Nursing For/um Spring 2025 by marylandnursing

SPRING 2025

Nurturing Nurses

Creating a Culture of Well-Being

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING

ALL DOLLED UP

During her remarks at the Living History Museum 25th Anniversary Celebration in October, Beth O’Connell, MS ’74, BSN ’73, a longtime museum docent and donor, referenced a Japanese doll that belongs to the museum’s collection and was included in the Heritage Room in Parsons Hall, the precursor to today’s museum. A photo of the Heritage Room, including the doll, appeared in the fall 2024 issue of Nursing For/um, and O’Connell showed the magazine to the audience when telling her story.

Learn more about the doll, its fascinating history, and how it found its way to the Living History Museum by scanning this QR code or visiting nursing. umaryland.edu/museum.

DEPARTMENTS

MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING

Nuturing Nurses: Creating a Culture of Well-Being

The pandemic’s effects on health care workers spurred leaders in the field to create systemwide solutions that support well-being and resilience. The University of Maryland School of Nursing community has answered the call to make them a top priority, from curriculum changes to peer and financial support to assisting new nurse graduates and fostering wellness in the workplace.

Getting a Jumpstart on Student Success Institute for Educators Celebrates 20 Years Powering Community Vibrancy

Addressing Fatigue Among Cancer Survivors Financial Well-Being for Nurses Twin Journeys Through Nursing School

Class Notes Alumni Profiles: Sphere of Nursing Influence Life-Changing Elevator Ride Inspires New Nurse Events

Donor Profile: A Legacy to Advance Care A Recent Gift Promotes Children’s Health

SYMPTOMS, PAGE 12

cover illustration: Holly Stapleton photo at left: Matthew D’Agostino/UMB; inset: courtesy of the Living History Museum

From the Dean

As we emerge from a snowy winter in Baltimore, I welcome the warmth and promise of increased movement and renewed connections that spring brings. Here at the School of Nursing, we have been focusing on expanding our sense of community, within the School and in our local and global communities. We know that having a sense of community improves our mental, emotional, and physical health. On a broader level, it allows us to strengthen the social fabric for one another, our community, and our nation.

As a native Baltimorean, I am proud of our School’s rich history of community connections in Baltimore, in Rockville, and across Maryland, working alongside our colleagues and impacting lives across the lifespan. For over three decades through the Governor’s Wellmobile program, School of Nursing faculty and students have provided over 80,000 patient visits to underserved populations from the Eastern Shore to Prince George’s County. Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Baltimore provide care to toddlers, ensuring that they are healthy and ready for school, and our nurse practitioners and nursing students have provided them with more than 2,300 health screenings and 1,300 well-child visits. Our faculty hold nurse clinics several days a week at UMB’s Community Engagement Center and at Paul’s Place in Southwest Baltimore, providing outreach services to individuals who may be recovering, underemployed, or in need of housing.

The School of Nursing is not simply located in the West Baltimore and Shady Grove communities. We are embedded in and embrace these communities as a true partner. Through programs such as the West Baltimore RICH 2.0 Collaborative –Stronger Together and Health Care in the

Library, we are improving health outcomes, addressing health disparities, and striving for health equity for our neighbors. These outcomes are only possible because of our dedicated faculty, students, and staff and our engaged alumni and supporters.

We can do this work and do it well because of the strong sense of community within the School, which spills out for the greater good. I have seen this sense of community expanding — when I meet with alumni and invite them to be part of developing the next generation of nurse leaders; in the excitement of students, staff, and faculty during our recent Unity in Community events; and when retired faculty and staff return to support our students and the profession.

In his farewell message, former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the loss of community the defining challenge of our time. Expanding on his prior comments on loneliness and social isolation, he called on us to break down barriers, connect daily with others, and build our local and global communities.

As we embrace this spring season, full of hope and warmth, we each have an important role to play in weaving together the social fabric of our communities. Whether it’s sharing a beautiful smile with a neighbor, opening a door for the person behind you, asking a patient about their social connections, or supporting our community programs, we can each help create the collective ripple that leads to stronger, more vibrant communities locally and globally.

Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN

The Bill and Joanne Conway

Dean

of the University of Maryland School of

Nursing and Professor

SPRING 2025

NURSING FOR/UM is published by the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Giordana Segneri

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Jillian Dreicer

Erin Merino

Mary Therese Phelan

EDITORIAL BOARD

Holly Cole

Stacey Conrad

Yvette Conyers

Amy Daniels

Elizabeth Galik

Jana Goodwin

Veronica Gutchell

Charlotte Nwogwugwu

Yolanda Ogbolu

Deborah Prout

Cynthia Renn

Barbara Resnick

Jennifer Schum

Susan Wozenski

CONTRIBUTORS

Holly Cole

Stacey Conrad

Monica Maggiano

Nicole Nash

Deborah Prout

Lorrie Voytek

DESIGN

Skelton Sprouls

We welcome comments, suggestions, and story ideas from alumni, partners, and friends.

Send correspondence to Giordana Segneri, Editor-in-Chief, at nrscommunications@umaryland.edu or 410-706-4115.

“I see Jumpstart as an important step toward bringing students to a level playing field.”

JANET WULF

The Pulse

Getting a Jumpstart on Student Success

BY MARY THERESE PHELAN

At an administrative daylong retreat in fall 2023, Kathleen “Katie” McElroy, PhD ’16, MS ’10, BSN ’98, RN, CNE, associate professor and associate dean for the baccalaureate program, kept mulling over one question: “How do we support our students?”

She wanted to be able to connect with entry-intonursing students earlier in their academic careers, she recalls thinking. “Some are coming from academically rigorous institutions. Some students didn’t have that opportunity but still have attributes that are going to make great nurses,” she said. “We have to support them before they even step in the doors because after that, it is almost too late.”

Meanwhile, Janet Wulf, DNP ’19, MS ’06, RN, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN, assistant professor and director of the master’s entry programs, also had discussions with faculty about how to support newly admitted students who did not have the necessary skills to navigate successfully the programs she directs.

McElroy and Wulf collaborated to create Jumpstart, a program in which Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing Entry-into-Nursing (MSN-E) students spend parts of the first week of the semester learning what McElroy called “universal skills” – contributing to effective teamwork, giving and receiving peer feedback, participating in team projects and accountability, studying, note-taking and test-taking, basic math, self-care and resilience, time management, “and how students can balance work, home, and school life in a realistic way,” McElroy said. “These are skills not solely related to nursing but that are needed to be great nurses.”

Launched as a pilot last fall, Jumpstart is required of all newly admitted BSN and MSN-E students both in Baltimore and at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland, accounting for approximately 270 students per semester.

“Providing this intervention to all students is an important component because we have seen that often those who need the most support are the last to seek it,” Wulf said. “And because these are universal skills, all faculty are invested in ensuring students build these skills as early in the nursing program as possible.”

Not all admitted students have skills in time management, studying, communicating, and writing, Wulf explained.

“In fact, student readiness varies dramatically, and we know readiness is shaped by student education, socioeconomic status, and personal life circumstances, so we know it is an equity issue. I see Jumpstart as an important step toward bringing students to a level playing field,” she said.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing students practiced skills to foster successful teamwork during a session of the Jumpstart pilot at the beginning of the fall 2024 semester.

Right Out of the Gate

If feedback on evaluation forms from the pilot group of students is any indication, Jumpstart has met its goals. In the students’ own words:

• Teamwork module: “This really helped me realize the value that others bring to a team.”

• Test-taking module: “This was helpful to give me a good idea of what to expect.”

• Math module: “This was SO helpful. I was really worried about it because I don’t like math, but this made me understand it.”

• Resilience module: “There was a lot of good information that is paramount to students’ confidence when going through this program.”

McElroy and Wulf asked the faculty teaching first-semester courses if they would be willing to give up some or all of their class time during the first week for an immersion into these universal skills. The faculty resoundingly agreed, and the result was six modules ready to be delivered to incoming students, each focused on a different skill.

For example, Wulf and Tolvalyn Dennison, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CNE, clinical instructor, teach a How to Learn module. In one exercise, students are asked to fill out a weekly schedule that already contains time blocked off for classes and labs. Then the students are told to insert eight hours of sleep, family or friend time, exercise, meals/shopping, and work or other obligations.

“Then we do the math of how many hours of studying they will need to do for their courses, which is three to four hours for each hour in a lecture, and ask them to figure out where they will put it. When students realize that they need approximately 60 hours a week to attend classes and study for them, there are definitely some lightbulbs and reality checks going on in that room,” Wulf said. “But it’s so much better to be doing this in the first week of school than in week seven, when they realize

Leadership Update

UMSON is pleased to announce its most recent addition to a leadership role: Gerrin Davis, DNP, MBA, CNE, CRNP, assistant professor, has been named director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Post-Master’s option. Davis will work in conjunction with the associate dean for and senior director of the DNP program to lead the administrative and academic aspects of the option, with an emphasis on curricular leadership and faculty guidance.

UMSON Among Best in Nation

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program ranked No. 13 (tied) in the nation (No. 8, tied, among public schools of nursing) in U.S. News & World Report’s “2025 Best Colleges,” Best BSN Programs

Master of Science in Nursing’s Nursing Leadership and Management Specialty ranked No. 5 in the nation (No. 1 among public schools of nursing) in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “Best Online Programs,” Nursing Administration/Leadership category

Ranked No. 26 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs for Veterans”

Preparing Nurses for Age-Friendly Care

Under the guidance of Melissa McClean, MSN, CRNP, ANP-BC, ACHN, CNE, clinical instructor, Bachelor of Science in Nursing students have been gaining clinical experience to increase their knowledge and skills in caring for older adults through a Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) at Keswick Muti-Care Center in Baltimore, a post-acute and long-term care facility. Students participate in this 12-hour experience as part of the Clinical Practicum course. The program, which launched in fall 2022 and has occurred every semester since, is a partnership between UMSON and the Johns Hopkins GWEP, made possible through funding from the U.S. Health Resources Services Administration. In this photo, students created an “All About Me” poster that helps care providers learn more personal information about the residents.

A Piece of the Pi

News from Sigma’s Pi at-Large Chapter at UMSON

The Sigma Pi-at-Large Chapter has been busy over the past few months, celebrating achievements, engaging in service, and expanding opportunities for students and members.

In November, we proudly welcomed 98 new members during our fall induction ceremony, marking a significant milestone in recognizing excellence in nursing scholarship and leadership.

In December, chapter members embraced the holiday spirit by serving breakfast at My Sister’s Place Women’s Center in Baltimore. This impactful event allowed us to support individuals in need within our community and demonstrated our commitment to service.

Our chapter is also growing! We are thrilled to announce the addition of Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, as an academic partner, and we are making progress adding the University of Maryland Medical Center as a practice site. Hood College students were inducted into our chapter during the spring ceremony in early April.

As always, we thank our members for their dedication and look forward to continued opportunities for growth, service, and scholarship in the months ahead.

— Paul A. Thurman, PhD ’18, MSN ’07, RN, ACNPC, CCNS, CCRN, CNE, Assistant Professor and Pi at-Large Chapter President

“We are building a community of educated professionals. Our alumni go out and flourish in the field of education.”

CAROL O’NEIL

UMSON’s Institute for Educators Celebrates 20 Years of Shaping Nurse Educators

BY MARY THERESE PHELAN

Before Brittany Corbin, MSN ’24, BSN ’14, RN, PCCN, CNE-cl, senior professional development and education support specialist in UMSON’s Department of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice, joined the Institute for Educators as a graduate teaching assistant, she had considered only pursuing advanced practice as the next step in her career.

“I knew little about the faculty role and hadn’t recognized the significant impact I could make as a nurse educator,” Corbin said. “After spending about a year with the institute, I decided to switch my major – a decision I haven’t regretted. As I learned more about the faculty shortage and the nurse educator’s role, I realized how much I could contribute to the profession.”

Transforming students into nurse educators for teaching roles in

academic and clinical settings has been the hallmark of the Institute for Educators for two decades. Its 20th anniversary will be formally celebrated at the institute’s Nursing Education Conference in April.

