Fall 2020
NURSING
nursing.psu.edu
In this issue
College of Nursing Dean Laurie Badzek, LLM, JD, MS, RN, FNAP, FAAN Editor/Designer Morgann McAfee
Marketing and Creative Services Manager
Writers Matt Caracappa
Public Relations Specialist
Mike Dawson
Public Relations Specialist
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Outreach Infographic: Contact Tracing Building a Nursing Network through Mentorship
Natalie DeSouza
Marketing and Communications Intern
Brooke Killmon
Public Relations Specialist
Morgann McAfee
Marketing and Creative Services Manager
Kim Mousseau
Public Relations Specialist
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Student Graduates from Rigorous Program Despite Adversities Penn State Schuylkill student serves as student marshal Nursing’s first Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Philanthropy Spotlight
Photography Morgann McAfee Marketing and Creative Services Manager
Penn State iStock Provided by featured individuals Office of Development and Alumni Relations Susan Kukic Director of Development and Alumni Relations
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Faculty Awards Simulation Lab receives technology updates
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Nursing graduate receives US Army War College Distinguished Graduate accolade
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Center for Nursing Research
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Wolgast named director of COVID Operations Control Center
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Tatum Risch
Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Programs
Julie Conner
Development and Stewardship Coordinator Penn State Nursing a biannual publication. Articles may be reprinted with permission and proper credit. To make a reprint request email Morgann McAfee at mes44@psu.edu. The University is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Office, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901, Email: aao@psu.edu, Tel (814) 863-0471. This publication is available in alternative media upon request. U.Ed. NUR 20-12
Dear Alumni and Friends, It’s fair to say the Year of the Nurse did not align with our expectations. However, it has presented countless opportunities for the world at large to witness the integral role our profession plays in global health and wellness. It is with this deeper appreciation for each other and our loved ones that we continue to push forward. The College of Nursing is beyond proud of the contributions each of you have made to your communities, near and far. We are also coming alongside you in sorrow for those we’ve lost, this year has carried more heartache than anyone should bear alone. As we wait to learn if the Year of the Nurse will continue into 2021, we know that COVID-19 will continue to be a presence we must contend with one way or Laurie Badzek, another. That said, we do plan to continue hosting our annual events virtually and LLM, JD, MS, RN, FNAP, FAAN look forward to connecting whenever possible. While the pandemic was a central focus for decision-making over the last six or more months, we have also been faced with many other pivotal moments. It is during these trying experiences that we learn most about our guiding values as individuals and organizations. It is our responsibility to adhere to our Code of Ethics and treat our patients and those in our care with respect regardless of race or cultural differences. As nurses we must use our collective voice to call for awareness and change to eliminate racial bias and discrimination in our society. The College of Nursing is taking very intentional steps toward becoming a beacon of inclusivity, diversity, and equality. One step is the recent appointment of Dr. Sheldon Fields as new Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion. Dr. Fields comes to us prepared to support a climate that values racial and cultural variety. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Fields to Penn State College of Nursing! Our alumni and friends are among our most treasured resources, we thank you for your continued support especially during these challenging times that require extraordinary actions. Be well, Laurie
PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
Outreach Infographic
The Penn State College of Nursing, in collaboration with Penn State Extension, is delivering an online course to educate participants on the basics of contact tracing. This noncredit, three-hour course is open to the public and prepares participants to support contact tracing in their local communities and organizations. There is a fee of $25 for participants who are not affiliated with the University.
Enroll today!
While this course is available for the general public, it is also approved for three contact hours for registered nurses. Penn State College of Nursing is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
As the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19 continues in communities nationwide, this course provides a foundation for understanding how contact tracing can mitigate transmission and support containment. The course features the expertise of Penn State Nursing faculty and includes course content related to quarantining, isolation, tracing communication, and ethical concerns associated with recording and tracking healthrelated data.
