UC Nursing Winter 2022

UC NURSING MAGAZINE |

WINTER 2022

Beating COVID with Big Data Professor’s algorithm uncovers drugs that could curb COVID-19 effects.

BELONGINGNESS MATTERS New funding fosters inclusivity and workforce diversity.

COMING FULL CIRCLE Senior nursing student goes from two-time patient to provider.

CONTENTS

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19 ON THE COVER Assistant professor and biostatistician Josh Lambert seeks to uncover FDA-approved drug combinations with the potential to protect against COVID-19.

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Features 11

UC College of Nursing Magazine Winter 2022

BEATING COVID WITH BIG DATA

Assistant Professor Josh Lambert’s algorithm could find drugs that curb COVID-19 symptoms.

19

BELONGINGNESS MATTERS

New grant aims to create a sense of belonging and diversify the nursing workforce.

34

COMING FULL CIRCLE

David Moskowitz’s two hospital stints inspired him to become a nurse.

Now he’s working alongside the providers who cared for him.

Editors: Evelyn Fleider, Laura Toerner and Katie Coburn Design: Natalie Broering Contributing Writers: Katie Coburn, Bill Bangert and Laura Toerner Photography: UC CoN Marketing, UC Photography and Video Services, submitted Address: College of Nursing University of Cincinnati PO Box 210038 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0038 Phone: (513) 558-5500

Sections 4

“UC Nursing” is published by the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing’s Office of Marketing and Communications to highlight its faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors.

Email: nursing@uc.edu Website: nursing.uc.edu

DEAN’S LETTER

Facebook: facebook.com/uccollegeofnursing

22 NEXT LIVES HERE

YouTube: youtube.com/ucnursing

38 GOING BEYOND

Instagram: instagram.com/uc_nursing

40 CELEBRATIONS & EVENTS

Twitter: twitter.com/ucnursing

42 PAYING IT FORWARD

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/university-ofcincinnati-College-of-nursing

13 CORRECTION: On page 20 of the UC Nursing summer 2021 edition, we included a different student photo instead of Kendyl Mitchell’s (shown left).

© Copyright 2022 University of Cincinnati

To make a gift visit uc.edu/give and select College of Nursing.

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DEAN’S LETTER

Fall 2021 was an eventful period at the college. We were excited to welcome our students back to campus and to a somewhat normal life with the resumption of in-person clinical experiences, sporting events and activities that make UC such a special place.

Leading the college as the interim dean has been an honor. I have been amazed and heartened by the eagerness and resilience of our nursing students, faculty and staff.

All have been ready to help — in hospitals, clinics, the community and in our college and university. Students and faculty have weathered changes in curriculum, course delivery and the clinical setting. Yet, here they are — ready to lead at the college and in our communities.

This issue of UC Nursing magazine shares stories of how, as a college, we remain committed to our strategic priorities of inclusive excellence, technology and innovation and strategic partnerships to impact the transformation of health care. From funded research projects to a new program launch to interprofessional collaboration, we continue to push the boundaries of nursing education to prepare nurses leaders who display courage, compassion, critical thinking, empathy, humility and resilience, even in trying times, as the ones we have endured.

While no one could have predicted that the world would experience one of the most difficult time periods in recent history, I could have predicted that nurses and nursing students would step up — as they always do.

To a healing and healthy New Year!

Denise K. Gormley, PhD, RN, FNAP Interim Dean | University of Cincinnati College of Nursing

IN-PERSON ALUMNI WEEKEND 4 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

April 8-10, 2022

UC COLLEGE OF NURSING AT A GLANCE | FALL 2021

VISION

MISSION

Through the creative leveraging of technology, innovation and inclusive excellence, University of Cincinnati College of Nursing will lead and impact the transformation of health care through strategic partnerships.​

Develop nurse leaders who are empowered to generate, explore and apply nursing knowledge for evolving health care environments.

AVERAGE TEST SCORES FOR INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS $2.07 MILLION

2,100+

Scholarships and Graduate Assistantship Stipends

Partner Clinical Sites Providing Diverse Experiences

4.04

GPA (weighted)

27.3 ACT

2,973 total students 36%

64%

41%

59%

Undergraduate

Graduate

Onsite

Distance Learning

FUNDING Current program and research grants focus on areas such as: social determinants of health, healthy workforce design and well-being, pelvic simulator development for augmented reality, understanding and caring for children of incarcerated parents, Appalachian nursing workforce development through experiential learning, food insecurity among college students

BOARD OF ADVISORS The College of Nursing is grateful for the contributions of this prestigious group of business and health care representatives and community volunteers who serve on our Board of Advisors. Committed to providing strategic counsel, creating community awareness and assisting in the obtainment of financial support, these individuals provide students with increased opportunities in their educational endeavors, as well as sage advice to the dean and her faculty and staff.

Board Members Juan Manuel Arredondo Meggen Brown Cynthia Fitton Lana Hackworth Bradley Jackson Sandra Laney Ann Malinowski Tim McGowan Rino Munda Susan Opas Judy Ribak Buffie Rixey Alice Rose Derek van Amerongen David Wells Robert Wiwi

Emeriti Directors Joseph Campanella Lois Doyle Trudy Fullen Hallie Higgins Ann Kiggen Miriam Kinard Marjorie Motch Patricia Schroer David Widmann Andrea Wiot

Honorary Clive Bennett Ex-Officio Members Denise Gormley Matt Pearce

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Meet the Interim Leadership Team Following Greer Glazer’s retirement in June as dean, UC College of Nursing appointed several prominent faculty and staff members to serve in interim leadership roles as the University of Cincinnati conducts a nationwide search for Glazer’s successor.

Meet the team leading the college through this transition.

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During this transitional period, our focus remains on leading the improvement of patient care; promoting health across the care continuum; supporting the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff; and focusing on diversity and inclusive excellence in all we do.

– Denise Gormley, PhD, RN, FNAP

INTERIM DEAN Denise Gormley, PhD, RN, FNAP Throughout her 40-plus-year career, Denise Gormley has impacted nursing education and practice on several fronts, including teaching and mentoring thousands of graduate students, creating opportunities for the advancement of nursing education through new delivery methods and collaboration with health systems, implementing strategic partnerships to increase experiential learning opportunities and developing tools and models that improve patient care.

Since joining the college in 2008, Gormley has held positions ranging from assistant professor to director of Nursing Administration programs, executive director for Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs, executive director for graduate programs and, since 2018, senior associate dean of academic affairs. Under her leadership, the college has been nationally recognized for innovative teaching, exemplary faculty and model academic-practice partnerships.

Through her tenure, Gormley has led the transition of several advanced-practice nursing programs and the RN to BSN program to an online format, ensuring that a growing number of students throughout the country can access the college’s nationally ranked education. She has role-modeled the use of technology to support novel teaching strategies, created new tools and models with market potential and fostered an educational environment where innovation is encouraged.

“During this transitional period, our focus remains on leading the improvement of patient care; promoting health across the care continuum; supporting the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff; and focusing on diversity and inclusive excellence in all we do,” Gormley says.

Gormley has been the recipient of several research grants, including a $1.2 million Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) award to develop a model of nurse-led interprofessional practice opportunities in an academic health center/Level 1 Trauma Center hospital system. She also created a new technology-driven nurse handoff tool to improve communication and efficiency, help standardize shift handoff information, decrease overtime and boost nurse and patient satisfaction. For this innovation, she was chosen to participate in a preaccelerator program at UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub. “Denise has a unique skill in forming and maintaining strong and effective relationships with faculty, staff, students and the UC and outside communities. Her nursing administration background of 30-plus years has equipped her with a toolkit to handle any situation,” says Greer Glazer, PhD, RN, FAAN, the college’s dean emeritus. “She has stepped into the role of interim dean with a knowledge base and familiarity with all aspects of running the college, and I can confidently say that faculty, staff and students will continue to thrive in their roles professionally and personally under her leadership.”

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I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to expand my contribution to the college’s growth and strong reputation as a national leader in nursing education.

– Christine Colella, DNP, APRN-CNP, FAANP

INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS Christine Colella, DNP, APRN-CNP, FAANP A pioneer in combining technology and instructional design best practices with nursing education, Christine Colella not only excels as an outstanding primary care nurse practitioner at a federally qualified health center, but also as a leader in interprofessional collaboration. Her ability to blend these talents shines in what is most notably her highest priority — ensuring that the college’s graduate students, whether onsite or online, receive the best education possible and work at their highest potential to provide safe, quality care to all patients.

Colella has served in a variety of faculty roles at the college since 1995 and is currently a professor of clinical nursing. She brings a long history of excellence in teaching and clinical practice, having received numerous local, regional and national recognitions for her innovative teaching. The interim associate dean position has expanded her role as clinical professor and executive director of graduate programs, in which she manages nearly 50 faculty and program directors on the development of graduate nursing program curriculum, assignments, program evaluation and accreditation. She also oversees thousands of clinical sites and preceptors to ensure meaningful hands-on practice for graduate students across the country.

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Under her leadership, the college’s graduate programs have been consistently ranked in the top 15 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. She has presented regionally and nationally and published extensively in nursing education on topics that include motivating online learners, clinical decision-making and teaching tools for nurse practitioner interventions.

“I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to expand my contribution to the college’s growth and strong reputation as a national leader in nursing education,” Colella says.

An early adopter of technology in teaching, Colella has effectively led the development and implementation of strategies to improve learning outcomes. She has been recognized for her innovative online Interactive Case Studies, a successful HRSA-funded interprofessional initiative that enables distance learners to experience the same “hands-on” diagnosis experiences as on-campus students. Her unique approach to teaching nursing and medical students led to the solution’s licensing and commercialization by an external company.

A fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Colella was appointed to a UC taskforce for clinical re-entry during the COVID-19 pandemic, to an advisory committee for a university-wide wellness initiative and to a subcommittee focused on integrating students at the university’s Academic Health Center into interprofessional education opportunities.

This is a great time to be a part of nursing education; there’s so much great work to be done.

– Angie Clark, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, FAAN

INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND PRE-LICENSURE PROGRAMS Angie Clark, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, FAAN Angie Clark joined the college as a PhD student and graduate assistant in 2012 and has taught at the college since 2015, having been appointed associate professor with tenure track last summer. The interim associate dean position has expanded her role as executive director for undergraduate and pre-licensure programs, in which she has led two pre-licensure nursing programs and an RN to BSN program, an interprofessional team of faculty and more than 1,100 students.

