Penn State Nursing — Summer 2022

In this issue

Infographic: The Advanced Cost of a Nursing Degree

Leadership Academy prepares next-gen nurse leaders

40-year Bedside Nurse and 2021 Grad Starts New Career as a Professor

MSNA provides support and sense of community for nursing students

New Allied Health Building elevates simulation and learning for nursing students

Scholarships honor beloved late Nese College of Nursing staff member

Nursing student-run choir aims to spread joy through music

Just Care provides training for peer caregivers to address the needs of older incarcerated people

Mentoring program builds momentum in nursing

Nursing faculty awarded 2021 NLN Faculty Scholarship Award

New faces in Nursing: Meet our New Faculty

Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Dean

Laurie A. Badzek, LLM, JD, MS, RN, FNAP, FAAN

Editors/Designers

Morgann McAfee, Marketing and Creative Services Manager

John McShea, Multimedia Specialist

Writers Cody Hoffman, Nursing Student Recruiter

Brooke Killmon, Public Relations Specialist

Morgann McAfee, Marketing and Creative Services Manager

Joslyn Neiderer, Freelance writer

Visuals

Bob Conn, Freelance photographer

Morgann McAfee, Marketing and Creative Services Manager

Development and Alumni Relations

Beth Gregg, Director of Alumni Relations and Programs

Lindsey Zapletal, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Programs

Cover Art

Forrest Fortier, ‘86

A nursing graduate, Fortier began a series of collages, The Power of Nursing, as a therapeutic outlet and to reflect on the nursing experience during COVID-19. The cover image is part of a series commissioned by the college to celebrate its naming.

Penn State Nursing is 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) 8630471. This publication is available in alternative media upon request. U.Ed. NUR 22-02.

Dear Alumni and Friends,

We are nearly to 2023 and I find myself reacclimating to in-person events and bringing with me a new sense of mindfulness and awareness, specific to how we move forward together this fall.

In many ways, this moment in time is a once-in-a-lifetime event bringing with it our chance to influence based on lessons learned. The healthcare world is still recovering and will likely never fully be the same, and surely monkeypox will impact our recovery. However, inherent to this transformation is opportunity, and I’d encourage you where you are to capitalize if you can. Be intentional in how you schedule your time, be aware of who fills your cup, and be cautious with what you allow on your to-do list.

In the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, our faculty, staff, and students were heavily encouraged to slow down over the summer and I’m hopeful they feel recharged and rejuvenated. I share that same hope for you, in the remaining weeks of warm weather—make time for yourself to slow down. Find joy in the quiet, take mindfulness breaks, breath from your abdomen and spend time surrounded by things and people that bring you peace and happiness.

Moving into endemic status elicits a variety of responses, some may feel it’s complacent while others are welcoming the end of a very dark chapter. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, keep in mind many of us are healing and navigating grief. With that comes an increased need for grace and support, so don’t forget to check in with each other and be gentle with yourself.

As the college moves forward, we will continue our pursuit of equitable, accessible health care experiences and educating the next generation of nurse leaders with the tools needed to safeguard their own health and wellness, while transforming lives and health around the world.

Be well, Laurie

Laurie A. Badzek, LLM, JD, MS, RN, FNAP, FAAN

By The Numbers

Becoming a nurse is not cheap! In fact, the cost of earning a nursing degree at Penn State exceeds that of most other degrees. Let’s take a look:

tuition difference between nursing and “all other programs” during the third and fourth years: $3,746/year

nursing-specific fees (uniform, clinical items, compliance expenses, expenses related to course work) are paid across the academic career in addition to tuition. Estimated career expenses during the 2021–2022 academic year: $3,600

Academic Fees (career) Starting 2022–2023 +25%

$4,500

ExamSoft

Tuition data courtesy the of University Budget Office. Nursing fees courtesy of the Nursing Student Handbook.

Leadership Academy prepares next-gen nurse leaders

After nearly two years of pandemic-induced pressure for health care providers, especially nurses, it’s clear our health systems are due for a significant transformation. Penn State Nursing is positioning the next generation of nurses to lead that transformation and to enact true change. To achieve this lofty goal, the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing has launched a Leadership Academy entitled WE LEAD

Aiming to give students the tools to amplify the nursing profession’s influence, the initiative is designed to develop leadership competencies in nursing students and empower them to help realize a new era of nursing in healthcare.

According to Susan Leight, Director of the WE LEAD Leadership Academy, leading is foundational to all we do in nursing practice. Now, more than ever, we have an obligation to prepare our next generation of nursing leaders with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to build a culture of health around the world.