EXTENSION.PSU.EDU/COVID-19-CONTACT-TRACING
Total Registered:
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California – 1 Colorado – 1 Connecticut – 1 District of Columbia - 1 Delaware – 2 Florida – 1 Illinois – 1 Massachusetts – 2 Maryland – 1 Missouri – 1 New Jersey – 7 New York – 2 Ohio – 2 Oklahoma – 1 Pennsylvania – 338 Texas - 1 Virginia - 1 Vermont - 1
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Building a NURSING NETWORK through Mentorship Since becoming an independent college in 2014, the College of Nursing assumed their own Alumni Society and mentoring program. The mentoring program has subsequently become an incredibly important part in the success of our current and former nursing students, with the overarching goal to prepare the current students for their professional careers in nursing and become active alumni. It also allows students to explore career planning, college to career transition, leadership development, as well as helping both mentor and mentee build effective personal and professional relationships. These relationships are better able to be built through LionLink, a Penn State-exclusive networking and mentorship site. Among many different features, LionLink includes the ability to search for specific Penn State alumni and current students based on a myriad of criteria. This enables the student or alumnus to find someone with similar or desired experiences that can help them better learn and grow. “LionLink also gives a centralized platform for mentors and mentees to utilize during their mentorship experience. Participants have a place to ask questions to not
just their own mentor, but the group in general through the discussion board. There is also a resource section that is managed by program administrators that can help educate the participants as well as keep them on track throughout the program,” said Lisa Milne, assistant director of Alumni Career Services. The mentoring program has successfully paired 50-60 upperclass students with an alumni mentor each year. The Image: Nicole Ruggiero program has received lots of positive feedback, with many pairs requesting to be matched once more. Nicole Ruggiero and Nicole Wills Image: Nicole Wills are a current mentor and mentee pair and have been paired for the second consecutive year. Ruggiero, a 2014 graduate through the Accelerated BSN Program at Penn State Altoona, has been serving as a mentor for her third year and found gratification in her decision to apply for the program. “We [Ruggiero and Wills] both requested to be re-matched this year because we enjoyed communicating with each other. I was able to help her over the past year editing resumes and cover letters, as well as prepping for interviews with practice questions,” said Ruggiero. “I hope anyone on the fence about participating gives it a try. I think all of us remember being in
nursing school and eventually being a new RN, so I hope anyone who applies can become the mentor they would have liked to have had.” For Wills, a senior BSN student at University Park, the desire to get involved within the Penn State Community was what ultimately pushed her to join the mentoring program. “I was excited to be able to develop a positive relationship with a Penn State Graduate who I can look up to and who can guide me as I transition from nursing school, to obtaining my RN and working as a nurse,” said Wills. “I had a lot of questions and concerns about my potential career interests, passing the NCLEX, and transitioning to working as a nurse. Thankfully, my mentor answered many questions I had and provided so much insight and knowledge to lessen my worries I had about the future.” The program includes social events for students and alumni such as a Kickoff Luncheon and a Senior Recognition event. As COVID-19 details continue to remain unknown, future events are projected to be virtual until further notice.
Any nursing student or alumni interested in participating in the mentoring program may visit: www.nursing.psu. edu/mentoring-programs/ for more information and psulionlink.peoplegrove. com/ to sign up!
PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
Nurses Rising
Nursing Student Graduates from Rigorous Program Despite Adversities Carlos Medina
did not have the typical American college experience. With both his parents immigrating from El Salvador to Ellicott City, Maryland, they wanted to give their three young boys the opportunity to pursue a better life than they had. As a child of two immigrants, Carlos Image: Carlos Medina and the Nittany Lion Shrine knew he wanted to honor his parents sacrifice and better person, but it was going decided to become the first to give me the chance to give college student in his family. back to the community and help In 2016, Carlos came to Penn the patients I have the pleasure State on a prospective college of working with, recover and heal visit. There, he visited all the from what sometimes might be Penn State staples and most their lowest moments. Getting importantly – the College of to be a part of their recovery and Nursing. healing is very humbling.” Carlos always had a desire to make a difference in the lives of others and the chance to give back to the community. Naturally, nursing seemed to be a worthwhile path, with a direct impact on the people around him. Carlos also gravitated towards nursing because of the ability for growth and variability. With countless specialties, Carlos knew he would find exactly where he wanted to be and best contribute to the unit. “I knew the nursing path would be tough but in the end was going to be worth it because not only was it going to make me a
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As a homebody, the decision to go to an out-of-state school was very difficult for Carlos, being an almost 3-hour drive from his home in Maryland. Although, a 3-hour drive would prove minor compared to the other adversities he would encounter as an undergraduate nursing student. Facing the many unknowns of being a first-generation college student, Carlos could not rely on his parents’ own collegiate experiences. With the majority of his extended family having also not attended college, Carlos was left to figure out many of the
nuances of college by himself. Carlos had to heavily rely on guidance counselors, academic advisors, and friends for help with applying to colleges senior year of high school, filling out the FAFSA application, mapping out his five-year college plan, picking his classes, and dorm life. As a low-income student, paying for college has always been something that weighed heavily on Carlos’s mind from his senior year of high school to his final semester. Despite considering his options of going to community college, or taking a year off to work and save money, Carlos chose what he thought was best for his life and education. He expressed much gratitude for the financial support he received through the Fran Soistman Trustee Scholarship in the College of Nursing, and federal financial aid programs that afforded him the opportunity to become a nurse. “Since I was young, my parents always wanted me to go to college because for varying circumstances they were never able to go themselves. They always said that they wanted me to ‘be someone in life’. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what you do for a living, where you come from, and if you have
a college education or not, you always are someone in life.” said Medina. “I was given the opportunity to be able to go to college, I was not going to let that get away from me.”