With a solid background in community health nursing, program and curriculum development and public health education and research, Clark is a strong voice for the nursing profession and advocate fighting the national opioid epidemic. Her research leverages technology to deliver high-fidelity interventions encompassing all aspects of addiction, from harm-reduction efforts to advocacy for policy change to treatment expansion. Her expertise in raising the voice of nursing to fight the opioid epidemic is nationally recognized and reflected in the reputation of her research sponsors, including the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, HRSA and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. She has disseminated research findings in several journal publications and regional and national presentations.

In addition to her impressively funded research, Clark’s innovative approaches have made her a critical contributor to national and global initiatives. These include diversityfocused programs, expansion and sustainability of the college’s digital transformation and development of novel international partnerships to immerse students in other cultures. She combines the power of nursing scholarship with her expertise in leveraging technology to transform education to systematically advance nursing research, evidenced-based education, practice and policy reform.

“Accepting the interim associate dean position was a no-brainer, as the opportunity to serve in an expanded role with additional responsibilities was very exciting,” Clark says. “This is a great time to be a part of nursing education; there’s so much great work to be done.”

Among other recognitions, Clark was selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator and inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She has completed internships at the National Institutes of Health and American Association of Colleges of Nursing and has experience with Urban Universities for Health, holistic admissions and serving as a consultant for a minority pathway grant. She is a consistent member of Apple’s “think tanks” and has developed initiatives with global corporations, such as General Electric.

By: Evelyn Fleider

Winter 2022 | 9

NEW FACULTY Ann Gakumo Associate Professor and Greer Glazer Endowed Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ann Gakumo received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Tuskegee University and her PhD in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

She joins the college from the University of Massachusetts Boston’s college of nursing and health sciences, where she served as associate professor and department chair of nursing.

Read a full profile on Gakumo on page 22.

Aaron Murnan Assistant Professor Aaron Murnan, a licensed couple and family therapist, received his Master of Science and PhD in human development and family science with specializations in couple and family therapy and in quantitative research methods from the Ohio State University (OSU). His doctoral work was supported by a competitive research fellowship at OSU and explored substance-use treatment experiences, needs and barriers among women who report involvement in the sex trade and seek substance-use treatment. Murnan completed post-doctoral research on the effects of prenatal substance use on child developmental and behavioral trajectories. His research focuses on developing and testing family-based interventions that promote interruptions in intergenerational patterns of substance use and sex trade involvement using community-based participatory research methods.

Yuqing Zhang Assistant Professor Yuqing Zhang received her Master of Science in health sciences from the University of Sydney and PhD in nursing with a focus on population health from the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she also completed post-doctoral research. Before earning her PhD, Zhang worked as a principal researcher in an oral health industrial research institution and carried out clinical trials to evaluate oral care products’ safety and efficacy in different countries. Her recent research centers on oral systemic health through the lens of health disparity, specifically focusing on preventive oral self-care behaviors among people with diabetes.

Zhang’s goal is to promote oral health awareness and improve oral self-care through innovative behavioral-change interventions to reduce oral health disparities among vulnerable populations.

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Shannon White Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing Shannon White holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Waynesburg University.

She is part of a multidisciplinary team in the Headache Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she has supported the development of a nurse practitioner–managed acute care infusion unit for patients with intractable migraines and served as a sub-investigator in industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated pediatric headache clinical trials.

Abeer Alhaj Ali Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing Abeer Alhaj Ali received her BSN from the University of Jordan and PhD in nursing from UC with a focus on high fidelity simulation and its use as an innovative strategy in nursing curriculum.

Since 2018, she has worked in the labor and delivery department at UC Health West Chester Hospital.

Kelli Beecher Instructor of Clinical Nursing Kelli Beecher received her DNP from UC and has worked since 2017 in the endoscopy department at UC Medical Center.

Laura Brausch Instructor of Clinical Nursing Laura Brausch received her Master of Science in Nursing from Liberty University and her DNP from Xavier University. Before joining UC, Brausch worked as an inpatient diabetic educator at Mercy Health – Fairfield Hospital.

Beating COVID with Big Data Using his proprietary algorithm, Assistant Professor Josh Lambert is mining a massive data set for FDA-approved drugs that could protect against COVID-19.

Josh Lambert knows the power of big data and he is using it to uncover drugs or drug combinations with the potential to protect against COVID-19.

Mining a research database that includes up-to-date health insurance claims data for about one-third of Americans, Lambert, PhD, assistant professor and biostatistician for the UC College of Nursing, is looking for COVID-positive patients whose regular medication regimen could have unintentionally protected them from the virus. Results will offer researchers a foundation for future clinical trials.

Lambert has completed an analysis on single drugs and looks to publish findings by early 2022. In the second phase of his project, backed by a $250,000 National Institutes of Health grant, Lambert will use a proprietary algorithm and complex statistical models to identify drug combinations with similar protective effects against COVID. It is no small task and this is where Lambert’s expertise and innovation shine.

Winter 2022 | 11

‘‘

If you have 1,000 drugs — and there are easily that many in circulation — and you want to look for all of the three-drug combinations that could exist, that’s 166 million combinations, so there’s a lot of combinations that could exist and we have to be strategic about how we check those. That’s what my algorithm does.

– Josh Lambert, PhD

“If you have 1,000 drugs — and there are easily that many in circulation — and you want to look for all of the three-drug combinations that could exist, that’s 166 million combinations, so there’s a lot of combinations that could exist and we have to be strategic about how we check those. That’s what my algorithm does.”

says Beth Ann Clayton, DNP, CRNA, FAAN, professor and nurse anesthesia program director. Clayton has worked with Lambert to analyze data related to her research on post-cesarian pain control. Students in Doctor of Nursing Practice programs also work with Lambert on quality improvement projects.

Developing a new prescription medication requires years and billions of dollars. Repurposing existing drugs with Food and Drug Administration approval offers a faster and more resource-effective approach to finding treatments for COVID, and Lambert’s study contributes further speed and efficacy. It also could serve as a catalyst for researchers.

“Josh values what every student wants to do, and if you instill that positive experience, they will go forward with that and feel confident enough to give it a try in the future.

It’s important that we’re developing graduates like that,” Clayton says.

“Many health professionals might have anecdotal thoughts about what could work but no evidence to support further research. Some of our findings could be fuel to their fire to follow up with clinical trials.”

At the same time, Lambert knows his research has the potential to become misinterpreted by the public; he stresses his work is exploratory and meant to generate hypotheses for further testing.

“There’s never been as much of a vested interest from the public and it can be hard to block out the noise,” Lambert says. “We want to be careful as to what we suggest, but also remain unbiased. Our hope is that this study will provide new ideas and evidence for drugs that might have been overlooked.”

A Statistician in the College of Nursing Lambert was hired in 2018 by Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN, professor, associate dean for research and PhD program director, as part of a broader strategy to secure more grant funding for the college. Alongside his own research, Lambert works with nursing faculty, staff and students to complete statistical analyses for grant work and course projects. His assistance has contributed to college-wide efforts that have led to a more than three-fold increase in annual research and program grant funding since 2018.

“I think what’s so outstanding about Josh is that he’s incredibly knowledgeable and talented, but also very approachable and supportive and willing to teach others,”

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Teenu Xavier, MSN, RN, a PhD in nursing student, has collaborated with Lambert on several projects, including one that analyzes Tweets from nurses on the topic of COVID. Lambert oversees the project and provides training on data cleaning and analysis. “(Lambert’s) readiness to teach and mentor is commendable,” Xavier says.

To further assist faculty, staff and students and conduct his own research, Lambert has assembled a “supercomputer” with massive data sets. In 2019, he and other college faculty received a $25,000 grant from the university to use the data to examine the relationship between pre-natal exposure to opioids and developmental outcomes.

Lambert, who has a PhD in biostatistics and epidemiology and master’s degrees in mathematics and statistics, says he draws inspiration from modern nursing’s founder Florence Nightingale, a pioneer of data visualization and statistics.

Nightingale collected data and used applied statistical methods to save lives during the Crimean War in the mid-1800s.

“I thought, How can I take the idea of what she pioneered a hundred years ago and make it my own in a way that’s novel and unique and world-leading?” Lambert says.

“I wanted to start this (supercomputer) so that we could do big-data research in health and bring biostatistics and nursing together to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.”

By: Laura Toerner

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UC students Ellie Cassedy, Precious Sims and Megan Cabell (shown left to right), along with Kathleen Meyer, worked in a team to develop a solution to help streamline COVID-19 post-mortem care.

COVID Meets Creative Clinical Teams of nursing and industrial design students tackled some of COVID-19’s persistent challenges.

Put together teams of nursing and design students and you will get creative, real-world solutions to some of health care’s most pressing problems, such as ongoing challenges related to COVID-19.

That is what happened when UC students in the College of Nursing’s Accelerated Direct-Entry Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program collaborated with undergraduate industrial design students in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) to develop products or processes that tackle COVIDinduced issues.

ata a attta a << as. a as s..a.frame(data) a a. a.fr frra am me me( e(d (d da d atta) ata a)) The results ranged from educational interventions for young at-home learners with ADHD to retractable ame a am me e <<- col c co ol- shades meant to prevent virus transmission on airplanes to self-cleaning playground equipment to an online support network for overwhelmed nurses. s(data) s(d (da ata ta a))

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Winter 2022 | 13

Cassedy, a DAAP student, sews a product prototype to test.

Nursing students Precious Sims and Megan Cabell worked with industrial design students Kathleen Meyer and Ellie Cassedy during the Summer 2021 semester to find an innovative solution to a problem related to COVID deaths, their assigned sub-topic. Initially, Sims and Cabell talked to hospital and funeral home staff about their processes to find persistent problems, or “pain points.”

“For post-mortem care, you’re cleaning them from front to back, putting them in a body bag, putting on the toe tag. It can take 30–45 minutes and the hardest part is actually turning the patients,” Sims says. With staff shortages exacerbated by COVID, pulling nurses away from other patients to help rotate and hold a patient in place for post-mortem care causes a ripple effect. “Everyone gets behind.”

