September 2013 enewsletter by University of South Carolina College of Nursing

GAMECOCK

The CONnection News and Views from the University of South Carolina COLLEGE OF NURSING

September 2013

WOW: We Can Do Better!

Inside This Issue Students’ Corner................2-3 Faculty & Staff Notes.........4-6 Sigma Theta Tau.................6 Upcoming Events................7 Alumni & Development.....8-9 NO LIMITS............................10

Send Inquiries or Newsletter items to: Jan Johnson jnjohnso@mailbox.sc.edu

My thinking on this began in my early days here at USC as I looked across our second floor patio and observed students (sometimes even our own) smoking. Yes, smoking, in front of the College of Nursing (CON). What a contradiction! These observations ignited conversations about the CON’s role in promoting health and wellness amongst ourselves, across campus, and beyond. There are many health promoting opportunities that perhaps we have become complacent about, too busy, or have just not prioritized. Hence, WOW. Working On Wellness is a theme I wish to launch both personally and as the Dean of the College of Nursing. Whether a nursing student, faculty, staff, or alumni in any work setting, let’s start by taking better care of ourselves. We experience stress on a daily basis, have little time, and are just too busy caring for others that we often neglect ourselves. Restful sleep, exercise, healthy eating, and preventive health screenings should be part of our routine as well, not just our patients and our family members. Admittedly, I am a WOP (“work in progress”) with my own WOW, but I can do better. Gamecock nurses can advocate for WOW in our work environments. Are our environments’ tobacco-free? Do we have access to healthy foods? What’s in our vending machines? Do we have access to walking areas and flexibility in our schedules to take a break? Although we are making progress at USC and many other environments, we can do better. In this new academic year, I will be initiating a WOW task force and invite students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others to participate. On September 18, 2013, the College of Nursing will launch our first campus-wide event with the screening of the Sundance award winning documentary, ESCAPE FIRE. During this evening, we will join hundreds of other universities around the country who will initiate discussions about health and wellness for our campus and our healthcare systems. Professor Erin McKinney is leading an interprofessional task group on campus to sponsor this event. We will also work with the implementation of the campus becoming completely Tobacco Free in January, 2014. However, this is just a start. We are making positive strides, but we still have a lot to do. As individuals, as GAMECOCK nurses, and our discipline of nursing, we can do better! Let’s begin WOW together and make a difference in each of our work, study, and play environments in our state and across the globe. Jeannette O. Andrews PhD, RN, FAAN Dean & Professor j.andrews@sc.edu

www.sc.edu/nursing www.facebook.com/USCNursing - LIKE US!

Ciarra Ellis: Misson to Dominican Republic College of Nursing Lancaster senior, Ciarra Ellis, visited the Dominican Republic on May 19th-28th, 2013. On a mission trip with her church, Harmony Baptist Church in Edgemoor SC, she helped with construction work on the school and church, performed maintenance on the missionaries housing, organized classrooms, and painted. Ciarra said, “Over the past eight years the Dominican Republic has become a sort of second home to me. However, even after several trips to the Dominican, the people there never cease to amaze me with their loving, joyful, and vibrant spirits. They are so full of life and really know how to take each day as it comes and be thankful for what little they have. I would love to take/lead a medical team there one day, in hopes to give back just a tiny bit of what they have given me over the years.”

Summer Bridge Programs The Summer Bridge I program at USC Salkahatchie involved several weeks of preparation time with incoming lower division students to strengthen their core subject knowledge and enhance skills such as time management, study strategies, and use of resources. Summer Bridge II was for rising Juniors. CON Columbia Faculty, Kim Glenn, Erin McKinney, Kate Chappell, and Sabra Smith worked with these students in sessions held on Columbia campus and in Walterboro on introduction to Upper Division content format and distributed learning technology, communication and self awareness exercises, math for nursing, pathophysiology core concept review, and clinical reasoning exercises, including time in the Simulation Lab. All sessions were designed to enhance their approach to the new challege of being successful Upper Division students.

CON Sophomore Kayla Lampe featured in Spurs and Feathers Magazine Click Here to Read

NCLEX Pass Rate Above Average Our NCLEX scores for our May graduates are in and USC has a 96% pass rate. Special recognition to our faculty, staff, and administrators in the undergraduate program for their hard work and dedication to our students’ success! USC has the largest BSN program in the state, and is a leader in producing high quality and competent nurses in our region and beyond.