“I never spoke to almost anyone about everything that was happening behind the scenes of my life. My friends and professors, without knowing, are the ones that helped me feel much better about myself and helped me find my purpose again.” said Medina. “For all the educators and friends I have met in the past four years that have helped me with one of my ‘issues’ in the past, I will never be able to thank you for being there for me when you did not even know how much I needed you.”
There is still a huge emphasis on PPE and wearing an N95 mask during intubation and extubating – the process of inserting and taking out a breathing tube – and keeping it on during the entirely of the procedure to ensure complete sterility.
Even life outside of college hadn’t gotten any easier for Carlos. In the fall of 2017, during the period “This has been a difficult time to of travel bans, an executive order be a new graduate and start to was issued by the President of the work in healthcare because it is United States that all those who not anything any one of us was were living in the United States expecting when we imagined how on asylum, visas, etc. had until our careers were going to start.” a certain date to return back to said Medina. “I still believe that their respective countries. it is a worthwhile learning For Carlos, this meant that experience for all us new not only would his parents nurses and really everyone be deported, but Carlos in the hospital to put into would also potentially have practice what we’ve learned to drop out of college and in school about caring for take guardianship of his two others wellbeing and looking younger brothers; or live out for their health and with the fact that if he were safety.” not to take them they would either be placed in the foster While still having many system or sent back to El future ambitions, Carlos is Salvador with his parents. concentrating on the present Image: Carlos Medina and his family celebrate his BSN Graduation Luckily for Carlos’s family and developing his skills as a and many others, the order was new RN in the OR. He eventually reversed, and his family was able After successfully graduating and hopes to go back to school to to remain in the United States. passing the NCLEX exam, Carlos become a CRNA, an RN First now works as a Registered Nurse Assistant, work in the trauma Although his family was allowed in the Operating Room at the bays, or a flight nurse. He also to stay in the U.S., they could University of Maryland Medical has ambitions of becoming a no longer afford the townhouse Center in downtown Baltimore. clinical instructor and/or nursing they resided in and faced eviction He is being trained to scrub and instructor to educate the next during his junior year. While circulate and has recently started generation of nursing students. still at school, Carlos avoided in orthopedics. the immediate consequences “Having to go through all that I of the situation and was able to But like many nurses currently had to while in college made me take shelter at his apartment in entering the workforce, the a stronger person and I like to Hershey. Even with an eviction transition from nursing school think that I was always meant to notice over their heads, his to the real world is one that no go through the adversities that family gambled with the risk one had expected. COVID-19’s were thrust upon me because and continued to reside in the recent introduction to the global I had more to learn and grow townhouse for some time after. health scene caused many new as an individual,” said Medina. With more needed time to find a nurses to quickly adjust their “Despite our senior year being new place to live, his family found nursing learning curve. Luckily, cut short, I received a high-quality an apartment that was smaller but since starting work in the OR in education and was prepared affordable within a few days. July, Carlos avoided the worst to go on into the real world of of the pandemic and has seen nursing and be able to handle elective cases pick up again. almost anything.” PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
Nurses Rising
PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL
student serves as College of Nursing’s student marshal Penn State Schuylkill RN to B.S.N. graduate Michael Joseph Neidlinger recently was named the Penn State College of Nursing Student Marshal for the summer 2020 commencement ceremony.
the Lehigh Valley Health Networkaffiliated Joseph F. McCloskey School of Nursing, and finally returning to Penn State Schuylkill to complete his bachelor of science in nursing.
