Learn.Lead.Serve. Summer 2013 by BULHSON

learn. lead. serve. Summer 2013

Baylor Nurses Serve the World Gala Dazzles in Dallas Students Respond in West A p ubl i c at i o n o f Baylor u ni versi t y Louise Her r ing ton scho ol of nur sing

Message from the dean

by Shelley Conroy Dean and Professor

The Baylor nursing team visits with Chinese University of Hong Kong Nethersole School of Nursing faculty.

Since joining Baylor University LHSON as dean nearly two years ago, much has changed in the profession of nursing. The global need for highly qualified nurses is growing, and our student population reflects it. We are serving a more diverse population than ever before, and LHSON is rising to the occasion, as evidenced by the heroic actions of several of our nursing students during the recent fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. I know I speak on behalf of the entire Baylor nation when I say that we are extremely proud of our students in their response to this tragedy. However, I would be remiss to overlook the many opportunities our nursing students take to reach out to those in need throughout our local communities and around the world every day. LHSON is committed to preparing nurses who are qualified to minister to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the patients they come to serve. Thanks to the enormous outpouring of support we received at our second annual Going for the Gold Gala in March, we are now able to offer more endowed scholarship money to prospective students who might not otherwise be able to afford the opportunity to attend a research-intensive Christian university. Our donor community, sponsors, gala event planning committee and development staff all deserve a giant bear hug for raising more than $1 million in scholarship funds over the past 12 months. What an encouragement to the work we are doing at LHSON!

Preparing the Way for Excellence in Nursing The Baylor nursing team visits with Hong Kong Baptist Hospital staff.

Personally, I am actively working with colleagues on the faculty to fulfill the five aspirational statements in Baylor’s strategic plan, Pro Futuris. On that note, I was honored to have been selected to participate in the 2013 AACN Wharton Executive Leadership Program and to serve on the Baylor University Medical Center board of trustees. It is my prayer that these two opportunities will help strengthen our ability to play a significant role in the future of healthcare and nursing education. It was also a great privilege to serve as the faculty lead during our May study-abroad trip to Hong Kong, China. Lori Spies, our missions coordinator, accompanied me along with five students, who completed the Complementary and Traditional Chinese Medicine course during our visit. The course was hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with visits to Nethersole School of Nursing, the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Hong Kong Baptist Hospital included. It is always inspiring to see the growth our students experience when they have the opportunity to immerse in other cultures. Throughout this edition of Learn.Lead.Serve., you will see many examples of our students expanding their horizons through study and missions abroad. This continued outreach is an important pillar of our program at LHSON, and I look forward to expanding our efforts in this area. As always, I hope you enjoy reading about the students, alumni, staff and supporters featured in this issue. On behalf of all our Baylor community, thank you for your continued prayers and support. May our work be worthy of His Holy Name! Summer 2013

Leadership News

Recent nursing graduates volunteer to help restore the town of Moore, Oklahoma, after the devastating May 20 tornado.

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learn. lead. serve.

Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing Leadership Team Ken Starr

President, Baylor University Elizabeth Davis

Executive Vice President and Provost, Baylor University Shelley Conroy

Dean and Professor Linda Plank

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Karen Holub

Chair, Faculty Organization Janis Kovar

Director of Development

Comments or Questions? We want to hear from you! Send your comments or questions to LHSONnews@baylor.edu. If you have pictures or stories from a recent Baylor nursing event, we would love for you to share them with us. Learn. Lead. Serve.

Inside this issue

Message from the Dean inside front cover Faculty News 4 Feature Stories

Learn Baylor Nurses Around the World 6 Lead 2013 Gala Dazzles in Dallas 8 Serve Baylor Students Respond to West Explosion 14 Special Feature Celebrating Baylor Nursing Mission Trips 18 Student Life 20 Alumni News 24 Partner News 29 School News 30 Upcoming Events back cover

Cover photo: LHSON recent graduate Laura Adiele receives a woman in labor brought by donkey cart to the Dawe Clinic in Langano, Ethiopia.

Faculty News

Faucher, M. A. (2013). Midwife-led care and caseload continuity

Faculty Recognition Publications Brucker, M. C. (2012). Transitions. Nursing for Women’s Health, 16(3), 187-188. doi:10.1111/j.1751-486X.2012.01727.x

Brucker, M. C. (2012). Yes, but… Nursing for Women’s Health, 16(6), 449-450. doi:10.1111/j.1751-486X.2012.01771.x

Brucker, M. C. (2013). Let’s get cultured. Nursing for Women’s Health, 17(3), 179-180. doi:10.1111/1751-486X.12030

Brucker, M. C. (2013). Plays well with others. Nursing for Women’s Health, 17(1), 9-10. doi:10.1111/1751-486X.12000

Brucker, M. C. (2013). Watching our words. Nursing for Women’s Health, 17(2), 83-84. doi:10.1111/1751-486X.12014

Retirement Announcements It is with great honor that we say good-bye to two esteemed faculty members. Please join us as we express our appreciation for their many years of dedicated service and extend best wishes for their future endeavors. Dr. Mary C. Brucker, tenured professor and former graduate program director, joined Baylor in 2006. Dr. Brucker was instrumental in the development of the NurseMidwifery Doctorate in Nursing Practice program (NM-DNP). During her service as graduate program director, enrollment in the graduate program more than doubled. Dr. Catherine Rosser, senior lecturer and former undergraduate program director, joined Baylor in 2003. During Dr. Rosser’s service as undergraduate program director, the nursing school’s accelerated BSN program, FastBacc, was established, and the school continued to grow in enrollment and number of graduates and to earn nationally-ranked pass rates on NCLEX licensure examinations. 4

may decrease risk for cesarean birth. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 58(1), 110-111. doi:10.1111/j.1542-2011.2012.00264

Faucher, M. A. (2013). Mindfulness yoga improves scores on

depression scales and fosters maternal-fetal attachment. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 58(1), 111-112. doi:10.1111 /j.1542-2011.2012.00264

Faucher, M. A. (2013). Other literature of interest to midwives.

Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 58(1), 114-115. doi:10.1111 /j.1542-2011.2012.00264

Faucher, M. A. (2013). Potential perinatal risks of vitamin D

deficiency in pregnant women. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 58(1), 113-114. doi:10.1111/j.1542-2011.2012.00264

Grassley, J. S., Spencer, B. S., & Bryson, D. (2013). The development and psychometric testing of the supportive needs of adolescents

breastfeeding scale. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(3), 708-716. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06119.x

Holub, K. (2013). The woman with a postpartum complication. In E. McKinney, S. James, S. Murray, K. Nelson & J. Ashwill (Eds.), Maternal-child nursing (4 ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. Presentations Kim, Y. K., Armstrong, C. L., Edwards, S. R. (2012, November). The Relationship Between Student-Faculty Interaction and College Outcomes: Does Academic Major Moderate the Relationship?.

Presentation at the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Las Vegas, NV.

Garner, S. L. (2012, November). Picture This! The Use Of Photovoice as a Change Agent to Improve Social Disparities. Presentation at the Nurses Christian Fellowship International Conference, Santiago, Chile.

Garner, S. L. (2013, January). Evidence Based Spiritual Nursing Practice. Presentation at the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Garner, S. L. (2013, January). Using Evidence Based Data to Write Critical Thinking Test Items. Presentation at the Rebekah Ann

Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Garner, S. L. (2013, January). Systematic Reviews versus Literature Reviews. Presentation at the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Garner, S. L. (2013, January). Evidence Based Spiritual Nursing Practice. Presentation at the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Garner, S. L. (2013, January). Infection Control. Presentation at

the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Summer 2013

Faculty News

Prater, L. S. (2013, January). Utilizing a Journal Club to Enhance

Evidence Based Teaching and Learning. Presentation at the Rebekah

Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Prater, L. S. (2013, January). Trends and Issues in Nursing in the

United States of America. Presentation at the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Prater, L. S. (2013, January). Developmental Care in the High Risk

Neonate. Presentation at the Staff Nurse Development Workshop for the NICE Foundation, in Hyderabad, India.

Riley, C. A. (2013, January). Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning.

Presentation at the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Riley, C. A. (2013, January). Translating Evidence into Practice.

Presentation at the Rebekah Ann Naylor School of Nursing Faculty Workshop, Bangalore, India.

Riley, C. A. (2013, January). Thermoregulation. Presentation at the

Staff Nurse Development Workshop for the NICE Foundation, in Hyderabad, India.

