USF College of Nursing Impact Report | REPORTIMPACT FY2022
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USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 Education Impact • Nurse Practitioner Certification Pass Rate // p.7 • Integrative Pain Management Graduate Certificate // p.8 • Effect of NCLEX – Individual, Community, Nation, Global // p.10 • DEI Culture Coin // p.11 • Quality Management Goal and Program // p.12 02 Research Impact • Faculty, Staff Projects & Awards // p.14 • Publications // p.16 • Burgeoning Partnerships in Italy // p.20 • Faculty Research Profile: Kaitlyn Rechenberg // p.21 • Advisory Board Members // p.2 • Dr. Cheedy Jaja Assists the Frontlines of Sierra Leone, Africa // p.2603 Practice Impact • College of Nursing and the Salvation Army Come Together to Celebrate Firstof-its-kind Partnership // p.31 • WIRES Program // p.32 • Dedicated Education Unit at St. Petersburg General Hospital // p.33 04 Reputation Impact • Alumni Spotlight: Candice Saunders // p.35 • Veteran Profile: John Glenny // p.36 • Donor Profile // p.38
4 | USF College of Nursing Impact Report Our spots,incredibleclimbeddegreemaster'sprograman14makingit the TOP-RANKED PUBLIC NURSING MASTER'S PROGRAM IN FLORIDA 123 SCHOLARSHIPS awarded totaling $307,866 More than 15,542 degrees were awarded to alumni serving semesterfollowingworldwidetheSpringof2022 $10.2 million in Federal ResearchFoundationandAwards961undergraduate + 885 graduate = 1,846 TOTAL ENROLLMENT 1.54 billion reach through earned media placement (28% INCREASE) 201% increase Total Mentions (974) 4 GrantsFederalRO1 110,000 CLINICAL HOURS in the community with 1,000+ PARTNERS Spot this mark in upcoming articles, indicating a strategic goal met. WEBSITEANNUAL PAGEVIEWS:ENGAGEMENT 753,454 2.7 pages per session + .3 pages more per session SESSION DURATION: 3:00 min 0:47 seconds longer than the benchmark BOUNCE RATE: 38.08% 17.61% better than the benchmark August 2021 2,489 5,734 June 2022 2,908 6,80 August 2021 2,841 514 June 2022 2,978 792 ANNUAL SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT Using metrics evaluate social media engagement and impact annually in FY22, FY23, & FY24. INSTAGRAM 17% INCREASE FACEBOOK 9.5% INCREASE TWITTER 4.8% INCREASE LINKEDIN 54% INCREASE Media Summary
TWO YEARS AGO, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGED THE WORLD, holding us captive in its crushing grip. At USF Health College of Nursing, the safety of our students, staff and faculty remained at the forefront of our efforts, but another challenge had reared its insidious head—the nursing workforce shortage. Nurses began leaving the profession in droves due to feeling burnt out and experiencing compassion fatigue and moral injuries, escalating a shortage that has been insistent for at least the past decade. We began crafting solutions to address the shortage of nursing faculty, inadequate facilities and simulation spaces and the limitations on clinical placements. Our goal was to enroll and graduate more student nurses. Thus began our efforts at developing collective ambition—a strategy to unite college faculty and staff, university leadership, community stakeholders, healthcare providers and legislature under a single aspiration. We emphasized the need to collectively address the limitations of nursing faculty, facilities, clinical placements and the funds needed to mitigate those factors. As a result, USF College of Nursing received historic funding in fiscal year 2022: Governor Ron DeSantis approved more than $40 million for the College of Nursing in the new state budget to help solve the nursing shortage crisis. With these funds, we will expand the physical footprint of the college across USF Health North facilities to include new classrooms, innovative open spaces for student and faculty collaboration and a new simulation center that will allow for seamless transition between experiential and didactic learning.
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I am so grateful to all our supporters across the university, the community and the legislature. Our hard working college team, including our passionate and committed students, inspire me every day. This year’s Impact Report highlights the many accomplishments of our team and alumni. We are ready to combat one of the most significant nursing shortages in our state, and I invite you to stay engaged and accompany us on this amazing journey.
Go Bulls! USHA MENON, PHD, RN, FAAN Dean and Distinguished University Health Professor Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health
The planned and unprecedented recruitment plan opens room for 40 new faculty and 30 new staff to fill existing gaps and meet the needs of an expanded enrollment plan. By 2028, USF College of Nursing will graduate more than 750 undergraduate nurses each year, an approximate 200% increase over a five-year period. Through extensive partnerships with local and regional hospitals and healthcare systems, we will engage students at all levels in transition to practice opportunities, enhancing retention of graduates in the Tampa Bay area.
6 | USF College of Nursing Impact Report 01 EDUCATION IMPACT
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 7 NURSE CERTIFICATIONPRACTITIONER PASS RATE USF Health College of Nursing’s nurse practitioner certification pass rates vary by concentration and are consistently higher than the national average. USF College of Nursing requires students to score at least 70% on a comprehensive examination during their last semester in their master’s degree program to prepare them for certification examination. There are two pass rate metrics—first-time (first exam attempt) and overall (all attempts combined). Our 2021 results are as follows: 93.9% total overall pass rate for all practitionernursecombined CANDIDATES FIRST-TIME PASS OVERALL PASS Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Total candidates = 44 First time pass = 44 (100%) Overall pass = 44 (100%) Family Nurse Practitioner Total candidates = 104 First time pass = 98 (94.2%) Overall pass = 100 (96.1%) Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Total candidates = 31 First time pass = 26 (83.8%) Overall pass = 27 (87%) Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Total candidates = 36 First time pass = 30 (83.3%) Overall pass = 31 (86.1%) All Nurse Practitioner combined Total candidates = 215 Total first time pass = 198 (92%) Total overall pass = 202 (93.9%)
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The Integrative Pain Management program will directly contribute to the reduction of health disparities in pain management and increase access to care in underserved communities.
INTEGRATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
The USF College of Nursing has moved forward with the strategic plan to launch the Integrative Pain Management Graduate Certificate with a spring 2023 start. The certificate includes four courses (12 credits) delivered over two sequential semesters. The curriculum was designed to increase awareness and comprehension of the complex mechanisms that both propagate and modulate various pain pathways This educational curriculum was designed by USF Nursing Faculty to help address and reduce health disparities for the vulnerable pain population in the United States. The curriculum will promote thought and identify strategies for non-opioid approaches for pain management. The online courses provide easy access for the working professional and will increase knowledge of all healthcare providers nationally. The University and community benefits when healthcare providers can appreciate and apply integrative and complimentary approaches for pain management. Providers who enroll in this curriculum will directly contribute to the reduction of health disparities in pain management and will increase access to care in underserved communities.
In addition, the team observed virtual classroom and clinical activities. USF College of Nursing received full accreditation of ten years extending through December 31, 2030.
While virtually visiting the campus in Tampa, Florida, in January, 2021, the CCNE team had an opportunity to interview school and university officials; program faculty, students and alumni; and community representatives. The team reviewed information in the self-study document and in the virtual resource room as well as other materials provided at its request.
EDUCATIONNURSINGONCOMMISSIONCOLLEGIATE
Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting agency. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate and residency/fellowship programs in nurse.
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COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION OF NURSE ANESTHESIA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
HOLISTIC ADMISSION
We also expanded the number of interviews offered to qualified candidates in our undergraduate programs to increase the potential recruitment of minority students. We continue to work towards a recruitment strategy that attracts applicants from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds and have organized a college holistic admissions taskforce to evaluate our current admissions and recruitment practices regularly.
The mission of the COA is to grant public recognition to nurse anesthesia programs and institutions that award post master’s certificates, master’s, and doctoral degrees that meet nationally established standards of academic quality (assessment and to assist programs and institutions in improving educational quality enhancement). In Spring 2022, the college received accreditation of USF Advanced Pain Management fellowship program. The college’s DNP CRNA hosted a very successful visit for the COA reaccreditation in April, 2022.
EFFECT OF NCLEX – INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY, NATION, GLOBAL
The NCLEX-RN® examination influences vital decisions about programmatic quality, admission and progression practices, curriculum revision, faculty education, and transition to practice. Over the last five years, the USF College of Nursing has consistently demonstrated a stable first-time pass rate for NCLEX-RN® of greater than 90 percent annually. This achievement positively influences the growth of a robust nursing workforce locally, nationally, and abroad.
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The USF College of Nursing strives to maintain and grow a diverse nursing student population which will directly impact the future nursing workforce. The current strategic goals of our college includes the implementation of an evidence-based holistic admissions process with the goal of increasing the recruitment of underrepresented minority students. This year we conducted a full review our current admissions processes in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Ivonne Hernandez, the college Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, met with our admission advisors and program directors to explore updating our admissions rubric to include additional decision weight on student experiences rather than our traditional metric based criteria.
The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) is nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an accrediting agency for the “accreditation of institutions and programs of nurse anesthesia at the post-master’s certificate, master’s, or doctoral degree levels in the United States, and its territories, including programs offering distance education."
Through this affiliation and program, nurses seeking career advancement are given the opportunity for worldclass education from the USF Health College of Nursing and hands-on experience at Tampa General Hospital, a tertiary care hospital that delivers renowned care.
“The future of nursing remains uncertain for us in so many ways, as we are dealing with a critical nursing shortage in the country,” said Usha Menon, dean of the USF Health College of Nursing and senior associate vice president for USF Health. “It’s programs like this that can really lead to impact in those areas of crucial need.”
“The [RNFA] program is a perfect example of the ideal program you could put together between a top-notch university and a tertiary care academic medical center,” said Tampa General Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Annmarie Chavarria. “The students are getting extremely high-quality education and then they have the opportunity to practice in really complex cases in the operating room. So, in the end, we’re developing some of the world’s best health care providers for the future.”
USF COLLEGE OF NURSING IS THE FIRST IN FLORIDA’S STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TO OFFER AN RNFA PROGRAM
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“We would love to see nurses come from other hospitals because the third component of the training is at the home institution, so there is a tremendous benefit to institutions to send their nurses to participate,” said Menon. “We thrive because of the diversity of the people that come into our school and the diversity of thought and background.”
