Northeast State Community College has named David Bryant as dean for the Division of Health Professions. He had served as the division’s interim dean since 2019.
Bryant’s call to emergency medicine grew from a young age. He grew up in the business you might say. His uncles served many years as members of the Greeneville/Greene County Rescue Squad. As a young man he saw their dedication as first responders – a term not officially used at that time – to emergency care incidents. This was prior to the days of 9-1-1 emergency communication service. Rescue squad members often served in a volunteer capacity to provide basic care to those in need.
“Being with them and talking with them left an impression on me,” said Bryant. “The more they talked about their experiences, the more interested I became.”
He pursued this interest by graduating from the then State Technical Institute of Knoxville as a licensed Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic. Bryant joined the Greeneville/Greene County Rescue Squad as a young paramedic in the late 1970s. He served 10 years with the Greeneville/Greene County service before moving to become a paramedic with the Washington County/Johnson City EMS. The immediacy of helping people, often at their most vulnerable moments, highlighted Bryant’s career. He also fueled his desire to teach these skills to those willing to learn.
“You get to see the difference made in what you do,” said Bryant. “You get a very satisfied feeling knowing you were there to help someone.”
He joined the Northeast State faculty as an EMT-Paramedic program instructor in 1997. Now an associate professor, Bryant became program director of the College’s Emergency Medical Technology program in 2017.
He received his associate of applied science degree at Northeast State and his bachelor’s degree from Tusculum University. He later earned a Master of Science degree in Allied Health from East Tennessee State University.
The Health Professions Division offers an associate of applied science degrees in Cardiovascular Technology, with Invasive and Non-Invasive options, Dental Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing, Paramedic, and Surgical Technology. In addition, a students may obtain technical certificates in Dental Assisting, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), and Paramedic.
All the Health Professions academic programs undergo an accreditation process through the national accrediting agencies that establish standards for each specific program. All the Health Professions programs have achieved these standards and hold national accreditation. Health Professions programs rank among the most popular AND most challenging academic majors at Northeast State.
“These are professions that have been around for a long time and continue to grow,” said Bryant. “It is something you have to like, or you are not going to last in it.”
Paramedics utilize a variety of intervention care technologies to help patients suffering life-threatening health issues. Insertion of Endo-tracheal tubes, to doing a needle decompression to improve a patient’s breathing on scene make up the skill sets for the modern paramedic, he said.
“The paramedic makes use of most up-to-date diagnostic tools available,” said Bryant. “They can use a 12-lead EKG to diagnose cardiovascular issues and transmit that data straight to a hospital. That allows you to bypass an emergency department and go straight to a catheter lab to save time and get the best outcome for the patient.”
Health care professionals of all stripes performed yeoman’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Professions faculty and staff worked to keep students on pace with lecture and laboratory activities. Health professions students do “clinical” work experiences with health care providers around the region. The pandemic all but brought those clinical experiences to a halt for several months in 2020.
Once health care facilities resumed clinical rotations, access remained limited to a few students at a time. Health Professions students get clinical experiences around the Tri-Cities region as well as sites in Asheville, Knoxville, and into Virginia.
Bryant noted the popular “travel health care” opportunities now extend beyond nursing. Surgical technology and cardiovascular technology and paramedic students among other specialties can find career opportunities via the travel experience. Hospitals and other care destinations across the country recruit medical professionals for multiple week assignments as staffing shortages continue in many industries.
Bryant wants to expand the existing teaching tools for current and future students across all departments. He also hopes to see an expansion of health program opportunities for students as the industry diversifies to serve patients.
One of the best pieces of advice Bryant recalls being given seems to be a declining art: Listen to people around you, be they patients, colleagues, friends, or family.
“It is that communication, including non-verbal communication, that will tell you a lot about people,” said Bryant. “You can learn a lot by simply listening to an individual.”
Source: https://northeastnation.wpcomstaging.com/2022/06/27/bryant-named-dean-of-health-professions-at-northeast-state/
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