UNM-G Nursing School may lose state accreditation
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The New Mexico Board of Nursing may pull the plug on
the nursing program at the University of New Mexico-Gallup.
The nursing program has not lost state approval yet. Instead, it has
been on a two-year conditional approval since October 1998, which
means the board will withdraw its approval if the program does not
improve by this coming October.
All nursing programs in the state need the board's approval to operate.
In addition, the nursing program has lost National League of Nursing
accreditation. NLN officials came in February to evaluate the program
and recommended to the national board that it not renew the accreditation.
Though the accreditation is not necessary to stay open, meeting the
standards of NLN helps develop a quality program, said Jane Bruker,
the director of the nursing program at UNM-G.
The 27-year-old program had been accredited with the NLN since 1992.
However, nursing licenses do not show whether a nurse graduated from
an NLN-accredited institution or not, Bruker said.
Robert Carlson, the college's executive director, said the school
has changed the nursing program according to the New Mexico Board
of Nursing's recommendations for improvement. He said he hopes those
changes will win back the board's approval in October.
Carlson said he hopes the Board of Nursing will consider how the program
benefits Gallup when it decides whether to approve the program in
October. Losing the nursing program may hurt the community.
Approximately 80 percent of the nurses at Rehoboth McKinley Christian
Hospital come from UNM-G, said Bernice Brewer, the hospital's vice
president of patient care. Gallup hospitals have not been hurt significantly
by a nation-wide nursing-shortage because of the college, she added.
Right now, UNM-G's program is the only one in the state on conditional
approval, said Joanna Giglio, the assistant director for nursing education
and advanced practice with the Board of Nursing. UNM-G is the fourth
program in the state to lose NLN accreditation, she added said.
Carlson said the quality of nurses entering the field from UNM-G will
not suffer because all nursing school graduates must pass a nationally
standardized exam to get their nursing licenses.
Students may face many changes if the state does not approve the program
and shuts it down.
"If the school is closed," Bruker said, "provisions
have to be made."
UNM-G will have to help students complete their nursing classes somehow
if they are not able to do so at this campus.
Valerie Curley, a second-semester nursing student, said moving out
of Gallup may not be feasible for her. She goes to school full time
and works full time. Her grandmother looks after her two children.
Laverne Brown, another second-semester student, said she does not
want to give up on nursing, but would not be able to move without
financial assistance.
"We were concerned because we didn't want the program to shut
down and leave us in a limbo," Brown said. "I'm not giving
up. I gave up my full-time job to come back to school. Having to relocate
will be a major change, but I guess I'll have to do it if that's what
it's going to take to finish."
Some students are worried they may loose their scholarships from Indian
Health Services since the program lost NLN accreditation. (UNM-G can
ask NLN to reevaluate the program whenever the school is ready.)
IHS officials said they must review the situation before they decide
whether the students could lose their scholarships.
Students receiving scholarships or tuition-assistance from RMCH will
probably retain their aid, said Brewer.
The school has made most of the recommended changes to the program,
Carlson said.
But the program's pass rate remains low, he added. A nursing school's
pass rate is the percentage of its students who pass the nursing board
exams the first time they take the test. In New Mexico, a program
must have a pass rate of 80 percent or higher.
The board exams are a nationally standardized test and required for
a nursing license.
Generally, the nursing board will consider the average of pass rates
from five years. UNM-G's five-year pass rate is 73 percent.
When one or two students fail, the pass rate falls several percentage
points, because the classes are small.
Carlson said he thinks the board weighs the pass rate more heavily
than other aspects of the program. The school has developed many strategies
to help students pass the test, he added.
Students take the test on their own after they have graduated from
the nursing program. Carlson said the college will try to encourage
students to take the test as early as possible while their knowledge
is still fresh.
Since last fall, students are required to pass a nationally standardized
test at the end of each semester. These tests will make students more
comfortable with a standardized test format, Bruker said.
At the end of the two-year program, students will take a diagnostic
test in addition to a standardized test. The diagnostic test will
tell instructors which subjects students had a hard time with and
what changes need to be made to the curriculum, Bruker said.
Carlson said students should be better prepared to enter the nursing
program.
Most students in the nursing program take their prerequisite classes
at UNM-G. Carlson said the school should make those classes, including
English and anatomy, more rigorous.
Bruker said an introductory class or semester could expose incoming
students to the demands of nursing school so they are ready to enter
the program.