Founded in 2004 under the co-direction of Louise Jenkins, PhD ’85, MS ’81, RN, FAHA, ANEF, professor emerita, (see “Remembering Louise Jenkins,” Page 31) and Carol O’Neil, PhD, RN, CNE, associate professor, the institute was created to address the critical and growing shortage of nursing faculty in Maryland and across the nation. The first of its kind in Maryland, the institute became a forerunner in specifically preparing nurses and other health professionals to become educators of their practice.

The institute’s work has been integral to the state’s efforts to educate nurses, providing valuable support and resources, says its director since 2022, Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, associate professor, associate dean for faculty development, and director of the Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions Certificate.

To help develop, prepare, and support nursing faculty and educators in clinical settings, the institute offers professional development initiatives that include an annual conference, Teaching Grand Rounds, topical workshops,

networking resources, and the Dean’s Teaching Scholars program.

At its inception, the Institute for Educators was a pioneer in online teaching, long before the COVID-19 pandemic made virtual learning mainstream. Today’s technology makes online learning seem routine, but the institute’s early efforts were groundbreaking.

“It was a significant innovation at the time,” Bindon says.

In the 1990s, UMSON offered a Master of Nursing Education, but with the rise of specialization and a movement toward nurse practitioner careers, the program was eventually discontinued, leaving a gap in support for faculty unprepared for teaching.

Around 2003, Jenkins and then-Dean Janet Allan, PhD, RN, FAAN, APN, now dean emerita, began discussing ways to prepare advanced practice nurses for teaching roles. O’Neil was part of these early discussions. Jenkins and O’Neil developed the 12-credit teaching certificate program, which prepares nurses and other health professionals for teaching and faculty roles. For 20 years, it has remained focused on foundational courses of education. Since its inception, nearly 800 graduate students have taken courses in the certificate program.

“We are building a community of educated professionals,” O’Neil says. “Our alumni go out and flourish in the field of education.”

Colloca Named UMB Researcher of the Year

BY JEN BADIE

Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, first became fascinated with the placebo effect and pain management when she was in medical school.

control condition is so critical.”

placebo (n.): a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder nocebo (n.): a harmless substance or treatment that when taken by a patient is associated with harmful side effects or worsening of symptoms due to negative expectations

“I was captivated by the brain’s functions, especially how little we know about its role in healing and how it influences the perception of pain-related symptoms,” said Colloca, professor and director of UMSON’s Placebo Beyond Opinions (PBO) Center. As a University of Maryland MPower professor, she champions collaboration on strategic research between the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park that strengthens and serves the state of Maryland and its citizens.

Colloca was also concerned about the opioid epidemic and wondered if there was a way to reduce the overuse and misuse of opioids in pain treatment by identifying patients who truly need the treatments and those who may not.

“Some patients experience meaningful pain relief simply by expecting to be treated,” she said. “Placebo research has become a valuable tool for understanding brain functions. It is also highly relevant for the development of new treatments because the identification of the appropriate

HSLM is Now NLM!

This became the basis for Colloca’s work conducting groundbreaking studies on the placebo phenomenon that have advanced scientific understanding of the brain’s ability to regulate the pain experience and have led to the development of novel strategies to optimize therapeutic outcomes in clinical practice.

For her pioneering work, Colloca was named the UMB 2024 Founders Week Researcher of the Year. She was celebrated, along with the four other Founders Week faculty and student awardees, during an event on Oct. 17 at M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in Baltimore.

Colloca is an international expert in the fields of placebo effect and nocebo effect – the opposite of the placebo effect in which patients have negative responses to treatments that cannot be explained by the treatments’ pharmacologic effects –and mechanisms of pain modulation. She has secured multiple National Institutes of Health awards, and her

body of research has been published in more than 200 papers in highimpact journals and cited more than 19,000 times.

Colloca’s key discoveries have included challenging the traditional framework of expectations versus conditioning as the primary explanation for the psychobiological mechanisms of the placebo effect, introducing observational, or social, learning as a trigger mechanism.

Through the PBO Center, she is committed to advancing interdisciplinary research and education on placebo, nocebo, and expectation effects, with a focus on addressing disparities, improving design of clinical trials, educating future clinicians, and incorporating placebo knowledge into medicine.

Colloca said one of the reasons she enjoys research is because she loves to learn.

“I love thinking, searching, and discovering. In many ways, I find rest through my work,” she said.

The Master of Science in Nursing Health Services Leadership and Management (HSLM) specialty has been renamed the Nursing Leadership and Management (NLM) specialty as of this spring. It features a new competency-based curriculum, which provides a nursing leadership and management core specific to evidence-based practice, biostatistics, and professional writing. By increasing the overall practice hours from 135 to 500, the revised curriculum will provide greater clarity for expectations of applicants, graduates, and stakeholders and a more disciplined approach to nursing education.

Department of Pain and Translational Symptom Science Marks 10th Anniversary

Principal areas of PTSS research:

• chronic pain

• placebo and nocebo effects

• cancer-related fatigue

• chemotherapyrelated side effects and the effects of exercise and healthy eating on managing these symptoms

• the effects of pain on sleep

• and more

The Department of Pain and Translational Symptom Science (PTSS) was founded in 2014 as a home to UMSON faculty, staff, and students involved in the cutting-edge research necessary to move nursing science and its clinical applications forward. Over the past 10 years, PTSS has achieved an outstanding reputation for scientific excellence nationally and internationally, and its program of research incorporates molecular, cellular, and genetic/ genomic methods to study pain and cancer treatment-related symptoms.

Founded by Susan G. Dorsey, PhD ’01, MS ’98, RN, FAAN, professor, PTSS was one of the first departments in a school of nursing nationwide solely dedicated to research rather than to a teaching or clinical mission. Cynthia L. Renn, PhD, MS ’97, RN, FAAN, has led the department since 2022.

Since its inception, PTSS has been considered innovative in terms of its facilities and types of research conducted. The department features state-of-the-art animal housing facilities, dedicated procedure and behavior rooms and equipment, extracellular and single-cell patch clamp electrophysiological recording facilities, and extensive bench lab space.

Over the past 10 years, faculty in PTSS have brought in nearly $30 million dollars in funding, primarily as principal investigators

of grants, and have published 311 scientific manuscripts.

With a focus on educating the next generation of scientists, PTSS faculty have mentored junior faculty, staff scientists, post-doctoral fellows, MD/PhD students, master’s students, undergraduates, and high school students.

PTSS is home to two organized research centers: the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center and the Symptom Science Using Neuroscientific and Psychological Approaches (SYNAPSE) Center. PTSS is also responsible for 50% of the campuswide Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research (CACPR, co-directed by Renn) in conjunction with the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

“This milestone anniversary for the PTSS department is a great achievement and highlights the trendsetting leadership of UMSON in the excellent biomedical research that is done in schools of nursing across the country,” Renn said. “Establishing PTSS has set UMSON apart as a trailblazer in research among schools of nursing.”

— M.T.P.

Under the guidance of Barbara Resnick, PhD ’96, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, professor, Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology, and associate dean for research, a group of graduate students is assisting in wellness clinics at Baltimore-area senior housing sites while also conducting scholarly work on topics such as social isolation, completing advance directives, safe ambulation, and use of assistive devices. Resnick is joined in this effort by Sarah Holmes, PhD, MSW, assistant professor; Jennifer Klinedinst, PhD, MPH, RN, FAHA, associate professor; and Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

“The students get not only clinical hands-on care, but they also participate in research-related activities for their own projects,” Resnick said.

Resnick and the team conduct weekly visits to the communities, educating seniors on proper medication management, providing blood pressure checks, administering immunizations and vaccinations, and conducting annual wellness assessments, among other clinical interventions.

“I enjoy the opportunity to engage with people from all walks of life and provide them with valuable information and support,” said PhD student Anne O. Hagan, MSN ’21, BSN ’19, RN. “It’s fulfilling to know that I can help answer questions, offer some insights, and positively impact the lives of older adults.”

— M.T.P.

above: Hagan (left) and University of Maryland, College Park student Sylvia Joledo (right) conduct health assessments at an Enterprise Properties senior housing community, while Resnick (foreground) performs toenail care on a resident.

Graduation

“You see, nursing is not only a profession, it is a commitment to compassion, to healing, and to patient advocacy.”

MARC SALMO LLACUNA, BSN ’24 STUDENT SPEAKER

On Dec. 18, more than 250 graduates and their family and friends celebrated success at the Hippodrome Theatre during UMSON’s Graduation ceremony, at which 460 degrees and certificates were conferred. Just shy of 200 entryinto-nursing students graduated, ready to enter the workforce.

“We offer our very sincere congratulations to those of you who are receiving your first degree in nursing. You will begin your career at a time when nursing presents unparalleled possibilities,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean.

Among the graduates: LyAvia Patterson, BSN ’24, who was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in December 2023. She celebrated her success at pushing through as she strode across the Hippodrome stage.

“I don’t want sympathy. I want people to recognize that there are going to be challenges in life. There will be adversity that you have to get through. You have to push through for your goals, for your family, for your own self,” Patterson said. That theme of bravery and perseverance underscored the entire ceremony, including the keynote address from Capt. Aisha K. Brooks, DNP, MPH, RN, FADLN, FAAN, a senior health policy administrator in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, who became a mom of two by age 16. “There were many people who created obstacles for me academically because they were certain that I did not have what it took to complete my education,” she said. “What held me down, though, is not only a supportive family, but a sense of self and the fortitude to believe that my circumstances absolutely did not define who I was at that moment, nor who I would become.”

— Emily Bleiweis

1. Ogbolu welcomes students and their families.

2. Patterson waves to the audience as she crosses the stage.

3. Keynote speaker Brooks

4. Student speaker and Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate Marc Salmo Llacanu

5. A little pinner shares a proud moment.

6. Graduates show off their decorated mortar boards outside the Hippodrome.

Powering Vibrancy

BY BRUCE E. JARRELL, MD, FACS PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE

As president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), one thing I’m focused on is enhancing the vibrancy of our West Baltimore community. UMB remains one of Baltimore’s most powerful anchor organizations. We are dedicated to effecting real and lasting change for Baltimore residents by improving health, creating wealth, and advancing social justice through a combination of community-focused programs and partnerships aimed at revitalizing the area.

We’re already seeing new energy in and around UMB. The University played a key role in the revitalization of Lexington Market, a landmark in West Baltimore with a rich cultural

By advancing community-driven health, education, and workforce initiatives, UMB is helping to create sustainable pathways to success and improve the quality of life for individuals living in West Baltimore.

and historical legacy. Neighbors, faculty, staff, and students enjoy the modern, vibrant community market. 4MLK, the 250,000-squarefoot building at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Baltimore Street, recently opened and will fill a growing need for wet lab space (where testing and analyses are performed using physical samples, chemicals, and liquids) for researchers and entrepreneurs launching biotech and life sciences companies. In addition, UMB is

looking for a developer to transform West Lexington Street into a residential and retail district.

But our commitment to vibrancy extends far beyond new buildings.

The School of Nursing’s West Baltimore Reducing Inequities in Cardiovascular and Mental Health Collaborative – Stronger Together (RICH 2.0) brings together community, faith-based, academic, and health care organizations to reduce health disparities, improve cardiovascular and mental health outcomes, improve access to primary care, and reduce health care costs for our West Baltimore neighbors. The grant builds on the success of the initial West Baltimore RICH Collaborative initiative, which focused on reducing social isolation and inequities in cardiovascular health in West Baltimore. By advancing community-driven health, education, and workforce initiatives, UMB is helping to create sustainable pathways to success and improve the quality of life for individuals living in West Baltimore.

Our neighbors can also take advantage of the many programs offered by UMB’s Office of Community and Civic Engagement (OCCE). Over the years, OCCE has offered health and wellness programs, educational workshops, youth engagement programs, community resource navigation, collaborative partnerships, and more. Many of the programs take place in the Community Engagement Center (CEC) at 16 S. Poppleton St. The CEC’s aim is to provide a safe environment that supports the

During a news conference on Oct. 22 at the School of Nursing, representatives of the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative 2.0 and its 17 partner organizations accepted a $5 million check funding a Health Equities Resource Communities grant it received from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission.

empowerment of neighbors while strengthening the neighborhoods of West Baltimore. It offers a free public health nurse program, led by UMSON’s Kelly Doran, PhD ’11, MS ’08, RN, FAAN, associate professor, through its Health Suite, an interprofessional clinical site for UMSON and other UMB students. Nearly a dozen nursing students, including Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), RN-to-BSN, and Doctor of Nursing Practice students, participate in a clinical experience there one day a week.

