UC Nursing Magazine Fall 2023

UC NURSING M A G A Z I N E | FALL 2023

CONTENTS

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2 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

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In this issue 6

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UC College of Nursing Magazine Fall 2023 “UC Nursing” is published by the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing’s Office of Marketing and Communications to highlight its faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors.

STUDY ABROAD GIVES GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Undergraduate students expand their horizons in Thailand, Tanzania and the United Kingdom.

EMPOWERING DIVERSE STUDENTS, BREAKING DOWN CULTURAL BARRIERS

Editors: Evelyn Fleider, Laura Toerner and Katie Coburn

Partnership with regional institutions aims to increase diversity among bachelor’s-prepared pediatric nurses.

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NURSING SKILLS IMPACTING STATE POLICYMAKING

Alumna advocates for constituents.

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NP TO A HIGHER DEGREE

Alumna’s DNP project standardized privileges for advanced practitioners across a health system.

LEADING THE WAY

Nurse entrepreneurs of color make possibility a reality.

WE SEE LEADERS

Social media highlights from the UC Nursing community.

UC NURSING STUDENTS ARE READY TO REVERSE OPIOID OVERDOSE

Training provides skills for administering life-saving medication.

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MEET OUR NEW FACULTY

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INTRODUCING UC NURSING’S NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM

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THIS UC NURSING ALUMNUS IS OUT FOR BLOOD AND TISSUE DONATION EQUALITY

Pride and Plasma group advocates for new donation guidelines.

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Design: Becky Deaton Contributing Writers: Bill Bangert, Evelyn Fleider, Joan Luebering and Laura Toerner Photography: Colleen Kelley, UC CoN Marketing, UC Photography and Video Services and submitted Address: College of Nursing University of Cincinnati PO Box 210038 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0038 Phone: (513) 558-5500 Email: nursing@uc.edu Website: nursing.uc.edu Facebook: facebook.com/uccollegeofnursing YouTube: youtube.com/ucnursing Instagram: instagram.com/uc_nursing Twitter: twitter.com/ucnursing Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/university-ofcincinnati-college-of-nursing © Copyright 2023 University of Cincinnati

RESEARCH FALLS SHORT

Study finds lack of federal funding for incarceration-related research.

DISMANTLING BARRIERS TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE

Grants support a diverse nursing workforce and combat systemic racism in the profession.

To make a gift visit uc.edu/give and select College of Nursing.

Notice of Non-Discrimination The University of Cincinnati does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or gender identity and expression in its programs and activities.

The University does not tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation on these bases and takes steps to ensure that students, employees and third parties are not subject to a hostile environment in University programs or activities.

The University responds promptly and effectively to allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. It promptly conducts investigations and takes appropriate action, including disciplinary action, against individuals found to have violated its policies, as well as provides appropriate remedies to complainants and the campus community. The University takes immediate action to end a hostile environment if one has been created, prevent its recurrence and remedy the effects of any hostile environment on affected members of the campus community.

UC is committed to the ideal of universal Web accessibility and strives to provide an accessible Web presence that enables all university community members and visitors full access to information provided on its websites. Every effort has been made to make these pages as accessible as possible in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding discrimination, harassment or retaliation based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, age and veteran status: Section 504, ADA, Age Act Coordinator, 340 University Hall, 51 Goodman Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0039 | Phone: (513) 556-6381 | Email: HRONESTP@ucmail.uc.edu The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity or expression: Title IX Coordinator, 3115 Edwards 1, 45 Corry Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45221 | Phone: (513) 556-3349 | Email: title9@ucmail.uc.edu

Fall 2023 | 3

DEAN’S LETTER Those in academia well know that the number one barrier to increasing the number of registered nurses in the workforce is the lack of qualified nurse educators. In fact, from 2016–2022, there were more than 77,000 unique job postings for nurse educators in the United States. This problem commanded action by the college, and in the near future, we will begin admitting students to our newly launched Master of Science in Nursing Education program. This degree will allow our graduates to begin preparing the next generation of nursing students around the country, addressing the critical shortage of nurses in all settings.

The nurse educator shortage is not unique to the U.S.; it is a global phenomenon, and to assist the development of nurse faculty abroad, we have partnered with Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (HKMU) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to support four Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science students who will become senior faculty members upon their return to Tanzania after graduation.

Our partnership with HKMU also includes a group of undergraduate students who complete their community/public health clinical education in Tanzania. As a recent participant with our students over the summer, I experienced firsthand the collaboration while in a remote mountain village of Tanzania, training alongside 14 UC and seven HKMU nursing students. The experience was humbling and reminded me of my public health nursing experiences working in a shelter clinic where I needed to “do more with less” while still yielding effective clinical outcomes. We are incredibly proud of our partnership with HKMU and its potential in education, research and professional development.

I hope you enjoy this issue of UC Nursing Magazine. Not only will you read more about our global health program, but you will also be introduced to four extraordinary nurse leaders and entrepreneurs, as well as several examples of our alumni demonstrating health policymaking in action.

Gordon Lee Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN Professor & Interim Dean, UC College of Nursing

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IN MEMORIAM

BOARD OF ADVISORS

UC College of Nursing mourns the loss of the following alumni:

The College of Nursing is grateful for the contributions of this prestigious group of business and health care representatives and community volunteers who serve on our Board of Advisors. Committed to providing strategic counsel, creating community awareness and assisting in the obtainment of financial support, these individuals provide students with increased opportunities in their educational endeavors, as well as sage advice to the dean and his faculty and staff.

1940s Carol Fairchild Marjorie Hunter 1950s Shirley Bayne Susan Faust Elinor Selkirk Jean Kent Virginia Niemeyer Joan Beard Barbara Taylor 1960s Edna Menke

1970s Elizabeth Jaspers Carol Cook Jeanne Stiffler James Ruff Susan Benson Randi Gulseth Dennis Taulbee 1980s Robert Brautigan Carolyn Miller Laurie Casey Lois Baker Marilyn Clements Nancy Ruben Linda Flesch

1990s Janet Smith Janet Dixon Sue Orban Cynthia Van Ausdal 2000s Rhett Leibecke Linda Johnson Michelle Platt 2010s Linda Murray Javon Fagin Eric Faris

This list was provided from July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023. If any alumni have been inadvertently omitted, please contact Program Director of Alumni and Donor Experience, Gage Woolley, at woollegb@foundation.uc.edu.

Board Members We are saddened to learn of the passing of Board of Advisor members David Wells and Sandy Laney and share our heartfelt appreciation for their contributions through years of service.

Board Members Juan Manuel Arredondo Meggen Brown Cynthia Fitton Lana Hackworth Bradley Jackson Tim McGowan Rino Munda Susan Opas Judy Ribak Buffie Rixey Alice Rose Derek van Amerongen Robert Wiwi Emeriti Directors Joseph Campanella Lois Doyle Trudy Fullen Hallie Higgins Ann Kiggen Miriam Kinard Marjorie Motch Patricia Schroer David Widmann Andrea Wiot Honorary Clive Bennett Ex-Officio Members Gordon Gillespie Matt Pearce

Fall 2023 | 5

Study Abroad Gives

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON NURSING Undergraduate students expand their horizons in Thailand, Tanzania and the United Kingdom.

Sophia Laudenslayer chose to travel 8,000 miles from home to Tanzania with UC College of Nursing faculty and classmates to complete her community clinical requirement. In the end, she got much more than course credit.

“Nursing is so much more, so much bigger than we think it is,” Laudenslayer says. “We get a lot of different hospital rotations in UC’s nursing program, which are great, but to be able to experience it in another country kind of breaks the barriers of what you think nursing really is.”

By: Laura Toerner

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Laudenslayer is among 54 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students who traveled abroad with the college

during the 2022–23 school year.

Others spent one or two weeks in the U.K. and Thailand. Developed and delivered by faculty specially for UC’s nursing students, these trips deepen resilience, empathy and cultural responsiveness — skills critical for the next generation of nurses, tasked with providing more complex care and advancing health equity.