Sims and her teammates solved this issue by creating an apron with straps that helps nurses safely rotate deceased patients for post-mortem care. Leveraging the hospital bed rails, the product allows a single care provider to do the heavy lifting.

Meyer and Cassedy created a prototype and the team tested it in the College of Nursing’s simulation laboratory with four users who provided feedback that informed the final concept.

Sims credits her team’s chemistry for the project’s success.

“We had a really good group,” she says.

“We had design students who were very open to feedback and input. If they came up with something and Megan and I said it’s not feasible because of something we deal with in the hospital, they would change it. They really valued the input we provided, and it was important to everyone that we made a product that would benefit nurses in the long run.”

The interprofessional partnership between nursing and design students, known as the Design + Nursing Collaborative, started in 2008 and has evolved under Steven Doehler, MA, associate professor of industrial design, and Jeanine Goodin, DNP, APRN, CNP, CNRN, associate professor of clinical nursing. Currently, the collaborative is offered every other year to accelerated MSN students in the Accelerated Population, Public & Community Health Nursing course as an option for their required clinical experience.

Cabell, a nursing student, tests a prototype in the College of Nursing’s simulation lab.

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“I tell students that if you want to learn to think differently, learn a different skillset, have an opportunity to have an interprofessional experience and collaborate with a designer, then you should sign up,” Goodin says.

‘‘

For post-mortem care, you’re cleaning them from front to back, putting them in a body bag, putting on the toe tag. It can take 30–45 minutes and the hardest part is actually turning the patients.

Teams were assigned a sub-topic for their COVID-related projects. In addition to COVID deaths, student teams created innovative solutions in these areas:

–P recious Sims

AIR TRAVEL

Goodin and Doehler have developed a pedagogy, called “Touch-and-Go Collaboration,” for the collaborative that both fosters teamwork and allows for discipline-specific breakout sessions through five project phases. About a year before the semester starts, Goodin and Doehler meet to choose a focus for the next student cohort. In 2020, the pair received a $15,000 UC Forward grant to focus on COVID, which, Doehler says, presented a unique topic for its ubiquity.

“It was right at our fingertips,” he says. “We were seeing it every day. We were living it. We’ve never had a topic that was so global and where we were all in it. The information was changing constantly, and everyone was learning how to be agile inside of it.”

Goodin calls the collaborative a win-win for nursing and design students. “Their contributions and interaction can be very powerful,” she says. Some final designs have led to employment or commercialization offers.

By: Laura Toerner

Students measure the length of the prototype’s strap to make final adjustments.

Created two retractable shades — one for the headrest between rows and another for between seats — to help prevent airborne virus transmission.

BARS AND RESTAURANTS Designed a QR code for tables and a process for customers to scan the code, access the menu, place their order, notify a server when needed and pay their bill; the product and process also included a staff training plan for use.

COVID VACCINE Developed an educational video for vaccine-hesitant population to boost vaccination rates, addressing vaccination barriers and explaining how vaccines work.

GRADE SCHOOL Focused on at-home learning needs of children with ADHD, including engagement and support for students, teachers and parents.

NURSE PROTECTION Created a social support network and tele-support system for nurses to share and interact with other nurses in a safe environment.

OUTDOOR SCHOOL PLAYGROUND Developed a playground designed to promote social distancing and some individual self-play among children; equipment included a self-cleaning mechanism.

Winter 2022 | 15

If you are working with coworkers who believe and feel you really value and care about them, it is easier to deal with whatever is being thrown your way.

In Their Own Jason Bryant, MSN ’16 The most important thing I ask myself everyday: what is my “why”? I do my “what” all the time, but if I don’t understand my “why” then my “what” has no purpose. So, why do you do what you do everyday in the lives of your patients?

The most important thing I ask myself everyday: what is my “why”?

Phoebe Goodale, BSN ’21 One of the best ways I’ve found to manage burnout is to think about the way I treat myself. Would I reasonably expect someone else to put themselves through skipping lunch, not using the bathroom because it’s busy or canceling plans to pick up a shift?

Those are all things that can certainly take a toll on you quickly. Realize that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Putting yourself first sometimes makes a better outcome for your patients.

Francie Wolgin, BSN ’69, MSN ’83 I try to focus on the positives and reinforce the contributions others on the team make. If you are working with coworkers who believe and feel you really value and care about them, it is easier to deal with whatever is being thrown your way. Burnout occurs when you feel marginalized, unappreciated and alone. Be kind to yourself when you are exhausted and reach out and try to support colleagues when you see they need a kind word, an empathic hug or a helping hand.

Realize that you cannot pour from an empty cup.

Putting yourself first sometimes makes a better outcome for your patients.

Words

Alumni, students and faculty reflect on managing burnout.

Tom Talbot, BSN ’78 I worked for 42 years in the behavioral health field. I managed stress/burnout by leaving work at work. Once home, I played with my kids, played sports, listened to music and read — all things I love to do. Living in the moment is key.

Living in the moment is key.

Julie Laybourne, BSN ’67

Managing burnout is not a linear process, it ebbs and flows depending on conditions both in and out of work.

I use meditation. Even in the middle of my work hours, I find a quiet spot and let my mind roam free. Even though I live in the high desert (Albuquerque, New Mexico), my quiet spot is the seaside, and I “listen” to the surf coming in and feel the sun shining on my face. After a few minutes, I am able to “come home” and get back to business. When I am at home, I spend 15-30 minutes in meditation at the shore.

Kaysi Goodall, BSN ’16 Managing burnout is not a linear process, it ebbs and flows depending on conditions both in and out of work. Some days it’s managed by laying in bed and binge-watching a show. Other days it’s going for a long run and making a healthy dinner. Burnout has to be managed by what works for you that day. The biggest piece of advice I can give, however, is to take your PTO days. Even if you’re not doing anything, maximize that time off and away from the bedside to recuperate and reflect on the positive impact you’ve made.

My quiet spot is the seaside, and I “listen” to the surf coming in and feel the sun shining on my face.

Peggy Ann Berry, MSN ’09, PhD ’15 I have several things that help me with burnout. I keep a gratitude journal, I blog on nursing issues and I walk and walk more. I don’t do direct care anymore, but I am affected by other nurses’ pain, burnout, moral injury and shared occupational trauma. We need to do more to help each other cope.

I keep a gratitude journal, I blog on nursing issues and I walk and walk more.

Sharon Kohrs, BSN ‘91 I am very aware that I can’t take care of others well if I don’t take care of myself. I spend time each workday doing some self-reflection on how my day went, what I did well and where I could improve. I am a lover of nature, so when I am feeling especially stressed with work, I head for the woods. At times this is simply to hike and clear my head; other times I take my tiny camper and go spend days. It brings me peace and allows me to continue this work I love.

I spend time each workday doing some self-reflection on how my day went, what I did well and where I could improve.

@uc_nursing

Top Row, Left to Right: Aaliyah Dodson, Roselyn Torkornoo, Caroline Kwiatkowski, Aylessa Carter Bottom Row, Left to Right: Sokhna Baro, Lauryn James, Rachel Oliver, Bridget Acquah, Naiah Mensah

NEXT LIVES HERE

Belongingness Matters New grant funding focuses on creating a greater sense of belonging for students and diversifying the nursing workforce.

Belongingness is proven to enable academic success. When students feel they are truly accepted and supported in a learning environment, they are more likely to achieve their goals. That is one of the reasons UC College of Nursing embraces opportunities that cultivate a climate of inclusive excellence. To further this mission and better serve disadvantaged and underrepresented minority (URM) students, the college sought out and won a four-year $1.7 million Nursing Workforce Diversity grant titled “Cultivating Undergraduate Nursing Resilience and Equity” (CURE).

Winter 2022 | 19

‘‘

When care providers are white and the recipients are people of color, there is historically discounting of pain and other important symptom markers.

There’s a correlation in health outcomes when the care provider has racial or ethnic concordance with the patient, so this is an upstream measure for creating more care providers who might have that concordance.

– Eva Fried, DNP, CNM, WHNP

Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the project seeks to improve the college’s climate and broaden learning experiences to help prepare and expand a nursing workforce that is reflective of and responsive to an increasingly diverse patient population. Over the next four years, CURE will center on four objectives that build on successful evidence-based strategies already in place at the college: • Increase the sophomore application rate of disadvantaged/URM students to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to 20%.

• Provide comprehensive financial, academic and social support for 35 disadvantaged/URM students.

• Embed curricula and experiential learning addressing targeted health disparities in Hamilton County, using maternal mortality as an exemplar.

• Hire at least four new faculty from URM backgrounds.

“Ideally, subsequent to our grant funding time period, there will be a different proportion of students of color to the overall proportion of students than the one we have today, which will create an improved climate of belongingness for future students,” says Eva Fried, DNP, CNM, WHNP, assistant professor and director of the college’s Nurse Midwifery program. Fried applied for the grant in January 2021 alongside Assistant Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Nursing Program Donna Green, PhD, MSN, RN, C-EFM; then-Dean Greer Glazer, PhD, RN, FAAN; Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of Undergraduate Programs Angie Clark, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, FAAN; Director of Academic Student Advising Deborah Gray, M.Ed, and Program Director of the Committee for Equity and Inclusive Excellence Kiana Million, MHI. In October, Emily Rose Cole joined the CURE team as program coordinator.

Increasing Support for URM Students The CURE program fills a gap in the college’s existing recruitment strategies by focusing on sophomore admission to the BSN program.

To increase the number of disadvantaged/URM students who apply, the CURE team is working with The Health Collaborative and area high schools to target students in pre-college pathways and undecided UC freshman who are exploring nursing as a career option. URM students who are accepted for sophomore admission to the nursing program are then invited to apply to be a CURE fellow. Nine students have accepted fellowship positions for the current academic year and received financial support to help reduce barriers to their success, which will continue throughout their undergraduate careers as long as they maintain good academic standing.

Eva Fried, DNP, CNM, WHNP, assistant professor and director of the nurse midwifery program

20 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

“Coming from a low-income family, I didn’t have the opportunity to get financial support to help me pay for college, books, transportation or even housing. I worked extra shifts to be

able to make ends meet. So, when this opportunity knocked on my door, the relief off my shoulders helped me focus more on school,” says Sokhna Baro, a program fellow. “The CURE fellowship program made such a big impact on my life, not only financially, but also by providing me with a strong support system. I am beyond grateful for this blessing and opportunity.”