Leadership has been hotly researched and debated for years, with researchers trying to answer questions about

whether good leaders are born or developed. Character traits are heavily analyzed and categorized into good leadership or bad leadership, even going as far as matching individual leadership styles with situational needs. Our understanding of leadership has evolved; we now embrace traits like connection or empathy and understand that leadership skills are akin to a muscle that needs to be developed, nourished, and exercised.

Nurses, as the most trusted profession and the largest segment of health care providers, are integral voices in healthcare’s transformation. With challenges like staffing shortages and the ongoing pandemic to be overcome, the role of the nurse leader is paramount — both to patients and their health systems.

WE LEAD uses experiential learning to add depth to the student experience, covering topics like entrepreneurship, negotiation, and innovation. The themes and curriculum were developed around the American Nurses Association’s leadership framework of ‘leading yourself, leading others, and leading the organization.’ Currently, the program is designed to target upper division undergraduate students in their third year, regardless of campus location.

“Creating nursing leaders to transform lives and health around the world” is the Ross and Carol

Nese College of Nursing’s mission, and while it certainly underpins the tenets of the new leadership academy, its influence may be found woven throughout every facet of the college. +

To learn more about the Leadership Academy, reach Leight at: sxl6189@psu.edu

Support the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Future Fund

Important initiatives like WE LEAD depend on your help. To make a gift to the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, visit nursing.psu.edu/give, or call 814-867-5534

40-year Bedside Nurse and 2021 Grad as a Professor Starts New Career

An inherent thought for most Registered Nurses (RN) is to work at the bedside or even use an advanced degree, such as a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, and stay in the clinical setting. But what most don’t realize is that their nursing degree can be used in many other non-clinical roles, such as nurse educator or nurse researcher.

For 40-year bedside nurse and recent Nurse Educator Master’s Program graduate Marjorie Cass, transitioning her career from the clinical setting to the classroom was an aspiration she never wanted to let slip through her fingers.

“I knew throughout my whole career that there was going to be a nursing shortage, as well as a shortage of nursing instructors. And I’ve always believed that the world is my oyster, so even from early on I knew I wanted to go back to school and set my course

on becoming a nurse educator,” said Cass.

Cass graduated with her Associate’s in applied science in nursing from the SUNY Orange County Community College in Middletown, New York in 1981. Eagerly, she began her career as a bedside nurse at a small community hospital in Warwick, New York, where she then raised her family and lived for 30 years.

Throughout those years, she accumulated a variety of nursing experiences, working in a pediatric unit at a children’s hospital in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and ending her bedside tenure in a maternity ward as a delivery room nurse, where she worked for 15 years. As her career developed, Cass transitioned into healthcare management, taking on new roles like an infection control educator and assistant manager in a med-surg unit.

Her time spent as an educator for infection control, along with support from her mentor, Patty Worth, was the ultimate catalyst to going back to school.

“After working as an infection control educator, I knew that was the track I wanted. As well, my mentor, Patty Worth, was so wonderful and encouraged me to go back for my degree,” said Cass. “Being a bedside nurse for 40 years and an assistant manager, I essentially already had that role as an educator. I would be the person the younger nurses would come to if they had any questions or concerns, so that really enabled me to be well-rounded.”

Despite the trials and tribulations, Cass was determined to embrace the role of nontraditional student and graduated with her BSN from the New Jersey City University in 2017 at the age of 55. But she didn’t stop there. In 2021, Cass went on to graduate

from Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing Nurse Educator program delivered by World Campus. As well as being convinced of its illustrious reputation worldwide, Cass was drawn to Penn State because of her daughter, Hayley, a 2011 Nutritional Sciences graduate.

Much to her pleasure, Cass is now a professor at the Georgian Court University, a small Catholic university in Lakewood, New Jersey, and teaches a foundations of nursing class to accelerated BSN students.

“I had them for their very first class, and they had me for my very first class. We had a great time, and it was a fantastic experience. I love it, and so far it has been

everything I imagined and more.” said Cass.

Additionally, she will be teaching an assessment class in the summer and a pediatrics class to advanced students in the fall.

“I wanted to thank everyone who helped me get through my master’s degree, including my professors. I truly appreciate the encouragement and dedication to seeing me through some of my toughest days,” said Cass. “I see more clearly what it means to be a professor and all the preparation involved, as well as meeting the emotional and academic needs of my students. I am so proud to be a part of the Penn State alumni community.” +

Support Future Nurse Educators

To make a gift to the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, visit nursing.psu.edu/give, or call 814-867-5534

I love it, and so far it has been everything I imagined and more.

Marjorie Cass (right)

Cass and daughter, Hayley

MSNA provides support and sense of community for nursing students

Since its recent inception, the Multicultural Student Nurses Association (MSNA) has been making meaningful strides in improving the lives of nursing students of color in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.

