Nursing Faculty | bhw-orientations

Job Overview

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Program Overview

Meet the Faculty

Meet the Nursing program faculty you will be studying with.

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Tonia Benham

Tonia is the Unit Secretary for the Nursing Department. She has worked at LBCC since 2008, joining the Nursing Department in 2010. She brings with her many years of experience in various administrative positions, including for the federal government and in the non-profit sector. At one point, Tonia strongly considered and was encouraged to enroll in the Nursing Program herself, but instead decided that her contribution to the nursing profession would be through her administrative talents, providing superb support to the faculty, staff, and students in the Nursing Program.

Herself a former LBCC student, Tonia welcomes the opportunity to offer insight and information about the programs and services available to students at LBCC.

Virginia Brittsan

Virginia began her nursing career in Texas after graduating with a BS degree in nursing from Texas Woman's University. The first 21 years of her career were spent working at VA hospitals and clinics in Texas (Houston), California (San Francisco and Fresno), and Oregon (Roseburg).

As a staff nurse in these facilities, Virginia worked in critical care; general surgery and urology units; the operating room; and ambulatory care. After moving to Corvallis, she worked in Radiation Oncology, Home Health, and Hospice. Virginia has worked at LBCC since 1995, teaching both first and second year students. Her primary clinical interests are cardiology and oncology.

An RN since 1981, Roberta has worked for many years as a staff nurse in a variety of different settings. She is a certified Medical-Surgical Nurse and has significant telemetry and step-down unit experience. Working as a preceptor and mentoring student nurses sparked her interest in teaching nursing full time. In order to pursue teaching, she went back to school to earn her Masters in Nursing Science with an emphasis in Education.

Roberta relies on her mentoring experience and personal example to help guide her students through complex clinical situations. She effectively communicates her passion for nursing and for her students. It is her goal to help others become successful RNs. Roberta has been at LBCC since 2004 and was the Nursing Program Chair from 2009 until 2011.

Roberta Bronson

Sheryl Oakes Caddy

Sheryl graduated from LBCC in 1984 with an ADN. She began her nursing adventure in long-term care, followed by extensive experience in acute care. She has worked in several acute care areas with the majority of her career in the Perinatal, Infusion, and Home Health settings. She has been a staff nurse for Samaritan Health Services since 1985. In 1995, Sheryl graduated from OHSU with a BSN. She later returned to school, graduating in 2007 with a Doctorate of Jurisprudence. Sheryl completed her Master’s of Science in Nursing Education in 2011.

Sheryl was appointed Nursing Department Chair in 2011. In addition to her faculty responsibilities, she maintains both a staff nurse position at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center and a part-time law practice where she focuses on professional licensure defense. Sheryl enjoys discussing the privileges and responsibilities of maintaining professional licensure with students.

Kim’s experience in nursing has spanned over 30 years. During those years, she has worked in Adult and Pediatric Intensive Care Units, in the Emergency Department, and in Maternal-Child nursing. Over the years, she has also had the opportunity to work with an independent life-flight company and to teach community childbirth classes. Kim recently completed her Master's degree in Nursing Education and sees teaching at LBCC is a new chapter in her career. In her spare time, Kim is a 4-H leader and enjoys gardening, bike riding, and spending time with her family.

Kim Clark

Karen Keuneke

Information to come.

Bonnie has worked as an RN since 1981 in a variety of clinical areas, including Intensive Care, the Emergency Room, and Quality Management. The majority of her experience has been in working with cardiac patients in the Cardiac Care Units and on an outpatient basis. While precepting nurses in the Cardiac Care Unit, Bonnie realized her love of teaching nursing and has followed that passion into her career at LBCC.

Bonnie completed her Master’s of Science degree in Nursing and Health Education with the University of Phoenix online and has been at LBCC since 2003.

Bonnie Lassen

Stella joined LBCC as a part-time clinical instructor in January 2011. Her nursing career spans over 38 years, beginning with her graduation from Marquette University’s College of Nursing, Milwaukee, WI, in 1974. Stella feels that although technology, medications, and treatments have advanced in therapeutic benefit, core bedside professional nursing care remains a constant no matter where the setting. This has been her experience whether working in a hospital, rehabilitation, home care, hospice home care, community health, or an assisted living setting. Stella’s most recent specialty areas of interest are Oncology nursing as well as Geriatric nursing. Stella feels that it is inspiring to work with LBCC’s well-trained future RNs who will be caring for many of us in the years ahead.

Stella McCauley

Marcy graduated from the Oregon Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s of Nursing degree in 1987. She has worked in a variety of settings, including medical-surgical, critical care, post-partum, and outpatient clinics. She began teaching as a substitute clinical instructor in 1993 and in 1996 was invited to join LBCC as a Health Occupations Specialist in the Skills Lab and a part-time Clinical Instructor. She continued to work during the summers as a Med-Surg nurse and as a volunteer Camp Nurse for children's summer camps. In 2001, Marcy began teaching part-time in the classroom, and joined the full-time faculty a year later. She completed a Master’s of Science degree in Health Education from Western Oregon University in the spring of 2002.

Marcy believes that teaching nursing allows her to have a greater impact on patient care than she would have had as a nurse at the bedside.

Marcy Shanks

Shari has been a registered nurse for 21 years, working in various areas including a medical unit, a surgical unit, peri-op, day surgery, and PACU. She once opened and managed a pain management center with the Chief Anesthesiologist at the hospital where she worked. In 2000, Shari moved from Portland to Lebanon. She started working at LBCC in the Nursing Skills lab two years later, then became a full-time faculty member in 2009. She is currently pursuing a Master's of Science degree in Nursing.

Shari loves being a nursing educator and has a special way of bringing mannequins to life as she simulates what it is like to be a patient being cared for by first-year nursing students in the LBCC health care clinic.

Shari Spencer

The daughter of a nurse, Sherrilyn began her nursing career as her mother’s patient, enduring numerous painful injections and treatments. Undaunted, she graduated as an LPN, ADN and went on to get her BSN while working in various acute care and community settings. While managing an American Red Cross aphaeresis center, Sherrilyn obtained a Master’s Degree in Education, followed by an OBGYN Nurse Practitioner Certificate. She worked as a lead clinician at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England for many years and is active as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in Oregon. Sherrilyn is a certified Medical Surgical Nurse and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Nursing Education.

Sherrilyn has an active interest in health and wellness, and has been a yoga instructor for many years. She enjoys both the teaching and learning processes, and believes that humor, active listening, and deep breaths will assist her students and patients in their health journeys.

Sherrilyn Sytsma