The driver of these efforts, Kate York, PhD, FNP, RN, assistant professor and director of Global Health Nursing for the college, has worked since 2016 to create impactful learning experiences abroad by building partnerships with nursing instructors and institutions across the globe. Unlike mission trips,

the college’s study abroad program emphasizes learning alongside health providers and nursing students in other countries.

“We’re not traveling to places to help.

We’re there to learn,” York says.

The trips align with and enhance undergraduate coursework. York’s Global Health course includes an optional weeklong trip to London, where students learn how medicine, hygiene and patient care have evolved throughout history in other parts of the world. Experiences in Thailand and Tanzania are two weeks and provide the 84 hours of hands-on learning required for the program’s Population, Public and Community Health Nursing course.

With pandemic travel restrictions in the rearview mirror, York looks to expand study abroad opportunities to include more faculty leaders, international partners in South America and scholarship funding to open trips to more students.

“While we are able to offer some financial support to students

through UC International’s program grants, additional collegefunded scholarships would open opportunities to many more students,” York says. “This should be an equitable opportunity that’s available to everyone.”

For those students who have studied abroad, the experience leaves a lasting mark. Take it from alumna Anne Ryan, who traveled to Thailand.

“There’s nothing more important in nursing than being culturally aware.

I think the experience will serve me throughout my entire nursing career,” she says. (continued on next page)

UC and Boromarajonani College of Nursing students on a home visit in Ton Tan, Thailand.

We get a lot of different “hospital rotations in UC’s

nursing program, which are great, but to be able to experience it in another country kind of breaks the barriers of what you think nursing really is.

”

— Sophia Laudenslayer, BSN ‘23

Fall 2023 | 7

“more important There’s nothing

in nursing than being culturally aware. I think the experience will serve me throughout my entire nursing career.

”

— Anne Ryan, BSN ’23

UC and HKMU students assess the community in Mwangoi, Tanzania.

The Tanzania Experience York did her doctoral research in Tanzania and later taught at Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (HKMU) in Dar es Salaam. Because of her solid local connections, the college now collaborates with HKMU to create a multicultural learning experience for students.

To go on this and other international clinical trips, students must apply through UC International and complete an interview with faculty that assesses students’ expectations for the trip, how they deal with uncomfortable or stressful situations and other personality traits. Selected third-year students complete a semester-long independent study course before the trip to become more familiar with the country and prepare for immersing themselves in their rural destination, which could push them beyond their comfort zone.

As students are divided into two groups to work in separate rural locations, York recruits UC Nursing faculty to join the trips and offer additional support. Faculty members Jeff Trees, DNP, RN; Deasa Dorsey, RN; and Interim Dean Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN, traveled with York this summer.

“The students and I were humbled by our experiences within the Tanzanian community,” Gillespie says. “I was most impressed with the students’ ability to adapt to a new environment, trying new foods and quickly learning new words in Swahili.”

The study abroad experience is eye-opening for many.

“Some of us got to see a hysterectomy there,” says Gabriella Iordache, who went on the Tanzania trip this past May. “The power went out twice and the backup generator had to kick on.

Just seeing how calm everyone was and how normal it was to deal with that and still successfully do surgery — one of the big takeaways for me was that you can do so much with limited resources.”

UC students got a chance to be more hands-on when they and the Tanzanian students designed education programs to improve community health outcomes.

“We met with the leaders of the village and discussed what they thought was necessary, and then each day we got to round at the health center,” Iordache says. “It was interesting to see what was the same for us and what was different. I think there were a lot of similarities that we didn’t realize.”

Laudenslayer adds, “The biggest takeaway I have is how relational their nursing care is, focused on the person, not the task. It’s not a checklist kind of nursing there; it’s more individual to the patient and very family centered.

That really opened my eyes to my nursing.”

Their trip concluded with a tour of HKMU and a stop in Zanzibar, where the group learned the port’s history in the slave trade and saw the centuryold tortoises of Prison Island. Working closely with the Tanzanian nursing

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students was a highlight of the trip for both Iordache and Laudenslayer.

They keep in touch through social media and said they would love to host the Tanzanian students in turn at UC.

(Below left) Interim Dean Gordon Gillespie, UC and HKMU students prepare to observe a surgery at the Kangagai Health Center in Mwangoi, Tanzania.

(Below right) UC and Boromarajonani College of Nursing students teach the community about nutrition in PhraPutthabat, Thailand.

The Thailand Experience

participate in cultural exchange with the Thai students.”

In Thailand, the college’s academic partner is the Boromarajonani College of Nursing (BCN).

Alumna Anna Schultz, BSN ’23, went to Thailand this past May.

Study abroad in Thailand caps the Population, Public and Community Health Nursing course offered during fall semester of students’ fourth year. Over the 2022 winter break, York, Trees and Carolyn Smith, associate dean for research and director of the college’s PhD and graduate Occupational Health Nursing programs, led two groups to rural communities north of Bangkok, where BCN faculty members and proud UC College of Nursing PhD alumni teach.

“The program is very similar to Tanzania,” York says. “Our students work with the Thai students out in the communities. They’re partnered up and do home visits with elderly people and people at risk. They live in the dormitories, collaborate on health education programs and

“It was awesome to be partnered with the Thai students,” she says. “It was definitely hard with the language barrier, but we made it work. When we weren’t in school, we were hanging out, we played volleyball, they would take us to markets to pick up food for dinner.”

She says she was impressed by the kindness and humility the Thai nursing students showed in providing care and by the broader role that nurses have in Thailand than in the U.S. health care system.

Ryan appreciated how immersive the experience was.

“I think what’s unique is that the trip wasn’t mission oriented. I wasn’t there to help people — I was there to learn myself,” she says. “I was there to be put outside of my comfort zone, and there were so many times I was put outside my comfort zone!”

The Thailand study abroad tour included an overnight train voyage to Chiang Mai and its famous temples, a trip to an elephant rescue park and a visit to a night market.

Joan Luebering contributed to this story.

HELP US GROW THE PROGRAM Experiences such as the ones in this story impact our students beyond their two-week immersion — they shape who they become as practicing nurses. Ideally, such meaningful experiences should be equitably available to students regardless of their financial situation.

If you would like to support our program so our trips are accessible to more students, please contact Matt Pearce, assistant vice president of development, at pearcemt@foundation.uc.edu.

Fall 2023 | 9

EMPOWERING DIVERSE STUDENTS,

Breaking Down Cultural Barriers Partnership with regional institutions aims to increase diversity among bachelor’s-prepared pediatric nurses.

A partnership between Cincinnati Children’s and regional institutions, including the UC College of Nursing, is supporting associate degree nursing students through their two-year program and a successive bachelor’s program to improve access and care for minority and medically underserved populations.

they receive mentorship from Cincinnati Children’s nurses and work at the health system as patient care assistants.

After graduating and passing the licensure exam, scholars are hired as RNs at Cincinnati Children’s and receive tuition reimbursement as they pursue their bachelor’s degree online at UC.

Cincinnati Children’s, ranked first in the nation among pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, linked with UC College of Nursing, UC Blue Ash (UCBA) and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC) to develop and implement the Cincinnati Children’s Scholars program, meant to increase diversity among bachelor’s-prepared pediatric nurses. In May, 10 nurses in the scholars program’s first cohort graduated from UC’s RN to BSN online program.

“Minority nursing students tend to be more represented in two-year associate programs, which are less expensive than the four-year bachelor’s and allow for earlier workforce entry. However, many organizations, including Cincinnati Children’s, favor hiring bachelor’s-prepared nurses,” says Becky Lee, PhD, MSN, RN, PHCNS-BC, CTN-A, FTNSS, associate professor and director of UC’s RN to BSN online program. “Creating opportunities for the advancement of associate-prepared nurses is crucial for increasing representation in the profession.”

Research shows racial and ethnic diversity in the nursing workforce leads to better access and care for patients. A lack of nursing diversity reinforces cultural barriers related to language, health provider bias and clinical uncertainty.

