University of South Carolina College of Nursing Magazine Fall 2018

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

College of Nursing FALL 2018

ACCELERATING CHANGE WITH PARTNERSHIPS College of Nursing, Palmetto Health tackle shared challenges together.

pg. 11

RAISING THE BAR Partnering for Success

pg. 21

More than five years ago, while conducting a self-assessment during a strategic planning process, our team identified an opportunity to expand and cultivate our partnerships.

Our renewed vision equipped us with an intentional focus, collaborative spirit, and strong desire to break out of the walls of our building and forge new partnerships across the state, throughout the nation and globally. The impact of this vision is being realized and we are excited about the transformation.

In this issue, we provide a snapshot of several of our partnerships and their impact on nursing education, practice and research. From our renewed synergy with our academic health center and other health systems to our new collaboratives with industry, academic and global partners, our momentum and

pg. 8

JEANNETTE ANDREWS DEAN OF THE

FALL 2018 College of Nursing Dean / Jeannette O. Andrews Associate Dean of Academic Affairs / Kristen Starnes-Ott Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs / Robin Dail Associate Dean of Practice and Health Policy / Stephanie Burgess Associate Dean of Research / Bernardine M. Pinto Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity / Coretta Jenerette Director of Communications and Marketing / Jan Johnson Senior Director of Development / Monica Cromer Director of Alumni Engagement/ Annie Lambert CON Communications Office Williams-Brice Building Columbia, SC 29208 Phone: 803-777-3861 Email: usc.con@.sc.edu University Home Page: sc.edu College of Nursing Home Page: sc.edu/nursing University Writers Group / Integrated Communications Contributing Writers / Laura Kammerer, Annika Dahlgren Photographers / Kim Truett, Brett Flashnick, Jason Ayer The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The University of South Carolina has designated as the ADA Title II, Section 504 and Title IX coordinator the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs. The Office of the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs is located at 1600 Hampton Street, Suite 805, Columbia, SC; telephone 803-777-3854. UCS 18-10634 9/18

IN THIS ISSUE 7 / Fighting for the fragile

COLLEGE OF NURSING

energy continue to build. Our college, in alliance with our partners, is leading statewide policy initiatives that are improving access to care for citizens of South Carolina. Our partners truly inspire, energize and empower us every day.

In the following pages, you will read also about our achievements from our outstanding talented team of faculty members, staff and students. We have historical firsts in our college this year with

Robin Dail is designing studies and technologies aimed at improving the odds of survival for premature infants.

a newly appointed Fulbright Scholar, Macy Faculty Scholar and

9 / DNP graduates improving patients’ lives

designated alumni council is off and running, and our donors have

Two DNP students implement improved nursing practices at hospitals.

been very generous with gifts and new endowments. Our research

10 / Accelerating change with partnerships

funding and scholarly productivity are the highest in our history, as

two Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholars. Our newly

are our rankings by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. News

The College of Nursing’s partnership with Palmetto Health is a core component of the college’s mission to lead the transformation of nursing education.

& World Report. The University of South Carolina College of Nursing

16 / Lessons learned

rewarding it is to be a part of such a great team.

Victoria Davis spends part of her time providing primary care at a juvenile detention center, bringing real-world lessons back to the classroom.

continues to raise the bar, and I remind myself everyday how

Together we are shaping the future.

18 / Partners driving big data solutions

Ronda Hughes believes hospitals can reduce unnecessary readmissions by making better use of patient data — and she’s leading a team of researchers to prove it.

On the cover: The University of South Carolina College of Nursing cultivates partnerships to impact education, practice and research.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/3

More than five years ago, while conducting a self-assessment during a strategic planning process, our team identified an opportunity to expand and cultivate our partnerships.

Our renewed vision equipped us with an intentional focus, collaborative spirit, and strong desire to break out of the walls of our building and forge new partnerships across the state, throughout the nation and globally. The impact of this vision is being realized and we are excited about the transformation.

In this issue, we provide a snapshot of several of our partnerships and their impact on nursing education, practice and research. From our renewed synergy with our academic health center and other health systems to our new collaboratives with industry, academic and global partners, our momentum and

pg. 8

JEANNETTE ANDREWS DEAN OF THE

FALL 2018 College of Nursing Dean / Jeannette O. Andrews Associate Dean of Academic Affairs / Kristen Starnes-Ott Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs / Robin Dail Associate Dean of Practice and Health Policy / Stephanie Burgess Associate Dean of Research / Bernardine M. Pinto Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity / Coretta Jenerette Director of Communications and Marketing / Jan Johnson Senior Director of Development / Monica Cromer Director of Alumni Engagement/ Annie Lambert CON Communications Office Williams-Brice Building Columbia, SC 29208 Phone: 803-777-3861 Email: usc.con@.sc.edu University Home Page: sc.edu College of Nursing Home Page: sc.edu/nursing University Writers Group / Integrated Communications Contributing Writers / Laura Kammerer, Annika Dahlgren Photographers / Kim Truett, Brett Flashnick, Jason Ayer The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The University of South Carolina has designated as the ADA Title II, Section 504 and Title IX coordinator the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs. The Office of the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs is located at 1600 Hampton Street, Suite 805, Columbia, SC; telephone 803-777-3854. UCS 18-10634 9/18

IN THIS ISSUE 7 / Fighting for the fragile

COLLEGE OF NURSING

energy continue to build. Our college, in alliance with our partners, is leading statewide policy initiatives that are improving access to care for citizens of South Carolina. Our partners truly inspire, energize and empower us every day.

In the following pages, you will read also about our achievements from our outstanding talented team of faculty members, staff and students. We have historical firsts in our college this year with

Robin Dail is designing studies and technologies aimed at improving the odds of survival for premature infants.

a newly appointed Fulbright Scholar, Macy Faculty Scholar and

9 / DNP graduates improving patients’ lives

designated alumni council is off and running, and our donors have

Two DNP students implement improved nursing practices at hospitals.

been very generous with gifts and new endowments. Our research

10 / Accelerating change with partnerships

funding and scholarly productivity are the highest in our history, as

two Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholars. Our newly

are our rankings by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. News

The College of Nursing’s partnership with Palmetto Health is a core component of the college’s mission to lead the transformation of nursing education.

& World Report. The University of South Carolina College of Nursing

16 / Lessons learned

rewarding it is to be a part of such a great team.

Victoria Davis spends part of her time providing primary care at a juvenile detention center, bringing real-world lessons back to the classroom.

continues to raise the bar, and I remind myself everyday how

Together we are shaping the future.

18 / Partners driving big data solutions

Ronda Hughes believes hospitals can reduce unnecessary readmissions by making better use of patient data — and she’s leading a team of researchers to prove it.

On the cover: The University of South Carolina College of Nursing cultivates partnerships to impact education, practice and research.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/3

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP

WELCOME OUR NEW HIRES!

Partners in research Nursing faculty conduct research with state’s largest oncology services provider

BY THE NUMBERS

Bernardine Pinto received the Senior Investigator Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Cancer Special Interest Group.

$4 million For investments and renovations to improve workplace and student experience

For three researchers at the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing, improving outcomes for cancer survivors is the name of the game — but they couldn’t do what they do without South Carolina Oncology Associates.

Assistant professor Tisha Felder is interested in helping cancer survivors adhere to their hormonal treatments. Assistant professor Karen McDonnell wants to improve survivorship and quality of life among lung cancer patients. Professor Bernardine Pinto is keen on helping breast cancer survivors become more physically active — and remain so.

And all three professors rely on SCOA, and other cancer sites and registries, to connect with cancer survivors.

“SCOA is one of the largest private oncology services providers in Columbia, so if you want to work with patients and cancer survivors, that’s where you need to go,” says Pinto, who is also the College of Nursing’s associate dean for research.

“That’s why collaborating with them is so important.”

Pinto is currently pursuing two primary studies with cancer survivors, some of whom were identified through the SCOA partnership. The first is part of the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program and involves training volunteers who are themselves breast cancer survivors to help recently diagnosed cancer patients become and stay physically active. The other is a longitudinal study that uses smartphone technology to track the physical activity of cancer survivors in real time.

For Pinto, it’s all part of a larger mission to incorporate physical activity into the cancer treatment recovery regimen.

“Previous to the 1990s, most cancer survivors were told, ‘You’ve had a rough time, you need to rest’,” she says.

“For some of them, that’s true, but for many that’s not the best advice. As you become less active, your physical functioning declines, and then your sense of what you can accomplish decreases as well because you have restricted yourself. As long as your physician thinks that you can be physically active, you should be.”

4 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SING

faculty highlights

Phyllis Raynor is on the South Carolina Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees.

COCKROFT PROGRAM LEADING THE WAY Iris Padilla and Benjamin Smallheer, faculty members in the School of Nursing at Duke University, completed their professional projects as 2017-18 fellows in the Amy V. Cockroft Leadership Development Program at the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing.

Coretta Jenerette

Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Coretta Jenerette is a Macy Faculty Scholar and will focus on enhancing doctoral programs with simulations that expose students to the social determinants of health and interprofessional education.

Kelley Wislon is on the South Carolina Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees.

Padilla, an assistant professor, is focused on enhancing the role of registered nurses in primary care

Jeannette Andrews received the Southern Nursing Research Society’s Leadership in Research Award.

settings. She helped create a population health RN position at Duke Primary Care and has developed learning modules for nurses hired in that role.

“I’m interested in creating a wider scope of prac-

Tena McKinney received the National League of Nursing’s Isabel Hampton Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership in Clinical Practice.

Tena McKinney is also the president-elect of the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA).

tice in primary care, not only for advanced practice nurses but also for RNs,” Padilla says.

Smallheer, lead faculty member of the adultgerontology acute care nurse practitioner program, engaged in discussions with leaders of top nursing schools to better identify the essential qualities of leaders in nursing academia along with recommended means for acquiring these qualities. Smallheer aspires to play a larger role in administrative leadership in nursing education.

The Cockroft Leadership Development Program was established in 1994 by Amy V. Cockroft, found-

Cheedy Jaja

Associate Professor Cheedy Jaja is a Fulbright Scholar whose research focuses on acute and chronic sickle cell disease pain and analgesic pharmacogenetics. He developed a clinical and research program in Sierra Leone designed to investigate the natural history of sickle cell disease pain and management in the African environment.

ing dean of USC’s College of Nursing. Over the course of one year, Cockroft Fellows attend five intensive three-day sessions in Columbia, South Carolina, led by faculty members who are national leaders in nursing, health care and public policy.

The class of 2018-19 Cockroft Fellows includes 15 clinicians and educators in nursing and the health

DeAnne Messias received the Transcultural Nursing Society’s Leininger Transcultural Nursing Award.

Sheryl Mitchell is the president of the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA).

BY THE NUMBERS

100% Full-time faculty members are doctorally prepared or enrolled in doctoral programs.

Stephanie Burgess will be inducted in the American Academy of Nursing.

care industry.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/5

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP

WELCOME OUR NEW HIRES!

