Lifelines Spring/Summer 2018

LIFELINES MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF NURSING

Dean Stuart's Legacy 2002–2018 musc.edu/nursing

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DEAN'S COLUMN

A publication of the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing

Across the Desk: Working with Dean Stuart In May of 1990 I was hoping to work in an academic environment, so I applied for a job at MUSC. Within a few days I received a call from the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) inviting me for an interview.

Little did I know that phone call would launch a 28-year long relationship with the most amazing boss anyone could ever have the honor and privilege to work alongside.

TAKING NURSING HIGHER

LIFELINES Volume X, Issue 2 • Fall/Winter 2017

At the time, Dr. Gail Stuart, was the chief of the Division of Psychiatric Nursing, a researcher in the IOP’s Clinical Research Section, the coordinator of the College of Nursing’s psychiatric-mental health nursing masters track, and a clinician who maintained a private psychotherapy practice in the Department of

GAIL W. STUART Dean

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

JO SMITH

Even though I was new to working in an academic health science setting, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. If you were to ask me to describe Dr. Stuart, the words that immediately come to mind are visionary, innovator, and trailblazer, along with inspirational, empowering, and compassionate.

Over the years, I moved with Dr. Stuart as she transitioned into new leadership roles at MUSC, including: • Administrator of Psychiatric Services

Editor

BETH KHAN

Design & Production

JOSH GOODWIN Photography

• Associate Director of the Center for Health Care Research • Director of the PhD in Nursing program • Interim Associate Dean for Academics, and

ANAHITA MODARESI Director of Development

• Dean of the College of Nursing.

I had the privilege of having a front row seat as I watched her career continue to blossom. From serving as president of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the Board of Directors of the Annapolis

PUBLISHED BY

Coalition of the Behavioral Workforce, to publishing 10 editions of her award-winning textbook, Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing (that has also been translated into five foreign languages), she established herself as an international expert in psychiatric and mental health nursing.

Dr. Stuart truly has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the profession of nursing and her leadership over the past four decades has influenced all aspects of nursing and health care including practice, education, research and administration. She leads by her own actions and by promoting

College of Nursing 99 Jonathan Lucas Street Charleston, SC 29425 musc.edu/nursing

and empowering others. Her presence is dynamic, engaging, challenging, and collaborative, and she is a true role model of integrity, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking.

At MUSC, our tag line is, “the lives we touch.”

Whether caring for patients in clinical practice, advancing nursing science through research, or educating the next generation of nurses, Dean Stuart has and will continue to touch countless lives.

Jo Smith Administrative Coordinator 1990 - 2018

HAVE FEEDBACK? SEND COMMENTS TO:

Jo Smith Lifelines Editor MUSC College of Nursing 99 Jonathan Lucas St., MSC 160 Charleston, SC 29425-1600 smithjo@musc.edu (843) 792-3941

POSTMASTER: Send corrections to Lifelines, MUSC College of Nursing, 99 Jonathan Lucas St., MSC 160, Charleston, SC 29425-1600. © Copyright 2018 by the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced without permission from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dr. Stuart’s impact on the College of Nursing has been truly remarkable, and we’re grateful for her unwavering commitment toward our growth and successes over the years. We are losing an incredible leader who is held in high esteem by all of us here at MUSC." - DAVID COLE, MD, FACS

MUSC President

FEATURE DEAN GAIL STUART'S LEGACY ............................... 4 For 16 years Dean Gail Stuart has taken the MUSC College of Nursing to new levels of success. Take a look back on how she has positioned the nursing school to continue its success in the future.

DEPARTMENTS DEAN’S COLUMN....................................................... 1 AROUND THE COLLEGE........................................ 18 FOCUS ON FACULTY.............................................. 20 135TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Wearing vintage nursing capes, students Shardasia Anderson, Ka’Dedra Creech and Raven Anderson helped guide arriving guests to the 135th Anniversary Gala held February 23, 2018 at the S.C. Aquarium.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT. . .......................................... 26 ANNIVERSARY GALA PHOTOS............................ 30 ALUMNI CONNECTIONS....................................... 34 GIVING BACK . . ..........................................................40 MUSC HEALTH NEWS............................................. 43 LINES OF LIFE...........................................................44

G

ail Stuart's Legacy 2002 - 2018

During Dean Gail Stuart’s 16 year tenure, the MUSC College of Nursing has excelled on every measure of success. In the pages that follow, we will share a few of the many highlights of her time as the leader and visionary of this 135 year old nursing school.

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Dr. Stuart has served as an outstanding Dean of the College of Nursing whose visionary leadership has advanced the college to become a nationally recognized leader in nursing education and research. Her ability to foster and develop lasting relationships with individuals in the community combined with the college’s reputation for excellence has resulted in unprecedented fund raising that was and will continue to be directed to promote strategic growth in the college. Gail has been a strong advocate for the profession

u MILESTONES TAKING BOLD STEPS Dean Stuart’s first bold action was to raise $4 million to double the enrollment of the BSN program by admitting students twice a year. This was achieved by partnering with hospitals throughout the state and the Veterans Administration Hospital through the VA Nursing Academy to increase the size of the faculty allowing us to accept more nursing students. Since then, enrollment across the academic programs has steadily increased each year to over 560 students today.

ENVISIONING A FUTURE Dean Stuart also believed that simulated learning was one path to the future of nursing education. She obtained $1.5 million from the state and a matching $1.5 million in private funds to renovate the entire first floor of the college to transform it into a state of the art Simulated Clinical Laboratory, which opened in fall 2007.

u OUTCOMES These efforts produced rich rewards, and today the college leads the state in preparing future nurse leaders by graduating more doctorally prepared nurses than all the other South Carolina schools combined. Our graduates work as nurse practitioners providing care in underserved and rural areas, as nurse administrators in health care systems, as clinicians in the armed services and nurse researchers uncovering new knowledge. Perhaps most importantly, our graduates have assumed faculty positions throughout South Carolina, thus increasing the state’s overall capacity to educate more nurses.

of nursing not just at the Medical University but nationally and internationally and she will be deeply missed as she retires from MUSC."

LISA K. SALADIN, PT, PHD, FAPTA, FASAHP

MUSC Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

New Heights in Academics As Gail Stuart, PhD, RN, FAAN, took the reins of the College of Nursing in 2002, the nation was in the midst of a critical nursing shortage. The enrollment in all the nursing academic programs combined was 227 students, and admission to the undergraduate program was capped at 50 applicants a year. She knew that if the College of Nursing was going to be a part of the solution to alleviate this shortage, imaginative changes were needed.

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CREATING FAST TRACKS The college fast-tracked the time required to obtain a nursing degree by accelerating the curriculum across programs. Today the College of Nursing is the only school in the country with all accelerated programs – BSN (16 months), DNP (three years), PhD (three years).

EXPANDING PROGRAMS In 2009, the college opened the online Doctor of Nursing Practice program and plans to launch a new DNP/PhD program in fall 2019.

ANTICIPATING A NEED Another one of Dean Stuart’s visionary actions in 2004 was the early creation of a Nursing Technology Center within the college to support distance education. The creation of this center has grown over the years to impact every aspect of the college’s teaching, research and practice missions.

The fruits of the labor of Dean Stuart and the faculty were realized when the school came into national prominence beginning in 2013 as we have consistently ranked as one of the top three nursing schools in the country by the U.S. News and World Report for online graduate programs.

2002

2017

RN to BSN

0

Accelerated BSN

50

Traditional BSN

33

MSN

133

DNP

0

PhD

11

Total

227

45 246 0 23 208 40 562

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

ENHANCING LEARNING Always at the forefront of nursing education, College of Nursing faculty continue to employ innovative teaching strategies that keep students engaged as adult learners.

These methods include flipped classrooms, problem-based learning, unfolding cases, and doctoral immersions.

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I congratulate Dr. Stuart on her remarkable career as a scholar, author, educator, and administrator. It was a privilege to work with Gail during her term on the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research, where her thoughtful insights as a recognized expert in mental health and psychiatric nursing and as a dedicated school of nursing administrator helped guide future research directions for NINR." PATRICIA GRADY, PhD, RN, FAAN

Director, National Institute of Nursing Research National Institutes of Health

New Heights in Research When Dr. Gail Stuart assumed the deanship, research funding in the College of Nursing was a modest $2.6 million. Today, the college has secured three times as much in research funding. Dean Stuart’s investment in building the research enterprise has clearly provided rich results.

u MILESTONES BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE In order to establish an active research focus for the college, a solid infrastructure was created. Space was reconfigured, additional pre- and post-award support staff were hired and targeted activities were added such as bi-weekly Think Tank brainstorming meetings, Proposals in Process for review and consultation on an early stage grant draft, and mock NIH reviews conducted six to eight weeks prior to grant submissions.

CREATING RESEARCH CENTERS The college then established two successful centers. The first was the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute's Center for Community Health Partnerships (SCTR/CCHP), which leads an innovative, system-wide effort to strengthen capacity for collaborative research relationships among academic investigators, community members, community-based clinicians, and local health care organizations. It is dedicated to engaging community members and academic partners in all aspects of the research process to promote health, reduce the risk of illness and disease, and build community resilience to help transform health care and eliminate health disparities.

FOCUSING ON TECHNOLOGY The second center was the Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles (TACHL) launched in 2010 with the mission of improving population health through technology.

Consistent with that mission, TACHL, led by Frank Treiber, PhD, has guided numerous initiatives and partnered with dozens of investigators and providers to develop, evaluate, and disseminate health technology innovations that foster effective health promotion, disease prevention, and health care management.

FUNDING SUCCESS In 2016, co-directors Ron Acierno, PhD, and Teresa Kelechi, PhD, RN, obtained a prestigious P20 center grant, alongside a partnership with the MUSC Biomedical Informatics division.

The Symptom Self-Management Center leverages technology and bioinformatics to develop community-based interventions for pain and fatigue.

ACTIVE COLLABORATORS College of Nursing research faculty have created collaborative research alliances with many of their colleagues in other colleges at MUSC. During the last fiscal year, 35 different College of Nursing faculty served as principal (PI) or coinvestigator (Co-I) on 131 funded interprofessional grants or projects on campus, and 55 percent of funded research grants with College of Nursing PIs have interprofessional collaborators.

CURRENT PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY:

u OUTCOMES Today, College of Nursing researchers are attaining national recognition as nurse scholars focused on vulnerable populations. Our faculty are known for a range of funded work from population-based interventions such as reducing disparities in the area of diabetes and stroke management, HIV risk reduction, technologyleveraged treatments for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to the physiological investigation of thermoregulation in the formation of vascular ulcers and surfactant utilization in fragile newborns.

Prior to Dean Stuart’s tenure, the college had never been ranked nationally among colleges of nursing for NIH funding, but starting in 2010 the College of Nursing made the grade and climbed among peer schools. From 2002 to 2017, the College of Nursing steadily rose to our current NIH ranking of 13th in the nation. This ranking is even more impressive when one considers the modest size of our clearly hard working and extremely talented research track faculty.

National Institutes of Health Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Department of Defense Department of Veterans Affairs National Institute of Justice Archstone Foundation Duke Endowment American Heart Association Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) South Carolina Department of Public Safety U. S. Department of Homeland Security South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund

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Gail Stuart is one of the most transformational leaders I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is a visionary, but unlike many visionaries, she makes the future she envisions a reality. She has the ability to clarify a necessary change and motivate others to join with her in overcoming all barriers. There are many examples of projects and initiatives she began that she and her team achieved, often more quickly than I ever imagined they could. Today the College of Nursing is nationally ranked on every measure of excellence. I attribute this amazing transformation in large measure to Gail’s leadership. She will be sorely missed."

KAY CHITTY, EdD, RN

Former Chair of the College of Nursing Dean's Advisory Board

New Heights in Innovation Throughout her career, Dean Stuart has been an innovator. At the MUSC Institute of Psychiatry she designed and implemented a collaborative organizational model that integrated the Colleges of Medicine and Nursing and the clinical practice setting, and the perspective of nursing services as scarce but valuable resources. It incorporated an organizational structure for faculty that included such innovations as primary appointments in the College of Medicine with joint appointments in the College of Nursing, and the creation of a new nurse faculty role titled the attending nurse. She applied that same forward thinking philosophy to the College of Nursing and through the use of innovative technologies, our faculty are actively shaping the health care of tomorrow.

