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outcomes SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
Volume Six, 2012
nurses
where are inspired to become
leaders
Visit nursing.shu.edu to learn more about our nationally ranked programs – offered on campus, off campus or online: • Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) • M.S.N. - Adult Nurse Practitioner (Acute or Primary Care) - Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (Primary Care) - Health Systems Administration - School Nurse - Case Management
• Ph.D. in Nursing • Master’s Entry C.N.L. • R.N.-to-M.S.N. Bridge • R.N.-to-B.S.N. • B.S.N. – Traditional and Second Degree
Leading the
Advancement of Nursing Through Scholarship
400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, NJ 07079 Phone: (973) 761-9306 E-mail: nursing@shu.edu
COLLEGE OF NURSING
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 2 4
Message from the Dean Nursing News Leading the Advancement of Nursing Through Scholarship ee how the College of Nursing is responding to the recommendations of the S Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report.
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Community Roots, Global Goals
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The Achievements of our “Fellow” Nurses
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ollege of Nursing alumna C. Alicia Georges has raised the bar in academics, C research and community activism.
ome of the College’s most prestigious alumni discuss their fellowship in the S American Academy of Nursing.
CON teams up with Montclair State University on an exciting new collaboration.
uilding a Community-Academic Partnership to Meet B Community Healthcare Needs Initiated by Dean Phyllis Hansell, this new partnership with Salerno Medical Associates will aim to improve health care in the community.
Setting Down Roots in Georgia J ames Fletcher Lawrence, College of Nursing alumnus, reflects on his career and overcoming the challenges sometimes faced by male nurses.
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The College Celebrates its First Ph.D. Graduates Mary Jo Bugel, Kathleen Leo and Mary Ellen Clyne successfully defend their dissertations to become the first graduates of the Ph.D. program.
D.N.P. Goes Virtual The Doctor of Nursing Practice program will be offered online beginning Spring 2013.
12 Becton Dickinson Awards Support Overseas Student Experiences
Dear Alumni and Friends,
A Promising Partnership
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Pictured on cover: Ph.D. scholars Sheila Linz, Connie Kartoz, Maria Torchia LoGrippo and Lisa Heelan
Advancing the profession of nursing has long been the primary mantra of Seton Hall University’s College of Nursing. This year we celebrate 75 years of excellence in nursing education. From our beginnings in 1937 as a program for registered nurses, we have evolved into a College of Nursing that enrolls more than 1,000 students. Although we are a very different school than we were in 1937 as the first collegiate baccalaureate program in New Jersey, our commitment to core Catholic values, excellence, leadership and service has remained constant. While nursing education at Seton Hall began as a modest, off-campus location in Newark, New Jersey, we were highly determined to take the nursing profession to the next level.
Magazine credits: Editorial Staff: Phyllis Shanley Hansell, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, Dean; Christine Aromando, M.A. ‘06, Senior Account Manager/ Editor-in-Chief; Judith Caruso, D.N.P., M.B.A., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE, Associate Dean; Kristyn Kent-Wuillermin, Director of Strategic Alliances, Marketing and Enrollment; Mary Yenesel, M.B.A., Director of Administrative Operations; Design: Juan Carvajal, M.A. ‘06, University Graphic Designer. Seton Hall University College of Nursing is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the New Jersey State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Today in the 21st century, we witness a time of great joy with the nursing profession coming of age. We have traveled quite a distance since 1937 to advance the profession with innovative, cutting-edge programs that prepare our graduates to provide the best care for patients.
.S.N. alumnae Katherine Hooper and Grace Modayil reflect on their study-abroad B experiences in Denmark and the Philippines.
Over the past 75 years we have grown from 30 R.N./B.S.N. students to over 1,000 students, including 750 pre-licensure students in the B.S.N. program, approximately 130 of whom are enrolled as seconddegree students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing. To further build on our success with seconddegree students, we now offer an M.S.N./C.N.L. entry-into-practice program, which is heavily infused with leadership skills and the effective management of microsystems. These M.S.N. entry students are clearly individuals who come to us with strong motivation to solve problems and connect their patients with needed resources.
The College of Nursing’s First Jonas Scholar Carmen Torres enters the College’s Ph.D. program armed with a two-year $10,000 scholarship from the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence.
13 Recognizing Service Excellence
Honored throughout NJ for her achievements, CON alumna Sheila Lenihan Walsh has devoted her career to the care of pediatric patients and their families.
New Faculty Faculty Achievements
In Memoriam The College of Nursing mourns the loss of one of its dearest friends and one of its own students.
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During the past decade, doctoral education in the College of Nursing has been our focus. The Ph.D. in Nursing program, which was about 20 years in the making, graduated its first three students in 2012 and now enrolls approximately 50 students.
In the 1970s the College of Nursing was a leader in the development of nurse practitioner education at the master’s level. As we keep pace with the growth of knowledge and changing clinical requirements, we begin to transition to the Doctor of Nursing Practice with a move of the post-master’s offering to a post-baccalaureate program for our Nurse Practitioner programs and our Health Systems Administration program, which is also offered as a dual degree with the University’s M.B.A. program. Where healthcare reform will take the nursing profession and how nurses will lead the charge remains uncharted territory; however, I am certain that nursing’s stature will continue to rise, especially as we achieve the Institute of Medicine’s recommended educational advancement of the profession from the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Our vision statement is educating nurses from the B.S.N. level to the Ph.D. level to be servant leaders in a global society, which enables us to make a difference in patient care outcomes while we advance the science and the practice of the nursing profession. We dedicate our best to lead us into the future of nursing, where Seton Hall nurses will advance their positions on the vanguard of the profession that is positioned to advance the science for those entrusted to our dedicated care. It is with certainty that in the next 75 years of nursing at Seton Hall University, only the best is yet to come.
Phyllis Shanley Hansell, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN Dean and Professor, College of Nursing
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NURSING NEWS
By Mary Yenesel, M.B.A.
Dean Hansell Appointed to Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission In June, Phyllis Shanley Hansell, dean of the College of Nursing, was appointed by Governor Chris Christie and confirmed by the NJ Senate to the State of New Jersey’s Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF) Commission. Under the executive branch, the fund provides financial assistance to families with costly medical bills associated with their children’s illnesses that are not covered by health insurance. CICRF was established by law in 1988 and has distributed more than $141 million in grants to more than 6,000 families. Nearly $5.5 million was distributed to deserving families in fiscal year 2011. Families with children who have uncovered medical expenses apply for grants to reimburse specific, documented, medically related costs. Applications are investigated, authenticated and reviewed by the fund’s commission for grant disbursement. Dean Hansell, Seton Hall University’s 2012 Woman of the Year, is one of 12 commission members, seven of whom are appointed from the public and are non-salaried. The other five members of the commission include the NJ Commissioners of Human Services, Health and Senior Service, Banking and Insurance, Children and Families, and the State Treasurer. This relief fund is a dedicated, revolving, non-lapsing trust fund. It is collected from an annual assessment of $1.50 per employee levied on all employers who are subject to the New Jersey unemployment compensation law.
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SETON HALL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NURSING
th
Anniversary FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012 4 P.M. CHAPEL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SOUTH ORANGE, NJ SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012 G A L A , 3 P. M . PLEASANTDALE CHATEAU WEST ORANGE, NJ
For more information about our anniversary year, please contact Shonda Levine-Ouji at shonda.levine-ouji@shu.edu
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Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Conference Ph.D. student Connie Kartoz delivered a poster presentation titled “Intergenerational Solidarity: Rethinking Family Support”at the renowned Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Conference in March 2012.