Partners in research Nursing faculty conduct research with state’s largest oncology services provider

BY THE NUMBERS

Bernardine Pinto received the Senior Investigator Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Cancer Special Interest Group.

$4 million For investments and renovations to improve workplace and student experience

For three researchers at the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing, improving outcomes for cancer survivors is the name of the game — but they couldn’t do what they do without South Carolina Oncology Associates.

Assistant professor Tisha Felder is interested in helping cancer survivors adhere to their hormonal treatments. Assistant professor Karen McDonnell wants to improve survivorship and quality of life among lung cancer patients. Professor Bernardine Pinto is keen on helping breast cancer survivors become more physically active — and remain so.

And all three professors rely on SCOA, and other cancer sites and registries, to connect with cancer survivors.

“SCOA is one of the largest private oncology services providers in Columbia, so if you want to work with patients and cancer survivors, that’s where you need to go,” says Pinto, who is also the College of Nursing’s associate dean for research.

“That’s why collaborating with them is so important.”

Pinto is currently pursuing two primary studies with cancer survivors, some of whom were identified through the SCOA partnership. The first is part of the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program and involves training volunteers who are themselves breast cancer survivors to help recently diagnosed cancer patients become and stay physically active. The other is a longitudinal study that uses smartphone technology to track the physical activity of cancer survivors in real time.

For Pinto, it’s all part of a larger mission to incorporate physical activity into the cancer treatment recovery regimen.

“Previous to the 1990s, most cancer survivors were told, ‘You’ve had a rough time, you need to rest’,” she says.

“For some of them, that’s true, but for many that’s not the best advice. As you become less active, your physical functioning declines, and then your sense of what you can accomplish decreases as well because you have restricted yourself. As long as your physician thinks that you can be physically active, you should be.”

4 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SING

faculty highlights

Phyllis Raynor is on the South Carolina Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees.

COCKROFT PROGRAM LEADING THE WAY Iris Padilla and Benjamin Smallheer, faculty members in the School of Nursing at Duke University, completed their professional projects as 2017-18 fellows in the Amy V. Cockroft Leadership Development Program at the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing.

Coretta Jenerette

Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Coretta Jenerette is a Macy Faculty Scholar and will focus on enhancing doctoral programs with simulations that expose students to the social determinants of health and interprofessional education.

Kelley Wislon is on the South Carolina Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees.

Padilla, an assistant professor, is focused on enhancing the role of registered nurses in primary care

Jeannette Andrews received the Southern Nursing Research Society’s Leadership in Research Award.

settings. She helped create a population health RN position at Duke Primary Care and has developed learning modules for nurses hired in that role.

“I’m interested in creating a wider scope of prac-

Tena McKinney received the National League of Nursing’s Isabel Hampton Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership in Clinical Practice.

Tena McKinney is also the president-elect of the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA).

tice in primary care, not only for advanced practice nurses but also for RNs,” Padilla says.

Smallheer, lead faculty member of the adultgerontology acute care nurse practitioner program, engaged in discussions with leaders of top nursing schools to better identify the essential qualities of leaders in nursing academia along with recommended means for acquiring these qualities. Smallheer aspires to play a larger role in administrative leadership in nursing education.

The Cockroft Leadership Development Program was established in 1994 by Amy V. Cockroft, found-

Cheedy Jaja

Associate Professor Cheedy Jaja is a Fulbright Scholar whose research focuses on acute and chronic sickle cell disease pain and analgesic pharmacogenetics. He developed a clinical and research program in Sierra Leone designed to investigate the natural history of sickle cell disease pain and management in the African environment.

ing dean of USC’s College of Nursing. Over the course of one year, Cockroft Fellows attend five intensive three-day sessions in Columbia, South Carolina, led by faculty members who are national leaders in nursing, health care and public policy.

The class of 2018-19 Cockroft Fellows includes 15 clinicians and educators in nursing and the health

DeAnne Messias received the Transcultural Nursing Society’s Leininger Transcultural Nursing Award.

Sheryl Mitchell is the president of the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA).

BY THE NUMBERS

100% Full-time faculty members are doctorally prepared or enrolled in doctoral programs.

Stephanie Burgess will be inducted in the American Academy of Nursing.

care industry.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/5

FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP

DOCTORAL STUDENTS RECEIVE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON GRANT

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is one of only 31 schools of nursing nationwide to receive the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars grant, a program aimed at increasing the number of nurses who earn a doctoral degree. The grant provides two incoming fall 2018 doctoral students with financial support, mentoring and leadership development to complete an ad-

pert in neonatal thermoregulation. Schultz will be mentored by Cindy Corbett, a nursing smart state research professor with expertise in care transitions for adults with multiple chronic conditions. Starr and Schultz are active members of the nursing community and passionate about the field.

“This program gives us the opportunity to expand our impact and influence as nursing scientists in the clinical care environment and provide leadership in the nursing field,” Starr says. “It’s important for us to expand the network of global leaders in the field in order to help improve health care.”

Participants in the Future of Nursing Scholars program must enroll full time in a research-focused doctoral program and complete their degree in three years. The program provides $75,000 over the three years and requires participating schools to match $50,000 for a total of $125,000 available over three years. Recipients of the

“I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AND INVESTIGATE TOPICS THAT CAN AFFECT TODAY’S HEALTHCARE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” - KAREN STARR vanced degree in three years. Karen Starr and Beth Schultz are this year’s recipients.

After the college was selected as one of five cohorts, doctoral prospects interested in the program went through an application process that included personal interviews, a written application, a letter of intent and a declaration of interest area.

Starr will be mentored by Robin Dail, associate dean for faculty affairs and an ex-

grant must interact with mentors in health care, research, business, education, policy, innovation and other key areas. They can also participate in a leadership network to collaborate on work with other students and national mentors during and after their doctoral education.

“As a scholar, I know I will become a more effective leader and be prepared to strengthen the nursing profession

through the promotion and engagement of research,” Schultz says. “This program promotes the science of nursing and nursing research at every level of the profession and develops and fosters leaders within the profession of nursing. There are so many levels of entry into this great profession and I think RWJF continues to infuse nursing with more terminally prepared leaders.”

The Future of Nursing Scholars program aims to build a diverse group of nurses who are dedicated to long-term leadership careers that advance science and discovery, strengthen nursing education and transform nursing and health care.

“I have the opportunity to study and investigate topics that can affect today’s health care and make a difference,” Starr says. “My personal goal in pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing science is to expand exploration for neonatal research that can impact the outcomes for newborns.

Over my 30-year career, I have developed a passion for understanding and sharing the ‘why’ of clinical decisions that are data driven. These data can lead to evidence to support best practices in transition, stabilization and continuing care provided by caregivers in a variety of settings.”

The Future of Nursing Scholars program is funded by multiple sources. Johnson & Johnson, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Sharp HealthCare and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in addition to RWJF, support Future of Nursing Scholars grants.

FIGHTING FOR THE FRAGILE NURSING ASSOCIATE DEAN ON FRONT LINE OF INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FOR PREMATURE INFANTS

T

he tiny baby’s odds of survival were poor from the start.

Born 14 weeks premature in a small rural hospital, the infant seemed stable to Robin Dail and the neonatal intensive care unit team that touched down by helicopter to transport him to a larger hospital. The staff followed recommended protocols such as placing him on a ventilator and giving him medication drips to help his underdeveloped organs function outside his mother’s protective womb.

But when Dail, then a neonatal nurse practitioner, touched the baby, his papery skin was ice cold. Amid the whirlwind of interventions to save the infant’s life, the staff had overlooked one critical vital sign: temperature. Even though the NICU transport team warmed the hypothermic baby and rushed him back to the academic medical center for care, expert interventions couldn’t save him. The experience sparked Dail’s determination to prevent another baby from the same plight.

Dail, now associate dean for faculty affairs at the College of Nursing, has dedicated her research to understanding temperature’s impact on premature babies. She came to the University of South Carolina in July 2017 from Duke University where she served for a decade as a decorated member of the faculty.

At Carolina, Dail is designing studies and technologies to advance premature infant health outcomes, and she is mentoring

faculty and graduate students to develop nursing scholars who can address complex health challenges.

Based on her expertise in premature infant temperature control, researchers from GE Healthcare reached out to Dail to collaborate on temperature assessment for a next-generation incubator.

“The collaboration here is fantastic,” Dail says.

GE awarded Dail a grant to use research software for temperature monitoring in their Giraffe Omnibed hybrid incubator at a hospital in North Carolina. This collaboration between Dail and GE Healthcare will observe and describe patterns of abdominal and foot temperature in very premature babies using new temperature-monitoring technology.

Dail is partnering with researchers at the USC College of Engineering and Computing and the Darla Moore School of Business to develop other commercial products that will help physicians and nurses monitor dual temperatures, a dream that languished for more than a decade but that has quickly blossomed at Carolina thanks to the faculty environment.

BY THE NUMBERS

$15.5 million Total sponsored awards in the past 3 years

6 / CO LLE GE O F N UR SING

FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP

DOCTORAL STUDENTS RECEIVE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON GRANT

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is one of only 31 schools of nursing nationwide to receive the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars grant, a program aimed at increasing the number of nurses who earn a doctoral degree. The grant provides two incoming fall 2018 doctoral students with financial support, mentoring and leadership development to complete an ad-

pert in neonatal thermoregulation. Schultz will be mentored by Cindy Corbett, a nursing smart state research professor with expertise in care transitions for adults with multiple chronic conditions. Starr and Schultz are active members of the nursing community and passionate about the field.

“This program gives us the opportunity to expand our impact and influence as nursing scientists in the clinical care environment and provide leadership in the nursing field,” Starr says. “It’s important for us to expand the network of global leaders in the field in order to help improve health care.”

Participants in the Future of Nursing Scholars program must enroll full time in a research-focused doctoral program and complete their degree in three years. The program provides $75,000 over the three years and requires participating schools to match $50,000 for a total of $125,000 available over three years. Recipients of the

“I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AND INVESTIGATE TOPICS THAT CAN AFFECT TODAY’S HEALTHCARE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” - KAREN STARR vanced degree in three years. Karen Starr and Beth Schultz are this year’s recipients.

After the college was selected as one of five cohorts, doctoral prospects interested in the program went through an application process that included personal interviews, a written application, a letter of intent and a declaration of interest area.

Starr will be mentored by Robin Dail, associate dean for faculty affairs and an ex-

grant must interact with mentors in health care, research, business, education, policy, innovation and other key areas. They can also participate in a leadership network to collaborate on work with other students and national mentors during and after their doctoral education.

“As a scholar, I know I will become a more effective leader and be prepared to strengthen the nursing profession

through the promotion and engagement of research,” Schultz says. “This program promotes the science of nursing and nursing research at every level of the profession and develops and fosters leaders within the profession of nursing. There are so many levels of entry into this great profession and I think RWJF continues to infuse nursing with more terminally prepared leaders.”