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u MILESTONES VIRTUAL LEARNING In 2014, with the support of a Josiah Macy Foundation grant, Dean Stuart, Terri Fowler, DNP, APRN, Sachin Patel, MSc, and Shannon Phillips, PhD, RN, created Virtual Interprofessional Learning (VIP), an innovative asynchronous platform that uses Avatars to engage learners in interprofessional learning opportunities across disciplines, universities, and geographies. VIP is an online interactive learning experience that increases students’ IP engagement, knowledge of patient quality and safety, and IP communication. Faculty from the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy worked collaboratively with the College of Nursing team to develop the objectives, content, and technology for the learning platform.

TELEHEALTH Telehealth is a rapidly expanding technology and is increasing access to care for those in need, especially the underserved and rural populations. Because the use of this technology is becoming more readily available, ensuring that health care providers are adequately trained in its usage and technology is paramount for patient safety, as well as provider comfort. With funding through HRSA's Advanced Nurse Education Workforce grant that was submitted by Gigi Smith, PhD, RN, the college was able to integrate telehealth technologies into the DNP program. This curriculum is led

by Katherine Chike-Harris, DNP, APRN, with the assistance and support of the MUSC Center for Telehealth. Next steps are to expand the telehealth curriculum and simulation experiences to the undergraduate nursing program, and assist with telehealth curriculum integration into the other colleges on the MUSC campus.

MUSC is one of only two national Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the U. S. funded through a grant from HRSA which provides a range of telehealth services at more than 200 S.C. locations.

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS The College of Nursing’s Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles (TACHL), now being led by Ken Ruggiero, PhD, focuses on the development of personalized, effective, relevant and cost-efficient lifestyle intervention and health care management programs by creating software and information systems for mobile smart phones, iPad®/tablet

u OUTCOMES technologies, web-based computer assisted programs, and interactive call centers. The personalized technology-based products created by TACHL address key targets such as stress reduction, smoking prevention and cessation, biofunction and biomarker monitoring, medication adherence, physical activity, and diet.

Whether the focus is on online education, engaging emerging technologies, developing apps, or leading the integration of telehealth in education, research and practice, the MUSC College of Nursing is on the forefront – breaking new ground each day. Under Dean Stuart’s leadership this has become a trademark of our college and has helped us “take nursing higher” each and every day.

SIMULATION The Promise of Nursing for South Carolina Nursing School Grant Program provided Melanie Cason, PhD, RN, CNE, funding for a project titled, Taking Student Learning Higher with Simulation Collaboration, which is advancing the science of simulation in nursing education by developing a unique statewide alliance with student involvement to promote collaboration. Additional goals are to develop evidence-based simulation pedagogy and simulation regulation recommendations and implement a reliable and valid outcomes-based measurement system for simulation users. Grant funds also were used to purchase a mobile video conferencing robot for MUSC that will be used to teleconference with robots at USC and Clemson, making increased collaboration among faculty and students possible.

VIRTUAL SIMULATION The undergraduate program is now using vSim, a virtual simulation online application for nursing students, in the Medical-Surgical courses. vSim allows students to care for patients with different diagnoses and health care needs in a virtual environment. Students receive automatic feedback regarding their care of the simulated patient, a grade, and a pre- and post-test.

In October 2017, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) presented the prestigious Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award to the College of Nursing for the VIP program. This award recognizes the outstanding work of AACN member schools to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change.

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Dean Gail Stuart epitomizes a laser-focused leader who holds the highest level of nursing standards and practice influencing both the education of nurses across the globe and the delivery of nursing care.

Her legacy and commitment to the professional practice of nursing has sustained nurses through current challenges in health reform and have set a guidepost for transforming our nursing future."

JERRY MANSFIELD, PhD, RN, NEA-BC

Executive Chief Nursing Officer/Chief Patient Experience Officer, MUSC Health

New Heights in Practice The College of Nursing has enjoyed a long, rich history of caring for the community and reaching out to vulnerable, underserved populations, honoring their trust, and working to address their health care needs and eliminate health disparities.

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u MILESTONES COMMUNITY OUTREACH Carolyn Jenkins, DrPH, MSN, RD, LD, FAAN, built upon the community relationships she established over the years to receive a $4.25 million Centers for Disease Control award to establish the South Eastern African American Center of Excellence to Eliminate Disparities (SEA-CEED). An impressive program outcome of this research was that between 1999 and 2005 lower leg amputations for African-American males in Charleston County were reduced by 63 percent.

CULTURAL OUTREACH In 2005, Deborah Williamson, DHA, MSN, RN, received funding for a series of initiatives to deliver culturally sensitive and effective care to the rapidly growing Spanish-speaking community in the Tri-County area. Examples of sustainable programs that grew out of this funding include the establishment of the Interpreter’s Office at the MUSC Medical Center and adoption of federal standards for interpretation; Abrazos, a family literacy program with a health focus, that continues as a collaboration between the College of Nursing and the Charleston County School District; and a Tri-County site for PASOs, a state-wide program that supports the health and well-being of young Latino families by using promotoras or community health workers to provide culturally sensitive care.

The Hispanic Health Initiative (HHI)Scholars is an honors clinical group in the population health course. The students have opportunities to work with the Spanish speaking community to learn about the impact of culture on health outcomes and issues of social justice. Over the past 10 years, 160 students have participated in the program and consistently give the scholars program high marks.

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE The DNP faculty have partnered with nurses from the MUSC Medical Center to evaluate and select a model of EvidenceBase Practice that will frame the quality improvement projects for our hospital and curriculum mapping for the college.

PRACTICE PARTNERS In 2013 the College of Nursing, in collaboration with East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO), opened Partners in HealthCare, a nurse practitioner practice that focuses on the management of uninsured patients with diabetes, hypertension, and associated conditions of hyperlipidemia, obesity, and tobacco usage. ECCO is a non-profit, community service organization that serves more than 4,500 Berkeley and Charleston county families who are living in poverty.

This initiative is led by Terri Fowler, DNP, FNP-C, and is a collaboration between the College of Nursing, ECCO, the MUSC Department of Family Medicine, and Roper St. Francis Healthcare and provides opportunities for interprofessional education in a unique setting.

u OUTCOMES

Nursing at its core is a practice discipline and the mission of clinical care has been an ongoing priority for the College of Nursing. Some of the many faculty practice sites shown below reflect the depth and breadth of current faculty practice activities. The college also is looking into new and exciting practice opportunities as we solidify and expand our academicpractice partnership with nurses from MUSC Health in the days ahead.

FAMILY PRACTICE SITES • Partners in Health Care: East Cooper Community Outreach • Fetter Health Care Network TRANSITION TO PRACTICE Dean Stuart has been influential in fostering a partnership with our nursing colleagues at MUSC Health. One of these initiatives is the development of an innovative and evidencebased new graduate residency program. This collaborative team includes Gigi Smith, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, executive associate dean for academics, and Teresa Stephens, PhD, RN, CNE, lead faculty for the RN to BSN program, as well as key members of the Medical Center's nursing and education teams. These efforts are poised to offer new options for a unique, learner-centered transition-to-practice experience designed to promote recruitment and retention of highlyqualified nursing professionals.

• MUSC Hospitalist Program Division: General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics • MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Mobile Health Unit • MUSC Children’s Care Clinic • Hands of Hope Pediatric Comfort and Palliative Care • MUSC School-Based Telehealth: Sanders Clyde & Chicora Elementary • Telehealth Specialty Counseling & Consulting: Rural Wyoming Mental Health Clinic • Coastal Pediatric Associates Behavioral Care

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Gail's greatest leadership asset is her ability to develop and then implement a strategic plan. She constantly surveys the changing environment, thinks strategically about options, is inclusive in gathering the opinions of others, does not fear to take carefully considered risks, is decisive in selecting a course of action, and is systematic and sustained in her follow-through with implementation.

Of course, none of this would be possible were it not for her strong interpersonal skills and amazing warmth, which foster the relationships that are essential to engage, motivate, and stir others to strive for the

u MILESTONES TIMELESS RENOVATION January 2015 saw the completion of the renovation of the college and a truly Grand Opening event. This renovation was a major goal of Dean Stuart and, along with others, she carefully designed, planned and meticulously managed the renovation process. The newly renovated college is a showplace of nursing, Charleston charm and state-of-the art technology that both celebrates our history while opening new doors to an even brighter future. It is a dream come true for Dean Stuart, the faculty, staff, students and alumni.

excellence that she desires in the organizations that she leads. In over 30 years in academia, I have encountered no one who comes close to Gail as a model of leadership

u OUTCOMES efforts to define, assess, foster and cultivate diversity and inclusion. Aligning with the university’s Imagine 2020 pillar goals for diversity and inclusion, the College of Nursing established a Diversity and Inclusion Committee that evolved into a council to more effectively bolster and implement new strategies targeting students, staff, faculty and community members.

TAKING NURSING HIGHER Finally, fundraising and development activities have always been a major priority for Dean Stuart. In 2016, the College of Nursing received funding for its fifth Endowed Chair in Nursing, and raising funds for student scholarships continues to be a major focus of the college's Taking Nursing Higher scholarship campaign.

excellence. She is truly gifted and the world is a better place because of her contributions."

New Heights in College Culture

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FACULTY

2002

2017

Tenure Track

44

52

64%

90%

Modified Faculty

40

121

Publications

20

141

Presentations

62 in U.S. 4 international

118 in U.S. 16 international

Doctorally Prepared

On the diversity front, the combined university-wide diversity and inclusion efforts garnered national attention in 2017 with the receipt of the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, a national honor recognizing U. S. medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, nursing and allied health schools that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. In 2018, MUSC received another impressive national honor as Forbes magazine named the university to its list of America’s 2018 Best Employers for Diversity. MUSC ranked 53rd out of 250 organizations on the list. Of the 20 colleges and universities named by Forbes, MUSC ranked 6th.

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MICHAEL HOGE, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine Senior Science & Policy Advisor, Annapolis Coalition of the Behavioral Health Workforce

The college believes that an atmosphere that embraces equity, inclusion and access will enhance the educational and cultural experiences of our students, faculty and staff, thus making us all better world citizens.

The benefits of the focus on faculty development have been realized in the impressive increase in faculty productivity as seen in the table below.

Dean Stuart and Mrs. Ann Edwards

CAREER DEVELOPMENT A comprehensive College of Nursing Career Development Plan was created to guide the development of individual faculty members in their multifaceted faculty role as teacher, scholar, and professional through orientation, mentoring, ongoing development, and shared faculty governance.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION The college lens also has focused on enhancing diversity and inclusion. To that end the college appointed a diversity officer who is responsible for coordinating and guiding our

Scholarship Dollars Endowed Chairs

2002

2017

$97k

$861k

1

5

8

On the financial side of the house, when Dean Stuart assumed leadership in 2002, the college awarded $97,250 in scholarships. By 2017 that number had grown substantially to $861,568. This has been accomplished through our concentrated, dedicated fundraising efforts that put student financial support at the top of the list of our most critical needs. Overall, our annual development report in the College of Nursing in the past 16 years has more than doubled, from $1.2 million in 2002 to more than $2.6 million in 2017.

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and how to compassionately relate to

Q:

How do you account for your success in all these activities?

transparent, data-driven, honest,

So I thought this may be the right time

and accountable. To me, a visionary

to pass the gift on to new leadership.

is someone who leads people to do

That said, I am sure that June 30 will be

My success is actually our success. We,

together what they did not think they

bittersweet for me and I will feel happy,

the faculty, staff and I, have been able to

could do individually….and in so doing,

sad and proud all at the same time, and

unexpected opportunity to help train

accomplish so much here in the college

together they reach new heights of

expectant for the great things that will

nurses in Liberia, to provide mental

because we are a fantastic team. The

achievement. I love the people here in

unfold for the college in the days ahead.

health care after the devastation they

faculty and staff are an amazing group

the college and I will miss them greatly.

experienced following a decade of civil

of committed, and talented individuals

war. Working, teaching and bonding

who strive for nothing less than

with the nurses in this country has

excellence.

