LUSON Newsletter Spring 2019

A Legacy of Excellence

Alumni Spotlights

Zambia

Dr. Helen Parke Jamie Smith

Dr. Jerry Harvey

A History of Excellence: Successes of the MSN Program

Community Connection: A New Lens

Dr. Lynne Sanders

Dr. Dana Woody

Volume 2 | Issue 2 Spring 2019

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LEGACY Join us in bringing healing to the hurting by training future generations of champions. Support the Liberty University School of Nursing.

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In this ISSUE 04 05 06

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Dean’s Note Faculty Achievements Alumni Class Notes RN-BSN Program Update Faculty Spotlight: Crystal Lane-Tillerson Community Connection: A New Lens Simulation Center Update

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Missions in March

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MSN Program Update A History of Excellence: Successes of the MSN Program

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School of Nursing Advisory Board LUSON Faculty

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Calendar of Events

Zambia 09

Alumna Spotlight: Jamie Smith DNP Program Update

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BSN Program Update Alumna Spotlight: Helen Parke

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Psi Delta Update

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Dean’s Note

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Nursing is an art; and, if it to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or cold marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the fine arts; I had almost said, the finest of fine arts.”

Florence Nightingale, 1868 Over the past several months, the faculty and staff of Liberty University’s School of Nursing (LUSON) have developed what we call our five “Foundational Stones.” In each of these elements below, our faith, our art, and our science can be expressed.

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requires us to invest in the lives of others; it is the true act of caring. We show empathy, improve in communication, and lead with a heart listening to His voice.

Excellence: LUSON is founded on the belief that “if it is Christian, it ought to be better,” as said by Dr. Jerry Falwell.

Excellence is seen in our continual effort toward improvement, whether in clinical skill, critical thinking, mastering our art, or growing in our relationship with Christ.

Ethics: LUSON is founded on JudeoChristian — or biblical — values as seen in our virtues of faith, generosity, joy, and courage. Our professional practice and our personal lives are grounded in the love of Christ and the calling we have as nurses to serve people made in His image. Additionally, the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses is the standard by which we practice professionally.

Research/Scholarship: LUSON is founded on the belief that research should guide practice in the clinical setting, in the classroom, and in leadership. Faculty strive to ensure that content provided is current and taught in a manner that encourages students to grow. We are dedicated to ensuring faculty and staff have necessary resources to grow the professional body of knowledge and their individual level of expertise. We are committed to helping our students become lifelong learners and researchers at every educational and professional level.

Compassion: LUSON is founded on the concept that compassion is the core of our art, for we are learning to care for His greatest creation, mankind. Compassion

Future: LUSON is founded on the belief that we must prepare for the future of the nursing profession, nursing education, and the individual nurse. We are committed to

Liberty Nursing Spring 2019

making the most of our resources through carefully planned curriculum changes that seek to improve the overall profession of nursing. We are devoted to ensuring that each LUSON student acquires the necessary clinical skills, critical thinking skills, and caring skills to be successful in their personal journey as a nurse, wherever that leads.

We build the future of nursing on the foundations of nursing. Great leaders like Florence Nightingale are being trained now. As she carried her lamp to the ill and dying, so we carry our lamp to the world. As you carry your lamp, will you be the next nurse leader?

This semester is poised to be the most amazing yet because of you: our students, our alumni, our supporters, and our faculty/ staff. Please see our calendar of events and check your email frequently to stay aware of what your School of Nursing is doing!

Shanna Akers EdD, MSN/MBA-HC, RN, CNE

Faculty Achievements Our Liberty University School of Nursing faculty are making strides in their fields of study, publishing articles, furthering their education, and receiving recognition for their successes.

Jessica Clark, MSN, RN IV (BSN adjunct faculty), works at Lynchburg General Hospital and Centra Hospice and was a recipient of the 2018 Daisy Award.

Kristene Diggins, DNP, MBA (MSN Professor), published her article “Divine Appointments” in the Journal of Christian Nursing.

Lori Dominie, adjunct faculty, earned her MSN in October 2018.

Karla Giese, DNP, FNP, BC-ADM, CDE, (DNP and MSN Faculty), published a research article “The Emotional Burden of Diabetes: A look at Diabetes Distress.”