The University is deeply involved in addressing the needs of local residents by offering health care services, educational opportunities, and workforce development programs that equip individuals with the tools they need to thrive. By addressing critical issues such as health disparities and creating economic opportunity, UMB is making a tangible impact on the lives of West Baltimore residents while fostering a sense of hope within the community.

I want to thank the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the School of Nursing who remain dedicated to our mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good. Together, we are creating lasting positive change.

Vitals

“It’s important to have a really strong support system. I find having people in the field, whether they are current co-workers, past co-workers, classmates, all those people that just truly really get it – close connections are really important. Not to mention having your own professional support, such as a therapist or counselor. It’s very important that we take care of ourselves, to take care of others.”

Sara Robinson, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, assistant professor and director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Family specialty Psychiatric Times, October 2024

Seven alumni currently serve as deans of other schools of nursing:

• Bimbola Akintade, PhD ’11, MS ’05, MBA, MHA, BSN ’03, ACNP-BC, NEA-BC, FAANP, FAAN, East Carolina College of Nursing, North Carolina

• Seon Yoon Chung, PhD ’16, RN, CNE, CHSE, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing

• Marla De Jong, PhD, MS ’96, RN, CCNS, FAAN, University of Utah College of Nursing

• Linda Haddad, PhD ’93, RN, FAAN, University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing, Tennessee

• Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’05, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, University of Maryland School of Nursing

• Carol Romano, PhD ’93, MS ’85, BSN ’77, RN, FAAN, Uniformed Services University Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, Bethesda, Maryland

• Sarah Szanton, PhD, MS ’98, RN, ANP, APRN, FAAN, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore.

First-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland, administered 265 flu vaccinations over two days in October to the public.

Two PhD students have been named Jonas Scholars for 2024 - 26 by the Jonas Center for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. UMSON received a $24,000 grant to support Anne O. Hagan, MSN ’21, BSN ’19, RN, and Alexandra Mora, MS ’14, RN, as they learn from nursing experts and develop skills to transition into faculty roles.

The MNA 121st Annual Convention last September featured presentations by 35 faculty members and a keynote presentation from Ogbolu.

For the seventh year in a row, UMSON has earned the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, which recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The School held its second annual UMSON Day at Lexington Market in Baltimore in November. Students provided information on sexual health and about Hepatitis C awareness and resources for testing.

Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN, assistant professor, co-director of the entry BSN program, and director of restorative practices, has been awarded the Maryland Nurses Association’s (MNA) Outstanding Pathfinder Award for her work in restorative practices. She also has been named one of 30 recipients of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation.

— Compiled by Erin Merino

“There are so many questions and so many unknowns, but what you’re having for lunch? That’s something you can plan, and it can be really empowering.”

AMBER KLECKNER

Impact Battling Cancer Symptoms Through Nutrition

BY MARY THERESE PHELAN

OUR RESEARCHER

Amber Kleckner, PhD

People undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer treatments endure a large symptom burden, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, pain, and gastrointestinal issues. Unfortunately, these symptoms can persist long after the cancer has been treated and can sometimes prevent people from returning to work, family roles, hobbies, and other activities. Treating the side effects of cancer drugs with other drugs can have their own side effects. But nutritional interventions can improve overall health, enhance the ability to heal, and increase resilience against further adverse conditions.

“We still do not understand the underlying mechanisms of cancer-related fatigue and other related symptoms,” Kleckner says. “This makes it difficult to discover preventive treatments for these ailments. Despite widespread dietary recommendations and supplements for patients with cancer in the media, there are very few evidence-based dietary guidelines. We are helping to define what dietary patterns are best during and after treatment so that people can tolerate treatment and heal from the experience as fast as possible.”

INSIDE THE RESEARCH

Kleckner’s $1.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute will recruit 96 blood cancer survivors experiencing fatigue after treatment. All participants will be asked to follow an individualized diet plan for 12 weeks; half of the participants will be asked to meet the diet recommendations in a daily 10-hour eating window to see if time-restricted eating reduces fatigue more than the control nutrition program.

Based on a large and growing body of research into nutrition and cancer, Amber Kleckner, PhD, assistant professor, designs and tests nutritional programs to help address these symptoms and help people attain the quality of life they had before their cancer diagnoses. These programs include both what people are eating and when people are eating.

Time-restricted eating is a popular new form of intermittent fasting. It entails only eating during a defined window during daytime hours, since in human circadian biology, energy consumption and utilization coincide with those hours. Deliberately eating food within a 10-hour eating window is hypothesized to help improve circadian rhythms, sleep quality, and energy levels during the day. Kleckner theorizes that time-restricted eating can help mitigate cancer-related fatigue through strengthening circadian rhythms.

Cancer is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world. With technological advances in treatments over the last few decades, there are more cancer survivors than ever. However, many people live with persistent symptoms such as cancer-related fatigue.

Kleckner’s research thus far suggests that following a Mediterranean Diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, lean proteins from fish and poultry, good fats from olive oil, and some dairy, while limiting consumption of sweets and red meats, during cancer treatment will lessen symptom burden.

Researchers are gathering data to evaluate their hypothesis that chemotherapy and/or radiation disrupts circadian rhythm and contributes to fatigue, and timerestricted eating can help counter this. “Nutrition is really understudied when it comes to cancer-related fatigue,” Kleckner says. “After cancer is diagnosed, people really want nutrition prescriptions. They want to know what they can eat so that they can beat this cancer and get back to life before cancer.”

That’s when patients turn to the internet, which is full of non-evidence-based nutrition research “because the research hasn’t been done,” Kleckner says. “There’s a huge need from clinicians, a huge demand for more specific nutrition information post-diagnosis. There are so many questions and so many unknowns, but what you’re having for lunch? That’s something you can plan, that’s something you can do, and it can be really empowering.”

“The

key is to be consistent, start small if necessary, and build momentum over time. Keep your goals realistic and specific and regularly review your progress to ensure you’re on track.”

YANKA CAMPBELL

Two Cents on Financial Well-Being

BY ERIN MERINO

OUR EXPERT

Yanka Campbell, DNP, MS ’17, RN, AGPCN-BC, CNE

Before becoming a nurse, Yanka Campbell, DNP, MS ’17, RN, AGPCN-BC, CNE, assistant professor, worked in finance and operations. “In transitioning to nursing as a second-career professional, I quickly recognized the critical need for nurses and health care leaders to have a strong grasp of finance – whether it’s managing a department budget, making cost-effective decisions in patient care, or understanding the financial sustainability of health care organizations,” Campbell says.

Having taught at UMSON since 2018, Campbell became the course director for the Managerial Health Finance course, where she teaches nursing students “how to blend financial knowledge with compassionate care,

empowering them to be both excellent clinicians and sound fiscal stewards of organizational and personal resources,” Campbell explains.

Here, she offers her “two cents” (that’s worth much more!) for enhancing financial security.

1 Create and Stick to a Budget

“Whether for personal or professional use, a budget is a foundational tool for financial success,” Campbell says. Start by tracking all sources of income and categorizing expenses as fixed or variable. Campbell advises allocating at least 20% of your income toward savings and investments, while prioritizing debt repayment.

2 Build an Emergency Fund

Planning for unexpected events is crucial. “Emergencies like car repairs, medical expenses, or unexpected bills can disrupt your budget if you’re not prepared. To avoid this, build an emergency fund that covers three to six months of living expenses, so you’re not caught off guard,” Campbell says. She suggests using a high-yield savings account, which offers better interest rates, to build an emergency fund.

3 Set Financial Goals

Make short-term and long-term financial goals. “The key is to be consistent, start small if necessary, and build momentum over time. Keep your goals realistic and specific and regularly review your progress to ensure you’re on track,” Campbell recommends. After

creating an emergency fund, Campbell advises paying off high-interest debts and contributing to a retirement plan as early as possible. If employers match retirement contributions, Campbell suggests contributing the full amount to take full advantage of this “free money.” If an employer does not offer retirement plans, she encourages opening an Individual Retirement Account. AARP developed a series of videos to help nurses prepare for retirement, which can be viewed at elearn.aarp.org/URL/ PrepareYourFinancesAheadofRetirement. Other examples of long-term goals include investing in education and career development, as well as building wealth through investments.

4 Use Resources to Help Keep You Accountable

Some apps that Campbell recommends utilizing for budgeting are:

GoodBudget: for budgeting and planning without having to link your bank accounts

Clarity Money: for managing spending and savings goals automatically

Tiller Money: for a more advanced tool that organizes your budgets into spreadsheets

“Ultimately, financial responsibility for nurses boils down to smart planning, prioritizing savings, and being mindful of both short-term and long-term goals. By using budgeting tools, avoiding common pitfalls, and staying consistent with savings and investments, nurses can achieve financial security while navigating the challenges of their demanding profession,” Campbell says.

Twin Journeys Through Nursing School

Mary and Maryalexandra Amankwa

BY ERIN MERINO

Mary and Maryalexandra Amankwa, identical twins in their final semester of the entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, have had a unique journey. Born in the United States and raised in Ghana by their grandmother and great-grandmother, they returned to the U.S. in 2018 to reunite with their mother. The twins have always lived and gone to school together. Their mother, an alumna of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, encouraged them to apply to UMSON. Despite often being assigned to different clinical units, they frequently meet each other’s instructors, who are consistently amazed by their identical appearance and demeanor, a common occurrence throughout their lives.

“We have always thought of being in the same profession, no matter what it was at that moment. I think it is because of our shared life experiences and interests.”

MARY AMANKWA

In this Q&A, they discuss their journeys to and experiences in nursing school and their future career goals.

What inspired both of you to pursue nursing?

Mary: What inspired me were my life experiences from Ghana. Life in Ghana was not the easiest for some people, and I always wanted to help

them. I think nursing is a great way for me to do that.

Maryalexandra: I also wanted to become a nurse so I can help positively impact people’s lives.

Did you always know you wanted to go into the same profession?

Mary: Yes, we have always thought of being in the same profession, no matter what it was at that moment. I think it is because of our shared life experiences and interests.

What is it like to go to school with your twin?

Mary: Honestly, it is great because we get to spend all our time together, and I also have a study partner.

How do you support each other through the demands of nursing school?

Maryalexandra: We support each other by listening to and encouraging each other.

Mary: Also, splitting the household chores so neither of us feel overwhelmed.

What are your career goals after you graduate?

Maryalexandra: I would like to become a community and public

health nurse, specifically for the pediatric population.

Mary: Either become an obstetrics or community health nurse and go to graduate school.

Do you see yourselves working together in the future?

Maryalexandra: Yes and no. We are both thinking of working with different populations. If we don’t find a facility that can offer both of us what we want, then we may not work together.

If you could give one piece of advice to future nursing students, what would it be?

Mary: Nursing school is a long and stressful journey so remember to take some time to yourself, so you do not feel overwhelmed.

Mary and Maryalexandra’s journeys through nursing school are a testament to their shared passion for helping others and the special bond they share as twins. Maryalexandra reflects, “Going through life with my sister is amazing, and I know that someday, we will end up on different paths. But now that we’re still on the same path, I’m going to enjoy the ride.”

Maryalexandra (left) and Mary (right) Amankwa showcase their identical looks.

Nurturing Nurses Creating a Culture of Well-Being

BY MEREDITH LIDARD KLEEMAN

ILLUSTRATIONS BY HOLLY STAPLETON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS

Since 2021, the School has been revising curricula across the undergraduate and graduate levels to reflect recommendations from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in its blueprint document The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. The Essentials provides an updated framework for nursing education, guiding student preparation through specific competencies in a variety of areas, including developing wellness and resilience for themselves and others.

Through such curriculum development and other approaches, including those in the workplace, UMSON faculty and alumni are deepening their commitment to the health and sustainability of the nursing workforce by creating a culture that values self-care, personal health, well-being, and fortitude.

For many nurses, finding joy in the profession heartens their spirit and contributes to their desire to remain working beyond traditional retirement age. We’re pairing this article with personal reflections from alumni who overwhelmingly agree that nursing is a labor of continued love. With a combined 180 years of work experience among them, these four alumni tout the importance of sleep, physical fitness, professional satisfaction, and emotional support, which are also welldocumented strategies to prevent burnout.