The USF Health College of Nursing launched a program, in affiliation with Tampa General Hospital (TGH), to enhance perioperative nurse knowledge. The college is the only Florida state university to offer a program of this kind, thanks to a generous donation through the TGH Foundation. The Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) program will increase the pipeline of RNFAs and ultimately, improve patient safety in the operating room.
The unique curriculum will provide students with a strong foundation of perioperative and postoperative technical skills. In addition to earning 135 continuing education credits, graduates will be prepared to take the national certification exam to become a Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant.
RNFAs play a vital role in our hospitals, often working in collaboration with surgeons and nurses in the operating room to achieve optimal patient outcomes. An RNFA is a registered nurse who has received advanced training and credentialing that allows them to perform duties during the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care, in addition to care management and developing treatment plans in conjunction with the lead surgeons.
The first cohort begins February 14, 2022, and includes four registered nurses from TGH. The tri-phased program will include 11 didactic online education modules, an inperson simulation experience and 120 hours of clinical training at approved clinical sites. The next cohort is set to begin in Fall 2022 and will be open to local and national enrollment. Class sizes are limited to 10 students.
“They’re an adjunct to the surgeon and in many ways, they are kind of like the gel that holds the team together at times,” said Tampa General Hospital’s Director of Surgical Operations Nick Troeleman. “There is a comfort in that. There’s extra safety that’s added. And with that extra safety and that extra set of eyes and hands outcomes improve, that is beneficial for the surgeon. Most importantly, the patient benefits.”
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On the inaugural Day of Trailblazers, USF Health College of Nursing awarded the USF Health Culture Coin to Daniela Diaz, BSN candidate. Diaz exemplified and demonstrated the core values of USF Health College of Nursing as a nursing student and a humanitarian. Diaz, whose grandparents immigrated from Cuba, said that their culture and heritage has been crucial in guiding her along in her nursing education journey. Diaz was engaged in leadership, global activities and research, and went above and beyond for the College of Nursing, her classmates, and the community.
In addition to promoting the Culture Coin, USF Health College of Nursing’s Diversity Committee led signature events in collaboration with students, community, and university organizations to promote diverse, multicultural experiences at the local and global levels. Students and faculty participated in the Wholesome Wellness Challenge, serving the underserved community in Wimauma, in global virtual exchanges, and supporting health fairs and vaccination efforts in East Tampa and Largo communities. Diaz held the position of the president/coordinator of the Bulls Reaching Achievement in Nursing (BRAIN) program, where she facilitated the mentorship and leadership program for upper-level nursing students and assisted lower-level nursing students in learning new skills and meeting competencies. Diaz also organized and facilitated outreach events as the vice president of the College of Nursing’s student council and fundraising events as an ambassador for the Sebastian Strong Foundation. Diaz has also participated in global virtual exchanges, conducted research and presented on topics such as COVID-19 and its impact on the nursing profession.
USF Health College of Nursing’s Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) developed an action plan for the college to focus on two main goals: sustain an inclusive and supportive college of nursing environment & prepare a diverse nursing workforce.
DEI COINCULTURE
The Florida Board of Governors instilled a goal for institutions to achieve quality designations for offered online courses by the year 2025. To achieve this goal, the College of Nursing has set its own goal to reach 90% quality designations by June 2022, 95% by June 2023 and 100% by June 2024. Dr. Brown has indicated that the college’s goal of 90% by June 2022 has been achieved.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT GOAL AND PROGRAM USF Health College of Nursing’s Educational Design and Technology (EDT) team has worked to improve the quality of the college’s online courses using the Quality Matters (QM) rubric. QM is a faculty-centered, peer-reviewed process that is based on research and best practices to evaluate the quality of online courses. EDT’s internal review process aligns with the Florida Board of Governors 2025 State University System Strategic Plan for Online Education and the Florida Online Course Design Quality Review process. The EDT team uses the QM Higher Education Course Design Rubric to evaluate the quality of all online nursing courses. The team is trained on QM and spends countless hours reviewing course content and offering suggestions for improvement for standards that are met and not met. Director of Educational Design and Technology Dr. Tasha Brown, PhD, PMP, identified four College of Nursing courses that did not have a quality designation. In order for a course to receive a highquality designation, each course must be reviewed by three trained reviewers from the EDT team. Upon completion of the review, a report showing the QM standards met and not met was prepared and shared with the faculty member leading the course, who then made changes to the course based on the recommendations. The EDT team verified that the changes were completed, and then assigned a high-quality designation to the courses. The highquality designation indicates that the course met all QM essential standards, received at least 85% of the available points on the QM rubric and provided alternative means of access to course materials in formats that met the needs of diverse learners.
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02 RESEARCH IMPACT
DR. KAITLYN RECHENBERG received a prestigious K23 career development grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research. Her project is Mindfulness-based stress reduction in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
DR. MAUREEN GROER was named Distinguished University Professor and has a Top Cited Article in Microbiology Open
DR. STEPHANIE PRESCOTT was honored with the Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award Program’s Valerie D. Riddle, MD, Award in Health and the USF Faculty International Travel Award
DR. VICTORIA MARSHALL was accepted to the Harvard Medical School Workshop on Research Methods in Supportive Oncology; nominated for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty; and received the Outstanding New Investigator Award, University of South Florida, College of Nursing; Second Place Abstract in Symptom Management Category, Symptom Science Advances in Oncology Nursing Colloquium sponsored by Oncology Nursing Society, National Institute of Nursing Research and National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research; Third Place Abstract in Hot Topics Category, Symptom Science Advances in Oncology Nursing Colloquium sponsored by Oncology Nursing Society, National Institute of Nursing Research and National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research
DR. STEPHANIE PRESCOTT was funded as an investigator or a R41 study: An AI-based multimodal approach to predict pain in perinatal care scenarios.
FACULTY, PROJECTSSTAFF & AWARDS
DEAN USHA MENON was named Distinguished University Health Professor (DUHP) and a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
DR. JOHN MAYE received a grant from Pacira to support the University of South Florida Advanced Pain Management Cadaver Course.
Research Grants Research Awards
DR. CONNIE VISOVSKY was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Award, received the USF CON Established Investigator Award; and received the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Spirit of Inter-professionalism Award
DR. PONRATHI ATHILINGAM was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award and named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), and received the Faculty Leadership Award at USF DR. KELLEY BAUMGARTEL was named University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Distinguished Young Alum
DR. KAITLYN RECHENBERG received the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners’ Clinical Research Poster Award
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DR. MING JI was funded as an investigator on the following study: Bringing diabetes technology to rural communities DR. RAYNA LETOURNEAU received funding from the Florida Nursing Association for the Florida Center for Nursing. DR. CECILE LENGACHER received the Oncology Nursing Society Distinguished Researcher Award; received the American Psychosocial Oncology Society “Best of the Best Oral Presentation”; and received the American Psychosocial Oncology Society Top Researcher Poster Award
DR. CHRISTINA BRICKER received the CVS Health Foundation FNP/PA Scholarship for Disadvantaged FNP.
DR. MICHAEL SANCHEZ, DNP and PhD student, won the best poster award at USF Research Day
DR. STEPHANIE PRESCOTT received a USF Internal award from the Microbiome Institute for the following project: The microbiome in gestational diabetes: Contribution to race-related health disparities.
REBECCA KOERNER, PhD student, won the best poster in “sociology” award at USF Research Day
DR. STEPHANIE MARHEFKA
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As a clinician and health science researcher, Dr. Cheedy Jaja’s interest in social justice, health disparities, and improving health outcomes in historically marginalized and vulnerable populations drives his research, clinical, and advocacy initiatives. Although standard SCD public-health care packages have been available in middle-and high-income countries over the past 30 years, he noticed the unsettlingly high under-five mortality rates associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Jaja’s partnerships and research initiatives in the West African nation of Sierra Leone are efforts to reduce this global health disparity gap. SCD-affected Sierra Leonean citizens struggle with decayed healthcare infrastructure following a decade-long, brutal civil war that was soon thereafter followed by the Ebola epidemic and COVID pandemic. During that time nearly 90% of SCD-affected Sierra Leone children younger than five years of age perished. He established local and international partnerships to establish a model SCD clinic that delivers care to 120 children. He collaborates with support groups to conduct SCD advocacy, education, and awareness campaigns in local communities. His recently initiated 3-year study of early SCD diagnosis, care, and long-term followup is a groundbreaking achievement in Sierra Leone. Dr. Jaja’s work falls under two of the College of Nursing’s research pillars: Implementation Science and Health Determinants Science. DR. JENNIFER KUE Dr. Jennifer Kue is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing. Dr. Kue has more than 20 years of experience working with refugees and immigrants and medically underserved populations. Dr. Kue’s research focus and expertise are in community health promotion, cancer screening, and refugee and immigrant health. Her current study tests the efficacy of a tailored navigation intervention delivered by bilingual/bicultural Community Health Advisors to increase age-appropriate breast and cervical cancer screening among intergenerational Southeast Asian women. Dr. Kue’s research aligns with the College of Nursing’s research areas: Precision Science and Health Determinants Science.
New Research Members FACULTY
Dr. Stephanie Marhefka is Senior Associate Dean for Research in the College of Nursing. As a social and behavioral researcher with expertise in social and behavioral science, intervention research, and implementation science, Dr. Marhefka has two research foci. For more than 20 years, her scientific pursuits have focused on improving care and treatment for people living HIV. While her initial work was with youth who acquired HIV perinatally, her more recent work focuses on optimizing care and wellbeing of diverse populations of people with HIV, particularly in the southern US. As people with HIV live longer, her work is increasingly focused on traditional chronic disease prevention and treatment as well as mental health needs. A secondary area of research for Dr. Marhefka is related to breastfeeding, and particularly the intersection of breastfeeding, policy, and childcare settings. Her work falls under two of the College of Nursing’s research pillars: Health Determinants Science and Implementation Science. DR. CHEEDY JAJA
JULY 2021-DECEMBER 2021
Bugajski, A., Courtney, E., Lengerich, A., Rechenberg, K., Wills, W., & Szalacha, L. (2021). Modifiable predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In TP67. TP067 SYMPTOMS, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND CAREGIVER ENGAGEMENT IN PULMONARY, CRITICAL CARE, AND SLEEP (pp. A3189-A3189). American Thoracic Society.