Adapting Curricula to Address Health Disparities The grant’s impact is not just limited to the CURE fellows. The curricular frameworks that Fried and Green are integrating into the undergraduate program will “help prepare all students to transition into the workforce as more informed care providers,” Green says.

“Each year, approximately 700 women die in the United States as a result of pregnancy complications and thousands of women experience unintended health outcomes during their pregnancy and birth processes. Nurses play a critical role in improving maternal health, addressing racial and ethnic disparities in care, recognizing health status changes, educating patients and overall management of maternal health in both the community and acute care settings.”

‘‘

Each year, approximately 700 women die in the United States as a result of pregnancy complications and thousands of women experience unintended health outcomes during their pregnancy and birth processes. Nurses play a critical role in improving maternal health, addressing racial and ethnic disparities in care, recognizing health status changes, educating patients and overall management of maternal health in both the community and acute care settings.

– Donna Green, PhD, MSN, RN, C-EFM

While the curricula will focus on addressing racial and ethnic health disparities overall, it will include specific content on the disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity.

“When care providers are white and the recipients are people of color, there is historically discounting of pain and other important symptom markers,” says Fried, who has ample experience providing prenatal and postpartum care as a women’s health nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife. “There’s a correlation in health outcomes when the care provider has racial or ethnic concordance with the patient, so this is an upstream measure for creating more care providers who might have that concordance.”

Both Fried and Green have long-standing careers in maternal health and are active leaders in the field. Fried maintains leadership positions through the American College of Nurse Midwives at the national and state level. Meanwhile, Green, who has 22 years of experience working as a perinatal nurse and nearly as much experience as a clinical educator, leads the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

“Workforce diversity and its intersection with maternal health is literally the driver for my entire career,” Fried says. “One of the ways that it really comes together for me is in the concept of belongingness, and that’s our goal with climate change, faculty diversification and creating these cohorts.”

In 2025, when the grant funding expires, Fried and Green plan on analyzing the project’s success and applying for additional funding, because when it comes to cultivating a culture of belongingness and inclusive excellence, there is always room for improvement.

By: Katie Coburn

Donna Green, PhD, MSN, RN, C-EFM, assistant professor and director of the undergraduate nursing program

Winter 2022 | 21

NEXT LIVES HERE

Building on Legacy Ann Gakumo joins the UC College of Nursing to lead diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and build on Greer Glazer’s legacy.

Ann Gakumo has worn a lot of hats throughout her 20-year nursing career. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Tuskegee University and a PhD in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she has served as a critical care nurse, research scientist, educator, administrator and community organizer, to name a few. In August, she added another cap to her collection by filling the UC College of Nursing’s Greer Glazer Endowed Chair in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — the first position of its kind at a nursing college nationwide.

In this role, Gakumo will collaborate with faculty, staff and students to lead the college’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

22 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

‘‘

It’s about more than academics. We have to provide the tools, support and an inclusive environment so that students, faculty and staff can feel a greater sense of belonging.

–A nn Gakumo, PhD

“I have full confidence that under Ann’s stellar leadership and the tremendous commitment of faculty, staff and students, the UC College of Nursing will tackle the difficult issues and come out stronger,” says Greer Glazer, PhD, RN, FAAN, the college’s dean emerita for whom the position is named.

Glazer established the role before she retired in June to continue strengthening the college’s culture of inclusive excellence and to diversify the nursing workforce and reduce health disparities in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Gakumo, a Black woman who has worked with many diverse populations, says she understands the importance of those priorities.

“I consider myself to be an authentic leader and I’m dedicated to preparing the next generation of diverse nurses to be successful and helping empower them to reach their full potential,” says Gakumo, PhD, RN, who, prior to joining UC, served as an associate professor and department chair of nursing at University of Massachusetts Boston’s college of nursing and health sciences. “It’s about more than academics. We have to provide the tools, support and an inclusive environment so that students, faculty and staff can feel a greater sense of belonging.”

To build on the DEI initiatives already underway at the college and help guide future activities, Gakumo is organizing a taskforce of faculty, staff and students to create a DEI-focused strategic map. She is also collaborating with the college’s Committee for Equity and Inclusive Excellence to ensure equity through the tripartite mission.

Health equity has always been a primary focus for Gakumo, who in 2014 was one of just 12 people selected nationwide as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholar. She says the development, mentorship and support she gained from this experience motivates her to “pay it forward” and support future nurse leaders.

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a leading organization focused on reducing health disparities. As one of only 90 nurses sponsored by the RWJF in the U.S., Gakumo

is emulating the focus of the foundation and the Nurse Faculty Scholars program in her new role as the endowed chair,” says Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAEN, FAAN, professor, associate dean for research and PhD program director. “Specifically, she will facilitate a program of research at the college focused on addressing health disparities while also promoting an internal culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.”

In addition to her DEI efforts at the college, Gakumo conducts research on literacy-based approaches to improve health disparities in Black people living with HIV. In September, she received funding from the Merck Investigator Studies Program to assess what Black people living with HIV understand about informed consent, assess their preferences related to the process and develop tools for use in the informed consent process in HIV clinical trials.

She brings with her previous training from the Tuskegee University Bioethics Center in conducting ethical research.

When she is not brainstorming DEI strategies or conducting research, Gakumo is cherishing time spent with her husband, Charles, and young son, Charles Jr., as new residents of Cincinnati.

Like Gakumo, Glazer also came to UC from the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she served as dean of the college of nursing and health sciences for seven years.

Although Gakumo did not join the faculty in Boston until after Glazer left to begin her nine-year decanal career at UC, she is very familiar with Glazer’s impact on both universities. In fact, Gakumo led efforts to increase the diversity of registered nurses in the Boston metropolitan area, an initiative that was spearheaded by Glazer in 2007.

Ultimately, Gakumo hopes to continue to build on Glazer’s legacy at UC and bring the nursing college’s DEI efforts to the forefront of every decision, strategy and activity.

“It’s essential for the college’s efforts to be more visible to the outside community, and in turn that will help to reaffirm our commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive community,” Gakumo says. “This should be evident in all that we do.”

By: Katie Coburn

Winter 2022 | 23

NEXT LIVES HERE

College Launches Public Health Nursing Program Doctor of Nursing Practice program answers a widespread call for health professionals with advanced education and training to improve community-wide access to high-quality care and healthy environments.

Embedded within communities and ranging in focus from individuals and families to populations and systems, DNP-prepared public health nurses are a vital piece of the interprofessional teams needed to ensure that all people have equitable access to high-quality care and healthy environments. Their assessment skills, primary prevention focus and system-level perspectives ensure that local and state needs are met, services and programs are coordinated and communities are engaged.

“We designed this program to not just prepare an advanced-practice nurse in public health, but to prepare a public health nurse leader who will identify and drive transformational systemic changes to significantly impact the health of their community,” says Tasha Turner-Bicknell, DNP, assistant professor and interim director for the Public Health Nursing DNP program. “This program meets the growing need for senior leader public health nurses who can lead efforts that align emerging systems of care for population health improvement, health promotion, risk reduction and disease prevention efforts.”

24 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

Public health nurses work in different types of agencies and organizations, including all levels of government, communitybased and other nongovernmental service organizations, foundations, policy think tanks, academic institutions and other research settings. An increasing number of public health nurses also work in global health to promote global responsibility and connectivity. In addition to working with communities, these nurses work behind the scenes planning interventions, managing budgets and evaluating the effectiveness of public health programs.

A Growing Global Need Research shows a person’s health is not only a product of good medical care and genes. In many cases, these are only pieces of a larger picture, as Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) — or the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play and worship — affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.

‘‘

We designed this program to not just prepare an advanced-practice nurse in public health, but to prepare a public health nurse leader who will identify and drive transformational systemic changes to significantly impact the health of their community.

– Tasha Turner-Bicknell, DNP

While eliminating population health disparities by addressing multiple determinants that lead to poor health has been a national goal, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality, as COVID has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from the virus. And, while the current levels of health inequity cannot be relieved by one health care profession alone, nursing holds the greatest capacity to address this major challenge of the 21st century.

According to the recently published “The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity” report, the next 10 years will demand a larger, more diversified nursing workforce prepared to provide care in different settings and to address the lasting effects of COVID, break down structural racism and the root causes of poor health and respond to future public health emergencies. The report also emphasizes the need to prepare nurses to practice in community settings, such as schools, workplaces, home health care and public health clinics. While the pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of health care, its impacts on nursing may be the most profound, as demand for nurses’ skills are more needed than ever.

Turner-Bicknell says, “UC College of Nursing has a long-standing, demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The launch of our DNP in Public Health Nursing program is our next step in realizing nursing’s potential to address health disparities and create a more equitable health care system.”

By: Evelyn Fleider

To learn more about the Public Health Nursing DNP program, scan the QR code with the camera on your device. Applications are now open and the first cohort of students will begin the program in Fall 2022.

Tasha Turner-Bicknell, DNP, assistant professor and interim director for the DNP in Public Health Nursing program

Winter 2022 | 25

NEXT LIVES HERE

Four Doctoral Students Fast-tracked for Leadership Three PhD students and one DNP student were selected as Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare Scholars.

Four UC College of Nursing doctoral students will receive a grant for their education and research, along with mentorship and specially designed leadership training and experience.

Jonas Philanthropies selected three PhD students and one Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student for its 2021-2023 Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare Scholar Cohort. The latest contingent includes 76 doctoral nursing students in PhD, EdD or DNP programs in 49 U.S. schools. Scholars are focused on improving care in one of four areas: veterans’ health, mental health, environmental health and vision health.

Applications for Jonas Scholars cohorts are by invitation only, and, since 2012, UC College of Nursing has been invited to submit student applications. Only a few schools nationwide have as many as four students in the latest cohort.

“Jonas recognizes we’re one of the top-tier nursing schools in the U.S.” says Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN, professor, associate dean for research and PhD program director.

