Student Spotlight

Read below about Sharon Rudinski, a graduate student at The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing in the Master of Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership program. Sharon is also a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at our UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus! If you would like to learn more about the Master of Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership program and to apply for Fall 2023 visit our website www.umassmed.edu/gsn/ academics/masters-program/

"In my early teens, I saw the difference I could make in others' lives. My mother worked as an LPN in a nursing home, and I would visit with the residents after school and on holidays. Positively impacting the lives of others is and always will be the foundation of who I am as a healthcare provider. I am determined to provide comfort, support, and care to patients and their families who may be going through difficult times.

I have been an ED nurse at UMMMC for greater than 20 years. As a team, we have faced many challenges: out growing the old ED, moving into the new ED, ED redesigns/divisions, a pandemic, increased patient volume and acuity, and an unheard-of staffing shortage. However, those who remain, and many that have joined the team, stand tall to serve the patients of our community. I am proud to be a part of this team.

The most memorable period in my career was being a core team member of the UMMMC DCU Center Field Hospital. Having the opportunity to turn a civic center into a hospital was beyond my wildest dreams. Lead the nursing and ancillary staff was a dream come true. The values that guide decisions and allow us to move toward the future of UMass Memorial Health is why I love working here. I pride myself on constant patient-centered care, acting with personal integrity, respecting others, effecting change through teamwork and systems thinking, and supporting the Worcester community.

I am also a graduate student at The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing – UMass Chan Medical School in the Master of Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership program. When I am not studying, I can be seen at my daughter’s soccer games."

We had so much fun with the students who have been accepted into our Graduate Entry Pathway to Doctor of Nursing Practice program! See you again in August!

Jennifer Costa, PhD student received the Rita Reis Wieczorek Scholarship from the Nurses Educational Funds, Inc May 2023. This Scholarship is awarded to a graduate nursing student studying maternal-infant and pediatric nursing and aligns with focus of Jen’s dissertation study.

We are so proud of Amelia Toye, PhD student. Please join us in congratulating her on being the first nursing student to be on the Board of Trustees.

When Amelia Toye, RN, is sworn in as the UMass Chan student trustee on the UMass Board of Trustees on July 1, she'll be making history. Read why: https://direc.to/jQDq

Ian Lane, PhD student had a perspective paper published in a top tier journal, called Headache: The journal of head and face pain, called: Capturing the experiences of sexual and gender minorities with migraine headache. Below is the citation:

Lane, I. A., & Zempsky, W. T. (2023). Capturing the experiences of sexual and gender minorities with migraine headache. Headache: The journal of head and face pain.

Melissa Anne DuBois first year PhD student recently presented at the 5th annual "Med Moth Story Hour" at UMass Chan Medical School. She was the only GSN student to present.

Melissa Anne is an experienced perinatal nurse, childbirth educator and lactation counselor and is interested in studying secondary trauma in labor and delivery nurses who witness acts of obstetric violence in the workplace. Melissa Anne will be telling a story about her first near-miss preventable maternal death and her experience witnessing obstetric racism in her capacity as a labor & delivery nurse.

Elizabeth Terhune, PhD student was awarded the NE GAPNA (Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association) Education Scholarship award for 2023-2024 in May. As a result, she is sitting on the NE GAPNA board as the student liaison for the next year.

Kayla Thomas a DNP year 2 student had her article “The Humanities as a Tool published in the Worcester Medicine. See pages 6 and 7 for full article https://bit.ly/3NZWrci

The Master of Science in Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership program summer courses focused on innovation during N608 Innovation in Healthcare with Dr. Terri Reed, adjunct faculty and N626 Project Advisement taught by Mary Antonelli, MS Program Director. They both used Legos to generate creative thinking. One class was called Iron Designer and the other was Thinking with Your Hands.

The ITQC (quality improvement) project that Elizabeth Terhune (PhD program, Lisa Cappabianca (DNP program), and Jennifer Bugos (DNP program) were involved in titled “Improving Annual Wellness Visit Compliance in an ACO” won first place in the Quality Improvement category at the residents' and fellows' 2023 Poster Day! They were on Lauren Needell's team.