Tonia Kennedy, EdD, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN-K, successfully completed the requirements for Certification for Informatics Nursing.

Sharon Kopis, EdD, MS, RN, FNP-C, CNE, successfully published her article “Should You Become a Nurse? Why Nursing is a Ministry and Calling” in The Christian Post.

Kat Rivera, DNP, RN, successfully completed and defended her DNP scholarly project “Increasing HCAPHS Scores Through Scripting of Hourly Rounding.”

Sarah Witt, residential adjunct professor, received the CNEP award and the Pathway to Excellence-Supporting Role Award.

Elizabeth G. Whorley, PhD, RN, CNE, was recognized for her poster presentation “The Implementation of the Essential Competencies for Evidence-Based Practice in Baccalaureate Nursing Education” during the 2018 Nursing Research Conference, hosted by Carilion Nursing Research & EBP. Diane Bridge, Kim Brown, Heather Humphreys, and Elizabeth Whorley published their article “Ready to Care? Student Nurse Perceptions of Spiritual Care Education” in the Journal of Christian Nursing.

Alumni Class Notes Liberty University School of Nursing alumni have gone on to provide immaculate services to their patients.

Although all of our students have achieved forms of success after matriculation, we want to highlight a few recent graduates and their accomplishments.

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Nicole Coffey and husband, Katie Hurd and husband, Ronnie, Nate, welcomed their daughter, welcomed their little girl, Isabella, on Nov. 24.

Audrey, on Sept. 15. Katie also recently earned her CPN. Stephanie DeFilippis’s first research project, “Efficacy of Intermittent Ashleigh Bry and Andrew Ferreir, Heparin Flush vs. Normal Saline Flush Jr. celebrated their marriage on in Adult Implanted Ports in Prevention Sept. 21. Ashleigh is also currently enrolled of Catheter Occlusions,” received the as a CRNA student at Our Lady of Lourdes Best Research Innovations Poster Award and Drexel University. at the September 2018 Virginia Nurses Association conference. This abstract was Maggie (Woconish) Ellis recently also accepted to be presented in April 2019 received her CNOR certification. at the Oncology Congress in Anaheim, Calif. Additionally, DeFilippis received the Danielle (Paul) James will join Virginia Nursing Associations’ 40 under 40 other lung cancer survivors award for September 2018. She is currently in Washington, D.C., in April 2019 to working on submitting another research advocate for more federal funding to be project that is IRB-approved. allocated to lung cancer research. She has the unique ability to advocate as a nurse Dr. Patricia Perryman passed her and as a survivor. certification as a “Board Certified Patient Advocate.”

Jordan (Josefczky) Ruf graduated from the University of Rachel Walters married John Cincinnati’s CRNA/DNP program.

Davenport on June 6, and this past May, Rachel graduated from Liberty’s Emily (Wardle) Mecimore, husband, Master of Exercise Science program.

Nick, and two big brothers,

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welcomed their son/brother, Theo, on Nov. 28, 2018.

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Shannon (Fitzgerald) Smith, husband, Jay, and two big sisters welcomed their son/brother, James, on Dec. 2, 2018.

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Katie Beth (Lewis) Edman and husband, Brian, welcomed son, Huntley, on Aug. 29, 2018. Katie Beth also completed her AGACNP coursework at the University of South Alabama in 2016.

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Heather (Jordan) Roberts and husband, Brandon, welcomed their daughter, Charlotte.

Share your accomplishments, career advancements, family news, celebrations, and other life events through LUSON Class Notes.

Email all class notes to LUSONDean@liberty.edu.

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RN-BSN Program Update

by Diane Bridge, EdD, MSN, RN Since 2005, the RN-BSN program has provided opportunities for registered nurses to continue their education and receive a BSN while learning how to integrate their faith into nursing practice.

The RN-BSN program is 100% online and can be completed in as little as two years.

Undergraduate online courses now provide digital textbooks and resources through integration of the inclusive access initiative, making the online learning environment even more interactive and affordable.

The RN-BSN Global Studies specialization is available for Spring 2019. This new area of study will allow students to increase understanding of effective cross-cultural engagement and learn how to successfully build intercultural relationships. The RNBSN-MSN accelerated track continues to grow as registered nurses take advantage of the option to complete both a BSN and MSN in an accelerated timeframe with three concentrations to choose from: education, administration, and education.