Riley, C. A. (2013, January). Assessment of Sepsis in Preterm Infants. Presentation at the Staff Nurse Development Workshop for the NICE Foundation, in Hyderabad, India.

Riley, C. A. (2013, January). Transition to Extrauterine Life.

Presentation at the Staff Nurse Development Workshop for the NICE Foundation, in Hyderabad, India.

Riley, C. A. (2013, January). The Late Preterm Infant. Presentation at

the Staff Nurse Development Workshop for the NICE Foundation, in Hyderabad, India.

Spencer, B. (2013, March). A Qualitative Description of African

American Women’s Breastfeeding Experiences: Exploring Perceptions of Sexuality and Spirituality. Presentation at the Carolina Global

Breastfeeding Institute: Breastfeeding and Feminism Conference, in Chapel Hill, NC.

Tucker, C. A., Ketcham, N. (2013, March). On the Fast Track… 12 Months to a 100% Success. Presentation at Elevate Outcomes

with HESI: A Contemporary Forums Evidence-Based Nursing Conference, in Philadelphia, PA. Honors Mary C. Brucker, professor of nursing, and Donna LoSasso,

assistant professor of nursing, were named in the 25 Outstanding College Professors in Nursing from Online Nursing Schools.

Cheryl Ann Riley, coordinator of the neonatal nurse practitioner program, received the DNP Excellence Award from Creighton

University on Dec. 14, 2012. The award is presented to the DNP

Dean Conroy Among VCU’s Visionary Leaders As part of celebrating its 120th anniversary, the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing recognized LHSON dean and professor Dr. Shelley F. Conroy, CNE, among 120 alumni and faculty members, both living and deceased, as Visionary Leaders. Dean Conroy received her BS degree from VCU in 1977 and her MS in 1983. During her time in Virginia, she led the board of nursing as president, assisted in the development of the Virginia Health Professionals Intervention Program and served as dean of professional and technical studies at John Tyler Community College. Recipients of the honor were selected for distinctive service in the field of nursing and healthcare, recognition by colleagues and peers and demonstration of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Cheryl Riley Improves the Odds for Late-Preterm Babies Cheryl Riley, DNP, RN, NNP-BC, coordinator of the neonatal nurse practitioner program at LHSON, recently completed her capstone project as part of her doctor of nursing practice degree at Creighton University. Her work involved training nurses and developing a protocol for late-preterm infants at Medical Center of Lewisville. Parent education was also incorporated into the protocol. The project was implemented in January, and since then, a decrease in length of stay for these infants has resulted. In recognition of Dr. Riley’s new protocol, Creighton University presented her with a Doctor of Nursing Practice Excellence Award, for excellence demonstrated in advanced practice, leadership and research, and for incorporating its Jesuit values into practice.

student who demonstrates excellence in advanced practice.

Learn. Lead. Serve.

Baylor Nurses:

Trained to Serve the World W

hat is it about nursing, and Baylor University LHSON in particular, that would inspire a husband and wife to leave their home in Tyler and come to Dallas to advance their educations? Hope and Matthew Hunt provide some insight. The couple met at the University of Texas at Tyler, married in 2004 and graduated in 2007 with BSN degrees. They worked as nurses in Tyler, spent time overseas in France and West Africa serving in medical ministry and returned almost six years later to reevaluate their life plans. Matt, already an RN, was contemplating a physician assistant degree. However, considering

the nurse practitioner track was less strenuous, yet still on a par with PA credentials, Matt chose to pursue his FNP. Hope, already an RN, CNM, wanted to earn a DNP with an emphasis in midwifery. Baylor offers one of the few midwifery programs in Texas. By moving to Dallas to study at LHSON, the couple could earn advanced degrees together and train for the next round of mission work the Lord puts on their hearts. “Before we got married, we chose Matthew 25:40 as our couple’s life verse,” Hope explained. “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.”

LHSON Spring 2013 Enrollment Demographics Pre-Nursing

BSN

Graduate

Total

Percent

Multiracial

Asian

African American/ Black

Hispanic

109

White

192

218

468

Total

321

336

730

Male

25 (8%)

40 (12%)

6 (8%)

296

659

Alaskan Native/American Indian

Female

Summer 2013

Said Matt, “Baylor is the only nursing school we know of that offers the practical aspects of caregiving, with an emphasis on global ministry that could open doors for our life callings.” In May, Matt graduated with a master of science in nursing degree in the Family Nurse Practitioner program and accepted a healthcare position in Joshua, Texas. Hope will go to Guatemala as part of her capstone project. The couple will move to Joshua in June. The plan is to serve overseas at some point, and hopefully start a family.

A Changing Student Population The previous issue of Learn.Lead.Serve. featured a story on Cace and Cramer Hurt, two brothers attending LHSON to pursue nursing careers. Cace chose nursing for the security of working in a “small family clinic,” whereas Cramer wanted a more fast-paced environment that would not require him to “sit behind a desk.” At LHSON, 10% of the 2012–2013 student enrollment was comprised of men, and the number seems to be growing. However, males are not the only population shifting in the mix. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 580,000 new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2018. As a result, nursing schools all over the country are drawing student populations outside the traditional “white female” norm. “We are seeing greater diversity in our classrooms,” said LHSON associate dean for academic affairs Linda Plank, PhD, RN, NEA-BC. “Our percentage of older students, males, nonAmerican born and ESL (English as a Second Language) students is rising across the board. And we are starting to draw more students from out of state.” According to the latest class enrollment, 18% of LHSON undergraduate students now come from out of state, with California and Colorado leading the way.

Learn. Lead. Serve.

Indeed, hospitals across the country are beginning to recruit at Baylor, raising the school’s reputation nationwide. “One hospital in California has five of our graduates currently on their nursing payroll,” said Dr. Plank. “I believe our high academic standards and emphasis on Christian values make the difference in the quality of nurse we graduate and send out into the workforce.” According to Dr. Plank, the number one measurement for nursing schools is their pass rate on the National Council Licensure Exam. Last year, Baylor students passed the exam 97% of the time on their first try. “That, and the way we prepare our students for meeting the spiritual needs of patients, makes us different.”

LHSON Provides a Unique Twist Internationally, Baylor attracts nursing students from places all over the globe, including Bolivia, India and Uganda, to name a few. Meanwhile, USborn students increasingly look to serve in medical missions abroad. “The demand for nurses around the world makes nursing an ideal profession for anyone wanting to travel and serve,” said Tina Glaspie, coordinator of recruitment and enrollment for LHSON. Graduate student Ruth Burks, RN, CWS (Certified Wound Specialist), provides just one example. She is currently on track to become a FNP, after which she will accept a position with SIM, an international Christian mission organization, to work at a refugee camp in Doro, South Sudan. You can read more about Ruth’s story in the Alumni News section of this magazine. “Every week, I field hundreds of emails requesting transcript evaluations, tours and admissions information,” Glaspie said. “We are doing something special here at LHSON. It makes coming in to work every day a blessing.” Judging by the continued flow of quality nurses produced annually at LHSON, the Creator’s signature must be all over every diploma issued.

Going for the Gold Gala 2013 Dazzles in Dallas More than $1Â million raised in a single year CEO of Emmitt Smith Enterprises, Super Bowl Champ and winner of Dancing with the Stars, Emmitt Smith lit up the room with an electric smile and life lessons learned from his bedazzling past and present careers.

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Baylor University president Ken Starr, along with first lady Alice Starr, reminded all in attendance to “give now and give often” to empower Baylor nursing students for generations to come.

Gala co-chairs Angela Bowman (left) and Donna Dee Floyd celebrated the successful evening with master of ceremonies Scott Murray.