Q:

the emotional needs of patients and families was shaped and molded by my book. It is truly humbling.

And this book also provided me the

been an incredible journey and a lesson for me in resilience, strength

success of a leader comes from having

and commitment. I have learned so

an open mind, a strong work ethic,

much from my work in Liberia, and I

solid communication skills, and the

am grateful that I had the opportunity

willingness to seize upon new strategic

to serve others across the ocean to help

opportunities not knowing how they

make a difference in their lives.

may turn out. A leader needs to be

Finally, but equally important to me,

Up Close & Personal with Dean Stuart

Q:

When you look back over your 45-year career, what do you believe to be your greatest personal and professional accomplishments?

That is a challenging question for me to answer because there are so many things I am proud of looking

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constantly scanning the environment,

Sometimes I think there is never a good

Finally, using your book as an analogy, how will the next chapter of your life read?

Ah, that is a great question and the

time to retire when you love what you

answer is even better – I actually am

are doing, and I do love this school and

not sure; it is yet unwritten. I hope

coming to work every day. Being the dean

that the plot will have new twists and

for 16 years has been a treasured gift.

adventures. I do know that I want to

Still, when I accepted this deanship

spend more time with my incredibly

I had set some goals I wanted to

loving, active and talented family. I

accomplish for the college. I wanted to:

also would love to nurture other parts

is what I have been able to accomplish

anticipating future changes, and be

• Double our enrollment,

here at MUSC. I have had the rare

willing to take risks. I see risks as

• Rank in the top 15 schools in the

opportunity to contribute to so many

“experiments” – some have positive

aspects of the university including the

results and some have negative results

Institute of Psychiatry and the Center

but all results are important in guiding

for Health Care Research. But the

our future actions. Nothing is a failure…

• Renovate the building, and

collection or my brother’s baseball card

shining light has been my ability to lead

everything is a learning opportunity.

• Grow from one endowed chair to five.

collection, archiving family photos,

the College of Nursing as dean for the

You need to try something, learn from

past 16 years.

it, and move on.

To be honest, when I was a nursing

back in time. I would start with my

student at Georgetown University or

ability to place family first. My children

a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins,

were always my first priority and I

I never aspired or expected to be the

am immensely proud of them for

dean of a college of nursing. But when

the caring, productive, and socially

the opportunity presented itself here at

responsible adults they are today. I

MUSC, I had a vision that this college

also love their spouses as my extended

could be world class. And the one thing

children, and of course my five

folks know about me is that when I have

delightful, precocious and loving

a vision I also have a plan, and I fully

grandchildren have taken happy

commit myself to making that vision a

hostage of my heart!

reality. And so bringing the CON into

Next I am proud of my textbook,

On a personal level, I believe the

Q:

Which raises the next question, why retire now?

national prominence in academics,

Principles and Practice of Psychiatric

research and practice is a dream come

Nursing, that was first published in 1979

true for me.

and is now in its 10th and final edition.

And the “icing on the cake” was

Through this book, I was able to touch

being able to renovate the college and

the lives of so many nursing students,

transform our physical environment

not only in this country but across the

into a real gem of a building that honors

globe, as it has been translated into

and respects the 135 year history of the

five languages. I am always moved

college, while infusing it with all the

when I am at a professional meeting

technology we need to propel ourselves

and nurses come up to me and tell me

into the future. It has been an honor to

that their perception of mental health

be dean here at MUSC.

I also think that in working with others, a leader needs to be open,

of my brain and spend time perhaps painting, reading novels, traveling with

country in NIH research funding,

friends, writing reflections, walking

• Be nationally ranked for academics by

on the beach, sorting my father’s coin

U.S. News and World Report,

This past year I realized that I have

and most of all, giving back to others. I

achieved them all, and I think the CON

am happily looking forward to the new

has never been stronger in education,

story line that lies ahead for the next

practice and research than it is now.

chapter of my life.

Five Things You Didn't Know About Dean Stuart

1.

2.

3.

She grew up in a 4th floor apartment in Jersey City without an elevator.

4.

She was on the women’s sailing team at Georgetown University and won the Most Improved Sailor Award, which was not hard as she had never sailed before.

5.

She took watercolor lessons from artist Steven Jordan.

She rode a bright red Vespa to work as a new graduate nurse in Washington, DC. She used to sit in the press box at the Chicago Bulls games because her brother was a timekeeper for the NBA.

Spring | Summer 2018

LIFELINES

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AROUND THE COLLEGE

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CON WELCOMES WEGLICKI AS DEAN

L

inda S. Weglicki, PhD, RN

and advocate for faculty and students. In her administrative

has been appointed as the

role, her primary responsibilities were focused on building

next dean to lead the College

a ‘culture of research’ and scholarship to promote the

of Nursing. In order to assure

advancement of nursing and caring science. As such, she

a smooth transition, she will

was committed to strengthening the college’s research

join the college on June 1

services, environment, and enhancing its productivity.

and will spend a month with

Under her leadership, faculty research grant submissions

Dean Stuart to get oriented

increased by over 300 percent and scholarship, through

on college and university

publications, increased by nearly 40 percent. As part of

business before assuming the

her responsibilities and oversight of the PhD program,

deanship on July 1, 2018.

Dr. Weglicki was responsible for developing processes to

An internationally and nationally recognized scholar

CON AND MUSC CELEBRATE GLOBAL HEALTH WEEK

//

improve key metrics to support student’s academic success, which contributed to the universities overall metrics and

and leader in promoting and advancing nursing science,

subsequent high ranking and significant state funding to

knowledge, and education, Dr. Weglicki brings to her role as

the university from Florida state’s university system. Dr.

dean numerous leadership achievements, which showcase

Weglicki also was instrumental in coordinating an external

her long-term commitment to mentoring and fostering the

review of the PhD program and in facilitating the work

next generation of nurse leaders, practitioners, researchers,

of the faculty in the subsequent program and curriculum

and scholars. She has been influential in advancing

revisions. Curriculum revisions included the development

evidence-based education within interprofessional

of new courses and an in-depth concentration within the

Center for Global Health to co-sponsor a panel discussion, “A Calling to

environments, in discovering and disseminating nursing

domain of caring science, as well as inclusion of emergent

Help: Humanitarian Aid – the Risks, Rewards and Reality.” The session

knowledge, and in promoting nursing practice that embraces

cutting-edge content important for PhD graduates of today,

was moderated by Lisa A. Dubois, journalist and photographer, and in-

equity and culturally congruent care for patients, families,

such as big data and data analytics, team and translational

cluded Gail Stuart, PhD, RN, FAAN, Michael De Arellano, PhD, College

communities, and societies in order to improve health and

science, and advanced methods such as pragmatic and

of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, and College of Nurs-

quality of life.

adaptive trial designs. During her tenure, PhD applications

ing invited guest panelist, Carol Etherington, MSN, RN, FAAN, a former

and admissions, particularly from international students, to

board president of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

the college’s PhD program increased substantially.

and the associate director of community health initiatives at Vanderbilt

Since 2014, Dr. Weglicki has served as the Schmidt Family Foundation Distinguished Professor and associate dean for research, scholarship and PhD studies in the Christine E.

Join us in welcoming Dr. Weglicki as our new dean and

Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University (FAU)

look for a more in-depth introduction of her in our fall issue

where she distinguished herself as a focused leader, mentor,

of Lifelines.

S

ponsored by the MUSC Center for Global Health, a week long series of events were held March 26-30 that offered the MUSC community

the opportunity to hear leaders in the field discuss how they are tackling unique global health challenges.

On March 29, the Colleges of Nursing and Medicine joined the

Institute for Global Health.

Each panelist drew upon their own global health experiences to inform the attendees of the opportunities, risks and rewards of serving those among the most vulnerable populations. Following the panel's remarks, time was allotted for questions from the attendees, and the conversation focused on the issues of safety when overseas and how to

Walters Named Staff of the Year

On Administrative Professionals Day, the College of Nursing presented Alex Walters with the 2018 Staff of the Year Award. The award recipient is announced each spring during a buffet breakfast for the College of Nursing staff and is hosted by the faculty.

Mr. Walters moved to Charleston from West Virginia and has been with the College of Nursing since 2015. As an educational technology specialist, he has become an invaluable member of the team, assisting faculty with online educational platforms.

While teaching fifth grade in W.V., Mr. Walters' patient demeanor was shaped. Today, his poise and troubleshooting abilities shine through in his interactions with faculty and staff.

A few of the many accolades Mr. Waters received from faculty and staff include: “Alex does more than his job, he excels at facilitating learning and creates an environment that almost always results in success.” “Alex brings novel ideas with a positive attitude.” “Because he is quiet, he sometimes doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, but we couldn’t do [our job] without him." We couldn't agree more.

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Spring | Summer 2018

incorporate global work into one’s work/life balance. The session was

Carol Etherington, MSN, RN, FAAN has worked around the globe focusing on traumatized populations. She established one of the first police-based counseling programs in the U.S. to serve victims of violent crime and has worked multiple disasters across the U.S. including earthquakes, hurricanes, school shootings and New York City post 9/11. Since 1996, she has worked with Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in Bosnia, Poland, Honduras, Tajikistan, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Angola, Darfur camps in Eastern Chad and evaluated MSF’s Iraqi mental health program. Her awards and recognitions include the International Red Cross’ Florence Nightingale Medal; honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of New Hampshire; and the Martin Luther King award for service and commitment to the principles of equality, justice and understanding. She also serves as chair of the Nashville Davidson County Metropolitan Board of Health and promotes public health models based on the concept that health, mental health, human rights and human dignity are inextricably linked.

practical, thought-provoking and inspiring.

Skill Building for Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care AUGUST 9 - 10, 2018

Join us to gain new insight and skills to enhance your practice. With 1.5 days of education and networking with behavioral health experts, we will address today’s challenging issues in primary care and provide opportunities for breakout sessions.

For conference details visit

MUSC College of Nursing • Charleston, SC

www.musc.edu/nursing/conhub

Earn up to 11.0 CEUs (5.0 pharm)!

Presented by MUSC’s College of Nursing and Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

or call 843-792-2051.

Spring | Summer 2018

LIFELINES

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FOCUS ON FACULTY

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NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

Clinical Instructor

Assistant Professor Christina McDaniel, MSN, RN, CHPPN, is a clinical instructor in the Accelerated BSN program focusing on her expertise in population and community health. Ms. McDaniel has experience in pediatric nursing, as well as palliative care. She holds a certification as a hospice and palliative pediatric nurse and serves as pediatric faculty for the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium. In 2016, Ms. McDaniel moved to Mississippi to broaden her hospice and palliative scope by serving as regional director of operations for a multi-state hospice company where she managed operations of multiple offices and the development of a pediatric hospice program. In 2017, she moved back to Charleston.

Ms. McDaniel is president of the Lowcountry Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). She works with her fellow HPNA members and officers to offer education and awareness throughout the state regarding the importance of hospice and palliative care services and access to care for these vulnerable patients.

BSN | MSN 4 Walden University

Clinical Instructor

BA 4 College of Charleston BSN 4 MUSC MSN 4 Grand Canyon University

Faculty Accolades

• Patrick Coyne, MSN, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN, clinical assistant professor, received the Ellen L. Stovall Award for Innovation in Patient-Centered Cancer Care from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. The Stovall Award is given annually to individuals, organizations, or other entities who demonstrate innovation in improving cancer care for patients in the U.S.