DR. DEANNE TURNER
Dr. Uma Nair is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing. Dr. Nair is an equity researcher with a focus on cancer control and prevention researcher in marginally underserved communities. Her research involves (a) telephone-based behavioral interventions for health promotion with a focus on nicotine dependence and control, (b) mHealth intervention for postpartum relapse prevention, and (c) adapting evidence-based interventions for increasing cancer screenings in sexual and diverse (LGBTQ+) populations. This work addresses three of the four research pillars of the College of Nursing: Precision Science, Health Determinants Science, and Implementation Science.
Arthur, E. K., Menon, U., Browning, K., Overcash, J., & Wills, C. E. (2021). Challenges of cogni tive interviewing in sensitive health topic research. Nursing research, 70(5), 376-382. Athilingam, P., Labrador, M. A., & Redding, B. A. (2021). Enhanced self care with mobile technology to reduce readmis sion in congestive heart failure: A pilot study. Cardiol Vasc Res, 5(3), 1-7. Bell, J. M., Mason, T. M., Buck, H. G., Tofthagen, C. S., Duffy, A. R., Groër, M. W., ... & Kip, K. E. (2021). Challenges in obtaining and assessing salivary cortisol and α-amylase in an over 60 population undergoing psychotherapeutic treat ment for complicated grief: Lessons learned. Clinical nursing research, 30(5), 680-689.
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Ballman, K., Carpenter, D., Colella, C., Lynch-Smith, D., Miley, H., & Johansson, M. (2021). Is nurse practitioner the right career for you? Consider personal attributes and circumstances before you decide. American Nurse Journal, 16-20. Brown, M., Baribeault, T., Bland, R., Wofford, K., & Maye, J. (2021). Perioperative pain management for surgical patients with opioid use disorder: A program development initiative. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 36(6), 622-628.
Dr. DeAnne Turner is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. Her program of research aims to identify inequities in access to HIV care and prevention, ultimately working toward providing opportunities for better health outcomes and reducing health inequities in populations disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic. Broadly, her work converges at the intersection of technology and implementation science, primarily through 1) leveraging technology to provide greater reach to HIV care and prevention resources; and 2) applying implementation science to examine contextual factors affecting program implementation and improve the translation of research into practice. Her work aligns with the College of Nursing research pillars of Health Determinants Science and Implementation Science. She is currently working on two pilot studies examining 1) program adaptation and the use of WhatsApp for HIV-related peer mentorship in Kenya and 2) factors impacting transitioning to telehealth from in-person services for clients receiving care at a community-based HIV service organization in the United States.
DR. UMA NAIR
Abubakari, G. M. R., Dada, D., Nur, J., Turner, D., Otchere, A., Tanis, L., ... & Nelson, L. E. (2021). Intersectional stigma and its impact on HIV prevention and care among MSM and WSW in sub- Saharan African countries: a protocol for a scoping review. BMJ open, 11(8), e047280.
PUBLICATIONS:REVIEWED
Abubakari, G. M. R., Turner, D., Ni, Z., Conserve, D. F., Dada, D., Otchere, A., ... & Nelson, L. E. (2021). Community-based interventions as opportunities to increase hiv self-testing and linkage to care among men who have sex with men–Lessons from Ghana, West Africa. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 581. Alghamdi, N., Canale, M. L., Beckie, T., Buck, H. G., Szalacha, L., Roman, J., & Wang, H. L. (2021). Use of simulation to improve emotional competence at end-of-life care for healthcare professionals and students: A scoping review. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 55, 67-85.
Deng, L., Zhang, X., Gao, Y., Turner, D., Qian, F., Lu, H., ... & Qian, H. Z. (2021). Association of HIV infection and cognitive impairment in older adults: A meta-analysis. Age ing Research Reviews, 68, 101310. Ford, J. L., Williams, K. P., & Kue, J. K. (2021). Racism, Stress, and Health. Nursing research, 70(5S), S1-S2. González-Mercado, V. J., Henderson, W. A., Sarkar, A., Lim, J., Saligan, L. N., Berk, L., ... & Melkus, G. D. E. (2021). Changes in gut microbiome associated with co-occurring symptoms development during chemo-radiation for rectal cancer: a proof of concept study. Biologi cal Research for Nursing, 23(1), 31-41. Gonzalez-Mercado, V. J., Lim, J., Saligan, L. N., Perez, N., Rodriguez, C., Bernabe, R., ... & Aouizerat, B. (2021). Gut microbiota and depressive symptoms at the end of CRT for rectal cancer: A cross-sectional pilot study. De pression Research and Treatment, 2021. Gordon, J. M., Robidoux, H., Gaffney, K., Cirrito, B. L., & Lauerer, J. A. (2021). Conceptualizing the early detection and intervention of infant mental health disorders in neonatal nursing. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 27(1), 6-13. Gyan, S. E., & Marhefka, S. (2021). Exploring adolescents’(non-) use of modern con traceptives in Ghana through the lens of the Theory of Gender and Power. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50(6), 2411-2421. Guillaume, G., Ramos, S. R., Abuba kari, G. M. R., Turner, D. E., Ajiboye, W., Yusuf, A., ... & Nelson, L. E. (2021). Barriers and facilitators to providing human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis decision support to black patients in Canada: a cross-sectional study. International Health Trends and Perspectives, 1(3), 345-367. Ho, T., Sarkar, A., Szalacha, L., & Groer, M. W. (2021). Intestinal microbiome in preterm infants influenced by enteral iron dos ing. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterolo gy and Nutrition, 72(5), e132-e138. Hu, Q. H., Qian, H. Z., Li, J. M., Leuba, S. I., Chu, Z. X., Turner, D., ... & Shang, H. (2021). Assist ed partner notification and uptake of HIV testing among men who have sex with men: a randomized controlled trial in China. The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific, 12, 100171. Jingying Zhang, S. (2021). α 2-adrenergic receptor agonist, an attractive but underused ERAS component in improving fast-track recovery and surgical outcomes. AANA journal, 89(6). Katz, K. S., Czerwinski, S. J., Lockett, L. J., Munro, J. C., Gwartney, T. S., & Gore, T. (2021). An inno vative model integrating an academic-practice partnership in an rn-bsn program. Nursing Education Perspectives, 42(6), E100-E102. Kelley, M. M., Kue, J., Brophy, L., Peabody, A. L., Foraker, R. E., Yen, P. Y., & Tucker, S. (2021). Mobile health applications, cancer sur vivors, and lifestyle modification: An integrative review. CIN: Computers, In formatics, Nursing, 39(11), 755-763. Kue, J., Klemanski, D. L., & Browning, K. K. (2021). Evaluating readability scores of treatment summaries and cancer survivorship care plans. JCO Oncology Practice, 17(10), 615-621. Kue, J., Szalacha, L., Rechenberg, K., Nolan, T. S., & Menon, U. (2021). Communica tion among southeast asian mothers and daughters about cervical cancer preven tion. Nursing research, 70(5), S73. Lengacher, C. A., Gruss, L., Kip, K. E., Reich, R. R., Chauca, K. G., Moscoso, M. S., ... & Park, J. Y. (2021). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer survivors (MBSR (BC)): Evalu ating mediators of psychological and physical outcomes in a large randomized controlled trial. Journal of behavioral medicine, 44(5), 591-604. Lewis, K. (2021). P016. Evaluating the efficacy of focused nurse practitioner visits on heart failure outcomes among patients enrolled in the Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE): A quality improvement project. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Cardiopulmo nary and Acute Care, 50(4), 572-573.
Lim, S. J., Aguilar-Lopez, M., Wetzel, C., Dutra, S. V. O., Bray, V., Groer, M. W., ... & Ho, T. (2021). The effects of genetic related ness on the preterm infant gut microbi ota. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 278.
Lockhart, E., Turner, D., Ficek, J., Livingston, T., Logan, R. G., & Marhefka, S. L. (2021). Understanding technology fit among people with hiv based on intersections of race, sex, and sexual behavior: An equitable approach to analyzing differences across multiple social identities. AIDS and Behavior, 25(8), 2618-2629. Logan, R. G., Vamos, C. A., Daley, E. M., Lou is-Jacques, A., & Marhefka, S. L. (2021). Understanding young Black women’s socialisa tion and perceptions of sexual and reproductive health. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 1-15. Mack, L., Athilingam, P., & Adorno-Nieves, J. (2021). Health literacy impacts knowledge and the use of education app in heart failure: A pilot study. Cardiol Vasc Res, 5(5), 1-5. Maguire, D. J., Cirrito, B. L., & Solomon, J. (2021). The application of trauma-in formed care to substance use disorder. Neonatal Network, 40(5), 332-334. Marhefka, S. L., Livingston, T. A., Lockhart, E., Hernandez, I., Spatz, D. L., & Louis-Jacques, A. F. (2021). A statewide evaluation of the Breastfeeding Resource Nurse Model. Nursing for Women’s Health, 25 (5), 337-345.
Marhefka, S. L., Lockhart, E., Chen, H., Meng, H., Ortiz, M. R., Powell, B., & Shuter, J. (2021). A tailored telehealth group tobacco cessation treatment program for people with HIV: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 110, 106475. Marhefka, S. L., Noble, C. A., Walsh-Buhi, E. R., Turn er, D., Mahony, H., Singleton, A., ... & Daley, E.
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Castañeda-Hidalgo, H., Visovsky, C., Hernández, D. E., González-Quirarte, N. H., Compeán-Or tiz, L., & Campiño, S. M. (2021). Nursing’s contributions to sustainable development goals in Latin America through education, leadership, and partnerships. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 121, 104004. Caputo, M. P., Rodriguez, C. S., Padhya, T. A., & Mifsud, M. J. (2021). Medical canna bis as adjunctive therapy for head and neck cancer patients. Cureus, 13(9).