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Faculty Spotlight Crystal Lane-Tillerson Dr. Crystal Lane-Tillerson was born and raised in Gouldtown, N.J., and attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing followed by a master’s degree in adult education. She was a cardiac step-down nurse at Howard University Hospital for 15 years before moving to Hampton Roads, Va., in 1997. Upon her family’s move, she completed Hampton University’s School of Nursing master’s program and then became a faculty member there for a short time before taking a job as a Medical Systems Analyst with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) in 1999. Her role at CSC consisted of performing as a subject matter expert (SME) for medically related digital products that the company produced for the Veterans Administration. She eventually was promoted to project manager on several projects over the eight years she worked there. While employed at CSC, she also completed her PhD in nursing at Hampton University and then moved on to be the associate director of the RN-to-BSN program at ECPI University. She held this position for seven years before becoming director of the program in 2014.

Dr. Lane-Tillerson has been an adjunct instructor for Liberty University’s graduate nursing program for more than eight years. She has taught several different courses, including nursing theory, research, strategies for end-oflife care, and evaluation strategies for nurse educators. She has over 34 years’ experience as a nurse with the last 19 years as a nurse educator.

Among other professional accomplishments, Dr. Lane-Tillerson is a certified nurse educator (CNE) and a member of Delta Iota Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau (inactive) and Tau Chapter, Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc., a professional nursing sorority. She is a site peer reviewer for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and serves on the editorial staff for the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN), the Journal of Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority (JOCEPS), and the Journal of Christian Nursing (JCN). She takes great pleasure from teaching graduate students at a Christian university that encourages sharing the Gospel and promoting Christian principles in the classroom.

Community Connection: A New Lens

by Dana Woody DNP, RN

Fall 2018 was no ordinary semester for LUSON — it was a semester full of community between students and faculty.

It started as senior community health students were challenged to put on a “new lens” — His lens — to see community differently. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” The impact of the “new lens” spread quickly throughout LUSON.

Simulation Center Update

by Kathryn Miller, DNP, RN, CNE, CHSE

The School of Nursing Simulation Center received new equipment from two area hospitals. Centra, our local hospital system in Lynchburg, Bedford, and Farmville, has donated all equipment to outfit the OB Theater, which houses our high-fidelity birthing simulator and premature infant simulator. Equipment was also donated by Centra for a patient care area in the new medical surgical suite where standardized patient encounters bring medication administration and safety to junior-level clinical days. Carilion Clinic, located in Roanoke, provided all equipment to outfit both a medical surgical and pediatric patient care area. Complete with heart monitors and crash carts, these areas continue the Simulation Center mission of providing a safe environment for increased skill performance through hands-on practice.

Medical equipment differs from one hospital system to another, and the

opportunity to outfit space in the Simulation Center with the specific equipment used by our clinical partners increases the deliberate nature of skills practice. LUSON students complete over 800 hands-on clinical hours taking care of patients in these and other hospital systems prior to graduation. To prepare for these clinical experiences, students will participate in over 200 hours of scheduled simulation, as well as open lab practice time, in the Simulation Center.

Students in both undergraduate and graduate programs utilize the equipment as they practice skills to increase patient safety. The equipment donations are expected to increase skill acquisition and student confidence and competence under the guidance of trained faculty and staff.

The primary goal is to increase the value of the student experience in order to impact overall patient care and safety.

Students were afforded many opportunities to use their “new lenses” and connect with LUSON, Liberty, and the greater Lynchburg community. These events offered students new insights into community and left a lasting impact: • Vaccinating over 700 students in partnership with Live Health Liberty campus flu clinics • Collecting over 200 units of blood • Teaching 300 children about winter wellness • Serving 80 clients in the Hands and Feet clinic • Providing resilience education for 60 nursing students • Establishing 40 community partnerships for the impoverished • Collecting over 200 pounds of candy for servicemen and women around the world • Supporting the training of over 200 students in disaster management • Facilitating 2 interprofessional education events, training more than 200 LUCOM students.

Romans 12:11 reminds us, “Not to be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” He commands us to serve in Him. LUSON responded to this command, impacting hundreds in our communities!