Dr. Shelley Conroy, dean of LHSON, welcomed the revelers with warm words of appreciation for everyone who made the evening a success, including students, faculty, alumni, sponsors, donors, volunteers, visitors, guests and friends.

he gold that glittered at Eddie Deen’s Ranch in downtown Dallas on the night of March 1 came straight from the heart. More than 670 guests, eager to boost the endowed scholarship funds of Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, gathered in denim and glitz for an evening of line dancing, stargazing, down-home barbecue and a big Baylor Nation salute to one of the oldest and finest Christian-based nursing schools in Texas. The passing of Larry Hagman, originally chosen as the keynote speaker for the event, caused merely a pause in the planning. Gala event co-chairs Donna Dee Floyd and Angela Bowman pushed forward, in the true spirit of J. R. Ewing, to sign showstopper and Dallas Cowboys royalty Emmitt Smith to preside over the affair. Scott Murray, NBC 5 Emmy Award–winning sportscaster, served as master of ceremonies, with Baylor’s own Miss Texas 2012, DaNae Couch, assisting with the presentation of prizes. The evening featured many highlights throughout, not the least of which was raising more than $500,000 in endowed scholarship funds. Indeed, $48,000 alone came from the silent and live auctions that featured everything from luxury vacations, fine art and redcarpet jewelry, to sports packages and priceless Baylor memorabilia. “Considering that last year’s event was held only 11 months earlier, last April,” said Janis Kovar, director of development for LHSON, “it is amazing to think that this group successfully raised over a million dollars in nursing student scholarships for our school in one year. What an accomplishment!” When asked to summarize the evening’s impact, Ms. Floyd simply referred to Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (NASB). The only question left is, where will the Going for the Gold Gala end up in 2014? Certainly, with His watchful eye over the Baylor nursing school— God knows! To be continued…

IN RECOGNITION OF GOLDEN TEN-GALLON HAT SPONSOR

Dr. and Mrs. Harold D. Gilbert The Going for the Gold Gala is honored to welcome Linda and Harold Gilbert as our lead sponsor. The Gilberts gave the gala sponsorship gift to their endowed scholarship in memory of Glenda Hickman, MD, their daughter who passed away on May 14, 2012. The Linda Shafer Gilbert and Sandra Shafer Oliver Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing was named after twin sisters and nurses Linda Gilbert and Sandra Oliver. This scholarship was created by their husbands in honor of them. The Gilberts’ daughter, Dr. Glenda Hickman, represented the commitment to faith and compassion that LHSON seeks to instill in its nurses. She was a talented engineer, receiving both undergraduate and advanced degrees in computer science from Baylor University. Her compassionate heart led her to become a paramedic as well as a medical doctor specializing in hospice and palliative medicine. Dr. Hickman developed her own personal ministry to those in need by inscribing words of hope and Bible verses onto small, polished stones which she gave to patients and family members in need of encouragement. While it began as a small gesture, her ministry of hand-lettered Scripture expanded to a distribution of more than 3,000 stones.

We were very delighted about the article and picture in the gala program and it did so honor our daughter, Glenda’s, memory. We were blessed by it all. Dr. Harold and Linda Gilbert

In Recognition of Golden Tin Star Sponsor

C. Robert and Ellen Byrd The Ellen Stoesser Byrd Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing was established in 2013 by C. Robert and Ellen Byrd to assist students who are transferring from Dallas Baptist University, or who graduated from DBU, and are enrolled in the FastBacc or a graduate program, or who are transferring from any other Texas Baptist university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Mrs. Byrd graduated from the Baylor University School of Nursing in 1964 and has served on the dean’s board and assisted with the alumni reunion and 100-year anniversary events. She was the director of health services at DBU for five years. Both she and her husband have served as DBU trustees, a position which she currently holds since 2005.

The opportunity to launch this scholarship and sit with nine Dallas Baptist University pre-nursing and current Baylor nursing students who all transferred from Dallas Baptist University was an honor and a pleasure. Ellen Byrd

In Recognition of Golden Tin Star Sponsor

Scott & White Healthcare The Scott & White Healthcare Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing was established in 2013 by Scott & White Healthcare as a permanent endowment to be awarded to students enrolled in the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing on the basis of need and merit. Robert W. Pryor, MD, is the CEO of Scott & White Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest multispecialty physician practices; he is a graduate of Baylor University in Waco. Cyndy Dunlap, RN, MPA, NEA-BC, FACHE, is the company’s chief nursing officer; Ms. Dunlap received her BSN from Baylor School of Nursing in 1979.

As healthcare reform continues to evolve, the need for hands-on nursing professionals will continue to grow, and no school prepares nurses better for a life of service than Baylor. Cyndy Dunlap

Golden Lasso Sponsor American Airlines Joseph B. and Kelly E. Armes Barnabas Foundation, Inc. / Anita Jones John and Marie Chiles Weldon Hicks Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Jones Dr. and Mrs. David L. Ring Mary Jo and Bill Robbins Ben Thieme and Jim Thieme Don Weckwerth Golden Spur Sponsor Diane and Joel Allison Baylor University Board of Regents Belmont Village Senior Living at Turtle Creek Angela and Brad Bowman Don and Ruth Buchholz Edgemere Curt and Donna Dee Floyd F & M Bank and Trust / Wayne Tucker Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Hall Kari and Stephen Haywood Terri Heard Charles and Sharon Hilliard Albert Huddleston The Darrell and Susan Keith Foundation Paul and Karen McDonald Looper Reed & McGraw Scott and Donna Miller Ron and Cheryl Hulse Murff Boone and Peggy Hogan Powell Bill and Minette Pratt Mr. and Mrs. Danny K. Prince Ken and Alice Starr Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children Sandy and Andy Tindel Joan Trew Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Wills Table Hosts Albright Headache and Pain Center Baylor Alumni Network Baylor Business Network of Fort Worth The Beck Group Judge and Mrs. Oswin Chrisman Joy and Steve Cobb Donald L. Howell Alison and Mike Malone Anita and Ben Y. March / Melanie and Bill Rogers Lisa Stepp, PhD, RN, AOCN

Honorary Grand Gala Chair Louise Herrington Ornelas Honorary Co-Chairs Dr. Shelley Conroy and Richard Conroy Mary McCall, Former First Lady Judge Ken Starr and Alice Starr Co-Chairs Diane and Joel Allison Jenny and Jay Allison Kelly and Joe Armes Angela and Brad Bowman Ruth and Don Buchholz Nancy and Dan Chapman Marie and John Chiles Millie and Ken Cooper Donna Dee and Curt Floyd Jacquelyn and Rondy Gray Cindy and David Harper Nell and Jim Hawkins Janet and Tom Horton Anita Jones Pam and Mike Jones Susan and Darrell Keith Alecia and Jeff Mallett Cheryl and Ron Murff Elaine and David Nelson Peggy and Boone Powell Lenn and Danny Prince Mary Jo and Bill Robbins Lindy and Dary Stone Sandy and Andy Tindel Wayne Tucker Julie and Jim Turner Sue and Don Wills

Event Co-Chairs Angela Bowman Donna Dee Floyd Event Task Force Cindy Abbate Diane Allison Joel Allison Jay Allison Jenny Allison Mandy Anderson Joe Armes Kelly Armes Terry Ball Brenda Barkley Diane Beckham Rita Bonds Lauren Newman Burge Barbara Burton Ellen Byrd Nancy Russell Chapman John Chiles Marie Chiles Joy Cobb Allison Curran Betty Dilday Dr. Russell Dilday Caroline Fair Bob Feather Carolyn Feather Chris Felton Kathleen Hardage Kari Lonborg Haywood Stephen D. Haywood Haley Heard

Bekah Lemonds and Bethany Gebhart, May 2013 graduates, performed their original hit tune, “Let Them See Jesus,” dedicating all funds raised by the sale of the tune to Baylor nursing student scholarships. See page 21 for more information.

Golden “Yellow Rose” Sponsor Jay and Jenny Allison Baylor Health Care System & Baylor University Medical Center The Ginger Murchison Foundation

Student Ambassadors Danielle Almli Kimberly Barron Rachel Beckmann Haley Breaux Gisselle Cardenas Kelsey Cornell Taylor Eastman Daphnae Flanagan Britney Haywood Ashley Heavener Shannon Hernandez Amanda Holub Shanna Ingram Allison James Ashley Kelly David Kemerling (advisor) Penny Krispin Christy Leggitt Chaleste Love

Sarah Mackey Whitney Martin Morgan Mattay Keisha Mayers Steven McBrayer Cindy McKey Ashlyn McNeely Marc Micale Tassa Nelson Alison Nordlander Keith O’Dwyer Joshua Patton Jessica Perkins Trenton Raff Mallory Ramsey Miguel Rodriguez Brooke Roy Dache Schroeder Tiffany Sefton Chelsea Sharp Lara Spencer Brittany Taub Jennifer Tinkler Angel Tsai Jessica Vaughn Caitlin Walthall Jennifer White Caroline Witt Carissa Wood Special Thanks To Angry Dog Restaurant John T. Atkinson Jill Beaver Dodie Beazley C. T. “Sparkey” and Merrie Beckham Carl and Rita Bonds Dave and Peggy Borders Linda Brian Linda and Curtis Butler Dan and Nancy Chapman Lane and Kay Collins in honor of Julie Collins Dr. Shelley and Richard Conroy Cooper Aerobics Center Troy Dungan Dan Ellis Caroline Fair Robert Fanning Dr. and Mrs. David Gerhenson in honor of Rachel Gerhenson Steve and Peggy Gooch Judy and Jim Haller in honor of Alice Starr and Tommye Lou Davis Lynn and Kent Hamilton Claudia and Larry Harder

Shelley Riepma, a May 2013 graduate of LHSON who was born and raised in Bolivia, offered her testimony of growing up in the jungles of South America as the daughter of missionaries, only to pursue a career in nursing at Baylor.