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 19 M. (2021). Key considerations and recommended strategies for conducting a school-based longitudinal RE-AIM evaluation: Insights from a 28-school cluster randomized trial. Health promotion practice, 15248399211042339. Menon, U., Szalacha, L., Martinez, G., Graham, M., Pares-Avila, J., Rechenberg, K., Stauber, L. (2021). Efficacy of a language-con cordant health coaching intervention for Latinx with diabetes: A randomized clinical trial. Patient Education & Counseling.
PEER PUBLICATIONS:REVIEWED JANUARY 2022-JUNE 2022 Ajiboye, W., Nelson, L., Odhiambo, A., Yusuf, A., Djiadeu, P., Turner, D. A., ... & Williams, G. (2022). Decision conflict and the decision support needs of HIV PrEP-eligible Black patients in Toronto regarding the adoption of PrEP for HIV prevention. Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (JIAPAC), 21, 23259582211073399. Al Thani, M., Leventakou, V., Sofroniou, A., Butt, H. I., Hakim, I. A., Thomson, C., & Nair, U. S. (2022). Factors associated with base line smoking self-efficacy among male Qatari residents enrolled in a quit smok ing study. PloS one, 17(1), e0263306.
Boyd, D. T., Abubakari, G. M. R., Turner, D., Ramos, S. R., Hill, M. J., & Nelson, L. E. (2022). The influence of family bonding, support, engage ment in healthcare, on PrEP stigma among young Black and Latino men who have sex with men: A path analysis. Children, 9(3), 330. Bugajski, A., Szalacha, L., Rechenberg, K., Johnson, A., Beckie, T., & Morgan, H. (2022). Psychometric evaluation of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory in the United States. Heart & Lung, 51, 1-8.
Ayala, G. X., Pickrel, J. L., Baquero, B., San chez-Flack, J., Lin, S. F., Belch, G., ... & Mayer, J. (2022). The El Valor de Nuestra Salud clustered randomized controlled trial store-based intervention to promote fruit and vegetable purchasing and consumption. International Journal of Behavioral Nutri tion and Physical Activity, 19(1), 1-17. Bechtel, N., Jones, A., Kue, J., & Ford, J. L. (2022). Evaluation of the core 5 social determinants of health screening tool. Public Health Nursing, 39(2), 438-445.
Bernard, R. O., Sanford, A., Duffy, A., Rechenberg, K., Lopez, M., & Brown, K. (2022). Evaluating the Impact of a School of Nursing Civility Team. Nurse Educator, 47(3), 180-183.
Miller, J., Szalacha, L. A., Hartranft, S. R., & Rodri guez, C. (2021). Radiation therapy: Predictors of nonadherence to treatment schedules among patients with head and neck cancer. Clinical journal of oncology nursing, 25(3), 305-313. Moore, C. B., Bond, J. D., Bundoc, E. G., Hefley, J. B., Wofford, K. A., & Bonds, R. L. (2021). Resuming breastfeeding after surgery: influencing practice recommendations. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 36(5), 460-467. Nelson, L. E., Nyblade, L., Torpey, K., Logie, C. H., Qian, H. Z., Manu, A., ... & Vlahov, D. (2021). Multi- level intersectional stig ma reduction intervention to increase HIV testing among men who have sex with men in Ghana: Protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. Plos one, 16(11), e0259324. Nolan, T. S., Arthur, E., Nwodim, O., Spaulding, A., & Kue, J. (2021). Survivorship care plan preferences and utilization among asian american breast cancer survivors. Oncol ogy nursing forum, 48(5), 507–521. Prescott, S., Dreisbach, C., Baumgartel, K., Koerner, R., Gyamfi, A., Canellas, M., ... & Trinchieri, G. (2021). Impact of intrapar tum antibiotic prophylaxis on offspring microbiota. Frontiers in pediatrics, 9. Rosales, M., & Pavlock, A. (2021). Using COVID-19 Case studies to enhance real-time practice in an RN-to-BSN pharmacology course. Nurse Educator, 46(5), 326. Rosales, M., & Chabalowski, B. (2021). En hancing clinical handoff skills during online postconference: An innovative ap proach. Nurse Educator, 46(5), E131. Rodríguez, C., Crowder, S. L., Rodríguez, M., Redwine, L., & Stern, M. (2021). Food insecurity and the hispanic population during the covid-19 pandemic. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 60(5), 548– 563. Shani, P., Raeesi, K., Walter, E., Lewis, K., Wang, W., Cohen, L., ... & Wayne, P. M. (2021). Qigong mind-body program for caregiv ers of cancer patients: design of a pilot three-arm randomized clinical trial. Pilot and feasibility studies, 7(1), 1-12. Spatz D.L., Baumgartel, K. Not All Donor Milk is Equal: impact of processing meth ods on bioactive compounds. Neonatal Intensive Care. 2021, 34(3):42-45. Stokes, D.I., Masciola, R., Kue, J., Drum, K., & Morrison-Beedy, D. (2021). Implement ing bundled HPV immunization strategies to reduce missed opportunities. Women’s Healthcare: A Clinical Journal for NPs. Tamirisa, K. P., Mehta, L. S., Kort, S., Farquhar-Snow, M., Bhatt, A. B., Linderbaum, J. A., ... & Brown, S. A. (2021). Heal thyself to heal and cure: Voices of women in cardiology. Case Reports, 3(12), 1468-1471. Tinsley, S., & Lengacher, C. (2021). AML-075: Converting in-person research procedures to a virtual platform during the covid-19 pandemic in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients. Clinical Lymphoma Myelo ma and Leukemia, 21, S279. Turner, D., Lockhart, E., Wang, W., Shore, R., Daley, E., & Marhefka, S. L. (2021). Examining the factors affecting PREP implementation within community-based hiv testing sites in Florida: A mixed methods study applying the Consoli dated Framework for Implementation Research. AIDS and Behavior, 25(7), 2240-2251. Zaha, V. G., Hayek, S. S., Alexander, K. M., Beckie, T. M., Hundley, W. G., Kondapalli, L., ... & American Heart Association Cardio-Oncology Subcommit tee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; and Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine. (2021). Future perspectives of cardiovascular biomarker utilization in cancer survivors: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 144(25), e551-e563.
Teran-Wodzinski, P., Haladay, D., Vu, T., Ji, M., Coury, J., Adams, A., ... & Visovsky, C. (2022). Assessing gait, balance, and muscle strength among breast cancer survivors with che motherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN): study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial. Trials, 23(1), 1-13.
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Schlabach, T., King, T. S., Browning, K. K., & Kue, J. (2022). Nurse practitioner-led lung cancer screening clinic: An evidence-based quality improvement evaluation. World views on Evidence- Based Nursing. Spurlock, E. J., Kue, J., Gillespie, S., Ford, J., Ruiz, R. J., & Pickler, R. H. (2022). Inte grative review of disparities in mode of birth and related complications among Mexican American women. Journal of Mid wifery & Women’s Health, 67(1), 95-106.
Daniel, D., Wickerham, A., Fitzgerald, E. A., & Kue, J. (2022). Interventions to eliminate cervical cancer in Nicaragua: An integrative review of the literature. Hispanic Health Care International, 15404153221081280. Dreisbach, C., Morgan, H., Cochran, C., Gyamfi, A., Henderson, W. A., & Prescott, S. (2022). Metabolic and microbial changes associated with diet and obesity during pregnancy: What can we learn from animal studies? Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 1365. Hanna, K., Arredondo, B. L., Chavez, M. N., Geiss, C., Hume, E., Szalacha, L., ... & Turner, K. (2022). Cancer Screening Among Rural and Urban Clinics During COVID-19: A Multistate Qualitative Study. JCO Oncology Practice, OP-21. Kim, M., & Kue, J. (2022). Commentary on Patient-Provider Communication Qual ity, 2002–2016: A Population-based study of trends and racial differenc es. Medical Care, 60(5), 321-323. Letourneau, R. M., & Halstead, V. (2022). Out comes of a senior RN student virtual clinical practicum. Nursing Management, 53(1), 10-13. Liang, Z., Yip, H., Sena Moore, K., Ferreira, T., Ji, M., Signorile, J. F., & Munro, C. (2022). Self- Managed music-guided exercise inter vention improved upper and lower extrem ity muscle strength for ICU survivors—A pilot randomized controlled study. Biological Research for Nursing, 24(2), 145-151. Lin, K. J., Lengacher, C. A., Rodriguez, C. S., Szala cha, L. A., & Wolgemuth, J. (2022). Educational programs for post-treatment breast cancer survivors: a systematic review. European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology, 43(2), 285-314. Marshall, V. K., Mason, T. M., Chavez, M., Mar tinez-Tyson, D., & Bugajski, A. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on oncology healthcare providers: The resilience of a profession. Cancer Nursing, 45(2), E407-E416. Marshall, V. K., Visovsky, C., Advani, P., Mus sallem, D., & Tofthagen, C. (2022). Cancer treatment– specific medication beliefs among metastatic breast cancer patients: a qualita tive study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 1-9. McCulloch, J. A., Davar, D., Rodrigues, R. R., Badger, J. H., Fang, J. R., Cole, A. M., ... & Dzutsev, A. K. (2022). Intestinal microbiota signatures of clinical response and immune-related adverse events in melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1. Nature Medicine, 28(3), 545-556. Menon, U., Lance, P., Szalacha, L. A., Candito, D., Bobyock, E. P., Yellowhair, M., & Hatcher, J. (2022). Adaptation of colorectal cancer screening tailored navigation content for American Indian communities and early results using the intervention. Implementa tion Science Communications, 3(1), 1-9. O’Leary, C., King, T. S., Ford, L. G., & Kue, J. (2022). Use of a framework to integrate research, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement. Nurse Leader. Quelly, S. B., Eckhoff, D. O., Luzincourt, G., Garcia, J., & Smith, S. (2022). Feasibility of parents promoting fruit-infused water to reduce preschool children’s sugar-sweet ened beverage consumption. Nutrition and Health, 02601060221086113. Park, J. Y., Lengacher, C. A., Reich, R. R., Park, H. Y., Whiting, J., Nguyen, A. T., ... & Kip, K. E. (2022). Translational genomic research: the association between genetic profiles and cognitive functioning or cardiac function among breast cancer survivors completing chemotherapy. Biological Research For Nursing, 10998004221094386. Postolache, T. T., Upadhyaya, S. K., Spector, A. M., Mohyuddin, I., Constantine, N., Ernst, R. K., ... & Reynolds, M. A. (2022). Decreasing Trypto phan and Increasing Neopterin Plasma Levels During Pregnancy are Associated with High First Trimester Porphyromonas gingivalis K- Sero type IgG Serointensity in a cohort of Hispanic Women. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry. Rechenberg, K., Szalacha, L., Bugajski, A. (2022). A self-report measure of diabe tes-specific anxiety symptoms for adoles cents. Children’s Health Care, 1-15.