The college’s students selected for the cohort include Ashley Edgerly (PhD), Julie Florentin (DNP), Paidamoyo Matibiri (PhD) and Jerome Wray (PhD). They will each receive $30,000 in aid — $15,000 from the Jonas Scholars program and $15,000 from the university — over two years, along with a wealth of support for their research and career development.

26 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

For the first time, the Jonas Scholars program has enlisted a group of nurse leaders to serve as subject-matter experts in each research area. These individuals will offer ongoing guidance and mentorship to all scholars. UC’s Jonas Scholars, in addition, will receive leadership development and research support from faculty and community partners.

“The overwhelming support is there,” Florentin says.

“I have really enjoyed it and have learned a lot about myself as a leader.”

In Fall 2021, scholars completed a leadership seminar course taught by Gillespie; Beth Ann Clayton, DNP, CRNA, FAAN, professor and Nurse Anesthesia program director; and Richard Prior, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, associate professor and DNP program director. The course helped identify scholars’ personal strengths, leadership characteristics and communication styles and taught management and career-advancement skills. In Spring 2022, scholars will complete an immersion course that requires a 30-hour service-leadership project with a professional organization.

Beyond that, scholars meet regularly with a five-person faculty committee and project chairperson who serve as resources and periodically monitor students’ progress.

The classes, Prior says, have opened students to topics beyond what their degree programs provide.

“I think it has been good for the students, because it has given them some exposure to content and discussion that they would not have necessarily had as part of their programs. They’ve been able to have some rich discussions,” he says.

The goal, Gillespie says, is for these students to graduate and become nurse leaders. That could mean, for example, teaching at a top-tier university, joining the C-suite of a health system or becoming president of a national professional organization.

“For these students, we’re setting the expectation that they will go on and assume a leadership role. Setting that expectation will help them achieve it,” Gillespie says.

Gillespie is the principal investigator for the Jonas scholarships with Clayton and Prior as co-investigators. This faculty trio offers both research and practice perspective, a combination critical to advancing the nursing profession, Gillespie says.

“Each program needs each other in order for health care to transform,” he says. “Without one group our science never moves, and without the other science is never generated.

Taking classes together and the Jonas Scholars program help ensure nursing will make an impact in the future.”

By: Laura Toerner

Winter 2022 | 27

Meet our Jonas Scholars

Ashley Edgerly

Julie Florentin

PhD Student, Environmental Health

DNP Student, Veterans’ Health

Ashley Edgerly is a first-generation student who did not

Julie Florentin spent 20 years as a nurse in the U.S. Air

think she would go to college, let alone enter a PhD

Force before retiring and entering UC’s Psych-Mental

program and receive a grant for her education.

Health Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.

“It’s really exciting, and I’m super astonished,” she says.

Florentin says she wants to leverage her military

Edgerly’s research will focus on the intersection of

experience to help care providers better empathize

climate change and the workplace. As part of her

with veterans. “There are a lot of different

themselves from heat-related illnesses in order to

traumas and disease processes that are specific to (veterans) that aren’t easily recognizable,” she says. In addition,

create safer working environments. “There are a lot of

military members often do not share their experiences

brilliant people coming up with great ideas; I’m the

with non-military members because “without common

dissertation, she plans to talk with workers impacted by heat about the challenges they face in protecting

connect-the-dots person. I want to find the barriers preventing industries from taking action against climate change and protecting workers from climate-related issues,” she says. Edgerly looks

care provider is more empathetic, (patients) are able to

forward to connecting with other environmental health

open up more and feel heard and even empowered to

ground, they don’t think people will understand.” For her required DNP project, Florentin plans to develop a series of virtual reality–based interventions that teach care providers about veterans’ experiences. “When a

researchers in her cohort and receiving guidance from

be more compliant with information shared.” Florentin

subject-matter experts and faculty. The support she has

says the support she has received from the Jonas Scholars

received so far has boosted her confidence, she says.

program and UC has been “overwhelming.” With help

“UC has been so good to me. I love the culture and I

from mentors and the added leadership training,

feel really supported here. … I never thought I would

she hopes to start a nonprofit that offers a space for

be able to be a leader and do these things, but I always

preventative mental health care. “A lot of people need

wanted to. Later on, I’ll be able to help other students.”

mental health care and it’s one of those things that people don’t think about until it’s too late.”

28 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

Paidamoyo Matibiri

Jerome Wray

PhD Student, Mental Health

PhD Student, Veterans’ Health

Paidamoyo Matibiri had recently finished her master’s

Jerome Wray has had a long and diverse nursing career —

in nursing in family practice and started working

from serving 30 years in the U.S. Air Force to working as

part time as a nurse practitioner for St. Elizabeth

an elementary school nurse and, later, a public health

Healthcare when she applied for the PhD program and

nurse. He currently works for the Dayton VA Medical

accepted her seat at the height of the pandemic. Just

Center as a triage nurse where he has helped with

as COVID-19 impacted her decision to continue her

medical research studies. His PhD research will focus

education, it is influencing her research. An immigrant

on developing a nurse-led intervention to improve care

from Zimbabwe and second-generation nurse — her

for veterans with diabetes. “My mother, sister and

mother works as a nurse in the United Kingdom — Matibiri plans to conduct a qualitative study to discover the psychological factors that have motivated Black

grandmother all died from complications related to diabetes, and I watched them struggle with management — some from lack of knowledge or will and some from cultural things that didn’t balance out in their treatment plans,” Wray says. His

nurses to get the COVID vaccine. “There are a lot of layers that go into that decision and with the mental health aspect you think about the fear in getting the vaccine,” she says.

interventions will educate nurses on some of the needs

She hopes to use her findings to conduct a broader

unique to specific populations. For example, some

quantitative study and apply her research toward

patients’ religious practices require fasting.

improving general vaccine uptake. As a Jonas Scholar,

“If they need insulin, they have issues,” Wray says.

Matibiri has appreciated the support she has received.

In the future, he hopes to continue working at the

“I have always had this stance that people who are

Dayton VA but also help introduce middle-school

leaders are inaccessible, but during this process, I have

children to career opportunities in health and science

found they all want the best for me and my peers

fields. Wray says the Jonas Scholars program has shown

and they’re very supportive of our goals.” In the

him he has full support for his endeavors and “that’s a

future, Matibiri hopes to inspire others from diverse

really good feeling.” He also says his research

backgrounds to believe in themselves. “Other people

and acceptance into the program has served as

have encouraged me to get to the next step and I

a positive example for his seven adult children.

hope my future self will hold others up and say,

“To have them see me doing this is really great.”

‘Go ahead and pursue your dreams.’ ”

Winter 2022 | 29

GOING BEYOND

Christine Colella, an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, provides care to patients 13 and older at a community health center in Cincinnati.

SPECIALTY SPOTLIGHT:

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care If there is a nurse practitioner (NP) specialty often misunderstood, it is Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPC).

“A lot of people believe we only take care of geriatric patients, because of the specialty’s name. The name is really a recognition so we don’t forget the need to care for the growing population of older patients, but our population focus is people 13 years old and up,” says Christine Colella, DNP, APRN-CNP, FAANP, professor, AGPCNP programs director and interim associate dean and executive director for graduate programs.

Colella also works as a primary care NP at Lincoln Heights, a federally qualified health center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For years, adult health NPs and gerontological NPs were educated and certified separately. In 2008, when education regulations specified six population foci for advanced-practice nursing, the two paths merged as adult-gerontology. The scope of practice for adult-gerontology NPs can be either primary care, a community-based specialty that focuses on illness prevention, health promotion and management of chronic health conditions, or acute care, an inpatient/hospital-based specialty that focuses on treating illnesses.

“Because I worked as a registered nurse in a hospital, my initial choice for my graduate degree was the acute care program.

When I learned more about adult primary care, I switched programs because I wanted to be community-based,” says Kim Mullins, DNP, APRN-BC, AOCNP, associate professor and AGPCNP online program coordinator. Mullins also works as an NP at Oncology Hematology Care (OHC) in Cincinnati.

“Through my NP career, I worked in neurology and GI (gastrointestinal) research and have worked for 16 years in an outpatient setting treating radiation/oncology patients. I do see some patients in the hospital for consultations, but I don’t manage their care in the hospital,” Mullins says.

AGPCNPs work in community-based settings assessing, diagnosing, prescribing medications, ordering and evaluating labs and referring patients to specialists when needed. They consider the environmental, occupational, social and economic background of patients and can work in a wide range of areas, such as primary care, dermatology, cardiology, endocrinology, neurology and many more. Some of these areas require additional certification through specific boards.

“Although I’m taking care of patients with cancer, I couldn’t do my job without the primary care background. So much of what I do is grounded in primary care,” Mullins says.

“When they get to me, I’m not just treating their cancer, I’m treating the whole person, which may include helping manage other comorbidities.”

While AGPCNPs enjoy a high level of autonomy and independence, they also bear a lot of responsibility.

“We do a lot of what physicians do and, although I need to have a collaborating physician, I make my decisions independently.

It’s an incredible amount of accountability and responsibility,” Colella says. “If you went to an urgent care or the emergency department tomorrow, the last sentence you would hear before you left is, ‘Follow up with your primary care provider.’ That’s me. We’re the ones that manage them after they’ve had the acute episode.”

Despite the fact that the number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population will rise from 16% to 23%, only about 7% of the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) workforce is certified in AGPC, according to the 2020 American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ National Nurse Practitioner Sample Survey.

“A lot of nurses hear that becoming an FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) makes them more marketable. This perception has been driven by retail clinics, but the reality is that if you have no interest in working with a population under 13 years old, AGPCNP is the right specialty for you,” Mullins says. “AGPCNP students have higher exposure to adult and women’s health care during their clinicals than FNP students do, since they don’t need to complete clinicals in pediatrics.”

To get a deeper understanding on the breadth of AGPCNP opportunities, we heard from four UC alumnae about their journey before and after becoming AGPCNPs: Heather Welch (HW), who earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2018; Lynn Mellencamp (LM), who earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in 2009; Lisa Gebhart (LG), who earned her MSN in 2016; and Randi Horne (RH), who earned her MSN in 2015.

What was your career path before choosing AGPC? HW: I started as a licensed vocational nurse and worked my way up through each degree. I worked mostly in the emergency department and surgical intensive care unit and also did some medical malpractice defense work as an RN.