Terri Heard Mary Ann Hill Sharon Hilliard Bruce Jolesch Tricia Jolesch Anita Jones Pam Jones Ashlyn Price Lewis Charles H. Love Jann Lynch Alecia Mallett Anita March Courtney Marshall Angelyn Martin Karen McDonald Brenda Morris C. Gwin Morris Cheryl Murff Ron Murff Carolyn Murray Marcelyn Norrell Amanda Reynolds Jenny Reynolds Melanie Rogers Courtney Ross Lisa Ross Alice Starr Sandy Tindel Kathy Tinius Remy Tolentino Wayne Tucker Julie Turner Pat Walker Sue Wills Nancy Nollner Withrow Annie Taszarek Young

Jim and Nell Hawkins Roblyn Markham Herndon Mr. and Mrs. Robert Holmes Danny Howell Richard H. “Dick” Jackson in memory of Dora Lynn “Dodie” Jackson Melinda and Glenn Jones Dennis and Kathleen Keys in honor of Dutch Schroeder Carl Knight Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Lewis Mark Lombard Mike Malone, Brian Nadurak and The Richards Group Cathy Mancuso in memory of Michael Key Malone Mark and Debbie Mann in honor of Sandy Tindel Ben March Mark and Ashley Meiller Andrew Meyercord in honor of J. Cary Gray Mary McCall Jonathon and Sarah McClellan Don McCoy John H. and Martha Minton Scott and Sharon Moran in memory of Sherman Floyd Elaine and David Nelson William Pinson in honor of Allison Hopgood Fran Phillips Bill Pratt in honor of his wife Minette Pratt

Jim and Betty Price in honor of Ashlyn Price Lewis Bob and Kay Pryor S. Renee Reinhart in honor of John and Marie Chiles Sewell Lexus of Dallas Dr Pepper donated by Sue Taszarek in memory of Tom Taszarek and in honor of Anne Taszarek Young, BSN, RN Other Dr Pepper products donated by the Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Texas Stan and Chris Terry in honor of Elizabeth Terry Sharon Treadaway Arturo Trevino Tucker & Associates Bob and Pat Walker Donna and Darrell Ward Col. and Mrs. Jule E. Waterman Murray and Greta Watson in honor of John and Marie Chiles Rick and Becky Welday Nancy Lyn Withrow Dan and Nancy Young in memory of Caroline Elizabeth Ledlow Shawn and Kim Young Thank you also to Doug Murray with Murray Media World. Doug’s expertise not only as a producer, but as a vital contact, helped make this event possible.

Dressed for Battle..

Baylor Nursing Students Rush to Aid Victims in West Fertilizer Plant Explosion 14

..Prepared to Respond W

ednesday, April 17, started as any normal day for Baylor nursing graduate Quianna Samuels, BSN ’12, and Baylor nursing students Ali Nordlander and Ashlyn McNeely. The three had donned their ROTC fatigues and traveled to Waco to conduct their weekly detachment duties. Other than Ashlyn getting out of an ankle brace on Tuesday, due to a fracture suffered several weeks prior, nothing unusual made this particular Wednesday stand out. At the end of a long day, the girls hopped into Ashlyn’s car and headed back to Dallas. As was their custom, they pulled off I-35 for some coffee and kolaches at the Czech Stop bakery and restaurant in West, Texas. It was just ahead of 8:00 pm when they placed their orders. At exactly 7:51 pm, the quaint local diner abruptly trembled with an unnatural thunder that caused all patrons to duck and cover in unison. Outside, standers-by were gaping up into the sky. A black mushroom cloud was gathering into an enormous head that pushed twilight into darkness. Unbeknownst to all, the West Fertilizer Company on the northern edge of town had suddenly and mysteriously exploded into flames. The three nursing students immediately bolted from their seats and went outside to survey the spectacle. “It looked like it was only a few hundred yards away,” said Ali, who instinctively took off with her classmates toward the blast. The illusion of the cloud’s proximity quickly faded as the girls kept running and running toward the explosion’s base. Finally, a motorist pulled over to offer them a ride. He must have thought the infantry had arrived, seeing the trio surging toward the damage in full airmen battle uniforms.

Quianna Samuels

Ali Nordlander

Aid on the Outskirts After what seemed like the better part of a mile, they reached the outskirts of the explosion zone. Smoke curled through the streets. Homes lay flattened. People staggered in shock throughout the neighborhood in various stages of injury. “One person’s home was completely caved in,” said Quianna, who began administering first aid along with her

Ashlyn McNeely

Ali Nordlander, Ashlyn McNeely and Quianna Samuels demonstrate the team approach they took into the field on April 17, responding to the West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion.

peers. “We used whatever supplies we could improvise, bandaging cuts and stabilizing fractures.” Not long afterwards, a man in a pickup truck pulled up, reporting dire need for assistance at the West Rest Haven nursing home nearby. Ashlyn and Ali climbed on board and left with the stranger, leaving Quianna to minister to the neighbors, who had begun organizing relief in a house-byhouse effort.

Nursing at the Nursing Home At the nursing home, the scene was chaos. The roof of the L-shaped building had collapsed into the hallways, leaving only perimeter access to the residents trapped inside. A few had already escaped and were seeking aid from anyone in better physical condition. Ali and Ashlyn approached the first blown-out window in sight, wherein they found a white-haired woman in a nightgown, lying on a bed. “She told us she was 100 years old and that her roommate had already gotten out,” Ali said. She and Ashlyn then broke out the rest of the window glass, climbed inside, and draped a mattress over the ledge to haul the woman free. They retrieved her wheelchair and drew her off to a clearing, where they began setting up a medical staging area. Again, improvising with whatever they could find, they administered first aid and began organizing victims into red, yellow and green triage groups. A custodian from the nursing home directed them to a storehouse adjacent to the medical helipad located around the other side of the shattered building. There, the girls retrieved legitimate medical supplies and began to effectively treat the victims. After about 30 minutes, professional responders started showing up. The frail, elderly patients in the red group were the first to be shuttled to a nearby high school football field, where fully equipped first aid stations awaited to prepare victims for evacuation to local hospitals. Ashlyn and Ali 16

used wheelchairs to push the healthier patients up the street and into the stadium.

The Girls Reunite Meanwhile, Quianna turned her neighborhood patients over to rescue crews and headed back to the Czech Stop to retrieve her cell phone. She did not know where her partners had gone. After reconnecting with Ashlyn and Ali by phone, she took a ride from another stranger, who dropped her near the nursing home to reunite with her classmates. The three walked 1.5 miles back to the restaurant and began their trek home. On the road, near Waxahachie, Ashlyn, who was driving, began to feel faint. The pounding that her battered ankle took during the evening’s events began to take effect. What’s more, a strange smell permeated their uniforms. The poisonous ammonium nitrate released by the fertilizer plant explosion was now gathering in their lungs. They pulled off the highway again and entered an emergency room in Waxahachie. There, they traded their fatigues for hospital scrubs and were treated for smoke inhalation. Ashlyn had her ankle X-rayed, and by the time they got back to Dallas, it was almost 2:00 am.

