The dog’s nose knows: Golden retriever aids professor, students at the Mount

Nancy Checchi, professor of Practice in Nursing and the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator at Mount Saint Mary College, with her golden retriever Mac on September 2.

Mount Saint Mary College’s mascot, Mack the Knight, might have some competition from another friendly Mac on campus who is just as beloved. 

Mac is a five-year-old golden retriever and the service and therapy dog for Nancy Checchi, Professor of Practice in Nursing and the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator at the college.

Despite the similarities to Mack the Knight, Mac the dog’s name is actually a nod to action movie hero John McClane from the film Die Hard, which features actor Bruce Willis thwarting a gang of terrorists on Christmas Eve. The pup was born around Christmastime, and the name just stuck.

But Mac isn’t just a friendly face: He’s a highly trained service dog. Several years ago, Checchi experienced a traumatic brain injury from a rock-climbing accident, which left her with residual seizures. Mac was trained to use his sense of smell to alert her to an oncoming seizure, gently leading her to a safe spot to sit down when he sensed one. If she’s alone during an episode, he will bark to get help. 

Thankfully, Mac hasn’t had to do that for a long while: Checchi has been seizure-free for the past two years. 

While Mac is a welcome addition to the campus, Checchi has a deep connection to the college herself: She earned her Family Nurse Practitioner degree and a post-master’s certification in Psychiatric nursing from the Mount. In addition, Checchi was an adjunct faculty member for about 10 years and is now in her third year as a full-time faculty member.

Checchi teaches core mental health classes for both first-time and post-master’s nurse practitioner students. In her classroom, she emphasizes that students should work with each of their patients based on their unique needs and feelings, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. 

“The biggest thing I really want [the students] to get from me is looking at each person as an individual,” explained Checchi. “You really have to look at everybody as somebody different with their own unique set of situations and circumstances, and treating everybody with respect.”

The dedicated professor strives to give her students a rich experience in the classroom by occasionally inviting her patients as guest speakers. Checchi also allows her private practice as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, located in Newburgh, to be used as a clinical experience option for students in the program. This provides them with valuable hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the field.

Believe it or not, Mac also plays an important role in the classroom, she explained.

“Having him at the end of the leash levels the playing field,” said Checci. “Instead of it being like a hierarchy, I like to think of it more like a round table in my classroom. We’re all experts at some point or another.”

Checchi also notes how Mac often acts as an icebreaker, helping students who might be a bit shy feel more comfortable. Students will even stop by her office just to see him. 

“I love the fact that I can share Mac with the students and the faculty here,” she said. “It’s a win for everybody.”