Veal, B. M., Dobbs, D., Lee, S., Bugos, J. A., Pyfrom, M. P., Boddupalli, S., ... & Meng, H. (2022). Feasibility and acceptability of a group music inter vention in memory care communities. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 41(6), 1528-1538. Watson, K. S., Cohn, E. G., Fair, A., Menon, U., Szalacha, L. A., Carpenter, S. M., & Wilkins, C. H. (2022). Adapting a conceptual framework to engage diverse stakeholders in genomic/preci sion medicine research. Health Expectations. Whitfield, D. L., Nelson, L. E., Komárek, A., Turner, D., Ni, Z., Boyd, D. T., ... & Wheeler, D. P. (2022).Implementation of client-centered care coordination for HIV prevention with Black men who have sex with men: Activities, personnel costs, and outcomes—HPTN 073. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-10.
Writing Committee Members, Lawton, J. S., Ta mis-Holland, J. E., Bangalore, S., Bates, E. R., Beckie, T. M., ... & Zwischenberger, B. A. (2022). 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline for coronary artery revascularization: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 79(2), 197-215.
Visovsky,Rossiter,the-next-generation-of-nurses-171102the-us-doesnt-have-https://theconversation.com/enough-faculty-to-train-A.G.,Ling,C.G.,&Wilmoth,P.(2021December7).Nooneservesalone:Theimpactofmilitaryserviceonchildren.TheHill.https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/584358-no-one-serves-alone-the-impact-of-military-service-on-childrenC.,Zambroski,C.,&Hosler,S.Eds.(2021).IntroductiontoClinicalPharmacology.10thEd.Philadelphia:Elsevier.
In Fall 2022, an esteemed group including USF President Rhea Law, Health Senior Vice President and Morsani College of Medicine Dean Charles Lockwood, Health Senior Associate Vice President and College of Nursing Dean Usha Menon and registered nurse and community health advocate Rosemary Ferdinand plans to travel to Italy to celebrate the partnerships already developed and foster new ones.
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 21 OTHER PUBLICATIONS: JULY 2021-JUNE 2022 Letourneau, R. M. (2021, December 13). The U.S. doesn’t have enough faculty to train the next generation of nurses. The Con versation.
USF College of Nursing offered its first jointly-developed course content to medical students in January 2022, and is currently looking to provide opportunities for students and faculty from nursing and medicine to visit Sicily and work and learn onsite and vice versa. Fall 2022 courses include patient-provider communication; scientific writing; and lifestyle and behavior, which will discuss the difference in lifestyle behavior between individuals residing in the United States and Italy.
College of Nursing Associate Professor Jennifer Kue has taken on the lead communication between USF and Kore University of Enna faculty to create courses and coordinate scheduling and will lead the trip with the group in Fall 2022. Barbara Smith, RN, PhD, FACSM, FAAN, and Laura Szalacha, EdD, will also provide support as course instructors.
INPARTNERSHIPSBURGEONINGITALY
USF Health College of Nursing is creating new innovative courses and nursing education that promotes the delivery of quality care to patients across the globe, with an emphasized focus on areas experiencing high levels of poverty. To prepare our future nurses for delivering care to patient populations in these areas, USF College of Nursing is cultivating partnerships that promote nursing education and quality care in Sicily, Italy. Our partnership with Kore University of Enna, located in the center of Sicily, creates innovation at the academic level through the development of courses and curriculum that aim to prepare future health care providers to improve patient health outcomes and access locally and globally, while also providing students an eye-opening perspective of health care in Italy.
Dr. Rechenberg’s proposal uses a systemic approach to adapt an evidence-based intervention for anxiety symptoms, called mindfulnessbased stress reduction, to meet the developmental and lifestyle needs of this patient population. With the K23 grant, Dr. Rechenberg’s goal is to acquire the knowledge and research experience necessary to become an independent clinical investigator focused on developing, implementing and testing behavioral interventions and improving disease outcomes in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.
22 | USF College of Nursing Impact Report FACULTY RESEARCH PROFILE: KAITLYN RECHENBERG
Dr. Rechenberg will interview adolescents diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and key stakeholders to learn more about challenges, needs and perceptions pertaining to anxiety management and mindfulness-based interventions. Resulting information will be used to develop an adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction mHealth application for adolescents with Type 1 diabetes that provides information on anxiety symptoms, quality of life, self-management and glycemic control.
At USF Health College of Nursing, we take pride in and celebrate the successes of our faculty who are contributing to vital research within the nursing community. Our faculty members are continuously taking strides to further our understanding of disease and patient care. USF Health College of Nursing’s DR. KAITLYN RECHENBERG, PHD, MPH, APRN, received the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, also known as the K23 grant, from the National Institute of Nursing Research. The grant will further her research into mindfulness-based stress reduction in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. The K23 grant is awarded to individuals who have a clinical doctoral degree and are focusing on development of patient-oriented research. Dr. Rechenberg’s research indicates that adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in adolescents in the United States, are at risk for acute and long-term complications, including anxiety. Maintaining adequate glycemic control can reduce the risk of complications, and targeted interventions to reduce anxiety symptoms can contribute to improved quality of life and improved self-management of Type 1 diabetes, thus improving disease outcomes.
Dr. Sue Blanshan currently consults on higher education matters, including administrative change and innovation, student success strategies and goal setting, accreditation, and community outreach and engagement. She previously served as the Senior Advisor to the Provost at Michigan State University. In this role, she was responsible for the assessment of the student success programs and institutional accreditation.
Susan Perry I WANT TO CONTINUE THE DREAM OF ENGAGEMENT.COMMUNITY
Sue Blanshan I JOINED THE COLLEGE'S BOARD OF ADVISORS BECAUSE HEALTH CARE AND NURSING HEALING.LIVING,FUNDAMENTALARETOGOODHEALTH,AND
Carl Goff I WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO A PROGRAM THAT HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY AND I CHOSE USF AS IT GAVE ME A SOLID FOUNDATION IN WHICH TO BUILD MY CAREER.
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 23 MEET ADVISORYOUR BOARD
She went to Michigan State University from the Maryland Higher Education Commission where she served as the Director of Academic Affairs. Her other previous positions include Executive Officer for Human Relations at The Ohio State University; Vice President for Academic Affairs at Trinity (Washington) University, Washington, D.C.; Assistant Provost, Dean and Professor of Sociology at Hartford College for Women, University of Hartford; Chief Operating Officer, AIDS Alabama, and Director of Business & Graduate Programs and Associate Professor of Management at Birmingham-Southern College. She has taught sociology, higher education administration, and management.
Dr. Susan Perry graduated in 1989 from Florida International University with a BSN and entered the United States Air Force later that year. During her military service in the Nurse Corps, Dr. Perry practiced in various nursing capacities. These included special care oncology, medical surgical nursing, critical care and infection control. In 1996, Susan was selected to attend the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda Maryland where she received her MSN in Anesthesia Nursing. After passing her boards she served as a Nurse Anesthesiologist in the Air Force with two operational deployments to Saudi Arabia and Qatar and eventually obtained the rank of Colonel. In 2005, she was selected by the Chief of the Nurse Corps to move to the Uniformed Services University where she served as the Director of Clinical Education/Associate Program Director for the Department of Defense Nurse Anesthesia Program. Susan obtained her PhD in Nursing Science from the Uniformed Services University while working full time as an Air Force Officer. Her research focused on a previously unrecognized link between the autonomic nervous system and intracellular calcium release in b-lymphocytes from malignant hyperthermia susceptible patients. After obtaining her PhD and being promoted to Colonel, Susan served as the Senior Air Force Faculty for Graduate Programs, Consultant to the USAF Surgeon General for Anesthesia Education and faculty in the PhD and Anesthesia Programs. After her retirement from the Air Force, Dr. Perry transitioned to civilian life at USF and lead the revision of the CRNA Program and was eventually promoted the Vice Dean for Faculty and Community Affairs. At USF, Susan brought in over 20 community partners, founded the multiple programs to address social determinants of health and promoted the utilization of advance practice providers across Florida. Dr. Perry was selected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and a Fellow in the inaugural class for the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologist.
Carl Goff currently lives in Jacksonville Beach, FL with his wife Rebecca. They have lived here for over 30 years and have raised two children. He currently works for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in Washington, DC as a Senior Manager/ Analyst, part-time for the Mayo Clinic and am an adjunct professor for graduate programs. I have been with the Blue Cross Blue Shield system and the Mayo Clinic for 30 years.
As a licensed RN since 1974, Palmela Orlosky has been fortunate to work exclusively in the Tampa area, and in multiple settings. Her career began after graduating from Gordon Keller, and receiving her AS from HCC, as they had taken over the program from Tampa General Hospital. Her first experience came in Labor and Delivery, and she became certified as a Nurse Midwife. In search of better working hours, as she had two young children, she transitioned to ICU. She was then recruited to join the first HMO in Florida, Av-Med Heath is, and was only the second RN to be hired. It was an exciting, new world in Managed Care! She worked with the University of Miami computer sciences department to develop their first computer-based authorization and case management tool. For the next 20 years, she would provide catastrophic case management for multiple providers. The final 10 years of her career she spent as a Team Manager for LifePath Hospice. She truly did provide cradle to grave care during her career. She retired in 2019, but continues to keep her license updated and ready, just in case. In 2016, she married Michael J. Orlosky, M.D. who is an alumnus of the USF Medical School, and currently sits on the advisory board for the College of Public Health. Together, they have set up the Sisk Orlosky Scholarship (SOS) for the USF College of Nursing. She is honored to be included in the advisory board and looks forward to providing today’s students with perspective from her almost 50 years of nursing experience.