National Magazine Article Features CNL Student
Serge Wandji, a Clinical Nurse Leader graduate, shared his plans for a career change with U.S. News & World Report in its March 14, 2012 issue. The article quoted several “midlifers,” or middle-aged professionals, who had gone back to school for graduate degrees. It noted that “career counselors and recruiters suggest midlifers have a clear and specific goal in mind before taking the plunge.” Wandji, 40, who had an insurance brokerage firm in Atlanta, came to Seton Hall College of Nursing in September 2010 to pursue his M.S.N. through the Clinical Nurse Leader program as a second-degree student. He explained that volunteering with his church at a local hospital helped him realize he had another calling. While volunteering, he talked with patients about their insurance problems. He told the magazine that he plans to draw heavily on his business experience after he graduates. “I’ll be able to use my leadership and financial skills. If you have that knowledge, you can educate patients and make their lives easier,” he said. Clinical nurse leaders, the article notes, serve as “a liaison between patients and the rest of the healthcare team, including hospital administrators and insurance companies, with the aim of improving patient outcomes.”
New Student Group Hosts Renowned Speakers Leaders in Healthcare (LHC), the first student group on the Seton Hall campus to integrate students from all health science fields, hosted speakers from around the country. LHC was formed in Fall 2011 and was originally led by officers who were all clinical nurse leader (CNL) students: Heather Heil, Peta-Kaye Johnson, Kristyn Rotolo and DjennyAnn Marcelin. LHC fosters leadership, the use of evidencebased practice and patient advocacy among students. In Fall 2011, LHC hosted a discussion with NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” Season 11 Green Team, Jennifer and Jay Jacobs. The father-daughter team shed 295 pounds on the show. Jay is a resident of West Orange. Laura Tauscher ’00, R.N., CHPN, a hospice coordinator from Barnabas Health, spoke about praying with patients and how to incorporate spiritual care into practice in January 2012. In February, Sorrel King, author of Josie’s Story and a woman whose child passed away due to a series of medical errors, spoke about how to facilitate communication between the family and the healthcare team. More than 300 students and faculty attended the talk, which was co-sponsored by the College of Nursing. The issue of healthcare reform was addressed by guest speakers Jaime R. Torres, D.P.M., from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Barbara Wright, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, former state assemblywoman and Seton Hall professor, in March 2012. The semester closed Sorrel King (center) is one of several guest speakers who have teamed up with Leaders with an event co-sponsored in Healthcare to discuss trends and issues in by the Marriage and Family the healthcare industry. Therapy Group entitled “Dealing with a New Diagnosis.” Also in Spring 2012, Leaders in Healthcare partnered with South 17th Street Elementary School in Newark to bring Play 60, the National Football League’s campaign to fight childhood obesity, into the school. Over 50 volunteers and 60 students filled the school’s gymnasium for three Saturdays, learning about the importance of daily physical fitness and how to incorporate daily exercise into families’ routines.
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Leading the Advancement of Nursing
In response to the IOM report, the College of Nursing is preparing its Ph.D. scholars (left and below) for faculty positions.
THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP
By Judith T. Caruso, D.N.P., M.B.A., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE
I
n 2010, the Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Initiative on the Future of Nursing at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Following two years of assessment of the nursing industry and the need to transform the profession, the report was issued making recommendations for the purpose of being an action-oriented blueprint for the future of nursing (IOM, 2010). Seton Hall University College of Nursing has continued to take the initiative in moving forward in addressing the four key messages that structure the recommendations as presented in the report: 1. Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. 2. Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. 3. N urses should be full partners, with physicians and other healthcare professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States. 4. Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure.
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The IOM recommendation is to increase the proportion of professional nurses with a baccalaureate degree from a current national rate of 50% to 80% by 2020. The College of Nursing has been increasing its undergraduate enrollment to meet these needs, with over 800 undergraduate students enrolled this fall. The College provides a full spectrum of educational programs for the generic B.S.N. student, the second-degree student pursuing a B.S.N. (accelerated or nonaccelerated options), the second-degree student pursuing an entry-level M.S.N. degree in the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program, and the R.N.-to-B.S.N. student. The goal is to build on the educational knowledge and credits that the students bring to the College of Nursing to avoid any redundancy in their course work, while providing them with the opportunity to further their education. To meet the educational needs of professional nurses working in the community, the College of Nursing offers several “cohort” programs with discounted tuition for R.N.to-B.S.N. students and M.S.N. students with its healthcare system affiliates at Valley Hospital, Somerset Medical Center, Meridian Health System and Atlantic Health System. Since the admission of its first CNL class in 2007, the College of Nursing has offered New Jersey’s only innovative second-degree program for students pursuing the entry-level
M.S.N. degree. The CNL role was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) with the major goal of “providing strategic nursing leadership and putting evidence-based practice into action to assure patients benefit from innovative care and delivery.” The competencies, framework for the curriculum and learning experiences include the domains of leadership, clinical outcomes management and care environment management focuses on the role components as client advocate, team manager and change agent, systems analyst/risk anticipator, outcomes manager, educator and life-long learner. The College of Nursing’s CNL graduates are leaders and active members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams across the healthcare continuum. To further a nurse’s graduate education, the College offers R.N. bridge to M.S.N. programs, advanced nursing practice degrees as an M.S.N. for adult/gerontology primary care or acute nurse practitioners, as well as pediatric primary care nurse practitioners in addition to an M.S.N. major in health systems administration. In The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health a recommendation is made to increase the number of doctorally prepared nurses to 2% across the country by 2020, doubling the current 1% of nurses now prepared with doctorates. The College of Nursing offers one of only two Ph.D. nursing programs in New Jersey. The program continues to expand with over 50 Ph.D. students enrolled. The College of Nursing celebrated the graduation of its first
three Ph.D. graduates at its May 2012 commencement. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program, which began in 2009, is growing in size to meet the demand of continued learning. A new cohort of 10 students started in the program this fall. The first D.N.P. graduate is on pace to graduate next year. With the aging and shortage of nursing faculty and less than 1% of nurses prepared at the doctoral level, the College of Nursing was fortunate to receive Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) funding in 2009 and again in 2011, totaling over $4.5 million to fund two cohorts (10 fulltime Ph.D. students), all of whom are preparing for faculty positions. These RWJF Scholars receive full tuition, fees and books for their five years in the Ph.D. program, along with yearly $50,000 stipends to support them while they study full-time. The first cohort of five students is expected to complete the program and their dissertations for graduation in 2013, while the second cohort of another five students should complete their studies and graduate in 2016. In addition, the College of Nursing just received funding for its first Jonas Scholar, Carmen Torres, who is preparing to become a faculty member as well. The College is fortunate to help other graduate nurses preparing at the master’s and doctoral levels for faculty positions with federal government Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) funding, totaling over $300,000 for 2012-13. This competitive application resulted in much needed resources as a loan forgiveness program for the College’s graduates who become full-time faculty members.
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In order for nurses to assume greater leadership roles, the College of Nursing’s nurse education courses are embedded with leadership-related competencies throughout the curriculum, along with a culture that values leadership among its students and continues to promote these values among its graduates. At the College’s Diamond Jubilee 75th Anniversary Gala Celebration, the College of Nursing added more Hall of Honor Honorees to its list of accomplished nurse leaders. The College of Nursing has always been committed to an ethnically, culturally and gender mixed faculty and student body, reflecting the communities it serves. Its first New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Men in Nursing was started in 2012, led by senior classman Eddie Cuza, to represent the needs of men in nursing and utilize their visibility to bring more men into the College of Nursing’s programs. With over 18% male undergraduates enrolled, the College greatly surpasses the national average of 10%.
