An Historic Exhibit Also in this issue: New Basketball Coach • The Spiritan Tradition Nontraditional Students • On Stage at DU DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE is published three times annually by Duquesne University’s Office of Public Affairs On Stage Vol. 4, Number 3 Spring 2006 page 6 Editor Bridget Fare Associate Editor Megan Tressler Hard Work, Editorial Board No Shortcuts Ralph L. Pearson, Ph.D. Joanie Baumgartner page 16 Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D. Rod Dobish Edward Kocher, Ph.D. Patricia Orangis Kathleen Glenister Roberts, Ph.D. Rev. John Sawicki, C.S.Sp., Ph.D. A Blessing to Cherith Simmer, R.N. One Another Writing page 22 Alison D’Addieco Rachel Capp Karen Ferrick-Roman Jeff Filicko Rose Ravasio Dr. Joseph F. Rishel Also in this issue: Kim Saunders Richard Tourtellott page 2 Bob Woodside Delivering Hands-On Learning .................................................................... Top Intelligence Officer Credits Duquesne Education .................................. page 5 Design New Liberal Arts Advisory Board Re-Energizes McAnulty .......................... page 10 Jeremy Neeley Duquesne Earns National Accreditation for Teacher Education .................... page 12 Figures From the Past ................................................................................. page 14 A Tradition of Giving ................................................................................. page 19 Telefund Tops $500,000 Mark ........................................................................... page 19 Breaking With Tradition ...................................................................................... page 20 The Spirit What’s New at DU .............................................................................................. page 26 Who Gives Life Duquesne Jazz Ensemble Plays Lincoln Center ............................................... page 28 Sports Roundup ................................................................................................... page 30 Spiritus Est Qui Vivificat ...................................................................................... page 32 The Bluff in Brief .................................................................................................. page 34 Peeking Into the Past ........................................................................................... page 36 Duquesne Professor Co-Edits First Anthology of Catholic Philosophy .......... page 36 Alumni Updates - Focus on Judges ................................................................... page 37 Alumni Updates .................................................................................................. page 40 A Catholic University in the Spiritan Tradition Charles J. Dougherty, Ph.D. Duquesne University President 1 Nursing students Jason Padula and Dany Hilaire hear about the many features of NOELLE, the School of Nursing’s birthing simulation mannequin, from faculty member Rosanna Henry. 2 Hands-OnDelivering Learning Sophisticated Mannequins Give Nursing Students Cutting Edge Study Tool for nursing education—than any static Though not as technologically The School three-dimensional model of the organs sophisticated as SimMan, a variety associated with childbirth ever could. of components and features makes of Nursing’s Purchased during the 2005 fall NOELLE useful for teaching the semester, NOELLE is a member of the procedures related to intravenous drug new high-tech latest generation of medical mannequins delivery, suturing, using a stethoscope, and joins the School of Nursing’s family inserting a catheter and intubation, mannequins of simulators, which includes SimKid the introduction of tubing for gastric and SimMan. evacuation and are preparing Mannequins respiration. like SimKid have Primarily, however, rudimentary features NOELLE is used for students for their that make them obstetrical and neonatal useful for teaching demonstrations, and the first encounters procedures such as mannequin can simulate checking vital signs, normal conditions with real patients but NOELLE and as well as medical SimMan are more emergencies. Folding back a flexible panel exposes complex, and offer For example, the electro-mechanical components that enhanced possibilities parts of the mannequin control the baby’s passage from the for learning. can be manipulated uterus into the birth canal. SimMan, in fact, to illustrate a variety At least it does with NOELLE, the new exhibits symptoms of complications, lifelike mannequin used by the School of and utters complaints including life- Nursing to demonstrate labor, childbirth like a real patient. He threatening situations, and how problems in the birthing process “breathes,” creates heartbeat sounds that such as when the placenta forms an affect the health of mothers and babies. can be controlled electronically and will impediment to a baby entering the birth In technical language, the Nursing say things like “My chest really hurts” or canal or when placental tissue has been School’s mannequin is called a maternal “I can’t breathe, do something.” retained in the uterus. and neonatal birthing simulator, and Using digital controls, SimMan can also When encountering those situations, because it is capable of mimicking the be given medications and react to them. students are then expected to seek out mechanics of childbirth, NOELLE is He can even “die” should treatment prove and evaluate signs and symptoms, playing a larger role—and has more value inappropriate or ineffective. develop a diagnosis, administer proper 3 procedures correctly and Caton, who is a certified determine if their efforts had nurse midwife, believes the desired effect. that teaching students about “Using this [learning tool] the relationship between gives students an opportunity the hidden and the visible, to be thoughtful and at the between what is happening to same time provides a hands-on the body and what the patient practice opportunity,” says is feeling, is an indispensable School of Nursing faculty part of nursing education, member Cathy Caton, MSN. and NOELLE’s job is to help According to John Eggert, impart that knowledge. vice president of Gaumard, Yet despite the ability to manufacturer of NOELLE Component parts of the School of Nursing’s birthing simulation mimic a baby’s natal journey mannequin are highly lifelike. and other medical simulators, and recreate obstetrical birthing simulators are needed now more than ever. Eggert emergencies to help nursing students gain technical proficiency, claims that around the world more than five million infants NOELLE’s greatest value may stem from the fact that the suffer death or long-term complications annually from mannequin helps nursing students gain confidence, so they can problematic deliveries. be emotionally ready for witnessing childbirth. Birthing simulators have been used for centuries, Eggert Seeing a birth often overwhelms the uninitiated, including points out, describing an 18th-century French apparatus called nursing students who have the benefit of extensive preparation. an “obstetrical machine” that was fashioned from leather, “The birth experience is so profound—and so visceral—that wicker, sponges and fabric. students are not always able to observe it and think about it at NOELLE, which was named for a holiday season marketplace the same time,” Caton says. introduction in 1999, was designed specifically for recreating Caton uses NOELLE in a course called Human Response what he terms “delivery dilemmas.” and Health Promotion in the Childbearing Family, a five-credit “The whole idea of NOELLE is to let the student make the class that encompasses theory as well as clinical experiences, mistakes on NOELLE before getting close to real patients,” including participating in a delivery. Eggert says. “NOELLE doesn’t complain.” Mollie Emrock, a senior Nursing student who works Rosanna Henry, MSN, the director of the School of Nursing’s part-time as an aide and tutor in the Nursing Simulation Simulation Laboratory, which houses the mannequins, stresses Laboratory, took Caton’s course last fall. She witnessed a the important role that simulators have in nursing education. birth, albeit without initial training on NOELLE. “The hospital is no place for a beginning nursing student,” “I did fine during my first birth, but I would have loved to Henry says. “They need to know what they’re doing.” have seen it first on a simulator,” Emrock says. “It alleviates Caton also stresses the need for preparation. “Nursing is a the fear and anxiety that you may have about going into the profession where you train people over and over again how to birthing room—after all you want to be happy and you want to handle a particular emergency so nurses can run toward that be able to help, instead of feeling like you’re in the way.” problem or that emergency and know exactly what to do,” she Though they in no way dispute the value of sophisticated says. “It has to be automatic.” instructional technology for preparing students for their first In addition, Caton feels that the simulator can help students encounters with live patients, Caton and Henry are quick to grasp a wide variety of cause and effect relationships relating to point out that birthing simulators like NOELLE can provide pregnancy and childbirth. “NOELLE is excellent as a training only a weak copy of an event that is truly miraculous. tool because you can open her up and observe how a baby “Nothing will ever take the place of witnessing a real would normally be positioned, head down, but this