“These students understand the needs of diverse patients and are determined to be part of the solution,” says Jennifer Ellis, DNP, RN, CNE, professor at UCBA nursing program and Cincinnati Children’s Scholars program liaison. “This program provides them the support to make this happen and makes our students feel wanted and seen.”

UCBA and CSTCC nursing students are introduced to the scholars program during their pediatric rotation in the first year of their associate degree. Program applications and scholar selection take place in the fall of their second year, and the program kicks off in mid-November. From there,

To enter the scholars program, applicants submit an essay that addresses why they are interested in pediatric nursing and the positive impact they hope to make as an RN at Cincinnati Children’s. A faculty recommendation and a minimum GPA are also required. Since it began in 2020, the program has accepted 30 students through its three cohorts to date.

“By supporting minority students interested in pediatric nursing throughout their associate and bachelor’s programs, the Cincinnati Children’s Scholars program has created a pipeline of racially and ethnically underrepresented nurses,” says Barb Tofani, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president of patient services, at Cincinnati Children’s. “We want our patients to see themselves reflected in us — to know they can grow up to be nurses, doctors and administration leaders, too.”

By: Evelyn Fleider

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want our patients “to We see themselves

reflected in us — to know they can grow up to be nurses, doctors and administration leaders, too.

”

­­— Barb Tofani, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Fall 2023 | 11

Nursing Skills Impacting

State Policymaking Alumna’s nursing background helps her make informed decisions and advocate for constituents.

By: Laura Toerner

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Rachel Baker is applying her nursing skills to Ohio public policymaking.

Baker, a UC Bachelor of Science and PhD in Nursing graduate, was elected to the state House of Representatives for the 27th district, which includes parts of Cincinnati’s east side. Since taking office in January 2023, she has leveraged her nursing background and professional connections to make decisions and involve the community in statewide issues.

and realized nurses’ skills would translate well to policymaking.

For Baker, a nurse scientist for Cincinnati-based health system TriHealth Inc., political aspirations were not in her purview until the pandemic took hold. After watching local elected officials make decisions about health and safety, she became more aware of government processes

As a nurse scientist, Baker works with bedside nurses at TriHealth locations to answer clinical questions with current research and available data. If neither exists to answer the question at hand, she collaborates with nurses to design a research study and publish or present the findings locally

“This light bulb went off that nurses should be at the table doing this, because this is what we do,” Baker says. “We make hard decisions with patients. We incorporate lots of viewpoints and different priorities, we collaborate with different people and we’re the person who brings it all together. And to bring those skills to legislation would be amazing.”

or nationally. As a recent example, Baker worked with post-anesthesia care unit nurses to investigate the optimal time to remove a patient’s oxygen mask after a procedure. Their study found that keeping the mask on 15 minutes longer reduced instances of nausea and vomiting, common side effects of anesthesia.

More than research and evidencebased practice, Baker’s background centers on relationship-building and advocacy. She earned her first bachelor’s degree and a master’s in social work, but after observing nurses as a medical social worker, she felt called to the nursing profession.

“I thought, Oh my gosh, I love this, because it still has the relationship aspect — the support and advocacy part of social work — but with more science,” she says.

She enrolled in UC’s accelerated nursing degree program and went on to earn a PhD in nursing.

“UC absolutely prepared me for my role, and I had a great experience there,” she says. “I was challenged and pushed further and further along, so it had a huge impact.”

Already, Baker has applied her experience building relationships and advocating for others as a social worker, bedside nurse and nurse researcher to policymaking; she is working across the aisle to champion bipartisan legislation that would modernize the state’s adoption code.

Baker says she and others brought together as many adoption-related groups as possible for feedback, including public and private adoption organizations, the state’s Department of Job and Family Services, parents and many more. With as much input

and consideration baked into the bill, it unanimously moved through the House.

Along with improving the lives of Ohioans, Baker hopes her work will show other nurses they can make a difference in policymaking.

“I think all nurses should be researchers and they could all be policymakers, too,” she says. “Nurses have a lot of skills to bring, so I’m hoping more nurses get involved.”

The college’s Interim Dean Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN, has worked with Baker in academic and professional settings for more than a decade and looks forward to following her political career.

UC absolutely “prepared me for my

role...I was challenged and pushed further and further along, so it had a huge

”

impact.

— Rachel Baker, PhD, RN, CRN-BC

“I’m proud to know Rachel personally,” he says. “I can attest that she is highly ethical, compassionate and competent and will continue to be an amazing legislator.”

Baker also serves as an adjunct professor for UC College of Nursing.

She teaches online courses in Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice and Research and Best Evidence for Clinical Reasoning.

Rachel Baker takes the oath of office during a Jan. 3, 2023, ceremony.

SCAN CODE FOR INFORMATION ON BIG HEALTH POLICY ISSUES YOU CAN IMPACT NOW.

Fall 2023 | 13

NP to a HIGHER DEGREE Alumna Amanda Rumpke’s DNP project standardized privileges for advanced practitioners across a health system, improving care access and workforce agility.

By: Laura Toerner

Amanda Rumpke did not realize she was already doing doctorate-level work at her job until a UC Nursing faculty and mentor told her so. That was when she started to consider earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

“I was talking to her a little bit about a system-wide project I was leading and how I thought it was going to impact not only overall care outcomes but also care access and elevation of advanced practice clinicians to the top of their scope of practice,” Rumpke, DNP, APRN-CNP, says.

Amanda Rumpke DNP, APRN-CNP, (on right) and colleagues Noel Lakes, CMA, and Gregory Colangelo, MD.

Her mentor Christine Colella, DNP, APRN-CNP, FAAP, who has since retired from UC College of Nursing, told Rumpke that her work sounded like a project required of the college’s DNP program, which involves planning, implementing and evaluating an initiative that impacts health outcomes on a systems or population level.

“So, she helped frame it for me,” says Rumpke, who also earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from UC.

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When she entered the Post-Master’s DNP online program, she found her job closely aligned with the coursework. Rumpke serves as the system director of advanced practice clinicians for Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the largest health systems in the U.S. and where she supports 1,200 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) across four states: Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and South Carolina.

Rumpke’s DNP project focused on a key finding within the health system: APRNs and PAs, especially those in hospitals, were underutilized — not because of legal limitations, but due to internal privileges, which are the services a health worker is permitted to perform based on their credentials and previous performance. To complicate the matter, the system’s rules and privileges varied widely among its hospitals and other sites.

All of this translated to reduced patient care access. It saddled advanced practitioners with undue or burdensome physician oversight and prevented them from performing to the full extent of their licensure.

It also made the health system incapable of flexing to critical staff shortages brought on by emergencies like, say, a global pandemic.

So, Rumpke and colleagues set out to standardize rules across the system.

They took hundreds of documents and condensed them into 11 templates that align with APRN and PA national certification standards and developed best practices for qualifications, core privileges and specialty privileges.

It’s about spelling “ out what each clinical discipline does and,

rather than saying that one replaces the other, truly embracing the differences and how those compliment all

”

the other disciplines .

— Amanda Rumpke, DNP ’23

From there, she and others vetted the templates in focus groups with each clinical group. Several hospitals adopted the templates outright and many adopted them with modifications. While Rumpke continues to collect data to show results of her work, she says the sites that embraced the changes have streamlined and broadened access to patient care and opened themselves to new opportunities for cross-training among advanced practitioners and physicians to improve skills and bolster confidence.

“It makes for a better team environment when our patients have access and our providers can learn from one another,” she says.

Changes have also fostered a greater understanding of APRNs’ role among physicians and even other nurses, who often are not included in credentialing committees or medical staff executive meetings where leaders discuss provider privileges.

“Sometimes in a Magnet facility a CNO (chief nursing officer) might be included, but even the CNO, as a former bedside nurse, doesn’t always have the understanding of the scope of practice of an advanced practice nurse or a PA,” she says. “Part of this

work was really partnering with the nursing leaders who were already a part of these conversations.”

