Riverland Community College Radiography Program faculty and students, along with staff of the New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC) presented Mary Donnelly, R.T. (R) (M) with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Certificate of Excellence Award for Clinical Educators on February 6. The award recognizes a clinical educator from a JRCERT accredited program for achieving excellence in the radiologic sciences.
A clinical educator is a registered radiologic technologist who provides radiography students guidance during the time they work at a clinical site. The clinical educator provides supervision and acts as a liaison between the student and the clinical education center and the program faculty. Donnelly has been a clinical instructor with the Riverland program since 2003.
"Several Riverland students nominated Ms. Donnelly," said Sandra Nauman, director of the Riverland Radiography program. "The students cited her excellent patient care, technical expertise and her outstanding and supportive mentoring skills."
Donnelly was trained at the University of Minnesota and graduated from the Radiology program in 1962. She has been a radiologic technologist with the NUMC since 1975 and one of the lead technologists since 2005. She is registered in radiography and mammography. At the former New Ulm Medical Clinic, Donnelly was the Radiology supervisor. At NUMC, Donnelly works in general radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography and CT.
The Riverland Radiography program prepares students to become competent radiologic technologists. Clinical education opportunities at various health care facilities in southern Minnesota help students apply skills learned in the classroom. Students may also elect to take a mammography training course. Graduates are eligible to take the nationally recognized ARRT registry exam to become registered technologists in radiography. The program is accredited JRCERT.
The JRCERT promotes excellence in education and enhances quality and safety of patient care through the accreditation of educational programs. The JRCERT is the only agency recognized by the United States Department of Education for the accreditation of traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry.
Riverland Community College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, is a regional comprehensive community college inspiring learning for living through a personalized educational environment. Approximately 4,000 students are served, annually, through a wide range of credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,600 students are annually served in non-credit courses. Facilities are located in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna, Minn. Riverland may be found on the Internet at www.riverland.edu.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.
