Valerie Ragon

Biography

I have over thirty years of nursing experience in wide variety of clinical settings. These settings include MICU, acute respiratory / medical unit, /home care, and Radiation Oncology nursing. My passion is nursing care. I received my BSN form Bradley. I then received a MS degree from UIC in Clinical Nurse Specialist in Med – Surg Nursing. I then changed departments and worked in Nutritional Support Department for invasive nutrition/ Home Infusion. I assessed, monitor and wrote orders for patients on invasive nutrition. I loved having students with me and educating students on fluids and electrolytes. I went to higher education. I have over 17 years in higher education. 5 years at Bradley and 12 years at local college. I was a Clinical instructor in many clinical settings. I have taught fundamental, nursing ethics and leadership and community health and population health course I have a desire to continue to work in population and community health settings. My goals include to provide education of best evidence-based practice in a community health nurse to students, be a leader in implementing levels of health promotion and prevention to the vulnerable population that include school age children, impoverish elderly and disaster victims. I continue to provide education to students so that they can care for underserved population as well as be a leader in health promotion in public health systems with a focus on health literacy to ensure underserved / vulnerable populations receive appropriate health education, advocacy and nursing care to decrease health disparities.

Teaching

My philosophy of teaching is based on student center needs. I want students to be active learners in the classroom. I use a coaching style to educate students to be successful in academics. My goal is to use my expertise and knowledge to empower students to be active participants and lifelong learners. The most important skill that I can help develop and facilitate in students is critical thinking and using evidence-based practice in application. When students are empowered to learn they become lifelong learners and have academic and professional success.

Methodology Method 

I develop each of my courses with this quote to guide my teaching. Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin. I use deafferented instruction to teach students. Knowledge of the content is not enough. Each lecture includes goals and objectives, topic content, and application of content. I use many different teaching techniques to achieve active learning. I use deafferented educational instructions including flipped classroom, PowerPoint, case studies, video, student presentation, group discussion / competition and websites.  

• NUR 404 Community Health Nursing theory and clinical nursing pre-licensure BSN program
• NUR 403 Community Health Nursing clinical nursing pre-licensure BSN program
• NUR 214 Men’s Health
• NUR411 NCLEX Prep Course

Scholarship

Coved -19, Health Promotion and Prevention, Creve Coeur District 76. January 2021
Coved -19, Health Promotion and Prevention, Creve Coeur District 76. Aug 2020
Panel Presentation: IASB Joint Annual Conference; From a Fighting Board to a Functioning
Board Chicago IL Nov 2019
2016 -2017 Collaborated with Margorie Getz on a grant from Central Il. Agency on Aging about researching

2016 Conversation Mapping (Agency on Aging) with Marjorie
Poster presentation: Conversation Mapping, March 2017, aging in America Conference, Chicago IL
Red Cross Sheltering Tabletop, Methodist College, April 2016, Methodist College
Distracted Driving / Teenage girl’s safety habits, presented to teenage girls going to prom, Dream center Peoria IL. April 4th 2014
Affordable Care Act, presented for a book club on Health Care in USA. Library, January 2014
Red Cross Sheltering Tabletop, Methodist College, and October 2013
Every 15 Minutes: Workshop at London Mills High school with entire high school student, staff, faculty and administration. London Mills, October 2013
Communicable diseases, Proper hand hygiene, Head lice transmission and Flu transmission, presented to faculty and staff at East Peoria Grade School in East Peoria IL April 2013
Pedagogy, Scholarship of Teaching, at Methodist College on best practice for student engagement in the classroom. October 2012
What is my line? CVC and Gastric tube Care, Home Health Nurses at Brahman and Graham hospital 2000
What’s My Line? CVC and Gastric tube Care Methodist Medical Center Presenter and Organizer annually in spring to 1993 -2005

Service

• 2020- present Community Coved -19 Back to school
• 2019- present Labor Management Committee
• 2018 – present Tazewell Services Food Pantry
• 2016,2017,2020 ,2021 Stand Down for Homeless veterans with Goodwill
• 2014-2018 Promise of hope Peoria Dream Center
• 2013- present American Red Cross volunteer Washington Tornado Relief, Peoria Flood etc.
• 2013- 2017 Vice President School Board Member
• 2012 March of Dimes (Formed Nursing Student Team with area Colleges)
• 2006 Community Adolescent committee Member
• 2005-2011,2013- present School Board Member

Licensures and Certifications

• 1985- present Registered Nurse Illinois
• 1985- present BLS, American Red Cross,
• 1994- 2005 PICC line insertion certification
• 188-1993, 2022 present ACLS / certification20
• 2010- present American Red Cross volunteer /sheltering certification
• 2010- present CERT certification
• 2020 - ONS nursing