These dedicated nurses have found a way to prioritize their own well-being while simultaneously balancing personal and professional demands. While they love caring for others, they remember to consistently care for themselves along the way.

PRACTICING FORTITUDE

Marisa Astiz-Martinez, MS ’13, RN, CNE, RYT-200, clinical instructor, teaches a first-semester course, Professionalism in Practice I: Roles and Resilience, for entry-into-nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students, with lessons dedicated to cultivating resilience as a practice and to navigating and managing complex emotions in the workplace.

Completing a degree can be stressful, and nursing students face additional challenges. “Nursing education

“Midway through the semester, I did an empowerment exercise, where we said, ‘I am strong, I am smart, I’m a problemsolver,’ and I did see the mood lift.”

JANA GOODWIN

has many moving parts. Some students really struggle with the cognitive overload and logistical challenges during their educational experience,” Astiz-Martinez says.

Jana Goodwin, PhD, RN, CNE, assistant professor and chair of UMSON at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville, Maryland, incorporates mindfulness exercises that emphasize gratitude and kindness, as well as breathing exercises, into the entry-into-nursing Professionalism in Practice course she teaches. The effect these exercises have on students is profound, Goodwin says. “Midway through the semester, I did an empowerment exercise, where we said, ‘I am strong, I am smart, I’m a problem-solver,’ and I did see the mood lift,” she says. “A student said, ‘I really needed that today; I’ve been struggling.’”

Before administering tests, Goodwin reminds students that “one test does not define you. Saying something like that versus saying, ‘You guys are great, you’re doing awesome,’ is more encouraging because everybody’s not in the same place, everybody’s not doing great and awesome,” she says. “I’ve had students say, ‘That really helped me.’”

“At 72, I’m enjoying working now more than I did when I was younger. I was a public health nurse, then I was a NICU nurse, and I have spent the last half of my career in hospice nursing. When my children were growing up, I tried to work where I had some flexibility. Working in different areas of nursing helped me better understand how people live and their beliefs as they relate to health care. That knowledge now helps me better understand and meet the needs of my hospice patients and families.

I’ve always been a bedside nurse. I truly enjoy taking care of people and their families. It seems like nursing has changed a lot since I became a nurse; many people are getting advanced degrees and going on to become administrators. But for me, following my heart and doing what I enjoyed most gave me the most satisfaction. I’ve found that through all of my personal life experiences, and my work-life experiences, I have a lot of knowledge and tools in my brain to help families. It gives me great pleasure to be a part of their journey.

I took up tennis in my 40s, and I really enjoy it. It’s good to go out and be with people and not think about work. When I’m in good physical shape, my mind is more relaxed and content.”

SHEILA VIENTE LAMPEL, BSN ’75, CHPN, RN

Age: 72

Years in workforce: 50

Current position: Home Hospice Nurse, Hospice of Central PA, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

“My big support system is my faith. And I love to walk. Within parish nursing, I would help facilitate prayer walks in East Baltimore that involved members using their canes and walkers. We’d walk as a group to a spot and stop and pray.

I drink plenty of water, I eat right –everything in moderation. I laugh as much as I can. I am a member of Keswick’s Wise and Well Center for Healthy Living and have participated in a watercolor class and ceramics class. Art is also a part of my wellbeing. I love being an adult learner; every day I learn something new.

Encouraging others to be a part of health care keeps me going. Knowing I’m leaving a legacy, a heritage, keeps me going. My oldest daughter is a physician assistant, my youngest daughter is a registered nurse, and my son is in marketing and business development. Being an example, a living testimony in service to others, is a great privilege. Nursing has been a journey of service that I’m just so thankful and grateful to be a part of. If someone asks me, ‘How do you feel?’ I would say, ‘Grateful.’”

GLORIA LAY, MS ’14, RN, QAPI Age: 72 Years in workforce: 51

Current position: Director of Quality Assurance and Infection Control, Keswick Multi-Care Center, Baltimore

“If we’re thinking in terms of all the aspects of wellness – physical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial – we know all of the things happening in those areas impact a student’s ability to be successful.”

JENNIFER SCHUM

While faculty members are eager to help their students, often peers are better positioned to identify when a classmate is struggling or showing signs of being overwhelmed, explains Laura El Shafei, MPH, MA, RN, director of the UMSON Office of Academic and Career Success (OACS) at USG. The School offers peer-led academic support services for its students in Baltimore and at USG, where students have the opportunity to support other nursing students through the Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) program. A PAL can refer students to OACS or invite them to join a group study session or get involved with an academic or extracurricular project. “That often helps students who feel like they don’t fit in or that they’re not as successful as their peers,” El Shafei says. “It helps students feel like they’re a part of something, and that just snowballs into success.”

Serving as a PAL gives students a sense of belonging and confidence, which are essential to well-being. In UMSON surveys, students report that “the opportunity to serve as a leader in a number of capacities has helped them with their confidence,” El Shafei says, in addition to helping them gain clarity into what they plan to pursue after graduation.

SUPPORTING HOLISTIC STUDENT WELLNESS

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) holds “well-being and sustainability” as core values, and UMSON has developed a new staff position to support those values – a care and well-being specialist. Some students require a greater level of support to meet the School’s rigorous academic demands. Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean, and Jennifer Schum, PhD, associate dean for student and academic services, determined that students experiencing complex life situations need more assistance and follow-up. “Because of these personal situations, students might have to take extended leaves of absence or even drop out of the program and leave higher education,” Schum says. “It takes a lot of time to support these students, get to know them, and determine the resources and plans that can best assist them. The care and well-being specialist will be able to work individually with some of our students having the greatest level of challenges.”

This staff member will also work closely with the School’s health officer, who oversees the compliance requirements process and clearances for students returning after illness and hospitalization. The health officer and the care and well-being specialist help students feel safe and supported as they progress through their nursing programs, Schum says.

The School seeks to support all aspects of student wellness, including financial ones. The Student Emergency Fund, which is entirely donor supported, aids students experiencing financial hardship. Many of the students who apply for the emergency funding have a balance due on their tuition and can’t register for the next semester, Schum says. They may be at risk for eviction or foreclosure or could be having trouble paying bills and securing adequate food. A student may need vehicle repairs to commute to campus and clinicals or a new computer to complete coursework. The student and academic services team works closely with students to ensure they’ve exhausted all other forms of aid, loans, and grants before they’re eligible for the emergency funding. The average award is $3,000, which can make a big difference when a student is experiencing personal challenges and needs to register for the next semester.

“If we’re thinking in terms of all the aspects of wellness – physical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial – we know all of the things happening in those areas impact a student’s ability to be successful,” Schum says.

Physical and psychological safety, or a belief that one won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up, are also important components of well-being, and the School supports this through its Restorative Practices (RP) program. The RP approach represents a paradigm shift in the perception of justice and prioritizes repair over retribution or punishment.

“Restorative practices focus on building healthy, authentic relationships with oneself and others,” says Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN, assistant professor, co-director of the entry BSN program, and director of restorative practices. “These relationships then support building a community that can support and sustain its members, even when conflict and difficult conditions arise.”

“We believe that the framework of restorative practices engages our students in a process of self-discovery and self-understanding that supports their personal growth as professional nurses,” Murphy Buc says. “By embedding restorative practices into our coursework, as well as providing other opportunities to engage in these practices, we hope to contribute to the sustainability of the profession.”

The School has accepted two cohorts of BSN students into the RP Student Leadership Program and plans to include students from all academic programs in the near future. There are now seven student RP leaders at both UMSON locations who are prepared to address harm, promote resilience, and build community within educational and health care settings.

So far, 25 faculty and staff members have been through RP facilitator training since the program was introduced in 2020, according to Murphy Buc. These facilitators offer community building circles and programming support across academic departments and plan restorative conferences that address conflict and harm and offer collaborative opportunities to address restoration and resolution.

EXTRA SUPPORT FOR NEW GRADS

Maryland has led the way in supporting new nurses during their first year of practice by implementing 40 nurse residency programs (NRPs) at all of the state’s acute-care hospitals (plus four in Washington, D.C., and Delaware hospitals) through the Maryland Nurse Residency Collaborative. The state uses the Vizient/ AACN model, which is built on the 10 domains found in the Essentials document. An NRP provides an added layer of support for new nurses, with nurse residents meeting monthly to learn from and network with content experts throughout their organization, according to Vizient/AACN. Nurse residents also participate in clinical reflection time, which allows them to connect with peers and build upon the critical-thinking and decision-making skills they gained as students.

According to Vizient data, hospitals with NRPs have a higher retention rate than hospitals without. In 2023, NRP hospitals boasted a retention rate of 89%, compared to a 76% retention rate at other hospitals.

“I recall as a new grad feeling overwhelmed

wondering

if other people experienced the same emotions that

I

did.

It’s

very important for new grads to not shy away from getting the support they need.”

KARA STEVENS

Robin Price, MSN, RN, the NRP and nursing retention manager at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), sees how new nurses directly benefit from the program. “Many new grads state that the monthly sessions helped them learn more about the organization and gave them a safe space for a sense of belonging, knowing others were going through the same thing,” Price says. Upon completion of the program, many nurse residents return to help new participants and serve as small-group facilitators and mentors.

FOSTERING WELLNESS IN CLINICAL AND ACADEMIC WORKPLACES

Health care professionals are often firsthand witnesses to pain and suffering and must draw on resiliency skills to cope with professional trauma. That fortitude is tested further when nurses experience pain and suffering in their personal lives. Kara Stevens, MS ’15, RN, CMSRN, a wellness program manager at UMMC, developed a passion for workforce well-being after her own personal tragedy.

“The philosophy of nursing, that it’s holistic, that’s what keeps me going. The love for my patients – I put myself in their shoes. If I’m sick, I want someone to take care of me.

I also have to take care of myself. I don’t want to become cranky or grumpy when I go to work. I’m very particular about the food I eat and my sleep. I try to avoid stress. I take care of my physical health. I see my primary care provider regularly. I try to avoid working double shifts. The money is good, but eventually if you don’t take care of yourself, you burn out.

My advice for young nurses is to take care of themselves first. They need to eat very well, they need to have good sleep, they need to exercise. They have to be in a good frame of mind before they can take good care of patients.”

KWADWO AMOAKO, PhD, MPH, BSN ’98, RN

Age: 71

Years in workforce: 30

“I love nursing – love, love, love, love nursing! I have always loved nursing. It’s the best career anyone could ever decide to have because of the diversity of programs and opportunities to work.

Being positive, and my faith in God, has helped me tremendously in moving forward. I was so fortunate to be around mentors. When I was going through my doctoral program, being the first minority, it was not an easy thing to do. Anything you do in life, you have to have people who are positive and who support you; that helps you move ahead as well.

I try to be around people who are positive, and part of my goal is to stay positive. I continue to try to learn – I love learning. Being around friends, colleagues, and people and organizations that I support, such as Model Cities Senior Wellness Center and Sigma, those things are joyful for me.

I’ve been in higher education as a nurse educator, rehabilitation nursing, public health nursing –between those three areas I have found so many things that I can do. To be resilient, you have to explore different things and continue to learn.”

RUBY L. WESLEY-SHADOW, PhD ’88, MED, RN Wesley-Shadow became the School’s first Black PhD graduate in 1988. Age: 75 Years in workforce: 53

Current position: Health Educator, Model Cities Senior Wellness Center, Washington, D.C.

“I remind them to take care of themselves and that there’s life outside of this job. Professionally, I try to find ways to support people in the work they’re doing so that they’re finding joy.”

JANA GOODWIN

In 2018, Stevens was working as a senior clinical nurse in acute care at UMMC when she gave birth to twins. The babies were born prematurely and spent months in the neonatal intensive care unit. At 11 months old, one of the babies died from a rare genetic disorder. Stevens continued to work intermittently after the twins were born, but she was clearly struggling. “My manager strongly encouraged me to get support because not only was I dealing with this personal challenge, but I was bringing home the stress of working at the bedside,” Stevens says. “I had to really dig deep and channel my own resilience and take care of myself in ways that supported my own wellness.”

