vital signs
Summer 2012
Volume 3: Issue 1
In This Issue:
SON Announcements 2
• UNACARE Relocates
• SON Reinstates RN-BSN
• Interim NED Director Named
News You Can Use
• Alumni Greetings
• Upcoming Events
• Student Testimonial
Kudos
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•
•
•
•
•
3
4-5
Graduate Publishes Book
Students Receive Honors
SON Holds Pinning Ceremony
Student Receives Scholarship
Center Recognizes Student
NED Student Publishes Poem
Faculty Feats
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•
•
•
More than 130 health-care
professionals attended the Mississippi
Health Care Symposium on Cultural
Competency on June 21 and 22. Held
at the Hinds Community College
Clyde Muse Center, the event brought
Mississippi health-care providers,
educators and students together with
both regional and national leaders to
discuss and develop a professional
sense of cultural humility and
competency in student preparation
and clinical practice.
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• Henderson Partakes in Panel
• Bidwell Publishes Article
• Faculty Inducted into Order
SON Service
School of Nursing Hosts Cultural Competency
Symposium
University Confers 149 Nursing Degrees
7
Students Conduct Health Fairs
Volunteers Build Home
Class of 2013 Adopts Floor
Students Walk for Babies
Semester in Review 8
• Doctoral Journal Club Held
• Students Receive Doctorates
• Externs Gain Experience
Among the participants were, from left to
right, Dr. Jessylen Age, Dr. Kim Hoover, Tonya
Moore, Janet Harris, Dr. Pat Waltman and
Mary Mixon. Seated, from left to right, are Dr.
Deborah Washington of Massachusetts General
Hospital; Dr. Melanie Tervalon, a consultant from
California; Dr. Dung Ngo of the University of
Texas at Tyler and Dr. Sharon Lobert.
photo courtesy of Public Affairs
Ellen Hutchinson, Kalen Joe and Keiella Johnson
were among the Traditional BSN students who
graduated May 25 at the Medical Center’s 56th
Commencement at the Mississippi Coliseum in
Jackson.
On May 25, 149 students became
School of Nursing alumni, including
110 BSN students, 36 MSN students
and two DNP students. In addition,
one student graduated with a Ph.D.
in nursing. Traditional BSN student
Adam Welch received the prestigious
Christine L. Oglevee Memorial Award
for most outstanding School of Nursing
baccalaureate graduate, and classmate
Ryan Mittwede served as marshal of
the class, an honor bestowed on the
graduating Traditional BSN student with
the highest grade point average and
a demonstrated commitment to the
senior class, school and university as a
whole.
Mission: To develop nurse leaders and improve health within and beyond
Mississippi through excellence in education, research, practice and service.
1
School of Nursing Announcements
UNACARE Relocates, Changes Hours of Operation
The School of Nursing UNACARE Health Center has a new address and with it,
updated equipment and exam rooms. In addition to a fresh coat of paint and
new exterior, the UNACARE site now also includes new exam tables, chairs and
diagnostic panels, as well as a spacious practitioner station, patient waiting area
and break room.
The UNACARE Health Center is a full-service, nurse-managed, urban family
practice clinic. Faculty and students provide care to the diverse Jackson Midtown
community with a range of services for clients across the lifespan. UNACARE providers are all certified nurse
practitioners who collaborate with physicians in Family Medicine and OB-GYN at the University of Mississippi
Medical Center.
UNACARE Health Center
258 E. Fortification St.
Jackson, Miss. 39202
Phone: (601) 815-8230
Hours of operation:
Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.
SON Reinstates Online RN-BSN
Bridge Program
Dr. Susan Lofton
Hitt Named Interim Nurse
Educator Track Director
This fall, the School of Nursing
reactivated the online RN-BSN bridge
program for associate-degree RNs.
The program offers year-round
admission, with spring, summer and
fall start dates, and can be completed
in as few as three semesters. Dr.
Susan Lofton, professor of nursing,
has been named program director. For
more information, visit
http://www.umc.edu/son/RN-BSN/.
Jennifer Hitt
Jennifer Hitt recently was named
interim director of the graduate
Nurse Educator track. Located on the
Oxford, Miss., campus, Hitt joined the
School of Nursing faculty in 2008 and
serves as an assistant professor of
nursing. She has a varied background
in medical-surgical nursing and
hospital nursing education.