Additionally, in response to The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, New Jersey formed state-wide Action Coalitions to develop focused action plans for the state. Dr. Judy Caruso, associate dean, leads the Education Pillar subcommittee on Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Residencies to develop a plan to implement a pilot primary care APRN residency program in New Jersey, aiding the transition of a new graduate APRN into busy primary care practices. Full-time faculty member Dr. Eileen Toughill and adjunct faculty member Barbara Smith also participate on this important initiative in New Jersey. In the years to come, Seton Hall College of Nursing will continue to be a leader in the transformation of nursing through academic excellence, strategic alliances with the New Jersey Action Coalition and involved participation in national initiatives.
(Left) The College’s Ph.D. scholars continue to reap the benefits of a generous grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which supports the education of nurses at the doctoral level. (Bottom) Senior Eddie Cuza recently spearheaded the launch of the College’s first New Jersey chapter of the American Society for Men in Nursing.
COMMUNITY ROOTS, GLOBAL GOALS By Kristyn Kent-Wuillermin
C. Alicia Georges ’65, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, chairperson of the Department of Nursing at Lehman College, of the City University of New York, president of the National Black Nurses Foundation, Inc., and College of Nursing alumna, has raised the bar in academics, research and community activism. She recently spent a few minutes reflecting on her impressive career.
You worked as a community nurse in New York after you graduated from Seton Hall. How did this experience affect you as a nurse? I was a visiting nurse from 196575 and I absolutely loved it. Many students want to work in hospitals, but I tell them if a person lives to be 100 years old, they only spend a short time in the hospitals – community nursing is where the action is! You get to see people in their homes, as they truly are. Any challenges? Of course. There was a huge drug epidemic – people were doing heroin and there were some buildings in New York that we couldn’t even enter. Treating children who were suffering from withdrawals was difficult. In the beginning we didn’t have escorts, but then we needed to have someone accompany us into these uncomfortable areas. New York is much safer now – I would say it’s as safe as any city. When you were honored at the College of Nursing’s tea celebrating Black History Month, I learned about all of your accomplishments and achievements and yet, the thing that struck me was your genuine delight and enthusiasm for your classmate’s and colleagues’ accomplishments, as though you were more excited for them than for yourself. I just have the greatest respect for people who do what they do every day with no thought of monetary gain, and it makes me happy to get up and go to work every day. Brenda Bennett (a fellow Seton Hall nursing classmate, who continued on to medical school) could have specialized in plastic surgery or gone into practice anywhere, but she chose to open her office
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in Harlem. And I just have the greatest admiration for Annette Hubbard (’65, R.N., B.S.N., M.A.), who has made such a difference in our community. How has your position as a black female leader in education helped you make strides toward your goals of eliminating health disparities and improving the health of minorities and the disadvantaged? We have fair, equitable admission criteria, but we get the opportunity to increase the ethnic mix and admit students who can serve as role models. People respond better when treated by someone with similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We are able to ensure that nurses who work in our neighborhoods are reflective of the population they serve. I know that you love to travel. Can you tell me your favorite place that you have visited? The College of Nursing honored C. Alicia My two favorite places Georges for her achievements at its most would be Cape Town recent Black History Month Tea. (South Africa) and Hong Kong. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and it reminds me of St. Thomas, where I was born. Hong Kong is one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world. You can meet everybody and do everything, yet there are still strong Asian traditions – I love the contrast. Favorite restaurant in NYC? Le Bernardin, but I only go on special occasions!
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THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR “FELLOW” NURSES
A PROMISING PARTNERSHIP By Kristyn Kent-Wuillermin
By Christine Aromando, M.A. ’06 Recently, the College of Nursing solidified a five-year articulation program in collaboration with Montclair State University (MSU)’s biology department, beginning in the 2012-13 academic year. It is a dual-degree program in which enrolled MSU students complete a B.S. in biology from MSU and earn an M.S.N. from Seton Hall University.
T
hey are 1,900 of the most accomplished individuals in the nursing profession. They are also leaders and among the nation’s most highly educated citizens; more than 80 percent of these men and women hold doctoral degrees, while the rest have completed their master’s. Each day, they live their careers with a clear mission: to serve the nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis and dissemination of nursing knowledge. They are the members of the American Academy of Nursing. Founded in 1973, the Academy relies on its members, known as Fellows, to enhance health outcomes and the healthcare delivery system through their expertise, innovative solutions and partnerships. New Fellows are inducted each year at the Academy’s Annual Meeting and Conference. According to Joanne Disch, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, president of the Academy, the 2012 Class of Fellows included 176 new inductees. Seton Hall University College of Nursing currently boasts 22 alumni who have been inducted into the Academy, and several more faculty members including Dean Phyllis Hansell, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, who was inducted in 2001, and Mary Ellen Roberts, D.N.P., R.N., APN, C, FAANP, FAAN, who was part of the 2012 Class of Fellows. What follows are highlights of some inducted alumni. Veronica F. Rempusheski ’75, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, FGSA, is the first nurse in South Carolina to receive American Nurses Association certification in gerontological nursing. Rempusheski conducted research with Linda Phillips, Ph.D., R.N., on decision-making in elder abuse and neglect that was published in Nursing Research in 1985 and was identified as a scientific breakthrough. She is currently the Jeanne K. Buxbaum Chair of Nursing Science at the University of Delaware. Richard Hader, M.S.N. ’87, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, has led the effort for Meridian Health to be the first health system in the country to receive the Magnet Award – the highest level of national achievement a nursing organization can receive from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He is the senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Meridian Health, as well as editor-in-chief of Nursing Management. Robert G. Hess Jr., M.S.N. ’88, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, has done extensive research involving the development of the only current valid and reliable instruments that measure governance by professionals in healthcare organizations. Researchers, consultants and administrators have used these instruments to assess, implement and evaluate shared governance programs and to pursue
Magnet status in almost 200 hospitals and healthcare systems. He is currently executive vice president of global programming for Gannett Healthcare Group and leader of Gannett Education. Toni J. Sullivan ’62, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, dean of the University of Missouri’s School of Nursing, achieved the ambitious design of a new model of senior health care called Aging in Place. She also co-chaired for over two years a statewide project in Missouri to develop collaborative practice guidelines for physicians and nurses, resulting in a book titled Collaboration: A Health Care Imperative. Mary Ann Christopher, M.S.N. ’82, R.N., FAAN, saw the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group grow from a twocounty provider to a statewide asset, developing a broad array of programs, including clinics for the poor and a mobile nursing program to the deinstitutionalized mentally ill. She is now president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the largest not-for-profit community-based home healthcare organization in the United States. She is also a Seton Hall University regent.