Winning teams are invited to present their work during Noon Conference on Wednesday, June 7th and their posters were also displayed in the Forster Conference . They also presented during the ITQC showcase.

Emma Glozman, DNP student has won a 2023 Doctoral Scholarship through the Oncology Nursing Foundation. This is an excellent achievement!

The Oncology Nursing Foundation provided this scholarship to registered nurses who are committed to oncology nursing to continue their education by pursuing a research doctoral degree (Ph.D.) or clinical doctoral degree (DNP).

Their mission at ONF is to support the oncology nursing community, a population composed of a wide variety of individuals who have many differences.

N525 Nursing Leadership Panel for GEP students. The focus of Concepts in Professional Nursing III is leadership and management in nursing. This course introduces content including systemsbased nursing practice, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, teamwork and collaboration, informatics and technology, patient-centered care, leadership, and professionalism

The leadership panel from L to R: Dr. Justin Precourt, Chief Nursing Officer; Dr. Karen Uttaro, Senior Director; Dr. Tara Tehan, Nurse Director; Dr. Joan Vitello, Dean

Graduating students received stoles made of Kente fabric during the Deborah Harmon Hines, PhD, Commencement Celebration. Read about the event and the inaugural winners of the Deborah Harmon Hines, PhD, Awards: https://direc.to/jTK5

Dean Vitello, Ken Peterson and Rita Amoah having fun at the ceremony.

Class of 2023, it's been an honor being part of your journey.

Watch UMass Chan Medical School's 50th Commencement, https://www.facebook.com/umasschan/ videos/1852232175171194

You'll find a list of our graduates and the full Commencement ceremony here: https://direc.to/jT_L

Students, faculty, special guests, and yes, a selfie with Katie Couric, are spotlighted in this video of joyful moments from UMass Chan 50th Commencement: https://direc.to/jT9Z

Amanda Hazeltine, MS, CNP, AGACNP-BC, spent 13 years in health communications before coming to UMass Chan for a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Learn why the class speaker for the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing made the switch to nursing: https://direc.to/jRwM

2023 Awards and Scholarship Ceremony

Amanda Hazeltine, MS, CNP, AGACNP-BC, received the Chancellor's Award, Heather Briere received the Dean's Award & four brand new awards were given during the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing’s ceremony. Read more here including the full list of award winners. https:// direc.to/jTdb

Dear GSN staff and faculty, I am writing to express my profound gratitude to you for all the support you are giving us. It was an honor to be recognized during the past awards ceremony. I come to school with the motivation of gaining the knowledge that will help broaden the scope of my service to people, so to be awarded in the process makes me really happy. I did not know such a scheme existed and even if I did, I would never have expected to be chosen out of the many students. This is an incentive for me to put in more work. Thank you for the knowledge and invaluable support you are providing us. I am very grateful.

I wanted to share some wonderful words about Dr. Susan Feeney.

“It was so wonderful to be able to see you and attend your lecture. What a special conference. As you spoke about in your talk about gratitude we all owe you a hand written letter. I hope you know the impact that you had on so many of us. I know I can be a tough critic… but I have had very few educators in my life that were as knowledgeable, supportive and encouraging as you are. Thank you! I hope to cross paths much more!“ Amelia Nadler

This is at the Mt Washington Hotel in NH at the NHNPA Annual Conference.

Diabetes

2009 Alumni Sean Collins, PhD, RN has spent the past several years in Washington DC serving a distinguished military career. In 2016 he joined the U.S. Defense Health Agency with a promotion to Brigadier General. He’s currently the Assistant to The Surgeon General for the Department of the Air Force and serves as Director of Space Force Medical Operations.

June 2, 2023 Sean received his second star to become a Major General. The ceremony was livestreamed from Washington.

Here is the link if you would like to watch the ceremony. Read more about Sean here.

Dean Joan Vitello along with staff at the Tan

Graduate School of Nursing volunteered at the Queen Street Shelter in Worcester June 27th. We sorted & labeled clothing and served dinner.

Thin Malatesta, Assistant Professor in the GEP Program (front right) is part of the Restorative Justice Community of Practice at UMass Chan. They participated and facilitated community circles as part of a half day retreat at Hahnemann Family Health Center.