In addition to physician leaders, Rumpke engaged CNOs and clinical nurse executives in intentional dialogue to help them understand the capabilities of their workforce and how to move forward together to capitalize on those skills and support her project work.

Beyond improving care access and coordination at individual sites, a standard set of privileges across Bon Secours Mercy Health makes the system more fluid and better able to respond to emergencies. If, for example, a mass casualty event happened and overwhelmed one hospital’s emergency room, the system could quickly mobilize a team from another hospital to help.

“And it wouldn’t be a big deal, because they would be stepping into the same privileges that they’re in right now, utilizing the same skills,” she says. “You can’t predict these things. I can’t predict the next pandemic. But, by golly, I want to make sure that my workforce is ready.” (continued on next page)

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“ amazing leader and

[Rumpke] is an

the impact of her project on the facility where she works will serve as an example for other health care systems.

”

— Mandi Cafasso, DNP, APRN, CPNP

The health system plans to fully implement Rumpke’s work by the end of next year and is preparing to do the same for all clinical disciplines, including physicians.

Outside of her full-time job, Rumpke advocates for APRN autonomy. She has served as the co-director of the southwest region for the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN) and, for the past year, as president-elect. This fall, she began a yearlong term as president and will continue to support full-practice authority for all Ohio’s APRNs. “We’ll work hard with our legal team, with our lobbyists, with our legislators in the state of Ohio to grow autonomy for Ohio APRNs because it matters to the health of Ohioans,” she says.

Mandi Cafasso, DNP, APRN, CPNP, assistant professor and director of the college’s DNP program, says Rumpke’s project is a model of how doctorate-level students and nurses can drive change in health care.

Amanda Rumpke and her daughter at the Doctoral Hooding and Master’s Recognition Ceremony.

“[Rumpke] is an amazing leader and the impact of her project on the facility where she works will serve as an example for other health care systems,” says Cafasso, who also works with Rumpke through the OAAPN, calling attention to the benefits of APRNs providing care to the full extent of their education and training.

Wondering if you can earn a DNP? You can.

Despite her demonstrated leadership skills and system operations savvy, at times, even Rumpke cannot believe her own achievements. She started with her associate degree and took a stepwise path to get to the doctorate level, which she appreciates the profession offers.

“I was so fortunate to be able to do it this way, because I was able to take time away from my education to have a family, to have a social life, to build my career.”

When deciding whether she would go ahead with the DNP program, Rumpke says the hardest part was overcoming the idea of it.

“That sounds silly, but once I convinced myself I could do it, it was just one foot in front of the other,” she says. “It was hard, it was time consuming, it was a part of my life for three years, but it wasn’t insurmountable. It was do-able even in the context of full-time employment and full-time mommyhood and all the other things.”

Rumpke gives ample credit to the faculty at UC College of Nursing for their mentorship and support along the way.

“We really do have an impressive faculty at UC and, honestly, I do not believe that is true everywhere,” she says. “I have been blessed to have those people in my corner.”

SCAN CODE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR DNP PROGRAMS.

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Leading the Way: NURSE ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR

Make Possibility a Reality

Four alumni seized the opportunity to start their own businesses.

Now they are helping patients and communities in their own ways.

Cleopatra Kum knew she wanted to establish a business with a familycentered care model that allowed older adults to age in place. But entrepreneurship concepts were not a part of her nursing education.

“It was hard at the beginning because, as you might guess, as a nurse I had close to no entrepreneurial knowledge,” says Kum, a 2021 graduate of UC’s PhD in Nursing program and a UC College of Nursing faculty member.

With help from regional organizations and mentors in the business and nursing fields, along with many hours of business trainings and research,

By: Laura Toerner

Kum made it happen. After going through the process, she hopes to bring more awareness to entrepreneurship in nursing and inspire other nurses, especially nurses of color.

For decades, health organizations like the Institute of Medicine and American Nurses Association have called for more support for nurses to lead in creating and adopting innovative care models, health devices, IT products and more. On the frontlines of health care, nurses are poised to recognize these opportunities, yet only 0.5% to 1% of working nurses worldwide are entrepreneurs.

(continued on next page)

Fall 2023 | 17

Kum and several other UC Nursing alumni and women of color are part of that small group who took a risk to improve access and patient care delivery. Their lived experiences bring an added understanding of the cultural and practical needs of their communities, and they serve as an example and resource for others in the profession who did not previously see themselves reflected in the nursing or health care entrepreneurship fields.

I recognize my role as a role model for other Black women who want to establish businesses in health care, and I take that really seriously,” Kum says.

Get to know Kum, plus three more UC Nursing alumnae — Anyinke Atabong, Randi Horne and Corinn Taylor — and learn why they chose to venture out on their own, how they have achieved success as entrepreneurs and how they are helping their patients and communities thrive.

“I recognize that I am one of few people who has ventured into business, and

Cleopatra Kum, PhD ’22 Cleopatra Kum’s culture emphasizes caregiving, especially for elderly community members.

Kum, PhD, lived in Cameroon, Africa, until about a decade ago when she emigrated to the U.S. to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She quickly saw an opportunity, or perhaps a necessity, for a nurse to build a better home health care model for older adults.

So, she did.

“I did home health care nursing for other agencies, and I learned the people in charge were businesspeople and not nurses,” she says. “I wanted to create a family-centered model that worked for the good of the patient.”

In 2016, Kum founded Family Support Care LLC, a Medicare-accredited home health agency that provides skilled and non-skilled, in-home nursing care to patients in Southwestern Ohio. The agency now employs 18 health care workers and hopes to expand. Rather than focus on the bottom line only, as she observed while working for other home health care providers, Kum’s agency strikes a balance between profit and people.

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“Every member of the team understands that what matters is better outcomes for the patient and making sure patients get to the highest level of comfort in their homes,” she says.

“It was a blessing because I’m from a culture of caregiving. We take care of our elders. We respect white hair.

People age in place. And I brought that perspective to health care.”

Along with the typical hurdles to starting a business — securing financing, meeting legal obligations and understanding operational needs — as an immigrant, Kum also had to learn how U.S. systems function and build a personal network from the ground up.

But her background is not a barrier. It is blessing, she says.

Kum, who earned her PhD in 2022 from the University of Cincinnati and now serves as an assistant professor, hopes to build awareness around entrepreneurship in nursing and to health care as a career for immigrants and minorities.

Anyinke Atabong, Post-MSN Certificate ’17 It is perhaps no surprise that Anyinke “Anyi” Atabong started her own clinic focused on mental health and wellness.

Early in her career as an emergency department nurse, she felt a pull toward patients with psychiatric needs.

“My colleagues started realizing this and would say, ‘Those are Anyi’s patients,’ and I would say, ‘Yeah, you give them to me. I’ll take care of them.’”

In that same environment, Atabong recognized a need for more specialized mental health care and resources. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Family Nursing and, while providing primary care and occupational health care to patients of all ages, she continued to see mental health challenges.

“That’s when I realized, wow, this mental health thing is really serious,” she says.

Atabong went back to school again, this time to UC, to earn a Post-Master’s Certificate in Psych-Mental Health Nursing. Afterward, she worked in community care clinics, including one for medically underserved populations, building her experience in mental health care. Still, starting her own clinic was not in her plan, but a relative with experience opening health care practices floated the idea. Years later, when he approached her again, she took him up on it.

“Having my own practice is actually better for me, because I get to do what I want the way I want and, [it] allows us to focus on each patient as much as needed” she says.

Atabong’s clinic, based in Crofton, Maryland, opened in 2019 and employs two psych-mental health nurse practitioners and a psychotherapist, in addition to several graduate nursing students she precepts. Her clinic offers mental health services, substance abuse disorder treatment and weight loss counseling for patients who gain weight as a side effect of their prescriptions.

She also prescribes medical marijuana for chronic pain management as an alternative to opioids.

As a person of color and the daughter of immigrants — her parents came to the U.S. from Cameroon, Africa — Atabong is familiar with the cultural norms that impact mental health, especially in Black communities.