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Missions in March

by Kathryn Miller DNP, RN, CNE, CHSE The School of Nursing returns to Cyangugu, Rwanda, this Spring Break, continuing a seven-year partnership with the Anglican Church in the Rusizi District. Nursing students and faculty work alongside the healthcare professionals and community health workers of Cyangugu to volunteer in the Mont Cyangugu Health Center and its multiple health outposts. The opportunity to return year after year to the same people has developed a relationship and an increased understanding of the ongoing needs of the community.

Over the past seven years, nursing students have raised money to supply water filtration, building supplies, education for handwashing stations, and a canoe to provide transportation across Lake Kivu for increased access to the health center.

Liberty University and the School of Nursing were able to provide an ultrasound machine to the health center last year. This March, 18 students and 3 faculty members will serve in Cyangugu and will travel to the neighboring Kibogora hospital to donate manikins and equipment from the School of Nursing’s Simulation Center. Students and faculty will also work side by side to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation to Kibogora hospital staff.

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Zambia

by Dr. Jerry Harvey, Associate Professor

For the past two summers and this coming summer, the Harveys have gone to Zambia to teach at Ambassador International University (AIU), a four-year accredited theology university supported by Gospelink ministries. Through the couple’s Healthcare and Nutrition class (HNC), students, who will become advisors and leaders in their communities, gain an understanding of basic healthcare and nutrition and learn when to seek out a medical professional.

The students learn CPR and how to take vital signs and participate in a one-day practicum in the Chifundo Clinic, where they can interact with patients and do malaria, HIV, and anemia screening.

Dr. and Mrs. Harvey alternate teaching the HNC class and working in the Chifundo Clinic. In the clinic, they screen patients, provide patient education, and give medications. The clinic has only one physician, and she always needs support to maximize her ability to see more patients.

On the weekends, the clinic provides opportunities to do outreach ministry at the local orphanages and schools.

Both Dr. and Mrs. Harvey have repeatedly commented that even though they go to minister and teach, they both feel like they come back from Zambia spiritually refreshed. They attribute this refreshment to the joy, energy, and love of their students.

Worship services are held both on and

off campus, and the joy and enthusiasm of the students during those services is contagious and spreads to the classroom and clinic. When in class, it is common to hear a student ask “What does that mean for me as a man of God?” or “How will I use this information to glorify God?” The one constant on campus is the focus of living like Christ by encouraging and spurring one another onto good works.

The Harveys have three prayer requests as they head back to Zambia this summer.

First, please pray that each of the men will receive full financial sponsorship so that they can attend AIU unencumbered.

Secondly, pray that as the students graduate the Lord will use them mightily in their communities to spread the Gospel. Lastly, pray for stamina of the Chifundo clinic physician and that the Lord would provide more physicians and nurses for long-term ministry there.

DNP Program Update

by Sharon Kopis Ed.D, MS, RN, FNP-C, CNE

Alumna Spotlight Jamie Smith The Blessing of Believing I am Jamie Wood Smith, a Liberty University nursing graduate, a family nurse practitioner, wife, mom, and author of a new pocket guide, “Geriatric Notes.” If anyone had told me when I was young that this would be my calling, I wouldn’t have believed them. As a child, I struggled with developmental delays affecting my speech and was therefore placed in speech therapy courses and special education classes through the fifth grade. I was harassed by some of the kids, which left me feeling sad and lonely at school, but I found confidence and guidance in my life by being an active member of the church, having faith, and expressing myself through music.

I was accepted to Liberty University in the summer of 2004, and although I doubted I would get into the competitive nursing program, I was again proven wrong. I received an excellent background and education, especially under the mentorship of Ms. Lucinda Drohn and Dr. Cindy Goodrich. I graduated and began my nursing practice at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

From there, I moved to the University of Virginia (UVA) hospital where I worked in intensive care. I decided to enter a nurse

practitioner program at James Madison University but continued to work at UVA as a graduate assistant.

I found I had a special affinity and calling to work with the elderly. I worked as a nurse practitioner in nursing homes and mentored providers new to the field. There were frequent unanswered questions and limited resources available. I wrote guidelines to share, and the idea for “Geriatric Notes” was born! Despite the challenges, I stuck with my dream and continued writing.