Thursday Brings More Baylor Nurses The next day, news of the explosion was all over the media. On the night of the disaster, Baylor nursing students Cody Reynolds, Miguel Rodriguez, Angel Tsay, Courtney Frederick and Julianna Wik had all driven down to Waco to celebrate Diadeloso, the day of the bear, on the Baylor University campus. “When we got up Thursday morning, we heard the news and decided to drive into West to see how we could help,” Cody said. Temperatures had dropped to the mid-40s. Rain and wind gusts slashed the devastated neighborhood. Governor Rick Perry declared the area a disaster zone. A 90-foot Summer 2013

wide, 10-foot deep crater now occupied the area where the fertilizer plant once stood, as investigators scoured about looking for clues. Cody and his classmates arrived at a local community center across from St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption around 9:30 am. By then, Red Cross rescue teams, clergy, field workers and citizen volunteers were organizing food, clothing and other supplies for distribution. The Baylor nursing students joined in, sorting bandages and medicine and grouping items for immediate handout. When their work was finished, they shifted locations to the West festival grounds and began unloading 18-wheelers full of fresh goods and supplies.

Good Samaritans All Around Five hours into the day, local realtor Robbie Hetlund approached the group and asked them to join him on a run to Walmart in Waco to help purchase underwear, contact solution, toothpaste, socks, baby wipes, diapers and other needed provisions. Robbie had $700 to spend. At Walmart, the group loaded up several shopping carts and approached the checkout stand. There, a band of teenagers had also loaded up several carts earmarked for West. After a bit of discussion, the two groups combined their loot and presented $900 to the attendant to cover it all. Unfortunately, the bill came to $1,500. Learn. Lead. Serve.

Without hesitation, the Walmart manager showed up and waved the caravan through, assuring them that the store would gladly pick up the difference. After returning to West to drop off the supplies, Cody and his classmates packed up to return home; they were not the last of the Baylor students to assist. Over the next few days and into the weekend, more Baylor students, along with many others, continued to show up, donating blood, offering help and praying for the victims, rescue teams and family members touched by the West explosion. “It was amazing to see all the generosity poured out by strangers for strangers over those few crazy days,” Cody said. “It confirmed to me the presence of a better nature in us all.”

God’s Perfect Plan Looking back on the divine providence of three nursing students, dressed in battle fatigues, rushing into the smoke at first notice, Ali Nordlander recalled the words of Jeremiah 29:11. “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ ” (NIV). What hope our precious nursing students provided for all during those few desperate days in West, Texas! What plans God has for them, as they embark on the first few steps of their promising, unfolding careers!

“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Wherever there is a need for healing…

Romans 12:5 (NIV) “Every LHSON student and faculty member should have an opportunity to experience global nursing. Our school believes in creating global citizens who are stewards of their gifts and talents around the world.” Dr. Shelley Conroy Dean of LHSON

a heart for

MISSIONS

Dallas

Cary, Mississippi

Bengaluru, India

Caring for the world’s people begins at home. On Thursdays during the school year, LHSON students offer health screenings and foot care to the men and women gathered at Cornerstone Baptist Church’s outreach ministry.

January 2013

Several LHSON faculty journeyed to Bengaluru, India, to visit the Bangalore Hospital, administered by Dr. Rebecca Ann Naylor ’64. In addition to providing care, the hospital educates nurses. LHSON is working to develop an ongoing mission relationship with the hospital. The Cary Christian Center, located in the Mississippi delta, is close to Dallas but worlds away culturally. Students, mostly undergraduates, offer health screenings, provide nutrition and exercise information and begin to understand how to work with people from different backgrounds.

Summer 2013

Langano, Ethiopia March 2013

Students studying to be family nurse practitioners work at a long-standing clinic near Lake Langano. Local families live in a straw structure called a tukul. The mothers cook inside, and the structures have no ventilation. Their children experience frequent respiratory distress. “We spend a lot of time offering cultural orientation to our students,” said Lori Spies, coordinator of the FNP program and missions coordinator. “One of our students who had cared for a very ill child visited the home and saw firsthand the situation that had made the child sick. She realized the urgent need to encourage the family to cook outside.”

Learn. Lead. Serve.

Lima, Peru

Hanoi, Vietnam

March 2013

May 2013

Students devoted their spring break to serving a new church and clinic in the outskirts of Lima, Peru. The students, working steadily throughout each day, cared for more than 250 families.

This trip, led by Vivian Gamblian, MSN, focuses on work with the Nam Dinh Nursing University to better use the school’s simulation equipment in the education of its nursing students. LHSON students assisted at the nursing school and also visited a rural hospital to learn about care needs in the countryside.

Hong Kong May 2013

Led by Dean Shelley Conroy, this trip was a study-abroad course in partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong Nethersole School of Nursing and Hong Kong Baptist Hospital. Students studied and compared traditional medicine and alternative Chinese medicine.

Student life

Baylor Student Nurse Association Enjoys Record Growth The Baylor Student Nurse Association (BSNA) dramatically expanded its membership during this past year, growing from a membership in the 20s to the current 99 members. In recognition of that accomplishment, the National Student Nurses Association awarded the BSNA a certificate of appreciation for “existing chapter with greatest percentage change in membership.” “The student leadership, led by BSNA president Allison James, made a decision to reach out and serve all the members of the student body,” said Beth Hultquist, MSN, LHSON lecturer and faculty advisor to the chapter. They focused on areas the entire student body would be interested in, such as future employment possibilities and talks by top healthcare executives.

“The officers worked together to include the whole school and encourage students to be involved. We believe involvement with professional organizations, both as a student and as a working nurse, is important for our careers and the future of the nursing profession,” said Allison. The leadership also made it fun by planning several social events throughout the year, such as a trip to Waco during Homecoming to participate in the parade and Homecoming festivities and a Valentine’s Day cookie decorating party and delivery to nurses working that day at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. “My favorite was the candygram morale booster campaign during finals,” added Ms. Hultquist.

The Life of a Caregiver Through Photos LHSON Faculty and Students Conduct Photovoice Study

talented students from around the country. We are so proud of our LHSON students,” said Dr. Garner. The study was approved by the Baylor University Institutional Review Board and funded by the Office of the Vice-Provost and the university’s Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Achievement Grant.

Art and caregiving came together in an exhibition entitled “Photovoice: The Life of a Caregiver Portrayed through Photography,” presented at LHSON in April. The exhibition was the culminating result of a participatory action research study conducted by LHSON faculty along with undergraduate nursing students and members of the community. The lead authors of the study were Shelby Garner, PhD, RN, CNE, and Mary Ann Faucher, PhD, CNM, MPH. “The purpose of the study was to illuminate the challenges and supports experienced by family caregivers of older adults,” said Dr. Garner. Participants in the study took photographs, wrote narratives about their experiences and identified themes among the group. This type of methodology is called a photovoice study. “Voice” stands for Voicing Our Individual and Collective Experiences. Haley Breaux, Amber Jones, Emily Maddock and Laura Trent, the four undergraduate research fellows involved in the study, presented their findings at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) held last April at the University of Wisconsin. “Students presenting at NCUR represent bright, motivated and

Emily Maddock, Laura Trent, Amber Jones and Haley Breaux presented research findings at the 2013 National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Summer 2013

Student Life

Nothing Like Good Music to Tell a Good Story LHSON Nursing Students Record “Let Them See Jesus” Bekah Lemonds felt overwhelmed and unsure of herself as They were asked to sing she faced the first semester of her senior year, the semester the song at convocation generally regarded as the hardest. Bekah was scheduled to and then at the Going be an Encourager leader for the incoming students in J1 for the Gold Gala. And, orientation and wondered what she should tell them. What just as in Hollywood, one should she tell them about how demanding it was? What never knows who will guidance could she offer? be in the audience. Dr. Bekah grew up singing four-part harmony with her Blair Blackburn, executive vice president at Dallas Baptist family at a Southern Baptist church in Tennessee, so it University, heard them sing and offered the school’s was natural she would turn to music. “I felt that God put Horner Hall Studio to record the song. It’s available it on my heart to write a song for the incoming nursing on CDBaby.com, with the proceeds going to LHSON students—a song to inspire and encourage them to provide student scholarships. Both Bekah and Bethany received compassionate healthcare with excellent skill,” said Bekah. scholarships to attend Baylor University, and they are During the week of J1 orientation, Bekah was committed to giving back. visiting with her friend and fellow senior “I’m a third-generation nurse, so it’s kind of nursing student Bethany Gebhart and asked a family business,” said Bekah. She feels that if she would like to cowrite the song. Bethany in becoming a nurse and writing the song, she agreed, and they stayed up late into the night is honoring her family’s legacy of nursing, and writing “Let Them See Jesus.” particularly that of her father, who unexpectedly They first sang the new song during J1 died in September 2012. “He always told me http://kaywa.me/2NVth orientation, and things went badly. Bekah’s that I could change the world with my music,” Scan this QR code to purchase and guitar battery was dead. The amplifier made Bekah said. In addition to her father, her mother download “Let Them annoying, loud noises. Yet the message of the and grandmother enjoyed careers as nurses. See Jesus.” song shone through.