Amanda K. Gilmore, PhD holds a joint appointment as a research assistant professor in the College of Nursing and the College of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Due to the high rates of co-occurrence between substance use and posttraumatic stress symptoms, Dr. Gilmore is dedicated to studying the etiology, prevention, and treatment of substance misuse and traumatic stress symptoms using experimental designs and randomized clinical trials. Her work focuses on (1) integrated alcohol use and sexual assault risk reduction programming; (2) technology-based interventions to improve treatment access and decrease treatment drop-out rates; and (3) understanding the impact of substance use and traumatic experiences on sexual health and risky behavior to inform interventions. She is particularly interested in high-risk populations including college students, soldiers, veterans, adolescents, and sexual minorities.

BA 4 Rollins College MS | PhD 4 University of Washington

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PhD 4 University of South Carolina

Research Assistant Professor

Sarah Navarrete, MSN, RN is a clinical instructor in the Accelerated BSN program and a graduate of the college’s first cohort of the ABSN program. Upon graduation from MUSC, Ms. Navarrete worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 15 years at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Charleston. She has taught childbirth preparation courses and is a nationally certified childbirth educator through the Academy of Certified Birth Educators. Ms. Navarrete’s areas of interest include the management and care of intrapartum patients, including both low-risk and high-risk pregnant women. Other areas of interest and research include improving nursing education by using innovative teaching techniques within the classroom, such as low and high-fidelity simulation, “flipping” the classroom, and case study utilization. Ms. Navarrete’s most recent evidence-based practice research includes implementing skin-to-skin connection (“Kangaroo Care”) in the operating room during cesarean sections.

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BS | MS 4 University of Tennessee

Jessica Chandler, PhD is an assistant professor in the Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles (TACHL) within the College of Nursing. In her role, she serves as the liaison to the College of Nursing faculty to facilitate research projects featuring TACHL activities and products. Her responsibilities include consulting with faculty and students regarding technology enhanced health related interventions. Prior to transitioning into a faculty role, Dr. Chandler worked as a post-doctoral fellow and then a research instructor for TACHL. While completing her PhD in exercise science, she developed her interest in the vast array of uses of technology for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Dr. Chandler has experience with NIH-funded, largescale clinical trials focused on primary prevention of childhood obesity and management of chronic diseases using mobile health technology (e.g., smart phone apps and peripheral devices) to increase and sustain medical regimen adherence.

Spring | Summer 2018

• Joy Lauerer, DNP, RN, PMHCNS-BC, assistant professor, has been elected to a three-year term as co-chair of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association’s Child & Adolescent Council.

• Gayenell Magwood, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA, Alumnus CCRN, professor, was inducted as a Fellow in the American Heart Association during the annual meeting of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing. She also was recognized with two diversity awards: the Excellence in Diversity Award during MUSC's Black History Awards and the Research in Minority Health Award at the Southern Nursing Research Society’s annual meeting.

• Teresa Stephens, PhD, associate professor, was appointed as a faculty consultant representing South Carolina for the National Student Nurses Association and attended its mid-year conference in San Diego, CA with other South Carolina executive board members.

Pictured (left to right): Drs. Bryant, Stanley and Chike-Harris.

Palmetto Gold

The 17th Annual Palmetto Gold Gala was held April 21 in Columbia, SC. College of Nursing faculty recognized during the gala included Debbie Chatman Bryant, DNP, RN, FAAN, Katherine Chike-Harris, DNP, APRN, CPNP, NE and Angela Stanley, DNP, MA, APRN-BC, NEA-BC. Palmetto Gold, a subcommittee of the South Carolina Nurses Foundation, is a statewide nursing recognition program that both showcases the valuable contributions nurses make to patient care in South Carolina and raises funds to endow scholarships for registered nurse students.

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FOCUS ON FACULTY

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EDLUND RETIRES AFTER 38 YEARS OF EDUCATING NURSES

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WITH RETIREMENT WILLIAMSON SETS SIGHTS ON NEXT PHASE

A

faculty member since 1980, Barbara Edlund, PhD, APRN, ANPBC, professor, has taught across all nursing programs from

baccalaureate to doctoral in the College of Nursing. During her tenure

Q: What is one accomplishment you are most proud of?

When I joined the nurse-midwifery faculty in 1985, private hospitals refused to provide delivery privileges to nurse midwives limiting full scope practice options to the Medical University Hospital. Joining forces with two other nursemidwives, Dr. Sharon Bond and Nancy Smith, the case for hospital delivery privileges was successfully made, and in 1989 the three of us became the first to establish a faculty practice embedded in the private sector and deliver our patients at a private community hospital in the Tri-County.

at MUSC, she received federal funding for the education of advanced practice nurses in many aspects of care. A productive writer, she published numerous articles, book chapters, and co-authored a text on Nursing Assessment and Diagnosis. For excellence in nursing practice, Dr. Edlund received the South Carolina Nurses Foundation Palmetto Gold Award and the South Carolina League for Nursing Award. She has also received numerous student teaching awards and in 2009 she received the MUSC Foundation Distinguished Faculty Service Award.

“Dr. Edlund has been an outstanding teacher and superb role model for students who consistently praise her ability to translate clinical knowledge in a focused and compassionate manner. Most importantly, she fully invested in each and every student, always ready to 'go the extra mile' to help them achieve success,” Dean Stuart said.

For her many years of dedicated service to the college and university, Dr. Edlund will receive the designation of professor emerita upon her retirement on June 30, 2018.

D

eborah Williamson, DHA, MSN, RN, associate professor, plans to retire from the College of Nursing on June

Q: What are some of the transitions you’ve witnessed in the programs and students in the College of Nursing?

The educational programs have clearly evolved over the years.

Initially, the BSN was a sophomore entry level program in the College of Nursing, and the initial graduate program consisted of three majors. Significant changes occurred over time in the delivery of course content with the majority of the current programs moving from the classroom to an online format. This was certainly a major adjustment for faculty.

In the 1980s, RNs were urged to return to school to obtain a BSN degree in a national effort to make the baccalaureate degree the professional entry level. At the graduate level, rural areas of South Carolina welcomed our first nurse practitioner students into their primary care practices and health clinics. Faculty traveled all over the state to make clinical site visits. Many of our students were hired by these rural practices and continue to precept our students today.

Q: How did your role change?

I was hired as an instructor to develop the graduate adult health nursing program. Later, I worked with my colleague, Dr. Liz Erkel, who implemented the family nurse practitioner program funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In the late 1980s, I recognized the importance of doctoral preparation for teaching in an academic health sciences center and pursued a PhD in public health at the University of South Carolina. After receiving my PhD degree, my responsibilities evolved into full-time teaching at 22

LIFELINES

Spring | Summer 2018

the master’s and doctoral levels. Additionally, my goal was to expand the nurse practitioner program options at the college. I received funding from HRSA for the geriatric nurse practitioner program with my mentor, Dr. Barbara Haight, and an adult nurse practitioner program in both primary and palliative care.

30, 2018. Joining the faculty in 1985, Dr. Williamson has made a lasting impact on the College of Nursing, the MUSC campus, and the Charleston community.

Throughout her academic career, Dr. Williamson has been committed to creating a culture that not only values, but also truly celebrates diversity. Her early work was focused primarily on women of color living in rural and

Q: What are some of your fondest memories?

My fondest practice memories include an interdisciplinary practice in an elderly high-rise apartment building, Joseph Floyd Manor, under the direction of Dr. Haight and my years at MUSC Employee Health Services. Both sites provided excellent opportunities for NP student learning and interprofessional collaboration.

I feel honored to have spent the last 38 years of my life teaching all levels of nursing students in the college. I am blessed to see so many of my students be successful in their careers, with many returning to school to obtain a DNP or PhD and join the faculty as colleagues. I have valued the many special relationships with faculty and students over the years, coupled with the opportunity to mentor faculty.

inner-city environments. In recent years much of her work has addressed the impact on health outcomes of language access and cultural bias. An effective grant writer, she has been awarded over five million dollars in federal and foundation funds for community based initiatives. In 2005, she established the Hispanic Health Initiative that brought students, faculty, community members, and an impressive group of representatives from local organizations and agencies together to work on addressing health issues in this population.

“Her ability to share her vision, build partnerships, and follow-through on commitments she has made have all been critically important to enhancing the role of our university in the community and assisting in improving the

Q: What are your plans for retirement?

I want to stay engaged in life! This could involve some part-time online teaching, taking a college course or two, possibly some part-time retail sales that would be fun at a lovely boutique. There will also be some travel and leisure time with my husband, visiting our chef son in Raleigh, NC and time for things that I was not able to do working full-time. I look forward to the future and all that it will hold!

services available to people in need,“ Dean Stuart remarked. ”Her work on numerous boards within the state have contributed to the visibility of the College of Nursing as a valued partner.”

In recognition of her distinguished service, Dr. Williamson will receive the designation of associate

Q: How did your role change over the years?

In 1997, I became the coordinator of the MUSC nursemidwifery educational track. During my tenure as track coordinator, the nurse-midwifery program was ranked number one in U.S. News and World Report. In 2001, I was appointed as the director of faculty practice, and in 2004, I was promoted to associate dean for practice, a position I held until 2017.

Q: What are some of your fondest memories?

I loved being a nurse-midwife and caring for families throughout their childbearing years. When I retired from midwifery practice, I found my second love in working with the Accelerated BSN students as clinical faculty in the population health course. The enthusiasm and commitment to social justice demonstrated by the students in my honors clinical group, the Hispanic Health Initiative scholars, inspired me and reaffirmed my passion for the profession of nursing.

Q: What are your plans for retirement?

I have appreciated the support of my peers in my professional journey. In retirement, I will miss my colleagues and the students, but look forward to continuing my board work with Fetter Health Care Network and the New Morning Foundation. Both organizations have a focus on improving the health of women in South Carolina which brings me full circle back to my midwifery roots. When I arrived in South Carolina in 1985, I was the mother of an infant and a toddler.

At retirement, I am a senior citizen and a grandmother. I have enjoyed the professional challenges and the opportunity for growth afforded by the College of Nursing. I can’t think of a better place to have grown up (not old).

professor emerita upon her retirement.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

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SOUL AWAKENING - A PERSONAL JOURNEY by Page Wise, BSN Class of May '18 was surprising how quickly we formed

did I hear any complaints about how

meaningful friendships and how easily

long the wait was, the heat, no access

we worked together. Once our team

to clean drinking water, or having to

came together, we met our translation

void in a hole in the ground with noth-

team and began working closely with

ing but a bed sheet to provide some

them; we staffed multiple rural out-

privacy.

reach clinics and successfully treated

N

care to rural Nicaraguan communities,

so impulsively to traveling to a

and our timing could not have been

foreign country as I did this past July.

better. In October 2017, a tropical storm

Cameron Mercer, my good friend and

caused a significant amount of damage

classmate, told me that I needed to go

to various Nicaraguan regions, includ-

with her on a medical mission trip to

ing Rivas, the region in which we were

Nicaragua over our Christmas break.

staying. As a result of the flooding, rural

I honestly cannot remember a holiday

communities suffered devastating loss

season when I was not working, so I

and damage to their churches, homes,

fully intended on enjoying this rare

farmland, crops, and roads. Each day

break. But I am the type of person who

we set up our mobile health care clinic

gets restless when I do not have any-

in different villages, expanding One-

thing to do, and with nearly a month

World Health’s reach.

of downtime, I mulled it over, came to

Our stellar mission team was made

a decision, and told myself, “Just go!”

up of 39 volunteers whose professions

This trip was the perfect opportunity

include but are not limited to: MDs,

to combine my passion for health and

DNPs, PAs, OB-GYNs, RNs, pharma-

wellness with my desire to connect

cists, dentists, hygienists, students,

with and help those in need.

business managers, educators, sales

Anxious to put my medical training

representatives, photographers, videog-

and education to work in a place that

raphers, etc. Everyone brought some-

greatly needs it, I finally did a little dig-

thing unique to the table, and as a team,

ging to figure out exactly what I signed

we complimented each other well. It

up for. I researched what we would be doing and where we were headed for eight days.

Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America. With the mortality rate of Nicaraguan children at four times that of the U.S., quality health care is urgently needed for the treatment of preventable diseases, such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition.