Scholarships/Fellowships/Grants A combination of grants, fellowships and scholarships for the 2013–2014 fiscal year total was

$204,752.00

For more information on scholarships click here

Student research funds available

The Magellan Scholar program, which is open to all USC campuses, is accepting proposals. Each Magellan Scholar receives up to $3,000 to help fund a research project, competing for this award with the submission of a research, scholarship, or creative project proposal developed in collaboration with his or her faculty mentor. Proposals are due before Oct. 22. Click here to read more.

Katrina Graske: Mission to Nicaragua

STUDENT Q&A: Brittany Catchings, Class of 2014 What brought you to the College of Nursing and what do you want to do with your degree? Originally from Chicago, IL, I came to SC to attend Benedict College (a HBCU) as a Biology student to set foundations of becoming an Obstetrician. I have known from age 8 that I wanted to deliver babies but it took me until 2010 to realize it is the Nurses that are the true advocates and the (what I believe) glue that holds Patient care together. I transferred from my Biology career at Benedict and into USC College of Nursing to start the road to success. My plan is to become a Perinatal Nurse Practitioner. What is one skill you believe every nurse should possess? Time Management is a skill I believe every nurse should have a handle of so that they can assure the safety of not only their patients but their peers and even more so themselves. Tell us about your job this past summer. This summer I worked as a Home Health Aid being of service to a paraplegic patient. As an Aid I would monitor my patient’s daily condition. I would go to patients home and provide housekeeping services while also assisting with bathing and basic grooming. During this job I learned that it’s not just the service that I was providing but it was a listening ear, a conversation and the daily activity that I gave that improved the patient holistically. This summer has been a great experience knowing that I was helping someone who otherwise can’t help themself.

College of Nursing Lancaster senior, Katrina Graske, visited Nicaragua August 10-18, 2013. The trip was with a group from Palmetto Medical Initiative, a company based out of Charleston, SC. They stayed in Chinandega and visited the cities of Palacio, Limonal, Leon, San Luis de Amago, and Four Esquinas. In each city and they set up a clinic in local schools. Within each school setting they set up a location for registration, triage, providers, PT/OT, dental and glasses. Katrina was part of a triage team that took vital signs and assessed patient needs. Each student, many from the medical field, was paired with a licensed provider from their team.

Tell us about your extracurricular activities and/or hobbies. I am a member of Health Occupation Students of America. I am the Second Regional Director of Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority Inc. and the Vice President of the Delta Eta Alpha Beta chapter at USC. I love to take part in fun and inspiring community service projects. I enjoy having get togethers with my sorority sisters and close friends (dance sessions, out to eat, bowling, picnics in the park and e.tc.). What advice would you give to future nursing students? Use your resources wisely; every aspect of nursing school you should utilize every resource you can to assure that the goal that seems impossible is attainable. Books, notebooks, CDs, and even more so the faculty. CON faculty wants to see you become the best nurse you can be and it shows by the support that they give, so go to them with question and concerns. Nursing takes time, so make sure you devote true time (outside of class) putting effort toward and taking responsibility of your education process. Doing what’s required, going above and beyond, asking the questions and being open and honest will lead you to your ultimate goal of becoming a the best USC nurse you can be.

“This trip was an eye-opening experience that not only taught me about health care in another country but that we should not take everything we have for granted. Nicaraguans did not complain about their situation or their way of life but instead looked happy and full of life. It is something I cannot fully describe or put into words,” said Katrina.

Faculty and Staff Notes Interim Associate Dean for Academics, Dr. Julia Ball, traveled to Munich this summer where she addressed the very first class of graduating BSN students in Bavaria, Germany. She discussed the broad scope of nursing and everything that nursing encompasses. She is pictured here holding up an information flyer for the CON PhD program in Nursing. Dr. Sue Heiney was approved to participate in the SMART program (Support for Minority Advancement in Research Training) and mentored an undergraduate student who was accepted into the Steps to Stem Program at USC. As part of the program, the student presented a poster of her research and co-authors along with Dr. Heiney including Dr. Tavakoli and Ms. Noma Mgutshini, graduate student in the Statistics Lab.