New Community Leaders Serve Marquis Apartments as a Couple Hope and Matthew Hunt finished the 2012–2013 year as the first community leaders for the Marquis Apartments. The LHSON administration felt students living in the apartments would benefit from building the same sense of community that students living on the Baylor University campus in Waco develop. Community leaders provide leadership by fostering community and cultivating relationships, mentoring residents and facilitating learning through efforts that integrate aspects of diversity, faith development, academics and relationships. The Hunts hosted casual movie nights and ice cream socials and were available in case students needed to talk. Learn. Lead. Serve.

Their job also included performing room inspections and reminding students of the Baylor housing agreement. “Anything new can be a little difficult, but I think Matt and I were able to build a sense of community among the nursing students,” said Hope. Hope is a certified nurse-midwife studying for her doctorate in nurse-midwifery at LHSON. She will commute her final year from Joshua, Texas, as Matt, a May 2013 family nurse practitioner graduate at LHSON, begins his new job this summer.

Student life

LHSON Graduates Welcomed into the Nursing Profession LHSON nursing students, 103 undergraduates and 27

graduates, proudly strode across the floor of Dallas Baptist University’s Pilgrim Chapel this past May to receive congratulations and their nursing pins from Shelley Conroy, dean of LHSON, and Linda Plank, associate dean of LHSON. The pinning ceremony is a symbolic welcoming of newly graduated nurses into the nursing profession. Guest speaker Gary Cook, president of Dallas Baptist University, spoke to the graduating students about his personal experience with a Baylor nurse and the scripture that guided him during his treatment for a serious illness. During Dr. Cook’s treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) at Baylor University Medical Center, a

banner with the words from Jeremiah 29:11 hung in his room. One day a Baylor University nursing student was assisting him, and Dr. Cook told her he was holding onto that verse. “I told her that some days I felt very hopeless, but that this verse gave me comfort. She asked me if I would like her to say a prayer for me, and she gave the most beautiful prayer asking the Lord to heal me. I will always be grateful for the ministry of the nursing students from the Louise Herrington School of Nursing,” said Dr. Cook. “She was there at just the right moment.”

Summer 2013

Student Life

A Pinning Ceremony from the Past Thirty years ago, Jeanie Hammett-Zelanko, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, was among the eager and proud nursing students waiting to receive her nursing pin. Her ceremony was less impressive than the one LHSON graduating nurses experience today. “For my pinning ceremony, we were crowded into Beasley Auditorium at the hospital for a perfunctory occasion,” said Dr. Hammett-Zelanko. “My mother thought maybe our class wasn’t popular with the faculty.” This past December, Dr. Hammett-Zelanko attended the LHSON pinning ceremony. She was so impressed with the sincerity and professionalism of both the faculty and the students, she wrote to Dr. Conroy. “The manner in which you led the ceremony was beyond reproach. Also, I was impressed with the professionalism with which the graduates were dressed.” As Dr. Hammett-Zelanko observes nurses in today’s workplace, she often feels the colored scrubs and “anything goes” look have served to lower the standards of the profession. However, she was in the ER a little more than a year ago with one of her patients and watched the attending nurse. “Suddenly, I realized she must

be a Baylor graduate. When I inquired about her alma mater, I was right! It was her dress that was my clue.” “Even though I have two degrees from another university, Baylor is still the one I claim. Keep doing the work you are doing,” said Dr. Hammett-Zelanko.

Pinning Ceremony Awards Traditional BSN Program Highest Ranking GPA Campbell Rae Herrmann 3.91 Nursing GPA

FastBacc BSN Program Highest Ranking GPA Morgan Elizabeth Mattay 3.84 Nursing GPA

Traditional BSN Program Learn.Lead.Serve. Award* Haley Breaux FastBacc BSN Program Learn.Lead.Serve. Award* Adrienne Ferguson

or I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11–13 (NKJV)

Learn. Lead. Serve.

Dean’s Special Recognition Ali Nordlander for her efforts at West, Texas, explosion * The Learn.Lead.Serve. award is given by the dean to the student who most exemplifies the core mission of the BU LHSON. Nominations were received from the faculty and staff and were evaluated by four criteria: the student’s academic and research background, leadership in university activities, service to society and involvement in the Christian community.

Alumni news

Nursing Memories Old and New 2013 Alumni Reunion

Seated, left to right: Shirley Heath Connelly, Joyce Carol Gray Hahn, Caryl Kendall White; standing, left to right: Dianne Davis Lambert, Mary Ann Maloy Stewart, Ruth Hieronymus Starnes, Diane Lutes Kohler, Dr. Gloria Linden Buck

Nursing memories from 50 years mingled with new ones at Baylor University LHSON’s alumni reunion in March. Celebrating their fiftieth graduation anniversary that day were special guests from the class of 1963 Gloria Linden Buck, Shirley Heath Connelly, Joyce Carol Gay Hahn, Diana Lutes Kohler, Dianne Davis Lambert, Ruth Hieronymus Starnes, Mary Ann Maloy Stewart and Carol Kendall White. They and other alumni were welcomed at LHSON for an informal breakfast and special music by then senior nursing student Bekah Lemonds, now an alumna herself, as well as poster displays and short presentations by current nursing students. Dr. Jane Nunnelee, coordinator of LHSON’s Gerontological Nursing Initiative, presented a brief overview of the program and the unique value of education in geriatrics it offers to LHSON nursing students and other healthcare professionals. And what is a reunion without photos and mementos? The Baylor bookstore set up shop in the lobby, where the prized item was an LHSON alumni T-shirt, the first one ever offered to the nursing school graduates. Friends, old and new, also posed for free photos in the photo booth. You can view the photos at www.baylor.edu/nursing/ alumni and download them for personal use. Dr. Linda Plank, associate dean for academic affairs, class of 1977, then guided the alumni on tours of the newly opened T. Boone Pickens Cancer Center, the Sammons Cancer Center and Baylor University Medical Center. After a morning of reminiscing, shopping, posing in the photo booth and touring, the alumni were ready for the reunion luncheon at the Baptist General Convention building next door to LHSON. “The luncheon is a wonderful occasion for our alumni, faculty and current students to recommit to their shared profession of nursing,” said Jeanny Powell, coordinator of alumni affairs. “It’s also a time for us to honor distinguished alumni and special friends.” The Distinguished Alumni Award is selected from a pool of nominations submitted by the alumni, and the

Distinguished Recent Graduate Award and Friend of Nursing Award are selected from recommendations from the LHSON faculty and staff. “The 2013 Alumni Reunion committee members worked for months to plan a memorable celebration,” added Ms. Powell. “Ellen Byrd, Meredith O’Connor, Dr. David Ramsour, Melissa Roberson, Rachel Sisney and Dr. Kathy Tinius deserve many thanks for their time and commitment.”

AWARDS Friend of Nursing Award Presented to Alice Starr

Alice Starr, first lady of Baylor University and keynote speaker for the alumni luncheon, is actively involved with LHSON as a member of the Going for the Gold Gala task force, which aids in raising much-needed funds for nursing student scholarships. Mrs. Starr is the CEO of Starr Strategies, a consulting firm formed to assist with public relations, marketing and fundraising goals for nonprofit organizations and start-up companies. During her keynote speech, Mrs. Starr spoke of her personal experiences with nurses and how they have many opportunities to better the lives of their patients. Summer 2013

Alumni News

School Nurse Excels in Care of 2,000 Students How Patricia Bishop Meets DISD’s Demands Patricia Bishop, a 2008 LHSON graduate, joined the Dallas Independent School District as a school nurse in 2010, thinking the job would “offer an easier pace” than her previous job with Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. She has come to rue those words. “I’ve never worked so hard in my entire life,” says Patricia. She is responsible for the school community of 1,000 students at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and frequently covers for the school nurse at Hillcrest High School next door, with another 1,200 students. She cares for patients of all ages and every stage of development. In addition to the actual students, her patients include teachers, administrative staff, custodial staff, parents and siblings. “My students have many health needs,” said Patricia. Eighty-five percent of the student population at both schools is on the free lunch program, and a majority is learning English as a second language. Many families do not have health insurance. Parents often cannot afford medications for their children, and they frequently do not understand why the medications are important.