Vital Signs • School of Nursing
Editor's Notes
This publication is published biannually by the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing. Please
direct comments, suggestions or questions to Coordinator of Student Recruitment and Marketing Kim Ferguson:
[email protected].
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
School of Nursing
2500 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216-4505
601-984-6262
http://www.umc.edu/son
Dean
Dr. Kim Hoover
Editor & Writer
Kim Ferguson
Graphic Designer
Amy Robertson
“The School of Nursing is dedicated to developing nurse leaders through unique community-based systems serving vulnerable
populations; innovative partnerships; exemplenary clinical experiences across the continuum of care; evidence-based practice and a
research-intensive environment; a focus on excellence in teaching and life-long learning; and highly qualified, expert faculty.”
2
News You Can Use
Upcoming Events
Alumni Greetings
On behalf of the University of Mississippi Medical Center School
of Nursing alumni chapter, I would like to thank each one of you
for supporting our school. We have well over 60 years of school
heritage and 50 years of alumni chapter heritage, and I look
forward to 50 more. I would like to also thank all the nursing
alumni board members serving with me.
Labor Day holiday
Monday, September 3
Critical Care Symposium
Thursday, September 13
Paul C. Boackle
We closed 2011 with great social functions and tailgates. 2012 has Nursing Alumni
been a great year so far, with our annual meeting, class celebrations
President
and Oglevee Papers Day, and much more is to come.
I would like a minute to answer a few frequently asked questions, as well as
encourage more:
Annual Medical/Surgical
Nursing Conference
Friday, September 14
School of Nursing tour
Friday, September 28
Q. How much are the dues?
A. Membership in the nursing alumni chapter is free.
Ignite Career Fair
Wednesday, October 3
Q. Who can come to the annual meeting?
A. All are invited and encouraged to attend.
Application deadline for
programs that begin in the
spring
Monday, October 15
Q. If it’s not my class anniversary or reunion year, can I come to functions?
A. Yes, all classes, all years are always invited to all functions. The more, the merrier.
Q. How can I stay in touch and up to date?
A. http://www.umc.edu/son, http://alumni.umc.edu, Facebook, phone and e-mail
([email protected]) are all great ways to stay in the loop.
Q. How can I update my contact information?
A. E-mail us ([email protected]) or call us 601-984-1115.
Again, I would like to see all graduates of our school get involved and see what’s out
there for you. Let’s reconnect and celebrate the progress and contributions of all of
our family. If we can be of any assistance, please let us know. Thanks for all that each
one of you does every day. I am honored to serve.
- Paul C. Boackle, RN, BSN, Nursing Alumni President -Class of 2001
School of Nursing tour
Friday, October 26
Cystic Fibrosis Education
Day 2012
Saturday, November 3
Fall break
Monday-Friday,
November 19-23
End of semester
Saturday, December 15
Student Testimonial
Teresa White
3
Summer 2012
I chose to attend the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing because I honestly
believe it to be the top-notch school of nursing in the state. With the close connection between
the school and the hospital, UMMC provides an environment conducive to learning and hands-on
experience with many different cases. After my externship this summer in the pediatric intensive
care unit at Batson Children’s Hospital, I feel confident that nursing is what I want to do as a career
and that the UMMC School of Nursing is the perfect place to prepare myself to be the best nurse
that I can be. - Teresa White, Traditional BSN -Class of 2013
Kudos
Ph.D. Graduate Publishes Book, Receives Positive Reception
Dr. Lachel Story, a 2009 graduate
of the UMMC Ph.D. in Nursing
program and an assistant professor of
nursing at the University of Southern
Mississippi, published a textbook in
2011, Pathophysiology: A Practical
Approach, as well as a monolith in
2012, Community Health Training: A
Transformational Learning Experience.
Dr. Lachel Story
reception. The monolith, she said, derived from her
dissertation, which described her own professional
experiences as both an RN and a nurse educator.
“I felt very compelled to tell the woman’s story from my
dissertation,” Story said. I hope that it serves as a tribute
to them and their contribution to my human spirit,
education and the nursing body of knowledge.”