The purpose of the mission trip is to provide quality, accessible health 24

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Spring | Summer 2018

At the end of our first day, an

a variety of common medical condi-

11-year-old girl walked into the church

tions (i.e., joint pain/swelling, allergies,

just as we were packing up the bus. She

intestinal parasites, dental cleanings/

was holding hands with her 70-year-

extractions, prenatal care, etc.).

old blind grandfather as she guided

Cameron and I were the only stu-

ever in my life have I committed

Students & Faculty Attend State Convention

him into the church. They had just

dents in the nursing team, and we were

walked five miles in order to see us. It

excited for opportunities to dive-in and

filled their hearts with joy when we told

independently triage patients, provide

them we would gladly see him. Our

preventative primary care, as well as

team came together seamlessly to en-

serve as pharmacy technicians. Hav-

sure this gentleman was given the time

ing this chance to apply what we have

and care he deserved. Unbeknownst to

learned and to challenge ourselves in a

us, one of the providers went outside

foreign country, reaffirmed the deci-

and managed to arrange a ride home

sion I made to go back to school and

for him on an oxen-cart. The next day,

pursue a career in nursing. It really was

one of our nurses gave the shoes off

like a scene from a movie where life

her feet to a woman who needed them

pauses… and there is this moment of

more.

realization: I was becoming who I was

It was a privilege visiting these

meant to be, I was where I was sup-

rural villages and being immersed in

posed to be, and I was doing what I was

Nicaraguan culture, and I am grateful

meant to be doing.

to have had the opportunity to prac-

Even though the rural villages faced

tice my Spanish with my patients, who

such loss in their community, they

were extremely patient and genuinely

were so appreciative of our efforts, so

kind-hearted people. Being able to

much so that they were waiting outside

connect with, care for, and learn from

the clinics to greet us in the mornings

our patients was a gift. I will be a better

before we arrived, worked to unload

nurse because of it. In just four and half

medical supplies, helped set up our

days, we treated about 1,000 patients!

clinic layout, and assisted in breaking

Our last night I was walking back

down at the end of the day. Not once

to my room and I remember thinking

did their faces break from smiles, nor

how amazing it was that even though we were working, from sun up to sun down, instead of feeling exhausted, I felt rejuvenated. Thirty-nine volunteers, ranging in age, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, and practices, traveled from all over the U.S. to come together so that we could attempt to do something amazing, and that is exactly what we did. I have never felt that kind of humanity before and it truly did awaken my soul.

The 66th Annual Student Nurses Association's (SNA) South Carolina State Convention was held in January at the Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center.

The College of Nursing was represented by ABSN students, Leigh Rothgeb, Pavi Banavar, Page Wise, Amanda Kirklin and Alison Gagliardi, as well as faculty members, Kimbi Marenakos, DNP-FNP, RN, LPC, instructor, and Teresa Stephens, PHD, MSN, RN, CNE, associate professor. Dr. Stephens serves as the faculty liaison for the South Carolina SNA. This year’s theme, Nursing from A-Z, focused on the many different places a nursing career can take you and included an NCLEX review and numerous breakout sessions focused on educational and career opportunities. The House of Delegates provided a great learning experience about legislation and parliamentary procedure.

Participants were offered an informative and engaging agenda, delicious food, and wonderful networking opportunities.

Our students were especially impressed with the messages reinforcing the importance of communication, leadership, and interprofessionalism. Each student attended different sessions so they could share what they learned with their peers. Highlights of the sessions include information about working with children and families in the critical care unit, new graduate nurse scheduling, and information about the process to becoming a certified nurse anesthetist. Several students were able to attend the very informative sessions describing the life of an emergency department nurse and careers in forensics. These sessions, as well as many others, provided useful information on academic pathways, certifications, and essential preparation tips.

Overwhelmingly, attendees expressed their enthusiasm and appreciation for the networking opportunities, which enabled them to meet with students and Pictured left to right: Students Pavithra Banavar, faculty from across the state as Page Wise, Amanda Kirklin and Leigh Rothgeb represented CON at the SNA State Convention. well as recruiters from academic and practice institutions.

Spring | Summer 2018

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

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STETHOSCOPE & WHITE COAT CEREMONY

A

Stethoscope and White Coat Ceremony for the class of May 2019 was held January 10 on the

campus of MUSC. This biannual tradition welcomes the incoming class of each Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. This semester, 87 new

What kind of a legacy will you leave?

students began their 16-month academic journey toward becoming a registered nurse. Before 2002, incoming baccalaureate nursing students were recognized through nursing’s traditional capping ceremony. Today, in lieu of receiving a nursing cap, the college recognizes the undergraduate students with a more modern welcoming gift, a stethoscope.

Student Speeches from the Stethoscope & White Coat Ceremony Leigh Rothgeb, BSN Class of May '18

Kimberly Mansfield, BSN Class of May '18

Today’s stethoscope ceremony is a rite of passage. This stethoscope signifies your entry into the field of nursing. The purpose of this tradition is to not only welcome you into nursing practice, but also to remind you that the knowledge you gain from your textbooks and lectures will take you far. However, an essential part is the hands-on aspect of your education that will round out your experience. This is where your own personality and the compassion you show your patients will shine through.

Compassion is at the core of your new career path. As a nursing student, you will learn so much during your time here.

You are not just treating an illness or injury, but the human condition. You must always remember that the kindness you show, can and will change the experience for both your patients and their families.

Each one of you has come here for a different reason. My motivation was the result of my personal experience with the nursing staff who cared for my father when he was in the hospital. They changed the trajectory of my life and made me want to become a nurse. I had always worked in the medical field. However, my experience with the nurses who cared for my father before he passed made me want to take a more handson approach in my career.

You will learn over the next 16 months that nurses are not just one thing, they are everything. Nurses are clinicians, educators, and researchers, but are also advocates for your patients. You are the person in their rooms all day long and know better than anyone how best to care for them. Sometimes you are a friendly face or even just someone there to listen.

Over the past year I have cared for, taught, encouraged, cried with, and laughed with many patients. There are a few patients I will never forget.

• The shy little boy awaiting a heart transplant that painted me a picture I now keep on my bulletin board at home. He taught me how to build trust with my patients, just by being there for them and listening.

• The older man who was slowly passing, but waiting for his family to get to the hospital, so I held his hand until they were able to be with him and he finally let go. He taught me to care for my patients as if they were one of my loved ones because he was someone’s grandpa, father, and brother.

• The first baby I ever helped bring into the world. I was able to care for him and his mother and give him his first bath. He taught me truly how special our profession is that we get to see human life leave our world, but also come into the world and open their eyes for the first time.

• The sweet toddler receiving chemo treatment who wanted me to sit with her in the hospital chapel, but as we walked down the hall she left a trail of mickey mouse stickers all over the walls. She taught me that even when you think you’re in the worst situation possible, joy and laughter is the best medicine.

These are just a few of the many experiences I have been fortunate to have during my time here. Each patient, family, and nurse has taught me something uniquely different about myself and the nurse I strive to be.

Have you considered a planned gift to the College of Nursing through a bequest in your will?

It is the most common type of planned gift. There are many different types of bequests including a specific sum of money, a percentage or the residual of your estate.

If you have considered leaving the College of Nursing in your will, but would like to include the proper bequest language, we have provided several examples below: SPECIFIC BEQUEST “I hereby give, devise and bequeath ______ dollars to the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation, Charleston, SC, designated in support of __________ in the College of Nursing.”

PERCENTAGE BEQUEST “I hereby give, devise and bequeath ______ percent of my estate to the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation, Charleston, SC, designated in support of __________ in the College of Nursing.”

RESIDUARY BEQUEST “I hereby give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation, Charleston, SC, designated in support of __________ in the College of Nursing.”

If you have already left the College of Nursing in your will, please contact the Office of Planned Giving so that we may celebrate you!

Linda Cox • Director of Planned Giving 843-792-9562 • CoxL@musc.edu

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LIFELINES

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

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SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS LETTIE PATE WHITEHEAD SCHOLARSHIP Shardasia Anderson Layne Clement Ka'Dedra Creech Amanda Kirklin Katherine Kohl Shaneisha McQueen Jaime Phillips Danielle Ravenell Savannah Silvers Victoria Sly

Undergraduate Scholarships 125TH ANNIVERSARY SCHOLARSHIP Zachary Mosley Sarah Treleven 1883 SCHOLARSHIP Lisa Davis Darshondra Guess Julia Holmes MARGUERITE ANDELL SCHOLARSHIP Carlie Mzik

JEAN P. WILSON SCHOLARSHIP Marcus Cockrell Jordan McCall

RUTH CHAMBERLIN SCHOLARSHIP Daryna Legkobyt HELENE FULD TRUST SCHOLARSHIP Tamara Washington

Graduate Scholarships

TED AND JOAN HALKYARD SCHOLARSHIP Latrevet Thomas

CLAIR FAMILY SCHOLARSHIPS John Manna, DNP student

MCCLELLAND-PALMER SCHOLARSHIP John Anderson

DOROTHY JOHNSON CREWS SCHOLARSHIP Emily Giddens, DNP student

MUHA PATRON SCHOLARSHIP Erica McCaslin William Ryan REBA CARTER O'KEEFFE SCHOLARSHIP Alexis Carter

JAMES B. EDWARDS SCHOLARSHIP Joseph Stocking, DNP student

TAKE NURSING HIGHER SCHOLARSHIP Raven Anderson William Bezy Cristal Carreno Morgan McDonald Karishina Patel Gabrielle Velasquez

LETTIE PATE WHITEHEAD SCHOLARSHIP Rachel Dorr, DNP student Kelsie Helton, DNP student Alejandra Schimmel, PhD student JOSEPH AND THERESE WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP Arien Rannigan, MSN student

To learn more about establishing a scholarship contact Anahita Modaresi, development director, at modaresi@musc.edu or 843-792-8421.

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From Foster Care to PhD Student

Bree Madray, PhD Class of May '19, shares her journey and gratitude

Student Receives Presidential Award Jessica Lemma, a BSN student, received the silver and bronze President's Volunteer Service Award for the hours she spent as an American Red Cross volunteer.

She and her husband were stationed in Okinawa, Japan from 2014-2017.

"I began volunteering with the American Red Cross as a way to gain experience before starting nursing school," she explained. "I spent my time in the emergency department at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa, and loved every minute of it.”

The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes United States citizens who have achieved the required number of hours of service over a 12-month time period or cumulative hours over the course of a lifetime. In order to achieve the bronze level award, one must complete between 100 to 249 volunteer hours, while the silver award is granted to individuals serving from 249 to 499 volunteer hours.

Along with the ultimate honor of presidential recognition, recipients receive a personalized certificate, an official pin, medallion or coin and a congratulatory letter from the president of the United States. Ms. Lemma received her recognition from former President Barack Obama.

I want to start by saying thank you to Dean Stuart for choosing me to have the honor of receiving the Stephen and Ruth P. Stewart scholarship. Thank you for your generous support as I am the first in my family to attend college at any level.

I think the best way to show my appreciation for this award is to tell you a little about my life.

Growing up less than privileged offered many financial and academic challenges, but once I discovered college I found that I couldn’t stop. I entered the foster care system during the 8th grade and ended up dropping out of high school a month before I turned 17. I did get my GED but soon needed a place to stay and a way to pay bills (at 17), so I made a life changing decision to become something better than what I knew growing up. I enlisted in the Oregon Army National Guard as a combat medic. I chose medicine as a field to enter because I find the body fascinating in all that it can do and am constantly asking why and how.

Soon after I finished my training I changed my contract to active duty and was stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY. My adventures were amazing as I graduated from Air Assault School, repelled out of helicopters, and discovered I loved road marching where not only did I do the 12 miles required by the military but it carried over to my civilian life and I have completed 127.5 miles of an Ironman distance triathlon. In 1995, I met my future husband who was an Infantry Officer and who graduated from The Citadel. In 1997, we married and had our first of three miraculous children. The first of which was born 10 weeks premature at 3 pounds and 9 ounces and holds the honor of being the first in my family to graduate high school "the normal way." Today, he is a junior at The Citadel with his brother who is ‘a knob’ (a freshman).