A change in the admissions process could select students who may score
higher on board exams, Carlson said. Right now, when students complete
the prerequisites, their names are put on a waiting list. Students
gain admission to a class as their names come up on the list.
Carlson said the program may start taking students who have the best
academic records.
The school has addressed several other problems the state nursing
board saw in the program, Carlson said.
The state board said the classes needed to emphasize obstetrics, pediatrics
and psychiatry.
The curriculum was changed so that students could get more clinical
practice in those subjects. Also, classes in these subjects have become
more consistent, so that the information in one semester builds on
the lessons of the past semesters, Bruker said.
The state said the program had inadequate lab space. A new health
science building with several nursing labs has been scheduled to be
built within the next two years, Carlson said.
The program is searching for teachers and secretaries, because both
the state board and NLN charged that the faculty's workload is too
high.
The Board of Nursing is coming to UNM-G Friday for a regular meeting,
not to evaluate the program for approval. Carlson said he will talk
to the board members about the program while they are in Gallup.
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Fire crews in place
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Last year, the National Forest Service knew the season
was shaping up to be a bad fire year, so crews were put on call in
May. This year, fire crews are already in place.
"We're at least a month ahead of time having the fire crews on
duty now," said Paul Tidwell, a forester with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Forest Service, Mount Taylor District.
In the past few weeks, McKinley and Cibola counties have had rain
and snow. While the moisture has helped, the area is not out of the
fire-danger woods yet.
And any good the recent moisture did has now been erased by high winds
that have again swept the area dry.
Erik J. Sleeper, the Forest Service fire information officer, said
the winds suck moisture out of the ground. "The problem with
these winds is not only do we lose moisture," Sleeper added,
"when we do have a start, it will spread the fire faster."
"We've already had a small fire in Smith Canyon," said Tidwell.
Smith Canyon is near McGaffey in the Zuni Mountains in McKinley County.
It marks the first blaze of the fire season, which wasn't supposed
to begin until a bit later in the year.
Sleeper said the fire, which was caused by man and was only about
an acre in size, was the first one of the season. The fire occurred
Tuesday, and despite high winds, which were a concern to fire crews,
the blaze was put out.
Tidwell said people only have to walk in the woods to see how dry
the forest is. Twigs and pine needles, usually supple with moisture,
crackle under foot.
With the weather warming up, campers and people are going to visit
the woods.
While the National Forest Service wants them to enjoy the forests,
they need to use caution. "It's what you call common sense,"
Tidwell said.
The woods are home to hundreds of animals and insects, from the smallest
of birds to huge elk. In effect, campers are overnight guests of the
animals, and as guests, people using the woods should exercise courtesy.
A few tips for being in the woods at any time include:
Never toss a lighted cigarette out the car window or drop one in the
woods. Always make sure the cigarette is completely out and grind
it into the dirt. Never put a cigarette out on a tree stump.
Build campfires away from overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotten
stumps, dry grass and leaves. Stack the woodpile well away from the
fire.
Keep plenty of water nearby and always bring a shovel to throw dirt
on a fire if it gets out of control.
Keep a campfire small and make sure the match used to start the fire
is completely out before discarding it.
Never leave a campfire unattended.
When finished with a campfire, drown the fire with water and make
sure all coals and embers and sticks are completely out and wet. After
doing this, stir the embers with a stick and pour more water on the
embers. Mix the embers with soil or sand. As a final test, feel the
materials with bare hands to make sure everything is completely out.
For charcoal briquette fires, make sure coals are completely soaked
and out. Again, carefully use bare hands to test the coals.
When refueling lanterns and stoves, make sure the equipment is cool.
Never refuel a hot stove or lantern.
Take all trash out of the woods that is created in the woods. Trash
adds more fuel to the fire equation. Never toss glass bottles out.
Take them home. Glass heats in the sun and acts as a magnifying glass,
which can easily start fires.
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Officer dragged in wild chase
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Gallup police were led on a dangerous high speed chase
Friday night after a suspected drunken driver fled a traffic stop,
dragging an officer down the roadway with him, police said.
Officer Owen Pena initially stopped the driver after recognizing him
as Paul Landavazo, 55, who police say has a suspended/revoked driver's
license with an arrest clause and one prior conviction for driving
while intoxicated.
The officer started following the 1985 Chevrolet pickup after observing
the vehicle's bed overloaded with too many items.