Winter 2022 | 31

LM: After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the Ohio State University, I practiced many years as an RN in areas such as the intensive care unit/coronary care unit; medical-surgical; orthopedics; gastrointestinal; ear, nose and throat; pre-operative; and post-anesthesia care unit. I also worked in management as a nursing supervisor. Nursing has always been a great career for me. I have been able to raise a family and work part time in a job that I loved. Best of both worlds!

LG: I first earned my RN diploma, then received my BSN in 2002.

Before switching to my current position, I worked as a nurse clinician/nurse navigator for OHC outpatient oncology group.

RH: After graduating with my BSN in 2007, I joined a general surgery clinic for a Level 1 trauma county hospital in Texas.

Those were two years of great learning experiences, including working in orthopedic post-operative acute care, radiation oncology and a cosmetic surgery post-anesthesia care unit.

Why did you decide to become an AGPCNP? HW: I’m comfortable with adults; children scare me. I have worked my entire career with adults, so that is where I am comfortable.

LM: As a well-seasoned nurse, I realized I wanted to advance my education, have more autonomy and take my nursing career to the next level. A few of my nursing colleagues/friends were returning to school to become nurse practitioners, and I thought this may be a good career enhancement for me, as well. While many people in their 50s are starting to think about retirement, in the fifth decade of my life I made the choice of returning to school. I was excited and motivated to change directions in nursing. School was stressful but became a challenge that I actually enjoyed. I’ll be honest, some days I thought, Lynn, why are you doing this to yourself? But my husband and children were very supportive and encouraged me throughout my days at UC. LG: I wanted to advance my career and be able to do more for my patients. I knew I wanted to stay in oncology and focus on the adult population.

RH: At the time of my decision, more nurses were enrolling in the FNP program, but I felt the role of AGPCNP was better suited for me because all my nursing experience had been with teen and adult patients. I also wanted to shift to the preventive level of care, instead of acute care. The role of AGPCNP was perfect for my transition from RN to advanced provider before becoming an aesthetic nurse practitioner.

inspire students (me) with her approachable, friendly demeanor.

She was very supportive during my career as a student.

LG: To rate on a scale of 1–10 with 10 being the best, I rate it at 10.

All the professors who worked directly with me also practiced as APRNs. This was very helpful in understanding what reality would be after the program.

RH: The program allowed me to leverage my autonomy while guiding me in honing my assessment, diagnosis and educational skills. The college also accepted clinical rotations in the dermatology and cosmetic surgery office setting, which helped me narrow my field of practice upon graduation.

Can you share a brief overview of the responsibilities you hold as an AGPCNP? HW: I am the airway nurse practitioner for Ear, Nose and Throat at University of Cincinnati/UC Physicians for Otolaryngology.

I see complex airway patients (stenosis, tracheomalacia, etc.) in clinic and in inpatient settings. I do trach changes, flexible tracheobronchoscopy and video laryngoscopy and manage medications related to the patient’s condition. I also perform a few minor procedures, such as chemical cautery.

LM: My last clinical rotation was in a physician-owned dermatology office in Kenwood, Ohio. I had the good fortune of crossing paths with the great Dr. Bill Kitzmiller, who was one of the leading dermatologists in the city in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

He became my mentor and friend. I was hired and stayed at this office for 12 years. Eventually, the office changed hands and a nurse practitioner owned and operated the practice. I worked very autonomously and had my own patient load that I was entirely responsible for. On a typical day, I would see anywhere from 20-40 patients. Some of my duties included performing cancer screening skin exams, biopsies, incision and drainage procedures and intralesional injections. I also treated and followed up on rashes, acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancers and many other skin disorders. I maintained prescriptive authority and often prescribed medications. My job required a lot of problem solving throughout the day and enabled me to develop relationships with other disciplines. To further my education and credentialing, I also joined a professional nationwide dermatology association for nurses called the Dermatology Nurses Association. They offered a national certification exam, which I took and passed.

HW: I was very well prepared. The classes are thorough and the professors are very knowledgeable. They are also very approachable. I felt supported.

LG: I work in hematology/oncology for the UC Health Barrett Cancer Center and for West Chester Hospital outpatient offices.

I see patients on my own and in shared visits with my attending physician, and I work with clinical trial patients. I perform symptom management and evaluation for treatment with chemotherapy/immunotherapy for head and neck, lung and genitourinary cancers.

LM: The curriculum addressed key areas which prepared me for my profession. My advisor and instructor, Dr. Christine Colella, was very influential in my success. Her enthusiasm, energy and passion for nursing is obvious. She knows how to motivate and

RH: As an AGPCNP, I have practiced in both the aesthetic medicine and research roles. Initially, I worked for a large multistate med spa directing a team of RNs, LVNs, aestheticians and laser technicians in the care of aesthetic patients. In 2020,

How do you feel the college’s AGPC program prepared you for what was ahead in your specialty?

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Heather Welch, DNP

Lynn Mellencamp, MSN

I began working as a research NP providing in-home assessments for patients in cardiac and diabetes studies. My newest role as an aesthetic research NP for Allergan Aesthetics with the CoolSculpting® division has merged these two specialties. I assess and clear all patients for numerous aesthetic procedures, such as facial injectables, laser therapy, radiofrequency microneedling, body contouring and cryolipolysis. I also am trained and certified to treat patients in these procedures. My main daily duty is making sure my team follows protocols and utilizes equipment/products appropriately. I am also part of an interprofessional clinical study team, where I monitor patient safety and implement device treatments while utilizing newly engineered device applicators and accessories. My long-term responsibilities include continuously educating patients about procedure maintenance, prescribing medical-grade routine skincare, managing any adverse reactions to procedures or skincare products, learning new procedures and techniques and reassessing if treatment is therapeutic. I also assess usability and feasibility of devices to determine treatment efficacy, which is studied over years with our research and development team.

What have been some of the most rewarding aspects of working as an AGPCNP? On the other hand, what specific challenges have you encountered in this field of work?

HW: The biggest challenge I faced was switching from nurse mode to provider mode — although you’re still focusing on total patient care, you’re placing the orders instead of performing the orders. At first, this was a challenging balance. I would have to say one of the most rewarding aspects is the relationships I develop with my patients. As a nurse, you see them either in clinic or in the hospital. As a provider, I am with them through all aspects of care for their disease process.

LM: One of the most rewarding aspects of working as an NP is creating trusting relationships with patients, families and coworkers. I’ve precepted quite a few NP students, mostly from UC, which I really enjoyed. I strived to create a positive learning

Lisa Gebhart, MSN

Randi Horne, MSN, NP-C

environment that was not overwhelming or stuffy and tried to show how we, as NPs, can be such an asset to other health care providers and to our patients. I always enjoyed the growth of confidence and knowledge in my students. Respect for others, accountability and responsibility are utmost in my agenda.

I became a nurse to help people and I always strived to do just that.

I’ve learned that being an NP is lifelong learning. The health care field is forever changing, and we must stay current.

Specific challenges that I have encountered are with other health care disciplines and some patients with the lack of understanding of the capabilities of an NP. I think there are still a lot of misconceptions and people don’t really understand our scope of practice and how we can complement the health care team. I have high hopes that laws will soon change to allow nurse practitioners to perform independently.

LG: The most rewarding aspect is the satisfaction of taking care of patients and their families by providing compassionate symptom management and education, as well as collaborating with other colleagues. The most challenging aspect is to be respected as a provider.

RH: As an AGPCNP, I have been able to have positive interactions with patients and gain trust by providing high-quality care. In 2020, when I ventured into the role of small business owner (Aesthetic Artist), I partnered with a physician and began a concierge facial injectable and skincare business, which gave me freedom to build a patient roster and treat with products I love and are backed by rigorous research. The challenges I encountered with breaking into the field of aesthetics was timing, patience and required further education outside of grad school because it is a specialty. There is not a strict stepwise plan for aesthetics treatments, which can be daunting at times, but it also allows for my creative side to flourish.

By: Evelyn Fleider

Winter 2022 | 33

Coming Full Circle David Moskowitz’s two stints in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center inspired him to become a nurse. Now he’s working alongside the providers who cared for him.

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Some people choose to pursue a nursing career because they have a family member who is a nurse, or they are attracted to the fast-paced environment and daily challenges of an emergency department or they are driven by the desire to make a difference in other people’s lives. For David Moskowitz, a senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student at UC College of Nursing, his curiosity for the nursing field stemmed from a personal experience — a rather traumatic one, actually.

The Accident That Sparked His Curiosity Before his 14th birthday, Moskowitz had never been to a hospital for an injury-related incident. He and his twin brother, Jack, were celebrating their big day with a few friends at an alpine skiing resort about 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati. To prepare, Moskowitz and his brother spent ample time watching professional skiers dominate the slopes at the 2014 Winter Olympics on TV, but Moskowitz spent hardly any time on skis himself before deciding to take on one of the steepest slopes at the resort. About a minute into his descent, he realized his mistake. He fell and fractured the tibia in his right leg. His mom then drove him to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), where he would spend the next few nights recovering while his care team tried

to control his excruciating pain. Luckily, Moskowitz did not need surgery.

“I’m not proud of this, but I’m a pretty stubborn hospital patient. It takes the right nurse to care for me,” admits Moskowitz, whose parents recall him making a nurse cry during his first night at CCHMC. On his second day, Moskowitz received a new nurse named Cameron, who showed just the right mix of compassion and sternness to connect with Moskowitz and help him make the best of his hospital stay. “I left the hospital with a whole different view on the health care field and what I thought of the nursing profession,” Moskowitz says.

The positive impression Cameron left on Moskowitz stayed with him through his junior year of high school, when it came time to start thinking seriously about applying to college and choosing a field of study. Moskowitz’s curiosity for nursing compelled him to tour Procter Hall. Attracted to UC’s directadmit BSN program and the university’s overall welcoming atmosphere and proximity to home, Moskowitz applied and completed the interview process in early December 2017, near the end of the first semester of his senior year. Excited for the future, Moskowitz invested all his time and energy into training for his final high school lacrosse season. Then things took an unexpected turn.