“There’s a lot of stigma, and that’s a barrier that I’m really trying to penetrate and break,” she says.

In the long term, Atabong hopes to return to Africa to work on mental health-related projects. She and her siblings lived there as young adults, completing high school in Cameroon at the insistence of their parents, who wanted them to understand and appreciate their lineage.

“That’s how, he would say, we bring flavor to the world,” she says.

Fall 2023 | 19

Randi Horne, MSN ’15 Randi Horne has taken every opportunity to further her nursing career, and it has paid dividends. Now, she owns a concierge business, offering facial injectables and skin care in her hometown of Houston, Texas.

While working in orthopedic surgery, she took a per diem position in a plastic surgery practice, which piqued her interest in the industry. On her off days, she chose to shadow an aesthetics nurse in the clinic, while also taking care of post-surgery patients in their homes.

By the time she began earning her Master of Science in Nursing in adultgerontology primary care at UC during her period as a travel nurse in Florida, she had her mind set. To work toward her career goal, Horne chose to

complete clinical hours in dermatology and plastic surgery clinics. After graduation, she began working for a medical spa with locations across the U.S. “Seeing the growth in demand for aesthetic procedures allowed me to know that transitioning to that area would be a great move. I took every opportunity to deep dive into all the different treatments and mechanisms they had for aesthetic medicine.”

When COVID led to the shutdown of dermatology and plastic surgery offices, Horne leveraged her industry connections and became a dispensing account for Skin Better Science, a L’oréal brand medical-grade cosmeceutical. Once established, she added facial injectable treatments to her services. She offers these services on a concierge basis, meaning by appointment only in a non-traditional clinical setting.

Since 2021, Horne has impacted the aesthetics industry on a broader scale.

Again, seizing a career opportunity, she accepted a full-time job as an aesthetic research nurse practitioner at Allergan Aesthetics, where she applies her nursing and aesthetics knowledge to collaborate with engineers, scientists, marketers and commercial staff in the research and development of body contouring treatments.

When Horne entered the field, she did not see herself reflected in the profession, but she did not give it a second thought.

“I didn’t see that as a barrier for me, and now that I’ve been in this field almost 10 years, I’ve seen it grow, especially with trying to provide services for patients of color,” Horne says. “I have so much fun explaining skincare and skin health to people of color, because that’s not something people of color focus on.”

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Corinn Taylor, MSN ’01 It took Corinn Taylor decades to realize her own strength and find her purpose.

As one of five children living in poverty in a single-parent household in Toledo, Ohio, Taylor developed an unyielding resilience that she used to defy others’ expectations and earn her diploma in nursing and a UC Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Community Health Nursing. She worked in health care leadership roles and, at the same time, earned an EdD in organizational leadership. During her career journey, she got married and raised three children.

At one point, however, Taylor says she recognized that women tend to put the needs of their families first and often push aside their individual needs and wants.

“I noticed in the conversations I was having that, as women, we were always putting ourselves second,” she says. “It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I

figured out who I was and the impact I have, so I’m using my story to inspire others.”

Taylor says she realized she was more than a wife and mother and had everything inside her to achieve her dreams and take care of her family. At 49, she is sharing this story of selfdiscovery and teaching others how to put themselves first. In 2020, Taylor launched Dr. Corinn, a brand that aims to empower and inspire Black women to discover the healing power of selfcare and self-love to be the best version of themselves.

To start, Taylor wrote a book, The Journey of Self-Discovery: Tapping into your Inner Power and Purpose, which teaches readers how to manage stress, be more resilient, have healthier relationships, achieve better health outcomes and make lasting changes in their lives through self-care and self-love strategies. Since then, Taylor has expanded the brand to include a self-guided, six-week journal that

focuses on the techniques in her book, as well as workshops, full courses, merchandise and monthly boxes of self-care products.

Taylor also established a nonprofit called The Empowerment Foundation to empower and uplift the Black community by providing resources and support to help individuals become the best version of themselves. Through the foundation, Taylor offers mentorship programming, educational workshops and health and wellness programs.

Through her book and programming, Taylor drives the message that, if you believe in yourself, have a growth mindset and stay resilient in the face of adversity, anything is possible. To aspiring Black nurses, she offers, “Believe in yourself that you can do anything you put your mind to. Despite all the things that come to us as Black nurses and Black women, it still can be done.”

Fall 2023 | 21

We See Leaders

@ucnursing linkedin.com/school/ university-of-cincinnaticollege-of-nursing

@uc_nursing uccollegeofnursing

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Fall 2023 | 23

U C

N U R S I N G

S T U D E N T S

A R E

READY REVERSE to

O P I O I D By: Laura Toerner

O V E R D O S E

UC Nursing students, faculty and staff prepared in late spring to take on one of the worst public health disasters in United States history.

About 50 people volunteered to participate in a training TRAINED offered by the college in partnership with Hamilton County Public Health and Harm Reduction Ohio on the signs that a person is experiencing an opioid overdose and how to administer six brands of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, including Narcan. The county’s public health department also provided participants with Narcan nasal spray and fentanyl test strips.

“Overdose deaths continue to rise across the country and in Ohio. We need people to carry naloxone and be prepared to use it in case of an emergency because anyone can save a life with naloxone,” says Tasha Turner-Bicknell, DNP, RN, CPH, who co-led the training and serves as director of UC’s Public Health Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and post-bachelor’s certificate programs.

Drug overdose deaths skyrocketed across the U.S. in 2021, increasing CRISIS 30% over the previous year, driven by synthetic opioids like illegally made fentanyl, which are highly potent and hard to detect without a test. Fentanyl has made its

24 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

W I T H

N A R C A N

way into stimulants like cocaine, crack cocaine, meth and counterfeit Xanax, oxycodone and Adderall.

That is why, Turner-Bicknell says, even people who use stimulants should know they could experience an opioid overdose. She shared that drug overdose deaths from the opioid heroin have declined during the past decade as methamphetamines and cocaine deaths have spiked. In 2021, only 180 deaths in Ohio were attributed to heroin, compared to 2,750 from cocaine and meth. To make matters worse, an animal tranquilizer called xylazine has been increasingly found in combination with fentanyl and linked to overdose deaths across the nation.

In response to the increase in drug overdose deaths, the ACT NOW U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray for sale over the counter, meaning people can purchase naloxone without a prescription.

Turner-Bicknell says many people who use drugs cannot afford to purchase Narcan, but others around them can now more easily access it.

“You never know who’s using drugs or when someone could overdose in your home or in a restaurant,” she says. “I keep one in my car and on my person. I’ve used mine in a bar.”

Ben Greenwell, a fourth-year UC Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Tasha Turner-Bicknell’s Public Health Journey I started working in harm reduction in 2014. Like many people, I had lost friends and loved ones to opioid overdoses. Coming from a working-class Appalachian family, I was particularly concerned with the devastation we were seeing in those communities. So, as a nurse, I searched for and found a strong body of evidence-based interventions that weren’t being implemented widely in our area.

I began volunteering with Cincinnati’s first syringe service program, and after waiting a few months for my first shift, I worked directly with program participants every week for the next three years. Around that period, I started a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and developed a DNP project focused on quality improvement for syringe distribution models based on a recommendation for needs-based syringe distribution from the CDC that was not being implemented in our area.

After graduating from the program, I continued to work in harm reduction and overdose prevention. I was asked to join the Board of Directors for Harm Reduction Ohio, on which I still serve. I have worked as a naloxone train-the-trainer to provide community members and lay persons with the knowledge, skills and abilities to train people in their own community on how to use naloxone. Today, we have an incredible group of grassroots leaders and community members who provide training and distribute naloxone across the state.