The Clinical Simulation Lab received a new control room and two new simulation suites for Noelle (birthing manikin) and Baby Hal and Sim Baby via the Hearst Grant. This expansion has enabled the nursing faculty to run four adult rooms simultaneously in the simulation lab while nursing of children and families and maternal newborn nursing have access to their new simulation spaces in the skills lab.

Listen to De Anna Cox’s podcast on Developing a Mobile-friendly Class here. Dean Jeannette Andrews, Assistant Professor Kate Chappell, and DNP graduate Amanda Langford featured in NBC news article: ‘Double whammy’: Nursing shortage starts in the classroom. Camp Wonderhands Camp WonderHands, a camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, was held in July as part of the Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital camp program. USC CON faculty, students, and alumni are involved in this opportunity to have a week of activities and interaction for these children. For many of the children who attend this annual experience, this is the only time all year that they get to be around other children who are hard-of-hearing or deaf. It is a wonderful experience with camping activities including canoeing, ropes courses, swimming, dance parties and arts programs. Emmanuel Taylor, BSN (’93) is the Camp Director. He was their first camp nurse in 1996 and has been involved ever since. This year, participating faculty were Kate Chappell as the lead nurse and 3-year planning committee member, and Kim Glenn and Sabra Smith as volunteer nurses for portions of the week. Rising senior, Justin Chavis, spent part of the week volunteering with the nursing staff. This non-profit event is provided at no cost to the children’s families and donations as well as volunteers are always welcome! To learn more about the Camp click here.

Research Spotlight: Ronit Elk, Ph.D. Patients facing life-threatening illness often experience preventable suffering, resulting in tremendous strain on patients and caregivers. Palliative care programs have been proven to alleviate suffering, improve family satisfaction, enhance effectiveness of care and save hospital costs. Yet in rural Southern US palliative care services are not available. In a State-by-State Report Card on access to palliative care, SC received a C grade, indicating the need for significant improvement. Studies of preferences of end of life care in urban populations have found differences between African American and White patients and families, but no prior study has investigated the unique cultural needs of rural African American and White families facing similar challenges. Telemedicine has been widely used to deliver health care to patients in rural areas, but there has only been one prior study examining palliative care delivery via telemedicine in rural US. Dr. Elk’s study will be the first to use a Community Based Participatory Model (CBPR) model to design and test a palliative care program for African American and White rural elders and their families to be delivered via telemedicine in a hospital setting. The study will be conducted with input from a Community Advisory Group (CAG) including African American and White family members whose loved one died and in whose care they were involved, community leaders and community health practitioners, and in collaboration with Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, SC. In Phase 1 focus groups will be conducted with family members to determine their perspectives and preferences on end of life care. In Phase 2 a telemedicine palliative care program will be designed based on results of the focus groups, and in collaboration with CAG members, hospital staff, and palliative care experts at Northwestern University. The final phase will include testing of the new program. A culturally informed telemedicine palliative care program for rural African American and White elders has the potential to reduce suffering and address the specific, and potentially diverse end of life care preferences of African American and White elders and their family members, and enhance family satisfaction with care received. The use of CBPR increases the likelihood of program acceptability and adoption. This project can serve as an evidence-based model that can be adapted for use in other rural areas. “We’re excited to be on the forefront of a new study that has the potential to improve care not only for residents of our own rural communities, but also for patients all over the country facing life-threatening illnesses,” said Beaufort Memorial Cancer Program Director Connie Duke. This study is funded by an ASPIRE grant from USC and a SCTR grant from MUSC . Collaborators include faculty from USC, MUSC and Northwestern University. Click here to read more.

Faculty Presentations Poslusny, S. (2013, July). A Synthesis of Perspectives on Nurses Supporting Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. Paper presentation at Sigma Theta Tau International 24th International Research Congress in Prague, Czech Republic. Dr. Sue shop for dren and 28. The

Heiney presented an all day workthe Palmetto Association for ChilFamilies in Columbia on August topic was Helping Children Grieve.