In 1999, we moved to Charleston, and I began going to school in the evenings while my husband watched our two young boys, 1-1/2 and 6 months old. I first earned an associate degree in science from Trident Technical College, then moved to the College of Charleston for a Bachelor of Science in biology. While working at The Citadel in the biology department, I earned a master's degree in biology and had our third child, a daughter, in the middle of coursework. I quickly realized that I get ‘carsick’ from looking in the microscope and felt the urge to go back into medicine. I earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from MUSC in 2009, but still I wanted more. Therefore, I completed an online program through Liberty University and earned a master's in nursing as a clinical nurse specialist in adult acute care. After that, I began working for Dr. Jacobo Mintzer in research at Roper Hospital and he encouraged me to enter the PhD program at MUSC in the Fall of 2015. Of note, my husband completed his MBA at Charleston Southern just to make sure we covered all the major colleges and universities here in the Lowcountry. My husband accuses me of choosing research and education so that I can literally be in school forever and that is all my children have ever known me to do!

Surprisingly, I do have other hobbies other than my thirst for knowledge. I enjoy practicing wilderness medicine, am active in the Boy Scouts (including Venturing) and I am a triathlete. In the past five years I have finished more than 46 triathlons.

Going full force and being passionate about things in my life carries over into my research. My research interest is in the adult patient-provider interaction in the emergency room to identify and bring awareness to the conscious and unconscious behaviors involved in this interaction.

In conclusion, this scholarship award directly impacts my education and highlights every time in my life that the odds were stacked against me, yet I endured and succeeded. I challenge everyone to always aspire to be the best person you can be, regardless the odds against you, you never know who is watching you or who you may inspire to become the next PhD. Surround yourself with inspirational people. Never stop learning, and always give back to the less fortunate. Again, thank you so much for this honor Dean Stuart.

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135 YEARS YOUNG

The College of Nursing’s 135th Anniversary Gala was clearly the talk of the town...with our glamorous attire, delicious food, great entertainment with upbeat music, outstanding swimming by our water friends, and some pretty fancy dancing by those on land! Perhaps the best part of the evening was how it brought together our entire College of Nursing family...students, staff, faculty, alumni, donors and friends, who all came together to celebrate and to get to know each other a little better outside of our hallowed walls. There were so many fun images captured February 23 that sharing them with you allows us to relive the fun. You can find more images on our website at musc.edu/nursing.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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2018 ALUMNI AWARD HONOREES On February 23, the MUSC Alumni Association hosted a reception for the College of Nursing's alumni award winner before the 135th Anniversary Gala began at the SC Aquarium.

Pictured (left to right): Dr. Garr, Maj. Gen. Hogg, Dean Stuart, Mrs. Swain and Dr. Mollica.

Maj. Gen. Dorothy A. Hogg | MSN '97 Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award Awarded to an alumnus/alumna who has distinguished him or herself in the nursing profession, in the community and brought honor to MUSC and the College of Nursing. Eligible nominees are graduates of 11 or more years.

Dr. Michelle Mollica | PhD '14 Exemplary Recent Graduate Award Recognizes an alumnus/alumna who has distinguished him or herself professionally in the field of nursing.

Nursing alumni who graduated within the last ten years are eligible for this award.

Maj. Gen. Dorothy A. Hogg is the deputy surgeon general for the Air Force and chief of the Air Force Nursing Corps. She also is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. Maj. Gen. Hogg directs operations of the Air Force Medical Service at 76 military treatment facilities worldwide.

She oversees the daily functions of the Air Force Surgeon General's office. Additionally, as chief of the Nurse Corps, she is responsible for recruitment, accession, training and education of active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard Airmen. She oversees policy and program development, ensuring the highest standards for patientcentered, evidence-based nursing practice for all eligible beneficiaries. In October, Maj. Gen. Hogg was nominated for promotion to Lt. Gen. and Air Force Surgeon General.

If confirmed by the Senate, she will become the first nurse and the first woman to serve as the Air Force Surgeon General.

Michelle Mollica, PhD, MPH, RN, is a program director in the Outcomes Research Branch of the Healthcare Delivery Research Program (HDRP). Before joining HDRP, Dr. Mollica was a Cancer Prevention Fellow. Dr. Mollica also spent over 10 years working clinically as a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. In addition, she was an assistant professor of nursing at D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY, teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels. With an enduring interest in issues related to cancer survivorship, Dr. Mollica explores the intersection of survivorship and health care delivery, including patient experiences, quality of care, informal cancer caregiving, and follow-up care. Her research interests also include survivorship issues including the transition to post-treatment survivorship, spirituality, and quality of life.

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Mrs. Mary Watcher Swain | BSN '80 Outstanding Service Award Given to an individual or organization that demonstrates outstanding service which promotes the advancement of the College of Nursing.

Dr. David Garr Honorary Alumnus Award Awarded to an individual who, while not a graduate of the MUSC College of Nursing, has made significant contributions to the college’s educational mission.

Mary Watcher Swain graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Over the years, her unwavering support has been instrumental in the college's mission. In 2016, she and her husband, David, established the college's fifth endowed chair, the Mary Watcher Swain Endowed Chair in Nursing, that focuses on promoting quality of life care and improving health. The Swains also made a generous gift to the building fund in 2014. The Mary Watcher Swain Foyer provides the college a stunning entrance into the first-class educational facility. Additionally, she led her class to raise money for the naming rights to the Archives Room during the college's recent renovation. After graduation, she worked in nursing for several years and then devoted her time to caring for her children and running the vineyard on the family property. Today, Ms. Swain volunteers extensively with several organizations in her community.

David R. Garr, MD, is the executive director of the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC). He also has been a practicing family practitioner for more than 46 years. A long-time supporter and colleague of the College of Nursing, Dr. Garr is currently involved in two HRSA grants to increase nurse practitioner recruitment and practice in South Carolina's rural and underserved areas. In addition, he is involved with state legislation to support tax credits/deductions for primary care preceptors of medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in South Carolina who attend public colleges/universities. Common themes that have served as the underpinning to his career have been improving access to primary care, reducing health disparities, advancing interprofessional education and practice, and studying ways to increase the quality of health care and the provision of preventive services to populations.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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CLASS NOTES

Laura Jo (Grissom) Summey, Diploma ’61, has moved to a retirement community after losing her husband in 2016.

Virginia Rudeane Barfield Ivester, BSN ’72, retired from school nursing at Riverside Middle School in Greer, SC. She loves retirement and being able to travel on short notice. Her daughter, Molly, was married to Dan Smith in May on Seabrook Island.

Her son, Zak, married Sarah Levin in 2014.

Both children and their spouses love living in Charleston just as she did decades ago.

Her daughter-in-law, works at MUSC as a credentialing/accreditation coordinator in the Medical Staff Office.

Mary K. Gwyn, BSN ’78, is an emergency room staff nurse at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, MD. In December 2017, Colleen (Warrenfeltz) Bible, BSN ’80, retired from the Technical College of the Lowcountry where she was a nurse educator. Now, she is a substitute teacher at a local charter school and substitutes for the school nurse. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Debra Ann Weber, BSN ’90, is working as a nurse navigator for an interventional MRI program. Her team consists of a world renown physician, a research fellow and an MRI technologist. She feels fortunate to work with a team who advocates for patients and health care.

Lynette Maxine Gibson, BSN ’92, was the first nurse scientist to be featured in the Corange Science Week at Bermuda College in Paget, Bermuda. She presented to several schools around the country including her alma mater, The Berkeley Institute. She also presented at a public open forum on surviving breast cancer.

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In 2017, Alicia Pollard Grant, BSN ’92, MSN ’10, achieved the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse recognition from the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing.

Lana Thornal Beckley, MSN ’09, retired from MUSC after serving a 22 year career in therapeutic services, specialty nursing and risk management. She now lives in the upstate where she cares for her dogs and horses and occasionally works as a substitute school nurse.

Jaime Anne Schell, BSN ’05, graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in December 2017 with an MSN as a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner.

Andrew Stufflebean, BSN ’12, is set to graduate in May with an MSN from the University of Pennsylvania’s nurse anesthesia program.

Felicia Jenkins, PhD ’16, was appointed associate dean of the Mary Black School of Nursing at the University of South Carolina Upstate in January 2018.

Patricia Soderlund, PhD ’16, was accepted into the 2018 National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP) at UCLA. The NCSP is a two-year program that offers intensive training and mentorship to nurse and physician researchers. Dr. Soderlund’s training has focused on the use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in research. Her goal is to become a tenuretrack professor engaged in research with underserved women of color who are at risk for comorbid physical and mental health disorders.

During her final semester, Alexandra (Allye) Prather, BSN ’17, received the Medical Services Volunteer of the Year Award from East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) for her volunteer work

with the Partners in Health Care clinic in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Ms. Prather performed her required clinical hours at the clinic but continued to volunteer because she was impressed with the organization. Following graduation in December 2017, Ms. Prather accepted a position as a registered nurse at Vanderbilt Medical Center on the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

Theresa Trivette, DNP ’17, was named chief nursing officer for Florida Hospital Tampa.

Her responsibilities include providing leadership and administration of direct patient care activities, nursing professional development, and promoting best practices that ensure quality, safety and service standards are met at Florida Hospital Tampa. Her clinical experience includes more than 13 years in emergency and trauma services in large teaching hospitals including Georgetown University Hospital and Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.

Lori Vick, PhD ’16, was selected to participate in the Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE), an all-expense-paid summer institute, research education and mentoring initiative sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The primary outcome of this program is to increase the number of scientists and research-oriented faculty who are from backgrounds currently underrepresented in the biomedical sciences and those with disabilities, by preparing them to successfully compete for external funding for scientific research in heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders. She is hoping to get supplemental funding to carve out a specific conceptual piece in adherence.

In Memoriam Frances M. Fields, Diploma '50 Oct. 22, 1927 - Feb. 11, 2018 | Charleston, S.C.

Martha Phipps Lyerly, Diploma '65 Apr. 10, 1944 - Oct. 18, 2017 | Lake City, S.C.

Marjorie Almand Shuler, Diploma '50 Aug. 3, 1928 - Jan. 13, 2018 | Charleston, S.C.

Elaine Yvonne Fersner Kotchmar, Diploma '67 Feb. 17, 1946 - Dec. 5, 2017 | Columbia, S.C.

Mary Lou Alyce Brickle Sorenson, Diploma '53 Jul. 23, 1929 - Nov. 14, 2017 | Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Elaine Cannon Seibert, Diploma '67 Aug. 17, 1946 - Mar. 8, 2018 | Plano, TX

Shirley Ann Cauthen, Diploma '54 May 8, 1933 - Nov. 23, 2017 | Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Ruthanne Brislin Meacham, BSN '84 Jun. 24, 1944- Dec. 13, 2017 | Belvidere, TN

Bettie Ward Hilchey, Diploma '54 Dec. 9, 1930 - Feb. 9, 2018 | Summerville, S.C.

Kathrine Lindiwe (Edrington) Lambright, BSN '10 Sep. 19, 1978 - Feb. 4, 2018 | Blufton, S.C.

Janice Jeraldine Ashley "Jeri" Cook, Diploma '56 Aug. 2, 1933 - Sep. 23, 2017 | Norris, S.C.

Edward John Knuth Sr., DNP '13 Jul. 1, 1965 - Feb. 25, 2018 | Norwich, N.Y.

Montana Deloris Logan Stello, Diploma '58 Feb. 21, 1936 - Feb. 9, 2018 | Charleston, S.C.

