dolphinurse newsletter jacksonville university nursing jan. 2014 ju college of health sciences

SCHOOL OF NURSING NEWSLETTER

© 2014 Jacksonville University

JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSIT

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CALENDAR EVENTSJANUARY 20 Martin Luther King Holiday

MARCH17-21 Spring Break

Have any great news or information for the DolphiNurse?

E-mail: [email protected]

As we approach the start of spring semester, I’m struck by the heightened degree of activity at the School of Nursing, which is normally a very busy place! Now, as you drive up to Lazzara Health Sciences building you’ll see our new College of Health Sciences building going up right next door. We’ve included some pictures for you so you can see the progress. We’re all very excited to watch the building go up before our eyes! Come August, 2014 the SON and College of Health Sciences will have an additional thirty thousand square feet of much needed space. I’d like to personally thank

everyone who has contributed in any way to making this dream a reality.

At the SON we are very proud of the quality of education we provide to our BSN, MSN, and DNP students. Our graduates are very highly respected in the community. Last month we hosted an evaluation team from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the accrediting body for baccalaureate and higher degree nursing programs. Our Doctor of Nursing Practice program was reviewed for initial accreditation and the BSN program underwent a 10-year review. While we don’t hear formally until next April, the visit went very well and we’re looking forward to a very positive report.

This is an exciting time at the School of Nursing. Our programs continue to grow, and we remain committed to the success of our students and to the excellence of the faculty. Read more, below, about news on the undergraduate and graduate programs and many proud accomplishments of our students.

Sincerely, Dr. Judith Erickson, Dean




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Student News: Undergraduate By Dr. Cheryl Bergman

Thirty-three 2nd degree nursing students completed their studies and graduated in August. This was an extremely high achieving class and we are expecting each and every graduate to make their mark in the nursing profession. Many have remained in Jacksonville and have been hired. Some have been selected to participate in area hospitals’ new nurse internship programs. Some of our graduates have moved across the country, specifically to Denver, CO, Reno, NV, and New York, NY. They, too, are reporting job offers in specialty areas and feel JU has definitely prepared them to be successful nurses.

NCLEX update: The 3rd quarter NCLEX-RN results have been reported and the JU pass rate for the quarter is 96.15% with a year-to-date pass rate of 92.1%. This ranks JU well above the reported state rate of 79.28%. Our graduates continue to impress with their success on boards and we are very proud of their achievements.

The Traditional undergraduate program began the fall 2013 semester with a total of 253 students. August admissions for the traditional and transfer programs equaled 68 new students. There were 248 qualified applicants for the 68 seats. The average GPA for the traditional cohort was 3.28 and for the transfer cohort 3.71. These numbers and GPA’s clearly support the quality of student admitted to the various pre-licensure programs. Speaking of success, all transfer students were successful in their first 8 week courses. Excitement abounds as these students arrive at the lab in their clinical uniforms ready to learn mandatory nursing skills in preparation for their first clinical experience in November.

Simulation Lab

Fall is a great time to “freshen up” skills and apply them to patient situations. The Simulation Lab has assisted faculty in making simulations available in the classroom and the lab to promote application of concepts presented in class. This Fall, seniors (class of 1213) participated in a multi-patient simulation that focused on transition skills identified by our clinical partners as “desirable” for new graduates: prioritization, delegation, time-management and early recognition of status changes. Nursing collaborated with the JU Theater department for use of their students as patient actors.




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Student News: RN-BSN By Dr. Andra Oplinksi

In the field of nursing, the literature is saturated with research and thoughts on burn out and nurse dissatisfaction. These phenomena result from a multitude of reasons including nursing shortage, increasing demands on nurses, and the complexity of the current healthcare environment. Nurse educators can too feel these challenges. It is often in the most challenging times that a student brings an educator back to his or her roots and fundamental desires to be a nurse educator. This recently happened when an online RN-BSN student, Nicole Baur, sent the following message towards the end of her first BSN course. She stated, “This course has re-lit my nursing fire. I feel re-energized and motivated to make changes in my department. We have even added agenda items to our monthly council meetings to discuss ways to improve stress in our department and have already started changing things.”

Whether a student has returned to our RN-BSN program shortly after finishing his/her Associates degree or has been a practicing nurse for 25 years, it is the ‘ahh ha’ moments that re-energize nurse educators in their vision to make a difference in the world of healthcare. It is so rewarding to see students excited about creating positive care environments that will impact quality of patient care. JU RN-BSN faculty cherish the moments to see students put their new knowledge directly into practice. We are continually energized by the caring difference our RN-BSN students and graduates make in today’s healthcare environment.