David Moskowitz (right) with brother Jack (left)

Winter 2022 | 35

The Medical Scare That Fuels His Passion The Sunday before finals week, Moskowitz noticed a numbness on his tongue. Thinking he had just burned it on a hot cup of coffee, he went about his day as usual, even going to lacrosse practice. Eventually, the numbness progressed to his lips and the right side of his face, affecting his speech. After coming home from practice and telling his parents, they immediately took him to the hospital. A neurology exam yielded normal results, so Moskowitz was sent home. The next morning, his fingertips started tingling.

He took a final exam while his mom scheduled an MRI appointment, but he knew something did not feel right.

The MRI showed Moskowitz was having a stroke caused by a brain bleed. This time, instead of riding in the back of his mom’s car, an ambulance transported Moskowitz to CCHMC. “It was like the most exhilarating experience of my life,” he says. “I got to the experience the health care field during one of the most intense situations you can be in, so I was like, This is cool.”

Of course, Moskowitz had no idea what would unfold.

He was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where they learned he had an inoperable arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his brain caused by a genetic disorder called hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. By his third day in the PICU, around Christmastime, Moskowitz had lost mobility of the right side of his body, the left side of his body was weakened and his vision was compromised.

If the AVM had ruptured, he could have died. Fortunately, after three cerebral angiography procedures, his care team was able to stabilize the AVM and begin radiation.

In late January, after spending 30 days in the PICU fighting for his life and a few days in the neurology unit, Moskowitz was finally able to go home. Over the next six months, he endured grueling physical and occupational therapy and had to be tutored at home in order to graduate. Although he was too exhausted to resume his usual activity level, he attended lacrosse practices and games to cheer on his teammates and regain some sense of normalcy. In February, Moskowitz received his acceptance letter of direct admission to UC College of Nursing’s BSN program, which he says served as the motivation he needed to fully recover.

“What I remember from my patient days in the PICU are the nurses who kept me alive during the most difficult times,” Moskowitz says. “They remained focused and determined to do whatever they could to save my life.

They were very encouraging and hopeful that I would one day be able to pursue a career in nursing. They even told me they hoped I would be able to come work with them some day.”

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The Experiences That Set Him Up for Success

or some kind of critical care environment that requires problem-solving and overcoming challenges.

Going to college is a big life change for anyone, especially for someone who recently experienced a near-death experience.

To ease Moskowitz into his freshman year, his advisors spread out his courses over three semesters, including the summer.

Still, it was not an easy transition for Moskowitz, who had to relearn how to study and be successful in school while also processing what happened to him. By his sophomore year, he was in a dark place mentally. Then he earned a job as a patient care assistant in the PICU at CCHMC, which served as motivation to keep pushing forward. Now in his final semester of his senior year, Moskowitz is thriving in school and working in the same PICU as a co-op student, alongside some of the very nurses who helped keep him alive four years ago.

“I can give true empathy to my patients. I know this is the place for me,” Moskowitz says. “I like the challenge of the PICU and the population. I love the people I work with, and I want to be here and learn from the best.”

Having been a patient in the PICU himself, Moskowitz says he can connect with patients on a deeper level. After graduation, he hopes to continue working in the PICU

Last May marked three years since Moskowitz completed his radiation treatment, so he returned to CCHMC for a final cerebral angiography procedure, which showed the AVM had completely cleared. On top of equipping him with an extraordinary sense of empathy, Moskowitz says his medical journey has set him up for success in a variety of ways.

“It taught me a lot of responsibility, maturity and discipline that I feel like most people don’t have going into college,” he says. “I actually don’t think I would have been successful in nursing school and would have dropped out if I didn’t have this experience. It made me grow up a lot faster than I wanted to, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”

By: Katie Coburn

‘‘

What I remember from my patient days in the PICU are the nurses who kept me alive during the most difficult times.

They remained focused and determined to do whatever they could to save my life.

They were very encouraging and hopeful that I would one day be able to pursue a career in nursing.

– David Moskowitz

Winter 2022 | 37

GOING BEYOND

Meet the New Board Members The College of Nursing Board of Advisors provides strategic counsel, creates community awareness and helps obtain financial support for the college. UC College of Nursing welcomes two new members with a wealth of leadership experience, Bradley Jackson (BJ) and Susan Opas (SO).

Tell us a little about yourself.

BJ: I’m a Cincinnati native and have been a board-certified pediatrician for more than 30 years. I completed my undergraduate degree at UC as a recipient of the Louise Taft-Semple Classic Scholarship and went on to graduate with a medical degree from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. Afterward, I completed my pediatric internship and residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC).

I currently live in Columbus, Ohio, working as the plan performance medical director and chief medical officer of the Anthem Ohio Medicaid Plan. Previously, I worked for eight years as plan performance medical director for the Amerigroup Maryland Plan and for nearly 15 years as co-founder and practicing clinician of Premier Pediatric Group in Mason, Ohio. I have served as a volunteer assistant professor of pediatrics for UC College of Medicine and CCHMC and as president of the CCHMC medical staff.

I have also served in leadership roles locally and nationally, including on the Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association, and as a senior physician for the Village Life Outreach Project and medical director for Crossroads Church on mission trips to Africa and Central America.

SO: I am a proud 1971 UC Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduate. After graduation, my husband and I moved to Los Angeles, raised three children and were married for 37 years. I earned a master’s in nursing as a pediatric clinical nurse specialist and a post-master’s certificate as a pediatric nurse practitioner, followed by a PhD in educational psychology from the University of California Santa Barbara. Between 1973 and 2001, I taught all

38 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

ages and stages of childhood and all levels of inpatient and outpatient care to undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

Then, until July 2021, I practiced as a pediatric nurse practitioner with Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills area’s developmentalbehavioral program. I was also identified as a leader of Southern California’s developmental-behavioral group and Woodland Hills Advance Practice Providers. In addition to clinical practice, in 2011, I began yearly volunteer international humanitarian missions with ProjectHOPE, for which I remain a disaster response team member.

I’m a reviewer for two journals, along with abstracts and grants for a variety of local nurse research meetings and have been an active committee member in both academic and practice settings. I have co-authored a book, published peer-reviewed journal articles and a recent chapter for an advance practice book. I have also been a guest speaker on developmental-behavioral topics at local, state and national nursing and public health meetings.

My two professional passions are UC College of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. I was inducted as a nurse leader into Sigma in 1982 through UCLA’s Gamma Tau Chapter and have maintained dual membership in UC’s Beta Iota Chapter. Since being inducted into Sigma, I have served in many Gamma Tau board positions, including chapter president, and have chaired committees at the international level.

I currently serve as coordinator for Region 2 North America, serving 35 chapters in Southern California, west Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. I am a Virginia Henderson Fellow, Billye Brown Fellow, Sigma Fellow and a Pillar Society member, all earned through philanthropy.

How were you connected to the college before joining the Board of Advisors?

BJ: I have a strong family legacy in the field of nursing. My mother, Naomi Jackson, worked as a registered nurse at University Hospital (currently UC Medical Center) and retired after more than 30 years of service. My cousin, Sheri Lewis, is a proud graduate of UC College of Nursing and is employed with UC Health. Her daughter, Alexandria Lewis, is a promising, incoming nursing student in the UC College of Nursing. My son’s mother and godmother are also UC College of Nursing graduates.

SO: Although I immediately moved to Los Angeles after graduation, I remained connected to my classmates and proud of the education I received at UC. As a high school graduate, I received a $500 scholarship from the Pearl Armstrong, Greater Dayton Alumni Association; thus from the start, I felt the responsibility to give back and have been a donor to the college and university since the 1970s. I established an endowed scholarship for the college and was instrumental in founding the first endowed BSN class scholarship.

I’m a recipient of the college’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and was honored with a UC College of Nursing Alumni Legacy Award for Outstanding Career Achievement. Also, as a UC-prepared RN, I promote the college’s online and in-person nursing programs whenever I have the opportunity!

What motivated you to join the Board of Advisors?

BJ: I felt motivated to continue my family legacy of representing the strength of the nursing profession and to promote excellence in health care education and care management, advocate for increased diversity and inclusion in the College of Nursing and community health care field, and take the opportunity to assist in seeking increased funding for the college.

SO: I retired after 50 years working as an RN and nurse practitioner and this period of transition has allowed me to review my commitments, making decisions of what to keep, change or leave behind. UC College of Nursing has always been my first love and longest connection, which I want to continue. I believe I can contribute with my long-term experience in nursing to provide unique perspectives to the board and the college.

How do you expect to contribute as a board member?

BJ: I am seeking to better leverage my sphere of influence in the managed care community to pursue additional funding and support for nursing students working in underserved communities in Southwestern Ohio.

SO: I have had the opportunity to work closely with the college’s past two deans and three foundation advisors. I’m familiar with members of the UC Foundation and have kept a focus on ideas and opportunities of giving. When I derived the idea of a UC College of Nursing BSN Class of 1971 Scholarship, I developed creative ways to approach my classmates, so I expect to contribute with ideas to further increase marketing and donations to the college. I have extensive experience working in committees, which I feel has improved my creativity and critical thinking.

What do you think are the college’s unique contributions to the community?

BJ: I think the college contributes excellence in nursing education and community outreach, produces quality nursing students who stay local to work and understands the importance of diversity and inclusion at the university and in the community.

SO: For at least four decades, the college has been on the cutting edge of using technology. It earned national awards for its utilization of technology, which gives students an advantage in their first nursing positions. This has also required faculty to be tech-savvy early in their teaching. The ability to use technology in the college and in the medical center has moved technology into the community, which improves health within diverse communities in Cincinnati. Students and faculty volunteer and work in the community — often in collaboration with other colleges within UC and with both volunteer and for-profit companies in the community.

Have you learned anything unique about the college you didn’t previously know?

BJ: I wasn’t aware of the continuous work and national recognitions for its graduate nursing programs.

SO: Although I have a sense of the programs offered by the college and stay informed by reading the college’s magazine and emails, I am sure I have much to learn, such as the college’s research focus, grant funding and other financial resources. I am also interested in the college’s interdisciplinary projects within the university, community and other nursing programs.

Winter 2022 | 39

CELEBRATIONS & EVENTS

College Named among Nation’s Best Schools for Male Nursing Students UC College of Nursing has received the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) 2021 Best Schools for Men in Nursing Award. A third-time award recipient, the college is one of only nine schools nationwide honored for efforts to recruit and retain men in nursing.