Image: Michael Joseph Neidlinger
Neidlinger was selected for this top honor from among all graduating undergraduates of the College of Nursing, including six Commonwealth campuses and Penn State World Campus, based on his cumulative GPA and academic achievements. Neidlinger has maintained a GPA of 3.95 during his course of study, and was named multiple times to the Penn State Schuylkill Dean’s List. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Neidlinger was able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to help support his education: first at Penn State Schuylkill for all of his prerequisites, then through
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He has been the recipient of multiple awards and scholarships, including The President’s Freshman Award, the Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill Auxiliary Scholarship, the National Coalition of Hospital Associated Schools and Colleges of Nursing (NCHASCN) Scholarship, and the Schuylkill Campus Advisory Board Trustee Scholarship. Additionally, Neidlinger was a member of the Student Nurses’ Association of Pennsylvania, the Joseph F. McCloskey School of Nursing Advisory Committee and Peer Mentor Program, and served in a leadership capacity as president of the Joseph F.
McCloskey School of Nursing Student Council. “Michael is a bright student and caring nurse,” states Marianne Adam, coordinator of the nursing program at Penn State Schuylkill, and Neidlinger’s faculty representative. “Completing the R.N. to B.S.N. degree is an important step for him in his education. Michael has the potential to make significant contributions to the nursing profession, and I look forward to watching his career unfold.” Neidlinger had this to say when learning about his appointment to student marshal: “I am honored to represent my fellow students of the 2020 graduating nursing class, and I appreciate this recognition for my hard work throughout my years in the undergraduate program at Penn State.” Neidlinger currently works as an intensive care unit nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. With his B.S.N. degree completed, he is currently focusing his efforts on his career in critical care nursing. However, he eventually sees himself returning to school to complete his master of nursing (MSN) or doctor of nursing practice (DNP) with a career path to becoming a flight nurse.
Fields appointed as nursing’s first Associate Dean for
The College of Nursing has recently named Sheldon D. Fields, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, AACRN, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN as the new Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion. Fields officially assumed his new role on October 1, 2020. Fields’ role ushers in a new era for Penn State nursing, as he is the first nursing administrator formally charged with championing a culture of inclusivity throughout the college and commonwealth. With the college being officially established in 2013, this appointment is representative of the college’s commitment to building a community that prioritizes diversity in nursing and beyond. “The college is so pleased to welcome Sheldon to Penn State Nursing,” said Laurie Badzek, dean of the College of Nursing, “to have a nurse leader who is solely devoted to strategically carrying out such important work is a true testament to the college’s growth and development. Sheldon is an excellent inaugural choice for this leadership role, and I am excited to see how he impacts our college.” Fields comes to the college with significant experience researching health care disparities, specifically focused
on preventing HIV/AIDS in men of color. He is an Advanced AIDS Certified Registered Nurse and a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Fields is also the first male registered nurse selected for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Policy Fellowship program, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the National Academies of Practice. Fields is a lifetime member of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc. (NBNA) and currently serves as the organization’s 1st Vice President (2020 – 2022). He chairs the NBNA Health Policy, Research, and Scholarship/Awards committees, and is the founding President of the Greater New York City Chapter of NBNA. Fields also served as a policy adviser to then Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) on the Senate HELP committee during the historic healthcare reform debates and passage of the Affordable Care Act. “I am truly honored to be chosen and entrusted with this inaugural role in such a prestigious College of Nursing,” said Sheldon. I look forward to partnering with Dean Badzek, the faculty, staff and students as we envision an innovative plan to promote a more diverse and inclusive nursing workforce.”
Image: Sheldon Fields
Additionally, Fields has held faculty and administrative appointments at Binghamton University, the University of Rochester, Florida International University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, New York Institute of Technology, and most recently Long-Island University-Brooklyn. Fields received a bachelor’s degree in nursing and master’s degree in family nursing from Binghamton University. He also earned his doctorate in nursing science from the University of Pennsylvania. Finally, he completed his post-doctoral studies at the University of California San Francisco.
PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
Philanthropy Spotlight
Image: Ralph and Cindy McKibbin, image provided
Encouraging innovation in healthcare is critical to the translation and implementation of new practices, procedures, and research in clinical settings. These advancements not only contribute to the improved health and wellness of our communities, but also further inspire the creative and capable minds of nurse researchers and leaders, bringing to life their inventive ideas. Now, more than ever, as COVID-19 evolves, promoting ingenuity will prove pivotal in ensuring our communities stay healthy. But, even before the novel coronavirus reinforced the significance, Ralph McKibbin and his wife, Cindy McKibbin, knew the importance that innovation plays in improving healthcare outcomes. Growing up in Pennsylvania and attending college in Philadelphia, Ralph has always been aware of the influence and impact Penn State has on his community and others across Pennsylvania. Shortly after beginning his career as a gastroenterologist, and later managing partner for Blair Gastroenterology in Altoona, Ralph decided it was important to develop relationships with Penn State University. Over the course of many years, Ralph and Cindy have dedicated much of their time, talent, and resources to various organizations, including their local church, soup kitchens, and more. As a gastroenterologist, Ralph
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founded one of the first colon cancer prevention foundations in the country. With much of their philanthropy being focused on the advancement of medical innovations and models of care, both Ralph and Cindy appreciate the significant role innovation plays in improving health and quality of life for individuals in our world. They also believe that nurses are at the forefront of many of those innovations. “The doctors are there for 10 minutes and the nurses are there the other 23 hours and 50 minutes. I always say that a nurse is likely the first person you’ll see when you’re born and the last person you’ll see when you die. They’re integrated into our entire lives, and Cindy and I recognize and respect that tremendously” said Ralph. The respect and appreciation Ralph and Cindy have for nursing grew even more after both of their mothers fell ill and required intensive nursing and hospice care. Acknowledging the nursing skill and care that was required to manage their mothers’ needs, Ralph and Cindy decided they wanted to do something extra to support the profession. He and Cindy established the McKibbin Family Nursing Scholarship through Penn State Altoona to support older students who have been inspired to earn a nursing degree, yet
struggled financially to launch that effort. Later, after deepening their understanding of the role innovation plays in the College of Nursing’s research portfolio, Ralph and Cindy graciously gifted $100,000 to the College of Nursing to establish the Ralph and Cindy McKibbin Nursing Innovation Fund. “We live in an age where everything is rapidly evolving, and improving the delivery of care in the nursing function is the cornerstone of health care. It’s a leverage point and I feel that helping to innovate will create the biggest benefit for future generations.” said Ralph “Cindy and I want this fund to effect change by fostering nursing innovation at the root/ research level and then translating those ideas into practice across Pennsylvania and beyond. ” The Ralph and Cindy McKibbin Nursing Innovation Fund will be a competitive source of financial support for faculty and researchers who wish to develop innovative ideas for transforming nursing care. Another objective for the fund is to provide support for graduate and undergraduate students and increase their participation in creating and developing innovative health solutions and encourage their entrepreneurial spirit. Ralph continues to fulfill his desire to give back to his community,
fostering his relationship with Penn State Altoona and their respective nursing program, as well as serving as a member of the College of Nursing’s Dean’s Development and Advisory Council at University Park. He is also an honorary Penn State alumnus. “As a community leader, I feel it’s my ethical and moral responsibility to lead and to provide opportunity to people because everybody lives with different circumstances” said Ralph. “Cindy and I want to do our part in supporting the community and inspiring others to help each other, and themselves.” Donors like Ralph and Cindy make innovative ambitions possible for the students and faculty of the University and the College of Nursing. Their generosity cultivates an environment of possibility and will support the aspirations of an increasing number of students interested in having experiences in nursing-related innovation and entrepreneurship activities.
Faculty Awards
Badzek honored with National Leadership in Ethics Award Laurie Badzek has been selected to receive the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Leadership in Ethics Award. The award was created to recognize a registered nurse who has authentically demonstrated the highest standards of ethics and leadership in their daily practice, served as an ethical role model and promoted ethical dialogue and scholarship. Throughout Badzek’s career she has held many roles, some of which include nurse, attorney, researcher and educator. She has experience in genomics, health care ethics and law, nursing practice, and end-of-life care and decision-making. Her commitment to ethical leadership led her to serve as director of the American Nurses Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights. She was instrumental in revising the American Nurses Associations Code of Ethics for Nurses.
Boltz awarded GSA Nursing Research Award The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the country’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — awarded the Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award to Marie Boltz of the Penn State College of Nursing. This award, which is presented by the Health Sciences section of the organization, is given to a member of the society in recognition of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research. Boltz will be formally presented the award and will present her research at a special preconference session of GSA on October 13, 2020.
Miyamoto to be inducted as American Academy of Nursing fellow Sheridan Miyamoto, assistant professor of nursing and principal investigator of the SAFE-T Center, will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). Miyamoto will be formally recognized during the academy’s annual conference held virtually October 29-31. Fellowship in the academy reflects the nominee’s contribution to education, management, practice, policy and research. Additionally, fellows are integral to the academy’s goal of transforming America’s health system. Collectively, the fellows improve the public’s overall health and wellness through their influence of the nursing profession and healthcare.