The support from UMMC and Stevens’ manager, in addition to Stevens’ personal support system, allowed her to remain in the workforce during the most challenging time of her life. “My leaders and fellow team members made me feel really valued and supported. I believe that sense of belonging and feeling that you matter to your organization and workplace is so, so important,” she says. Stevens’ wellness manager role is a new position, and she spent the first year developing the organization’s wellness priorities, which include ingraining well-being into the UMMC culture, destigmatizing mental health, and optimizing existing supports.

New nurses today are graduating equipped with tools and training to support their well-being, but complex patient situations in a nurse’s first year can still weigh heavily. “I recall as a new grad feeling overwhelmed or wondering if other people experienced the same emotions that I did,” Stevens says. “It’s very important for new grads to not shy away from getting the support they need.”

Asking for help when you need it is a critical aspect of fortitude, Stevens says. UMMC offers a variety of support programs for its employees, such as the Employee Assistance Program, which offers free counseling, and the Resilience in Stressful Events program, a peersupport service, but they’re often underutilized, she says. There’s a lingering stigma around seeking support, and it can be challenging to speak up and voice concerns, she continues. Nurses and health care workers may fear becoming the subject of gossip or having their competence and perseverance questioned. “Psychological safety is a big well-being challenge,” she says. “Feeling

that it’s OK to speak up, it’s OK to say that you need help, it’s OK to voice your experience of moral distress is a huge challenge.”

Wellness isn’t a challenge exclusive to new nurses. Those who have been in the workforce longer are at greater risk for burnout, and the support they need might be different. Despite years spent experiencing lifeand-death situations, seasoned nurses may find that they need new tools to address the emotional challenges of working in health care. “We need to optimize support for those nurses, too,” Stevens says.

The importance of approaching wellness as a formal practice applies to nurses working outside of the hospital, too. Revising the BSN curriculum to emphasize well-being and resiliency was revealing, Goodwin says.

“I’ve been a nurse for 30-something years, and I’m into taking care of myself, but the intentionality and formality around it wasn’t something I’d ever done for myself,” she adds. “In creating the Professionalism in Practice course, I was putting myself in a place of being really mindful – no pun intended – about my own well-being and thinking about how to impart that to our students.”

As a department chair, Goodwin promotes a culture of well-being for faculty and staff, too. “I remind them to take care of themselves and that there’s life outside of this job,” Goodwin says. “Professionally, I try to find ways to support people in the work they’re doing so that they’re finding joy.”

Cultivating joy may sound trite, but it’s a key component to preventing burnout. Almost two-thirds of nurses experience burnout, according to surveys conducted by the American Nurses Association. It’s especially common among younger nurses, with 69% of nurses under 25 reporting burnout, the organization states.

But burnout isn’t an individual’s failure to take care of themself. It’s the result of chronic, unmanaged stress in the workplace. Despite the ongoing challenges of a complex and demanding health care environment, nursing leaders are dedicated to prioritizing wellness and resilience. “I’m really optimistic about the work that’s being done across the country to recognize this,” Stevens says.

A HISTORY OF WRAIN

1. Commissioning Ceremony program, WRAIN Class of 1971

2. WRAIN Opening Ceremony, Sept. 24, 1969

3. Article about the last WRAIN class, “The Class of ’78,” STRIPE (Walter Reed Army Medical Center staff newsletter), Aug. 27, 1976

4. Front page of The Marylander, Vol. 13, September 1966; the image shows Wilson H. Elkins, president of the University of

Maryland, and Gen. Leonard D. Heaton, the Army Surgeon General, cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing alongside sisters Linda and Paula Taylor, Nurse Corps candidates

5. WRAIN Chorus performing at the WRAIN Program 10th Anniversary Celebration, May 1, 1974

6. Army Nurse Corps Consultants’ Conference, Sept. 25 - 26, 1973

WRAIN-y Days of UMSON History

To help relieve the nursing shortage within the Army Medical Services during the Vietnam War, the School of Nursing signed a contract in 1964 to provide baccalaureate nursing education for the Department of the Army. Two years later, the first students entered the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing (WRAIN) in Washington, D.C., where students lived in Delano Hall and learned at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Under the program, qualified students were awarded scholarships toward their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, provided they agreed to serve three years in the Army Nurse Corps after graduation. WRAIN differed from many other nursing programs because it drew students from across the country and attracted large numbers of males and African Americans.

The inaugural WRAIN class of 60 students graduated in June 1968. From then until 1978, when the final WRAIN class graduated, 1,100 women and men graduated from the program and became commissioned officers in the Army Nurse Corps. The graduates were affectionately known as “WRAIN-drops” during their service.

The collage to the left depicts memorable moments throughout the program’s history.

— Jillian Dreicer

Class Notes

Let your fellow alumni know what’s happening in your professional life. Submitting an update to Class Notes is easy; just visit nursing.umaryland.edu/ classnotes or contact us at alumni.nursing@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7640. You can also send mail to Holly Cole, Director of Alumni Engagement, 655 W. Lombard St., Suite 516, Baltimore, MD 21201.

As we are unable to confirm all alumni credentials, only UMSON degrees and graduation years are included.

1960s

Carola Bruflat, BSN ’68, received the Fran Wray Legacy Award from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, recognizing certified women’s health nurse practitioners who exemplify the highest levels of achievement in advancing women’s and genderrelated health. The achievement was celebrated at the organization’s 27th Annual Women’s Healthcare Conference in Chicago in September.

1970s

Patricia Morton, PhD ’89, MS ’79, serves as a consultant helping schools prepare for accreditation and assisting with curriculum revision. Morton spent 33 years as a faculty member and associate dean at UMSON. In 2013, she became dean of the University of Utah College of Nursing and has since retired from academia.

1980s

Susan Newbold, PhD ’06, MS ’83, was the first-ever recipient of the Ball State University (Indiana) College of Nursing Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

Lisa Rowen, MS ’86, retired from her position as senior vice president and chief nurse executive of the University of Maryland Medical System in 2024. She is now the founder and partner of Rowen Coaching and Consulting, specializing in collaborating with high-performing leaders and teams

to improve outcomes and achieve excellence. She is a board-certified executive coach and member of the International Coaching Federation.

1990s

Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, UMSON associate professor, associate dean for faculty development, director of the Institute for Educators, and director of the Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions Certificate, has been inducted as a National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education Fellow.

Kelli Kidwell Garber, MS ’96, was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in November.

Carmel McComiskey, DNP ’10, MS ’96, has been honored by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) with the 2025 State Award for Outstanding Contributions, a recognition given to one person in each state.

2000s

Bimbola F. Akintade, MS ’05, BSN ’03; Oluremi Adejumo, DNP ’19, BSN ’94; Yanka Campbell, MS ’17; and Oluwatosin Olateju, MS ’15, BSN ’11, co-authored “Empowering Underrepresented Faculty Through Active Mentee Engagement: A Path to Success in Nursing Education” in the January 2025 issue of the Journal of Nursing Education.

Sun-Mi Lee, PhD ’03, received research funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea for a

Last summer, 11 Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing (WRAIN) graduates (see “WRAIN-y Days of UMSON History,” Page 26) from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Class of 1971 met for a reunion, taking an eight-day cruise to Alaska with Royal Caribbean International. The cruise traveled north along the west coast of the state, stopping at ports in Sitka, Skagway, and Juneau, with a brief visit to Vancouver, Canada.

The WRAIN alumni enjoyed whale watching, visiting local museums and a bird sanctuary, dancing, and participating in other events. The group also celebrated a shared milestone birthday during the trip, as many of its members turned 75 in 2024.

“We had such a great time, catching up on the 50-plus years since we graduated and were commissioned,” says Charlene G. Gooch, BSN ’71.

l. to r.: back row: Gooch; Anna Towber Schubert, BSN ’71; Jill R. Keeler, BSN ’71; Mary Kay O’Neill, BSN ’71; Billie L. Meyers, BSN ’71; Donna E. Bennett, BSN ’71; Carla M. Reeves, BSN ’71; front row: Diane K. Dea, BSN ’71; Linda L. Bishop, BSN ’71; Judy C. Knox, BSN ’71; Susan Howell Brunssen, BSN ’71

project titled “Development of a Tailored Risk Management Platform for Enhancing Patient Safety and Expanding Nurse Roles.”

Jamie Kirschner, BSN ’05, was honored with the University of Maryland Medical Center’s (UMMC) Great Impression Award as a member of the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit during the hospital’s Great Stories Recognition event in October.

Laura Allen, DNP ’24, MS ’15, BSN ’06, has been promoted to assistant professor at UMSON.

Kristen M. Brown, MS ’06, serves as the associate dean for simulation and immersive learning at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore and was inducted as a Society for Simulation in Healthcare Fellow.

Mona Choi, PhD ’06, is a member of the editorial board of Healthcare Informatics Research, the official journal of the Korean Society of Medical Informatics.

Stephan Davis, BSN ’07, has been named the inaugural executive director of leadership, policy, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Bridgitte Gourley, DNP ’08, UMSON associate professor and director of the DNP Family Nurse Practitioner specialty and co-director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Center for Interprofessional Education, has been inducted as an inaugural Fellow of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved.

Tinagene Pia Inguito, PhD ’08, began a two-year fellowship as the Dr. Jeanne K. Buxbaum Gerontology Fellow for student nurse training of undergraduate and graduate scholars at the University of Delaware.

Hershaw Davis Jr., BSN ’09, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees for The Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association. Davis was also featured in an article, “Gun violence prompts emergency nurse to train others,” in Chief Healthcare Executive in December.

2010s

Liz Krug, MS ’10, was recently appointed as program manager, clinical practice standards at LifeBridge Health in Maryland and to the board of the Baltimore Hunger Project.

Oluwatosin Olateju, MS ’15, BSN ’11, received the 2024 Feleta Wilson Award from the American Public Health Association, which recognizes a midcareer registered nurse or advanced practice nurse who is an enthusiastic and effective leader in nursing and exhibits dedication in meeting community needs and benefiting underserved populations.

Becky Brotemarkle, PhD ’13, is the CEO of and professional coach at MacroLife Coaching and is certified in attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder coaching and as a mindfulness and meditation

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teacher. She continues her work as a leadership and executive coach and is a certified end-of-life and grief coach.

Caitlin Donis, MS ’13, was promoted to assistant professor at UMSON.

Mazen El Ghaziri, PhD ’13, is an investigator with the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts.

Dzifa Dordunoo, PhD ’14, has been awarded a fellowship from the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program to collaborate on a capacitybuilding project with faculty and graduate students at Garden City University College in Ghana. The program is designed to strengthen capacity at the host institutions and develop long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations between universities in Africa, the United States, and Canada.

Emily Nicoli, MS ’14, joined Until There Are Nine as an executive advisor, serving as the sole clinician executive on the membership platform designed to empower women in their careers through a comprehensive suite of resources.

Kristen Rawlett, PhD ’14, UMSON associate professor, has been appointed to a two-year term as the Maryland state liaison for the AANP.

Henry E. Inegbenosun, DNP ’21, BSN ’15, is a dual board-certified family nurse practitioner and the founder of LuxMode Aesthetics, which offers medical-grade aesthetic treatments including Botox, filler treatments, VI chemical peels, and microneedling.

Kara Stevens, MS ’15, is the wellness program manager, nursing and patient care services, at UMMC, where she recently established a Working Parent/ Caregiver Employee Resource Group to create a supportive community aimed at advocating for self-care to reduce parental/caregiver burnout and support family-friendly initiatives and policies. She also has been accepted to the UMSON DNP Post-Master’s option for the fall semester.

WELCOME, NEW ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBERS!

Congratulations to the alumni selected as new members of the Alumni Association’s Alumni Council.

The Alumni Council is an advisory group for the UMSON Alumni Association that learns about the latest developments at UMSON and discusses alumni-related matters, including event planning, student-alumni relations, and fundraising.

Any person who has earned a diploma or a degree from UMSON is automatically a member of the Alumni Association; there is no membership fee.

