QCC’s Community Resource Officer Delivers Valuable Recertification Training to Nursing Students and Faculty

QCC Police Officer and Community Resource Officer Catherine “Kate” Dixon is just that…a valuable resource to the QCC community. She has become a particularly valued resource to Nursing Professor and Public Health Nurse Susan Johnson. Ms. Johnson has been working with Ms. Dixon on coordinating CPR recertification trainings for her nursing students. 

According to Ms. Johnson all nursing students are required to have a current CPR certificate in order to participate and complete their required clinical hours. This is a mandatory requirement of clinical facilities and the nursing program. If their certificate expires during any time while they are in the program, they are detained from attending their clinical experience.  Finding the time to do the recertification as well as the money to pay for the recertification can sometimes be a deterrent for the nursing students.

Through Ms. Johnson’s perseverance and Ms. Dixon’s assistance in training, free CPR renewal classes were recently offered on campus with close to 40 nursing students participating in six sessions. Plans are in the works to do two more recertification trainings for the nursing faculty, which will bring the total of those who have been recertified to almost 60.

“I cannot say enough positive things about Kate, she was incredible. It was clearly evident by the evaluations of all the students. Kate collaborated with me and worked tirelessly over these couple of days, oftentimes without a break in between sessions, to assure that the students received these required trainings,” Ms. Johnson said. “I was in awe of the great rapport she had with students and with the hands on approach to teaching, which made the learning fun.”

Ms. Johnson said she is working to create opportunities for QCC nursing students to improve their lives and the lives of others within the community with the least amount of obstacles, and plans to collaborate more with Ms. Dixon on educational activities for the nursing students.

“Since Kate’s time here, she has always been available and receptive to collaborate or assist me with any health or safety-related activities that I may employ. She has become an excellent resource for our college community,” Ms. Johnson added.

A renewal class takes approximately three hours to complete. Class sizes can range from 12 to 15 people. To learn more email Susan Johnson at sjohnson [at] qcc.mass.edu.