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Simulation Lab receives technology updates The College of Nursing has recently introduced new stateof-the-art simulation lab, as an effort to keep up-to-date with advancing technology, with particular consideration to preparing the nursing students with innovative healthcare skills. With funding appropriated directly from Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost, Nicholas P. Jones, the college was able to acquire new technology updates including five manikins, a new state-of-the-art video recording system, and a new audiovisual (A/V) system. “We are thrilled to have the support from the University to improve the simulation lab at University Park and the experience for the students in our nursing program. Hospital systems continue to innovate, pushing technical boundaries to improve overall patient care, so our vision is to bring simulation as close to a real life clinical experience as possible. To match this trend, we are infusing technology into the educational experiences so that when our nursing students graduate, they are not only highly trained nursing professionals but also prepared to enter a technologically advanced
healthcare system” said Bryan Oxendale, director of technical operations. The five manikins are a part of a new simulator leasing program that will enable the simulation lab to replace the manikins with updated technology every three years. The new manikins include 1 high fidelity – the highest level of technology to simulate human physiology – adult, 1 high fidelity middle-aged child, 1 high fidelity infant, and 2 mediumfidelity – less technological features but used effectively for multiple simulation purposes – adults. All of the manikins can be reconfigured to be male or female depending on the simulation or training session. As well, the new state-of-the-art video recording system will be used to debrief simulations, which will allow students to engage that are not able to be physically present in the lab. “This new technology will enable us to expand our ability to reach more students with simulation. It will also do a better job of helping students learn from their simulation experiences. The video playback will enable them to learn from what they did well and what they can improve and reflect on their practice.” said Chris
Garrison, Simulation Lab director and associate teaching professor. The new state-of-the-art video capture system includes up to four camera angles for each simulation space. Garrison can control the cameras to capture important details of the students’ performance. The camera also enables him to time stamp important events that can be returned to during the debriefing. Additionally, it will enables other students to view the simulation from another room or campus and then participate in the debriefing. The new A/V system also gives Garrison and other faculty members the ability to display videos, PowerPoints, and other media on screens in different rooms, giving all students the ability to view the media. “It is especially important to have this technology now during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are limited in the number of students who can be in the simulation room due to social distancing. With this system, we can have students viewing the simulation in another room and participate in the debriefing. It also allows students who are in quarantine to be engaged in the simulation.” said Garrison.
PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
Nurses in Action
Nursing graduate receives US Army War College Distinguished Graduate accolade Throughout Lieutenant Colonel Michael Wissemann’s educational journey as an undergraduate and graduate student, he never regarded himself as a standout student. That was until he found the college and program that supported and motivated him onto an engaging and exciting career path. Michael’s collegiate career first began at Penn State Hazleton in 1993 where he was considering majoring in political science. Unsure of an exact career path to pursue and remaining interested in serving in the military, he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). While working on his undergraduate degree, Michael decided to enroll in a first aid class and began volunteering for the West Hazleton EMS. Shortly after, he transferred and moved from Hazelton to University Park. There, he continued his undergraduate studies and took an EMT class while running calls with Alpha Ambulance, now known as Centre Lifelink. Continuing his work in EMS, he found that his work as an EMT was a natural progression toward healthcare. This ultimately pushing him to switch to majors and in 1998, Michael obtained his BSN and was commissioned as an Army Nurse Corps Officer. As a commissioned Army Nurse Corps Officer, Michael deployed to Kuwait in January 2003. Shortly before crossing over into Iraq in 2003, Michael met his now wife Jennifer Wissemann, who
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to think critically and challenge assumptions at the strategic level, as well as translate and assimilate civilian leadership policy into actionable items. Not only was simply being accepted into the US Army War College a humbling experience – a heavily performance and assignmentbased board selected process, the culmination of a 20-30 year career in uniform with less than 1% of Army officers getting accepted – Michael achieved academic distinction as a US Army War College Distinguished Graduate. He graduated this past summer with a Master’s in Strategic Studies. Image: Lieutenant Colonel Michael Wissemann
coincidently was also an Army Nurse Officer at the time. As their relationship developed, so did their careers as nurses. After leaving the Army, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jennifer obtained her MSN from Gonzaga University, and most recently, her DNP degree from Penn State, while working as a women’s health educator at an Army community hospital. After obtaining a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Baylor in 2009, Michael continued serving his country and community, both locally and internationally. While deployed a second time in Kuwait in 2017, Michael was selected to attend the US Army War College (USAWC) – a school designed to prepare US Army senior leaders
Despite not having achieved many accolades as a high school and undergraduate student, Michael’s hard work while enrolled in the US Army War College program paid off. “I was never a great student in high school or college. In fact, I needed a waiver for my GPA to enter the nursing program. Between ROTC, being a resident assistant, and working as an EMT my first few years of college, my studies had indeed taken back seat. But the school of nursing dean took a chance on me and I raised my grades. I’m grateful to this day,” said Michael. “The fact that I graduated in the top 10% of Army career officers who have advanced to the top of their profession, the future General Powells of our country, I’m really in awe.”