Ann Ellenson, BSN ’70

Rebecca Wiseman, PhD ’93

Joan Davenport, PhD ’00

Cecilia Ekwunazu, BSN ’01

Keisha A. Robinson, PhD ’23, MS ’04

Kamala D. Via, MS ’12

BACK TO THEIR ALMA MATER

The following alumni have returned to UMSON in faculty or staff positions, shaping the next generation of nurses:

Keisha A. Robinson, PhD ’23, MS ’04, assistant professor

Heather Johnson, DNP ’20, BSN ’08, assistant professor

Joyell Arscott, BSN ’10, assistant professor

Yanka Campbell, MS ’17, assistant professor

Sharon Thomas, PhD ’23, assistant professor

GREATNESS IN MARYLAND

During the Maryland Nurses Association 121st Annual Convention in September in Annapolis, Maryland, four UMSON alumni received awards.

Jean Seifarth, MS ’82

Linda Stierle Exemplary Service Award

Rebecca Wiseman, PhD ’93 Outstanding Nurse Educator Award

Tammy Slater, MS ’00 Outstanding Advanced Practice Clinical Award

Christie SimonWaterman, DNP ’16 Outstanding Presidential Service Award

Laquonda Finney, BSN ’18, is a community health nurse specializing in infectious disease at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas and is enrolled in the Master of Public Health program at the University of Texas Health School of Public Health.

Mildred Diggs, BSN ’19, is the founder and CEO of Journiy, a digital care management company that improves patient adherence to medical treatment plans for chronic diseases through a culturally tailored approach. She has worked as a critical care nurse and is a U.S. Army veteran.

2020s

Richard P. Conley Jr., DNP ’20, UMSON assistant professor and assistant director of the DNP Nurse Anesthesia

specialty, has been appointed chair of the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists Continued Professional Certification/ Maintaining Anesthesia Certification Item Writing Committee.

Anju Paudel, PhD ’21, assistant professor in the Penn State University Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing in Pennsylvania, and team were recently awarded a two-year, $250,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Association’s Advancing Research on Care and Outcome Measurement program.

Rachel McPherson, PhD ’22, was promoted to assistant professor, research tenure track, at UMSON.

Hohyn Seong, PhD ’23, is an assistant professor at the Keimyung University College of Nursing in South Korea.

For 70 years, the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s psychiatric mental health nursing program has been at the forefront of shaping this vital field, from its earliest days as UMSON’s first master’s specialty to today’s Doctor of Nursing Practice specialty. Join us for a celebration and conference uniting alumni, esteemed preceptors, and industry leaders to honor the program’s legacy and explore the future of psychiatric mental health and advanced practice nursing. Save the dates and be part of this milestone event!

Friday - Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8, 2025

UMSON, Baltimore

Learn more and find updates at nursing.umaryland.edu/pmh70 or scan the QR code at right.

We’re creating a digital collage to highlight the accomplishments of our psychiatric mental health nursing alumni. If you would like to be included, please complete the questionnaire available on the webpage by Aug. 31.

VOLUNTEER STARS

We sincerely appreciate these alumni for generously sharing their time to support students and School activities. They provided invaluable professional expertise and meaningful insights into the nursing field, including career guidance, firsthand workplace experiences, and job opportunity suggestions. By inspiring the next generation of nursing professionals, they play a vital role in shaping future careers and strengthening the UMSON community.

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Accreditation Process Volunteers

Nadine Jacobs, BSN ’74

Cynthia Sweeney, BSN ’76

Malinda Peeples, MS ’97

Kwadwo Amoako, BSN ’98

Ruth Lee, DNP ’10, MS ’04

Regina Danielson, BSN ’11

Sophia Henry, MS ’13

Fall Entry-into-Nursing Open House Volunteers

Claire Greenhouse, BSN ’66

Sally Brown, BSN ’74

Welcome Ceremony Distinguished Speakers FALL 2024

Treza S. James, MS ’05, BSN ’96

Amy J. Swoboda, BSN ’15

SPRING 2025

Henry E. Inegbenosun, DNP ’21, BSN ’15

Mildred Diggs, BSN ’19

NURS 342: Professionalism in Practice I: Roles and Resilience Alumni Interview Panel

Kerry Sue Mueller, BSN ’90

Carol Ann Rauen, MS ’91

Deborah Scholfield, MS ’95

Anthony Young, BSN ’01

LeAnthony Matthews, MS ’02

Adanna Agbo, MS ’07

Erin Baumgardner, MS ’08

Joyce Arauwou, MS ’10

Jennifer Hicks, BSN ’10

Melissa Lyapustina, BSN ’10

Jasmine Sandoval, BSN ’10

Bryan Liquido, BSN ’11

Holly Sowko, MS ’15

Michelle Montalbano, MS ’16

Michelle Dunwoody, MS ’19

Jack Hawvermale, MS ’19

Fall 2024 Graduating Student Poster Day Judges

Sally Brown, BSN ’74 Oluwatosin Olateju, MS ’15, BSN ’11

Nursing Student Government Association Career and Alumni Panel

Kerry Sue Mueller, BSN ’90

Ruth Lee, DNP ’10, MS ’04

Kawana Cohen-Hopkins, MS ’20

In Memoriam

Inez T. Jenkins, DIN ’38

Florence D. Christensen, DIN ’43

Sara J. Soteropulos, DIN ’46

Clare Ruby Brannock Winslow, DIN ’47

Sara J. Gaysek, DIN ’51

Joan C. Hoover, DIN ’51

Carolyn C. Lower, BSN ’51

Vivian S. Hodges, DIN ’52

Mary M. Dilzer, DIN ’53

Antoinette M. Gonzalez, BSN ’55

Mary L. Nowland, BSN ’55

Virginia Ricciutti, BSN ’55

Betty L. Wagner, BSN ’55

Evelyn Heckman, BSN ’56

Caroline E. Lister, BSN ’56

Joan M. Stern, BSN ’56

Helen E. Johnson, BSN ’62

Stefani J. Seidlich, BSN ’62

Margaret J. Stroud, BSN ’62

Margaret L. Fritze, BSN ’63

Lorelei Stocker, MS ’65

Alberta P. Illsley, BSN ’66

Colene R. Schested, MS ’66

Jane Lenderking Talbott, BSN ’66

James D. Burke, BSN ’67

Lt. Col. Gloria Diggs, MS ’67

Alicelee Klein, MS ’67

Ruth S. Murchland, MS ’67

Eva N. Squire, BSN ’67

Rosemarie E. Liberatore, MS ’73, BSN ’68

LaVerne S. NeiswenderMoore, MS ’68

Neil M. Berman, BSN ’69 Lt. Col. Carol Moleski O’Brien, BSN ’70

Ann Sewell, BSN ’70

Marie Erklauer Smith, BSN ’70

Barbara Vallely, BSN ’70

Ruby E. Elmore, BSN ’71

Gayle E. Sauselein, BSN ’71

Myra Chichester, MS ’72

Susanne S. Figulski, BSN ’72

Marjorie P. Silver, BSN ’72

Jean B. Dotson, MS ’73

Elizabeth A. Matera, BSN ’73

Janice A. Aiken Torres, MS ’74

Catherine L. Blunt, BSN ’74

Dorothy R. Drechsler, BSN ’74

Cindy J. Gale, BSN ’74

Julia A. Malson, BSN ’75

Patrice A. Robins, MS ’90, BSN ’76

Ruth B. Lamb, MS ’77

Ronald E. Degrange, BSN ’78

Kathleen M. Kaufman, BSN ’78

Bernadette L. Simmons, MS ’85, BSN ’78

Katherine A. Johnson, MS ’79

Virginia Hedges, BSN ’80

Deirdre Vogel, BSN ’80

Lt. Kathryn R. Bauer, BSN ’81

Lillian M. Minick, MS ’82

Donna M. Joseph, BSN ’86

Virginia L. Delauter, BSN ’87

Marlene M. Clements, MS ’89

Darlene C. Ali, MS ’90

Debra S. Liller, BSN ’90

Irene K. Tamangwa, BSN ’92

Ellen D. Barnhart, MS ’95

Lorraine E. Wojcik, MS ’95

Carolyn R. Decker, MS ’96

John R. Mechtel Sr., MS ’96

Kathleen G. Stilling, MS ’96

Mary Ann Ritchie Cantrell, PhD ’98

Michael L. Tidwell, MS ’98

Jan Y. Morgan, BSN ’00

Nancy M. Manahan, MS ’01

Mary C. Kneip, BSN ’07

Raniel O. Tagaytayan, MS ’14

Natasha R. Harris, BSN ’19

This list includes notices the School of Nursing received from July 9, 2024 – Jan. 15, 2025.

Remembering Frieda M. Holt, 1935 - 2024

Frieda M. Holt, EdD, RN, professor emerita, was the daughter of a homesteader in the desert of northwest New Mexico and was born into poverty during the Great Depression. Her early years were spent in a one-room cabin with no electricity or running water. She shared a double bed with her parents and older brother, Stanley. The closest neighbors were 10 miles away. Horse and wagon were their only form of transportation.

The classroom was always Holt’s haven. She spent her school years bouncing among more than 30 homes that would take her in for brief stays. Holt was temporarily placed with a social worker and her husband, Ruth and Hank Lange, in Colorado. Her temporary placement with the Langes turned long term, and Holt graduated from high school with top grades. She became the first in her family to go to college, graduating from the University of Colorado with a nursing degree and becoming a public health nurse.

In 1962, a friend convinced Holt and her husband to become missionaries in Liberia, Africa, where they would spend the next three years. They returned to the U.S. in 1966 and eventually settled in Boston, both earning their doctorates in education from Boston University.

Holt joined the UMSON faculty in 1974, holding positions of associate professor, associate dean for graduate studies, dean’s deputy, professor, acting dean, and executive associate dean.

During her tenure, the PhD program was developed and implemented, the number of master’s specialties increased significantly, enrollment in graduate education rose considerably, and outreach sites were established. In academic year 1986 - 87, Holt, then associate dean for graduate programs, served as acting dean while then-Dean Nan Hechenberger, PhD, RN, dean emerita, used a sabbatical. During Holt’s leadership, the School qualified for a Biomedical Research Support Grant from the National Institutes of Health for the first time. When Hechenberger returned from her sabbatical, she appointed Holt as executive associate dean for the School.

Holt left Maryland in 1992 to serve as director of the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing until her retirement in 1994.

Holt died Sept. 15 at the age of 89.

Remembering Louise S. Jenkins, 1943 - 2024

Louise S. Jenkins, PhD ’85, MS ’82, RN, FAHA, ANEF, long-time faculty member and professor emerita, had a nursing career that spanned more than 60 years, the last 27 of which were at UMSON. She was a pioneer in the field of creating transformative and evidence-based learning experiences for nursing students and those of other health professions, not only within UMSON and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), but across Maryland, nationally, and internationally.

After serving for over a decade in a variety of clinical nursing roles in Illinois hospitals, including as a member of a team that developed one of the first in-patient cardiac rehabilitation programs, Jenkins earned her master’s and PhD degrees from UMSON. More than a decade later, Jenkins returned to UMSON as an associate professor and senior researcher and then as director of graduate studies. In 2000, she began what would be the first of a series of collaborative and interdisciplinary projects that spanned UMB, exploring the efficacy of technology in health professions education. With funding from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, she created opportunities for faculty to explore the development of electronic courses, the use of educational technology in the classroom and clinical teaching, and the transfer of coursework to what was then termed the “World Wide Web.”

Several years later, UMSON created the Institute for Educators in Nursing and the Health Professions to meet the increased need for nursing faculty to address the critical shortage of nurses. Jenkins, as co-founder, helped lead its evolution into a statewide faculty resource for developing capacity and excellence in nursing education. She also coordinated the development of the graduate Teaching in Nursing and the Health Professions Certificate. Her work was supported through 17 funded research projects totaling over $7 million.

Throughout her career, she consulted broadly on issues related to the patient perspective and self-efficacy; methodology, including research design, measurement, and evaluation; and of course, on education, including simulation in health professions education and assessment of student learning. She also served on numerous national and international review and advisory panels, and her excellence was recognized with multiple awards and honors. Following her retirement in August 2023, she was appointed professor emerita. Jenkins died Dec. 19 at the age of 81.

SAVE THE DATE

NIGHT VISION

An Evening Illuminating the Innovations of our Visionary Pioneers

Please save the date for our upcoming gala, an evening dedicated to celebrating remarkable achievements and groundbreaking contributions to nursing. This event features cocktails, dinner, live music, and the induction of five new UMSON Visionary Pioneers.