The Future of Nursing Scholars program aims to build a diverse group of nurses who are dedicated to long-term leadership careers that advance science and discovery, strengthen nursing education and transform nursing and health care.

“I have the opportunity to study and investigate topics that can affect today’s health care and make a difference,” Starr says. “My personal goal in pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing science is to expand exploration for neonatal research that can impact the outcomes for newborns.

Over my 30-year career, I have developed a passion for understanding and sharing the ‘why’ of clinical decisions that are data driven. These data can lead to evidence to support best practices in transition, stabilization and continuing care provided by caregivers in a variety of settings.”

The Future of Nursing Scholars program is funded by multiple sources. Johnson & Johnson, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Sharp HealthCare and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in addition to RWJF, support Future of Nursing Scholars grants.

FIGHTING FOR THE FRAGILE NURSING ASSOCIATE DEAN ON FRONT LINE OF INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FOR PREMATURE INFANTS

T

he tiny baby’s odds of survival were poor from the start.

Born 14 weeks premature in a small rural hospital, the infant seemed stable to Robin Dail and the neonatal intensive care unit team that touched down by helicopter to transport him to a larger hospital. The staff followed recommended protocols such as placing him on a ventilator and giving him medication drips to help his underdeveloped organs function outside his mother’s protective womb.

But when Dail, then a neonatal nurse practitioner, touched the baby, his papery skin was ice cold. Amid the whirlwind of interventions to save the infant’s life, the staff had overlooked one critical vital sign: temperature. Even though the NICU transport team warmed the hypothermic baby and rushed him back to the academic medical center for care, expert interventions couldn’t save him. The experience sparked Dail’s determination to prevent another baby from the same plight.

Dail, now associate dean for faculty affairs at the College of Nursing, has dedicated her research to understanding temperature’s impact on premature babies. She came to the University of South Carolina in July 2017 from Duke University where she served for a decade as a decorated member of the faculty.

At Carolina, Dail is designing studies and technologies to advance premature infant health outcomes, and she is mentoring

faculty and graduate students to develop nursing scholars who can address complex health challenges.

Based on her expertise in premature infant temperature control, researchers from GE Healthcare reached out to Dail to collaborate on temperature assessment for a next-generation incubator.

“The collaboration here is fantastic,” Dail says.

GE awarded Dail a grant to use research software for temperature monitoring in their Giraffe Omnibed hybrid incubator at a hospital in North Carolina. This collaboration between Dail and GE Healthcare will observe and describe patterns of abdominal and foot temperature in very premature babies using new temperature-monitoring technology.

Dail is partnering with researchers at the USC College of Engineering and Computing and the Darla Moore School of Business to develop other commercial products that will help physicians and nurses monitor dual temperatures, a dream that languished for more than a decade but that has quickly blossomed at Carolina thanks to the faculty environment.

BY THE NUMBERS

$15.5 million Total sponsored awards in the past 3 years

6 / CO LLE GE O F N UR SING

LEGISLATIVE PARTNERSHIP

BY THE NUMBERS

1,500 Clinical hours clocked by students each semester at the Carolina Family Practice

DNP GRADUATES IMPROVING PATIENTS’ LIVES Two recent graduates of the College of Nursing earned their Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees and, in the process, transformed patient satisfac-

SC LEGISLATURE EXPANDS SCOPE FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES

A

ccess to quality health care may be expanded for vulnerable and rural patients in South Carolina because of a new law that went into effect July 1.

The legislation removes or modifies certain restrictions on nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and other APRNs, allowing them to practice toward the full extent of their education and training, says Stephanie Burgess, associate dean for practice and health policy in the College of Nursing.

Increasing care access is critical in South Carolina, which is grappling with failing health outcomes and impediments to access to care, she says. In an effort to tackle

8 / COLLE GE O F N UR SING

these challenges, Burgess helped organize the Coalition for Access to Health Care, whose multi-year lobbying effort led to the bill’s passage in May. “This newly enacted bill will help provide greater access to care,” says Jeannette Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing.

Key provisions of the new law include written collaborative practice agreements with physicians who are available for consultation and advice, eliminating a 45-mile radius limit between APRNs and physicians and increasing the number of advanced nurses a physician can collaborate and work with from three to six at any given time. Those restrictions have made it difficult for nurse practitioners to care for

patients in remote areas of the state and, in some cases, forced health clinics to close.

These changes allow patients of the College of Nursing’s Carolina Family Practice in downtown Columbia to be treated in a timely fashion.

Parts of all of South Carolina’s 46 counties are designated as underserved by the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the need for providers offering primary care, mental health and obstetrics and gynecological services is particularly acute, according to DHEC maps and statistics from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Nurse practitioners can help patients manage chronic conditions and treat primary care complaints such as urinary tract and upper respiratory infections. Without adequate primary care access, Medicaid beneficiaries have turned to hospital emergency rooms, costing the state more than $140 million to treat primary care complaints from 2014-2016.

The next challenge will be to conduct robust research and analysis to demonstrate the effectiveness of nurse-led care, Andrews says.

“One of the benefits of passing this bill is that we can continue to work on health care delivery so that patients see the right provider and have a much better health care experience,” she says. “I see that as a great win for South Carolina.”

tion and safety at two South Carolina hospitals.

A 20-year career nurse practitioner, Dee Minor began working at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center in 2009. When she was pursuing her DNP in 2013, the hospital sought to lower surgery cancellations by implementing a standardized preoperative evaluation to reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality — a task Minor turned into her DNP project.

After examining the scheduling process, Minor implemented a risk stratification tool for all patients being considered for elective surgery so fewer procedures would be cancelled due to poor patient health.

“There are risks associated with surgery. Our focus is to provide efficient, safe care to our veterans while decreasing avoidable surgical cancellations.

Implementing a preoperative evaluation helps ensure that veterans receive the best and safest surgical care possible,” Minor says.

One year after implementing the new evaluation, cancellations dropped by seven percent. The tool is individualized for each veteran and is still being used today.

With nine years of hospital experience, Courtney Prince knows IV insertion can be a sore subject for many patients.

For her project, Prince studied the addition of ultrasound guidance to improve the success rate of IV insertion and the resulting savings a hospital might experience from the change.

“Usually when someone gets an IV, it’s a blind stick or you can palpate a vein with your finger,” Prince says.

For patients with difficult-to-access veins, that relatively simple process often leads to multiple insertion attempts, wasted supplies, lost staff time and a big decline in patient satisfaction — a metric that can affect the hospital’s reimbursement rate.

When Prince implemented ultrasound for improved vein visualization, missed attempts dropped dramatically.

“The experience of one insertion instead of four, five, six or even seven times certainly increased patients’ happiness,” says Prince.

Equally pleased was the hospital, which gained significant cost and efficiency savings, and lowered the need for riskier, central IV insertion.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/9

LEGISLATIVE PARTNERSHIP

BY THE NUMBERS

1,500 Clinical hours clocked by students each semester at the Carolina Family Practice

DNP GRADUATES IMPROVING PATIENTS’ LIVES Two recent graduates of the College of Nursing earned their Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees and, in the process, transformed patient satisfac-

SC LEGISLATURE EXPANDS SCOPE FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES

A

ccess to quality health care may be expanded for vulnerable and rural patients in South Carolina because of a new law that went into effect July 1.

The legislation removes or modifies certain restrictions on nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and other APRNs, allowing them to practice toward the full extent of their education and training, says Stephanie Burgess, associate dean for practice and health policy in the College of Nursing.

Increasing care access is critical in South Carolina, which is grappling with failing health outcomes and impediments to access to care, she says. In an effort to tackle

8 / COLLE GE O F N UR SING

these challenges, Burgess helped organize the Coalition for Access to Health Care, whose multi-year lobbying effort led to the bill’s passage in May. “This newly enacted bill will help provide greater access to care,” says Jeannette Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing.

Key provisions of the new law include written collaborative practice agreements with physicians who are available for consultation and advice, eliminating a 45-mile radius limit between APRNs and physicians and increasing the number of advanced nurses a physician can collaborate and work with from three to six at any given time. Those restrictions have made it difficult for nurse practitioners to care for

patients in remote areas of the state and, in some cases, forced health clinics to close.

These changes allow patients of the College of Nursing’s Carolina Family Practice in downtown Columbia to be treated in a timely fashion.

Parts of all of South Carolina’s 46 counties are designated as underserved by the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the need for providers offering primary care, mental health and obstetrics and gynecological services is particularly acute, according to DHEC maps and statistics from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Nurse practitioners can help patients manage chronic conditions and treat primary care complaints such as urinary tract and upper respiratory infections. Without adequate primary care access, Medicaid beneficiaries have turned to hospital emergency rooms, costing the state more than $140 million to treat primary care complaints from 2014-2016.

The next challenge will be to conduct robust research and analysis to demonstrate the effectiveness of nurse-led care, Andrews says.

“One of the benefits of passing this bill is that we can continue to work on health care delivery so that patients see the right provider and have a much better health care experience,” she says. “I see that as a great win for South Carolina.”

tion and safety at two South Carolina hospitals.

A 20-year career nurse practitioner, Dee Minor began working at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center in 2009. When she was pursuing her DNP in 2013, the hospital sought to lower surgery cancellations by implementing a standardized preoperative evaluation to reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality — a task Minor turned into her DNP project.

After examining the scheduling process, Minor implemented a risk stratification tool for all patients being considered for elective surgery so fewer procedures would be cancelled due to poor patient health.

“There are risks associated with surgery. Our focus is to provide efficient, safe care to our veterans while decreasing avoidable surgical cancellations.

Implementing a preoperative evaluation helps ensure that veterans receive the best and safest surgical care possible,” Minor says.

One year after implementing the new evaluation, cancellations dropped by seven percent. The tool is individualized for each veteran and is still being used today.

With nine years of hospital experience, Courtney Prince knows IV insertion can be a sore subject for many patients.

For her project, Prince studied the addition of ultrasound guidance to improve the success rate of IV insertion and the resulting savings a hospital might experience from the change.

“Usually when someone gets an IV, it’s a blind stick or you can palpate a vein with your finger,” Prince says.

For patients with difficult-to-access veins, that relatively simple process often leads to multiple insertion attempts, wasted supplies, lost staff time and a big decline in patient satisfaction — a metric that can affect the hospital’s reimbursement rate.

When Prince implemented ultrasound for improved vein visualization, missed attempts dropped dramatically.

“The experience of one insertion instead of four, five, six or even seven times certainly increased patients’ happiness,” says Prince.

Equally pleased was the hospital, which gained significant cost and efficiency savings, and lowered the need for riskier, central IV insertion.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/9

ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP

ACCELERATING CHANGE WITH PARTNERSHIPS COLLEGE OF NURSING, PALMETTO HEALTH TACKLE SHARED CHALLENGES TOGETHER

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing’s partnership with Palmetto Health is much more than an agreement facilitating student nurses’ clinical training. It’s a core component of the college’s mission to lead transformation in nursing education — and in the profession itself.