As Pena followed the truck on South Second Street from Green Street
to Aztec Avenue, the suspect was straddling and swerving in and out
of his traffic lanes, a police report said. The officer called for
back up and pulled over the vehicle at 12:20 a.m. on Aztec Avenue
between South Second and South First Streets.
Having previously been arrested for DWI by Pena, Landavazo began arguing
with the officer saying "he was not drunk," a police report
said.
Police detected the odor of alcohol on the driver, as well as noting
his speech to be slurred and his eyes watery and bloodshot. Landavazo
and passenger, Steve Rohan, both admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages,
a police report said.
Countless times, police asked Landavazo to exit the vehicle to administer
field sobriety tests but the suspect refused.
Police then informed Landavazo that he was under arrest for DWI and
tried to remove him from the truck but could not release his seatbelt.
The suspect was told pepper spray would be used if he did not get
out of the truck but continued to act in a disorderly manner and argue
with officers, police said.
While Pena was leaning in the truck attempting to remove the suspect,
police say Landavazo started the engine and drove forward. Still partially
inside the vehicle, the officer's left leg dragged across the pavement
as the driver proceeded east on Aztec Avenue and refused to stop,
police said.
After being dragged about 20 feet, Pena said he jumped from the vehicle
which continued east at a high rate of speed as items from the truck
bed flew out into the roadway.
Police said the officers pursued the vehicle at a distance of about
75 feet as it ran about nine stop signs and traffic signals through
town without slowing down or stopping. At one point, the vehicle was
clocked going 85 miles per hour on Aztec Avenue as it weaved all over
the roadway, police said.
As the chase continued east on Aztec Avenue, a McKinley County Sheriff's
deputy heading west turned on his emergency lights attempting to assist.
Landavazo swerved into the westbound lane, police said, and without
attempting to slow down or stop headed straight for the deputy, who
swerved off the road to avoid a collision.
Still being pursued by city and county police, the suspect advanced
from Tocito Avenue onto East U.S. Highway 66.
Landavazo then made a sharp right hand turn at Exit 26 and at about
95 miles per hour headed east on Interstate 40 as items flew out of
the truck bed, a police report said.
When another officer tried to go around the vehicle's left side, police
say Landavazo "swerved drastically to the left," forcing
the officer onto the median and into an embankment. Police said the
suspect also repeatedly slammed on its breaks trying to get the police
units to ram him from behind.
The vehicle finally was stopped after New Mexico State Police laid
road spikes on the highway near mile marker 53. With one tire flattened
and sparks flying, Landavazo continued to flee police before stopping
east of mile marker 62.
With guns drawn, police ordered Landavazo out the vehicle and onto
the ground at about 1 a.m. Four officers had to pick up the suspect
off the ground and place him in the police unit.
Both Landavazo and Rohan passed out in the police unit as they were
being transported, police said. After dropping off Rohan at the Na'Nizhoozhi
Center, the officer said the suspect shouted profanities and threatened
his family, a police report said.
Landavazo was booked at McKinley County Adult Detention Center on
two counts of aggravated assault upon a police officer, one count
of assault upon a police officer and one count of DWI (second offense).
Additional charges filed included driving with a suspended/revoked
driver's license, obstructing or evading an officer, criminal damage
to property, careless driving, failure to stay in traffic lanes, no
insurance, placing injurious substance on roadways, speeding and failure
to stop at traffic signals and stop signs.
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Tribe's money reserves low
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — The Navajo Nation's undesignated reserves are slowly
growing, although they are still far short of the $44 million mandated
by tribal law.
Although tribal law requires the mandated reserves do no go under
the designated amount, when the Navajo Nation Council passes a resolution
dealing with money, it often includes a provision allowing the council
to ignore the law.
Figures presented last week by tribal financial officials to members
of the council showed that the undesignated reserves fund the so-called
tribal savings was at a level of $5.2 million on March 31.
Undesignated reserves are the only account that council members can
draw upon for emergencies or to provide funds when the occasion arises.
Most other tribal savings programs, such as the Permanent Trust Fund,
can't be touched.
Ayear ago, the undesignated reserves were in the red for the first
time in recent history.
In other financial news, the report from the tribe's controller, Bobby
White, indicated the Navajos have made their $29 million payment to
the Hopis, which was part of a settlement to end a series of lawsuits
between the two tribes.
The payment was made on March 1 from the tribe's Contingency Management
Fund and did not negatively impact the tribe's general operating budget.
White also reported that as of Dec. 31, tribal investments were at
a level of $1.18 billion.
