College of the Redwoods is pleased to announce the restructuring of its nursing program, designed to better serve the healthcare needs of the community. The newly appointed leadership team includes experienced nursing professionals with deep ties to healthcare and healthcare education in our region. They will be tasked with enhancing the program’s reputation and strengthening its ties with the local community. Working closely with faculty and staff, they will also ensure the program remains at the forefront of nursing education and training.
Shauna Burdick will serve as the new dean of Nursing and Allied Health, a department that includes nursing, EMT and paramedic training, and dental assisting.
Burdick comes to the college after a 20-year career in nursing that includes experience in cardiovascular intensive care, telemetry, rehabilitation, stroke, neuroscience, emergency room, ICU, and house supervision nursing. She has also mentored many new nurses through her positions as both lead staff coordinator and preceptor. After completing her master’s degree in nursing education, she worked as the educator for Sutter Coast Hospital in Del Norte where she was responsible for all new hire on-boarding, employee compliance, and nursing training.
While in the role of educator, Burdick developed Sutter Coast as a state training site through the American Heart Association, which allowed them to teach nursing and medical certification courses such as Basic Life Support (BSL), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), along with other certification courses. As Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, Burdick will provide added leadership and support for faculty and for the new Director of Nursing, Jessica Howard.
Howard has a long history with CR, where she received her Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) degree in 2001. She returned in 2003 for the LVN-RN (Registered Nurse) program and went on to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Humboldt State University, graduating in 2007. After a brief break, she returned to school once again and completed the Master’s in Nursing Administration program at Sonoma State University.
She has held many positions in the Emergency Departments of both Mad River Community Hospital and St. Joseph’s - from staff nurse to manager, Pre-hospital Nurse Coordinator, and Pre-hospital Pediatric Nurse Liaison. She also brings experience from work in chemotherapy infusion, palliative care, home infusion, and as a Break Nurse on Med/Surg unit. She has taught at CR since 2011, accepting a full time position in fall 2019 and is certified to teach ACLS and PALS.
In addition to management changes, the college has invested over $110,000.00 in new simulation mannequins and equipment and hired a full-time faculty member for the Del Norte campus. They have made it a priority to return to face-to-face classes, and passed the Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) survey and site inspections early this fall.
“We are excited about the restructuring of our nursing program,” says CR President Keith Flamer. “The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and it is our responsibility to prepare our students for the challenges they will face in their careers. We are confident that the changes we are making ensure that the community has access to skilled healthcare professionals.”
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