It was hardly the beginning Jeannette

events and conducting faculty

Andrews envisioned. Early in her ten-

research.

ure as dean of the College of Nursing,

In 2015, as Andrews and Swinton

Challenge 1: Enhance BSN graduate readiness for practice

she made the tough call to temporarily

started brainstorming how to make

Before the charter was formed, the

shrink the Bachelor of Nursing class

their partnership more intentional

College of Nursing and Palmetto

because there were too few clinical

and more fruitful, their counterparts

Health both sought to bolster new-

preceptors to teach students. Across

in medicine took steps to create the

graduate readiness but did so in isola-

town, Carolyn Swinton, ’91, then the

Palmetto Health–USC Medical Group,

tion, looking only at their own curricu-

chief nursing officer for Palmetto

the region’s largest, joint multispecialty

lum and learning activities, Andrews

Health, sympathized but was grap-

medical group.

says. As a result of the partnership,

pling with her own shortage of bedside

Alongside the release of the 2016

however, they are mapping nurse edu-

nurses as experienced staff left to

Manatt Health/American Association

cation across a continuum that begins

pursue advanced practice degrees.

of Colleges of Nursing report “Ad-

with acceptance into the College of

But as the nurse leaders’ relationship

vancing Healthcare Transformation: A

Nursing and spans the first few years

developed, both grew to realize their

New Era for Academic Nursing,” the

of practice at Palmetto Health, examin-

institutions would be stronger if they

conversation between Swinton and

ing learning opportunities at each in-

worked together to tackle the mount-

Andrews sparked a commitment to

stitution. This comprehensive, holistic

ing challenges in health care education

jointly address strategic priorities and

approach eliminates redundancy, iden-

and delivery.

strengthen the profession’s visibility

tifies gaps and sequentially builds skills

across the state.

on a deeper level rather than function-

A NEW VISION FOR COLLABORATION

“We have a shared vision, and that

ing as two separate, parallel tracks.

For more than 50 years, the college

vision is to speak with one voice of

Based on feedback from the charter

and health system have worked to-

nursing to ensure that nurses show up

committee, Palmetto Health designed

gether to educate nurses. On any given

strong in our communities and secure

a series of nursing support roles that

day, 250 to 300 Carolina nursing stu-

the future of nursing,” says Swinton,

students can begin upon acceptance

dents participate in clinical rotations

chief nursing executive for the South

into the college, increasing their expe-

across the Palmetto Health system,

Carolina Health Company, Palmetto

rience with patient care and nursing

which provides about 70 percent of

Health’s parent organization.

workflow, Swinton says.

the college’s clinical site placements.

The partnership coalesced around

“The more contact and interaction

The organizations had also historically

three challenges, each governed by a

you have in the patient-care area, you

partnered by sharing expert nurses as

separate charter and team of college

build your confidence, you build your

clinical adjunct faculty, co-sponsoring

faculty members and hospital nurses,

skills,” she says. Other highlights from

as well as leaders from each entity.

the first charter include: real-time feed-

10 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

back between hospital staff nurses and

gram to attract new nurses, leveraging

has steadily grown from 21 in 2015

faculty members about the curriculum,

its competitive residency program

to 47 in 2017. Moreover, the two-year

higher-intensity simulation scenarios

to retain top graduates. University of

retention rate of those Carolina gradu-

that better reflect the demands on

South Carolina BSN students are given

ates is 95 percent.

bedside nurses, and a clinical prac-

priority in the program, Swinton says.

tice specialist role at Palmetto Health,

Because of the curricular alignment,

charter include: clinical rotations de-

Other highlights from the second signed by faculty and hospital nurses

filled by a clinical faculty member who

Carolina nursing students can bypass

rounds on recent graduates one or

the program’s orientation, allowing

who help staff the roles, a cohesive,

two evenings per week, building on

them to spend more time in their pre-

singular preceptor education system

the relationship as their former

ferred unit.

between the institutions, yielding a

student preceptor.

During the residency, students are introduced to key resources and per-

seamless experience for students, recent graduates and preceptors, real-

sonnel, such as physicians, respiratory

time feedback about student experi-

Challenge 2: Increase Palmetto Health’s registered nurse workforce

therapists, pharmacists, lab techni-

ences on units, and tuition assistance

cians and physical therapists. Palmetto

for students who work in a health sys-

To combat a shortage of bedside

Health is intentionally fostering these

tem support role during nursing school.

nurses, Palmetto Health strives to be

relationships to help students transi-

a destination employer for recent

tion and integrate into the care team,

graduates.

Swinton says.

Through the charter, the health system has developed a red-carpet pro-

The number of USC nursing students participating in the residency program

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 11

ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP

ACCELERATING CHANGE WITH PARTNERSHIPS COLLEGE OF NURSING, PALMETTO HEALTH TACKLE SHARED CHALLENGES TOGETHER

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing’s partnership with Palmetto Health is much more than an agreement facilitating student nurses’ clinical training. It’s a core component of the college’s mission to lead transformation in nursing education — and in the profession itself.

It was hardly the beginning Jeannette

events and conducting faculty

Andrews envisioned. Early in her ten-

research.

ure as dean of the College of Nursing,

In 2015, as Andrews and Swinton

Challenge 1: Enhance BSN graduate readiness for practice

she made the tough call to temporarily

started brainstorming how to make

Before the charter was formed, the

shrink the Bachelor of Nursing class

their partnership more intentional

College of Nursing and Palmetto

because there were too few clinical

and more fruitful, their counterparts

Health both sought to bolster new-

preceptors to teach students. Across

in medicine took steps to create the

graduate readiness but did so in isola-

town, Carolyn Swinton, ’91, then the

Palmetto Health–USC Medical Group,

tion, looking only at their own curricu-

chief nursing officer for Palmetto

the region’s largest, joint multispecialty

lum and learning activities, Andrews

Health, sympathized but was grap-

medical group.

says. As a result of the partnership,

pling with her own shortage of bedside

Alongside the release of the 2016

however, they are mapping nurse edu-

nurses as experienced staff left to

Manatt Health/American Association

cation across a continuum that begins

pursue advanced practice degrees.

of Colleges of Nursing report “Ad-

with acceptance into the College of

But as the nurse leaders’ relationship

vancing Healthcare Transformation: A

Nursing and spans the first few years

developed, both grew to realize their

New Era for Academic Nursing,” the

of practice at Palmetto Health, examin-

institutions would be stronger if they

conversation between Swinton and

ing learning opportunities at each in-

worked together to tackle the mount-

Andrews sparked a commitment to

stitution. This comprehensive, holistic

ing challenges in health care education

jointly address strategic priorities and

approach eliminates redundancy, iden-

and delivery.

strengthen the profession’s visibility

tifies gaps and sequentially builds skills

across the state.

on a deeper level rather than function-

A NEW VISION FOR COLLABORATION

“We have a shared vision, and that

ing as two separate, parallel tracks.

For more than 50 years, the college

vision is to speak with one voice of

Based on feedback from the charter

and health system have worked to-

nursing to ensure that nurses show up

committee, Palmetto Health designed

gether to educate nurses. On any given

strong in our communities and secure

a series of nursing support roles that

day, 250 to 300 Carolina nursing stu-

the future of nursing,” says Swinton,

students can begin upon acceptance

dents participate in clinical rotations

chief nursing executive for the South

into the college, increasing their expe-

across the Palmetto Health system,

Carolina Health Company, Palmetto

rience with patient care and nursing

which provides about 70 percent of

Health’s parent organization.

workflow, Swinton says.

the college’s clinical site placements.

The partnership coalesced around

“The more contact and interaction

The organizations had also historically

three challenges, each governed by a

you have in the patient-care area, you

partnered by sharing expert nurses as

separate charter and team of college

build your confidence, you build your

clinical adjunct faculty, co-sponsoring

faculty members and hospital nurses,

skills,” she says. Other highlights from

as well as leaders from each entity.

the first charter include: real-time feed-

10 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

back between hospital staff nurses and

gram to attract new nurses, leveraging

has steadily grown from 21 in 2015

faculty members about the curriculum,

its competitive residency program

to 47 in 2017. Moreover, the two-year

higher-intensity simulation scenarios

to retain top graduates. University of

retention rate of those Carolina gradu-

that better reflect the demands on

South Carolina BSN students are given

ates is 95 percent.

bedside nurses, and a clinical prac-

priority in the program, Swinton says.

tice specialist role at Palmetto Health,

Because of the curricular alignment,

charter include: clinical rotations de-

Other highlights from the second signed by faculty and hospital nurses

filled by a clinical faculty member who

Carolina nursing students can bypass

rounds on recent graduates one or

the program’s orientation, allowing

who help staff the roles, a cohesive,

two evenings per week, building on

them to spend more time in their pre-

singular preceptor education system

the relationship as their former

ferred unit.

between the institutions, yielding a

student preceptor.

During the residency, students are introduced to key resources and per-

seamless experience for students, recent graduates and preceptors, real-

sonnel, such as physicians, respiratory

time feedback about student experi-

Challenge 2: Increase Palmetto Health’s registered nurse workforce

therapists, pharmacists, lab techni-

ences on units, and tuition assistance

cians and physical therapists. Palmetto

for students who work in a health sys-

To combat a shortage of bedside

Health is intentionally fostering these

tem support role during nursing school.

nurses, Palmetto Health strives to be

relationships to help students transi-

a destination employer for recent

tion and integrate into the care team,

graduates.

Swinton says.

Through the charter, the health system has developed a red-carpet pro-

The number of USC nursing students participating in the residency program

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 11

BUILDING ON SYNERGIES

and empowering them to practice at

Challenge 3: Advance big data use to cut 30-day hospital readmissions

Buoyed by the success of the three

the top of their license in an ever-

charters, key leaders from each institu-

changing health care environment.

As payers demand a reduction in 30-

tion gathered in May to discuss next

day readmissions by cutting funds for

steps for the partnership.

those hospitalizations, Palmetto Health

Creating an expert bedside practice

“A significant point in forming the partnership is to answer the question: Is it possible to achieve staffing

is turning to data-driven best practice

role — and a master’s-level program to

adequacy, develop expert clinicians

implementation as a solution.

support it — is an area of interest, as

and maintain a strong voice for our

is analyzing patient-care transitions

profession given the current and future

lege shares faculty expertise in big

Through the third charter, the col-

to develop data-driven solutions for

challenges we face with the nursing

data. Associate professor Ronda

improved care outcomes.

shortage?” Swinton says. “The answer

Hughes serves on the health system’s

“Five years ago, we wouldn’t have

is yes — because the commitment of

informatics committee, which allows

done this,” Andrews says. “Our part-

strong partners makes it so. We have

her to offer insight about which data

nership is really the cutting-edge of

the skill and the talent to get the

should be collected to advance the

how to synergistically advance the

job done.”

health system’s goals. In addition,

education and practice of nursing for

Hughes helps Palmetto Health with

the future.”

other projects, such as measuring the

By working more closely, the organi-

return on investment in the residency

zations are realizing their shared vision

program. (See story on pg. 18)

for preparing the nurses of the future

A NOBLE SCHOLARSHIP FOR A NOBLE PROFESSION Nursing alumna endows scholarship

Since she was four years old, Patricia D’Alterio Boike wanted to be a nurse. And now, after a 40-year career in nursing, she has established the Patrician Endowed Scholarship Fund to help other aspiring nurses achieve their dreams.