The agreement initially targets biology majors at MSU, who upon meeting admission criteria, can matriculate into the Master’s Entry – Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program at Seton Hall. Once the process is streamlined, the schools anticipate enrollment from other science majors at MSU. The programs complement each other; enrollees are able to complete their undergraduate degree, earn their M.S.N. and become licensed as registered nurses in five years. Students complete their baccalaureate credit requirements – as well as their CNL prerequisites – at MSU, and then continue in the CNL program at Seton Hall. The CNL program prepares students for an advanced generalist role in nursing as they learn to improve safety and quality outcomes for patients
and to provide cost-effective care. Students are eligible to sit for the CNL certification exam during the summer prior to graduating. The two universities will also partner on research opportunities. The affiliation includes a Speaker Exchange Series in which faculty, staff and students present their research topics at both schools which, besides introducing students to diverse and engaging topics, also promotes dialogue among faculty and the opportunity to discuss shared research interests. So far, the speakers have included Diana Thomas, Ph.D., associate professor within the Department of Mathematical Sciences at MSU, who presented her research on body composition models for use within energy balance equations. Ann Marie DiLorenzo, Ph.D., professor of biology and molecular biology at MSU, shared her research on the effects of World Trade Center dust on cells grown in culture. The College of Nursing looks forward to cultivating this partnership with MSU as both universities continue to grow and evolve.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP TO MEET
COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE NEEDS
Even with the impressive backgrounds of these esteemed individuals, becoming an Academy Fellow is no easy task. Jocelyn Cunic, the Academy’s membership manager, states that applicants undergo an extensive application and review process. Among other criteria, they must demonstrate significant contributions to nursing and health care, and they must be sponsored by two current Fellows.
By Eileen Toughill, Ph.D., R.N., APN, CNL; Judith Caruso, D.N.P., M.B.A., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE; and Mary Ellen Roberts, D.N.P., R.N., APN, C, FAANP, FAAN
Being an Academy Fellow, says Sullivan, is enriching and provides a certain validation of your professional self. Hess echoes her sentiment: “Holding membership in the Academy gives you a certain status in the minds of nurses that just is not to be had through any other affiliation.” And what specific role can the Academy play in one’s career? For Hader and Christopher, it has allowed them to work with nursing leaders with invaluable experience and mentorship. Rempusheski muses on what the Academy has done for her particular research focus: “I’ve collaborated with nurse leaders in aging as a member of the Expert Panel on Aging, and I continue to be inspired by the passion and dedication of my colleagues.”
This community-academic partnership involves two SMA programs: the Urban Healthcare Initiative Program (UHIP), which works with faith communities in Newark and surrounding communities, and the Senior Housing Outreach Program (SHOP), which provides services for older adults living in low income housing in Bergen, Paterson and Essex counties. Through these programs, nurse practitioners lead interdisciplinary mobile assessment teams of nurses, social workers, medical assistants and outreach workers to create a healthcare home for at-risk individuals with chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease. The team provides on-site primary care services, including assessment and testing, diagnosis, treatment and referral to necessary services. The overall goals are to reduce disparities in healthcare access and delivery, improve health outcomes and reduce cost of care.
Looking ahead, the Academy has four strategic goals that it will strive to achieve within the next few years, involving the advancement of evidencebased innovations, the influence of health policy, the promotion of knowledge development and the establishment of a policy-ready infrastructure. One might say that with such an impressive group of Fellows at the helm, the Academy is in a great position to achieve each and every one of them.
The UHIP and SHOP sites will be utilized as faculty practice and clinical sites for entry-intopractice and advanced practice students. It is anticipated that clinical nurse leader and doctoral students will participate in program development and research activities.
Seton Hall University College of Nursing, in a collaboration initiated by Dean Phyllis Hansell, is partnering with Salerno Medical Associates (SMA) to improve health care in the community.
As part of this partnership, College of Nursing faculty and students have also developed a 10-week health educational program for community leader volunteers. The healthcare series will be rolled out in Fall 2012 and will educate and empower community leaders to become disseminators of health information in their communities. Based on the Chronic Care Model of care provision and the self-efficacy theory, the community-academic program is designed to support health promotion, use of healthy behaviors and each patient’s ability to direct and improve his/her own health.
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SETTING DOWN ROOTS IN GEORGIA By Kristyn Kent-Wuillermin
James Fletcher Lawrence Jr. ’96, Ph.D., APRN, BC, FAANP, CPS, an adult/gerontological nurse practitioner and a graduate of the College’s Accelerated Second Degree B.S.N. program, was recently honored with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners’ 2012 State Award for Excellence in Georgia. Lawrence is involved in almost all aspects of nursing; he is employed by the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, in addition to working at Guardian Hospice. He is also an associate professor and owns his own consulting firm, Aging Successfully, LLC, which specializes in geriatrics. Lawrence recently took a few moments to chat with Outcomes about his professional career.
Persevering through the unique challenges male nurses can face, James Fletcher Lawrence devotes his career to working with the elderly and injured military personnel.
that each of us can make a significant difference in the lives of others. [Seton Hall faculty] believed in me when I was drowning in doubt. They helped me develop selfconfidence, even though I was not the smartest or most outgoing student. I learned to face failure, embrace it and learn from it, and my mantra is, “Every setback is a set up for a comeback!” These lessons of survival as a nursing student and throughout my professional career have helped me look at my AIDS patients, my traumatic brain injury veterans, my cancer patients and my frail, dying elderly patients – and made me a better nurse and human being.
You lived in South Carolina. How did you choose Seton Hall University College of Nursing in New Jersey? My family owned a nursing home and the nursing director was an alum of Seton Hall. She would tell us compelling stories about her experiences, and they really made me want to attend the College of Nursing. You currently work with severely injured military personnel, including those living in chronic pain and those in hospice care – populations that are particularly vulnerable and possess unique challenges to their providers. Was there something in your personal life that made you feel strongly about working with these patients? I always viewed myself as the underdog. I empathize with these underrepresented groups who aren’t among the most popular specialties in nursing. In America, we would never allow an individual to be overtly racist or sexist – yet ageism occurs all the time. It is very subtle and people aren’t even cognizant of it most of the time. Combating ageism by strengthening awareness of its presence is a huge priority for me. I have a strong faith, which was enhanced by the Seton Hall nursing faculty, and I believe
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As a male in nursing, you are part of an underrepresented group. The College of Nursing has made great strides to increase our male students; we even have the only American Assembly of Men in Nursing Chapter in New Jersey. Has your gender affected your nursing experiences? Males in nursing face unique challenges — many people don’t know that nursing originated with men, 1,500 years before Florence Nightingale came on the scene. It doesn’t surprise me that Seton Hall’s College of Nursing is taking the lead in this uncharted area. Society often unconsciously inhibits our professional growth and can even damage our self-esteem with prejudice and stereotypes of male nurses. As a result, men in nursing often encounter three common obstacles: gender discrimination, resistant patients and constant questions about career choices.
THE COLLEGE CELEBRATES ITS FIRST PH.D. GRADUATES By Kristyn Kent-Wuillermin Mary Jo Bugel, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.L., CNE, NJ-CSN, Kathleen Leo, Ph.D., APN-BC, and Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., R.N., NEA-BC, all successfully defended their dissertations and set a new milestone at the College of Nursing by becoming its first Ph.D. graduates. Additionally, Diane McClure, M.S.N., R.N., CCRN, CPNP, is scheduled to be the College’s first D.N.P. graduate in Spring 2013. Bugel’s research, which was accepted for publication in Pediatric Nursing, focused on the experiences of siblings of children with traumatic injuries. The main themes that emanated from the study were compassion, a difficult experience and changes and constants. Clyne completed a qualitative study entitled “Connective Leadership: Chief Nursing Officers’ Relationships to Their Staff Nurses from an Acute Care Hospital Setting,” which included research from six CNOs. The results demonstrated that these CNOs do have concerns about their staff nurses and do appreciate the day-to-day challenges of their jobs and their personal lives. Leo’s qualitative research study focused on understanding, describing and interpreting the lived experience of forgiving in a marriage. Leo notes that the learning experiences within Seton Hall are challenging and encompass so much more than didactic work. “I can’t help but think of the joy I received from all the individuals throughout the University who crossed my path. It’s not all about me or my accomplishments. It was always about individuals sharing the human experience.” McClure implemented an evidence-based protocol on infant-driven feeding for her scholarly project in the Pediatric Advanced Practice Nursing track. When discussing her experience with the College of Nursing, McClure stated, “I completed my post-master’s certificate here, I taught here and I’m back for my D.N.P.; I really value the educational experience here.” The doctoral programs enable nurses to earn their terminal degree as researchers (Ph.D.) or leaders in clinical practice or administration (D.N.P.). The Ph.D. program began in 2005 and was supplemented by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The D.N.P. program – online in January 2013 (see sidebar) – began in 2009 and provides tracks for Advanced Practice Nursing (Adult/Gerontology primary or acute care, and Pediatrics primary care) and Health Systems Administration. Ten Ph.D. students are currently supported by two grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a total of $4.5 million in funding. These grants are focused on supporting full-time Ph.D. students who are preparing to be nursing faculty. These students receive full tuition and a $50,000 stipend annually. The purpose of this funded project is to address the serious national shortage of nursing faculty.