For many Penn State students who come from an underrepresented background, the University’s many campuses can prove to be a large and intimidating culture shock. To help ease the first-year transition, upperclass multicultural nursing students created MSNA, providing tutoring for difficult nursing courses and simply a comforting environment for emotional support.

Jacqueline Chiqui, a third-year and firstgeneration college student from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was born to Ecuadorian parents and has seen the world and healthcare differently than most.

“From the moment I learned English, I have been advocating for my family as a translator at the doctor’s office. So, when I am in the classroom, I start to see nursing and healthcare more clearly. I feel like I can better advocate for people who speak English as their

second language and understand their challenges to get the best healthcare outcomes,” said Chiqui.

Chiqui, who has been a MSNA member since her first year and will be co-president next year, believes experiences and backgrounds such as hers are important to share and is dedicated to supporting those like her who have aims to better their healthcare communities through MSNA.

And while the pandemic undoubtedly created challenges for the association in terms of physical barriers for students to come together for events and inperson meetings, the group stayed committed to uplifting MSNA members across all campuses with various virtual healthcare-related seminars and events.

The association participated in events such as the Diversity CRNA Doctorate Symposium, Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program, ‘What every nursing student should know about the state of Black maternal and infant health’ presented by the President of the Black Nurses Association, and many others.

MSNA leaders also continued to engage with their members by hosting Jeopardy! games for class review in classes such as anatomy and physiology, professional development tip webinars, and even invited spokespeople from

UPMC to talk and recruit for internships and jobs.

Alexandria Reaves, secondyear and next year’s other co-president from Fairfax, Virginia, holds a lot of gratitude for the group and is excited to make her mark and see the organization grow to its fullest potential.

“I had a lot of difficult experiences racially, growing up in a predominantly white school district. I didn’t have the support system that I felt that I needed as a Black woman, so when I came to Penn State and joined MSNA, I really wanted to continue fostering that inclusive community and support those who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a group like MSNA.” said Reaves.

Chiqui and Reaves are just a few of the many MSNA nursing students who are paving the way for future nurses of color at Penn State. The group is being guided and mentored by Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion, Sheldon Fields, and has hopes of becoming better established and involved with local nursing communities and to partner with other nursing and minority organizations across all campuses. +

New Allied Health Building elevates simulation and learning for nursing students

Simulation is a hallmark of quality nursing curriculums, creating a hands-on environment for students to learn and grow. Students in the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, regardless of campus location, are the recipients of experiential learning bolstered by thoughtfully designed spaces, specifically hightech simulation labs. For nursing students at Penn State Mont Alto, the new Allied Health Building is the pinnacle of hands-on learning and high-quality instruction.

The new facility is a 22,000-square-foot learning hub for the campus’ Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) and Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) programs. The simulation lab is outfitted with high-fidelity manikins and simcapture technology allowing students to debrief and faculty to observe in real-time. Beyond the new simulation laboratories, the space includes an ambulance port, enhanced clinical lab space and equipment for the PTA program and a modern simulated living space for the OTA program.

The Allied Health Building, the campus’ first new building in more than 20 years, was approved by Penn State’s Board of Trustees in 2018. To mark the occasion of the

building’s opening, Penn State Mont Alto hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and invited the local community, as well as University leadership, to attend and join in the celebration.

During the event, formal remarks were made by Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor Francis Achampong, Former Penn State President Eric J. Barron, Dean of the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Laurie Badzek, President and CEO of WellSpan Health Roxanna Gapstur and President of the Franklin County Area Development Corporation Mike Ross.

With the nation facing a shortage of qualified and welltrained healthcare professionals, the need for investments in healthcare workers was a common theme among the speakers. Barron underscored Penn State’s commitment to supporting healthcare-related initiatives, which he described as vital to our shared future. “The new Allied Health Building and its state-ofthe-art resources, coupled with our incredible faculty, can take our students to the next level,” he said.

Noting the toll that the pandemic has taken on healthcare professionals since March 2020, Dean Laurie Badzek also offered

insights on how the college is supporting our current and future nurses. The health and wellness of our nurses is critical to the health and wellness of our globe, as they are the largest segment of healthcare workers. As a result, the college is working to provide nursing students with the tools, through academic programming, to build up and maintain mental health, physical health, and overall wellbeing.

In addition to the upgraded simulation technology and learning space at Mont Alto, Penn State Schuylkill also recently revamped its nursing simulation laboratory earlier this year.