BY THE NUMBERS

$703,602 Total scholarships awarded to 199 students from the fall of 2017 to the summer of 2018

A few years after graduating in 1969, Boike moved to Charlotte with her late husband, Richard, where she split her career between Novant Health and Carolinas HealthCare System (now Atrium Health). They raised two sons, Michael and Matthew, and have two grandchildren, Piper and Parker. After Richard’s passing in 2014, Boike decided to use part of the couple’s savings to endow a scholarship and saw a need for student support in the College of Nursing.

“There’s such a great need for nurses, and I wanted to help by making the opportunity available to a student that wants to attend the College of Nursing but is unable to afford it,” she says.

When it came to naming the scholarship, Boike wanted to turn the focus away from her and her contribution and make it more about the honorable profession of nursing. And since her name, Patricia, means noble, it was a perfect fit.

“When you hear about the public perception of nurses, one thing that comes up is that nursing is one of the most honorable and ethical professions,” she says.

“I felt that the word noble exemplifies that meaning.”

12 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 13

BUILDING ON SYNERGIES

and empowering them to practice at

Challenge 3: Advance big data use to cut 30-day hospital readmissions

Buoyed by the success of the three

the top of their license in an ever-

charters, key leaders from each institu-

changing health care environment.

As payers demand a reduction in 30-

tion gathered in May to discuss next

day readmissions by cutting funds for

steps for the partnership.

those hospitalizations, Palmetto Health

Creating an expert bedside practice

“A significant point in forming the partnership is to answer the question: Is it possible to achieve staffing

is turning to data-driven best practice

role — and a master’s-level program to

adequacy, develop expert clinicians

implementation as a solution.

support it — is an area of interest, as

and maintain a strong voice for our

is analyzing patient-care transitions

profession given the current and future

lege shares faculty expertise in big

Through the third charter, the col-

to develop data-driven solutions for

challenges we face with the nursing

data. Associate professor Ronda

improved care outcomes.

shortage?” Swinton says. “The answer

Hughes serves on the health system’s

“Five years ago, we wouldn’t have

is yes — because the commitment of

informatics committee, which allows

done this,” Andrews says. “Our part-

strong partners makes it so. We have

her to offer insight about which data

nership is really the cutting-edge of

the skill and the talent to get the

should be collected to advance the

how to synergistically advance the

job done.”

health system’s goals. In addition,

education and practice of nursing for

Hughes helps Palmetto Health with

the future.”

other projects, such as measuring the

By working more closely, the organi-

return on investment in the residency

zations are realizing their shared vision

program. (See story on pg. 18)

for preparing the nurses of the future

A NOBLE SCHOLARSHIP FOR A NOBLE PROFESSION Nursing alumna endows scholarship

Since she was four years old, Patricia D’Alterio Boike wanted to be a nurse. And now, after a 40-year career in nursing, she has established the Patrician Endowed Scholarship Fund to help other aspiring nurses achieve their dreams.

BY THE NUMBERS

$703,602 Total scholarships awarded to 199 students from the fall of 2017 to the summer of 2018

A few years after graduating in 1969, Boike moved to Charlotte with her late husband, Richard, where she split her career between Novant Health and Carolinas HealthCare System (now Atrium Health). They raised two sons, Michael and Matthew, and have two grandchildren, Piper and Parker. After Richard’s passing in 2014, Boike decided to use part of the couple’s savings to endow a scholarship and saw a need for student support in the College of Nursing.

“There’s such a great need for nurses, and I wanted to help by making the opportunity available to a student that wants to attend the College of Nursing but is unable to afford it,” she says.

When it came to naming the scholarship, Boike wanted to turn the focus away from her and her contribution and make it more about the honorable profession of nursing. And since her name, Patricia, means noble, it was a perfect fit.

“When you hear about the public perception of nurses, one thing that comes up is that nursing is one of the most honorable and ethical professions,” she says.

“I felt that the word noble exemplifies that meaning.”

12 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 13

PRACTICE AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

TRIPLE THREAT Versie Bellamy, three-time alumna of the College of Nursing, spent the past three decades dedicated to expanding access to quality mental health care for patients in South Carolina. Her diverse experience in nursing,

RURAL REMODEL Innovative program will improve nursing simulation-training in South Carolina.

public health and policy has leant leading-edge thinking and expertise to her efforts across the state.

Bellamy says she has always been a systems leader. In her role as deputy director of the division of inpatient

CYNTHIA HORTON DIAS NAMED JONAS SCHOLAR

services for the South Carolina Department of Mental

Nurses do the bulk of health care duties, but who is looking out for their health?

Cynthia Horton Dias, a nursing doctoral candidate, wants to help shine the spotlight on nurse health — particularly dietary health.

“Shift-work nurses get a 30-minute break, and they’re responsible for the patient the whole time,” Dias says. “So that limits how far away from the unit they can go, and the types of food they’re eating, because they have to eat quickly. They might be interrupted during their break, so they want to be nearby — they want to be accessible. All these things influence their eating.”

Horton Dias is working on a study with Robin Estrada in the College of Nursing that asks nurses about their dietary behaviors and what factors encourage or discourage healthy eating while at work. For her dissertation, she will expand on what the nurses have told her to evaluate hospitals based on those influencers.

Horton Dias continues to work as a nurse while she completes her doctorate at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. She recently was named a Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar. The Jonas program was created in 2008 to support the educational development of nursing doctoral students, helping to increase the number of advanced practice nurses, health care leaders and nursing school faculty.

“With these grants, the Jonas Center is addressing a critical need for more nurses and the faculty to prepare them,” says Jeannette Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing. “The College of Nursing is proud to be part of this national effort to stem the nursing faculty shortage and prepare future nurses as America’s health care system continues to evolve.”

substance abuse, long-term care and other services.

14 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

Health, she introduced innovative growth and improved systems for the department, which provides psychiatric, According to Bellamy, access to care, improving systems through supporting community and inpatient care and removing silos remain key to improving mental health care in South Carolina.

“To improve access to care for persons with mental illness, we must identify stakeholders at multiple ecologic levels and partner to support population health needs across the care continuum,” she says.

Bellamy was recognized on May 8 by Governor Henry McMaster with a Senate resolution for her efforts to offer exemplary health care services to people across the state.

She was also recognized in May by the South Carolina NAACP with a presidential citation award.

“Versie takes on the seemingly impossible and is a trailblazer in improving access to mental health services to very vulnerable populations in South Carolina,” says Ronda Hughes, director of the Center for Nursing Leadership. “Leaders in other states can learn from her example in improving access.”

Crystal Graham, Rachel Onello and Kristen Starnes-Ott received a grant from The Duke Endowment for their project, Experilearn. The Duke Endowment is a private foundation with the goal to strengthen communities in the Carolinas.

Through Experilearn, the Office of Rural Health will collaborate with practice partners across South Carolina to train faculty in rural nursing programs using simulation. Simulation should mirror traditional clinical experiences, but current practices do not accurately reflect the health care needs of patients in the state. Experilearn will create resources for faculty to integrate educational experiences that reflect the specific demographics of patients in South Carolina.

“The overall goal is to improve the health of our state by aligning what we do in our educational programs with the everincreasing health care demands, by targeting the areas of our state most in need,” Graham says. “This novel and innovative approach will narrow the readiness-for-practice gap.”

Forty-two of 46 counties in South Carolina are rural and most nursing students enrolled in rural programs remain in the area to practice after graduation, so it’s important that simula-

tion training accurately reflects the work they will be doing post-graduation.

The University of South Carolina will serve as the learning hub and train faculty in five rural nursing programs. The faculty will then serve as a resource to programs in their region of the state and will be placed on a trajectory to become certified in simulation.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 15

PRACTICE AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

TRIPLE THREAT Versie Bellamy, three-time alumna of the College of Nursing, spent the past three decades dedicated to expanding access to quality mental health care for patients in South Carolina. Her diverse experience in nursing,

RURAL REMODEL Innovative program will improve nursing simulation-training in South Carolina.

public health and policy has leant leading-edge thinking and expertise to her efforts across the state.

Bellamy says she has always been a systems leader. In her role as deputy director of the division of inpatient

CYNTHIA HORTON DIAS NAMED JONAS SCHOLAR

services for the South Carolina Department of Mental

Nurses do the bulk of health care duties, but who is looking out for their health?

Cynthia Horton Dias, a nursing doctoral candidate, wants to help shine the spotlight on nurse health — particularly dietary health.

“Shift-work nurses get a 30-minute break, and they’re responsible for the patient the whole time,” Dias says. “So that limits how far away from the unit they can go, and the types of food they’re eating, because they have to eat quickly. They might be interrupted during their break, so they want to be nearby — they want to be accessible. All these things influence their eating.”

Horton Dias is working on a study with Robin Estrada in the College of Nursing that asks nurses about their dietary behaviors and what factors encourage or discourage healthy eating while at work. For her dissertation, she will expand on what the nurses have told her to evaluate hospitals based on those influencers.

Horton Dias continues to work as a nurse while she completes her doctorate at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. She recently was named a Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar. The Jonas program was created in 2008 to support the educational development of nursing doctoral students, helping to increase the number of advanced practice nurses, health care leaders and nursing school faculty.

“With these grants, the Jonas Center is addressing a critical need for more nurses and the faculty to prepare them,” says Jeannette Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing. “The College of Nursing is proud to be part of this national effort to stem the nursing faculty shortage and prepare future nurses as America’s health care system continues to evolve.”

substance abuse, long-term care and other services.

14 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

Health, she introduced innovative growth and improved systems for the department, which provides psychiatric, According to Bellamy, access to care, improving systems through supporting community and inpatient care and removing silos remain key to improving mental health care in South Carolina.

“To improve access to care for persons with mental illness, we must identify stakeholders at multiple ecologic levels and partner to support population health needs across the care continuum,” she says.

Bellamy was recognized on May 8 by Governor Henry McMaster with a Senate resolution for her efforts to offer exemplary health care services to people across the state.

She was also recognized in May by the South Carolina NAACP with a presidential citation award.

“Versie takes on the seemingly impossible and is a trailblazer in improving access to mental health services to very vulnerable populations in South Carolina,” says Ronda Hughes, director of the Center for Nursing Leadership. “Leaders in other states can learn from her example in improving access.”

Crystal Graham, Rachel Onello and Kristen Starnes-Ott received a grant from The Duke Endowment for their project, Experilearn. The Duke Endowment is a private foundation with the goal to strengthen communities in the Carolinas.