Students come to the nurse’s office with everything from paper cuts to suicidal thoughts. Patricia works with the counselors for students who are having behavioral issues or mental health problems, but counselors are trained as teachers first and not necessarily as prepared as medical nurses to work with mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. “I rely heavily on my psych training and have become well versed with calming techniques,” Patricia said. As the school nurse, Patricia is also responsible for incorporating children who have chronic illnesses into regular school activities. These children have illnesses such as asthma, severe diabetes, autism or muscular dystrophy, and she must work with teachers and staff to develop a plan for each student. A school nurse for DISD is truly a community nurse. Patricia loves working with the broad patient base and watching the students grow from sixth graders into more confident eighth graders. Her average workday is 10 hours long, and sometimes she sees as many as 200 patients a day. “There’s no such thing as a scheduled lunch or break, but every one of these kids is worth it,” she said.

Distinguished Recent Graduate Award Presented to Meredith O’Connor

Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to Sharon Decker

Meredith O’Connor, RN, BSN, class of 2012, works in the Parkland Hospital emergency room and is exploring the pursuit of a master of science in nursing education at LHSON. She was active as a servant leader with the Baylor Student Nurse Association, working in the Learning Resource Center. After graduation, she volunteered on the nursing school’s curriculum committee and mentors current students by volunteering her time and aid in the SIM lab. Meredith is actively involved in the planning and execution of the annual alumni reunion. Learn. Lead. Serve.

Sharon Decker, RN, PhD, ANEF, FAAN, class of 1973, is a professor and Covenant Health System endowed chair in simulation and nursing education in the school of nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She is the director of the center’s interprofessional teamwork quality enhancement program and director of the F. Marie Hall SimLife Center. After receiving her BSN from Baylor University, Dr. Decker earned her MSN from the University of Texas at Arlington and her PhD from Texas Woman’s University. She is a fellow in the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education and in the American Academy of Nursing. 25

Alumni news

Ruth Burks Walks with the Lord Ruth Burks participated in her first mission trip when she was only in seventh grade, and the trip changed her life. She had learned to “walk with the Lord.” This fall, after graduating from LHSON as a family nurse practitioner, Ruth will journey to Doro, South Sudan, to work in a refugee camp clinic run by SIM, a mission organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her time in South Sudan will not be short. She has committed to serve for three years. Medical missions are her life’s work, and Ruth has been preparing for this moment for a long time. She graduated from LHSON as an RN in 2008 and soon journeyed with her church to the South Sudan in 2009. She then returned to LHSON to train as a family nurse practitioner and traveled on LHSON mission trips, including one to Langano, Ethiopia. Ruth’s preparation included not only nursing education and mission work experience, but a lengthy application process. She first applied to SIM in November 2011 and completed an interview, a biblical concepts doctrinal assessment and a two-week training course. She will be sent as a missionary by her church, the Village Church, and through them, she has prepared with books, sermons and various training classes. Ruth’s knowledge of tropical medicine and treating diseases not typically found in the US will serve her patients well in South Sudan. She is also a certified wound specialist with the American Board of Wound Management. Such knowledge and skills are desperately needed. According to the South Sudan Ministry of Health, the country only has 120 medical doctors and 100 registered nurses for an estimated population of nine million. Diseases such as meningitis, measles, yellow fever and whooping cough are prevalent. Malaria and acute respiratory infections, river blindness, sleeping sickness and cholera are common. “South Sudan is the world’s newest country, founded in July 2011, so there is so much hope among the people,” says Ruth. “But there is so much need. I will be blessed to bring the hope of the gospel and use medicine to help meet the physical needs of the people.” 26

Will Use Medicine to Minister in South Sudan

Ruth Burks conducts a school physical for a child in South Sudan.

In Loving Memory… In loving memory, and with deep sympathy for surviving family members and friends, we present the following list of Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing graduates who have passed on since December 2012.

Ellamargaret Hood Orren, BSN ’40 Anna Cave Cheek, BSN ’45 Modena Hancock Eagan, BSN ’45 Patsy Caldwell Williams, BSN ’46 Jean K. Roquemore, BSN ’46 Golda Keith, BSN ’46 Nancy E. Haliburton, BSN ’54 Frances Coppin Thomas, BSN ’55 Catherine Lucy Lattimore Mebanem, BSN ’58 Camille Hale, BSN ’59 Barbara Ann Harris, BSN ’60 Caroline Irene Janssen, BSN ’60 L. Maxine Nicholson, BSN ’60 Gerry Cadenhead Fletcher, BSN ’61 Laura Cramer, BSN ’81 Rebecca Sue Coleman, BSN ’91, MSN ’95 Donna Marie Keeton, MSN ’01

Dec. 20 Jan. 16 Apr. 27 Jan. 24 Feb. 12 May 26 Apr. 13 Feb. 19 June 15 July 8 June 1 Apr. 29 June 23 July 22 Mar. 28 May 11 May 9

Summer 2013

Alumni News

Recent Graduates Help Tornado Victims in Oklahoma was to help with the cleanup of Moore city cemetery in Moore in preparation for burials. They also organized donations, assembled first-aid packs and delivered supplies to neighborhoods that were reopened to residents. Many houses were flattened, and debris was scattered for miles across the flat land. Much of their time was spent cleaning debris. “I found a photo taken in 1960,” said Tassa. “I wondered who it belonged to along the 17 miles of destruction and whether they were safe.” The women were amazed by the flood of volunteers who came from across the county. They felt it was an honor to be among those serving their brothers and sisters in need. “I’ll never forget the families I talked to who lost everything, or the pieces of lives I found scattered on the grass miles away from home,” said Alexandra.

Alexandra Zayas and Caroline Cobb remove debris from the cemetery in Moore, Oklahoma.

An EF5 tornado, with peak winds estimated at 210 miles per hour, struck Moore, Oklahoma, the afternoon of Monday, May 20. The storm stayed on the ground for 39 minutes, carving destruction over a 17-mile path 1.3 miles wide at its peak. Recent LHSON graduates Alexandra Zayas, Caroline Cobb, Kim Bjelland and Tassa Nelson drove to Moore the next day to offer help to the storm’s victims. “We had no idea what to expect on our way up there, and there wasn’t any way we could have been prepared for what we saw,” said Alexandra. Tornados leave a stark difference between utter destruction and none. One street might be a pile of tossed lumber while the next block over is untouched. The women reported to a church in the nearby town of Norman that was serving as a staging ground for volunteers. Their first task

Baylor Nurses Are Great! Congratulations to LHSON alumni recently named among the 2013 Dallas/Fort Worth Great 100 Nurses. Leslie Lewis ’93, HCA Medical City Children’s Hospital  Lauren Montgomery ’99, Texas Health Dallas  Marty Murff ’81, Baylor Medical Center at McKinney  Mary Stowe ’76, Children’s Medical Center  Lauri Towns ’81, Ovilla Christian School 

Tassa Nelson, Kim Bjelland, Alexandra Zayas and Caroline Cobb helped with recovery efforts after the devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.

Learn. Lead. Serve.

The Great 100 Nurses recognizes professional registered nurses for their contributions to the communities in which they live and for their practice of the art and science of nursing. 27

Alumni news

Tad Davidson Earns Two Thumbs Up You’ve heard the old axiom, “Do your job well and no one will notice.” Well, that may not hold true when you work as a nurse on the Baylor University Medical Center Dallas telemetry and heart and lung transplant floors. They do notice, and they make a celebration out of it. Tad Davidson, BSN, RN ’11, recently received the 2013 Nurse of the Year Award for 10 Roberts, an award voted

on by coworkers and management for service excellence above and beyond. Tad also was named among the BUMC Fab 50 for “stopping the line and reporting good catches” of potential treatment and medication errors, contributing to patient safety and quality healthcare. Tad graduated from the LHSON Fastbacc program in 2011 and went to work at BUMC as a floor nurse, RN and

