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Campus Review
December 12, 2013
Foster’s Quick Action Helps Save a
Life in a Mid-Air Acute Care Situation
Daejeon Health Sciences College
Welcomes Clayton State Representatives
by John Shiffert
Dr. Kevin Demmitt, Clayton State
University associate vice president for
extended programs, and Assistant
Professor of Nursing Dr. Victoria Foster
recently returned from a trip to South
Korea, where they continued work on the
University’s partnership with Daejeon
Health Sciences College.
Clayton State and Daejeon Health
Sciences College originally signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) in
March 2013. The MOU was designed to
serve as a general framework for inter-
institutional cooperation between the
College of Health at Clayton State and
Daejeon Health Sciences College. This
coming summer, Daejeon will be sending
15 students to Clayton State for a four-
week course in medical terminology.
According to Demmitt, Daejeon also
hopes that Clayton State can send a facul-
ty member to Daejeon to teach during the
summer term.
In addition to those plans, there is a lot of
excitement on both sides of the agree-
ment.
“Dr. Victoria Foster and I received an
overwhelming welcome when we visited
Daejeon Health Sciences College,” says
Demmitt. “Their excitement over our
working together was evident by the
Clayton State welcome banners displayed
all over campus.
“I believe this has the opportunity to be a
very fruitful partnership with a college
that is clearly on the rise in South Korea.
They were recently named as a World
Class College by the Korean government
– a distinction held by only 11 of the more
than 400 colleges in the country. They
also were selected to build a second cam-
pus in the city where the national govern-
ment is preparing to move most of their
headquarters. This new campus will be 10
times larger than their current location
and will allow them to add even more
majors and their status will be upgraded
from college to university.”
Foster was also impressed with the wel-
come they received from Daejeon, and the
college itself.
“Riding up to the campus, a huge banner
was flying with the words, `Welcome the
Delegation of Clayton State University,
USA,’” she recalls. “The (Clayton State)
banner was also flying alongside their
school banner all
over the campus.
Upon arriving and
getting out of the
car, the university
president,
vice
president,
and
other officials were
standing at the
door
clapping.
They treated us
like rock stars.
“I
was
very
impressed
with
their campus, as
they are a bit more
technological ly-
savvy than we are
and just have more
of what we have.
The hospital facili-
ty had technology
that I haven't seen used here in the States,
so I think that our nursing students would
benefit from going to South Korea as
well.”
Clayton State University Assistant
Professor of Nursing and Interim
Director of the College of Health’s
Graduate Nursing Program Dr.
Victoria Foster was returning from
her recent trip to South Korea on
behalf of the University’s MOU with
Daejeon Health Sciences College
when she was presented with a poten-
tial life-or-death situation in mid-air
when a fellow passenger had a severe
allergic reaction to peanuts.
Foster reports that the individual in
question, a young woman, was given
an epinephrine shot by a friend who was
travelling with her, but she nonetheless
passed out in the aisle of the airplane.
Fortunately, she passed out right by
Foster’s seat.
She couldn’t have picked a better spot,
since Foster holds an M.S.N. from
Armstrong Atlantic State University, a
B.S.N. from Tuskegee University and a
Ph.D. from Georgia State University.
Having already arranged an academic
nursing program in Korea, Foster then
went into “hands-on” nursing mode. She
picks up the story thusly…
“I jumped into the aisle to do a quick
assessment. I was given equipment to
listen to lung sounds and to take a
blood pressure. Her pressure was low
at 100/58. She was having difficulty
breathing and her tongue was
swelling. I asked for an oxygen tank
and (an army nurse on board the flight)
started her on O2. Two interns, the
Army nurse, and I lifted her to a near-
by middle section of the plane. I had to
start an IV and give her IV fluids,
(using) my arm as a pole and my hand
Daejeon, cont’d., p. 20
Dr. Kevin Demmitt
Dr. Victoria Foster
Foster, cont’d., p. 19