Through Experilearn, the Office of Rural Health will collaborate with practice partners across South Carolina to train faculty in rural nursing programs using simulation. Simulation should mirror traditional clinical experiences, but current practices do not accurately reflect the health care needs of patients in the state. Experilearn will create resources for faculty to integrate educational experiences that reflect the specific demographics of patients in South Carolina.

“The overall goal is to improve the health of our state by aligning what we do in our educational programs with the everincreasing health care demands, by targeting the areas of our state most in need,” Graham says. “This novel and innovative approach will narrow the readiness-for-practice gap.”

Forty-two of 46 counties in South Carolina are rural and most nursing students enrolled in rural programs remain in the area to practice after graduation, so it’s important that simula-

tion training accurately reflects the work they will be doing post-graduation.

The University of South Carolina will serve as the learning hub and train faculty in five rural nursing programs. The faculty will then serve as a resource to programs in their region of the state and will be placed on a trajectory to become certified in simulation.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 15

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

giene and often the result of young people living on the street or in homes with bad living conditions. The majority of her patients are boys between the ages of 12 and 17.

“It’s really interesting to hear people’s perspectives outside of there, because they really think the kids there are just all bad kids.

They’re really not,” Davis says. “There are definitely some kids who have not abided by the law, but a lot of the kids there need a lot of TLC really. I would say 99 percent are respectful. They just want to be loved.

“I always ask them when was the last time they’ve seen a doctor.

They can’t tell me.”

Davis joined the faculty at USC in 2015 after earning her doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Florida. Her DNP research was focused on pain management in children with sickle cell disease.

“As a nurse practitioner, I enjoy the puzzle. Being a provider, you work out the puzzle. I like that. I’ve always been a ‘fixer,’ and I like to see the reward of the problem I fixed,” she says.

At Carolina, nurses with clinical backgrounds often have contracts with medical providers, allowing them to keep up their

BY THE NUMBERS

TOP 5 Multiyear top-5 U.S. News & World Report graduate online

nursing license requirements. Stephanie Burgess, associate dean for practice and health policy and clinical professor in the nursing school, recommended the DJJ position to Davis.

Along with the medical knowledge, she says she’s learned a lot about attitudes, adolescents and communication skills — information she brings back to her classrooms at the university.

LESSONS LEARNED Nurse practitioner sharpens her skills at juvenile detention center and brings real-world lessons back to the classroom As a clinical assistant professor in the

she says, and informed her teaching at

It opens my eyes to different things. I

College of Nursing, Victoria Davis

the University of South Carolina.

see a lot of kids who are in foster care.

teaches pediatric nursing to under-

“It’s a really good practice for me be-

graduates and a health assessment

“In my pediatrics class, we talk a lot about how to talk to adolescents,” she says. “That can be difficult. You have to be direct. You learn their slang — that’s a way you’re going to connect with them.

We teach students how to talk to people at all age levels.”

She says some nursing students shadow her or the nurses on duty at DJJ, where they can assist with interviewing patients for their physicals, drawing blood, checking vital signs and taking measurements.

Davis also shares what she has learned with people in the com-

I see a lot of kids whose parents are

munity. For example, she has heard some people question why

cause not only does it help me improve

incarcerated. I see some kids who have

churches and other civic groups perform services such as provid-

course for nurse practitioners. Two

my skills because I’m still a fairly new

been trafficked.”

ing backpacks with food to give to school children on weekends.

days each week, she also heads to the

nurse practitioner, but also because I

state Department of Juvenile Justice

really do see a lot of different diag-

university and DJJ, Davis performs

no kids who need food for the weekend. Everybody can provide

where she treats young people who

noses that I probably wouldn’t see in

physicals and sees sick patients ­—

for themselves.’ That’s really not reality,” she says. “So, it’s interest-

are waiting for their cases to be heard

a primary care setting,” says Davis, a

treating everything from colds to skin

ing to educate them from my perspective. I tell them there might

in court.

pediatric nurse practitioner. “And it

infections. Among the most common

be people who don’t need that, but there are also a lot of kids I see

also gives me a different perspective

maladies are fungal infections and

who need food. And they need compassion and care and love. And

than you would see in primary care.

scabies, made worse by poor skin hy-

they need support when they aren’t getting it from their families.”

That work at DJJ has helped her learn and grow as a nurse practitioner,

16 / CO LLE GE O F N UR SI NG

Through a contract between the

“People I’ve met recently say, ‘Why are we doing that? There are

Davis has worked to translate some of what she learned at DJJ from a health equity perspective back into the classroom with the help of clinical assistant professor Kate Chappell and student Lauren Biggers.

Biggers, who earned her BSN in May, is working on a Magellan Scholar project about health equity.

Through the Magellan Scholar program, undergraduates can receive up to $3,000 to help fund a research project, competing for the award by submitting a research, scholarship or creative project proposal developed in collaboration with a faculty mentor.

Kate Chappell

Biggers’ project was guided by Chappell, who specializes in pediatric forensic medical examinations, and Davis. The exercise showed how an asthma patient would fare in three different family scenarios, including a suburban home with a second child with developmental disorder and an immigration dynamic, a rural farm

Lauren Biggers

home with a parent with cognitive impairment, and a home in inner-city Columbia with a single parent with a low-income job and no private health insurance.

“We pooled our expertise and knowledge to create that project and get Magellan funding,” Davis says.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 17

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

giene and often the result of young people living on the street or in homes with bad living conditions. The majority of her patients are boys between the ages of 12 and 17.

“It’s really interesting to hear people’s perspectives outside of there, because they really think the kids there are just all bad kids.

They’re really not,” Davis says. “There are definitely some kids who have not abided by the law, but a lot of the kids there need a lot of TLC really. I would say 99 percent are respectful. They just want to be loved.

“I always ask them when was the last time they’ve seen a doctor.

They can’t tell me.”

Davis joined the faculty at USC in 2015 after earning her doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Florida. Her DNP research was focused on pain management in children with sickle cell disease.

“As a nurse practitioner, I enjoy the puzzle. Being a provider, you work out the puzzle. I like that. I’ve always been a ‘fixer,’ and I like to see the reward of the problem I fixed,” she says.

At Carolina, nurses with clinical backgrounds often have contracts with medical providers, allowing them to keep up their

BY THE NUMBERS

TOP 5 Multiyear top-5 U.S. News & World Report graduate online

nursing license requirements. Stephanie Burgess, associate dean for practice and health policy and clinical professor in the nursing school, recommended the DJJ position to Davis.

Along with the medical knowledge, she says she’s learned a lot about attitudes, adolescents and communication skills — information she brings back to her classrooms at the university.

LESSONS LEARNED Nurse practitioner sharpens her skills at juvenile detention center and brings real-world lessons back to the classroom As a clinical assistant professor in the

she says, and informed her teaching at

It opens my eyes to different things. I

College of Nursing, Victoria Davis

the University of South Carolina.

see a lot of kids who are in foster care.

teaches pediatric nursing to under-

“It’s a really good practice for me be-

graduates and a health assessment

“In my pediatrics class, we talk a lot about how to talk to adolescents,” she says. “That can be difficult. You have to be direct. You learn their slang — that’s a way you’re going to connect with them.

We teach students how to talk to people at all age levels.”

She says some nursing students shadow her or the nurses on duty at DJJ, where they can assist with interviewing patients for their physicals, drawing blood, checking vital signs and taking measurements.

Davis also shares what she has learned with people in the com-

I see a lot of kids whose parents are

munity. For example, she has heard some people question why

cause not only does it help me improve

incarcerated. I see some kids who have

churches and other civic groups perform services such as provid-

course for nurse practitioners. Two

my skills because I’m still a fairly new

been trafficked.”

ing backpacks with food to give to school children on weekends.

days each week, she also heads to the

nurse practitioner, but also because I

state Department of Juvenile Justice

really do see a lot of different diag-

university and DJJ, Davis performs

no kids who need food for the weekend. Everybody can provide

where she treats young people who

noses that I probably wouldn’t see in

physicals and sees sick patients ­—

for themselves.’ That’s really not reality,” she says. “So, it’s interest-

are waiting for their cases to be heard

a primary care setting,” says Davis, a

treating everything from colds to skin

ing to educate them from my perspective. I tell them there might

in court.

pediatric nurse practitioner. “And it

infections. Among the most common

be people who don’t need that, but there are also a lot of kids I see

also gives me a different perspective

maladies are fungal infections and

who need food. And they need compassion and care and love. And

than you would see in primary care.

scabies, made worse by poor skin hy-

they need support when they aren’t getting it from their families.”

That work at DJJ has helped her learn and grow as a nurse practitioner,

16 / CO LLE GE O F N UR SI NG

Through a contract between the

“People I’ve met recently say, ‘Why are we doing that? There are

Davis has worked to translate some of what she learned at DJJ from a health equity perspective back into the classroom with the help of clinical assistant professor Kate Chappell and student Lauren Biggers.

Biggers, who earned her BSN in May, is working on a Magellan Scholar project about health equity.

Through the Magellan Scholar program, undergraduates can receive up to $3,000 to help fund a research project, competing for the award by submitting a research, scholarship or creative project proposal developed in collaboration with a faculty mentor.

Kate Chappell

Biggers’ project was guided by Chappell, who specializes in pediatric forensic medical examinations, and Davis. The exercise showed how an asthma patient would fare in three different family scenarios, including a suburban home with a second child with developmental disorder and an immigration dynamic, a rural farm

Lauren Biggers

home with a parent with cognitive impairment, and a home in inner-city Columbia with a single parent with a low-income job and no private health insurance.

“We pooled our expertise and knowledge to create that project and get Magellan funding,” Davis says.

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 17

ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP

BY THE NUMBERS

TOP 31

GREETINGS, FELLOW COLLEGE OF NURSING ALUMNI!

In NIH funding among U.S. Colleges of Nursing

PARTNERS DRIVING BIG DATA SOLUTIONS Nursing professor leads data analytics team to help reduce readmission penalties

A

fter pounding the pavement for thousands of miles, a jogger gets his knee joint replaced in the hospital, but complications land him back on the orthopedic floor a couple weeks later.

It’s all too common for hospital patients to be readmitted less than a month after being discharged. It’s also expensive and preventable. Such readmissions have become so frequent they cost Medicare $26 billion annually.

But hospitals can no longer pass the buck. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services penalize hospitals for these readmissions if they involve any of the following six conditions: chronic lung disease; coronary artery bypass surgery graft; heart attack or heart failure; hip or knee replacement; and pneumonia.

Eighty percent of hospitals evaluated this year face penalties up to 3 percent of their Medicare and Medicaid regular disbursements.

“Those penalties add up,” says Ronda Hughes, director of USC’s Center for Nursing Leadership. “Hospitals that get dinged too many times sometimes recoup losses by cutting into their nursing budget because that’s their largest cost center. We’ve estimated that the penalties associated with three hospital readmissions approximates the cost of one full-time nurse.”

