Jesse Gallegos
Public Relations Coordinator
Luna Community College
September 29, 2021
Real-life scenarios with real-life patients are part of the educational experience
Luna Community College first-year nursing students are gaining practical experience and at the same time helping the community.
On Thursday, Oct. 14, eight Luna level-one nursing students are scheduled to administer COVID-19 vaccinations at the old Memorial Middle School campus in Las Vegas. A Luna instructor will be onsite to provide guidance to the students. Luna is working with the San Miguel County Public Health Office on this endeavor.
On Thursday, Oct. 21, nursing students will be providing health screening to senior citizens, also in Las Vegas. In addition, Luna students will give short COVID-19 educational seminars based on scientific facts.
“I’m so proud of our faculty and students for participating in the front lines of COVID-19,” said Luna Nursing Director Maxine Hughes. “We are grateful for the experience our students are getting and grateful that our students are helping our community.”
According to Luna nursing instructor Joy Shrum, they expect to administer 200 to 300 vaccinations. Luna nursing students assisted with COVID-19 vaccinations last year as well.
Shrum said Luna students expect to participate in 11 COVID-19 vaccination clinics during the fall semester.
“These are opportunities for our students to have real-life scenarios with real-life patients,” said Shrum.
Shrum says Luna offers nursing students advantages they may not have at bigger institutions.
“Our classes are smaller than at larger universities,” says Shrum. “They get one-on-one attention here.”
Luna’s nursing program accepts 24 students per year, and there are four levels — one level per semester. Once students graduate, they become eligible to take their NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) boards and become licensed registered nurses.
“We have an experienced, dedicated faculty and staff, and we are accredited by ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing) and approved by the New Mexico Board of Nursing,” says Hughes. “Our NCLEX has been above 80 percent the last six years.”
For more information on Luna’s nursing program, please contact Allied Health Sciences advisor Vanessa Torres at 505-454-2527 or vatorres@luna.edu.
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In this file photo, Luna’s Amanda Baca administers a COVID-19 vaccination last semester.