Dr. Sue Heiney will present Diversity in Research at Palmetto Health Research Day on September 6. Culley, JM, Craig, JB, Tavakoli, A. & Svendsen, E. (2013). Gleaning Data From Disaster: A Hospital-Based Data Mining Method To Studying All-Hazard Triage After A Chemical Disaster. Sigma Theta Tau International’s 24th International Nursing Research Congress, Prague, Czech Republic July 22-26, 2013. Robin Dawson Estrada, PhD candidate in the College of Nursing, and her dissertation chair, Dr. DeAnne K. Hilfinger Messias, will present a poster entitled Methods Used in an Analysis of Interpreter-Mediated Healthcare Interactions at the “Eleventh Annual Research Symposium: The Nursing Link to Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare Research” on September 27, 2013 in Greenville, SC. Dr. DeAnne K. Hilfinger Messias and members of her research team will have a podium presentation entitled “ Navegantes para Salud: Improving Health Care Access and Utilization among Hispanic Women and Children: Preliminary Findings” at the 14th Annual HBCU and Hispanic Health Services Research Conference in Montgomery, Alabama on September 13, 2013.

Faculty Publications Craig, J, Culley, JM, Tavakoli, A. & Svendsen, ER. Gleaning data from disaster: a hospital-based data mining method to studying all-hazard triage after a chemical disaster. American Journal of Disaster Medicine.

STAFF Q&A: Christine Hodgson

Job Title and duties. What do you do? Graduate Student Advisor in the Office of Academic Affairs. I work with Dr. Stephanie Burgess, Graduate Director, to assist in Graduate Student Advisement for the MSN and DNP Graduate Programs. I also work closely with the Office of Academic Affairs Graduate Staff in helping students through the process from inquiry to admission to graduation. How long have you worked at the CON and/or USC? This is my second “career” at USC. I worked in the College of Education as an advisor during the 80’s. I returned to USC in 2011 as Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Art. Tell us about your most rewarding or satisfying experience or proudest moment at the CON. My most satisfying experiences are getting to know students and being able to assist a student throughout their academic career in navigating the processes of the University system. What do you like best about your job? Student contact; working with Graduate Students; the Staff and Faculty I work with; and coming to work on the USC Campus. What do you do when you’re not working? Family, husband, Michael (USC Faculty) & two children ages 25 & 23; travel, mountain and road bike riding, and have a mixed media artisan business. Tell us something people may not know about you. I am first generation Greek-American and have had the opportunity to travel all over the world with a non-profit organization and my family. As a family we have been to all 50 states in the US and have climbed 39 of the Highpoints of the US. We have also amassed a total of seven degrees from USC, so besides an employee, I am also an alumni!

Alpha Xi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Greetings to all from Alpha Xi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing! With the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year, the College of Nursing and Alpha Xi are underway with energy and purpose to fulfill the mission of the College and to uplift scholarship, leadership, and integrity in our nursing community. Plans are underway for our first dinner meeting of the year; this will be an exciting time of networking and continuing education. Join us!

Dinner Meeting Tuesday, September 24 – 5:30PM Fatz Cafe - Carolina Room 5590 Forest Drive Columbia, SC 29206 Dinner provided for the first 25 members to RSVP to Amber Williams at proctora@mailbox.sc.edu Speaker & Topic Janette Capaci, APRN, MSN, FNP-C Clinical Practice Manager – Minute Clinic PAWS - Prescription for Antibiotics or Wait and See

Member Spotlight Each month The Gamecock Nursing CONnection will feature a member of Alpha Xi and their professional endeavors and involvement with the chapter. Craig Smith, MSN, RN, CCRN is the new Director of Clinical Education at Providence Hospitals. Craig received the College’s 2012 Undergraduate Teaching Award and was the Clinical Course Coordinator for both adult health courses. He is the webmaster for Alpha Xi and member of the Communications Committee. His efforts were instrumental in revamping and revitalizing the chapter’s website. Visit the website here.