Hughes is working with Palmetto Health, one of South Carolina’s leading health care providers, to find ways to decrease the health system’s preventable readmissions and the correspond-

18 / COLLE GE O F N UR SI NG

ing penalties. Her approach mirrors what other major hospital systems around the country are doing — using data analytics to figure out why readmissions occur and to identify protocols to prevent them. But Hughes is going further by embedding evidence-based tools into the electronic health record and incorporating nursing assessments and the voices of patients to provide more data and greater insight.

Hughes’ project involves USC faculty from engineering, public health, business and pharmacy and, starting with electronic health records, taps into state and community databases and even national data.

“We want to move toward making more data-informed decisions in caring for patients instead of just making experienced informed decisions,” Hughes says. “When patients have multiple chronic conditions, data analytics can do the heavy lifting for you in terms of knowing which protocols, strategies and interventions are the best to follow to meet the needs of the patient.

“Many current clinical protocols are essentially check lists, at times including diagnostic algorithms that some clinicians use.

What we’re trying to do is create more sophisticated predictive analytic-driven solutions based on big data that care teams can use — something getting us closer to deep learning and, eventually, artificial intelligence; most importantly, we want better patient outcomes.”

The USC College of Nursing has a newly formed Alumni Council to support nearly 10,000 alumni worldwide. Your Alumni Council met in April to organize, elect officers and form committees for the initiatives during the July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 term.

The Alumni Council meets biannually to advocate for the needs of alumni while encouraging alumni to support the College of Nursing financially and through volunteer activities.

The Alumni Council operates in support of several initiatives.

The council will manage the annual alumni awards program, help with reunion planning and develop an alumni mentor program.

The council will also help facilitate alumni chapters of Carolina Nurses @ Work and support on-campus events such as alumni and Homecoming weekends, the Viana McCown Lecture and the Celebrate Nursing Gala and Silent Auction.

I hope you will remain informed and updated on the current news from the college through communication channels such as the College of Nursing magazine, monthly email newsletter and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; we are @UofSCNursing across all social media channels. Join us at CON-sponsored events to celebrate all the exciting news from the college and connect with fellow alumni. Invest in the college with your gifts of time, talent and expertise.

Help the college keep you informed by updating your email and mailing addresses. Stay in touch and send a message to the alumni office via email at lambert@sc.edu or phone at 803-7773752.

For Carolina,

MEMBERS KICK-OFF THE NEW CON ALUMNI COUNCIL The College of Nursing Alumni Council held their kickoff meeting Tuesday, April 3. During this first meeting of the council, leaders were elected and the council’s goals for the coming term were discussed.

The council is made up of 14 alumni living and practicing across the U.S. and worldwide. From varying graduation years, programs, workplaces, locations and experiences, members bring unique and diverse ideas and backgrounds to the table, which will lead to broader and more inclusive alumni messaging and engagement.

At the meeting, the council’s first leadership team was voted into office by their peers. Betty Joyce (BJ) Roof, ’69 ADN ’77 BSN ’82 MSN, was elected chair; Lan Nguyen, ’09 BSN, was elected chair-elect and Belinda Rutledge, ’73 BSN ’78 MSN, was elected secretary.

The Alumni Council are advocates who encourage and maintain a relationship between alumni and the College of Nursing, advise the college on alumni programming, promote and cultivate leadership and support, and advocate the needs and concerns of USC Nursing alumni. The council’s working committees will focus on areas such as alumni outreach, mentoring and workplace engagement.

ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBERS Allison Auld, ‘14 BSN Celena Bearden, ‘01 BSN Lauren Booth, ‘16 MSN Lauren Boykin, ‘12 BSN ‘17 MSN Stephanie Burgess, ‘75 BSN ‘83 MSN ‘03 Ph.D. Roxie Chisholm, ‘99 BSN Jeanne Felder, ‘76 ADN ‘88 BSN Blake Frazier, ‘12 BSN Amy Funderburk, ‘97 BSN Paula Guild, ‘82 BSN ‘89 MSN Ashley Locklear, ‘05 BSN Lan Nguyen, ‘09 BSN Taurie Rhoten, ‘18 MSN BJ Roof, ’69 ADN, ‘77 BSN ‘82 MSN Belinda Rutledge, ‘73 BSN ‘78 MSN

BY THE NUMBERS

10,000+ Alumni

Alumni Council Chair

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 19

ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP

BY THE NUMBERS

TOP 31

GREETINGS, FELLOW COLLEGE OF NURSING ALUMNI!

In NIH funding among U.S. Colleges of Nursing

PARTNERS DRIVING BIG DATA SOLUTIONS Nursing professor leads data analytics team to help reduce readmission penalties

A

fter pounding the pavement for thousands of miles, a jogger gets his knee joint replaced in the hospital, but complications land him back on the orthopedic floor a couple weeks later.

It’s all too common for hospital patients to be readmitted less than a month after being discharged. It’s also expensive and preventable. Such readmissions have become so frequent they cost Medicare $26 billion annually.

But hospitals can no longer pass the buck. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services penalize hospitals for these readmissions if they involve any of the following six conditions: chronic lung disease; coronary artery bypass surgery graft; heart attack or heart failure; hip or knee replacement; and pneumonia.

Eighty percent of hospitals evaluated this year face penalties up to 3 percent of their Medicare and Medicaid regular disbursements.

“Those penalties add up,” says Ronda Hughes, director of USC’s Center for Nursing Leadership. “Hospitals that get dinged too many times sometimes recoup losses by cutting into their nursing budget because that’s their largest cost center. We’ve estimated that the penalties associated with three hospital readmissions approximates the cost of one full-time nurse.”

Hughes is working with Palmetto Health, one of South Carolina’s leading health care providers, to find ways to decrease the health system’s preventable readmissions and the correspond-

18 / COLLE GE O F N UR SI NG

ing penalties. Her approach mirrors what other major hospital systems around the country are doing — using data analytics to figure out why readmissions occur and to identify protocols to prevent them. But Hughes is going further by embedding evidence-based tools into the electronic health record and incorporating nursing assessments and the voices of patients to provide more data and greater insight.

Hughes’ project involves USC faculty from engineering, public health, business and pharmacy and, starting with electronic health records, taps into state and community databases and even national data.

“We want to move toward making more data-informed decisions in caring for patients instead of just making experienced informed decisions,” Hughes says. “When patients have multiple chronic conditions, data analytics can do the heavy lifting for you in terms of knowing which protocols, strategies and interventions are the best to follow to meet the needs of the patient.

“Many current clinical protocols are essentially check lists, at times including diagnostic algorithms that some clinicians use.

What we’re trying to do is create more sophisticated predictive analytic-driven solutions based on big data that care teams can use — something getting us closer to deep learning and, eventually, artificial intelligence; most importantly, we want better patient outcomes.”

The USC College of Nursing has a newly formed Alumni Council to support nearly 10,000 alumni worldwide. Your Alumni Council met in April to organize, elect officers and form committees for the initiatives during the July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 term.

The Alumni Council meets biannually to advocate for the needs of alumni while encouraging alumni to support the College of Nursing financially and through volunteer activities.

The Alumni Council operates in support of several initiatives.

The council will manage the annual alumni awards program, help with reunion planning and develop an alumni mentor program.

The council will also help facilitate alumni chapters of Carolina Nurses @ Work and support on-campus events such as alumni and Homecoming weekends, the Viana McCown Lecture and the Celebrate Nursing Gala and Silent Auction.

I hope you will remain informed and updated on the current news from the college through communication channels such as the College of Nursing magazine, monthly email newsletter and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; we are @UofSCNursing across all social media channels. Join us at CON-sponsored events to celebrate all the exciting news from the college and connect with fellow alumni. Invest in the college with your gifts of time, talent and expertise.

Help the college keep you informed by updating your email and mailing addresses. Stay in touch and send a message to the alumni office via email at lambert@sc.edu or phone at 803-7773752.

For Carolina,

MEMBERS KICK-OFF THE NEW CON ALUMNI COUNCIL The College of Nursing Alumni Council held their kickoff meeting Tuesday, April 3. During this first meeting of the council, leaders were elected and the council’s goals for the coming term were discussed.

The council is made up of 14 alumni living and practicing across the U.S. and worldwide. From varying graduation years, programs, workplaces, locations and experiences, members bring unique and diverse ideas and backgrounds to the table, which will lead to broader and more inclusive alumni messaging and engagement.

At the meeting, the council’s first leadership team was voted into office by their peers. Betty Joyce (BJ) Roof, ’69 ADN ’77 BSN ’82 MSN, was elected chair; Lan Nguyen, ’09 BSN, was elected chair-elect and Belinda Rutledge, ’73 BSN ’78 MSN, was elected secretary.

The Alumni Council are advocates who encourage and maintain a relationship between alumni and the College of Nursing, advise the college on alumni programming, promote and cultivate leadership and support, and advocate the needs and concerns of USC Nursing alumni. The council’s working committees will focus on areas such as alumni outreach, mentoring and workplace engagement.

ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBERS Allison Auld, ‘14 BSN Celena Bearden, ‘01 BSN Lauren Booth, ‘16 MSN Lauren Boykin, ‘12 BSN ‘17 MSN Stephanie Burgess, ‘75 BSN ‘83 MSN ‘03 Ph.D. Roxie Chisholm, ‘99 BSN Jeanne Felder, ‘76 ADN ‘88 BSN Blake Frazier, ‘12 BSN Amy Funderburk, ‘97 BSN Paula Guild, ‘82 BSN ‘89 MSN Ashley Locklear, ‘05 BSN Lan Nguyen, ‘09 BSN Taurie Rhoten, ‘18 MSN BJ Roof, ’69 ADN, ‘77 BSN ‘82 MSN Belinda Rutledge, ‘73 BSN ‘78 MSN

BY THE NUMBERS

10,000+ Alumni

Alumni Council Chair

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 19

DEAN’S CIRCLE

BE THE HEARTBEAT OF STUDENT SUCCESS

SAVE THE DATE October 4-5 College of Nursing Fall Expo Alumni Happy Hour Viana McCown Keynote Lecture Open House and Student Showcase Alumni Oyster Roast USC Family Weekend

March 21 Celebrate Nursing Gala and Silent Auction

March 29 Annual Leadership Summit Columbia Conference Center

April 10 Give 4 Garnet

April 25 Research and Scholarship Day Featuring MAP Leadership

For more information visit www.sc.edu/nursing.

20 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is home to more than 2,000 students who continue to raise the bar of nursing excellence. Nursing students have the opportunity to engage and collaborate with peers and experts across the health sciences in the classroom and out, across regional and global health care systems.

Nursing education extends beyond classroom doors. Clinical placements, study abroad courses, student leadership roles and research opportunities enrich the student experience and improve the quality of nurses graduating from the college.

Financial barriers shouldn’t prohibit any future nurse from reaching their full potential. Support from alumni and donors is vital to providing and growing the educational experience of all students and making sure a quality education is within reach.

The Carolina Fund is used to assist students in need across the educational platform, from scholarships or assistance with class fees, to student nurses’ uniforms or helping a student pay for a study abroad trip to expand their educational experience.