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Between 1973 and 1984, Susan McMillan earned four more degrees, topping out with her PhD. She taught freshmen nursing students 1970-73 at GA Baptist. She taught seniors (oncology nursing) at FSU from 1974-78 while her husband earned his law degree. After finishing her doctoral degree, she immediately went to work at USF and remained there for almost 40 years. During my time at USF, she developed the Oncology Nursing graduate program that existed until a year after my retirement. She supervised more than 100 MS theses and many doctoral dissertations. She brought in more than $12 million in research funding, mostly from NIH and has a long list of refereed publications. She retired in January of 2018 and is enjoying it very much. Her current activities mostly center around teaching English pronunciation to Chinese graduate students at USF. To support that she has published two books for those focusing on English as a second language. Janet Fansler MY PERSONAL MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO CARE FOR OTHERS AND THE COMMUNITY. BY SERVING ON THE COLLEGE’S BOARD OF ADVISORS, I FEEL LIKE IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BROADER INFLUENCE TO IMPACT QUALITY HEALTHCARE. As Chief Nurse Executive and Executive Vice President of the Lakeland Regional Health System, Janet Fansler was responsible for integrating Medical Center objectives within the LRH strategic plan, overseeing the efficient operation of LRHMC, ensuring delivery of high-quality patient care and setting exceptional standards that supported high-quality patient care. Dr. Fansler’s passionate vision for nursing and deep commitment to exceptional patient care led to the adoption of Dr. Joanne Duffy’s evidence-based Quality Caring Model to identify and leverage the links between caring concepts and patient outcomes. In addition, she provided executive sponsorship for LRHMC’s, major emergency department reengineering that garnered international attention for reduced patient wait times while improving the quality of care. Dr. Fansler received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Eastern Kentucky University. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Florida and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Her clinical background includes emergency and critical care nursing Practice. She is a past President of the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives as well as the recipient of the Leadership award for outstanding contributions in Nursing Administration.
Susan McMillan I DECIDED TO BE A NURSE WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NEVER WAVERED FROM THAT PATH. I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE APPLY SCIENCE TO SUPPORT AND HELP PATIENTS. THE “CARING” IS THE BEST PART.
Dr. Fansler has retired from LRHS and serves as a Community Member on their Executive Quality and Safety Committee. She also serves as an elder at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland and is Chair for the Pandemic task force and the Human Resources Council.
Pamela Orlosky
TODAY’S STUDENTSNURSINGHAVESO MANY CHOICES! I WANT THEM TO KNOW IT’S OKAY TO TRY AS MANY FIELDS AS THEY WANT, DON’T FEEL CONFINED OR CONSTRAINED.
Dr. Ferdinand has held adjunct faculty appointments at Columbia and Rutgers Universities. She lives with husband Doug, Purrtrick their cat and Boo their Cocker Spaniel in Lakewood Ranch, FL. Her heart resides in Sicily.
Ms. Schlesinger has served on the boards of Visible Men Academy in Bradenton, FL, and the Friendship Centers in Sarasota, FL and surrounding counties. Ms. Schlesinger was the founder and president of SOLOs (Single Orchestra Lovers of the Philadelphia Orchestra), a part of the Orchestra Volunteer Committees. She has two married sons and a granddaughter, Lilly, living in Denver. She and life partner David Kotok live in Sarasota, FL. Diana Rao DURING THE 36 YEARS I WORKED IN NURSING I ALWAYS FOUND THE ROLE OF NURSES MARGINALIZED NOT ONLY BY THE MEDICAL PROFESSION BUT BY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. THERE SEEMED TO BE VERY LITTLE RECOGNITION THAT NURSES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN KEEPING THE WHEELS OF HEALTHCARE TURNING WHETHER IN A HOSPITAL SETTING OR A COMMUNITY SETTING. IT TOOK THE TRAGEDY AND SHOCK OF THE COVID PANDEMIC FOR THE REALIZATION THAT WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE, HIGHLY TRAINED PROFESSIONAL.
This 69+ year old woman has been married to the love of her life for the past 48 years, has two amazing children, a boy and a girl both physicians and is blessed with two grandchildren a boy and a girl aged 11 (girl) and 14 (boy) who keep me on my toes and smiling. She is a retired registered nurse who since her retirement has found herself involved in a variety of local volunteer organizations that have no relation to her medical background such as Big Cat Rescue which rescues and houses exotic cats and rehabilitates injured or orphaned native wild cats. In addition, she has served in many roles on the board of the Tampa Bay Snow Skiers with a membership of 1500 people culminating with being the president in 1995. She currently serves on the WUSF Advisory Board on the community relations committee. She is also on the homeowner’s association of her 1,500 home community. Her philosophy in life is not to be a part of the problems she finds in life but to be actively participating in being the solution to them.
| Christine Schlesinger AS A RETIRED NURSE AND NOW AS A MORE FREQUENT CONSUMER OF HEALTH CARE, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE TO SOCIETY OF NURSES WELL EDUCATED IN NURSING THEORY AND CRITICAL THINKING. NURSES ARE THE FRONT LINE OF HEALTH CARE. THE PANDEMIC HAS CERTAINLY ILLUMINATED THAT FACT.
INTEGRATION CAN TRANSFORM HEALTHCARE DELIVERY, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT ANY POINT ON THE LOCAL / GLOBAL CONTINUUM. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Dr. Ferdinand has delivered care in a variety of clinical settings and has held Nursing leadership and faculty positions. She provided global healthcare information systems and management consulting for eleven years with Deloitte Consulting. In 2013, and again in 2016, she received the gift of life, twice, in the form of two double lung transplants at USF/ TGH. Finding new energy from a consciousness of gratitude, she is currently focused on synergistic innovation to improve well-being.
Rosemary Ferdinand BY DESIGN, PATTERNSHEALTHRESOURCESINTEGRATEANDCONCEPTUALNURSING’SFRAMEWORKPRACTICEUNIQUELYDISPARATETOOPTIMIZEOUTCOMES.OFNURSING
USF College of Nursing Impact Report
Christine Schlesinger (aka Christine Peterson APRN, CDE) practiced nursing for over 43 years; 20 of those years, as a geriatric NP. She is the author of numerous peer reviewed articles and is a compelling and passionate speaker. A strong believer in the chronic disease care model, she developed “Shared Medical Appointments” (SMA) with a multidisciplinary team at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and was advisor to Governor Edward Rendell’s (PA) “Chronic Disease Care Commission”. With Gail Prater, she is co-author of a book: “Mindful Eating: how to eat your way out of obesity and diabetes.”
Dr. Ferdinand graduated summa cum laude from Seton Hall University, received a Master of Science degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from Columbia University, and was in the first PhD class in Biomedical Informatics at Rutgers School of Health Professions. Her research interests include defining patterns of semantic and spatiotemporal integration in healthcare information. Her work has been implemented in international healthcare information standards, forming the basis for global healthcare systems development and integration to this day.
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Candice Saunders Candice L. Saunders, FACHE, is president/ CEO of WellStar Health System, Marietta, Ga. As president/CEO of one of the largest and most integrated health systems in Georgia, she oversees the health and well-being of WellStar’s patients across the state.
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Saunders, who began her career as a critical care nurse, joined WellStar as president of Kennestone Hospital in May 2007. As a result of her experience and strong leadership, she was promoted to executive vice president/COO of WellStar Health System in 2013. In 2015, she assumed the role of president/CEO. Saunders has built her career around improving community access to vital healthcare needs, implementing new care models and programs to address consumer health issues, and integrating health delivery processes to improve operational efficiencies and enhance the patient care experience. From the boardroom to the operating room, and across WellStar Health System, Saunders is a champion for delivering world-class healthcare for every person, every time.
Under Saunders’ leadership, WellStar has been recognized as a leader in safety and quality measures, and as a great place to work. She serves on the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and as chair of AHA’s Regional Policy Board for Region 4. She has been recognized by numerous organizations for her leadership and has been named to Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders, Georgia Trend magazine’s 100 Most Influential Georgians and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEOs lists. She has been honored as one of The Atlanta 500 and a Woman of Distinction by Atlanta magazine, a Healthcare Champion by the National Association of Female Executives, and a recipient of the W. Daniel Baker Leadership Award by the Georgia Hospital Association. Saunders is board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She has master’s degrees in business administration and health services administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida.
Prior to her role at J&J, Barbara was the Director of EMEA Enterprise Supply Chain (ESC) Operations at Citibank, where she was responsible for day-today management of Account Payable, T&E and Procurement Operations. She led a team of 140 Operations staff, with matrix responsibility for all ESC functions at the site. Barbara has held a variety of Procurement roles in her career, including Strategic Sourcing, Project Management, Systems and Service Delivery. For her different roles, she has lived in several places in the US, including CT, FL and NJ, and then moved to Budapest, Hungary for three years, before returning to Tampa to take her current position at J&J.
In this role, she was responsible for the delivery of the end-to-end Source-to-Settle process from requisition to invoice payment with teams in the US, Manila and in India supporting the regional activity.
Barbara Dondarski Barbara is currently the VP of Service Excellence, which is part of the GS Service Excellence and Experience team. She is responsible globally for initiatives driving Continuous Improvement, Service Recovery and Quality, Integrated Service Management, Data Strategy and Governance and Reporting & Analytics across the GS functions. In July of 2016, Barbara joined Johnson & Johnson as the Senior Director in charge of Procurement Service Delivery for the North America Region.
She earned her MBA at the University of Florida, and holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Psychology from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 27 USF COLLEGE OF NURSING
But the experience also forged a new direction and purpose in his life, one coming to fruition during the current COVID-19 pandemic, in which he sees disturbing parallels to the Ebola crisis.
DR. CHEEDY JAJA ASSISTS THE FRONTLINES OF SIERRA LEONE, AFRICA
It was a direction that would lead him to his new post in August 2021 as associate professor and assistant dean of global engagement at USF Health’s College of Nursing.