LINDA DOWDEE MARSH July 8, 1942 - June 25, 2017 Linda Marsh, RN, MEd, a longtime resident of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., passed away June 25, 2017 at the age of 74. Linda received her RN from Wake Forest University, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from MUSC and her MEd from The Citadel. Her career included working with the DHEC tuberculosis program as well as research in lead poisoning before joining the faculty of MUSC Adolescent Medicine, where she served for more than 25 years. Linda was the bridge between the College of Nursing and MUSC Adolescent Medicine as we opened the first school based health center at Burke High School in 1993. Linda was recognized as an expert in clinical counseling and treatment of substance abuse. With her colleague, Dr. Janice Key, Linda participated in educating future generations of health professionals including medical students, pediatric residents, and nurse practitioner students. She was involved in several research projects including programs for teen mothers, support groups for adolescents with spina bifida, and school-based health care. She co-authored 22 research abstracts and 10 papers in scientific journals. Linda always celebrated the work of others, quietly accepting accolades concerning her own work. She worked tirelessly to help every student, colleague and patient to do their best. Writing and editing abstracts, articles and grants as well as counseling patients were all done without complaint and with the utmost care. Her commitment to those she worked with was above anything expected in her job description.

As a nurse, Linda was exceptional, as a friend and colleague she was beyond stupendous. She is missed.

Written and remembered by V. Jann Owens, MSN, APRN, BC, and Janice Key, MD, director of adolescent medicine and professor.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

ACT II - FROM BALLERINA TO BSN

//

//

choreographers, all before other kids

and dedication you can do it,” she

her age could even drive.

explained. Discipline and dedication

The dance world, however, is much

were two things Ms. Strang knew she

K

TURNING A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE

irsten Kasko, NP-c, (MSN ‘07, BSN, 05) created StrokeFlash-

and work harder to get back to work so that I could have ben-

Cards.com for people who have aphasia (loss of ability to

efits with health insurance, not to mention have an income,”

understand or express speech, caused by brain damage), have

she said.

like gymnastics. It is not suitable for

had, however, she still felt like she was

had a stroke, brain injury, or loss of memory. She developed

a life-long career due to the extreme

taking on the impossible. But regardless

the flashcards, adult easy readers, and helpful tools after per-

just like myself who had had a stroke, aphasia, a brain injury,

stress it puts on your body. “After

of doubt, she jumped in with both feet

sonally surviving a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (stroke)

or early onset dementia and who couldn’t communicate or

performing professionally for over eight

and was accepted in the fall of 2016.

in August 2009 at the age of 29.

read like they used too. They were just like me and I wanted

years, my body began to feel the effects

Ms. Strang shared, “My class received

“Everything was great, I had been working as a nurse prac-

“When I was able to go back to work, I would see patients

to help them,” she said. “I would tell them my story and give

of training 8 hours a day, seven days a

the email regarding the time and place

titioner (NP) in the emergency room for two years, I had an

them tips that had worked for me. I could see my story gave

week,” she explained.

of graduation, and as I read the email

awesome boyfriend and life was good," Ms. Kasko explained.

them hope that if I was able to recover, they could too. So,

I began to cry. I realized that the stage

We had a fun and busy weekend, then Sunday morning I

that motivated me to create StrokeFlashCards.com and write

foot surgery, Ms. Strang decided it was

I was going to walk across to receive

developed a severe headache. I called in to work on Monday

adult easy reading books.”

time to live a ‘normal’ life and give her

my diploma, the Charleston Music

and tried to rest all day to get my head to stop hurting. When

body a much-needed break. She was

Hall, was the last stage I danced on

I woke up on Tuesday, I couldn’t see out of my left eye. The

brain to get back to where you were before the brain attack.

always a good student and loved school.

as a ballerina. As I walked across that

next thing I know, I am being care flighted to MUSC were I

In an adult design, the adult easy readers, and flash cards can

Even during her time as a ballerina,

stage on December 7, 2017, it was very

spent a month in the ICU.”

be personalized for professionals trying to get back to work as

After a long recovery from a second

she knew that when the time came

different from the last time I was on that

imberly Strang’s journey to

to retire from performing, she would

exact stage. I was no longer a ballerina

becoming a nurse was not a

return to school to pursue her dream of

taking a bow, but a woman who took

becoming a nurse.

on the challenge of full-time mom and

spent two years in intensive speech therapy, all fighting to

tive and help prevent memory loss or dementia," Ms. Kasko

K

conventional one.

“I grew up with every little girl’s

brain related surgeries. Then, the real work began, rehab.

“I wore a helmet to protect my brain for six months, and

a carpenters, electrician, lawyers, or healthcare workers, etc.,” she explained.

“Flashcards are a good way to keep your brain heathy, ac-

full-time nursing student to pursue my

get back to work," she said. "I literally had to learn to talk and

said. "Since flashcards were so hard to find for what adults

dream of becoming a ballerina. I began

married my childhood sweetheart and

dream of becoming a nurse. Act II of my

read again, be cleared to live alone, to drive, and ultimately to

needed, I personalized them for what I needed. The cards

training three to four hours a day

enjoyed doing all the things I felt I

career is just starting, and I’m looking

return to work as an NP.

come in lots of different themes and pictures including com-

after school at the age of eight. By age

missed out on as a young adult. We’ve

forward to my most important role yet

nine, I spent my summers away from

been married for eighteen years and

– a nurse.”

home training at some of the world’s

have three beautiful children,” Ms.

most prestigious ballet academies,” she

Strang said.

explains.

“After I retired from the stage, I

Over the course of the next three years Ms. Kasko had five

“It is an easy, and fun way to keep practicing with your

Once all of her children had finished

Ms. Strang’s hard work and

During the course of her rehab, Kirsten found flashcards

mon words, animals, food, household tools, the outdoors

and reading short stories (children’s books) is what sped up

among others. They will help you communicate with your

her recovery.

family and friends again.”

“After my stroke, Dakota, (my fox red Labrador retriever)

The aphasia help card provides a definition to help others

and my family’s support got me back to

understand what aphasia is. For example,

elementary school, Ms. Strang decided it

my independent, ‘normal life.’ I would sit

if someone with aphasia gets pulled over

dedication paid off as she was hired as a

was finally her time to return to school.

on the couch with my mom or boy-

by the police, the officer may not know

full-time ballerina at the age of 14. “That

“I met with Dean Stuart in the spring

friend while we watched TV, and I would

what aphasia is and may think the person

meant I ‘went to work’ from 9:00 AM

before I applied to Accelerated BSN

practice with flash cards. I hated doing

is under the influence of drugs or alcohol

until 5:00 PM and then homeschooling

program and asked if it was possible for

the cards. They were so hard for me at

because of their altered speach. Simi-

until 10:00 PM.” As a professional

a full-time mother of three to be a full-

first, but the more I practiced the better

larly, providing the card to the server in a

ballerina, she performed on stage for

time nursing student. She responded

and faster I got. I finished a deck of cards

restaurant to helps explain to them why

thousands of people all over the country

with confidence, “it will be hard, but it

and wanted, needed more; but there

you may need assistance ordering your

with some of the world’s most famous

is possible. If you have the discipline

were none to be found. Everything we

meal. Ms. Kasko adds, “The aphasia help

found had childlike images or children’s

card allows you to avoid embarrassment

brands, but I’m an adult,” she relates.

or nervousness when you are unable to

Ms. Kasko went from being at the top

speak correctly by explaining what apha-

of her game working in the ER and be-

sia is and how it is affecting you.”

ing an NP, to depending on someone to order her food at a restaurant. After her long-term disability insurance ran out, she was denied social security disability three times. In 2010, the only insurance that would accept Ms. Kasko was the state pool insurance that cost $1,000 a month.

“I couldn’t afford that. I was not able to work and had no income. I had to fight 38

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“I enjoy giving motivational talks about

Flash cards and easy readers can be customized for various professions such as carpenter, electrician, lawyer or health care worker.

To order or find some helpful tools visit www.StrokeFlashCards.com.

my experience and acting as a stroke consultant. If you or your loved one has had a stroke, aphasia, or brain injury don’t stop believing. I am proof that if you fight hard enough, you can get your life back. It just takes some practice,” said Ms. Kasko.

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GIVING BACK

//

THE GAIL W. STUART SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN SIGHT OF 100K GOAL

The MUSC College of Nursing thanks the following individuals for their contributions to the Gail W. Stuart Scholarship*:

Mrs. Corrine Sade and Dr. Robert Sade

Dr. Teresa Kelechi and Mr. James Kelechi

Mrs. Brenda Brastauskas and

Mrs. Elaine Stuart-Shah and Mr. Nirav Shah

Ms. Virginia King

Dr. Georgette Smith and

Mrs. Phyllis LaMacchia

Mrs. Loretta Brockenfelt and

Mrs. Cheryl McCoy and Dr. David McCoy

$10,000 and above

Ms. Sandra Sundeen

Capt. Wendy McCraw and

Ms. Elizabeth Bruce

Mrs. Beverly Seinsheimer and

Dr. Laurie Zone-Smith and Mr. Todd Smith

Ms. Editha Butler

Mrs. Frances Thomas

Mrs. Anahita Modaresi and

Ms. Regina Cahalan

Ms. Carol Weisman

Mrs. Emily Calaman

Mrs. Suzanne Yarborough and

Mrs. Elizabeth New and Mr. William New, Jr.

Mr. Leonard Calaman

Mrs. Saranel Niver

Dr. and Mrs. James Carter

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Nolen

Dr. Susan Cheek-Williams

Mrs. Shirley Norton

Mrs. Janet Richard and Mr. Floyd Richard

Mr. and Mrs. John Page

Ms. Deanne Clark

Mrs. Vicki Raybon and Mr. Rick Raybon

Dr. Evelyn Coe and Mr. Larry Coe

Mrs. Sallie Rogers

Mrs. Rhonda Collis-Yoder

Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Ruggiero

Mrs. Patricia Cook and Dr. Taylor Cook

Mrs. Elizabeth Schroeder and

Mrs. Beverly Parsons Coons

Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Cox, Jr.

Mr. Walter G. Seinsheimer, Jr.

Dr. Elizabeth Bear

$9,999 - $5,000

Mr. Frank McMahon

Mr. Edwin Yarborough

Mrs. Ruth B. Limehouse Mr. and Mrs. William Lloyd

$249 - $100

Dr. and Mrs. Morgan Stuart

Dr. Ronald Acierno Dr. Diane Angelini

W

hen this little girl had her first graduation at age 5, she had no idea that one day she would be a clinical psychiatric nurse, a nurse educa-

tor, researcher or administrator – let alone the dean of a prestigious college of nursing. Yet, that was the path that unfolded for Gail W. Stuart, PhD, RN, FAAN and her smile and her spirit never wavered.

Her path started as a “candy striper” in a small community hospital in Jersey City, N.J. where she realized her love of caring for and caring about other people. That took her to the halls of Georgetown University where her “capping” day was a celebrated event. Fast forward a couple of decades and her love of nursing would be evident in her clinical practice, the many textbooks she has written, the talks she has given both nationally and internationally, and her generativity as a nurse educator.

Dean Stuart has worked tirelessly to open the college’s doors and the nursing profession to the brightest and best-educated nurses possible. So to honor her and her many professional achievements, we established the Gail W. Stuart

$4,999 - $1,000 Dean Margaret Baker Dr. Paul Bolin, Jr. and Dr. Linda Bolin Dr. Kay Chitty and Mr. Charles Chitty Mrs. Nadine Clair and Mr. Robert Clair Mrs. Ann Edwards Dr. Nancy Hanrahan Mrs. Peggy Schachte and Mr. Hal Curry Mrs. Laura Schaefer Dr. and Mrs. Sanjay Shah Mrs. Mary Swain and Mr. David Swain, Jr. Dr. Deborah Williamson and Dr. David Garr Mr. Bryan Young

achieve their dream of working in the nursing profession. The scholarship will be awarded to either an incoming or returning student in one of the college’s programs.

Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, colleagues, and alumni, we have successfully raised over $95,000 and are well on our way to reaching our goal.