D.N.P. GOES VIRTUAL By Mary Ellen Roberts, D.N.P., R.N., APN, C, FAANP, FAAN
Seton Hall University College of Nursing is proud to announce that the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program will be offered entirely online beginning Spring 2013. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, “The changing demands of this nation’s complex healthcare environment require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes. The Institute of Medicine, Joint Commission, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other authorities have called for reconceptualizing educational programs that prepare today’s health professionals.” The College of Nursing’s D.N.P. program is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses to meet the demands of the healthcare system. The program is a 36-45 credit program for the student who has completed an M.S.N. with a major in Advanced Practice Nursing and/or Health Systems Administration. For the B.S.N. graduate, the program is 72 credits, resulting in a D.N.P. which will ultimately displace the M.S.N. for advanced practice nursing. Students may choose an Advanced Practice Nursing concentration and/or a concentration in Health Systems Administration. They follow a curriculum comprised of core courses that develop the relationships between healthcare policy, theory, research, epidemiology, ethics, organizational systems, finance and evidence-based practice. Students then complete the last 12 credits in a clinical mentorship in which they build upon knowledge from previous course work to identify and implement a culturally competent, evidence-based practice project in their chosen concentration. Graduates of the D.N.P. program improve the health care of diverse populations through application of research, analysis of healthcare systems and leadership in development of practice models, health policy and standards of care.
Even today, with all of my education and experience, I still encounter these outdated assumptions about why I became a doctor of philosophy instead of a medical doctor. I try to use these real-life situations as teachable moments for my students, so that we can learn from them and forge ahead to an even playing field for men and women.
To learn more about how you can earn your D.N.P. online, contact Mary Ellen Roberts, program director, at maryellen.roberts@shu.edu or (973) 275-2497.
The College of Nursing’s first Ph.D. graduates (pictured here with Dean Phyllis Hansell) are well on their way to a successful career in nursing research.
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BECTON DICKINSON AWARDS SUPPORT OVERSEAS
STUDENT EXPERIENCES By Judith Caruso, D.N.P., M.B.A., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE
Through the generosity of the Becton Dickinson Foundation and the Independent College Fund of New Jersey, five students each received $2,000 supporting overseas experiences. Two of the students, Katherine Hooper and Grace Modayil, called it the “opportunity of a lifetime.” Katherine Hooper studied community health nursing in Fall 2011 at the Metropolitan University School of Nursing in Denmark, obtaining clinical experience at Metropol University Hospital, Glostrup Hospital and Vanlose Community Care. Hooper was able to learn about the Danish socialized medicine healthcare system and to care for patients at home. As part of the Seton Hall University Petersheim Symposium in April 2012, Hooper delivered a presentation titled “Healthcare in Denmark and the United States – A Personal Reflection on a Study Abroad Experience in Grace Modayil (bottom, second from left) and Katherine Hooper (top, second from right) were among a group of student researchers who presented at the University’s Petersheim Symposium earlier this year.
Denmark” to share her experience with her colleagues. She states, “I more fully realize how universal professional nursing is in our values, knowledge, caring and compassion. Depending on translators helped me better appreciate the art of communication, both verbal and non-verbal, with my patients and their families.” Living in a dorm in Denmark with other international students, Hooper developed lasting international friendships. Grace Modayil explored community health nursing in urban and rural settings with other Seton Hall College of Nursing students and faculty in collaboration with the nursing students from the University of the Philippines in January 2012. She also presented highlights of her learning experience at the Petersheim Symposium; her presentation was titled “Dengue Fever and Malaria as Global Health Issues in the Philippines, Africa, and South Pacific Islands.” Modayil said that she learned much about conditions abroad that created different health challenges than seen here in the U.S. She experienced first-hand what it was like to provide care to mothers and children in clinics and schools with little high-tech equipment. She recalls, “I really valued the openness of the Filipino nursing student colleagues to ‘share’ their patients and clinical experiences with us, the Seton Hall nursing students. We learned so much.” Both Hooper and Modayil graduated from the B.S.N. program in 2012. The grant proposal was written by Dean Phyllis Hansell, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, and the results of the project were presented at the International Research Congress of Sigma Theta Tau in 2012 in Brisbane, Australia. A total of five students were supported by this grant.
THE COLLEGE OF NURSING’S FIRST JONAS SCHOLAR By Judith Caruso, D.N.P., M.B.A., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE
Seton Hall University College of Nursing announces Carmen Torres, M.S., M.S.N., R.N., as its Jonas Scholar. The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence established the Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholars Program in 2008 to address the nation’s dire shortage of nursing faculty prepared with doctoral degrees. As a collaborative agreement with the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence and the College of Nursing, Torres will receive an annual $10,000 scholarship for two years as a new Fall 2012 Ph.D. student. Torres was born in Puerto Rico and is the oldest of six siblings. Torres’s achievement in academic excellence was recognized even in high school as she graduated in the top of her class and received a Congressional Award of Merit. Her educational path reflects her belief in being a lifelong learner. She began as a nursing aide, then as an LPN. This was followed by a B.S.N. from William Paterson University in 2004, an M.S. in Health Sciences from New Jersey City University in 2010 and a recent Master of Science degree with an emphasis on nursing education from William Paterson University. Throughout her career, Torres has grown from being a staff nurse in various healthcare settings, to her current position for the past eight years as an instructional certified school nurse for an inner-city high school in Paterson, New Jersey, while living in the community striving to make an impact through nursing as a leader and role model. With her commitment to professional responsibilities, Torres is active as the vice president of the Passaic County School Nurses Association, as well as an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). Being aware of the current nursing faculty shortages, especially among Hispanic nurses, has given Torres the drive and determination to be a contributor to the future of nursing by becoming a nursing scholar and role model for the Hispanic community.
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RECOGNIZING SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
By Judith Caruso, D.N.P., M.B.A., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE
F
or her commitment to the profession of nursing and to her patients, Seton Hall University and the College of Nursing were proud to present Sheila Lenihan Walsh ’69, APRN, BC, with the 2012 Alumni Service Award at the Many Are One Alumni Gala in June 2012. What words best describe this fiery red-head? “Compassionate,” “professional,” “a true family advocate” and “a change agent” are a few that come to mind.