Michael was able to accomplish such high honors and significantly improve his academic standing since finding a nursing avenue that he loved and that motivated him to do more. In 2001, he realized his passion for global health engagement while deployed in Kosovo. While there, he had the opportunity to treat locals in the villages and saw many civilians who needed care that the local system could not provide. From his EMT, nursing, and other skillsets, Michael applied his knowledge to assist in providing basic care to help stabilize fragile countries and protect them from violent extremist organizations. The enthusiasm for global health led him to write his first research project entitled, “Global Health Engagement to Advance US Strategic Objectives”, while still studying and working fulltime, and won him the USAWC Foundation Academic Writing Award. He was also published for his research publication “A Gray Future: Implications for EMS”. Michael continues to write, with his next manuscript focusing on the future battlefield’s impact on medical care in urban terrains, coauthored with Lieutenant Colonel Brad Tibbetts, a 1998 Penn State nursing graduate.
Image: the Wissemann family
Fort Campbell, Kentucky. She has also submitted a publication on the education initiatives related to COVID care from the nurse educator’s perspective, and finding the latest information on transmission, precautions, and patient care. Michael and Jennifer attribute their many successes to Penn State and the faculty who supported them along the way. Darlene Clark, Dean Dieter and Sandy O’Connor were always helpful and encouraging with Michael through the BSN program, and Mike Evans and Lorah Dorn who greatly supported Jennifer through her DNP program.
“Penn State was a springboard in leveraging the maturity I gained in college, and helping mold and form professional connections with others. With moving every two to three years, the alumni associations from Seattle to Nashville have welcomed us.” said Michael. “During my last deployment to Kuwait in 2017, many of my fellow deployed Penn Staters formed a pseudo alumni association on Camp Arifjan, coming together to watch the football games. Jennifer and I even repainted my office blue and white. We look forward to continuing to connect with other alumni and share our experiences while continuing with my military career.”
Image: Michael and Jennifer Wissemann celebrate her Penn State College of Nursing 2020 DNP graduation
Michael is now a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and Deputy Commander of a field hospital in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He ensures the nurses and clinical staff are clinically and physically ready to deploy, while Jennifer is now advancing the clinical knowledge of the women’s health team at the on post hospital in PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
Center for Nursing Research
Identifying early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
When a 60-year-old tells her nurse she’s been forgetting things -- a dinner night with friends, a neighbor’s name, or to call for a grandchild’s birthday, for instance -- the nurse may respond several different ways: The nurse might show concern and order followup tests, minimize the worry as normal aging, discount it as a depressive moment, or more. Moments like this present an important opportunity for health care providers to intervene at a
Professor’s research aims to improve care of older incarcerated individuals Nearly 460,000 people — more than the population of Pittsburgh — aged 50 and older comprise almost twenty percent of the United States prison population, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, and that percentage is expected to increase to as much as one-third by 2030. As the population of elderly incarcerated individuals increases throughout the country, so do the number of those who need geriatric and end-of-life care. The
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time when these patients may be experiencing the early symptoms of cognitive decline. A researcher in our college is leading research she hopes will lead to ways that clinicians can detect cognitive disorders, like Alzheimer’s, earlier in patients.
Read more about Nikki’s research and how early detection leads to better overall prognosis: nursing.psu.edu
Nikki Hill, assistant professor of nursing, is working to identify the underlying symptoms that indicate changes in people’s brains associated with a future decline from Alzheimer’s Disease. She hopes her team’s findings will help advance how health care providers determine the kinds of interventions to improve cognitive outcomes from the earliest reports of decline.
quality of that care is something one Penn State researcher has been working to improve for more than 15 years. “In prison, there’s a need to treat everyone the same, but that’s not feasible for certain groups,” said Susan Loeb, professor of nursing. “There is a high vulnerability for older adults in prison. We can affect a group of people who have not experienced being cared for or caring for one another. It is an opportunity to promote health and wellness.” Loeb’s research focuses on developing e-training for corrections staff and incarcerated
people who provide peer caregiving, enhancing end-of-life and geriatric care for incarcerated people and promoting health behaviors of incarcerated people. One of the goals is to deliver standardized, easily updated resources.
