Rutherford Weekly - Shelby NC
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1407080
Page 10 - Rutherford Weekly 828-248-1408 www.rutherfordweekly.com Thursday, September 2-September 8, 2021 ©Community First Media Community First Media Mattresses • Toppers • Bean Bags • Pillows • Sheets • Towels • Robes • Blankets WAREHOUSE SALE 181 Duke Street • Forest City • 828-230-3228 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 • 10AM-5PM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 • 10AM-5PM Create your... BRING YOUR VEHICLE BY FOR US TO LOOK AT! NO APPRAISAL FEE CHARGED! TOP DOLLAR PAID! YOUR VEHICLE VEHICLE We Want We Want to Buy to Buy www.mooresautos.com www.mooresautos.com 345 South Broadway, Forest City 828-245-8067 M O O RE ' S AUTO S ALES ©communityfi rstmedia Let's face it – for most people, it's hard to sleep in a hospital. That's because it's an unfamiliar setting with unfamiliar people and unfamiliar sounds all around you. Couple that with the stress of being treated, and it makes the perfect recipe for a lack of restful sleep. Two of the registered nurses at the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System decided to do something about it. Debra "Cindy" Peters, RN, came up with the idea to use a white noise machine to drown out some of those undesirable noises going on around their patients to improve their sleep and to decrease anxiety. They did this as part of a fi scal 2021 Spark Investment and, in doing so, they received $1,400 to spread the White Noise Project to other areas of the hospital and to add more speakers to the Warriors Recovery Unit, the Inpatient Mental Health Unit. Peters said she initially came up with the idea in 2019. "In 2019 while I was still a part of the Weekend/Holiday/Evening/Night (WHEN) and Clinical Inquiry and Research councils, staff on the WHEN Council would identify issues that impacted their nursing practice and veterans," she said. "At home, I was researching ways to help facilitate sleep in a more holistic approach." That's when she said she came across an article about masking sound being incorporated into the designs of new hospitals and its positive outcomes including increased privacy and better sleep. "Patients often report a hard time sleeping in hospitals due to the natural increases in unfamiliar noise on hospital units – from beeping machines, to doors opening and closing," she said. "Sleep is well documented to be vital in healing and recovery as well. After further research, in the fall of 2019, I submitted an Item for Consideration with the Clinical Inquiry and Research Council for the use of white noise machines to improve sleep, anxiety and privacy." The idea had initial approval, and the Warriors Recovery Unit started to implement a limited number of machines on the unit as a trial. Initial data refl ected positive outcomes that far exceeded expectations, prompting Peters to push her innovative approach even further. "In August of 2020, I presented a pitch with the collected data to the Executive Leadership Team to propose rolling this project out hospital wide," Peters said. That's when she recruited Krys Earles, a registered nurse from Warriors Recovery Unit, to assist with implementing the project and collecting data. In September 2020, the two were given the news that the VHA Innovators Network, or iNET, was awarding support and funding for the project to move forward as part of the Spark-Seed-Spread Innovation Investment Program. Although research is ongoing, and the fi nal data won't wrap up until October, the results are promising. "Since going hospital-wide in January 2021, we have continued to collect and submit extremely positive results on both qualitative and quantitative data measurements for sleep, anxiety, and privacy improvement," Peters said. "We have consistent numbers showing improvements in sleep hours of more than an hour a night difference when compared to veterans not using white noise, and over 90 percent satisfaction reports." There have even been veterans who have shared their experiences. One veteran came to the nurse's station and said he was having a hard time sleeping. The staff asked if he slept with a fan at home and he said he did – every night. That's when they offered him one of the white noise machines. "The next morning, he said the machine had 'brought [him] a feeling of safety and peace'," Peters said. "[He said it reminded him] of when he was at his grandmother's home because the 'noise sounded like it was her old furnace.'" Another veteran said that he too had slept quite well. "I had the best sleep," he reported. "I thought I was at the beach, very relaxing." The white noise machines have also been found to be helpful in other medical treatments. With dementia patients, white noise has been implemented as part of gentle non- medication interventions to help assist with agitation and diffi culty falling asleep successfully. "We also see this as a win for less medication intervention and fall prevention," Peters said. "Overall, this project has been a labor of love, and we are happy to see real data results to provide an effective alternative solution for our veterans