When the global call for help sounded during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014, Dr. Cheedy Jaja didn’t think twice. As a nurse, he knew he needed to stand up and contribute, he recalled. During two humanitarian tours of duty in Sierra Leone, Jaja, who is also trained in psychiatry and mental health, left long afterward profoundly traumatized. He says the tours made him feel overwhelmed, unprepared, depressed and panicked.
“For me, what I really find very difficult to embrace, to make sense of, is the fact that the same issues that we had experienced as volunteers in Sierra Leone with Ebola, I noticed the same issues here in the United States, even having one of the best healthcare delivery systems in the world” he said.
That includes the lack of preparation, protective equipment and support for nurses – physically and psychologically – on the frontlines of care. It also includes the social view of pandemics as “cultural problems” – like eating bush meat or animals from wet markets as the cause of disease outbreaks – as opposed to weaknesses or breakdowns in public health systems.
Jaja brought with him almost $1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to train nurses to provide these specialized health services in Sierra Leone.
Reflecting on his new USF position, he added: “Not everyone has a luxury of choice. We all have dreams. Now and then our dreams gain wings, and when they gain wings, you soar and fly.”
He started off in 2022 working the frontlines of clinics in Sierra Leone. He’s looking into establishing partnerships with institutions in South America, Africa and Europe, where USF students can study how healthcare is delivered in diverse settings with varying levels of care and resource availability. He’s excited to support faculty in extending their research in multiple global settings. Additionally, he wants to help prepare nurses for future pandemics and natural disasters in ways that balance their professional responsibilities with personal care and safety.
To all these ends, it is essential that nurses have a seat at the table in leadership posts and policy making decisions, he said. Given nurses’ enormous presence in the health care workforce, he noted, nurses are in the perfect position to be trained and empowered with new skills to meet emerging healthcare challenges. “We need to upskill nurses,” he said. One example is training nurses to perform genetic counseling or to screen infants for sickle cell disease in delivery rooms. Nurses can also be trained more to provide these independent specialized care services in limited resource settings.
His professional and personal experience has all led him to this point, where he can channel a vision of nursing education into a global framework.
Jaja, originally from Sierra Leone, has more than 12 years of experience providing clinical and psychosocial care primarily to patients with sickle cell disease, and three decades teaching in nursing, social sciences and the humanities across the United States. He arrives most recently from a position as an associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina.
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At USF, Jaja is working to align a vision for global health engagement with the College of Nursing’s strategic plan.
03 PRACTICE IMPACT
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Community leaders join together to celebrate first-of-its-kind partnership. The Salvation Army unveiled a one-stop social services and residential facility, the Red Shield Center in January.
In May, faculty, professionals, educators and healthcare experts came together to celebrate and discuss their partnership with USF Health College of Nursing and the Salvation Army at the new Red Shield Center, a 39,000-square-foot facility that will serve as an emergency shelter for homeless men and women.
“Collectively, we are working on an agreement with the Salvation Army to provide services to their clients who have a tremendous number of needs, especially related to their health,” said Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the USF Health College of Nursing and senior associate vice president of USF Health. “Specifically, the College of Nursing is providing nursing care for their recuperative care program for homeless individuals who have been discharged from the hospital.”
Currently, patients who do not have a home to go to are being discharged from local hospitals to the Red Shield Center for various levels of care, she said. “To support this, the College of Nursing is placing faculty members along with their undergraduate nursing students, who learn how to care for these diverse individuals in the community.”
“The people who come to us have had life hit them hard, and they are at a point where they are suffering,” Swyers said. “When they come to see us, when they walk in the main entrance, they will see the Glazer Family Foundation’s slogan “Anything is possible.” That is what the University of South Florida, the Salvation Army, and all our other partners want to do, to let them know it’s going to be all right, and they are going to move from this point to a better place.”
“This pilot program between the University of South Florida and the Salvation Army can really change a person, so when they say goodbye to us, they are different, they are better, and they are ready to get back into society,” said Major David Swyers, Tampa area commander of the Salvation Army. The initiative will also help hospitals by reducing readmission rates, providing care for these individuals, and improving health outcomes. But primarily, this program will help them better acclimate to the community.
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 31 COLLEGE OF NURSING AND THE SALVATION ARMY COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PARTNERSHIP
USF Health College of Nursing has partnered with Port Tampa Bay and the Tampa Port Ministries to provide on-site immediate physical care to global seafarers and port employees with the help of USF College of Nursing nurse practitioner faculty. In addition to physicals, the team will work to provide wellness education to help increase the health and safety of the Tampa Port community. College faculty will add content to the curriculum for nursing students regarding the special needs of seafarers.
We have vaccinated seafarers from: Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Ukraine, Columbia, Honduras, Guatemala, Bulgaria, Russia, Myanmar, Cuba, Mexico, Montenegro, Turkey, Georgia, China, Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Austria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Portugal, Vietnam, Ethiopia, United States of America, Greece, Lebanon, Nigeria, Romania, and Indonesia.
Through this partnership, USF College of Nursing has been able to provide more than 1,100 COVID-19 vaccines to seafarers from across the globe. Vaccines are administered by a part-time adjunct faculty member.
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Port Tampa Bay and the Tampa Port Ministries is pleased to announce a collaboration with the University of South Florida College of Nursing to establish the firstof-its-kind on-site clinic.
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 33 WIRES PROGRAM: PARTNERSHIP WITH TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
USF Health College of Nursing’s partnership with Sarasota Memorial Hospital has created the building blocks necessary for a partnership with Tampa General Hospital and enhanced the experience for both nursing students and healthcare professionals at the institution. Additionally, nursing students may be offered employment opportunities by the institution after successful completion of the program.
After observing the successes of the partnership between USF Health College of Nursing’s WIRES™ program and Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the decision was made to expand some of the programs offered in Excellence in Nursing During COVID-19 and Beyond to other local organizations and institutions. USF Health College of Nursing has also partnered with Tampa General Hospital to bring the preceptorship-to-hire program to life for nursing students and healthcare professionals. Similar to USF Health College of Nursing’s partnership with Sarasota Memorial Hospital, nursing students will be matched one-to-one with a nurse in a clinical setting at Tampa General Hospital during the student’s final semester, so long as eligibility criteria are met. The hospital, a large research and academic medical center, will work with USF Health College of Nursing to tailor the preceptorship program specifically for nursing students who are interested in pursuing a career in this setting post-graduation, ensuring that academic learning goals are met, but that individualized learning is further promoted.
34 | USF College of Nursing Impact Report WIRES PROGRAM: PARTNERSHIP WITH MOFFITT CANCER CENTER
USF Health College of Nursing’s partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center has also resulted in the implementation of the WIRES™ preceptorship-to-hire program. Nursing students who are interested in working in an oncology setting and caring for patients with cancer have the opportunity to be matched one-to-one with a nurse in a clinical setting at the center. Colleagues at Moffitt Cancer Center have delivered positive feedback to USF Health regarding the student selection process for the preceptorship-to-hire program. In addition to the preceptorship-to-hire program, USF Health College of Nursing and Moffitt Cancer Center have also created and launched the Trailblazer Externship Program in May 2022. USF Health College of Nursing students complete the first phase of this academic practice partnership program in USF classrooms and academic settings. Following completion, students will be eligible to be employed as a nurse extern at Moffitt Cancer Center. “We need to support the nursing workforce, and that’s what WIRES is helping to do,” Dr. Rayna Letourneau, PhD, RN, founding director of USF Health’s WIRES program, said. “Bridge the gap between academia and practice and realize that we must work collaboratively to support nursing students, continue to support nurses after they’ve finished their education, and to retain them in our profession.”
DEDICATED EDUCATION UNIT AT ST. PETERSBURG GENERAL HOSPITAL
As part of the partnership, an evaluation plan, including focus groups and surveys, is being created to determine the DEU’s succession and learn whether the DEU was helpful to the students’ learning. After evaluation of the Fall 2022 semester, USF Health College of Nursing will examine the outcomes of St. Petersburg General Hospital’s DEU and determine if the DEU should expand and continue in other institutions within the HCA Florida Healthcare hospital system as well as other hospital systems in the Tampa Bay area.
According to Dr. Allyson Duffy, PhD, RN, associate professor at USF Health College of Nursing and director of the St. Petersburg Accelerated Pathway, research has suggested that a DEU is a more effective way of teaching students how to be successful in clinical settings. Dr. Duffy said that St. Petersburg General Hospital’s DEU includes a team of hospital personnel and USF faculty and staff who are trained to help students overcome the complexities of learning how to be a nurse. The DEU provides students the comfortability and familiarity of remaining at the same institution throughout their education, allowing for development of clinical judgment, psychomotor skills and monumental career growth. And while the DEU offers an exciting opportunity for nursing students, Dr. Duffy said that it will also benefit St. Petersburg General Hospital. The DEU provides the opportunity for students to work as a nurse in their placement institution once they graduate, decreasing a hospital’s orientation and training time for new nurses. In addition, students will be able to start working independently at their institutions sooner.
Beginning in Fall 2022, USF Health College of Nursing and St. Petersburg General Hospital’s dedicated education unit (DEU) will offer level one first semester nursing students clinical training and education. The partnership between USF and St. Petersburg General Hospital allows for trained healthcare professionals at the hospital to educate students and facilitate learning in a clinical environment, preparing them for their careers after graduation.
04 REPUTATION IMPACT
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VETERAN SPOTLIGHT:
JOHN GLENNY USF Health College of Nursing’s Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, also known as V-CARE, builds upon the military healthcare education, training and experience of military medics and corpsmen, providing a more efficient pathway and education ladder from veteran, to student, to baccalaureate-prepared nursing professional. V-CARE, a student-centered program tailored to each veteran, helps remove barriers and fill gaps for medics and corpsmen who wish to pursue BSN coursework and continue their healthcare careers as nurses. The V-CARE program supports the enrollment, advisement, education, training and successful transition of medics and corpsmen into professional nursing practice. Dr. Alicia Rossiter, DNP, FNP, PPCNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, assistant dean of Alumni and Community Relations and chief officer of Military and Veteran Affairs, said service members returning from active duty or those leaving the military are often unemployed or underemployed as their military occupation may not translate to careers in the civilian sector. At the same time, the United States is currently facing a shortage of registered nurses. Medics and corpsmen, who provide immediate, life-saving care on the battlefield and to service members and their families in military treatment facilities worldwide, bring significant knowledge and skills that can help meet healthcare workforce needs.