$999 - $250 Dr. Raymond Anton, Jr. and Ms. Carol Younker Dr. Phyllis Bonham and Mr. Carl Johnson Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Canaday Dr. Janice Cooper Cmdr. Amy Drayton

$100,000

WE'RE ALMOST THERE! It’s not too late to give! Please help us exceed our goal of $100,000 by making a gift today! You can donate online at https://connect2.musc.edu/nursing or by mailing a check made payable to the MUSC Foundation 18 Bee St, MSC 450, Charleston, SC 29425

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LIFELINES

Spring | Summer 2018

Mrs. Stephanie Armstrong Mrs. Jessie Atkinson Ms. Sandra Benter Mrs. Shelton Bosley and Mr. William Bosley Mrs. Geraldine Brady Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brooks Dr. Mary Burdick Ms. Penelope Chase Mrs. Julie Ann Clark and Mr. Timothy Clark Dr. Garris Conner Ms. Margaret Danko Mrs. Sylvia Davis and Mr. Edward Davis Dr. Autumn Edenfield Dr. Barbara Edlund and Mr. William Edlund Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Fountain

Scholarship Fund with a goal of reaching $100,000. At this level, the scholarship will be endowed and live on to provide numerous students financial support to

Mr. James Brastauskas

Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Greenberg Dr. and Mrs. Michael Hoge Dr. and Mrs. Julius Kehinde Mrs. Laurann Litchfield Dr. and Mrs. Layton McCurdy Mr. and Mrs. John Morris Dr. Carrie Randall Dr. Sabra Slaughter and

Dr. Shannon Richards-Slaughter

Mrs. Martha Gosnell and Mr. Wayne Gosnell Ms. Brenda Haile Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Harder Lt. Cmdr. Sharon Harper Ms. Jeannette Harrison

Mr. Harold McCraw Mr. Daniel Perlmutter

Mr. Gerald Schroeder

Mrs. Tejal Shah and Mr. Veeral Shah

Ms. Jennifer Creech

Mrs. Jo Smith and Mr. Fred Smith, Jr.

Mrs. Eleanor Currin and Rev. B.M. Currin

Dr. Valeria Smith

Mrs. Monica Dainer and Dr. Paul Dainer

Dr. Dianne Smolen and Dr. Gerald Smolen

Ms. Sandra Davis

Mrs. Ashley Snelwar and Mr. Daniel Snelwar

Mrs. Sheila Davis

Mrs. Paula Stabenau

Mrs. Corie Dillon and Mr. Kenneth Dillon

Mr. Samuel Steinberg and

Dr. Mari Dixon

Dr. and Mrs. F. Wayde Dominick

Mrs. Sylvia Steinberg

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sullivan

Dr. Annemarie Donato

Mrs. Nancy Tassin and Mrs. Kenneth Tassin

Ms. April Dove

Mrs. Ginny Thaxton

Mrs. Diana Dowdall and

Dr. Theresa Trivette

Mrs. Julie Vazquez

Mr. and Mrs. Archie Duncan, Jr.

Mrs. Betty Whitesell and Mr. Joel Whitesell

Mrs. Barbara Edge and Col. Liston L. Edge

Dr. Janet York

Mr. William Fanning

Dr. Jane Zapka and Mr. David Zapka

Ms. Vanessa Feliciano

Mr. Benjamin Norwood

Mrs. Debra Ferrara

Dr. Journey Henderson Ms. Joan Herbert

$99 or less

Mrs. Sheralyn Smith and Mr. Frederick Heyse

Dr. Cheryl Allen

Mrs. Ann Hollerbach and Mr. Don Hollerbach

Mrs. Kathy Alwahab and Mr. Allen Alwahab

Ms. Catherine Hudak

Ms. Deborah Ammons

Mrs. Andrea Jackson and Mr. Stanley Jackson

Mrs. Anne Beck and Mr. Charles Beck

Mrs. Barbara Jackson and Mr. Allen Jackson

Ms. Tekesa Black

Mrs. Paula Johnson

Dr. Sabrina Blocker

Ms. Barbara Johnson-Williams and

Ms. Jamie Bott

Mrs. Connie Bradley

Mr. Cecil Williams

Mr. William Brockenfelt

Mrs. Joan Ferrer and Mr. Larry Ferrer Ms. Vera Fields Dr. Susan Flavin Mrs. Laura Fogle Mrs. Sonya Foster Dr. and Mrs. Michael French Mrs. Patricia Furr Ms. Michelle Gilbert Mrs. Amy Godwin and Mr. Ronald Godwin Mrs. Barbara Golden Spring | Summer 2018

LIFELINES

41

MUSC HEALTH NEWS

//

MUSC HEALTH NURSING - CHANGING WHAT'S POSSIBLE

Mrs. Alicia Pollard and Mr. Alfred Grant, Jr.

Mrs. Joan Martin

Mrs. Carole Taylor and Dr. James Taylor, Jr.

Mrs. Michelle Grant

Mrs. Carolyn Matthews

Ms. Jessica Theno

Ms. Sandra Green

Mrs. Jane McCollum

Dr. Melody Thomas

Dr. Charita Greene

Mrs. Kimberly McDermott and

Ms. Lindsey Trexler

Ms. Cecelia Hall

Mr. Craig McDermott

Ms. Ruby Tumblin

Mrs. Dottie Halsey and Mr. Maurice Halsey

Mrs. Hannah McDowell and

Mrs. Janet Twigg

and effective staffing models that provide patient care across

council has focused on the enhancement of recognition

Dr. Patricia Handley

Ms. Carolyn Van Cleef

all inpatient, ambulatory and peri-procedural settings, the

and rewards. Unit based recognition programs have been

Mrs. Patricia Harder and Mr. Henry Harder

Dr. Taylor McKeowen

Mrs. Heather Wall and Mr. Kevin Wall

nursing care team has accomplished the list below through a

facilitated (e.g., the Daisy Award) and a new community

Mrs. Rebecca Harlan and

Dr. Heidi Merricks

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Weathers

recruitment and retention committee:

partnership, Nothing Bundt Nurses, to recognize the great

Mrs. Monique Merrit

Dr. Leah Wells

Mrs. Dorothy Hartley

Mrs. Sarah Meyer and Mr. Gene Meyer

Mr. and Mrs. James Wilcox

Mr. and Mrs. David Hassen

Dr. and Mrs. Mims Mobley, Jr.

Ms. Phyllis Wilson

Mrs. Daphne Heffler

Mrs. Casey Moore

Dr. Andrena Zeigler

Ms. Christal Henricks

Mr. Patrick Morgan

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Hill

Mrs. Wendy Muzzy and Mr. Sean Muzzy

Ms. Maggie Hughes

Mrs. Dianne O'Neal and Mr. Ralph O'Neal

Dr. Sarandeep Huja and

Mrs. Rosanne Pate

Mrs. Mary Perano and Mr. Alan Perano

Dr. Joseph E. Harlan, Jr.

Dr. Pinar Emecen-Huja

Mr. Rex McDowell

Mrs. Miriam Hunter

Dr. Denise Peterson and Mr. Philip Peterson

Ms. Maria Ingraham

Ms. Kathleen Peterson

Mr. Nicholas Jackson

Ms. Sabrina Pierce

Ms. Lillian Jandacek

Mr. David Pilkenton

Ms. Cynthia Jensen

Dr. Emily Pond

Mrs. Anne Johnson and

Ms. Barbara Preis

Mrs. Andrea Raines and Mr. Matthew Raines

Rev. James Johnson, Jr.

Dr. Emily Johnson and Dr. Brian Johnson

Dr. Phyllis Raynor

Ms. Keyonia Johnson

Dr. Susan Reinarz

Ms. Gail Jones

Mr. and Mrs. Jurell Riley

Lt. and Mrs. William Jones

Dr. Julia Rogers and Mr. Nick Rogers

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Landis

Ms. Phylishia Rowell

Ms. Karen Langston

Ms. Graceann Schartner

Mrs. MaryLee and Mr. John Lavelle, Jr.

Ms. Debra Schweitzer

Ms. Camille Lewis

Ms. Denise Smalls

Ms. Susan Lewis

Mrs. Norma Smith and Mr. Clark Smith, Jr.

Ms. Ashley Lockwood

Mr. Roy H. Smith

Ms. Yulia Lopez

Dr. Patricia Soderlund

Mr. Thomas Lovett

Mrs. Mary Spackman and

Dr. Kelly Lynch

Ms. Victoria Lyons

Mrs. Abigail Spell

Mr. Steven Mackin

Mrs. Margaret Spell

Mrs. Elizabeth Maree and Mr. Kenyon Maree

Mrs. Cathy Stokes and Mr. Henry Stokes, Jr.

Ms. Elizabeth Marshall

Ms. Jessica Stone

* This list reflects donations made prior to April 15, 2018. We apologize for any inadvertent errors or omissions.

T

he Nursing Leadership team, including the unit-based shared governance councils and care team members

across MUSC Health have been changing what’s possible.

To enhance the work environment and ensure efficient

Special thanks to Beverly and Walter Seinsheimer, Jr. whose generous leadership gift helped to endow the Gail W. Stuart Scholarship.

The couple were awarded the Jerry Zucker Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 for the incredible contributions they have made in the Lowcountry through philanthropy and board leadership. Among her many other roles, Mrs. Seinsheimer serves as a passionate member of the MUSC College of Nursing Board.

increases in both nurse vacancy and nurse turnover. In addition, the healthy work environment shared governance

• Standardized orientation for nurses

work the nursing staff provide every day. Enhanced peer

• Advocated for changes to nursing and patient care

recognition has helped nurse retention.

technician positions through the FTE Committee

Finally, a new pilot project is underway that places a

• Partnered with Human Resources to hold hiring

clinical practice nurse expert (CPNE) in selected units 50

blitzes, weekly critical staffing calls and actively

percent of the time. The CPNE will work with care team

seeking candidates beyond advertising

members after orientation to assure we are consistent in

• Initiated incentives for difficult to fill shifts

our practice and improve our clinical outcomes. If measures

• Developed an overhire strategy for units with high

prove successful, expansion of the program is slated for

turnover

additional nursing units and departments.

• Acquired temporary travel nurses to manage vacancy

A SPECIAL DONOR RECOGNITION

These efforts have helped us decrease nursing turnover while other hospitals nationally continue to see significant

Finally, in collaboration with multiple partners and

and orientations

stakeholders, nursing leadership has announced a new

• Enhanced the onboarding process

nursing strategic plan for MUSC Health. We look forward to

• Continued evolution of the nurse residency program in

communicating future measures of success in subsequent

collaboration with faculty leadership at the College of

publications.

Nursing and the MUSC Health Learning Office.

Mr. Elwood Spackman, Jr.

For more information about giving to MUSC College of Nursing, please visit our website: takenursinghigher.musc.edu or contact Anahita Modaresi, director of development, at modaresi@musc.edu or 843-792-8421.

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LIFELINES

Spring | Summer 2018

Spring | Summer 2018

LIFELINES

43

LINES OF LIFE

GOLDEN GRADS: CLASS OF 1968

Fifty years ago these ladies graduated from the School of Nursing at the Medical College of South Carolina. Since then there’s been a change in name, a change in leadership and a too many changes to the campus to list. But one thing that hasn't changed is their love of their fellow classmates and their alma mater.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.

- Mary Oliver

NON-PROFIT US Postage

PAID

Permit # 254 Charleston, SC

College of Nursing 99 Jonathan Lucas Street MSC 160 Charleston, SC 29425-1600

Educating and inspiring nurses to become leaders of tomorrow As baby boomers age, the need for qualified health care professionals is soaring. While nursing schools across the country strive to keep up with this demand, our focus at the MUSC College of Nursing is on a particular type of student — one who wishes to excel in the nursing profession — one who has the will to discover new approaches and exceed expectations — one who can change what’s possible in the lives of his or her patients and actively shape the health care of tomorrow.

U.S. News & World Report ranks our online graduate nursing program No. 3 in the country. This program has held one of the top three spots in the nation five years in a row. Also, our DNP and MSN programs rank in the Top 25 for the Best Graduate Schools of Nursing.

The college also possesses a strong nursing research program and currently ranks 13th in NIH funding among colleges of nursing across the country. With more than $8.36 million secured in total funding last year, the college is the highest ranked college of nursing in S.C. and the third highest in the southeast in federal research funding.