Those who know and work with Walsh know that she never wants to be the center of attention. Over the years, she has worked in her quiet, resourceful collaborative way to bring about many changes. She has worked at numerous hospitals throughout New Jersey, including University Hospital in Newark, Overlook Medical Center in Summit and the former United Hospital in Newark. As she states, “I don’t just want to improve care for one child and family, but to change the systems of care to better serve all children and families so they receive quality care that is cost effective.”
Walsh earned her B.S.N. from Seton Hall University College of Nursing and her M.A. with a major in parent-child nursing and a minor in education from New York University. She was always a leader even as a Seton Hall student, serving as the president of the Student Government Association. Walsh was recently honored by her alma mater as the recipient of the College of Nursing’s 2010 Haley Award. She also spends time as an adjunct professor at the College. Walsh has devoted her professional nursing career to the care of pediatric patients and their families. She has developed and led many innovative programs to meet the needs of pediatric patients, from “Benji the Bandage Bear,” which helps children cope with the stress of hospitalization, to the safe use of patient-controlled analgesia in a family-centered approach to manage the pain of pediatric patients. In addition, she developed a variety of support programs to address the needs of families who lost children to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, those with perinatal losses and those with children who have asthma and adolescents with scoliosis. She designed and implemented the first program in New Jersey that enabled parents to accompany their children into the operating room. Walsh has been recognized throughout the state for her clinical excellence, receiving the NJ State Nurses Association C.A.R.E. Award for Nursing Excellence in Clinical Nursing Practice in 1994 and a certificate of accomplishment from the NJ Department of Health for “Excellence in Nursing Practice” in 1990. Her articles have been published in peer reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Nursing, Chronic Care Nursing and Home Healthcare Nurse. In addition, she has a chapter published in Pediatric Palliative Care. Currently, Walsh is the director of program services for the Circle of Life Children’s Center (COLCC). The COLCC is a free-standing nonprofit program, targeting children who need interdisciplinary palliative care services for their life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. The program’s neonatal palliative care services are the first of their kind in New Jersey. Hundreds of children and their families have benefitted from receiving a full spectrum of interdisciplinary coordinated services for end-of-life care in their communities with quality services and dignity. Walsh states, “I enjoy helping and empowering parents to be more involved in meaningful ways for the benefit of their children and their families – ways that help them partner with the healthcare team.”
Honored at Seton Hall University’s Many Are One Alumni Gala (top, with Dean Phyllis Hansell and President A. Gabriel Esteban) and the College of Nursing’s Haley Awards (bottom), Sheila Lenihan Walsh has made a successful career out of caring for pediatric patients and their families.
NURSING WELCOMES NEW FACULTY THE COLLEGE OF
VIRGINIA M. CLERKIN, D.H.Ed., M.S.N., R.N., CTN-A, Assistant Professor, earned a B.S.N. and M.S.N. in Nursing Education from Ramapo College, as well as a Doctor of Health Education from A.T. Still University. She held a prior academic appointment at Dominican College of Blauvelt and has held clinical appointments at North Shore Medical Center, Mercy Hospital and Waveny Care Center, and was a school nurse at Wilton High School. She has presented her work at state and regional meetings. Her publications have been included in Nursing Spectrum and Advance for Nurses. KATHERINE A. CONNOLLY, M.S.N., APRN-BC, Instructor, earned her diploma in nursing from Muhlenberg Hospital School of Nursing, her B.S.N. from Kean University and an M.S.N. as an Adult Nurse Practitioner from Seton Hall’s College of Nursing. She has past teaching experience and works as an APRN in Somerset Medical Center. She also has published in the Nurse Practitioner Journal. Virginia M. Clerkin
Katherine A. Connolly
JUDITH EGAN, M.S.N., R.N., Instructor, earned a B.S. in Home Economics, then went on to become a nurse, receiving her diploma from the Ann May School of Nursing and her M.S.N. in Education from Monmouth University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and has held various positions as a staff R.N. at Ocean Medical Center.
Susan B. Darby
Judith Egan
Marcia Gardner
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SUSAN B. DARBY, M.S.N., RNC, Assistant Professor, earned a B.S.N. degree from Lycoming College, an M.S.N. from Syracuse University in Adult Health Nursing and is currently ABD in the Ph.D. program at Capella University. Her previous academic appointments have included Georgia College and State University, as well as Wilkes University. She has served in the U.S. Army as a First and Second Lieutenant in Labor and Delivery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for superior job performance, the National Service Medal for military service during the Persian Gulf War, the Army Silver Ribbon and the Army Superior Unit Award. Her scholarship includes two publications in Nursing for Women’s Health on “Traditional Chinese: A complement to conventional medicine for women’s health and on pre- and perinatal care of Hispanic families.”
MARCIA GARDNER, Ph.D., R.N., CPNP, CPN, Associate Professor, earned a B.S.N. from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Nursing with a focus in Child Adolescent Nursing at New York University, a post master’s certificate as a child health practitioner from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She has prior academic appointments at Rutgers University, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Saint Peter’s College, Drexel University and Long Island University. At Drexel, she also served as assistant dean for the M.S.N. Department and chair of the R.N./B.S.N. program. She holds certification as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and is a manuscript reviewer for Pediatric Nursing and the Journal of Child Health. Her peer-reviewed publications have appeared in the American Journal of Nursing, Journal of School Nursing, Journal of Nurse Practitioners and Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. She has served as past vice president of the Nu Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau and as secretary of the New Jersey Association of Neonatal Nurses. In 2012, Gardner co-authored a nursing text book titled Nursing of Autism Spectrum Disorder: EvidenceBased Integrated Care Across the Lifespan.
JUDITH LUCAS, Ed.D., APRN-BC, Associate Professor, earned her B.S.N. from Saint Anselm College, M.S. from Boston College and Ed.D. from Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. Lucas has extensive grant writing experience and has done research work on grant funded projects. She has more than 10 years of experience working at the Rutgers University Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. Lucas has presented extensively at national and regional conferences and provided extensive consultations to facilities and healthcare agencies. She has published book chapters as well as books and has peerreviewed publications in journals such as Medical Care, International Psychogeriatrics, Administrative Policy for Mental Health, The Gerontologist, Applied Nursing Research and Scholarly Inquiry for Nursing Practice: An International Journal. PATRICIA PAPPAS, M.S.N., R.N., Instructor, earned her B.S.N. at Villanova University and M.S.N. from Columbia University in the Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist track. She has held clinical appointments at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia, Overlook Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where she was a clinical nurse in the Special Care Unit and a clinical instructor in the Department of Nursing Education.
Judith Lucas
Patricia Pappas
JANET REGAN-LIVINGSTON, M.S.N., FNP, Instructor, earned her A.D.N. from Bergen Community College, B.S. in Marketing from Montclair State University, M.S.N. as an Adult Nurse Practitioner from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and a post-master’s certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Rutgers University College of Nursing. She has extensive experience as a nurse manager, nurse educator and advance practice nurse. MARY ELLEN ROBERTS, D.N.P., R.N., APNC, FAANP, FAAN, Assistant Professor, earned her A.A.S. in Nursing from Somerset County College, B.S.N. from the College of Saint Elizabeth and M.S.N. as an Adult Nurse Practitioner, as well as her M.A. in Nursing Education from Seton Hall University and D.N.P. from the University of Iowa. She holds double certification as a Nurse Practitioner in Adult Health and in Acute Care, both from ANCC. Roberts is past president and a fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She has been recognized for her excellence in practice by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and has been a recipient of the Governor’s Nursing Merit Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice and the Catherine Denning Award at Seton Hall for the Promotion of Healthcare in the Community. She is a founding member and past president of the Mu Theta Chapter, as well as a member of the Gamma Nu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. Roberts also serves as a reviewer for the American Journal of Nursing and the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. MARY PATRICIA WALL, Ph.D., R.N., Associate Professor, earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Asian Studies from Carlton College, an M.S. in Nursing from the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University, an M.S.N. from Case Western Reserve University in Medical Surgical Nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist with a subspecialty in Respiratory Nursing and a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Maryland. She has previously held faculty appointments at the University of Louisville, College of New Rochelle and at the University of Pennsylvania. Her clinical experience has included positions at Bellevue Hospital, Mercy Hospital in Baltimore and at University Hospitals of Cleveland. She is certified as a clinical specialist in Adult Health Nursing by ANCC. She is a member of the Iota Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau and the Nursing Assembly of the American Thoracic Society. She serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Nursing Scholarship and the Western Journal of Nursing Research. Wall has received several grants to support her scholarship. She has done numerous presentations of her research at national and international conferences and has published in the Journal of Addictive Diseases, American Journal of Nursing, Perspectives in Respiratory Nursing and Journal of Nursing Scholarship.
