Weekend Pronghorn action on campus

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:02:29 +0000

Pronghorns men's hockey, as well as the men's and women's basketball teams, all have home dates this weekend as Canada West action comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus.

Men's Hockey

The Horns (3-6-1 CW, 7-11-1 overall) host the defending Canada West champion and CIS second ranked Alberta Golden Bears (8-1-1CW, 11-2-1 overall) Friday and Saturday nights at Nicholas Sheran Arena (7 p.m. puck drop).

The Horns look to put an end to a four-game losing streak, while the Bears have won three straight after sweeping UBC in Vancouver last weekend.

After only dressing 14 players in Saskatoon over the Halloween weekend, the Horns are slowly getting healthy and should have all but two players back from injury. All three of the Horns wins this season have come at home, while the Bears have yet to lose in regulation time on the road. Their only road blemish is a 3-2 shootout loss in Calgary.

Live stats for both games can be found at: http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/mens/en/stats/schedule.php?date=2009-10-09

Women's Basketball

The women's basketball team (0-4 CW, 6-6 overall) hopes to end some early woes and pick up its first victory of the regular season after being swept last weekend by the Regina Cougars. The Horns held leads both nights last weekend in the fourth quarter but were unable hold on versus the fourth ranked Regina Cougars.

This weekend's opponents, Fraser Valley Cascades (0-2 CW) and Thompson Rivers WolfPack (2-0 CW) are coming off bye weeks, with the WolfPack sweeping the Cascades during the conference-opening weekend.

Friday night the Horns face the WolfPack, followed by the Cascades Saturday. Tip-off for both Friday and Saturday nights is 6 p.m. at the 1st Choice Savings Centre.

Men's Basketball

The men's basketball team (1-3 CW, 3-6 overall) looks to gain some momentum after a convincing 16-point victory over the Regina Cougars in their series finale last Saturday. Despite struggling offensively, hitting on less than 30 per cent of their shots, the Horns played tough defence, only surrendering 54 points and found a way to win.

Thompson Rivers (0-2 CW) and Fraser Valley (2-0 CW) are coming off their bye weeks. During the opening weekend of conference action, the Cascades swept Thompson Rivers in Kamloops.

Former Pronghorns' guard Barnaby Craddock coaches the Horns' Saturday night opponent, Fraser Valley.

Tip-off is scheduled to follow the women's game both nights at approximately 8 p.m.

Horns Swimming

The swim team hosts Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from St John's, Newfoundland for a dual meet Saturday afternoon, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Max Bell Aquatic Centre.

Women's Hockey

The women's hockey team (3-3 CW, 6-6 overall) will finally return to the ice after being off for the past two weeks.

The Horns face a tough task as they travel to Edmonton to face the perennial women's hockey power Alberta Pandas (10-0 CW).

The Pandas have only surrendered 9 goals in 10 conference games and are coming off a home sweep of the UBC Thunderbirds last weekend.

Puck drops both nights at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton at 7 p.m.

Live stats for both games can be found at: http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/womens/en/stats/schedule.php?date=2009-10-09

Nursing a viable career path for men

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:16:25 +0000

Changing long-entrenched attitudes can often be a slow and gradual process. Peter Kellett, an academic assistant in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Nursing program, is attempting to give that process a nudge.

Kellett and the Faculty of Health Sciences will present a Men in Nursing Recruitment Day, Feb. 13, as they try and show men that nursing is not only a viable career option but it should be a desirable one as well.

"The primary challenge of attracting men to nursing is the general public views nursing as a woman's profession," Kellett, a nurse for 14 years, says. "What I'm really hoping to do with this day is to help men realize that this is not just a profession for women."

Drawn to nursing because of an interest in the medical field and a mother who worked as a nurse, Kellett says there are many false impressions about the profession that seem to steer men away.

"I think one of the misconceptions is that nursing is somehow a lower profession and it is not. It's very much a dynamic and challenging career and very worthwhile to be part of — you make a difference every day," Kellett says. "I had considered other health-care professions but what attracted me to nursing is that nurses are the people who have a long-term relationship with the patients. I think the bond between nurse and patient is like no other in the health-care field."

While the number of male nurses is growing in Canada, with men accounting for just six per cent of all nurses, there's much room for improvement. Now is also the perfect time to get into the field, Kellett explains. With many nurses from the baby boomer era expected to retire in the coming years, he cites the Canadian Nurses Association as predicting a shortfall of 113,000 registered nurses by 2016.

"In terms of job security, you really can't ask for much better."

The U of L, and its partner Lethbridge College, will help satisfy some of that need with a pair of program offerings. Currently, the Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) program is available as a four-year baccalaureate program in conjunction with Lethbridge College. Its numbers have steadily been on the rise in recent years with more than 172 first-year students currently enrolled (with 564 in the entire four-year program).

New to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the fall is an after-degree program that will accept initially a class of 35 students. This is for those who already have a degree and who meet the inherent prerequisites. Offered in an accelerated format, it consists of six consecutive semesters.

"It's very demanding but you could train to be a nurse in two years," Kellett says. "From the point of view of getting through education and getting into the workforce, it is a very attractive option for some people."

Kellett is testimony to the many avenues nursing can take people. He says training as a generalist in the health-care field opens innumerable doors and offers a diversity within a career that is entirely unique. In his 14 years as a nurse, he's held positions in Newfoundland, Texas, northern Manitoba and southern Alberta, working on surgical floors, at remote nursing stations, as a primary health-care manager, in the emergency room and now as an instructor.

Given all that, at the end of the day, it's mostly about connecting with people.

"If you want to have a job where you have the potential to make a difference in people's lives every day, nursing is a great option," he says.

GET THE FACTS

• Kellett earned his bachelor of nursing degree from Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in St. John's, Nlfd. and is currently working on a master's degree from Memorial

• The Feb. 13 Men in Nursing Recruitment Day runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morning sessions are being held in AH117 with the afternoon sessions in the Nursing Skills Lab, PE040

• As of April 1, 2009 a first-year Registered Nurse in Alberta will earn $32.34/hour before educational adjustments or shift differentials (approximately $60,000/year, if working full-time)

• For more information on the U of L's nursing programs, see the Faculty of Health Sciences website (www.uleth.ca/healthsciences/nursing)

UNews - Memorial ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

Weekend Pronghorn action on campus

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Nursing a viable career path for men

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