Four years later, the book was picked up by a medical publishing company, Jones and Bartlett Learning, and it is now available for purchase on Amazon. This new pocket guide reinforces the basics, offers concise clinical guidance, and provides information in a way that is readily usable. Several universities and colleges are in the process of reviewing this book to determine if it’s the right fit for their nursing and/or nurse practitioner program.

The DNP program is growing and has enrolled its first students in both the Post-MSN to DNP PMHNP program and the Postgraduate PMHNP Certificate program. In addition, the family nurse practitioner (FNP) pathway has graduated the second class this fall. The third class of FNP students have all already passed their certification examination and are finishing up their DNP practicum and scholarly projects. The fourth class of family nurse practitioner students have started to take their certification examinations, and of those who have taken the exam, all have passed to date.

The nurse practitioner programs are approved in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the states of Tennessee and Maryland. The Post-MSN DNP program has continued to grow and has enrolled many students from around the country from approved states. The DNP program will host a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) site visit on March 4-6, and we are looking forward to a successful visit. We are welcoming Dr. Debbie Maddox to the residential side of the FNP program beginning Spring 2019. Dr. Maddox has been teaching for the online side of the FNP program and will now be teaching Chronic Health on campus. On the research side, Dr. Kopis and Nicole Coffey presented a poster, as did Esther Carpenter DNP, FNP-BC, at the Centra Virginia Henderson Nursing Research Symposium in November 2018.

I am forever thankful for the blessings and training I have been given, and I hope to work daily to offer that same ability to others. This is part of my Liberty legacy; I encourage others to celebrate theirs!

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BSN Program Update

by Tracey Milton Turner EdD, MSN, RNC-OB The residential BSN program has enjoyed a wonderful beginning to the 201819 academic year. The program started the year with over 650 students, with 72 having completed their degree in December. A dedication ceremony was held in October to welcome the sophomore students into the profession of nursing. In late November, a pinning ceremony was conducted to honor those completing the program. Each ceremony was a beautiful representation of our love for our students, our love of the nursing profession, and our pride in how our students honor Christ in their nursing ministry.

Stories of students showing great compassion within the community continue to fill my email inbox. These stories showcase students assisting patients at the beginning of life and end of life through presence and prayer. Other stories involve students recognizing the needs of clients in lower socioeconomic statuses and fulfilling those needs abundantly! It is a blessing to hear stories of how our students continue the tradition of patient care excellence as they practice nursing through a biblical worldview.

Alumna Spotlight Helen Parke What is your theology of suffering?

This was the question posed recently by Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Team (DART) as they asked me to prepare for deployment. As a DART member, I have been asked not only to physically prepare for deployment but to prepare spiritually as well. The DART medical team is tasked with responding to many diverse, difficult, and dangerous situations. I have seen a lot of suffering as a nurse and nurse practitioner over the last 31 years, but I have not thoroughly thought about my theology of suffering.

God has also placed me in a unique family practice clinic here in Lynchburg called the Community Access Network (CAN). This clinic offers service to the uninsured, under-insured, and homeless populations of our city. I have learned that you don’t need to go very far to find suffering and those in need. I am blessed to be the primary care provider for people from every walk of life.

My practice at CAN is a primary care practice that spans from pediatrics to geriatrics, and also includes acute care, chronic care, internal medicine, orthopedics, women’s health, and psychiatric care.

From the very beginning, when I started as a student in the Doctor of Nursing program at Liberty University, I prayed for God to show me the path to pursue.

I affirmed to Him that this was going

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to be His degree. I sought to do my clinicals with patients who were lacking resources to maintain their health and didn’t have access to care. Upon passing my boards, I was offered a position with CAN that fulfilled this vision and serves as a hub to connect people with medical care, psychiatric care, community resources, jobs, food, fuel assistance, and finding insurance.