Read more about the implications of Susan’s research for corrections staff and incarcerated populations: nursing.psu.edu
Inclusivity in sexual and gender minorities A nurse might ask a woman at an OB-GYN prenatal care appointment if her husband is with her, only to find out the woman’s female partner is with her. A doctor may ask a transgender man how many female sexual partners he has had, and the man says none, but the actuality is he has had more than 20 male partners. Situations like these may cause gay, lesbian and other sexual and gender minority individuals to feel their health care providers are not being inclusive, or they may even feel discriminated against. These situations may even cause them to avoid returning for future appointments and care, which can imperil the health of this population that is already higher-risk for physical and mental health problems compared to heterosexual individuals.
Nursing researchers are working to advance health outcomes in sexual and gender minority Britney Wardecker individuals, who face disparities in access to care compared to heterosexual individuals. The researchers, Britney Wardecker, Cara Exten Cara Exten, and Oluwamuyiwa Adebayo, hope their work will help providers better understand the needs, challenges, Oluwamuyiwa Adebayo and resilience of these groups. “Many LGBTQ people face difficult health challenges as a result, to some extent, of stigma and discrimination,” Wardecker said. “There’s a vicious cycle with health disparities and feeling like you can’t access the care you need. If people are having more health troubles, they will
need to see health care providers more. But if they avoid seeing a healthcare provider, those disparities will worsen.” Wardecker, Exten and Adebayo are assistant professors on the tenure-track faculty in the college. Their research is expanding the body of knowledge about sexual and gender minorities and how stressors, stigma and discrimination can affect their outcomes and care.
Read more about research being done by Britney, Cara, and Oluwamuyiwa to ensure the health of the LGBTQ community: news.psu.edu
The Center for Nursing Research is Discovering Tomorrow’s Answers Today Partnering with the CNR facilitates and supports research endeavors through: Interdisciplinary collaboration Results disseminated in peer reviewed journals, and at national and international conferences Partnerships with faculty within and beyond Penn State Grant support for federal and state agencies, and foundations Proposal preparation and funding procurement Infrastructure designed to support researchers and teams If you are interested in collaborating with any of our faculty at the Penn State College of Nursing, please contact Jenifer Hoffman at jmh297@psu.edu
Center for Nursing Research
PENN STATE NURSING MAGAZINE • FALL 2020
COVID-19 Operations
Wolgast named director of COVID OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER As part of the plan to manage the presence of COVID-19 on campuses throughout the commonwealth, Kelly A. Wolgast, assistant dean for outreach and professional development and associate teaching professor, was appointed director of Penn State’s new COVID-19 Operations Control Center. The control center has been the hub for data management and reporting, testing and contact tracing, supply chain and procurement, and more. As the center’s director, Wolgast, a retired U.S. Army colonel and nurse commander with extensive health care and higher education experience, collaborates with University leadership and the 16 coronavirus task groups to oversee operations related to Penn State’s COVID response effort; she serves as a connection point among groups, units and campuses; and manages aggregate data to inform strategies for quickly addressing needs and developments. The
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COVID-19 Operations Control Center works closely with Penn State’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to maintain regular communication, align strategies and tactics, and share information. During Wolgast’s 26-year activeduty military career in the U.S. Army, she earned the Bronze Star Medal for combat experience as deputy commander and chief nurse in Afghanistan; served as a hospital commander for relief operations following Hurricane Katrina during a deployment in New Orleans; and was the senior nurse executive of the U.S. Army Medical Command. In accordance with Gov. Tom Wolf’s requirements for higher education, Wolgast will lead the development of a report for the Pennsylvania Department of Education on the University’s plans and strategies related to in-person instruction, hygiene and sanitation practices, face mask and social distancing policies, attendance, travel policies, course delivery, schedules, and more. Wolgast has many years of executive nursing and healthcare leadership experience and has a
strong background in medicalsurgical nursing. As an assistant dean in the College of Nursing, she led efforts to shape and grow the college’s online nursing programs and portfolio through Penn State World Campus and the Commonwealth Campuses. Prior to arriving at Penn State in 2016, Wolgast was an assistant professor and specialty director for the Healthcare Leadership Program at Vanderbilt University. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Academy of Nursing. A graduate of the University’s Army ROTC program, Wolgast earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Penn State, a master’s degree of science in nursing (administration and education) from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a doctorate in nursing practice (executive nurse leadership) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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