Skip to main content

VETS2BSN PROJECT VISITS THE USNS MERCY

Image
By

In May our Vets2BSN Project students, faculty and staff were treated to a wonderful tour of the USNS Mercy by our gracious hosts, LTJGs Leland Comer and Anthony Waite.  These U.S. Navy Nurse Corps officers are both mentors for our Military Student Nurse Mentoring Organization (MSNMO) which matches currently enrolled Vets2BSN Project BSN students with an active duty or civilian nurse mentor throughout his or her program.  Mentors serve as a resource to the student checking in on a weekly basis on classes, provide additional content knowledge, identify areas for improvement and growth, and help with networking and career development.

The USNS Mercy is essentially the U.S. Navy’s floating hospital ship.  It was originally built as an oil tanker in 1976 and was later converted to a hospital ship in 1984. Its primary mission is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces deployed ashore, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat. Its secondary mission is to provide mobile surgical hospital service for use by appropriate U.S. Government agencies in Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA), disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or peacetime military operations.

 Students were treated to a full tour of the ship which included:
    • Intensive care wards: 80 beds
    • Recovery wards: 20 beds
    • Intermediate care wards: 280 beds
    • Light care wards: 120 beds
    • Limited care wards: 500 beds
    • Operating Rooms: 12
    • Casualty reception
    • Radiological services including CT
    • Main laboratory plus satellite lab
    • Central sterile receiving
    • Medical supply/pharmacy
    • Physical therapy and burn care
    • Intensive Care Unit
    • Dental services
    • Optometry/lens lab
    • Morgue
    • Laundry
    • Burn Treatment
    • Angiography
    • Blood Bank
    • Oxygen producing plants


The USNS Mercy went underway in May to participate in Pacific Partnership 2016, an ongoing series of Disaster Preparedness missions. Focusing on local Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Pacific Partnership 16 continues to "Prepare in Calm to Respond in Crisis". Countries that have invited Mercy include Timor Leste, Malaysia, Indonesia, Republic of the Philippines and Vietnam.

Thank you again to LTJGs Comer and Waite for this wonderful opportunity to support our Vets2BSN Project students.  Click on the photos below to enlarge the photos for viewing.


View of the flight deck

Operating room

Dockside view 

Tour sign

(story submitted by Dr. Paul Tontz, Academic Counselor, Vets2BSN Project)

Popular posts from this blog

SHHS Student Research Fellowship

By Sarah Ann Marie Mendez
The National University Library launched a pilot project through the Center of Excellence that created an opportunity for the librarians to host student research fellows. Hi, my name is Sarah and I was hired as the first ever Student Research Fellow.  It has been one of the best experiences I've ever had because I have learned so much and have been given opportunities that have provided me a competitive edge moving forward into my career path.  This experience allowed me to work directly with faculty to do research and submit a manuscript for publishing.  Also, I was able to apply my new research skills in all the classes I took while I was a fellow, resulting in straight A's in all of my courses.  My time, here at the library, is coming to an end as I am getting ready to ship out for Army basic training but I will carry this experience with me forever. Below is a video about my experience here at the National University Library as a fellow. If you are inter...
8 comments
Read more

Health Science Faculty Member is a Finalist at the 2017 Athena Pinnacle Awards!

By
Health Sciences Clinical Assistant Professor Linda Travis Macomber was honored on May 4th by Athena, a San Diego-based business organization championing women executives and rising managers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  Athena's Pinnacle Awards are held each year in the spring to recognize extraordinary individuals and organizations who have shown dedication to in promoting Athena's mission of fostering the personal and professional growth of women through mentoring, education, recognition, and leadership training. Professor Macomber was recognized in the category of Education.  Under Linda's leadership, her Master of Science in Health Informatics program was recently recognized as one of the top 25 online Health Informatics programs in the country according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).  She was honored with other finalists in a gala fund raising event at the La Jolla Hyatt on May 5th.  Several NU Fac...
Read more

SHHS Faculty Member Publishes Another Book!

By
Community Health Department Associate Faculty Member Dr.David Lemberg has published yet another book. See another of his works featured on the school blog here . This work is a first edition textbook. The 378-page tome features the exploration and analysis of ethical and legal issues in healthcare, leading to local, national, and global initiatives that make a lasting difference, will assist all of us in creating and perpetuating an environment in which the human spirit may thrive, flourish, and prosper. Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare provides a framework for and contributes to the ongoing growth and development of healthcare students across the spectrum of specialization in nursing, medicine, and the allied health sciences. You can order a copy of the book here . Truly a remarkable faculty accomplishment!
Post a Comment
Read more