CAN has become my training ground for understanding and helping people with deep physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. When negotiating my initial contract with CAN, I also continued the long process of vetting for the Samaritan’s Purse DART team. In February, I signed on with Samaritan’s Purse International DART, and now I am awaiting my first deployment with them. My experience in the Army, LUSON, and CAN has helped prepare me to respond to the medical and spiritual challenges both in Lynchburg and across the world. As nurses, we are called to provide mercy, care, and compassion to those in need and to alleviate suffering whenever possible. Liberty’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP) has provided both the spiritual and academic foundation needed to better meet these needs. But how does one develop a theology of suffering? How do nurses face pain and suffering every day and yet not become callous, uncaring, and unable to alleviate suffering? How does one

make sense of death, disaster, war, and evil? Where is God in all this? We must have a solid biblical answer to all of these questions if we are going to adequately care for those entrusted to us. Whether it is someone with PTSD, trauma, or Ebola, a theology of suffering begins with understanding God’s sovereignty. In the book Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Piper explains that “the ultimate biblical explanation for the existence of suffering is so that Christ might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering” (p. 12).

What is God calling you to do as a nurse?

Have you formed a theology of suffering?

Is your Lord and Savior sovereign? Do you trust Him to work through you to deliver the care He wants to lavish on the sick, the suffering, and the needy?

Psi Delta Update

by Dr. Shanna Akers, President

Our Psi Delta Chapter has been busy this semester collaborating with the Liberty University School of Nursing (LUSON) and the LU Nursing Student Association (LUNSA). As part of our effort to increase engagement with student and area members, three events were held.

In October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Mrs. Lizbeth Minuto shared her personal story to nearly 100 members of LUSON faculty, LUNSA, and Psi Delta.

Her story began with a small lump which was diagnosed as cancer in 2017. Through chemo and various treatments, Mrs. Minuto maintained her faith in the Lord.

She also shared upcoming technology that offers hope to patients who are at risk for losing their hair. This new technology will help with potential altered body image.

November’s guests were Ms. Carol Riggins and her palliative care team. The speakers discussed the role of palliative care and hospice care, both of which offer care during the end of life for patient and family. They discussed the difference a nurse can make in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health of the patient and family unit. Westminster Canterbury was also on-site meeting with students and co-hosted the event.

The holidays can be a challenging time for many people, especially those who experience mental illness. In December, Dr. Folashade Odedina, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C, presented on depression and the holidays. Her experiences as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner offered new insight for nursing students and practicing nurses alike.

We appreciate all our speakers and their investment in Psi Delta, LUNSA, and LUSON. Currently, our chapter boasts 235 active members! If you are a member and are not receiving emails from us, please email luhsn71@gmail.com. We can verify your membership and add your preferred email address to our roster. We would love you to attend our spring events, including the annual business meeting. Several board roles will be opening up soon, so watch your email for your opportunity to serve.

Sigma is a by-invitation-only membership organization. We offer membership to BSN, RN-BSN, MSN, and DNP students who meet criteria. The next induction will be the morning of May 10. Eligible new members will receive invitations in March/April.

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MSN Program Update

A History of Excellence: Successes of the MSN Program

by Diane Bridge EdD, MSN, RN

by Lynne Sanders, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE Since 2001, The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program has provided educational opportunities with a biblical perspective for nurses desiring to advance their education. The MSN program is 100% online and offers several concentrations, including education, administration, and informatics. In 2017, the MSN program partnered with the School of Business to offer two dual degrees: combining the MSN in Nursing Administration with the Master of Business Administration and the MSN in Nursing Administration with the Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. The MSN program now offers two additional concentrations, including an MSN in Community Health and an MSN in Health Policy.

Dr. Hila Spear

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Liberty University’s School of Nursing (LUSON) began as the dream of the late Dr. Hila Spear. She began working at Liberty in 1991 when Liberty was a young school and the nursing program had just graduated its first undergraduate class in 1988. The faculty was small, and everyone pitched in where needed, even driving students to the hospital for clinical experiences.

Dr. Spear loved nursing and especially loved the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role designed to improve nursing care at the bedside. Dr. Spear envisioned Liberty having a master’s program that would educate CNSs through the lens of a Christian worldview. She went to the University of Virginia to obtain her PhD in Nursing with the intent to start the Master of Science in Nursing program at Liberty University.

In 2002, Dr. Spear and a small group of faculty worked countless hours to obtain required approvals from the university to develop classes for a residential MSN program and, eventually, an online program. The response to the online program exceeded expectations, and soon more faculty were hired to teach the many sections of classes.

In 2007, the MSN program was fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate

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Nursing Education (CCNE) with no recommendations. Over 1,300 students have graduated from LUSON’s MSN program since its inception, and there are more than 600 students currently enrolled.