Janet Regan-Livingston
Mary Ellen Roberts
Mary Patricia Wall
Judith Lucas (left) and Janet Regan-Livingston (right) are just two of the impressive new names that have been added to the College’s faculty list.
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faculty achievements
College of Nursing faculty members continue to showcase their dedication to and expertise in the healthcare industry through a variety of achievements and publications. The following are just a few notable examples of what they have accomplished:
Degrees Earned Ho-Shing, D. Earned Ph.D. in Nursing from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey. Dissertation Title: “Relationships Among Nurses’ Exercise Beliefs, Personal Experience With Exercise, and Exercise Counseling Behaviors for Women With Breast Cancer Experiencing Treatment-Induced Cancer-Related Fatigue.” Mesler, D. Earned Ph.D. in Health Sciences from the School of Health and Medical Sciences at Seton Hall University. Dissertation Title: “A Comparative Study of Cultural Competence Curricula in Baccalaureate Nursing Programs.”
Grants Sternas, K. and Melendez Pallitto, L. Co-Project Investigators on a research grant entitled “Kids on the Move: Evaluation of an Intervention Program to Reduce Obesity and Overweight in School Age Children” funded by the Aetna Foundation, November 2011.
Honors Carolina, D. Received the Nurse Research Award by The Concerned Black Nurses of Newark, the local chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. Clerkin, V. Named director of the College of Nursing’s Clinical Nurse Leader program. Hansell, P. Nominated by Governor Chris Christie to serve on the State of New Jersey’s Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF) Commission.
Johnson, P. and Wesley, Y. (2012). “Scholarly Perspectives on Obesity Among Black Women.” ABNF Journal, 23(3), pp. 46-50. Lothian, J. (2012). “Risk, Safety and Choice in Childbirth.” Journal of Perinatal Education, 21(1), pp. 45-48. Lothian, J. and Grauer, A. (2012). “Giving Birth: ‘We Just Don’t Talk About It’.” Journal of Perinatal Education, 21(2), pp. 123-126. Lucas, J.; Bowblis, J.R.; Crystal, S. and Intrator, O. (2011). “Response to Regulatory Stringency: The Case of Antipsychotic Medication Use in Nursing Homes.” Health Economics, 21, pp. 977-993. Lucas, J.A.; Siegel, M.; Akincigil, A.; Gaboda, D.; Hoover, D.R.; Kalay, E. and Crystal, S. (2012). “Race, Education, and the Treatment of Depression in Nursing Homes.” Journal of Aging & Health, 24(5), pp. 752-778. Lucas, J.A.; Huybrechts, K.F.; Schneeweiss, S.; Gerhard, T.; Olfson, M.; Avorn, J.; Levin, R. and Crystal, S. (2012). “Comparative Safety of Antipsychotic Medications in Nursing Home Residents.” Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 60(3), pp.420-429. Lucas, J.A. and Bowblis, J.R. (2012). “The Impact of State Regulations on Nursing Home Care Practices.” Journal of Regulatory Economics, 42(1), pp. 52-72. Roberts, M. and Berg, J. (2012). “Recognition, Regulation, Scope of Practice: Nurse Practitioners’ Growing Pains.” Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 24(3), pp. 121-123.
Lothian, J. Served as a member of the planning committee for the Home Birth Consensus Summit in Warrenton, VA in October 2011.
Roberts, M. (2012). “The Role of Olmesartan MedoxomilBased Combination Therapy in the Management of Hypertension: A Review for Nurse Practitioners.” Internet Journal of Advanced Nursing Practice, 11(2).
Johnson, P. Named Nurse Educator of the Year by the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association.
Seides, R. (2012). “Effect of Personality Traits on Compliance with Type 2 Diabetes Regimens.” American Journal for Nurse Practitioners.
Johnson, P. Received the Nurse of the Year Award by The Concerned Black Nurses of Newark, the local chapter of the National Black Nurses Association.
Seides, R. (2012). “Personality Traits Predict Compliance with Type 2 Diabetes Regimens.” Journal of Diabetes Nursing, 16(7), p. 295.
Petersen, B. Selected to serve on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing as a member of the item writing panel for NCLEX.
Wall, M.P.; El-Mallakh, P.L.; Chlebowy, D.O.; Myers, J.A. and Cloud, R.N. (2012). “Promoting Nurse Interventionist Fidelity to Motivational Interviewing in a Diabetes Self-Care Intervention.” Research in Nursing & Health, 35(3), pp. 289-300.
Roberts, M. Named director of the College of Nursing’s D.N.P. program. Toughill, E. Named director of the College of Nursing’s Accelerated B.S.N. program at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ.
Journal Articles Published Barra-Schneider, M. (2012). “The Effect of Medical Mathematics Retention Strategies in Decreasing Attrition Rate Among African American LPN Students in a Community College.” Journal of Cultural Diversity: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 20(4). Johnson, P. (2012). “Association of Perceived Racial Discrimination With Eating Behaviors and Obesity Among Participants of the Sister-Talk Study.” Journal of the National Black Nurses Association, 23(1).
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Other Publications Foley, M. and Galehouse, P. “Temperament and SelfRegulation.” Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health: A Resource for Advanced Practice Psychiatric and Primary Care Practitioners in Nursing, E.L. Yearwood, G. S. Pearson and J.A. Newland (Eds.). West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell, 2012. Galehouse, P.; Carroll, E. and Kilcoyne, A.W. “Advanced Practice Nurses Interfacing with the School System.” Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health: A Resource for Advanced Practice Psychiatric and Primary Care Practitioners in Nursing, E.L. Yearwood, G. S. Pearson and J.A. Newland (Eds.). West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell, 2012.
Galehouse, P.; Horton-Deutsch, S.; Bounds, D.; Phillips, D.; Hines-Martin, V. and Yearwood, E. “Together: Exploring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Preventing Exclusion in our Personal and Professional Lives.” Annual Conference of International Society of Psychiatric Nurses, Atlanta, GA, March 30, 2012. Gardner, M. “Insights into the Childbearing Experiences of Women with Asperger Syndrome.” Eastern Nursing Research Society 24th Annual Scientific Sessions, New Haven, CT, March 30, 2012.