Thursday, Sept. 18

5 - 9 p.m.

The Winslow

Parker Metal Building, 333 W. Ostend St. Baltimore, MD 21230

Be a part of an inspiring evening filled with joy, recognition, and the opportunity to connect with fellow health care professionals and supporters, honoring the spirit of innovation and excellence in nursing.

Stay tuned for more details about tickets ($100 per person) by visiting nursing. umaryland.edu/alumni/events or by scanning this QR code.

Contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at alumni.nursing@umaryland.edu with any questions.

SAY HELLO TO HOLLY COLE

We are pleased to welcome Holly Cole, MA, as the new director of alumni engagement.

Cole joined UMSON from Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), where she was a donor relations and scholarship specialist at the AACC Foundation. During her nine years there, she played a pivotal role in expanding the scholarship program through effective partnerships with donors and alumni. Her previous experience includes development roles at Baltimorearea institutions including Goucher College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

In addition to her professional experience, Cole has held a variety of volunteer leadership roles, including with the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Village Learning Place in Baltimore. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Towson University and her master’s degree in leadership in teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore.

As director of alumni engagement, Cole leads a comprehensive alumni engagement program aimed at fostering volunteerism, service, and personal and professional development. She plans a variety of alumni events, manages the Alumni Council, and collaborates with various departments to create meaningful alumni experiences. Her goal is to grow alumni engagement at UMSON and to build relationships that strengthen and improve the alumni experience.

She would love to hear from you; feel free to connect with her at hcole@umaryland.edu or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/hollyacole.

NETWORK REUNITE REMINISCE

Saturday, Sept. 20

UMSON

655 W. Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21201

All alumni are invited to a day filled with exciting presentations, discussions, and lots of UMSON spirit! Milestone classes ending in “0” and “5” will be recognized, including the 50th reunion class of 1975. If you would like to volunteer as a representative for your class, please contact Holly Cole, director of alumni engagement, at hcole@umaryland.edu

More details to come soon! Stay tuned for updates:

• visit nursing.umaryland.edu/reunion

• email alumni.nursing@umaryland.edu

• call 410-706-7640

All UMSON alumni are invited to celebrate at Reunion 2025!

Sphere of Nursing Influence

Danielle

LeVeck, DNP ’18

BY JILLIAN DREICER

Growing up, Danielle LeVeck, DNP ’18, ACNPC-AG, CCNS, CCRN, RN, never thought she would become a nurse, let alone a nurse influencer with more than 127,000 followers of her Instagram account, @nurseabnormalitites; she also has Facebook and TikTok presences. Inspired by her passion for helping others and by her family’s involvement in health care, she eventually decided to pursue a career in nursing. Following an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, LeVeck began a role as an intensive care unit nurse and fell in love with the profession. LeVeck blended her interest in health care with her love for writing when she began blogging in 2015 about her life and career. That same year, she began writing about her passion for nursing in “mini blogs”

“Whether I have 10 followers or 100,000 followers, I want to always ensure that I am true to myself because that is what people relate to.”

DANIELLE LEVECK

on her Instagram account and shared meme content that resonated with her growing audience. “I was able to gain followers initially because I had time to create content that was niche, and I was truly passionate about it,” LeVeck explains. Her dedication and consistency with posting as frequently as two to three times a day quickly earned her a nurse influencer role on the platform.

Working mostly in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) as a

bedside nurse, LeVeck wanted to transition to a nurse practitioner role in the same setting. UMSON’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/AdultGerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist program allowed her to pursue a degree that fit her financial situation, and, in 2018, she relocated to the East Coast and started working in one of the highest-acuity and busiest CVICUs in the country.

With more than 15 years of nursing experience, LeVeck has become a trusted voice online, offering a behind-the-scenes look into the life of a nurse. From practical tips and education to honest reflections on the challenges of nursing, she connects with her audience through her authenticity, expertise, and heart. “I have always shared about my current life on my platform,” LeVeck says. “Whether I have 10 followers or 100,000 followers, I want to always

ensure that I am true to myself because that is what people relate to.” LeVeck explains that “creating content and maintaining a platform can be the equivalent of a full-time job.” Now with young children, she has slowed her content generation to one to two posts per week so she can achieve a better work-life balance; however, her followers continue to support her through her life and career changes. “People in similar positions reach out and tell me how much they appreciate my vulnerability,” LeVeck states. “That makes it all worth it to me.”

COURTESY OF

DANIELLE LEVECK

Going Up: Life-Changing Elevator Ride Inspires New Nurse

Haben Joseph, MSN ’24

BY MARY THERESE PHELAN

Haben Joseph, MSN ’24, CNL, RN, knows the power of an elevator pitch.

After all, a chance encounter on an elevator at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) led him not only to a mentor but also to being placed on a team that recently received $100,000 in the 2024 UMMC and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Innovation Challenge to design a new medical device that may improve health outcomes, particularly for people of color.

The Innovation Challenge invites participants to present innovative ideas and practices to advance health outcomes and improve the care experience for patients, families, and health care practitioners.

“When COVID hit, I saw just how essential nursing was – not just in health care, but in keeping the world running. That was my reality check. I’ve been a nurse for less than a year, but I already know I made the right choice.”

HABEN JOSEPH

In November 2023, Joseph stepped into the elevator, already occupied by Matthew D’Angelo, DNP ’08, BSN ’98, CRNA, FAANA, on his first day as the division chief for nurse anesthesia. Joseph, a student nurse at the time, was heading to a medicalsurgical unit across from D’Angelo’s new office.

The third-semester student glanced at D’Angelo’s ID badge and saw he was a certified nurse anesthetist (CRNA), which Joseph says is his dream job. A few weeks later,

Joseph reached out to D’Angelo, leading to one of many coffee chats and lunches during which Joseph peppered D’Angelo with questions about a career as a CRNA. D’Angelo also offered Joseph opportunities to shadow him in the operating room.

“I just happened to catch him going up, and after one short conversation, he became my mentor,” says Joseph, a former Conway Scholar. “More than a mentor, I consider him a friend.”

Meanwhile, D’Angelo joined a project for the Innovation Challenge that centers on developing an arterial line capable of measuring both blood pressure and oxygen saturation. This innovation addresses limitations of traditional pulse oximeters, which studies have shown can be less accurate for individuals with darker skin tones. A 2020 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Black patients experienced nearly three times the frequency of undetected low oxygen levels compared to white patients. Earlier this year, the FDA proposed new guidance to improve pulse oximeter accuracy across different skin tones. The fiberoptic arterial catheter could provide more precise, real-time oxygen measurements, mitigating these disparities.

Recognizing the importance of including nurses in translational work, D’Angelo suggested adding Joseph, now a nurse in a surgical intensive care unit, to the team, and Joseph eagerly accepted.

“I realized I would love to be a part of something that would help improve the quality of care for

patients that have darker skin, which here at the hospital is the bulk of our patients,” Joseph explains.

“It would also be a great learning experience for me to see how in clinical practice there’s always room for innovation and trying to make things better for our patients. As an African American man myself, it makes me think of my family members who might have delayed clinical decisions because they didn’t have an accurate pulse ox reading.”

Joseph participated with the team in “Pitch Day” for the Innovative Challenge last December.

“I was absolutely terrified,” he admits. “I am talking to all these hospital executives and doctors with years of experience, and I’m a nurse with about five months of experience.”

In early January, the team was notified that their project was one of six selected for funding in the challenge.

“There are career-defining moments that really make you. And that was definitely one of those,” he says.

Joseph, who graduated from UMSON’s entry-into-nursing Master of Science in Nursing program, had originally pursued a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Maryland, College Park, considering a career in physical therapy. But his uncle, a nurse who served as a father figure while Joseph was raised by a single mother, planted the seed for nursing in his mind.

“He was someone I always looked up to,” Joseph says. “When COVID hit, I saw just how essential nursing was – not just in health care, but in keeping the world running. That was my reality check. I’ve been a nurse for less than a year, but I already know I made the right choice. I absolutely love it.”

photo at right: Joseph (right) prepares to do a pulse oximeter reading to check a patient’s oxygen saturation.

Museum 25th Anniversary Celebration UMSON Baltimore, Oct. 24

Conway Scholars Luncheon UMB, Nov. 4

Donor Appreciation Reception Hidden Waters, Baltimore, Aug. 20

 PhD Program 45th Anniversary Celebration UMSON Baltimore, Sept. 20 - 21

Student Organization Fall Semester Event UMSON Baltimore, Sept. 26

Flu Clinic USG, Oct. 23

PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW D’AGOSTINO/UMB, JEFF KENTON, RACHEL SALE, OTHERS SUBMITTED AS COURTESY



 Living History

Doctoral

Blackwall Hitch, Annapolis, Maryland, Nov. 14

 Pi at-Large Chapter of Sigma Induction

UMSON Baltimore, Nov. 12

Save the Dates

Institute for Educators Nursing Education Conference: Educating Nurses: Innovation to Application 2.0 Friday, April 25

Placebo Beyond Opinions Center Guest Lecture Hybrid Series: Treatment Research in Mental Disorders

Monday, April 28

National Nurses Week: Powerful Partners in Care: Transforming Health for All Tuesday, May 6 - Monday, May 12

UMSON Convocation

Tuesday, May 20

Maryland Action Coalition (MDAC) Virtual Leadership Summit: Advancing Nursing Excellence Through Innovation and Leadership

Monday, June 9

34th Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics (SINI): Thriving in the Age of AI: Mastering Emerging Tech in Health Care

Thursday, July 17 - Friday, July 18

Night Vision Gala: An Evening Illuminating Our Visionary Pioneers

Thursday, Sept. 18

All-Alumni Reunion 2025

Saturday, Sept. 20

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Program 70th Anniversary

Friday, Nov. 7 - Saturday, Nov. 8

Learn more about these events and others: nursing.umaryland.edu/events

Ceremonies

USG, Jan. 14

UMSON Baltimore, Jan. 16

 Annapolis Alumni Networking Event

 Sweet Start to the Semester UMSON Baltimore, Jan. 28

 Unity in Community USG, Dec. 2

BSN and MSN Clinical Nurse Leader Poster Day

UMSON Baltimore, Dec. 9

A Legacy to Advance Care Advance

In 2021, two lifelong residents of West Baltimore initiated a legacy that will live in perpetuity. The Bertha and Olin Cooper Hoddinott (pronounced HOE-din-no) Foundation was established following Bertha Hoddinott’s death, and Cooper (as he was called) Hoddinott’s three years earlier, to advance and enhance education in the science of oncology and cardiovascular care.

“These were the medical diagnoses that both of them had,” says Ann Bures, MA, RN, a foundation committee member who serves as the donor representative. She also has more than half a century of experience working as a nurse, including as a nurse recruiter and a nurse manager at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Bertha Hoddinott had cardiovascular disease, and Cooper Hoddinott had lung cancer. They were passionate about supporting care for fellow patients and research into cures.

“They received such positive care, and they felt very much that they were able to prolong their life together by the care and treatment they received,” Bures says. “By lending financial support via the foundation, it would help to make sure that anyone else who experienced these health issues would have the latest advances in care.”

The foundation, which works through the Baltimore Community Foundation to support organizations focused on research and clinical care, made its first gift to UMSON in 2022 and has continued to fund scholarships for nursing students with an interest in either oncology or cardiology, having contributed nearly $75,000 and supporting more than 30 students.

“What came about in conversations with the Hoddinotts while they were still alive was that they really wanted to ensure that people interested in these specialties had an opportunity to pursue an education,” Bures says. “One of the things we’re very positive about is hearing about the nursing students who have received the scholarships and how important it is to them, and what they’re doing with it.”

The foundation will advance the Hoddinotts’ legacy indefinitely. “We’ll be around for a long, long time,” Bures says, “and UMSON has established a strong footing and relationship with the foundation.” — Giordana Segneri

The Louisa Parsons Legacy Society

The School of Nursing’s Legacy Society is named in honor of pioneering nurse and philanthropist Louisa Parsons, the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s first superintendent; she made the first planned gift to the School in 1916. The Louisa Parsons Legacy Society comprises people who, like Parsons, are committed to supporting future generations of students and nurses by providing funding for scholarships, research, faculty positions, and other critical needs. Joining the Louisa Parsons Legacy Society allows you to make a significant difference to future nursing students without impacting your current lifestyle.