Student News: Graduate By Dr. Michelle Edmonds

The DNP program admitted its first Leadership cognate students in August 2013. This cognate is designed for nurse leaders and educators. The first DNP graduates are expected in Spring 2014. These DNP graduates will be the first doctoral students to graduate in Jacksonville University’s history so we are extremely proud of them.

The MSN Family Nurse Practitioner students who graduated in May 2013 have been very successful in passing the FNP Certification exams boasting a 95.5% pass rate for the group. We are so happy to have such talented students and look forward to hearing about their future accomplishments as FNPs and FNP/ENPs. The Emergency Nurses’ Association has recently approved a certification process for our future and previous Emergency Nurse Practitioner graduates. Now these ENP students can pursue the certification that they’ve earned as a result of completing this very rigorous NP program. More information about the ENP-BC certification offered through American Nurses’ Credentialing Center can be found at www.nursecredentialing.org/EmergencyNP-Eligibility.

The JU SON has just admitted its largest group of 28 NP students this August 2013. The admissions process continues to be highly competitive with almost 5 qualified applicants per open position in the NP program. The average GPA for admitted students was over 3.8 this year. These students were very accomplished with a depth and breadth of nursing experience to their credit. JU graduate nursing




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students recently participated in a health screening event through Baptist’s Community Outreach Partnership. Shelly Coates, current JU MSN Nursing Education student, has been the liaison between JU and Baptist Health on this initiative to address the recommendations of the Jacksonville Community Health Needs Assessment. The FNP students (Erica Adams, Tachaena Anderson, Hermyza Coleman, Michelle Enz, Angela Yeveyevich) provided screening and health education counseling (BMI, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and diet/exercise) to over 100 people at the Black Expo on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the Prime Osborne Convention Center. A new MSN cohort at Mayo Hospital will begin in January 2014 for the MSN Clinical Nurse Educator and MSN Leadership in Healthcare Systems. We are currently taking applications for qualified students who are interested in this cohort.

Danielle R. AndersonLauren E. AndryKristen M. BernardNicholas BoigenzahnKristen Elizabeth CampbellLindsay Anita CarterJacqueline M. CashAshley DavidsonLindsay M. DehrSheLia DraneCarissa A. Foster

Anja J. Frazier Alexandra N. GreenSybil Lynn HamiltonAshlee Jeannine HutchesonBrianne KanehlJane Lai Christina Marie LohrJenna L. MarinoAmanda L. McDonaldCaitlin P. McFeeleyCarla Jean Medford

Nora Brianne MeyerChristy ManacoLashlee Blair MorrisJordan-Lee PearceItzel RamosAndrea J. ShamroJenna Elizabeth StoerKaylie Dawn Marie SutterEmily Kate VeroneGracia WalkerVictoria Waltrip

Students Accomplishments

Fall 2013 Graduates

Ivonne Herrera RoeseRenicka Latrice RogersChristopher L. RoggenLauren Colby Rooney Cum Laude

Tersa L. RuehmanSungjoon RyouBeverly C. Saint-Amand

Bryan San MiguelDanielle SansoresMisaki SatoSusan Lynn ScottMichael Leon SevickCameo Crystal ShaneAngela SheehanErika Sirois-Moreno

Pamela A. Skeels Summa Cum Laude

Robert SlavescuAmelia SmallDeborah Smalls-BarteeEric G. Smith

Spring 2013 Graduates (inadvertently omitted in Summer newsletter)




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RN-BSN

Michael Adalia Kathleen Albers Erin Frisch Jill Graffagninor Sandra Hoover

Roger Huth Michelle Lee Nancy Napolitano Kelly Newman Abi Jireh Paraon

Sherri Patray Kristen Perrin Christina Rice Ashley Smyers

MSN

Barbara JohnstonMelissa Kleinsmith

Erik McFerrin Janet Meadows

Destiny Parrish Carr Kathy Street

Winter/Spring 2013 Inductees (inadvertently omitted in Summer newsletter)

Sigma Inductees for BSN (Fall 2013) Names from left to Right (Emily Verone, Christina Lohr, Kaylie Sutter, Jordan-Lee Pearce, Carla Medford, Brianne Kanehl, Sibby Hamilton and Kristen Bernard)

BSN-Fall 2013 Inductees

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Lambda Rho Chapter At-Large

Kristen M. BernardLindsay Anita CarterSheLia DraneSybil Lynn Hamilton

Brianne KanehlJane LaiChristina Marie LohrCarla Jean Medford

Nora Brianne MeyerJordan-Lee PearceKaylie Dawn Marie SutterEmily Kate Verone




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Faculty Accomplishments: Federal Grant

In one of the largest grants it has received in the past half-decade, Jacksonville University will receive a federal grant of $870,000 to recruit hundreds more student veterans into its new College of Health Sciences and help them excel as they pursue bachelor’s degrees in nursing.