From the days of Florence Nightingale pioneering our first understandings of hygiene to the cutting-edge technology that gives our nurses the best learning experience possible, the most beneficial aspect of these updates is the connectivity capabilities. Advancements in our nursing facilities enable connection amongst all nursing students throughout Pennsylvania, bringing them together to truly become One Penn State. +

President Barron (center) cutting the ribbon with Dean Badzek (second from right).

honor beloved

Scholarships late Nese College of Nursing staff member

College of Agricultural Sciences. But in 2004, she accepted a position as a record specialist in the advising office of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, then the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Development. The loving connections Rosemary made while working among nursing faculty, staff, and students would be ones she would carry with her for the rest of her life.

F or 1976 Penn State accounting graduate and football tailgating enthusiast Gary Wherry and his wife, Rosemary, returning and settling down in the State College area after his retirement was something of a dream come true.

Tailgating at Penn State’s football games was a favorite pastime and source of pride for the couple, who even won the 2004 Penn State Homecoming Largest Tailgating Competition, “Honoring the Legend.” So once Gary retired from the NCR Corporation, the couple excitedly made the leap and moved to Happy Valley.

“Once Rosemary got a taste of the Penn State football games and tailgates, she was sold, she was hooked,” said Gary. “It was so easy to get her back up here. And eventually, we discussed her retiring as well, but she said, ‘I don’t want to. I like working.’”

With a desire to make an impact on her community, Rosemary took a position working part-time for a few years in the Penn State

“She absolutely loved it there and really got attached to her advising coworkers. They were like brothers and sisters to each other and truly loved one another,” said Gary. “Kris Conn, the Academic Advising Center Manager, really helped her come out of her shell and let her progress. It was so much more than a job to her.”

After working nearly 16 years, Rosemary decided to retire from her career and the college in July 2020. Shortly after, Rosemary was diagnosed with cancer. And though she fought with the same strength as her dedication to the people she loved, Rosemary died not quite a year later in May 2021. In memory of Rosemary’s life and her commitment to the college and its students, Gary established the Rosemary and Gary Wherry Scholarship. The scholarship is intended to support undergraduate nursing students with financial need at the University.

“I wanted to honor my wife. There’s one thing that was always special and close to her heart,

and that was her job and the students in the college,” said Gary. “I also wanted to help alleviate any financial burden for nursing students so they can concentrate more on their studies.”

Rosemary’s loving embrace not only touched those at home and in the advising office, but throughout the entire college.

“When I first joined the college in May 2007, Rosie was the first face I saw, the first to make a connection with me. She was in my interview process, and when I received my job offer, she became a mentor,” said Leslie Hutchins, a former coworker. “She was always there for me, and we grew together. She was just such a social butterfly, passionate and compassionate with her relationships with the students, the faculty — everybody was her best friend.”

Along with Gary, Hutchins felt compelled to do more in Rosemary’s honor, and established the Friends of Rosemary Wherry Memorial Scholarship. Nursing students with need and enrolled full-time in the baccalaureate program at any campus qualify for the scholarship.

The Friends of Rosemary Wherry Memorial Scholarship was made possible by the invaluable monetary contributions of 28 Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing faculty and staff. Hutchins raised $13,700, exceeding the $12,500 minimum amount required to establish an annually funded scholarship. For five

Rosemary Wherry

consecutive years, a scholarship of $2,500 will be given to a nursing student with financial need.

“I could not think of a better person to memorialize. She would do whatever she could for anybody. She had the most wonderful heart for giving. Whatever she could do, she

would,” said Hutchins. “She was always a big proponent of student success. I don’t think there’s anything she would’ve wanted more than to make sure that every student was successful, that they got their fair shot, and that they were supported with whatever they needed.”

Inspired to support Penn State Nursing?

Scholarships like those featured in this publication aim to advance the philanthropic mission of the University and the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. The college has a variety of areas that benefit our students and create opportunities for our supporters to make an immeasurable impact on our students, faculty, research, and programs:

Nursing Student Hardship Fund

This fund supports students experiencing unexpected hardships when all other means have been exhausted.

Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Future Fund

This fund is intended to cover unanticipated opportunities and pressing needs of the college.

Dean’s Endowment for Excellence and Innovation

This fund is intended to build long-term excellence and innovation in education and research programs.

The Friends of Rosemary Wherry Memorial Scholarship’s first recipient was Nyah Banks, a third-year nursing student from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“Receiving this scholarship was such a rewarding feeling for me and meant so much. This year has been one of the toughest for me both academically and financially. This was the first academic year that I’ve had to pay for college expenses on my own, while also keeping up with living expenses,” said Banks. “Being in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing already comes with high expectations and standards, so adding a job to maintain my education, as well as living expenses, became overwhelming. Scholarships like the Rosemary Wherry Memorial Scholarship helped keep me going.”

Rosemary Wherry will be truly missed by all who knew and loved her. +

Support Our Future Nurse Leaders Today by Supporting One of These Funds

To make a gift to the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, visit nursing.psu.edu/give, or call 814-867-5534.