The latest accolade follows the college’s national recognition as a seven-time recipient of the prestigious INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award for our extensive recruitment and retention efforts of students, faculty and staff, as well as continued leadership support for diversity and inclusion.

“Your history, consistency, quality and commitment to creating an inclusive environment for men who are becoming professional nurses is noteworthy,” stated the award letter, signed by AAMN Recognition Review Committee Chair Bonnie Schmidt, PhD, RN, CNE. “You should be very proud of your work and the work of your leadership team.”

According to the AAMN, the purpose of the award is to recognize a nursing school or college that has put forth significant efforts in recruiting and retaining men in nursing, in providing men a supportive educational environment and in educating faculty, students and the community about the contributions men have made and continue to make to the nursing profession.

Reviewers of the college’s award application concluded that UC met or exceeded all areas of the evaluation, including recruitment activities, climate assessment, chapter activities, strategic planning and percent of male students admitted over the past three years.

“What makes our recent diversity and inclusion recognitions even more meaningful is knowing that, together, we are fostering an environment where differences are recognized and appreciated, so we all can thrive,” says Denise Gormley, PhD, RN, FNAP, the college’s interim dean.

The college was formally recognized in the 46th Annual AAMN Conference awards presentation on Oct. 21, 2021.

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Rebecca Smith is This Year’s AAMN Outstanding Student Award Winner

College Lauded for DEI Efforts, Tech Integration

The award is given annually to a nursing student who makes a “substantial and commendable contribution” toward the organization’s objectives on a local, regional or national level and requires three letters of recommendation from clinical instructors or professors.

For the seventh Health year in a row, the Professions College of Nursing has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) ® Award from INSIGHT Into Top Colleges for Diversity Diversity magazine in recognition of its lasting, sustainable initiatives that increase educational opportunities for talented and diverse students and contributing to graduating a nursing workforce that reflects the diversity of the country’s population.

Smith joined UC’s AAMN chapter during her freshman year. She has since served in leadership roles for the group, including as secretary for the 2019-2020 academic year and as president for the 2020-2021 academic year. As chapter president, Smith frequently reached out to the broader male nursing community to organize events that fostered professional inclusion and empowerment. Also a member of the national AAMN chapter and many other organizations, including the National Student Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International – Beta Iota Chapter and Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, she serves as a UC College of Nursing dean’s student ambassador and on the college’s Committee for Equity and Inclusive Excellence.

“I’m trying to provide the education needed to help male nurses,” Smith says. She often challenges stereotypes about men and women in nursing. “People think men aren’t as caring and that providing care is a woman’s job. Men can care. Women can care. Men can be tough. Women can be tough. We’re all in this together.”

In a letter of support for Smith, Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN, professor, associate dean for research and director of the PhD program, and Jeff Trees, DNP, FNP-BC, CNP, coordinator of the college’s onsite family nurse practitioner programs, wrote, “We have found Rebecca to be highly motivated and enthusiastic about nursing and the impact she can make as a registered nurse.”

2021

The college’s initiatives to support this range from established partnerships with local high schools that serve a large percentage of underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged students to the adoption of holistic admissions strategies that incorporate personal student characteristics to augment grade point average and test scores and the implementation of programs that support students during their college experience.

The college also supports a wide variety of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts outside of the admissions process. Its Committee for Equity and Inclusive Excellence sponsors several events throughout the year, providing awareness and a platform for discussion among college faculty, staff, students and alumni. In addition, Ann Gakumo, PhD, joined the college in October as the Greer Glazer Endowed Chair in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The position represents one of the first of its kind nationwide in a nursing school.

The College of Nursing again has been designated an Apple Distinguished School. The recognition is given to schools considered by Apple as centers of innovation, leadership and educational excellence that use technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. The college is the only nursing college in the country to receive this honor four times.

Rebecca Smith, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student in UC’s College of Nursing and past-president of UC’s AAMN chapter, with Ryan Gehringer, also past-president of UC’s AAMN chapter, at an AAMN national conference

Preparing nurse leaders to provide the best care for all patients in the ever-changing and complex reality of health care has required the college to continue transforming the way faculty and staff teach and the way students learn. As the college transitioned back to in-person instruction in fall 2021, faculty and staff remained focused on engaging curriculum and innovative, active learning strategies that incorporate virtual and augmented reality.

Winter 2022 | 41

PAYING IT FORWARD

Honoring Louis’ Legacy PhD candidate Louis Gamba Ti Banguima passed away in May. Now his legacy is being honored through the creation of a new fund that supports international students pursuing a PhD in nursing.

Louis Gamba Ti Banguima at 2016 PhD orientation

Louis Gamba Ti Banguima dreamt of opening a medical clinic in the Central African Republic so he could help people in his home country. After all, he entered the nursing field 12 years ago so that he could help take care of people. The 45-year-old was working toward this goal and on track to earn his PhD from the UC College of Nursing when he passed away from a brief, serious illness in May. With the help of his advisor, who video conferenced Banguima from his hospital bed, Banguima achieved PhD candidacy before he passed. Now, to honor his legacy, a dear friend and former classmate is launching the Louis Gamba Ti Banguima Memorial Dissertation Award Fund, which will support international students pursuing a PhD in nursing at UC.

Banguima Overcame Several Obstacles to Pursue His PhD Despite not having a car, a job or even a place to live, Banguima immigrated to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue a successful engineering career. He spent the last of his money on a plane ticket from West Africa to Cincinnati after receiving a visa through a U.S. government lottery program. Though he arrived with a dual master’s in physics and chemistry on top of a bachelor’s in civil engineering, his inadequate English skills — he was a native French speaker — prevented him from landing an engineering gig.

Eventually, Banguima received a Social Security number, found an apartment and got a job as a mail sorter. Meanwhile, he attended English classes at a local vocational school and, in 10 months, started a new job that ignited his passion for nursing: a caregiver for developmentally disabled residents at a group home. Over the next six years, he earned his State Tested Nursing Assistant license and Licensed Practical Nurse degree from Cincinnati State Career & Technical College, followed by his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UC. In May 2017, after spending two years pursuing a master’s in nursing, Banguima began his PhD journey at UC to become a nurse scientist.

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Banguima’s Legacy Lives on at UC and Beyond One classmate who Banguima grew particularly close with was Kelly Stacy. “He was like a brother to me,” says Stacy, who worked closely with Banguima as a fellow graduate assistant and often invited him to join her family gatherings. “He had such a big heart and was such a dedicated student,” she adds. Stacy, who earned her PhD in August, wanted to honor Banguima’s dedication to his studies by creating a fund that would reduce barriers for international students who face challenges similar to those Banguima experienced. In June, she created The Louis Gamba Ti Banguima Memorial Dissertation Award Fund to help international students in UC’s nursing college offset the cost of completing their dissertation in pursuit of their PhD. “Louis was so excited by learning. He was constantly trying to think of new research ideas and further his education,” Stacy says. “He was even working on his nursing practice degree on the side because he felt it would be useful when he went home to the Central African Republic to start a clinic in his hometown. I’m inspired by him. He’s opened my eyes to the things that people sacrifice to pursue their dreams.”

As of December, donors have pledged $25,000 to the Louis Gamba Ti Banguima Memorial Dissertation Award Fund.

Stacy aims to fundraise an additional $25,000 so the college can establish an endowed fund in Banguima’s name.

By: Katie Coburn

If you would like to support the cause and help honor Banguima’s legacy, please consider donating to the fund by scanning the QR code with the camera on your device

Top Row: Destini Thomas-Hays, BSN ’17; Cleopatra Kum, PhD ’21; Barbara Bodnarik, BSN ’17; Louis Gamba Ti Banguima, BSN ’15; Jerome Wray Bottom Row: Donna Shambley-Ebron, PhD; Ayse Guler; Dania Albu-Alhaija; Holly Meyer; Kelly Stacy, PhD ’21

Banguima Was Loved by All, Especially His “Cohort Family” While pursuing his PhD, Banguima worked as a graduate research assistant and a part-time nurse at Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He studied alongside eight members of a diverse PhD cohort for four years, during which his classmates and advisors grew very fond of his dedication to learning and passion for helping others.

“Louis and I lived in the same apartment complex and we would rideshare to campus. He was very caring and compassionate. I remember how dedicated he was to help the people in his country obtain educational resources. He was collecting books in his apartment to send to his home country to build up the library. I miss his spirit and laugh. He was a wonderful person and friend.”

– Jerome Wray “He was truly an inspiring person. I was and still am amazed at how much Louis was able to accomplish in this country.

Being an African immigrant myself, I have an appreciation for how much work and sheer determination it took Louis to move from a French-speaking country, learn the English language from scratch, and attain the highest academic honors in his field in the U.S. Despite his achievements, Louis remained very humble and true to himself. He often talked about going back home one day to the Central African Republic to give back and help his community. He is dearly missed.”

– Cleopatra (Cleo) Kum

“Louis was committed to a life of learning. There wasn’t an obstacle he couldn’t overcome. He was a sincere friend, and his passion for improving the health and wellbeing of others was contagious. He made the world a better place. I am honored to have been in a PhD cohort with him.

His perspective and encouragement will stay with me for a lifetime.”

– Holly Meyer “Louis was a true Renaissance Man who was deeply spiritual.

He was successful in all he set out to accomplish with a great deal of integrity and a work ethic that was wonderful to behold. He was a true friend who was always willing to offer his expertise and precious time to work on challenging PhD requirements. Our cohort family was very fortunate to have him as one of our ‘Brothers.’ He had an infectious laugh and beautiful smile, which always filled you with warmth when it was directed your way. I will miss my brother and angel-friend. I have been blessed that he was a part of my life’s journey…if only for a while.”

– Barbara E. Bodnarik “Louis was an extraordinarily hard-working person. He was always expressing his sense of humor to cope with stress and the difficult moments he faced during his journey as an immigrant. He always encouraged international students in the PhD program to pursue their dreams and goals.

He knew the pain of being alone as an immigrant in a foreign land. He was a heart-warming and empathetic friend. He will be missed.”

– Ayse Guler

Winter 2022 | 43

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing PO Box 210038 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0038

i Envisioning the Future of Health Care and Education

July 20-22, 2022

To learn more and submit proposals, scan the QR code with the camera on your device.

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