that encompasses a holistic approach to care, provides comforts of home when they are away, and facilitates healing in the hospital." Help with Hospital Sleep From left, Krystal Earles, RN, and Debra "Cindy" Peters, RN, from the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System have been working with the idea to use a white noise machine to drown out some of the undesirable noises going on around their patients to improve their sleep and to decrease anxiety. Dr. Ben Leslie, GWU Provost, to Step Down in 2022 Will return to teaching in 2022 Gardner-Webb Univer- sity has announced that long-time GWU Provost and Executive Vice Presi- dent Dr. Ben Leslie will retire from his post and return to the classroom in 2022 to serve in the School of Divinity as pro- fessor of theology and ethics. Leslie came to Gardner- Webb as provost in 2006 from Sioux Falls Semi- nary in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he was academic vice president and dean, and professor of system- atic theology and Chris- tian ethics. Leslie also has over two decades of teaching experience in higher education. "I am indeed thankful for the work that Dr. Les- lie has done as Provost during his time at Gard- ner-Webb," shared GWU President Dr. William Downs. "That work has been especially challeng- ing of late, with the onset of a global pandemic; yet, Provost Leslie was instrumental in helping us ensure a high level of student success and aca- demic integrity through- out the entire period. I have enjoyed working with Ben and look forward to his many continuing contributions to the GWU mission." Leslie earned a Bach- elor of Arts from Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.), the Master of Divin- ity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Ky.), the Mas- ter of Theology from Bap- tist Theological Seminary (Rueschlikon, Switzer- land), and the Doctor of Theology from the Uni- versity of Zurich, Switzer- land. His scholarly inter- ests focus on Christian theology, New Testament studies, Christian ethics and bioethics. As provost and execu- tive vice president for Gardner-Webb, Leslie supervised the teaching, learning, scholarship, and research initiatives at the University. Through col- laborative work with as- sociate provosts, deans, departmental chairs, and other vice presidents, Leslie administered fac- ulty appointments, pro- motions, and tenure. In addition, Leslie ensured the quality of Gardner- Webb's curricula and stu- dent learning. "It has been the privi- lege of a lifetime to serve the students, faculty, and staff of Gardner-Webb University," Leslie said. "The last 15 years have had their share of chal- lenges, but through it all we've seen remarkable growth in programs and improvements in the aca- demic foundations of the school. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of that jour- ney." Since 2009, he has served as Gardner- Webb's accreditation liai- son for the Southern As- sociation of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). He provided institutional oversight of the school's most recent reaffi rmation of accreditation (2017) and has frequently served as a committee member for SACSCOC off-site and on-site reviews of other institutions. Leslie also served as interim president for Gardner- Webb from January-June 2019. Leslie noted the strength of Gardner- Webb has been, and still is, in the student/faculty relationships. "Gardner- Webb is blessed with a remarkable faculty who know what it means to be a student-centered uni- versity," Leslie affi rmed. "I am grateful for their support over the years and proud of their many accomplishments. But most of all I am proud of the sacrifi cial spirit of service that has marked their interaction with our students, a characteristic that in many ways be- come our hallmark." Under Leslie's leader- ship Gardner-Webb has been consistently recog- nized nationally for out- standing achievement through academics and community/service-relat- ed efforts. Leslie is active in the Boiling Springs Rotary Club and has served as its president. He is a member of First Bap- tist Church in Shelby, where he teaches Sun- day school. An ordained minister and Christian scholar, Leslie has been a featured speaker in churches, conferences, and events and has au- thored numerous jour- nal articles, essays and publications on Christian life, history, ethics and culture. Gardner-Webb is re- taining the services of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting to assist in the national search for its next provost. That search will begin im- mediately, and the exact timing of Dr. Leslie's re- turn to the faculty will be coordinated with the new provost's start date. "I look forward to follow- ing the continued success of Gardner-Webb," Leslie added. "President Downs has set an exciting agen- da of growth and continu- ous improvement. I have no doubt that the school will attract and secure the academic leadership it needs to carry that vi- sion forward in a way that can only strengthen the faculty and the qual- ity of our many academic programs." submitted by Jean Gordon; contributed photo Submitted by Jean Gordon Dr. Ben Leslie