Dr. Wilbanks Appointed to McLeod Loris Seacoast Hospital Board of Directors
HGTC Nursing pass rates exceed the national average for the National Council Licensure Examination.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is proud to announce that Dr. Jennifer Wilbanks,
HGTC Executive Vice President for Academics and Workforce Development, was recently
appointed to the McLeod Loris Seacoast Hospital Board of Directors for January 1,
2022 through December 31, 2024.
As a member of the Board, Wilbanks will have the opportunity to contribute to the McLeod success and make meaningful decisions on behalf of the health of the community. She will make a positive impact by making recommendations to the McLeod Health Board of Trustees on local community needs, facilities, clinicals, or major expansions/closures. In addition, she will help develop, implement, and oversee policies related to the medical staff, including but not limited to appointments and credentialing.
“It is truly a pleasure welcoming Dr. Jennifer Wilbanks to the McLeod Loris Seacoast Board of Directors. We look forward to working with her to continue to improve the services and growth of McLeod Health with the common goal of providing excellent health care for the residents of our region,” said Donna Isgett, President and CEO of McLeod Health.
HGTC Nursing pass rates exceed the national average for the National Council Licensure Examination, a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Arin Owens is a 2021 graduate of the HGTC School of Nursing. She started the program during the onset of COVID-19. Her clinical instructor, Associate Professor Jennefer Grady, said that she was an excellent student with a positive attitude.
“Despite the rigor of the program and changes in teaching methodology from face-to-face to hybrid, she was successful and passed her nursing licensure examination,” said Grady.
Arin Owens is now a registered nurse at McLeod Health - Seacoast location working the nightshift on the 2nd floor surgical unit. She attributes the HGTC partnership with McLeod as the reason why McLeod was her top choice for employment following her clinical experience at the hospital. “Because of the strong partnership between HGTC and McLeod Health, finding a position that I was happy with following graduation was easy for me and made for a smooth transition into the workforce,” said Owens.
Proceduralist Nurse Practitioners in the Interventional Radiology Department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nicole Mullen, DNP, FNP-BC (left) and Kathleen Donais, MSN, ACNP-BC (right) teach Amber Gustafson RN, BSN, CCRN, and nurse practitioner student at Vanderbilt University (center) how to perform ultrasound guided biopsies and paracentesis.
Amber Gustafson also graduated from the HGTC School of Nursing in August 2019. She was recognized as a scholar during her time at HGTC. She is now a registered nurse working in the ICU at McLeod Health Loris Hospital. She is currently attending Vanderbilt University to earn a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
Gustafson described her experience at HGTC by stating, “The nursing program at HGTC and McLeod Health have enabled me to make my dreams of becoming a nurse and making a positive impact on the care and lives of patients and their family members become a reality. Both entities have supported me and provided me with excellent mentors, teammates, and management who have helped me grow as a nurse and continued to support me in my journey of becoming a nurse practitioner.”
As part of clinical, Gustafson spent 20 hours with Nurse Practitioners learning how to perform ultrasound guided biopsies and paracentesis. As seen in this photo, she and her colleagues have pictures of a paracentesis kit and are discussing the set up for a paracentesis. With the philosophy of see one, do one, teach one, they build skills to perform a paracentesis with support.
The HGTC Associate in Nursing program located on the Grand Strand and Georgetown Campuses is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
For more information about the nursing program or any other HGTC Health Science Technology programs such as EMT, Dental, or Medical Imaging, please visit www.hgtc.edu/healthscience or contact Ann Daniels, HGTC Assistant Vice President, Academic Affairs and Dean of Nursing & Health Sciences, at 843-477-2168.