The V-CARE program was created with the support of a Health Resources and Services Administration Veteran to BSN grant. In response to the concerns raised by the service members and veterans during stakeholder interviews, the USF College of Nursing V-CARE program was tailored to meet the unique needs of medics and corpsmen applying for admission to nursing programs. Applicants compete against other active duty and veteran students like themselves versus all nursing school applicants. The program builds on previous medic and corpsman education and experience, and academic and social supports are provided to ensure veteran student success in the program.
37 John T. Glenny III, BSN, graduated from USF Health College of Nursing in Spring 2022 and participated in the V-CARE program. The program provided Glenny with a comprehensive and detailed curriculum that was specifically tailored with his success in mind, paired with clinical experience at local hospitals, such as Tampa General Hospital and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.
“The camaraderie and teamwork [of the V-CARE program] facilitate an excellent environment to learn and become a great nurse,” Glenny said. “USF does a great job at building on the great environment with the highest quality education and incredible clinical experience.”
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“When I separated from the Army, I was told by a nursing advisor at another university that I should choose a different career because my overall GPA would be ‘impossible to fix to be competitive on a nursing application,’” Glenny said. “The V-CARE program allows the medic and corpsman to capitalize on their military education, training and experience. The program introduces new concepts and critical thinking skills to transition the medic into a nurse.”
USF College of Nursing Impact Report
Glenny is one of nearly 150 veteran students who have enrolled in USF’s V-CARE program from 2014–2022. According to Dr. Rossiter, 37% of V-CARE graduates have returned to active duty and been commissioned as officers in their respective Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard nurse corps. 63% have accepted positions in hospitals in the civilian sector or in Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. Glenny’s experiences with the V-CARE program have even led him to being accepted into the Fall 2022 Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program at USF.
Glenny added that before he joined the army as a medic, he was an “undisciplined kid who didn’t know what he wanted to do and knew nothing about college.”
“[The V-CARE program] gives the veteran an opportunity to bypass barriers [like] their past GPA [and] taking prerequisite courses over several years and often at different institutions that would keep them from being competitive in a pool of nursing applicants,” Glenny said. “V-CARE is the most important opportunity I received in my life, and I hope that it only grows throughout the country to become available to all medics and corpsmen that want to become nurses.”
Candice L. Saunders, FACHE, who graduated from USF Health College of Nursing in 1975, credits her professors, mentors and peers at USF for preparing her with the skills and knowledge needed to care for patients in her community on a clinical level. Saunders said that USF also taught her the importance of listening to the people she serves, the value of collaboration and the ability to be flexible and adapt to constant change.
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As a nursing student, Saunders gained the knowledge and experience needed to be a great nurse at the bedside. Saunders credits her professors for showing her what great leadership looked like and creating an inspiring, motivational environment to learn and grow. “What stands out to me the most are the relationships I established with my professors and my fellow classmates at USF,” Saunders said. “They have been a source of strength and support throughout my career.”
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CANDICE SAUNDERS
Saunders is still involved with USF as an alum, even attending the USF School of Nursing’s Distinguished Lecture Series in February 2022. “Returning to campus always brings back fond memories, and I was inspired by the passionate, dedicated nursing students who I know will soon be providing exceptional care at the bedside,” Saunders said. In addition, Saunders proudly serves on USF College of Nursing Dean Usha Menon’s board of advisors. In her current role, Saunders serves as the president and CEO of Wellstar Health System in Marietta, GA, leading a team of more than 24,000 physicians, caregivers and team members who are committed to enhancing the health and well-being of patients and communities across the state. Saunders said that her early career nursing experience has shaped her approach to healthcare leadership. “It’s no secret to anyone entering the nursing profession that the healthcare landscape is always changing,” Saunders said. “From emerging digital tools and technology to the demands of a pandemic, nurses and healthcare leaders must always be ready to adapt by meeting challenges head-on and transforming them into opportunities.”
From an early age, Saunders was passionate about helping and serving others. “I decided to pursue nursing because I have always felt called to help others,” she said. “That attraction to caring for people led me to the nursing profession and the ability to not only provide clinical support, but also emotional support. A nurse serves such a vital role in caring for patients as a whole person, serving many times as a voice of comfort.”
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 39 A scholarship can be a life-changing opportunity that skyrockets a student toward furthering their education. That was the case for Diana Rao, AAS, who serves on the USF Health College of Nursing’s Board of Advisors, and it sparked her initial idea to create a scholarship with her husband Mohan, MD, a now retired neonatologist, to help nursing students like her. Rao started her nursing career as a student in 1972. At the time, she was in New York City, attending nursing school thanks to a free educational program awarded to students based on merit.
The idea of a scholarship was always in the back of the couple’s minds, but seeing the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the nursing profession, such as the nursing workforce shortage and high levels of burnout in the profession, made the need for this scholarship paramount. The Diana & Mohan Rao Nursing Scholarship aims to combat the current strains on the profession at both the academic and professional levels. “USF [College of Nursing] has an excellent education and reputation.
The Diana & Mohan Rao Nursing Scholarship will be awarded to a student in Fall 2022 for the first time.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with several [USF nurses] in my practice, and they always come highly trained,” both Mohan and Diana Rao said. “You don’t need to walk them through it. They have really excellent skills. And if we can open the door to more people having access to [nursing education], and also see Dean Menon find ways to bring in more teachers, which is a huge problem in nursing education, then we will feel that we have accomplished what we set out to do. We came in with the intention of providing a scholarship, and we walked away with, ‘Okay, how much can we [contribute]?’”
Rao’s nursing education led her to a life of patient care from local emergency rooms to international combat settings.
“It’s extremely rewarding to know that my husband and I might be able to make a small difference,” Rao said. “It might be the difference in someone choosing nursing [versus] not choosing nursing. It can be that impactful.”
DONOR PROFILE: DIANA AND MOHAN RAO “IT MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE IN IMPACTFUL.”CANNURSING.NOTNURSINGCHOOSINGSOMEONE[VERSUS]CHOOSINGITBETHAT
A Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Anesthesiology (FAANA) is recognized as one of the most accomplished leaders in the profession of nurse anesthesiology. The FAANA designation is a major career achievement that recognizes certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) as outstanding practitioners, educators, researchers, and advocates for the profession. The FAANA designation communicates a commitment to excellence in the profession of nurse anesthesiology. The College of Nursing has two Faculty members who are recipients of the FAANA award.
ALAN TODD Alan Todd, DNP, CRNA, APRN, Lt Col, USAF, NC (retired) has been selected as a candidate for induction as a 2022 Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). He is presently serving as the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Educational Innovation at the College of the Nursing/University of South Florida. In this position, he provides administrative responsibility for overseeing and implementing the USF College of Nursing’s undergraduate and graduate academic programs. In addition, he assists the Dean in implementing the strategic vision and plan of the college. Dr. Todd’s curriculum vitae is a testimonial to a highly eclectic and respected career as a clinician, scholar, educator, and leader within the nurse anesthesia profession.
CANALEMICHELE Michelle L. Canale, DNP, CRNA, APR, has been selected as a candidate for induction as a 2022 Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Anesthesiology (FAANA). She is the Nurse Anesthesia Program Director at the University of South Florida College of Nursing. She participated in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing (ELAN) Fellowship. Her passion is professional advocacy and educating future CRNA professional leaders. As Clinical Education Coordinator and Program Director, she has advanced training and practice to the full professional scope at residency sites. As an AANA Education Committee member, Florida Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (FANA) Program Committee Chair, FANA Director, Vice President, President-elect, and graduate of AACN’s ELAN Fellowship, she demonstrates extensive professional leadership and service.
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE ANESTHESIOLOGY
Dr. Canale is the recipient of several awards, namely, the ClochesyMiller Award for Scholarly Writing, Clinical Coordinator of the Year.
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IMPACT STORIES
USF College of Nursing Impact Report | 41 Trailblazing Nominations USHA MENON USF Health Distinguished University Health Professor Award WALLENA GOULD American Nurses Association (ANA) Innovation Advisory Committee CECILE LENGACHER • Southern Nursing Research Society (SNRS) Distinguished Research Award • Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 2022 Distinguished Research Award STEPHANIE PRESCOTTALICIA ROSSITER National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) for Grassroots Advocacy Award Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) Faculty Grant Award MARCIA JOHANSSON • Society for Critical Care Medicine • American Association of Nurse Practitioners • National Organization of Nurse PreceptorFacultiesPractitioners(NONPF)GoldStarAward Honorary Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) Nominee LAURA SZALACHA
The College of Nursing has awarded 123 scholarships to students totaling more than $300,000. During Giving Week, which took place April 4–8, 2022, 42 donors enthusiastically donated $7,035 to USF Health College of Nursing to support its global programs. This is an increase of 68% in donors and 283% in donations from Giving Week in 2021. USF Health College of Nursing has focused on building new partnerships in 2022. The Office of Community Engagement recognizes the importance of support at the local level in establishing grassroots support. Here within our local communities, partnerships with the Salvation Army have blossomed. And on a national level, a $25,000 donation will fund travel to explore nursing relationships in Sicily, Italy.
Podcast - Season 1: 294 Downloads and 5 Episodes Alumni Magazine: • 6,652 digital impressions • 613 downloads • 5,011 hard copies delivered
Philanthropy to the USF Health College of Nursing directly affects improved patient care for the Tampa Bay region and beyond. Student scholarships, global academic and community partnerships and care for seafarers are all aided by the generosity of our supporters. These initiatives keep the nursing profession positive and impactful to all those who give and receive care and are a result of support from USF’s generous donors. We would like to thank all of those inside and outside of the organization who have worked to achieve these goals.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTYOUR
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USF COLLEGE OF NURSING 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, MDC 22 Tampa, FL 813-974-786333612