In 2021, I partnered with Caracole to bring the first harm reduction vending machine to the Midwest, which made Ohio the second state in the country to leverage this technology. Through the vending machine, people have access to naloxone, safer sex supplies, safer smoking supplies and safer injection supplies, among other harm reduction items. Our initiative brought hundreds of requests from other states for information and mentoring in setting up machines.

student who attended the training, says he witnessed providers administering Narcan during his co-op at Cincinnati Children’s, “Obviously, you don’t want to have to use it at any point, but if a situation arises, it’s a great thing to know how to use,” he says.

AmandaLynn Reese, director of programming for Harm Reduction Ohio, who led the second half of the training, emphasized naloxone’s (continued on page 26)

Currently, I collaborate with community partners to increase access to wound care for people who use drugs to keep them out of hospitals. As more street drugs are altered by suppliers to include other harmful ingredients, more people who use drugs are experiencing wounds that frontline harm reduction workers cannot address, so they end up in emergency rooms which is not an appropriate place to treat nonemergent conditions.

I also serve as a subject matter expert and consultant for organizations looking to increase their capacity for harm reduction services through training and education.

I hope we can increase engagement with communities not currently being served, increase access to health care by embedding medical services in syringe programs and continue working across sectors with diverse partners to monitor and mitigate the flow of dangerous substances into the drug supply, which is the known leading cause of overdose death.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE about our Public Health Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice or graduate certificate?

Contact Tasha Turner-Bicknell at turnerta@ucmail.uc.edu.

Fall 2023 | 25

safety. The medication, which works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, does not cause any significant side effects. An opioid-dependent person, however, may experience withdrawal symptoms after receiving naloxone. That is why it is important to treat people who use drugs with compassion and respect, Reese says.

“Your interaction with this person can validate or negate relationships that other health professionals have been building,” she says.

In fact, harm reduction is all about building relationships with people EMPOWER who use drugs. Within this framework, public health nurses and other professionals work directly with drug-dependent individuals, providing them with health care access and resources that empower them to take control of their health.

Turner-Bicknell, a Harm Reduction Ohio board member, says, “The reality is that people use drugs — not just a little but a lot. My goal is to meet them where they are, just as they are, and offer them the services they need today.”

The collaboration with local agencies to offer the training supports the college’s commitment to strengthen partnerships with local and global organizations, as well as UC’s urban impact agenda, which is part of its Next Lives Here strategic plan.

The reality is that people use drugs — “ not just a little but a lot. My goal is to meet them where they are, just as they are, and offer them the services they need today.

”

— Tasha Turner-Bicknell, DNP, RN, CPH

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NEW FACULTY Introductions Sayonara Barbosa, Assistant Professor Sayonara Barbosa received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and PhD in health informatics from the Federal University of São Paulo, both in Brazil. She was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins University and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. Her research and teaching focus on the development and evaluation of different health informatics applications to improve health outcomes and patient safety in a multidisciplinary approach.

Paul Norrod, Assistant Professor Paul Norrod holds a BSN from Tennessee Technological University, a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Kentucky. His research focuses on rural and occupational mental health and suicide, and he currently serves as co-investigator on a CDC-NIOSH grant aimed at developing a mental health navigator network to prevent farmer suicide in the Southeast Region of the U.S.

Madison Daudet, Clinical Nursing Instructor Madison Daudet received both her BSN and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in simulation from Robert Morris University. Prior to joining UC in January 2022 as the nursing simulation coordinator for an HRSA grant, she worked as a progressive cardiac care and perioperative nurse in Pittsburgh.

Kathy Oliphant, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing and Director of Systems Leadership Programs Kathy Oliphant received her BSN from the University of Akron, followed by an MSN in nursing administration from UC and a DNP in health systems leadership from Mount St. Joseph University. Her career has encompassed clinical and administrative leadership positions, and she is passionate about adopting a holistic approach to improving outcomes for patients across the care continuum.

Glenna Kersten, Clinical Nursing Instructor Glenna Kersten completed her BSN at Utica College of Syracuse University, followed by an MSN in women’s health at UC, where she has worked as an adjunct instructor for the past 14 years. She also works as a nurse practitioner outside of Denver, Colorado, caring for patients across the lifespan and participating as a sub-investigator in clinical trials for medical treatment associated with endometriosis, leiomyoma and human papilloma virus.

Suzie Newell, Assistant Professor of Clinical Suzie Newell earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in nurse anesthesia from UC and has worked as an adjunct instructor for the college since graduating. Currently serving as an elected director for the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and as the president and co-founder of the Society of Obstetric Nurse Anesthesiology and Research, Newell’s extensive advocacy background includes a former presidency of the Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Amanda Yeager, Clinical Nursing Instructor Amanda Yeager received her MSN from UC, where she has taught in the nurse midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner programs since 2018. Currently pursuing a DNP at UC, her DNP project focuses on the development of a blended modality, interprofessional suturing education program for nurse midwifery students. Before joining UC, she worked in labor and delivery and an outpatient OB/GYN clinic in the Chicago area.

Christine Williamitis, Assistant Professor of Clinical Christine Williamitis received her BSN from Columbia Union College, an MSN from UC, a post-master’s certificate from the University of Louisville, a DNP from the University of Tennessee and a PhD from the University of Kentucky. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former flight nurse, she is an experienced nurse practitioner who is board-certified in acute care, family and psychiatric-mental health. Williamitis continues to work in inpatient and outpatient settings and is co-developer of the Moods-II assessment instrument for use with patients with intellectual and physical disability.

Fall 2023 | 27

Meet UC College of Nursing’s

New Leadership Team By: Evelyn Fleider

The college promoted three key faculty to its leadership team who will help advance its strategic focus and support student success. These leaders will inform and promote Interim Dean Gordon Gillespie’s strategic focus for the college, “Nursing POPS!,” which is based on four priorities — partnerships, opportunities, performance and support — and includes a purposeful focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Richard Prior, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

graduate, which speaks volumes for the quality of the education we provide.”

A U.S. Army retiree at the rank of colonel after 25 years of service, Richard Prior joined the college in 2016 as associate professor, later becoming director of evaluation and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Before this appointment, he served as interim associate dean for graduate programs.

Associate Dean for Research Carolyn Smith, PhD, RN, CNE

During his tenure, the college’s DNP program doubled in size, becoming one of the largest DNP programs in the U.S. Prior led the implementation of a system for managing more than 200 DNP projects and developed faculty to expertly advise both students and faculty chairs, ensuring student success through a multitude of COVID-19 and site-specific issues.

His previous experiences as a chief nursing officer/ deputy commander for nursing with the Army and deputy director of the family nurse practitioner program with Uniformed Services University provided him with realworld knowledge of the needs and challenges nurses, physicians, pharmacists and business managers face.

A fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners since 2010, Prior is a subject matter expert on the histories of Army Nursing and Army Medical Department. He has lectured internationally and has been published on a variety of topics related to the history of military medicine and primary care.

“I’m proud to follow in the footsteps of fantastic predecessors in this position and plan on developing valuable new programs, implementing strategies that increase student engagement and creating a culture and climate where students, staff and faculty feel they belong,” Prior says. “The UC College of Nursing is composed of a large diverse student population. These students become our biggest advocates once they

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Carolyn Smith has been with the college as a faculty member since 2008, progressing from adjunct clinical instructor to assistant professor on the tenure track and, finally, associate professor with tenure. Since last year, she has also served as the director of the PhD program and Occupational Health Nursing graduate program.

In those roles, Smith spearheaded the 10-year UC Graduate College review of the PhD program, the implementation of a new PhD candidacy examination by portfolio process and recruitment and admission activities for the first cohort of BSN to DNP students in occupational health nursing. She gathered data that informed decisions to better meet the needs of current students and make the programs more attractive to prospective students.

Smith’s independent research focuses on occupational health and safety, specifically mental health and violence exposure among health care professionals. She also serves as principal investigator for multiple extramurally funded research projects, including the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the NIH’s National Institute for Child Health and Human Development. She has been published in several peerreviewed journals and presented nationally.