Gary and Rosemary Wherry

Nursing student-run choir aims to spread JOY THROUGH MUSIC

The Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is the home of The Art of Nursing, a student-run choir that officially kicked off in January 2022.

The group’s recorded version of the Alma Mater was used in the virtual version of the 2022 commencement ceremony. Their first performance outside of the University was hosted this spring at a local nursing home in the State College community. The organization’s goal is to share the joy of music with folks who may have experienced isolation and feelings of depression, especially during the pandemic. The choir also plans to make their performances interactive, which will be an exciting aspect, allowing their audiences to participate and express themselves through music.

“Listening to music and participating in music can be quite healing,” said Ella Palmieri, a thirdyear student, who was inspired by seeing another healthcarerelated choir perform on America’s

Got Talent. Palmieri credits her mentor, Maggie Layman, adjunct instructor in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, with encouraging her to form the group.

“I think if you are going into the healthcare field, you have a lot of feelings, and music is a great way to express them,” said Palmieri, who uses creating and listening to music as a way to destress.

Palmieri got connected to the marketing office at Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and collaborated to create an Instagram post to get the word about the choir out to the nursing students. Palmieri then decided to expand to healthcare majors by reaching out to additional colleges and speaking to other clubs. As word got around, the group was able to recruit a musical director, Ronnie Spoto, a first-year student in the musical theater program at Penn State.

“There is undoubtedly a connection between music and the way the body perceives and

how we heal. Music therapy is an intervention that has been implemented in many healthcare settings, and I truly believe that it makes a difference for some patients,” said Colleen Hughes, a fourth-year nursing student. She joined the choir looking for a new way to connect with people and expand the ways in which she could touch the lives of others.

“Singing in a group creates a type of energy that cannot be matched. The connection and harmony within different voices coming together to create a unanimous song is incredible and has the power to influence the mood and affect of the patients we are singing to,” Katie Mardirossian, a third-year nursing student and choir member who grew up with a passion for singing. “I believe there is such a powerful connection between music therapy and the healing process.”

Palmieri says that the choir emphasizes empathy and increasing therapeutic communication, which music is also

proven to help. She commented that as students who are going into the healthcare field, it is very important that they have these skills. She hopes that the choir has a lot of benefits for its members.

Sammi Wayne, a first-year nursing student, has always loved singing, and when she heard of the opportunity of getting to sing with nursing students in a laidback setting, she wanted to join.

“For me, music has always been healing or an escape from reality. Healthcare isn’t always glamorous; I think you need all the support possible to help make the healing process easier, so why not use singing as a way to blend these?” said Wayne. “I love the songs we work on each week and always

find it as a highlight for me. The Art of Nursing choir has been an empowering experience and one I look forward to continuing over the coming years.”

The group, currently consisting of only female singers, wants to extend their membership in new ways. Palmieri wants prospective participants to know that they don’t need to be a University Park student or even musically inclined to join the choir.

“We would love to have anyone who has a good heart and an open mind to join us. There are no requirements if you want to be a part of The Art of Nursing. We have members in Hershey who participate through zoom,” said Palmieri. “It’s low stress. Part of our goal is to have a space for students to step away from their schoolwork and participate in creating something beautiful.”

The Art of Nursing’s formation was timed almost perfectly, as one of the college’s main strategic goals for the 2022-2025 period is to integrate arts and humanities

as a way to address political, social, and practice challenges experienced in providing nursing care.

The group has hopes to eventually sing for the children at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and participate in THON. Erin Kitt-Lewis, associate teaching professor of nursing, and Maggie Layman, co-advise The Art of Nursing program. +

Support Impactful Nursing Students

To make a gift to the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, visit nursing.psu.edu/give, or call 814-867-5534.

The Art of Nursing singing the Penn State Alma Mater.

There is undoubtedly a connection between music and the way the body perceives and how we heal.

Just Care provides training for peer caregivers to of older incarcerated people

address the needs

At the end of life, there is a certain level of human dignity that everyone should be afforded, including companionship and the chance to have another person present as one draws their last breath. There is a large population of people facing the end of their lives incarcerated. According to research, there are over 1,719 state and federal prisons in the United States with nearly two million people who are incarcerated. As of 2017, more than 20 percent of people who are living in prisons were age 50 or older.

According to Susan J. Loeb, a professor of nursing in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and College of Medicine at Penn State and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, corrections budgets are stretched as they strive to meet the care needs of aged and dying prisoners. Inmates offer a resource poised to contribute in meaningful ways to augment prison staff in meeting the growing care needs of older and dying incarcerated individuals. However, the lack of standardized, evidence-based training geared toward this target audience is a barrier to ensuring high-quality caregiving.