This is slightly higher than his last report for the period ending
Sept. 30, which showed tribal investments at a level of $1.13 billion.
This means that between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, tribal investments had
increased about $50 million.
Investments, however, still have not risen to the $1.2 billion level
they were at on June 30.
The report doesn't address how the tribe fared in recent dips in the
stock market, nor does it break down the various type of investments
by category, such as permanent trust fund or retirement fund.
The last report by White to give figures showed the Permanent Trust
Fund, as of Sept. 30, to be slightly over $504 million.
The tribal retirement fund was at $171.9 million, the chapter government
trust fund at $61.5 million and the scholarship fund at $49.3 million.
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Police to bring charges in crash that
killed two
BLOOMFIELD, N.M. (AP) — Authorities were investigating Saturday
whether to file vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated charges
against a Bloomfield man accused of causing a head-on-collision that
killed a Fruitland couple and left their daughter critically injured.
Scott Burke, 31, was in critical condition Saturday at the San Juan
County Medical Center. He already faced trial on previous DWI charges...
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Rural firms plan high-speed data service
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico's small rural phone companies plan
to bridge the digital divide and compete with U S West.
Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative, ENMR-Plateau Communications Cooperative,
Roosevelt County Rural Telephone Cooperative and Western New Mexico
Telephone Co. already are providing Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL,
service. Baca Valley Telephone Co., Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
and Tularosa Basin Telephone Co. have plans for DSL...
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Pecos native wins one of only 20 fellowships
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A University of New Mexico sophomore whose
high school guidance counselor once tried to discourage from seeking
a scholarship has become one of only 20 students in the nation selected
for a public policy fellowship program.
Victoria Gonzales, 19, has been named to a fellowship with the Institute
for International Public Policy, which provides opportunities in the
field of international relations for minority students...
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Students talk to Clinton via Internet
Nancy Watson
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — Three students at Lake Valley Day School last week pleaded
with President Clinton for more aid for their school.
The plea came during Clinton's visit to Shiprock Monday. Clinton talked
to students at the school over a new Internet linkup.
Sheranna Chee told the president that there is no 911 emergency phone
service on her part of the reservation north of Crownpoint and that
people die because police arrive too late...
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Land donated for Tuba City youth complex
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
TUBA CITY, Ariz. — Vanessa Brown, coordinator of Tuba City's
Community Action for Children and Youth, said the community is moving
closer toward building its youth complex.
Within a couple of weeks, Brown said, she will hand carry the final
land withdrawal papers to the Navajo Nation's Resource Committee and
then to President Kelsey Begaye for signatures that will make the
land available for the youth complex...
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Strays overrunning Navajo Nation
SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) — The number of stray dogs running the Navajo
Nation has grown markedly following budget cuts that forced the firing
of nearly a dozen animal control officers, tribal officials say.
Unfortunately, says Mike Halona, an administrative officer with the
tribe's Department of Game and Fish, the stray dog problem on the
reservation was almost under control until the 11 animal control officers
were let go in October. Two other officers also have resigned...
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Deaths
Alice Marie Shirley
GANADO, Ariz. — Services for Alice Marie Shirley, 71, will be
held at 10 a.m., today April 24 at the Presbyterian Church in Ganado,
Ariz. The Rev. Paul Stone will officiate. Burial will follow at the
Kinlichee Community Cemetery in Kinlichee, Ariz.
Shirley died April 20 in Albuquerque. She was born Dec. 24, 1928 in
Kinlichee, Ariz. into the Black Streak Forest People Clan for the
Deer Springs People Clan.
Shirley attended the Ganado Mission and Wingate schools. Her hobbies
included cooking, sewing, andwatching John Wayne movies and wrestling.
Survivors include her husband, Richard Shirley Sr. of Kinlichee, Ariz.;
sons, Vincent Shirley Sr. of Ganado, Ariz., Luther Shirley of Greasewood
Springs, Ariz., Richard Shirley Jr. of Kinlichee, Ariz. and Alex Shirley
of Sparks, Nev.; daughters, Marjorie James of Gamerco, Earlene Shirley
of Kinlichee, Ariz., Verna Barber of Gallup and Carolyn Smith of Sawmill,
Ariz.; brothers, Albert Lee of Kinlichee, Ariz. and Walter Lee of
Sanders, Ariz.; 22 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee.
Pallbearers will be Richard Shirley Jr., Reginald Shirley, Vincent
Shirley Jr., Darren Shirley, Dan Smith III and Bryan Smith.
Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
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