Welcome to the Summer 2009 issue of School of Nursing News, an electronic newsletter designed to inform, engage, inspire, and connect with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other constituents of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. This is the last newsletter for this academic year; the next edition will be distributed in September. Have a great summer!
In June 1968, the School of Nursing opened a 40-carrel self-tutorial laboratory, enabling students to learn independently via narrated slide loops.
The largest class of graduating nurses in the state of Maryland commemorated their achievements at the School of Nursing’s Convocation ceremony on May 15 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The class included 286 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 264 Master of Science, 13 PhD, and 11 Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates. Dean Janet Allan delivered greetings to the audience.
“As the linchpins of the health care system, you, more than any other health professionals, bear the burden of safeguarding patient welfare not only by providing highly-skilled care, but by educating the public about the role and functions of nurses, and advocating for greater support from policymakers. As nursing goes, so go the health and the well-being of our nation,” said Dean Allan.
Rear Admiral Carol A. Romano, PhD ’93, MS ’85, BSN ’77, RN, BC, NEA, FAAN, acting chief of staff, Office of the Surgeon General and chief nurse officer, U.S. Public Health Service, delivered the Convocation address.
The first UMSON master’s graduates funded through the Health Services Cost Review Commission’s Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) celebrated their achievements at a May 12 ceremony at the School of Nursing. The purpose of the NSP II grant is to increase Maryland’s nursing faculty ranks by increasing enrollment in graduate nursing programs that prepare nursing faculty members. The project addresses both the need to fill expected vacancies in the nurse workforce and reduce the nursing faculty shortage. As a direct result of a partnership between UMSON, the University of Maryland Medical Center, and MedStar Health, an additional 100 master’s-prepared nurses will be educated over five years to fill the void in the clinical instructor workforce. It is anticipated that by expanding access to clinical experiences, nursing programs will be able to enroll more students and graduate more registered nurses to work in acute care hospitals in the state.
The School of Nursing recently received news that we have been awarded an additional NSP II grant that will support the development of clinical instructors through a partnership with six medical centers in Maryland.
Matt Rietschel, MS, has changed from exempt staff to a faculty position as clinical instructor and Director for Educational Strategies and Technology. He will continue to serve as Director of Instructional Technology and will be available to teach in various programs.
Paulos Alemu, BS, has been appointed as a laboratory assistant in the Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health. He has held laboratory positions at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Iowa State University, and the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization. Alemu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Addis Ababa University.
Kathleen Buckley, PhD, RN, IBCLC, associate professor, Department of Family and Community Health, co-authored the following publications:
Kate McPhaul, PhD, MPH, RN, assistant professor, Department of Family and Community Health (FCH), and Jane Lipscomb, PhD, RN, FAAN professor, FCH, co-authored the following publication:
Mary Etta Mills, ScD, RN, FAAN, professor, Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health, co-authored the following article:
Patricia Morton, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, associate dean for academic affairs and Dorrie Fontaine, PhD, MS ’77, RN, dean of the University of Virginia School of Nursing, co-authored a new book, Critical Care Nursing: A Holistic Approach, which was featured at a book signing at the recent national meeting of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
The School of Nursing has been awarded $200,000 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to fund scholarships for Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) students from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or groups underrepresented in the nursing profession. Gail Lemaire, PhD, APRN, BC, co-director, CNL program and associate professor, Department of Family and Community Health, submitted the application to RWJF. The scholarships will be granted to 20 CNL students admitted for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, professor, Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health, received a two-year, $299,772 grant, “The Res-Care-AL Intervention Study,” from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study will test the feasibility and impact of a nurse-run restorative care program in assisted living facilities.
Alison Trinkoff, ScD, RN, FAAN, professor, Department of Family and Community Health, received a two-year, $291,486 grant, “Linking Nursing Work Environments and Patient Outcomes,” from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The study will determine whether schedules and job demands adversely affect patient outcomes over and above staffing, and whether a positive nursing practice environment moderates the relationship between schedules, demands, staffing, and patient outcomes.
The School of Nursing has been awarded a $225,244 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to fund scholarships for graduate students. Brian Walls, academic coordinator, Office of Student and Academic Services, submitted the application to HRSA. The scholarships will be granted to students admitted for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Tom Dewey, BSN ’78, RN, is currently a program manager with Microsoft, Ltd., in Bangkok, Thailand, where he is working on the Computerized Physician Order Entry and Electronic Medical Record features of Microsoft’s Amalga Health Information Systems product.
Gail Stuart, PhD, MS ’73, RN, dean of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Nursing and professor in the MUSC College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has been named a member of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research, National Institute of Nursing Research.
SUBJECT: New Farmers Market in Downtown Baltimore
SOURCE: WJZ.com - June 3
SUMMARY: Ron Matz reports there's a new market in town. The new kid on the block is at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, across from the University of Maryland Medical Center. Denise Choiniere, MS ’09 (UMSON), coordinator of the UMB farmers market, says interest continues to grow. The market is a joint effort of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the hospital, and the School of Nursing. http://wjz.com/seenon/farmers.market.produce.2.1028207.html
SUBJECT: Down Economy Boosts Grad Programs in Maryland
SOURCE: The Daily Record - May 29
SUMMARY: From business and technology to nursing and teaching, graduate programs in Maryland's colleges and universities are experiencing a rise in applicants and enrollments that administrators attribute at least in part to the economy, as students recognize the value of advanced training in gaining and keeping employment. The University of Maryland School of Nursing is seeing "a continued steady rise in applicants; more than we are able to accommodate" at the School, says Patricia Morton, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor at the School of Nursing.
http://thedailyrecord.com/2009/05/29/down-economy-boosts-grad-programs-in-maryland/
SUBJECT: Minn. Boy Who Resisted Chemo Undergoes Treatment
SOURCE: WBAL.com - May 28; Postbulletin.com - May 28; The Associated Press - May 29
SUMMARY: The 13-year-old Minnesota cancer patient who fled the state with his mother rather than face chemotherapy was to undergo the treatment he feared Thursday - but with a vow from doctors to soften the symptoms with natural methods favored by his family. R. Barker Bausell, PhD, a professor at the School of Nursing, recently published a book claiming most integrative medical practices amount to little more than a placebo effect.
http://www.wbaltv.com/health/19592779/detail.html
SUBJECT: Smith Business School Relocating to BioPark
SOURCE: Baltimore Sun May 29; Baltimore Business Journal - May 28
SUMMARY: The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business will move its Baltimore campus to a larger space at the University of Maryland BioPark. The Smith School is currently located at the School of Nursing.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-school0528,0,316009.story
SUBJECT: News Briefs
SOURCE: The Daily Record - May 28
SUMMARY: The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business announced it has leased new space in Baltimore at the University of Maryland BioPark. The Smith School will move from its existing location at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
http://thedailyrecord.com/2009/05/28/news-briefs-business-edition-0528/