“I am honored to serve the UC College of Nursing as the new associate dean for research. In this role, I endeavor to increase faculty and student scholarship by leveraging the vast clinical, educational and research expertise of faculty members to create robust project teams,” Smith says. “The college is well situated to advance the digital

Richard Prior, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

Carolyn Smith, PhD, RN, CNE

future of the Cincinnati community and beyond through cutting-edge simulation, technology-based interventions and data science.”

Associate Dean for Inclusion and Community Impact Ann Gakumo, PhD, RN Bringing more than 15 years of experience in academia, Ann Gakumo joined the college in 2021 as associate professor and Greer Glazer Endowed Chair in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). She has since led the development and implementation of a college-wide DEI strategic plan by identifying areas for improvement, collaborating with others to develop a strategic vision and implementing work teams to deliver on these improvements.

By extending her responsibilities as the associate dean for inclusion and community impact, Gakumo will drive the college’s accountability for inclusive excellence across all facets — from student and faculty recruitment to marketing to hiring practices — and ensure continual improvements so that everyone can have a sense of belonging and be successful.

“Since joining UC, I’ve been both supported and challenged in several ways, quickly learning that our college is in a unique position to enact positive and sustainable change,” Gakumo says. “We have changeagents in every corner of this college, whether as student-led groups who challenge the status quo; as accountability groups working to diversify curricula, identify resources, promote a culture and climate of belonging and address health inequities; or as individuals

Ann Gakumo, PhD, RN

who take a stand when it’s not comfortable or popular to do so.”

Gakumo’s research focuses on developing and testing literacy-based approaches to improve health disparities and inequities in African Americans living with HIV, and she has led multiple interdisciplinary research projects funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, among others. Her Systems in Holistic Innovation and Inclusion for Transformation (SHIIFT) program — aimed at establishing a successful model for the recruitment, retention and academic success of racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate nursing students — received the competitive Genentech Foundation’s 2022 Health Equity and Diversity in STEM Innovation Fund. Since arriving at UC, Gakumo has brought in nearly $1 million in external funding for diversity efforts.

INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US? The UC College of Nursing is seeking a tenure-track faculty at the associate or full professor level to contribute to our research mission.

SCAN THE CODE TO LEARN MORE AND APPLY.

Fall 2023 | 29

THIS UC NURSING ALUMNUS IS OUT FOR

Blood and Tissue Donation Equality By: Laura Toerner

Cole Williams’ Pride and Plasma group advocates for new blood and tissue donation guidelines.

Cole Williams, BSN ’23, fully embraces the advocacy side of the nursing profession.

Pride and Plasma, argued the previous guidelines were unscientific and discriminatory.

As a student, Williams co-founded Pride and Plasma, an advocacy group focused on revising restrictions that exclude many queer men, transgender women and non-binary individuals from donating blood and tissue. The group was catapulted into the national media spotlight when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new blood donation guidelines, which were ultimately approved in May. Since then, Pride and Plasma has expanded its focus to include tissue and organ donation policies, which it says unfairly limit LGBTQ+ individuals.

“Someone needed to put pressure on the FDA to do something.

Members of Congress, professional associations, advocacy groups … they would all publish a press release or send a letter to the FDA but not much more than that,” Williams says. “We needed to try something different.”

Queer men were prohibited from donating blood until 2015, when the FDA relaxed its lifetime policy on blood donations from men who have sex with men to a twelve-month deferral period. In 2020, the period was reduced to three months amid a critical blood shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blood donation centers use the FDA’s guidelines to screen donors and ensure blood is safe for transfusions, but LGBTQ+ advocates, including

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Williams, who interned last summer with a U.S. House Representative and nurse, applied his knowledge of health care and government innerworkings to create Pride and Plasma’s game plan. He and other members, which included classmate Skylar Harris, BSN ’23, reached out to 70 blood centers across the country to collect testimony on how they have been impacted by the blood shortage.

“We could go to the FDA and say, ‘These blood centers are hurting.

Why aren’t you doing anything to help patients, providers and facilities?’” Williams says.

Alongside a website with resources and a petition for the public to support the cause, Pride and Plasma drafted a 34-page argument for the

FDA. Williams was given five minutes to present during a virtual meeting of the agency’s Blood Products Advisory Committee, which convened in December 2022 for the first time in 13 months.

“I was talking a mile a minute to get everything through,” Williams says.

After his presentation, Williams was interviewed by national news outlets, including the Washington Post, CBS News, PBS Newshour and Insider.

About a month later, the FDA announced proposed guidelines, now in place, that use gender-inclusive, individual risk-based questions to assess donor eligibility and reduce the risk of HIV transmission through transfusion. The recommendations permit donations from anyone who does not report having new or multiple partners along with engaging in anal sex the previous three months.

Williams says this represents a step forward not only for queer men, but also for transgender and nonbinary persons.

“No one is really talking about that, but it is a really big win for that community,” he says. By removing gendered language, transgender

“This represents a step forward not only for gay and bisexual men, but also for transgender and nonbinary persons. ” — Cole Williams

women and non-binary individuals will no longer be subject to policies meant to be applied to men who have sex with men and may be eligible to donate.

could experience. No one knows about [tissue donation]. There’s a much steeper learning curve and next to no research. We are really putting it all together ourselves.”

Harris, who oversaw Midwest outreach efforts for Pride and Plasma until she graduated in the spring, said at the time the new guidelines were released it felt surreal.

At the same time, Williams is working full time as a nurse and developing other policy-focused projects. He moved to his dream location, Boston, to work on the med-surg floor at Tufts Medical Center and is expanding on his bachelor’s degree capstone, aimed at advancing full-practice authority for nurse practitioners. He also looks to promote legislation that establishes safe RN staffing ratios and multistate licensure, as well as develop nursefocused educational content on how government works and ways to get involved in health policy.

“You usually don’t get these kinds of results so quickly. I think it’s a combination of the people who have worked before us, some of Pride and Plasma’s work and the research that’s out there — it all just came together at the perfect time.”

The group is now advocating for updates to tissue donation guidelines, in place since 1994, which do not allow donations from men who have had sex with other men (MSM) within five years.

“That is mind-boggling, but people just aren’t aware of that, so that’s something we’re really working on,” Williams says.

The group plans to use a similar approach: gather research and stakeholder input, share information with the public and lobby the FDA for changes.

But tackling tissue donations is more complex, Williams says: “With blood donation, it was something people

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Pride and Plasma’s efforts, visit their website at prideandplasma.com.

Cole Williams, BSN ’23

In September, Williams served as keynote speaker for the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA): Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality Virtual Nursing Summit, part of GLMA’s Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health.

Pride and Plasma also submitted its research brief on the five-year MSM deferment policy to the FDA’s Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee, along with updates on tissue donation protocols in the United Kingdom, which strengthen the organization’s arguments.

Fall 2023 | 31

Research FALLS SHORT

Study led by UC Nursing faculty finds lack of federal funding for incarceration-related research.

By: Bill Bangert

Samantha Boch, PhD

The United States has the world’s highest incarceration rate, yet few federal funds have gone toward research on this topic, according to a study by University of Cincinnati researchers. UC Nursing Assistant Professor Samantha Boch, PhD, says the lack of investment in researching mass incarceration from a public health lens perpetuates poor health outcomes and racial and economic disparities.

Arrest

Using data from the Department of Justice, NIH and National Science Foundation, Boch and colleagues found that out of 3.2 million total projects funded since 1985, only 3,540 project awards, or 0.11%, related to “incarceration.” That pales in comparison to funded projects involving other systems, such as education and the military.

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“What’s funded at our federal level dictates what our evidence base is, dictates priorities, and this lack of federal focus on incarceration reflects, at best, a large oversight,” Boch says.

Boch partnered with Aaron Murnan, PhD, also an assistant professor in the college, and Jordan “J.P.” Pollard, a psychology doctoral student, to complete the study, which was published in the journal JAMA Open Network.

“We lead the world in incarceration, yet we’re not studying it from a public health lens or from a scientific research standpoint,” Boch says. “I think it relates to structural racism, the business of incarceration, a lack of awareness, a lack of training among health professions and even a

parole

Incarcerated

imprisonedReentry lack of justice-health data linkages to adequately analyze.”