From Investment Management to Tops on Her Floor Debby Miller Earns UT Southwestern Award Debby Miller’s colleagues know there’s a difference in her work. They can tell she received thorough training and that her nursing is centered on excellent patient care. In public recognition of her dedication, UT Southwestern Medical Center recently presented Debby with the Cardio/Pulmonary Floor Top Performance Award, voted on by the floor’s managers and coordinators. Debby was singled out for “going above and beyond with patient care,” following “by-the-book procedures” and for her “high knowledge base.” Debby graduated from LHSON’s FastBacc program in 2011 and began work as an intern at UT Southwestern in cardiology and pulmonology. She moved up quickly and credits her Baylor education for preparing her with a much higher knowledge base than the other interns. She is now one of the charge nurses responsible for assignments during her shift. “My year in the FastBacc program was one of the most stressful years of my life. But it forced me to figure out how to deal with stress and quickly organize information. I spent more time with my teachers and my fellow students than my husband. It was worth it though, because I was well prepared to be a nurse,” said Debby. One of the unique aspects of her LHSON education was the emphasis on social interactions with patients. “I know 28

how to talk to patients in a sensitive, culturally respectful way and honor their privacy and dignity. That’s not always the case in the health profession,” said Debby. Nursing was a big career change for Debby. She was in investment management before going back to school to earn a BSN. Her learning curve was steep both in school and then on the hospital floor. She was surprised at how emotionally draining nursing can be, how physically difficult it is and how much decision-making responsibility the nurse has. “Doctors are with a patient for a short time. Nurses are always with the patient. It is an important responsibility,” said Debby. Summer 2013

Partner News

charge nurse on a monthly night shift rotation. He caught a medication error on a patient drip and was nominated for the Fab 50 list. His patient reviews further earned him a Five Star Spirit Award, which qualified him for Nurse of the Year honors. “Being out of nursing school for only two years and receiving this honor is quite amazing to me,” Tad said. “I guess you can say we Fastbacc-ers learn quickly!” Before coming to LHSON, Tad earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M Commerce in 2004. He joined the Fastbacc program in 2010 with a heart to pursue nursing. “One of the unique things about our Fastbacc students is that they bring a rich background from other settings and come to nursing ready to enter the workforce,” said Cheryl Tucker, MSN, RN, CNE, senior lecturer and undergraduate theory coordinator for LHSON. “Tad demonstrated this by leading his peers to management’s approval so shortly after graduating from our program.” Living the mission to learn, lead and serve can often be a thankless task. It’s good to see Tad Davidson recognized for carrying out that mission with such humble resolve.

Left to right: John McWhorter, PhD, MHA, President, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, Senior Vice President, Baylor Health Care System; Tad Davidson, BSN,RN; Claudia Wilder, DNP, RN, CNAA-BC, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas

Learn. Lead. Serve.

Barnabas Circle’s Scholarship Achieves Golden Bear Circle Benefactor Level Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the Acts 4:36–37 (NIV) apostles’ feet. Barnabas Circle members of the Baylor University Women’s Council of Dallas had much to celebrate during their annual celebration dinner this past April. During 2013, their endowed scholarship, the Anita and Dale Jones Endowed Scholarship Fund, achieved the Golden Bear Circle Benefactor level in the Baylor University Endowed Scholarship Society. Endowed scholarships at this level have raised at least $500,000. “The Barnabas Circle enables the Baylor University Women’s Council of Dallas to share the benefits of a Baylor education with worthy young people,” said Mary Ann Hill, incoming president of the council. “The council’s endowed scholarship provides an annual scholarship to new and current Baylor students, and at least one is a student in the health sciences.” This year five students received scholarships, including Makena Kinkel, a nursing student at LHSON. The Barnabas Circle was established in memory of the late Dale Jones, and in honor of his wife, Anita Jones. “Dale loved Barnabas and his example of giving. It’s amazing what the Barnabas Circle members have accomplished since its beginning in 2005,” said Janis Kovar, director of development for LHSON. Members of the Barnabas Circle have each contributed an initial $1,000. After reaching the $1,000, renewal membership is $250 annually. 29

School News

Initiative Changes Misperceptions about Caring for Older Adults The normal process of aging tends to be complicated, with atypical presentation of diseases causing errors in care. Many times these errors stem from not having a basic knowledge of geriatrics. The Gerontological Nursing Initiative (GNI), founded in 2010 to meet the increasing need for geriatric training, conducts symposia, community outreach, caregiver programs, “lunch and learn” sessions and professional continuing education classes. “People involved in caring for older adults need education on evidence-based best practices,” said Jane Nunnelee, PhD, RN-BC, GNP, LHSON senior lecturer and coordinator of the GNI. Medical professionals do not typically receive geriatric education during their initial training, and insufficient continuing education courses are offered. LHSON is one of the few nursing schools that offer a stand-alone geriatric program.

The GNI is working to change misperceptions about caring for older adults. The symposium held on March 1—Living Well for Quality: Best Practices in Care of Older Adults—was attended by more than 100 people. The program was then repeated in Tyler, Texas, under the sponsorship of the Alzheimers Alliance of Smith County. Educational topics included Alzheimer’s disease, the use of restraints, preventing falls, depression and loneliness. The GNI has educated more than 2,000 nurses and allied health professionals. The program started with nurses but has expanded to include caregivers, consumers, long-term care administrators, social workers, assisted care administrators and other healthcare professionals. “We have seen firsthand the way attitudes toward serving older adults change when quality information is given,” said Dr. Nunnelee.

Left to right: Dr. Ron Anderson, former CEO of Parkland Hospital; Dr. Vivyenne Roche, professor at UT Southwestern Medical School; Dr. Jane Nunnelee, LHSON senior lecturer and coordinator of GNI; Dr. G. Allen Power, author of Dementia Beyond Drugs

Summer 2013

School news

LHSON Presents Second Annual Midwifery Conference Nurse-midwives in Texas represent a small percentage of health professionals, but there is a growing interest both from prospective nursing students and from women looking for a more holistic approach to their healthcare. Mary Ann Faucher, CNM, PhD, LHSON nurse-midwifery program coordinator, notes, “Women need more access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas of the state or in inner-city areas where physicians are scarce, and nurse-midwives can help fill that need.” The LHSON nurse-midwife program, the only DNP program in Texas, presented its second annual Midwifery Conference this past April. The conference, attended by nursemidwives from around Texas, offered continuing

education on four topics: gentle cesarean, gestational weight gain, contraceptive options for women with disabilities and the use of nitrous oxide for pain relief. As part of the conference, the Consortium of Texas Certified Nurse-Midwives held a meeting to discuss the status of Senate Bill 406, which advocates increased authority for advanced nurse practitioners, including nurse-midwives. Since the conference, the bill has been signed into law. “Every state has regulations, but Texas’s are considered to be some of the most restrictive,” said Dr. Faucher. “Nurse-midwives can be a caring, compassionate and critical part of a woman’s healthcare throughout her life.”

Taking Care of God’s Green Earth “Baylor University nurses believe in taking care of God’s green earth, so we decided it was a good idea to have a booth at this year’s Earth Day celebration,” said Linda Plank, PhD, RN, NEA-BC and LHSON associate dean of academic affairs. Earth Day Dallas is an annual outdoor festival celebrating environmental awareness. This year’s event took place in Fair Park and featured information on how green lifestyle choices can lower people’s cost of living, improve their health and help save the environment.

Learn. Lead. Serve.

LHSON faculty and staff volunteered to staff

the booth along with student volunteers from the Baylor Student Nurses Association. An eye-catching mannequin from the Simulation Lab seated in a wheelchair helped attract visitors, and the Baylor bear bedpan beanbag toss entertained the children. “We think our efforts helped get the word out about the nursing school. We had a number of high school counselors visit our booth who didn’t know about the nursing school beforehand,” said Dr. Plank.

learn. lead. serve. Summer 2013

Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing 3700 Worth Street Dallas, Texas 75246 (214) 820-3361 www.baylor.edu/nursing

Event Calendar August 26 First Day of Classes, Fall Semester August 26 LHSON Convocation, Dallas September 2 Labor Day - University Holiday September 14 Fall Premiere, Waco September 19 North Texas Giving Day September 20–21 Family Weekend, Waco

Join Us on Facebook Become a friend of Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing and be a part of our growing online community. Find us at www.facebook.com/BULHSON.

October 11–13 Fall Break October 18–19 Homecoming Weekend Nov. 27–Dec. 1 Thanksgiving Holidays December 9 Last Day of Classes December 12–17 Final Examinations December 20 Pinning and Recognition Ceremony,

Dallas, DBU Campus December 21 Winter Commencement, Waco Dec. 24–Jan. 1 Christmas Break University Holiday

January 13 First Day of Classes,

Spring Semester January 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day University Holiday