By joining a giving society, such as the Dean’s Circle, you have an immediate and substantial impact on our ability to increase outreach, expand student scholarships and ultimately change the future of nursing for the better.

With your help, we can provide all students with the tools they need to improve and ensure their educational career.

For more information about giving opportunities, contact Monica Cromer, senior director of development at 803-777-3848 or monicam@mailbox.sc.edu.

400%

annual extramural sponsored awards

Jeannette Andrews and Keith Nichols G. Michael and Lindy Beaver

300%

graduate students enrolled

Jean Blount Patricia Boike Opal Brown and Harry McMillan

260%

Carole Cato Mike and Jeanne Cavanaugh

faculty practice revenue

Roger and Helen Coffman Stacy and Damon Collier

233%

John and Karen Cooper Sarah S. Cooper Bob and Cynthia Corbett Robin and Scot Dail Patricia Farmer Thomas and Jeanne Felder Gary and Kim Glenn Boyce Haigler Allan and Anita Hammerbeck

study abroad participation

RAISING THE BAR

205%

annual peer-reviewed faculty publications

Gary and Pattie Heady Sue Heiney Wayne and JoAnne Herman John and Kimberly Hilton

strategic initiatives are rapidly

Mary K. Jackson

expanding in alliance with

Alan Knapp Ron and Eileen Leaphart

the college’s ambitious vision.

Gary and Ginger Lee

Continuing to raise the bar,

John and Renatta Loquist

our national and international

Marlene Mackey Nova Jane McCombs

recognition has soared and our

Thomas and Karen McDonnell

local impact generates a wel-

Harry K. McMillan, Jr.

come sense of accomplishment

Elielson and DeAnne Messias Donna Moss

156%

Our faculty, staff, students and

annual extramural funding

94%

full-time faculty lines

72%

endowment funds

for our team.

William and Ruth Mustard Ernie and Brenda Nauful Paul and Katherine Nelson Judy Owens Mary Ann Parsons Nancy Reynolds BJ Roof SC Club of Atlanta James and Caroline Seigler Rallie and Ruth Seigler Mary Snelling and Ron Albertelli

GUARDIAN SOCIETY Arthur H. Allen

Harry Joe and Judith King

Jeannette O. Andrews

Barbara Fair Little Earl and Barbara Lovelace

Patricia Boike

Charles and Marilyn Sonnenberg

Opal F. Brown

James and Martha Tingen

Carole H. Cato

Samantha Tojino

Michael and Jeanne Cavanaugh

BY THE NUMBERS

HORSESHOE SOCIETY

Anita B. Easter

Marlene C. Mackey Julianne Ossege Mary Ann Parsons

Jean Blount

Harry Joe and Judith King

Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina

Earl and Barbara Lovelace

Opal F. Brown and Harry K. McMillan Carole H. Cato

Rhea Priest Pridgen

Kay K. and Charles Chitty

Ruth Q. Seigler

The Duke Endowment

80%

Nelson and Patricia Eddy

Vicki Carol Sims

Patricia L. Farmer

Marilyn Chassie Sonnenberg

Faculty/staff contributed to the CON Family Fund 2017-2018

Frederic and Mitzi Golod

Mary Ann Hellams Starling

Beverly House

Estate of Charles and Gwendolyn Windham

Marilyn and Charles Sonnenberg Mary Ann Hellams Starling Tenet Healthcare Corporation

Frederic and Mitzi Golod Ted and Joan Halkyard The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 21

DEAN’S CIRCLE

BE THE HEARTBEAT OF STUDENT SUCCESS

SAVE THE DATE October 4-5 College of Nursing Fall Expo Alumni Happy Hour Viana McCown Keynote Lecture Open House and Student Showcase Alumni Oyster Roast USC Family Weekend

March 21 Celebrate Nursing Gala and Silent Auction

March 29 Annual Leadership Summit Columbia Conference Center

April 10 Give 4 Garnet

April 25 Research and Scholarship Day Featuring MAP Leadership

For more information visit www.sc.edu/nursing.

20 / CO L LE GE O F N UR SI NG

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is home to more than 2,000 students who continue to raise the bar of nursing excellence. Nursing students have the opportunity to engage and collaborate with peers and experts across the health sciences in the classroom and out, across regional and global health care systems.

Nursing education extends beyond classroom doors. Clinical placements, study abroad courses, student leadership roles and research opportunities enrich the student experience and improve the quality of nurses graduating from the college.

Financial barriers shouldn’t prohibit any future nurse from reaching their full potential. Support from alumni and donors is vital to providing and growing the educational experience of all students and making sure a quality education is within reach.

The Carolina Fund is used to assist students in need across the educational platform, from scholarships or assistance with class fees, to student nurses’ uniforms or helping a student pay for a study abroad trip to expand their educational experience.

By joining a giving society, such as the Dean’s Circle, you have an immediate and substantial impact on our ability to increase outreach, expand student scholarships and ultimately change the future of nursing for the better.

With your help, we can provide all students with the tools they need to improve and ensure their educational career.

For more information about giving opportunities, contact Monica Cromer, senior director of development at 803-777-3848 or monicam@mailbox.sc.edu.

400%

annual extramural sponsored awards

Jeannette Andrews and Keith Nichols G. Michael and Lindy Beaver

300%

graduate students enrolled

Jean Blount Patricia Boike Opal Brown and Harry McMillan

260%

Carole Cato Mike and Jeanne Cavanaugh

faculty practice revenue

Roger and Helen Coffman Stacy and Damon Collier

233%

John and Karen Cooper Sarah S. Cooper Bob and Cynthia Corbett Robin and Scot Dail Patricia Farmer Thomas and Jeanne Felder Gary and Kim Glenn Boyce Haigler Allan and Anita Hammerbeck

study abroad participation

RAISING THE BAR

205%

annual peer-reviewed faculty publications

Gary and Pattie Heady Sue Heiney Wayne and JoAnne Herman John and Kimberly Hilton

strategic initiatives are rapidly

Mary K. Jackson

expanding in alliance with

Alan Knapp Ron and Eileen Leaphart

the college’s ambitious vision.

Gary and Ginger Lee

Continuing to raise the bar,

John and Renatta Loquist

our national and international

Marlene Mackey Nova Jane McCombs

recognition has soared and our

Thomas and Karen McDonnell

local impact generates a wel-

Harry K. McMillan, Jr.

come sense of accomplishment

Elielson and DeAnne Messias Donna Moss

156%

Our faculty, staff, students and

annual extramural funding

94%

full-time faculty lines

72%

endowment funds

for our team.

William and Ruth Mustard Ernie and Brenda Nauful Paul and Katherine Nelson Judy Owens Mary Ann Parsons Nancy Reynolds BJ Roof SC Club of Atlanta James and Caroline Seigler Rallie and Ruth Seigler Mary Snelling and Ron Albertelli

GUARDIAN SOCIETY Arthur H. Allen

Harry Joe and Judith King

Jeannette O. Andrews

Barbara Fair Little Earl and Barbara Lovelace

Patricia Boike

Charles and Marilyn Sonnenberg

Opal F. Brown

James and Martha Tingen

Carole H. Cato

Samantha Tojino

Michael and Jeanne Cavanaugh

BY THE NUMBERS

HORSESHOE SOCIETY

Anita B. Easter

Marlene C. Mackey Julianne Ossege Mary Ann Parsons

Jean Blount

Harry Joe and Judith King

Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina

Earl and Barbara Lovelace

Opal F. Brown and Harry K. McMillan Carole H. Cato

Rhea Priest Pridgen

Kay K. and Charles Chitty

Ruth Q. Seigler

The Duke Endowment

80%

Nelson and Patricia Eddy

Vicki Carol Sims

Patricia L. Farmer

Marilyn Chassie Sonnenberg

Faculty/staff contributed to the CON Family Fund 2017-2018

Frederic and Mitzi Golod

Mary Ann Hellams Starling

Beverly House

Estate of Charles and Gwendolyn Windham

Marilyn and Charles Sonnenberg Mary Ann Hellams Starling Tenet Healthcare Corporation

Frederic and Mitzi Golod Ted and Joan Halkyard The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

U NIVER S IT Y O F S O U T H CAR O L INA

/ 21

BY THE NUMBERS

1st

12th Year Inholland University students have

Nursing honors program in South Carolina with doubled

visited the college

enrollment for fall 2018.

70%

Percentage of NP students who rotate through a rural

7 endowed professorships

25% of USC Health Science Fellows are nursing students

health clinic, with at least 50% choosing post-graduation employment in a rural health setting in South Carolina.

3 DEFINED AREAS OF RESEARCH EXPERTISE:

100% May 2018 NCLEX pass rate

152

Full-time and part-time faculty members

22 / CO LLE GE O F N UR SI NG

Signature Science

Emerging Science

Cancer Survivorship

Technology & Health Biomarkers

Chronic Conditions & Care

Mental & Behavioral Health

Transitions

Family & Child Health

101

Number of students and faculty members

Big Data & Bioinformatics

Inter-Professional Education

who studied abroad in 20 countries in

Health Equity & Rural Health

& Training

2017-2018.

Methodological Expertise Community Engagement Geospatial Analysis & Mapping Qualitative/Mixed Methods RCTs

2,060 Total number of students enrolled for fall 2018.

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BY THE NUMBERS

1st

12th Year Inholland University students have

Nursing honors program in South Carolina with doubled

visited the college

enrollment for fall 2018.

70%

Percentage of NP students who rotate through a rural

7 endowed professorships

25% of USC Health Science Fellows are nursing students

health clinic, with at least 50% choosing post-graduation employment in a rural health setting in South Carolina.

3 DEFINED AREAS OF RESEARCH EXPERTISE:

100% May 2018 NCLEX pass rate

152

Full-time and part-time faculty members

22 / CO LLE GE O F N UR SI NG

Signature Science

Emerging Science

Cancer Survivorship

Technology & Health Biomarkers

Chronic Conditions & Care

Mental & Behavioral Health

Transitions

Family & Child Health

101

Number of students and faculty members

Big Data & Bioinformatics

Inter-Professional Education

who studied abroad in 20 countries in

Health Equity & Rural Health

& Training

2017-2018.

Methodological Expertise Community Engagement Geospatial Analysis & Mapping Qualitative/Mixed Methods RCTs

2,060 Total number of students enrolled for fall 2018.

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Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC 29208

AIKEN

BEAUFORT

COLUMBIA

LANCASTER

PALMETTO COLLEGE

SALKEHATCHIE

A diagnosis of type I diabetes changed Shelby Leya’s life at age 16 and confirmed her resolve to become a nurse. Shelby plans to become a diabetes educator for children in South Carolina, helping them live with the disease the same way she has — with grace and determination.

WE MAKE SOUTH CAROLINA HEALTHIER SOUTHCAROLINA.EDU/HEALTHY

SHELBY LEYA COLLEGE OF NURSING, 2019 SUMMERVILLE, S.C.

SUMTER

UNION

UPSTATE