Since initial accreditation, the MSN program has continued a strong presence in Virginia and across the nation and has evolved to meet the needs of students and the profession of nursing. Even though there are more online programs than in the early 2000s, many students continue to choose Liberty for its Christian perspective.

In addition to teaching students from a biblical worldview, LUSON stays abreast of current nursing trends. We offer several tracks that will equip nurses to lead the profession into the future, including nurse educator, administrator, and informaticist, as well as dual degrees in association with our School of Business. Two new concentrations were introduced in January 2019: Community Health Nursing and Nursing Health Policy.

Dr. Spear contributed to the nursing profession through her research, publication, mentoring, and teaching.

Her vision and hard work helped launch Liberty’s MSN program, and it will carry her legacy into the future. Dr. Spear continues to contribute to LUSON and the larger community of nurses through her colleagues, her former students, and those she mentored.

Join us in providing care to those suffering, locally and globally, by training future generations of champions. Support the Liberty University School of Nursing by donating $25 to receive your complimentary long-sleeved T-shirt.

Use code LEGACY2019 when donating to obtain your shirt.

Donate at LIBERTY.EDU/NURSING Liberty Nursing Spring 2019

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School of Nursing Advisory Board Shanna W. Akers, EdD, MSN/MBA-HC, RN, CNE Dean, Liberty University School of Nursing

Nancy Littlefield, DNP, RN, FACHE Riverside Health System Chief Nursing Officer/Senior Vice President

Georgiann Watts, RN Vice President/CNO, Bedford Memorial Hospital

Curt Baker, RN CNO, Centra Health

Debra Maddox, DNP, RN Adjunct Faculty, Liberty University School of Nursing Director of Population Health, Centra Health

Student Advisory Boards

Diane Bridge, EdD, MSN, RN Chair, Online Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Programs Associate Professor of Nursing Liberty University School of Nursing Michelle Cabell, RN Vice President, Centra Health Heather Anne Chalkan, BA, CHSE Simulation Specialist Center for Standardized Patients & Simulation Reba Moyer Childress, MSN, RN President, Virginia State Simulation Alliance Inc. Nursing Professional Development Specialist, University of Virginia Medical Center Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Virginia School of Nursing Joan Deal Vice President, Acute Care Nursing Centra Health Danielle Englund American Red Cross Kecia Hall, MSN, RN-BC Clinical Nurse/Program Coordinator Carolinas Healthcare System Northeast Medical Center Sharon Kopis, EdD, MS, RN, FNP-C, CNE Chair, Doctoral Studies, Professor, Liberty University School of Nursing

Andrea Mazzoccoli, PhD, RN, FAAN SVP Chief Nurse & Quality Executive Bon Secours Health System Vicki McLean, DNP, RN, CCRN, ACNS-BC Clinical Nurse Specialist Lynchburg General Hospital for Cardiology & Neurology Centra Health Shannon Miles, BSN, RN Coordinator of Community Outreach & Perinatal Navigation, and Centra Health Kathryn Miller, DNP, RN, CNE, CHSE Executive Director of Clinical Affairs Associate Professor, Liberty University School of Nursing Keith E. Paulus, MSN, RN Nursing Instructor/IM/SME Liberty University School of Nursing Brandi M. Rawlins, MSN, RN, CMSRN Clinical Scholar at Littleton Adventist Hospital Adjunct Faculty, Liberty University School of Nursing Meg Scheaffel, BSN, MBA-MHA, RN Vice President, Chief Nurse Officer Carilion Medical Center Tracey Milton Turner, EdD, MSN, RNC-OB Chair of the Residential BSN Program Assistant Professor, Liberty University School of Nursing Heather Vasioutovitch, DNP, RN, FNP-BC Centra Health

Graduate Program Joanna Asselin, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Nicole Coffey, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Lisa Floyd, Post-MSN to DNP Summer Hepler, MSN Samantha James, Post-MSN to DNP Kristina Jones, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Nina Killian, MSN Lauren Paulson, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Meredith Parnell, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Catherine Raj, Post-MSN to DNP Cindy Thomas, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Samantha Wilkins-Copeland, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP Stephen Wright, Post-BSN to DNP/FNP