In response to this need, Loeb is currently a Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) along with Barbara Walkosz, Klein Buendel

Senior Scientist, on a National Institute on Aging-funded project to develop a highly interactive computer-based learning program. This program, called Just Care, provides science-based training to incarcerated peer caregivers to assist correctional staff in meeting the care needs of chronically ill or dying people living in correctional facilities. This work aims to address the healthcare needs of older incarcerated people with chronic conditions, including those in the advanced stages of disease and extending through their endof-life.

Loeb emphasizes that this program in no way replaces the need for professionals in prison settings, as anything involving personal care requires staff supervision, but the program gives incarcerated individuals the skills and opportunity to become peer caregivers. This care could include being present and spending time with the folks they are providing care for and things like helping them to get their commissary items. Loeb has found that those involved in the peer caregiving

role feel significant ownership in the program.

During qualitative interviews within previous studies, the team found that some of those incarcerated have never had the opportunity to care for another person. So learning what that feels like was a great benefit to those peer caregivers.

“The peer caregivers spoke of the redemptive nature of doing well and doing right by someone. It also brought some future-oriented comfort; many [peer caregivers] will likely spend their final days in a correctional setting. As a result, they realize that someone may act as a peer caregiver for them,” said Loeb. “In a life that may not have been full of many comforting things, the thought that someone would step up and be present for them when they are older is a great comfort to them.”

Although she has never worked in a correctional facility, Loeb, who earned her nursing degrees at Penn State in 1988, 1992, and 2002, has worked in and supervised student nurses working in a small hospital that

In a life that may not have been full of many comforting things, [peer care] is a great comfort to them.

often received patients from nearby correctional facilities. She has been working with the prison population as a researcher since late 2004. Loeb’s work with the prison population started with a small seed grant from the Penn State College of Health and Human Development that led to several NIH grants that saw Loeb as the Principal Investigator, or MPI. In addition, she has surrounded herself with a diverse board of key stakeholders for each project who have first-hand experience working in corrections, and a few members of each board are returning citizens, who have spent time incarcerated. These returning citizens, who have had long periods of incarceration, have insights about living in a prison environment. They were there long enough to have had the experience of seeing some of their peers growing old, experience health issues related to aging, and experience some of their peers passing away. These returning citizens, their experience, and their point of view are critically important to the researchers in

understanding how their program will be received by those who would be peer caregivers.

“Just Care” has two advisory boards, one concentrating on content advisory and one focused on implementation advisory. The boards contain a wide swath of expertise, including a retired state-wide director of nursing for a Mid-Atlantic State Department of Corrections (DOC), returning citizens, a corrections geriatrician and researcher, a corrections pharmacist from the Southern State DOC, a correctional health care administrator, a retired corrections psychologist, a retired corrections director of training, and the state-wide director of the Midwestern DOC.

COVID-19 saw the closure of correctional facilities to all visitors and researchers. This allowed Loeb and her team to develop new approaches to team building, networking, and data collection methods. Loeb looked to their board members to be proxies for people they could not interact with during COVID.

“The pandemic highlighted the

value of virtual work. As a result, we were able to stay productive and move our research project forward,” said Loeb.

“Just Care” is currently heading into aim 2 of their current grant, which will focus on small scale usability testing, followed by rapid refinements based upon what they learn. Then it will move into the third and final aim, which is large-scale usability testing to evaluate the impact on knowledge acquisition. In the future, Loeb and her team plan to expand their work into Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias.

Klein Buendel, Inc. builds evidence-based health programs, often collaborating with highly respected scientists from national and international research organizations and universities.

Loeb’s team at Penn State includes Erin Kitt-Lewis, assistant research professor of nursing, Sherif A. Olanrewaju, Ph.D. candidate in nursing, and Katherine A. Aiken, health policy undergraduate student. +

Mentoring program builds MOMENTUM IN NURSING

The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing recently launched a new mentoring program. Aiming to develop connections within the faculty, the program will pair a mentor and mentee who can leverage the new program’s structured opportunities in the development of scholarship, service, and teaching and advising goals for the mentee.

Generally founded in trust, communication, teaching, and learning, mentoring can be a huge facilitator of attracting and retaining talent. Properly orienting and positioning new-to-the-college faculty best prepares them for success within their role and as a part of the organization.

Piloting the new program together are mentor, Marianne Adam, associate teaching professor and campus coordinator, and mentee, Patrice Rimbey, assistant teaching professor and simulation lab coordinator, at Penn State Schuylkill.

Both Adam and Rimbey report their motivations for joining the new mentoring program are rooted in their shared appreciation for collegial, supportive relationships.

