inPractice - Spring 2020 - 6

TEACHING
& LEARNING

FACULTY PROFILE
Community Builder
By Jennifer Walker
In her 30-year career as a travel and
contract nurse at more than 30 hospitals,
Suzanne Mader is most proud of her part
in building programs and units from the
ground up, including an open-heart unit
in Altoona, Pa., and a catheter lab in
Hagerstown, Md. Now an assistant professor
of nursing in the Associate Degree in Nursing
(ASN) program, Mader has brought these
skills to PA College, where she has led the
launch of a new community rotation for
ASN students in their third semester. The
rotation had previously consisted of a
one-day observation experience.
"Since health care is moving more and
more out of acute care and into the
community setting and the role of the
nurse is transitioning there, we thought
we needed to give students a more robust
community rotation," says Mader, who
coordinates the efforts of 150-plus students
who are completing the rotation.
Working with Lancaster General Hospital,
Mader - who earned her master's degree in

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connection, the students encourage them
nursing from Drexel University in 2010 and
to take the next step and participate in the
joined PA College in 2017 - helped build the
community rotation program at two high-rise health and wellness portion of our program.
And they do. But we have to develop the
buildings that are part of the Lancaster City
relationship first," says Mader, who took a
Housing Authority (LCHA). Since January,
four-year break from nursing
students have been placed there
to become an accountant
in groups of eight for two weeks,
before returning to the field
working two days a week with
because she missed the
residents who have difficulty
Since health care is moving
excitement.
accessing medical care.
more and more out of acute
care and into the community
Mader, who likes to quilt and
At LCHA, Mader and the
setting and the role of the
cook and has been a foster
students have turned a small
nurse is transitioning there,
parent to 22 kids over the
room into a Wellness Center,
we thought we needed to
past three decades, says that
where they provide blood
give students a more robust
the rotation at LCHA has
pressure and flu shot screenings
community rotation.
already had an impact on
and help residents set up
- Suzanne Mader
her students. "It allows them
appointments or connect with
to participate in meeting
providers. They also host a weekly
individuals at their level of
education session about topics
need in their environment and
such as managing diabetes.
to care for them in the way
But the key part of the program is providing
they want to be cared for," she says. "It's a
opportunities for social interaction, such as
great depth of learning for students." n
Bingo, that help nursing students connect
with residents. "After the residents make that
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