BSN Program Paige Andrews, Senior Heather Burns (Honors), Senior Chris Lepto (Honors), Senior Heather Lundquist Walter, Senior Heather Kubel, Junior Faith Montgomery, Junior Alondra Ramirez, Junior Taylor Rose, Junior Joelle Schreiber, Junior Paige Wolford, Junior Madison Bowe, Sophomore Sarah Mann, Sophomore

LUSON Faculty Shanna Akers, EdD, MSN/MBA-HC, RN, CNE Dean

Carol Harvey, MSN, RN Assistant Professor

Catherine Raj, MSN, RN Instructor

Diane Bridge, EdD, MSN, RN Chair, Graduate and Undergraduate Programs

Jerry Harvey, EdD, MSN, RN Associate Professor

Tamra Rasberry, PhD, MSN, RN Associate Professor

Sharon Kopis, EdD, MS, RN, FNP-C, CNE Chair, DNP/FNP Program

Mary Highton, DNP, RN, NNP-BC Associate Professor

Katherine Rivera, DNP, RN Assistant Professor

Kathryn Miller, DNP, RN, CNE, CHSE Executive Director of Clinical Affairs, Associate Professor

Heather Humphreys, DNP, RN, CNE Assistant Professor

Lynne Sanders, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE Professor

Tracey Turner, EdD, MSN, RNC-OB Chair, BSN Program

Jennifer Hutchinson, PhD, RN Associate Professor

Tara Smith, BSN, RN Simulation Center Coordinator

Amber Bruffy, MSN, RN Adjunct Professor

Frederick B. Kail, MSN, RN Assistant Professor

Deidra Simpson, PharmD Associate Professor

Mary Lynn Clarke, EdD, MSN, RN, CCRN Associate Professor

Tonia Kennedy, EdD, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN-K Associate Professor

Stacy Taylor, MSN, RN Assistant Professor

Mary Dowell, MSN, RN Adjunct Professor Lucinda Drohn, MSN, RN Assistant Professor Cindy Goodrich, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE Professor Linda Gregory, MSN, RN Assistant Professor Emilee B. Harker, MSN, RN Assistant Professor 14

Liberty Nursing Spring 2019

Sydney McCraw, MSN, RN Associate Professor Vickie Moore, DNP, RN, FNP-C Associate Professor Dorothy Murphy, DNP, RN, FNP-BC Associate Professor Folashade Odedina, DNP, RN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC Associate Professor

Ken Thompson, PharmD, RPh Associate Professor Dena Todd, MSN, RN Instructor Elizabeth Whorley, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE Assistant Professor Dana Woody, DNP, MSN, RN Associate Professor

Calendar of Events Contributors Liberty University School of Nursing Shanna Akers Diane Bridge Sharon Kopis Tracey Turner Kathryn Miller Tara Miller

Dean Chair, Online Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Chair, DNP/FNP/PMHNP Programs Chair, Residential BSN Program Executive Director, Clinical Affairs Director, Operations

March 4-6 CCNE Accreditation Site Visit March 11-15 Spring Break March 2019 Medical Mission Trip to Kenya and Rwanda April 4 Trauma Day April 5 | 2-4 p.m.

Graduate Nursing Programs Open House Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing

Contributing Faculty Jerry Harvey Lynee Sanders Dana Woody

Feb. 22 | 2-4 p.m.

Graduate Nursing Programs Open House

Professor Professor Associate Professor

April 15-18 Research Week May 10 Psi Delta Induction Ceremony School of Nursing Reception for Online Graduates

Liberty University Marketing Department Joshua Rice Rachel Dugan Emilee Ellsworth Michael Strobel Jessica Pandorf Allison Shannon Annie Shelmerdine

Creative Director Art Director Marketing Director Marketing Manager Project Coordinator Promotional Writer Graphic Designer

May 11 Liberty University Commencement School of Nursing Degree Presentation Ceremony July 2019 Medical Mission Trip to Spain July 8-10 Nurse Camp for High School Students Aug. 19 Fall semester classes begin

If you are interested in any event, please contact the School of Nursing at LUSONDean@liberty.edu or call (434) 582-2519.

Liberty Nursing Spring 2019

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Training Champions for Christ since 1971

The nursing programs at Liberty University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, D.C. 20001. (202) 887-6791.

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Liberty Nursing Spring 2018