“Supporting new faculty in the

Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing allows me to positively impact a fellow nurse educator’s career trajectory,” shared Adam, “sharing with Patrice all the resources available to her in college gives her the tools to make an impact on our students. It’s truly fulfilling.”

From Rimbey’s perspective, she shares, “As a mentor, Marianne has supported my professional growth while exposing me to alternative perspectives. For me, our mentormentee relationship provides a source of confidence, knowing I can connect with a peer who I can trust and lean on.”

Mentoring can play a huge role in job satisfaction, providing mentors and mentees with a sense of belonging and purpose, a trusted ally to share wisdom and guidance, and someone to support

your growth and development.

The new program’s highly structured approach provides a framework to ensure value-adding progression on the pairing’s behalf. While orienting mentees to the college will likely incorporate a variety of other colleagues, it formally charges the mentor with leading the effort.

The process begins with a selfassessment, wherein the mentee is challenged to consider their strengths and opportunities for growth. The results of the selfassessment are then incorporated into goal setting and facilitation, further broken into strategies and tactics. This granular examination of oneself in the greater context of the profession and the organization allows natural opportunities to surface.

With the process spanning five years, years one through three are dedicated to building relationships and goals whereas years four and five are more individualized. Being truly responsive to the mentee’s needs, the program incorporates opportunities for the mentee to shift mentors based on their progress and goals.

Further bringing the program to life, the college offered a

daylong retreat to facilitate the collaborative spirit needed to build a robust, dynamic program. Presenters discussed the program, the role of the mentor and mentee, and, keynote speaker, Karen Morin, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin, offered guidance for mentors to bring out the best in their mentees.

Halfway through the daylong event, faculty were encouraged to informally connect with a colleague and share their goals, both professionally and personally, to begin building relationships.

The mentoring program was developed by the faculty mentoring committee, which is comprised of the following members: Liz Gatchell (chair), Danielle Peterman, Kerrie Coleman, Alaina Smelko, Marianne Adam, Jen Woodley, Wendy Edgar, Amy Lesuer. +

Nursing faculty awarded 2021 NLN Faculty Scholarship Award

the 2021 Susquehanna Valley American Association of CriticalCare Nurses (SVAACN) Research Grant, and the 2015 UPMC Pinnacle “Facilitator of Learning” Award.

“This scholarship provided me with support in my DNP journey and also solidified for me that I am exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing,” said Hackenberger.

Abbygale Hackenberger, a recent Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing DNP Leadership graduate, was awarded the 2021 NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Faculty Scholarship Award.

The scholarship stems from the National League for Nursing’s Foundation Scholarship Awards Program, which seeks to support diverse nurses committed to careers in academic nursing education. Awards of up to $8,000 are made to nurses enrolled in an accredited master’s or doctoral program and who have completed at least one year of advanced academic study toward their degrees.

Hackenberger’s DNP project was titled “ICU Diaries: A Pilot Program” and has implemented an ICU Diary program within a 24-bed mixed medical/surgical intensive care unit to help prevent mental health symptoms associated with Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS).

Hackenberger was also the recipient of the 2021 AACN Continuing Professional Development Scholarship,

“The DNP program and the NLN award have really highlighted the important work that all nurses can do in quality improvement and nursing education. I feel immense gratitude for the recognition of my hard work, and it motivated me to keep going, even after a very difficult year and a half.”

Sixteen scholarships, totaling $50,000, were awarded by the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education annual Scholarship Program. The awards presentation will take place during the NLN Education Summit, Sept. 28-30, in Las Vegas, NV.

NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone said, “This year, more than any in recent memory, has proven the necessity of supporting our frontline caregivers. That is why facilitating the education of the best and brightest among them is a National League for Nursing priority.”

Visit the college’s website to learn more about the college’s DNP Leadership program or other graduate offerings. +

Abbygale Hackenberger

For me, our mentormentee relationship provides a source of confidence, knowing I can connect with a peer who I can trust and lean on.

New faces in Nursing: Meet our

New Faculty

The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is growing! Check out our newest faculty and their diverse backgrounds:

Lisa Albert, EdD, MSN, BSN, RN Assistant Teaching Professor and Campus Coordinator

Previously, Albert was the Chair of Undergraduate Nursing and Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences. Her research interests include advocacy for children and vulnerable populations, as well as educating current and future nurses on end-of-life care and the importance of honoring end-of-life preferences.

Khalid Almasloukh, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN Assistant Teaching Professor

Almasloukh’s research interests include equine assisted activities and therapies to support the quality-of-life in cancer survivors. Almasloukh is also the voice of a Twitter account entitled Nurse Khalid Academy, where he brings together over 7,000 nurses and nursing students across the globe.

Sunday Azagba, PhD, MA, MS, BS Associate Professor

Azagba’s research interests center around health policy, tobacco control policy, alternative tobacco products, substance use – including alcohol and marijuana – and adolescent and risk behaviors during youth.