The award, announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is part of the Veterans’ Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program (VBSN) of HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration.

“The Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program recognizes the valuable skills and experience of our veterans, while addressing the nation’s nursing workforce needs,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a news release announcing the grants. “The education and training they receive helps qualify them for civilian nursing positions, while expanding Americans’ access to high-quality care.”

Only nine institutions nationwide were awarded grants as part of the highly competitive project.

“This funding is going to help us tremendously to recruit and better support our military students as they work on their BSNs, and to educate highly qualified medical personnel for our community,” said Project Director Lynnette Kennison, JU Associate Professor of Nursing. “It provides more options for us to help them succeed as they continue their educations.”

With the additional money, to be spread over four years, more personnel will be hired at JU to recruit and assist veterans in the nursing program, provide them

additional career track options and prepare them for practice in the local community.

In the first year alone, projections are for 31 additional veterans to be added to Nursing Track 1 (students with little or no medical background), 25 more to Track 2 (those with an associate degree in nursing) and 34 more to Track 3 (online students with an associate degree in nursing).

Once enrolled, the veterans will receive assistance, such as tutoring in writing, math and nursing; program, career and mental health counseling; focus and support group help; linkages with veteran service organizations and community health systems; and even medical monitoring such as biofeedback to help them with their heart rates and stress levels.

The additional academic and social supports are critical to the success of the veterans in the program, federal officials said. Kennison, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and 30-year military veteran herself, agreed that the extra support will enable many more student veterans to succeed in the nursing program.

“Some of our military veterans have special issues and challenges, sometimes traumatic physical and mental injuries that can make them feel detached, and these must be addressed as they acclimate back to civilian life and education,” she said. “The support groups alone will be a huge benefit to them, as they see they are not alone and can identify with others of similar background.”




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Kennison said the process of obtaining the grant helped her become better acquainted with other members of the College of Health Sciences – advisory board members, staff, administration, other faculty – who offered guidance and helped with the request.

“You have to look beyond your immediate teaching goals, and this really expands your horizons,” she said. “No one has to work on a grant alone. It requires teamwork, and it reenergizes you as a faculty member and gives you a chance to follow your passions and interests. For me, this is all about helping the student veterans.”

Grant money has practical benefits for Jacksonville University as well, said Renee Rossi, JU Director of Grant Development: External funding can raise the reputation and overall esteem of the University. As JU pursues additional grant competitions, it will increase its ability to offer dynamic research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. The pursuit of innovation and research also helps faculty enhance their upward career mobility and tenure opportunities.

“We are committed to assisting faculty with their scholarly pursuits by helping them secure funding for research and new programming, and with JU President [Tim] Cost’s support, we are moving toward developing the processes needed to fully support faculty in both the pre-award and post-award phases of a project.”

Rossi also noted that options are being investigated to further incentivize JU faculty to pursue grant funding. One is to establish “research accounts” for funded faculty members, and return a portion of the recovered indirect costs (also referred to as overhead) to the account. Faculty could then use the funds to purchase new equipment, hire students, or as seed money for new research endeavors.

“It would give them a little bit of additional funding to use to enhance their research initiative or program, and is a great incentive for the University overall to pursue more research and program funding,” Rossi said.

In addition, many funding sources, especially the federal agencies, allow for and even expect the cost of adjunct faculty to be included in a proposal. The adjunct personnel can relieve some of the class loads, and enable faculty to work on their funded project and pursue their passions, she said.




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Staff and Faculty Spotlight

Dennis Oakes joins the JU SON after serving 27+ years in the United States Air Force where he practiced in emergency/trauma, post anesthesia, orthopedics, medical-surgical and informatics. He held commands at the Squadron and Group level and ended his service where he began, a Registered Nurse, holding the position of Chief Nurse Executive responsible for 225+ nursing professionals. After retirement, Dennis gained experience in risk management and nursing education. His received his undergraduate degree in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University and his graduate degree in Trauma/Critical

Care Nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Dennis possesses two certification, Nurse Executive – Basic Certification and as a Certified Emergency Nurse. He is married to Lynn (also a RN) and they have three sons.

Dr. Lindsay Wolf is a certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who currently practices in pediatric primary care. Her interests include children with special needs, particularly children with Down syndrome. Lindsay is a graduate of the University of North Florida for her Bachelors of Science in nursing. As a bedside nurse, she practiced in both the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant Units. Lindsay received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Florida where she also received a certificate in public health. She is married to Pete and has a daughter, one year old Hailee, and is expecting her second child in March.




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New Building Updates

Taken on 8/6/2013

Taken on 8/20/2013




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New Building Updates

Taken on 10/2/2013

Taken on 10/21/2013