While the textbook’s primary audience
is undergraduate, Story said the
monolith is more appropriate for
graduate students. The monolith is
part of Story’s larger dissertation,
a community-based participatory
research study evaluating a community
health advisor training within the
Mercy Delta Express Project.
“I can’t express how excited I am
about these two projects,” she said. “First, with the
textbook, I wanted to write it because of sharing the
students’ frustration with the often daunting textbooks
available. The textbook was written with the students in
mind to demystify complex pathophysiology concepts.
To my surprise, the reception of this book has been
overwhelming.”
Like the textbook, which sold nearly 2,800 copies in
its first year, Story’s monolith has also had a positive
Story now teaches pathophysiology, pharmacology and
philosophy in nursing science at USM.
Honors Day Celebrates Student Accomplishments
Honors Day, held May 11 in the Norman C. Nelson Student Union, this year included more than 150 honors and
$265K in scholarships and awards. Those honored include student ambassadors, Dean’s List recipients and inductees
into Who’s Who among American Universities and Colleges, the Sigma Theta Tau international nursing honor society
and Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Honors Day also recognized Robert Wood Johnson scholars and Hearin Scholarship
Fund recipients, in addition to the recipients of nearly 50 other scholarships and awards. Also recognized at Honors
Day were the clinical preceptors for the BSN and MSN students. Preceptors serve as facilitators, clinical role models,
educators and consultants to students. The Master Preceptor Award honors those individuals who made an
extraordinary effort to help nursing students bridge the gap between classroom theory and clinical practice.
Vital Signs • School of Nursing
Pictured are the recipients of the University
of Mississippi Medical Center Student
Nurses’ Association Outstanding Junior
and Senior awards, Catherine Figueroa and
Adam Welch, respectively, with Dr. Molly
Moore, assistant professor of nursing.
photo courtesy of Public Affairs
Dr. Marilyn Harrington, assistant professor
of nursing, presented Traditional BSN
student Rochelsey Thomas with the Lorea
May Honorary Nurse Award.
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Pictured are the 2012 Master Preceptor
Award winners and the BSN and MSN
students who nominated them. Winners
included Rick Risher, Michelle Henderson,
Jessica Diamond, Lakesha Brown, Angela
Aldridge, Kimberly Credit, Rachel Byrd,
Guyolyn Ousterhout and Gerri McElroy.
Nearly 120 BSN and MSN students received the symbolic nursing pin at the annual School of Nursing Pinning
Ceremony, which was held May 24 at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Nursing pins date back hundreds of
years when they were used to identify nurses during periods of disease outbreak. Since that time, they have come to
signify service to others and the schools from which the students graduated. Graduates typically wear these pins on
their uniforms when they begin their nursing careers.
Kudos
Pinning Ceremony Commemorates Tradition of Nursing Excellence
Adam Welch, a graduate from the
Traditional BSN program, was pinned by
his mother, Terri Gillespie, chief nursing
officer for Batson Children’s Hospital, who
is also a graduate from the University
of Mississippi Medical Center School of
Nursing.
Held the day before graduation, the
Pinning Ceremony symbolizes not only the
completion of the nursing program but
also a tireless dedication to improving the
health of others. Pictured is Accelerated
BSN student Katherine Taylor being pinned
by Dr. Marcia Rachel, associate dean for
academic programs.
Among the Master of Science in Nursing
students being pinned was Kim Edwards, a
graduate of the MSN Nurse Educator track.
Edwards was pinned by Dr. Kim Hoover,
dean of the School of Nursing.
AACN Awards Competitive Scholarship to Ph.D. Student
Ph.D. student Wendy Bailes, of Monroe, La., recently received a coveted American Association of
Colleges of Nursing scholarship. The AfterCollege/AACN scholarship fund provides students pursuing
professional nursing education programs with $2,500 scholarships. Special consideration is given to
students pursuing a nursing faculty career with an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher. Eight students from
across the United States were chosen to receive the
award.
Wendy Bailes
Student Transforms Professional
Experiences into Poetic Art
Tina Higgins, a Ph.D. student, was
honored with a brick in the Mary E.