Liza Behrens, PhD, RN Assistant Professor Behrens’ research interest is in the implementation of preference-based, person-centered care in nursing homes to improve the physical and psychological well-being of residents living with dementia.

Jenn Cacciotti, PhD, MEd, MSN, BSN Assistant Teaching Professor

Cacciotti’s research focuses on women’s health and diabetes, primarily on risktaking behaviors, contraceptive use, and sexually transmitted infections. Her work has been published in a variety of noteworthy publications, including the Journal of Women’s Health.

Amy Criscitello, MSN, BSN Instructor

Criscitello has over ten years’ experience in mental health nursing, and has earned her post-master’s certificate as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She is currently pursuing her DNP with a focus on wellness. Both Criscitello and her husband are Navy veterans.

Sierra Funk, DNP, MSN, RN Assistant Teaching Professor Funk has 20 years of experience in medical/ surgical, hospice, geriatric nursing, and worked as a nursing instructor at Riverside College of Health Careers. She is a current member of the National League of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.

Kelly Gallagher, PhD, CNM Assistant Research Professor Gallagher’s research interests include the placenta, maternal nutrition, and pregnancy outcomes.

Pauline Hwang, DNP, MSN, RN, AGACNP-BC Assistant Teaching Professor Hwang is a certified gerontology nurse practitioner. She has experience as an CRNP in neurology and is currently developing her teaching and research portfolio.

Tracy Kephart, MSN, BSN Assistant Teaching Professor

Kephart has more than 20 years’ experience, holding roles in longterm to acute care. She specializes in critical care and has mentored and precepted for several years in the surgical trauma unit. Kephart is trauma certified, an ACLS and BLS instructor and is currently pursuing her DNP.

Solim Lee, PhD, RN Assistant Professor

Lee’s research interests focus on chronic cardiovascular disease symptom management with an overall goal of improving the cardiovascular health of vulnerable populations and to reduce unplanned hospitalizations in patients with chronic heart failure by improving self-care.

Susan Leight, EdD, ARPN-BC, FNP-C, ANP-C, FAANP, FAAN Research Professor and Director

Leight’s current work is centered on leading the college’s DNP-NP program and launching the new Leadership Academy entitled WE LEAD. Previously, she was the Director of the School of Nursing and Graduate Programs at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and developed, and patented, a interactive breast model for training lay persons and health care providers to perform effective breast examinations and to locate and identify masses in a breast.

Susan Maynard, DNP, MS, RN-BC, CCNS-CMC, CCRN-K Assistant Teaching Professor

Maynard’s research interests include rural healthcare, quality improvement, systems of care, and community/hospital partnerships. She serves as an active member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Chelsea Mellett, DNP, RN, FNP-C Assistant Teaching Professor

Mellet’s advanced practice experience includes urgent care, family medicine, and community health, while her background as RN is in emergency medicine.

Rebekah Nottingham, FNP, MSN, BSN Instructor

Nottingham has 16 years’ experience as a nurse with roles as a CRNP in women’s health and labor and delivery. She currently teaches OB clinicals at Penn State, the Behrend College. She is an advocate for Neurofibromatosis research and support for our NF heroes.

Anju Paudel, PhD, MGS, RN Assistant Professor Paudel’s research interests focus on improving the quality of interactions between long-term care residents and staff, optimizing wellbeing and quality of life in both residents and staff.

Heidi Rich, MSN, BSN Instructor

Rich’s research interests, as she pursues her DNP, include understanding the long-term effects associated with adverse childhood experiences. She has 14 years’ experience with various roles in the maternal child health specialty in pediatrics, including time in the neonatal ICU and working with postpartum mothers.

Patrice Rimbey, DNP, MSN, BSN, RN, CNOR Assistant Teaching Professor

Rimbey has extensive clinical practice experience in Perioperative Nursing and Nursing Leadership and is a Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR). Rimbey’s DNP project was titled “Improving Nurse Perception of the Perioperative Hand Off”. The project examined perioperative patient “hand-offs” and nurse perception of the perioperative patient hand-off.

Deborah Wilson, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE Assistant Teaching Professor

Wilson’s research interest focuses on how nurses transition from being clinical experts to becoming nurse educators. Although she has a broad range of clinical experience in several settings in several states, her primary passions are maternal/child nursing, hospice care, and teaching.

Our Faculty and Researchers Benefit from the Generous Gifts of our Alumni and Supporters

To make a gift to the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, visit nursing.psu.edu/give, or call 814-867-5534

The Pennsylvania State University

201 Nursing Sciences Building

University Park, PA 16802-6501

www.nursing.psu.edu