Out of the 3.2 million projects examined in the study Boch, Murnan and Pollard conducted, they found only 21 funded projects that related to children who have incarcerated parents, which Boch describes as a shockingly low amount for such a massive system.

Boch says another challenge facing incarceration-related health research is how siloed and disease focused the institutes of the NIH are, with 27 different institutes or centers that focus on body systems or diseases, such as heart, lung, cancer, genome and arthritis, and few institutes acknowledge the incarcerated population care settings in their strategic plans.

Boch’s interest in incarcerationrelated research started when she worked as a staff nurse at several correctional facilities in Ohio, including the Ohio Reformatory for Women, Madison Correctional Institution and Franklin Medical Center from 2012 to 2017. During her

postdoctoral fellowship in child health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Abigail Wexner Research Institute, she led a study using data from the hospital to search pediatric clinician notes for prison-related keywords to examine the connection between children with any type of direct or indirect contact with the criminal legal system and health disorders.

Since joining UC, Boch has expanded on her research from Nationwide Children’s with colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s. She received a grant to replicate and refine prisonrelated keyword searches and conduct interviews with adolescents and caregivers on their experiences in health care disclosing parental incarceration to providers.

“One thing that drew me to the UC College of Nursing was their focus on health equity and the fact that Hamilton County has higher jail and prison rates compared to state and national averages,” Boch says. “All nurses are prepared to view the patient ‘in context’ and to serve as a bridge to help educate the patient.

So, I feel like I’m still doing those

Probation

things, but now view public health ‘in context’ of mass incarceration and serve as a bridge to educate the public and policymakers.”

She theorizes that if the U.S. continues to lead the world in incarceration rates, the country will continue to see racial and economic disparities in health and poor health outcomes, unless we start integrating, thinking and researching how this relates. She also says it is important to advocate for initiatives that would decrease incarceration rates broadly and reform bail procedures to better support children whose parents are unable to post bail and are unnecessarily detained longer than wealthy parents.

“It’s frustrating for me in a different way because I used to work inside prisons. I still think about those patients and experiences I had and how poor the care was inside. It’s deeply frustrating,” Boch says. “But I think every little study matters, and I hope that there is more awareness but also change in my lifetime, because it’s been such a longstanding problem.”

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DISMANTLING BARRIERS TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE By: Evelyn Fleider

Ann Gakumo, PhD, RN, has received more than $1 million in grants to diversify the nursing workforce and combat systemic racism in the profession.

According to a 2022 report published by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), 80% of the registered nurses in the United States are white or Caucasian, while 88% are women. These numbers are a result of several factors, from the profession’s long-standing failure to include and represent the views and needs of nurses of color to recent data demonstrating systemic racism within the profession. The lack of academic, financial, peer and social support to diverse students, along with low representation of role-modeling faculty of color, have also contributed to the insufficient diversity in nursing.

With funding from two grants, Gakumo, who serves as UC College of Nursing’s associate dean for inclusion and community impact, and collaborators will drive forward efforts that recruit and support racially and ethnically Ann Gakumo, PhD, RN diverse undergraduate nursing students at UC and build a learning collaborative that promotes anti-racist academic environments at sites across the country.

Recruiting, retaining and supporting a diverse student body Gakumo’s Systems in Holistic Innovation and Inclusion for Transformation (SHIIFT) program was awarded $750,000

by Genentech’s Health Equity and Diversity in STEM Innovation Fund, which supports projects that contribute to increasing representation of communities of color in clinical research, eliminating inequities in care delivery and dismantling barriers to a diverse, inclusive and anti-racist scientific and health care workforce.

With support from UC Nursing Assistant Professor Rosalind Moore, DNP, RN, Gakumo aims to establish a successful model for the recruitment, retention and academic success of racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate nursing students by: • Examining undergraduate admission processes to determine structural barriers to equity; • Admitting a diverse cohort of eight Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students in the 2023 freshman class based on factors other than standardized test scores; • Creating collaborative academic-community partnerships to build capacity for community engagement; and • Developing inclusive learning environments that integrate diversity, social determinants of health and equity throughout the curriculum and in evaluation.

34 | UC College of Nursing Magazine

If we want any real sustainable change, “it has to happen on a systems level.”

— Ann Gakumo, PhD, RN

“The College of Nursing is the only college in the university that still requires standardized test scores for undergraduate admission. Although this year’s incoming BSN class is the most diverse in recent years, more needs to be done to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of our undergraduate students. Granting access through a testoptional pathway will allow our admissions processes to be even more holistic,” Gakumo says.

Research from the University of Chicago shows that grade point averages (GPAs) are five times more accurate in predicting college success than standardized tests. GPAs measure a very wide variety of skills and behaviors needed for success in college, where students will encounter widely varying content and expectations. In contrast, standardized tests measure only a small set of the skills that students need to succeed in college, and students can prepare for these tests in narrow ways that may not translate into better preparation to succeed in college.

“Making standardized testing scores mandatory for undergraduate admissions also creates a bias toward applicants with the financial resources to pay for examination preparatory courses and those who would have attended private high schools. For those applicants with lesser financial resources, standardized testing becomes a barrier to applying to our direct-entry BSN program,” says Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN, interim dean for the College of Nursing. “We previously recognized evidence that standardized testing is not predictive of student success in graduate programs.

As a result, our graduate programs no longer require standardized testing.”

Addressing structural racism in nursing academia

Greer Glazer, PhD, RN, FAAN

The Macy Foundation, the only national foundation solely dedicated to improving the education of health professionals, awarded Gakumo, in partnership with Greer Glazer, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean emeritus of the College of Nursing, $300,000 to support a national multisite project

titled “Eliminating Structural Racism in Nursing Academia: A Systems Change Approach to Anti-Racist Nursing Education.”

The project builds upon the American Association of Colleges of Nurses’ (AACN) Leading Across Multidimensional Perspectives (LAMPSM) Culture and Climate Survey, deployed to 50 nursing schools — including UC — to better understand the culture of inclusion and belonging, particularly among students and faculty of color. Data collected by the survey provided institution-level assessments to help participating schools understand their campus climate and its impact on student experiences and achievements.

Through this grant, Gakumo and Glazer will build a learning collaborative composed of eight to 10 schools that were part of AACN’s original 50-school cohort to develop projects addressing structural racism and promoting antiracist nursing education in their respective institutions.

Schools will develop and implement projects based on areas for growth and improvement identified by the LAMPSM survey and meet regularly to report on the status of their projects and processes, learn from one another, and gain key feedback and advice. A plan for sustainability and growth at individual schools, as well as a plan for replicability and adoption at nursing schools nationally, is part of the project’s goals.

“Nursing academia is at a critical time for change in adopting to new educational frameworks and standards,” Glazer says. “At a time of transformation, there is a rich opportunity for innovation in developing and implementing new practices, processes and curricula focused on dismantling structural racism. I’m thankful UC is taking an active role in this process.”

Gakumo adds: “Many of the efforts we’ve tried over the years focused on putting mechanisms in place so that people from minoritized backgrounds can overcome barriers in the system rather than focusing on the system itself. If we want any real sustainable change, it has to happen on a systems level.”

Bill Bangert contributed to this story.

Fall 2023 | 35

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing PO Box 210038 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0038

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Cincinnati, OH Permit No. 133

WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THE NURSING SHORTAGE? Join our fully online Master of Science in Nursing Education program — now admitting students for Fall 2024. Designed to educate students in the pedagogy of nursing education so they are ready to teach in didactic and clinical settings, coursework includes: • Biostatistics for evidence-based practice • Healthcare policy for the advanced practice nurse • Research and best evidence for clinical reasoning • Curriculum design and student assessment in health care • Instructional technology for learner-centered teaching • Emerging technologies in health care

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Program Director Melanie Kroger-Jarvis at krogerma@ucmail.uc.edu.