To learn more about making a planned gift, contact Stacey Conrad, associate dean for development and alumni relations, at sconrad@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7640.

Estate of Myrtle Ageton, DIN ’44, and Robert Ageton

Janet D. Allan

Anonymous

Floraine B. Applefeld

Estate of Carolyn V. Arnold

Jeanne Ascosi, BSN ’74

Estate of Zabelle S. Howard Beard

Deborah S. Beatty, MS ’96

Abbe R. Bendell, BSN ’74

Estate of Ann F. Bennett, MS ’69

Marjorie Stamler Bergemann

Estate of Jean L. Bloom, DIN ’46

Estate of Margaret Brandt, DIN ’50

Estate of Mary J. Brewer

Estate of E.L. Bunderman, DIN ’31, and Clarence Q. Bunderman

Olin Cooper and Bertha Hoddinott, ca. 1990s

Estate of Ann Ottney Cain

Estate of Dorothy C. Calafiore, BSN ’51

Estate of Shirley E. Callahan, BSN ’52

Sharon A. Childs, MS ’91

Estate of Avon B. Chisholm

Marlene H. Cianci, MS ’66, BSN ’65

Estate of Gladys B. Clagett and Lansdale G. Clagett

Estate of Bonnie L. Closson, BSN ’61

Jon B. Closson

Claudette C. Clunan, BSN ’72

Steven S. Cohen

Regina M. Cusson, MS ’79

Estate of Mary Jane Custer

Jill A. DeCesare, BSN ’69

Carol Distasio, MS ’73, BSN ’71

Nancy Donovan, BSN ’76

Susan G. Dorsey, PhD ’01, MS ’98

Carol Drake, BSN ’68*, and Francis D. Drake

Celeste A. Dye, BSN ’66

Kathleen F. Edwards, BSN ’67

Estate of Barbara Elgin, BSN ’54, and Lee Elgin

Estate of Lura Jane Emery, MS ’79

Julie C. Fortier, MS ’68

Judith A. Freitag, BSN ’77

Beth Ann Gan, BSN ’77

Estate of Mary H. Gilley, DIN ’44

Debbie Gilbert Glassman, MS ’79, BSN ’75

Estate of Judah Gudelsky

Carolyn Cook Handa, BSN ’63*

Laurette L. Hankins

Sharon Hanopole, BSN ’66

Phyllis B. Heffron, BSN ’74

Barbara R. Heller

Estate of K. Cornelia Hesselbach

Estate of Marie L. Hesselbach

Estate of Kjerstine K. Hoffman, DIN ’47

Carol A. Huebner, PhD ’90, and Michael F. Huebner

Margaret H. Iles, DIN ’53

Catherine Ingle, BSN ’61

Estate of Mary McCotter Jackson

Estate of Jeanette A. Jones, MS ’70

Estate of Jean W. Keenan, DIN ’48

Jane M. Kirschling and Robert Flick*

Anita M. Langford, MS ’79, BSN ’77

Cynthia P. Lewis, BSN ’58, and Jack C. Lewis

Estate of Phyllis R. Luckenbaugh, MS ’79, BSN ’72, and Paul Luckenbaugh

Estate of Ann Madison, BSN ’62

Estate of Mildred Madsen, BSN ’73

Estate of Rita Malek, DIN ’49

Myrna E. Mamaril, MS ’93

Estate of Demetria Manandic, BSN ’54

Estate of Lois Marriott

Joan Nicholason Martellotto, BSN ’66

Margaret A. McEntee, MS ’73

Estate of Wealtha McGurn

Beverly J. Meadows, PhD ’06, MS ’84, BSN ’69

Norma J. Melcolm, MS ’69

Estate of Joan L. Meredith, BSN ’62

Sharon L. Michael, BSN ’71

Nancy J. Miller, BSN ’73

Patricia Gonce Morton, PhD ’89, MS ’79

Sondra M. Mroz, BSN ’66

Elizabeth A. Ness, MS ’93

Evelyn Norwitz

Elizabeth G. O’Connell, MS ’74, BSN ’73

Daniel J. O’Neal III, BSN ’66

Harriet Palmer-Willis, MS ’70, BSN ’68

Barbara J. Parker, PhD ’86, MS ’76

Charlene M. Passmore, BSN ’77

Thomas S. Paullin

Margot A. Regen, MS ’79

Ann E. Roberts, BSN ’93

Estate of Margaret Robinson

Linda E. Rose, PhD ’92, and William G. Smillie

Estate of Amelia Carol Sanders, DIN ’53

Patricia A. Saunders, BSN ’68

Estate of William Donald Schaefer

Estate of Phyllis J. Scharp, BSN ’50

SandraA. Schoenfisch, MS ’76

Eleanor B. Schron, PhD ’08, MS ’79, and Spencer R. Schron

Estate of Alta Fay Schuster, BSN ’54

Estate of Beverly Seeley

Christine K. Shippen, MS ’98, BSN ’73

Martha J. Shively, BSN ’72

Deborah K. Shpritz, MS ’82, BSN ’78, and Louis Shpritz

Estate of Betty Lou Shubkagel, BSN ’54

Estate of Anna Mae Slacum

Estate of Connie Slewitzke, BSN ’71

Rebecca S. Stanevich, BSN ’73

Barbara A. Stepura, MS ’85

Estate of Marie V. Stimpson, MS ’89, BSN ’84

Jacquelyn M. Jones Stone, MS ’71

Estate of Sandra Sundeen, MS ’68

Estate of Ginger V. Swisher, DIN ’49

Susan L. Tancredi, MS ’79, BSN ’69, and Peter Tancredi

Courtney Ann Kehoe Thomas, BSN ’66

Diane L. Thompkins, MS ’84

Virginia D. Thorson, BSN ’55

Estate of Norma C. Tinker, BSN ’48

Estate of Martha C. Trate, BSN ’48

Marion Burns Tuck, MS ’80

Robin Varker, BSN ’75

Elena V. Virts, PhD ’15, BSN ’00

Joella D. Warner, BSN ’64

Estate of Helen Parker Wear

Doris Baumgardner Webb, BSN ’59, and John H. Webb*

Margaret C. Wilmoth, MS ’79, BSN ’75

Susan Dorsey Wilson, BSN ’66

Estate of Patricia Yow

As we are unable to confirm all alumni credentials, only UMSON degrees and graduation years are included.

The Student Emergency Fund, which provides financial support for students experiencing emergencies such as food or housing insecurity, has awarded more than $100,000, received from 572 donors, since March 2020.

Spring is a season of renewal, making it the perfect time to reflect on our well-being – a theme at the heart of this issue. For nurses, well-being transcends personal health – it’s a critical workforce issue that touches every aspect of the profession. At UMSON, we are committed to fostering wellbeing as a cornerstone of a thriving community.

From alumni who continue their work well beyond traditional retirement age to innovative strategies that prioritize the mental, physical, and emotional health of nurses, this issue highlights the importance of caring for ourselves while caring for others. I’m so grateful for the alumni who are willing to share their stories and expertise, reminding us of the strength and compassion that define the profession.

This spring also brings opportunities to celebrate UMSON and each other! Whether it’s through an alumni networking event or one of our many volunteer opportunities, I hope you’ll join us and your fellow alumni to reconnect, share experiences, and have some fun.

I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of your generosity, whether it be through time and talent or financial support (or all three!). Together, we’re not only shaping careers – we’re improving lives and advancing health care.

Being part of the UMSON community is central to my own sense of well-being. Thank you for your unwavering support and for helping us shape a bright and healthier future for all.

Stacey M. Conrad, MBA Associate Dean for Development

and Alumni Relations sconrad@umaryland.edu 410-706-7640

Gift Promotes Children’s Health Through Early Head Start and Family Support Centers

BY GIORDANA SEGNERI

UMSON has received a $300,000 gift in the form of a three-year pledge from the Mary Catherine Bunting Foundation to continue the work of the School’s Community and Public Health Environmental Initiative (CPHEI). The initiative, founded in 2016 with a gift from Bunting, MS ’72, CRNP, RN, provides health oversight for children and families served by Baltimore City Early Head Start (EHS) centers and Family Support Patty Centers, which are coordinated through the Maryland State Department of Education and offer free educational and health-related services to parents and children. In total, Bunting and the foundation have contributed $1.55 million to UMSON in support of CPHEI.

CPHEI collaborates with the Maryland Family Network to

improve overall health and environmental health for EHS center children from birth until age 3 through programs that support early literacy and life-long healthy habits, including nutrition, physical activity, quality family time, and mindfulness. CPHEI delivers health services to 11 EHS centers in Baltimore and three Patty Centers in Frederick, Annapolis, and Baltimore, Maryland, representing more than 400 children and their families; to date these efforts have benefited more than 3,000 children and their families.

More than 630 students from UMSON’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and RN-to-BSN programs, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Entry-into-Nursing program, MSN Community/Public Health Nursing specialty, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) specialties participate in CPHEI and provide critical health services to EHS/Patty Center children as part of the School’s ongoing service learning commitment.

The latest funding will support core and essential services identified during a summer 2023 survey of Baltimore City EHS centers, such as:

• hearing and vision screening with referrals to pediatricians; ophthalmology and audiology; or ear, nose, and throat specialty care, if needed

• height, weight, Body Mass Index, head circumference, and blood pressure screenings

• well-child exams and developmental screenings performed by our DNP Family Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner faculty and students

• medical chart reviews according to the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Healthy Kids Schedule so that children can remain enrolled in EHS

• case coordination between the EHS center families and pediatricians or dental providers, including referrals for children with developmental or behavioral concerns to specialty care, including Baltimore Infants and Toddlers and Kennedy Krieger Institute, for further evaluation.

The funding also allows CPHEI to hire a new program manager to coordinate all aspects of the program; to help educate nursing students to perform vital health services in EHS, such as hearing and vision screening; and to support ongoing and new initiatives within the program, such as nutrition education and counseling, social determinants of health screening, and community gardens. The program manager also helps expand nursing services to EHS and Patty centers by precepting RN-to-BSN students.

“Over the next three years, we anticipate expanding our services to more Family Support Centers that provide early childhood education to pre-school children as well as a variety of services to parents,” said Laura Allen, DNP ’24, MA, MS ’15, RN, NEA-BC, assistant professor and director of CPHEI. “While children are receiving education in classrooms, their parents are taking GED classes, receiving employment skills training, taking parenting classes, and receiving health and wellness education and screenings. The centers provide a wonderful opportunity for our students to practice community/ public health and engage with members of the community.”

above: Allen leads a community gardening project with children at an Early Head Start center.

TO UMSON, WITH LOVE

Late last fall, UMSON faculty, staff, and students in Baltimore and at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland, gathered for Unity in Community: UMSON In It Together. The event encouraged all to take a break from studies and work to connect with peers, enjoy refreshments, and participate in community-building activities.

Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MSN ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean, ran a raffle for UMSONbranded giveaways, while various administrative units hosted tables to engage attendees and inform them of resources and services they offer.

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations invited eventgoers to write a brief note on a paper heart responding to the question: What do you love about UMSON or what do you love about nursing? The hearts were strung and hung in the windows of the School’s Living History Museum. The activity was repeated at the Sweet Start to the Semester event in January that kicked off the spring 2025 term.

Office of Communications

655 W. Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21201

nursing.umaryland.edu

“Seeing how empathetic, caring, and strong of a nurse my mother is inspired me to go into nursing, especially at UMSON, considering how great an education she received. Nursing school is hard and requires a lot of sacrifice, but with this scholarship, I did not have to sacrifice my opportunity of becoming a nurse due to financial challenges.”

Anna Whelan, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student

Anna completed her first clinical rotation last fall at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where her mother, Adrianne Whelan, BSN ’88, works. Anna received the Pamela and W. Winslow Schrank Family Scholarship. Winslow Schrank, MD, an alumnus of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Pam Schrank, BSN ’68, created the scholarship to support undergraduate nursing students in commemoration of Pam’s 50th alumni reunion in 2018.

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY at nursing.umaryland.edu/give