FACULTY BEAT
Online Neonatal Program UConn School of Nursing now offers an online neonatal nursing master’s degree program, developed by Associate Clinical Professor Dr. Sandra Bellini. This is a 44-credit online part-time or full-time program for a degree preparing nurses as neonatal nurse practitioners (NNP). This program is taught by UConn School of Nursing faculty who are experienced neonatal practitioners actively working in the field, like Bellini. Coursework is on line with three on-campus visits required throughout the program. NNP graduates are eligible to take the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner exam given by the National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Specialties. NCNS graduates are eligible to sit for the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist exam given by AACN Certification Corporation. For more information on the program visit: http://neonatal-nursing.online.uconn.edu
Community Health Projects Dr. Juliette Shellman, associate professor, has received a $10,000 award from the John A. Hartford Foundation for Hartford Change AGEnts to Improve Mental Health Care in the Community. The goal of her project is to train and evaluate the delivery capacity of older adults to implement Peer Reminiscence Intervention for Minority Elders (PRIME). PRIME is based on integrative reminiscence, which has been shown to be an effective method to decrease depressive symptoms in older adults. Dr. Shellman’s previous studies indicated resistance to participation in mental health studies due to a mistrust of researchers. Thus a community-based, culturally tailored peer-led reminiscence intervention was developed to address the mental health disparities that exist for older Black adults. Results from this work will inform the next step of the reminiscence research program to test PRIME in a randomized controlled trial study. To contact Dr. Shellman on her community research, email juliette.shellman@uconn.edu or visit: http://nursing.uconn.edu/about-the-school/faculty-staff/facultydirectory/faculty-shellman/
22 Unison