Gardner, M. and Giarelli, E., Eds. Nursing of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence-Based Integrated Care Across the Lifespan. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2012. Lucas, J.A.; Huybrechts, K.F.; Gerhard, T.; Crystal, S.T.; Olfson, M.; Avorn, J.; Levin, R. and Schneeweiss, S. “Differential Risk of Death in Older Residents in Nursing Homes Prescribed Specific Antipsychotic Drugs: Population Based Cohort Study.” BMJ, published online, January 24, 2012, BMJ 2012;344:e977. Roberts, M. Co-writer. “New Guidelines on the Prevention of Heart Disease in Women: The Heart Truth.” Four-part continuing education series from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Presentations Delivered Barra-Schneider, M. “Nursing Faculty-to-Faculty Violence: The Aftershocks on Teaching, Learning, Workplace, and Self Evidence-Based Practice Research.” Poster presentation, Epsilon Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Annual Research Program, Henry P. Becton School of Nursing at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, March 1, 2012. Blozen, B. “Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Students: Perceptions of Success.” Sigma Theta Tau 23rd International Nursing Research Congress, Brisbane, Australia, August 2, 2012. Byrnes, M. “Servant Leadership in Nursing.” Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Student/Resident Experience & Rotations in Community Health/ Community Oriented Primary Care (SEARCH/COPC), June 29, 2012. Essoka, G. “Global Disparities in Maternal-Newborn Health.” Metropolitan University College, Denmark, December 16, 2011. Foley, M. “Mentoring New Ph.D. Students into the Professorial Role.” Sigma Theta Tau 23rd International Nursing Research Congress, Brisbane, Australia, August 2, 2012. Foley, M. “Auditory Processing Disorder: Examining the Interdisciplinary Role of the School Nurse.” National Association of School Nurses’ 44th Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 23, 2012. Foley, M. “Building Collaboratives in the U.S. and Global Communities: Successful Projects with School Nurses and School Nurse Educators.” National Association of School Nurses 44th Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 24, 2012. Fortier, M. “Predictors of Success on the NCLEXRN Among Transfer BSN Students.” Sigma Theta Tau 23rd International Nursing Research Congress, Brisbane, Australia, July 31, 2012. Galehouse, P. and Gerson, L. “Writing Abstracts and Objectives,” in B. Hart (Coordinator), “From a Thought to the Podium: Lessons for Professional Presentations.” Workshop Presented and the Abstract Published in the Proceedings of a Conference, Annual Conference of International Society of Psychiatric Nurses, Atlanta, GA, March 29, 2012.
Ho-Shing, D. “Relationships Among Nurses’ Exercise Beliefs, Personal Experience With Exercise, and Exercise Counseling Behaviors for Women With Breast Cancer Experiencing Treatment-Induced Cancer-Related Fatigue.” Ph.D. Residency Program, College of Nursing, Rutgers University, June 4, 2012. Huryk, M. and Rubino, J. “Use of Psychoactive Medications in the Elderly: Are We Killing or Saving Them?” Northern Chapter of the Forum of Nurse Practitioners (FNAP), Valley Hospital, Paramus, NJ, February 7, 2012. Lothian, J. “The Experience of Prenatal Care for Women who Choose Home Birth.” Lamaze International Conference, Fort Worth, TX, September 2011. Millman, F. “Factors Associated with Nurses’ Intentions to Educate Women Patients on Heart Disease Risk and Prevention.” Poster presentation, 9th Annual Conference Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA), Las Vegas, NV, March 22-24, 2012. Roberts, M. “Medication Adherence: A Global Problem.” American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 27th National Conference, Orlando, FL, June 2012. Roberts, M. “Women and Heart Disease: An Update on the 2011 Guidelines.” American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 27th National Conference, Orlando, FL, June 2012. Roberts, M. “Doctor of Nursing Practice Update 2012.” American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 27th National Conference, Orlando, FL, June 2012. Roberts, M. “Peripheral Arterial Disease: An Update on the 2011 Guidelines.” American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 27th National Conference, Orlando, FL, June 2012. Sternas, K.; Scharf, M.; Peterkin, R. and Summerly, J. “Promoting Healthy Minds and Bodies of Teenagers Through an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Risky Behaviors and Promote Good Values.” American Public Health Association Scientific Meeting, Washington D.C., October 31, 2011. Sternas, K.; Scharf, M. and Serrano, M. “A Global Health Initiative: A Collaborative Partnership Model to Increase Nursing Students’ Knowledge About Urban and Rural Community Health Nursing in the Philippines and Philippine Culture.” Poster presentation, Sigma Theta Tau 41st Biennial Convention, Grapevine, TX, October 31, 2011. Sternas, K.; Scharf, M.; Peterkin, R. and Summerly, J. “Parent-Teenager Communications About Risky Behaviors and Health: An Evaluation of an EvidenceBased Intervention with Implications for Health Policy.” Eastern Nursing Research Society 24th Annual Scientific Sessions, New Haven, CT, March 29, 2012. Sternas, K.; Scharf, M.; Peterkin, R. and Summerly, J. “Risky Behaviors in Teenagers, a Global Issue: Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Risky Behaviors with Implications for Practice, Education and Research.” Sigma Theta Tau 23rd International Nursing Research Congress, Brisbane, Australia, July 31, 2012. Toughill, E. “Urinary Incontinence and What Community Health Nurses Can Do.” Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, August 2012.
IN MEMORIAM By Kristyn Kent-Wuillermin
Ruth R. Hutchison ’63, Dr.P.H., APRN-BC The College of Nursing was saddened by the May 2012 passing of Ruth R. Hutchison ’63, Dr.P.H., APRN-BC, professor emeritus of Seton Hall University College of Nursing. Hutchison typified the servant leadership spirit that Seton Hall values and leaves behind a powerful legacy. She, along with Lillian Palumbo, Ph.D., developed the College’s School Nurse M.S.N. and certificate programs. Hutchison had a teaching career that spanned more than 40 years, and she “officially” worked with the College through 2008. She was the beloved wife of the late Patrick J. Hutchison and the loving mother of Rick Hutchison. Her close friend and colleague, Lucille Joel ’63, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, commented on the legacy Ruth leaves behind, saying: “The affection she held for the school is unparalleled, but of course Seton Hall has that way of calling out for the best in us, and providing the space and opportunity to grow and flourish.” The College of Nursing is most appreciative of Hutchison’s generous bequest, designated in her will to support nursing scholarships.
Kristen Veltri In March 2012, the College received equally devastating news: the loss of seconddegree B.S.N. student Kristen Veltri. Veltri, who had previously earned a degree in Spanish, entered the nursing field after her own experiences with health care and truly wanted to make a difference in the world. Her family accepted her B.S.N. degree on her behalf at the Convocation ceremony in May 2012. Veltri had a strong love of children and planned to become a pediatric nurse. As Associate Dean Linda Ulak, Ed.D., R.N., noted, “Kristen was just an extraordinary student; not only did she excel in her coursework and work hard to achieve her goals, she also brought critical thinking skills and a kindness that extended beyond the classroom walls.” Veltri’s mom, Vicki, notes that her daughter, the eldest of three children, was very independent and determined to earn a B.S.N. degree, even when others tried to persuade her to first complete an associate’s degree. Vicki says, “When Kristen embarked on her nursing path, I had a new understanding of her drive and passion. I appreciated her perseverance; she had obstacles and yet she just kept going.” This tenacity, which echoes Seton Hall’s motto, Hazard Zet Forward, illustrates why Veltri made such an impact here among fellow students, faculty and staff. While it is not easy to accept this loss, perhaps some comfort can come from Veltri’s own words, noted on her application to Seton Hall when discussing the challenges and events that shaped her life: “I would not change anything – I think everything happens for a reason, whether you understand it at the time or not.”