Stainton Center for Nursing Garden in
Madison, Miss. The School of Nursing
also received an honorary brick. In
celebration of Nurses Week in May,
the Mississippi Nurses Foundation
hosted the event, which recognized
36 individuals and organizations for
their contributions and dedication to
the nursing profession.
Florence Cooper, a Nurse Educator
graduate student and perioperative
educator for University of Mississippi
Health Care, had a poem selected
for publication in the fall 2011
International Journal for Human
Caring. Cooper’s poem, “I Did My
Part,” was an aesthetic representation
of a meaningful nursing situation.
Tina Higgins
Florence Cooper
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Summer 2012
Honors Bestowed on Student and
School of Nursing
Faculty Feats
Henderson Participates in White House Panel Discussion
Invited by senior Obama Administration officials, Dr. Kristi Henderson, associate professor of
nursing, UMMC Telehealth director and chief advanced practice officer, participated in a fourmember panel discussion June 13 at the White House in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the
Department of Health and Human Services and the Domestic Policy Council, the panel discussion,
“Improving Care Quality and Patient Health,” allowed Henderson to share the Medical Center’s
work with Telehealth and advanced practice nursing with representatives from HRSA, CMS,
national nursing organizations and other entities, such as the Center on Aging and Health, Quad
Council for Public Health and Veterans Affairs.
Dr. Kristi
Henderson
“It was a dynamic experience to share the successes UMMC is having in transforming Mississippi’s
health-care system utilizing technology and advanced practice nurses. It was an incredible
opportunity to network with leaders in health care and showcase our work,” Henderson said.
Faculty Member Takes Lead in Promoting Healthy Living
Josie Bidwell, assistant professor of nursing, was the lead author in the June 2012 issue of the
Journal of the Mississippi State Medical Association. Bidwell wrote on the subject of Southern
Remedy’s Healthy Living Fitness Program. For more information about Mississippi Public
Broadcasting’s Southern Remedy show, please visit http://mpbonline.org/southernremedy, and for
more information about the Healthy Living Fitness Program, visit www.msmaonline.com.
Faculty Inducted into Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence
Vital Signs • School of Nursing
Drs. Joyce Brewer, Sheila Keller, Jennifer Robinson and
LaDonna Northington in April were inducted into the
Norman C. Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence. For
their commitment to School of Nursing students and
nursing education, they were honored with a luncheon,
recognition during Commencement and a plaque hung
on the Norman Nelson Wall of Honor.
Brewer, professor of nursing and director of the graduate
Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Acute
Care Nurse Practitioner tracks, has provided obstetrical,
women’s health and pediatric care throughout
Dr. Joyce
Brewer
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Dr. Sheila
Keller
Mississippi for over 30 years. Keller, associate professor
of nursing, serves as senior director of research and
evidence-based practice and provides expertise to
clinical nursing staff, interdisciplinary teams, nursing
faculty and students. Robinson, associate professor of
nursing, has varied research and clinical experiences,
including nearly 15 years in labor and delivery, pediatric
psychiatry, ambulatory care and post-anesthesia care.
Northington, professor of nursing and director of the
Traditional BSN program in Jackson, has over 30 years of
nursing experience and 15 years of teaching experience.
Dr. Jennifer
Robinson
Dr. LaDonna
Northington
SON Service
Health Fairs Offer Students Service Learning Opportunities
On April 13, School of Nursing faculty, staff and students joined
forces with Millsaps College and community leaders from the
Jackson Midtown community to host a health fair in conjunction
with the 1 Campus, 1 Community annual block party.
Laurie Foster,
Accelerated BSN
Also, senior Traditional BSN Students in Oxford held a health fair
in October at Ole Miss. Pictured, from left to right, are Caitlin
Clark, Amanda Russell, Lesley Thweatt, Eva Tatum, Hannah
Neely, Alyson Chambers, Deikiyah Jones and Sandy Stanton. Front row, from left to right, are Justin
Coats, Katie Waldrop, Katherine Woodard and Laura May.
SON Helps Build Home for Local Family
Nailing, drilling and sawing were just a few
of the tasks completed by more than 30
School of Nursing faculty, staff and students
throughout the day May 4 at a Habitat for
Humanity site in Jackson.
Pictured, from left to right, are Hannah
Pittman, Dr. Kim Hoover and Dr. Sharon
Lobert.
