhere and could be found in New York City and Philadelphia. Now, there is a call for rainbows to appear in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In a recent article by Chaunie Brusie, she stated, “If there’s one thing that we always look for after a storm, it’s rainbows. Those unexpected color bursts through the sky never fail to bring us running outside to look up with a smile on our faces.” In another article, Lee Ann Jones, an ICU nurse from Florida, told a Florida news station that she believed rainbows symbolize hope and we need it right now because we need hope because this virus COVID-19 is very scary. Jones told the news station that her sister in New York actually inspired her to start the Rainbow Hunt group—and the rest has been history. Now, her original 904 Rainbow Hunt group on Facebook has over 5,600 members, with new members joining every day, and many on social media are sharing their own #RainbowHunt finds too.

rainbowhunt2.jpg

Long Hours on the Frontlines

pcps1.jpgPatrick Nancoz ’21, an Exercise Science major, is currently working as an EMT for the West Essex First Aid Squad in West Caldwell, NJ.

“We are in a harder hit region due to COVID-19. With our call count tripled, several of our college members have been on call for large numbers of hours,” he said.

Patrick was on call for about 80 hours this past week, as was his Scranton housemate and partner on the squad, Thomas Salandra ’21.

”Our main roles have been patient care and transport to area hospitals, with the majority of our calls being for elderly patients with either suspected or confirmed COVID-19," he said.

Drop-in Nclex Review for Senior Nursing Students

Thanks to Dr. Sharon Hudacek, RN, ACNS-BC and the wonderful nursing faculty for taking hours of their valued time to design ten “Drop in Review“ sessions for our nursing seniors. These sessions have been very well attended and received by our seniors who are preparing each week for the new, abbreviated form of NCLEX (through July 4). The senior nursing students soon will finish Phase 1 of the Kaplan Study Recommendations. Thanks, also, to Dawn Mazurik for scheduling these valuable zoom meetings for our seniors – the future Royal RNs!

With a Little Help from my Friends

pcps2.jpgAnthony F. Carusotto, D.P.T., an instructor in the Physical Therapy department, invited all of our DPT Year 1 students to a Zoom Talent Show. He hosted the event, and at least a dozen of the students showed off some of their talents — cello playing, singing, guitar playing, and soccer ball dribbling, among other things. From his own home in Dallas, Pennsylvania, he created a tune on his guitar. According to Dr. Renée Hakim, chairperson, they are now planning to have a bigger talent show on Cinco de Mayo for all DPT students (Years 1, 2 and 3), as well as the new incoming student group.

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