March for Babies Keeps SON
Volunteers on Toes
On March 9,
the School
of Nursing
class of 2013
participated
in the Batson
Children’s
Hospital
“Adopta-Floor”
project. Class
members
donated more than 350 snack items to provide patient
access to snacks and meals at all times. Pictured from
left to right, are Kristin Hinton, Shelby Wilkinson, Anna
Biggs, Alissa Nicholas, Candace Robertson and Regina
Peterson. On the back row, from left to right, are
Mudeshea Monroe, Aimee Fairchild, Callie Polk, Mary
Catherine Ragland, Shelby Stratton, Kayla Murphy,
Paul Munn, Melissa Davis, Lacey Wallace and Kelsey
Gallagher.
Held on
April 28,
the annual
March for
Babies had
thousands of
walkers from
Jackson and
surrounding
areas on
their feet.
Raising
money and awareness for the March of Dimes, the
event promoted programs to help moms have healthy,
full-term pregnancies. Pictured are a few School
of Nursing walkers, including, from left to right on
the back row, Kayla Childress, Logan Barnes, Kara
McDowell, Jordan Gullette, Assistant Professor Dr. Kate
Fouquier, Kayla Murphy and Katie King. On the front
row, from left to right, are Kristin Hinton, Reynolds
Whites, Tori White and Keyana Leggett.
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Summer 2012
Class of 2013 Adopts Floor in
Children’s Hospital
Semester in Review
Students Participate in Second-Annual Doctoral Seminar Day
The University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of
Southern Mississippi schools of nursing have been collaborative partners
offering Ph.D. education since 1998. Sharing resources, such as faculty
expertise, has been one of the many benefits to students of this joint
enterprise. In an effort to formalize a day of networking and continuing
education for doctoral students and faculty in the two schools, UMMC
hosted the first Doctoral Seminar Day in June 2011. After the success of
this first event, UMMC and USM agreed to make the Doctoral Seminar
Day an annual event, with each
Pictured, from left to right, are Wendy
school hosting it on alternate
Bailes, Melissa Temple, Dr. Jennifer
Robinson, Laura Tucker, Tanya Boyd, Connie years. The second-annual
Doctoral Seminar Day was held
Lewis and Dr. Mary Stewart, director of the
at the Trent Lott Center on the
UMMC Ph.D. in Nursing program.
USM campus in Hattiesburg
on June 29, 2012. Many Ph.D. and DNP students, as well as faculty,
attended. The day was full of relevant presentations, ranging from “Tips to
Publishing” to “IRB Processes”. Students and faculty enjoyed the informal
Pictured, from left to right, are Ph.D. in
conversations, posters and new connections formed. The third-annual
Nursing students Wendy Lovelace, Michelle
Doctoral Seminar Day is slated for June 13, 2013, at UMMC.
Burns, Christina Higgins and Danny Vining.
Three Students Receive Doctorate Degrees
Among them was Dr. Jessylen Age, who successfully completed the
Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Her capstone inquiry was titled, “An
Evaluation of Rapid Response Team Impact.” Similarly, Dr. Molly Moore
graduated in May from the DNP program; her capstone title was “Planning
Phase of a Population-Specific Healthy Lifestyle Program.” Dr. Debbie
Pictured, from left to right, are Drs. Molly
Treloar completed the Ph.D. in Nursing program; she successfully defended Moore and Jessylen Age.
her dissertation, “The Tapestry of Tobacco: A Lived Experience of MiddleAged Women Who Smoke,” in February.
BSN Students Gain Valuable On-the-Job Experience
photo courtesy of DIS Communications
Vital Signs • School of Nursing
Among the 149 students who graduated in May with a bachelor’s, master’s
and doctoral nursing degree, three students were among those receiving
the highest academic credential and the title “Doctor.”
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More than one-third of the Traditional BSN juniors participated in
externships this past summer at University Hospitals and Health System.
Students’ clinical environments ranged from the pediatric and neonatal
intensive care units and the children’s cancer clinic to adult trauma,
psychiatry and hematology/oncology, to name a few. Pictured on the bone
marrow transplant unit, from left to right, are hospital RNs Chelsea McClain
and Wendy Mosier with BSN student Anna Katherine Noel.