Escape Fire:

A Fight To Rescue American Healthcare Join us for a Screening of the Official Selection of 2012 Sundance Film Festival

WEDNESDAY

September

UPCOMING EVENTS September 18 Escape Fire Screening & Panel Discussion CON Auditorium 231 September 28 Sigma Theta Tau Dinner Meeting Contact: Amber Williams September 28 USC Open house 1-4 pm at Russell house Contact: Gloria Fowler October 4 – October 6 Parents Weekend

Sponsored By: Arnold School of Public Health College of Nursing College of Social Work School of Medicine SC College of Pharmacy

6:00 p.m. College of Nursing Auditorium 231

October 4 Commitment Ceremony 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Click here for more information

October 4 – October 6 SNA-SC 62nd Annual Convention North Charleston

RSVP HERE

Light Refreshments Followed by a Panel Discussion Save The Date - October 23rd & 24th 30th Annual SC HIV/STD Conference The 30th annual South Carolina HIV/STD Conference will be held Oct 23rd and 24th at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. This year’s theme is “Honoring 30 Years of Progress: Reflections on Successes and Challenges.” Two of the keynote speakers this year include Dr. Harold Jaffe, Associate Director of Science at the CDC, and Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White’s mother. Clinical updates and presentations concerning all aspects of HIV and other STDS will be held over the two days, for clinicians, social workers, administrators, and other community workers. Dr. Sabra Smith is on the planning committee for this year’s conference and is also presenting a session, “Interpretation of HIV Labs” at the conference. Registration is now open at www.schiv-stdconference.org

October 12 USC Open house 1-4 pm at Russell house Contact: Gloria Fowler October 23 and 24th The 30th Annual South Carolina HIV/STD Conference Register Here November 1 Viana McCown Keynote Speaker: Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN USC Homecoming Gala Metro Convention Center Tickets available through My Carolina Alumni Association November 2 Homecoming Game USC vs. Mississippi State November 2 SC Nurses Foundation Walk Contact: Gloria Fowler

VITAL SIGNS....An Update from Alumni and Development Kenneth Childs and Tiffany Strickland, BSN (‘12) RN

The CON Partnership Board celebrates its 5th Anniversary and Welcomes two new members

Ken Childs has deep roots with the profession of nursing. Early in his prestigious law career he was employed by the SC Attorney General’s Office and assigned to work with the SC Board of Nursing. Ken’s understanding of the value of nursing to families grew as he provided caregiving services to his aging parents in their home. Then the icing on the cake to add to his love and appreciation for the practice of nursing has been as a very special “Uncle Ken” to his niece, Tiffany Srickland who is a 2012 graduate of the USC College of Nursing. Ken has also served on the college’s Partnership Board since it began in 2008. Ever the encouraging and supportive mentor for all of Tiffany’s eight siblings, he is especially proud of Tiffany’s academic and clinical success as a new graduate and as a Registered Nurse on the surgical oncology service with Palmetto Health Richland. We asked Tiffany to reflect on her four years at the College of Nursing and she indicated that she is so proud and grateful to be a graduate and she loves telling others what a great education she received and how dedicated and competent the faculty members are. Following in her uncle’s career successes, she is already thinking about seeking certification and additional academic opportunities. She credits his strong love of the University, the Gamecocks, and pursuit of academic achievements as a great motivator and inspirational role model for her achievements thus far in nursing. Ken is a Managing Partner with Childs and Halligan, P.A.; received his B.A. from Davidson College, his M.A. from Furman University, and his J.D. from the USC School of Law. He also serves on the Town Theatre Board of Directors, the Board of the Columbia Area Mental Health Center, and as a Chancellor with Trinity Episcopal Church. He is General Counsel for the Historic Columbia Foundation and is President of the South Caroliniana Society. The College of Nursing is proud to have Ken Childs as a great advocate and cheerleader for nursing education and to have Tiffany Strickland as a young alumnus.

Nancy Comer, BSN (‘79), MN (‘80)

Sonya Cook, MSN (‘05), FNP-BC

Rebecca Benfield (PhD ‘93) named Associate Dean for Graduate Programs at East Carolina University’s College of Nursing Read more here

ALUMNI Q&A: Hailey Atkinson BSN (‘11) Where do you work now? Currently, I work in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. I love critical care and pediatrics; I guess you could say I’ve found my “nursing niche.” What is the most interesting thing you have seen or done as a nurse? I was fortunate enough to go on a medical mission to Haiti in March. It was definitely an “eye opener.” I spent time in the country’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was truly amazing to give back to such grateful people, while learning how to perform nursing tasks without the luxuries (equipment, medications, etc.) that we have in The United States. I definitely used my critical thinking skills, to say the least! What are you hobbies, interests, passions? In my free time, I enjoy learning to cook new recipes, reading, and taking long nature walks with my husband and two pups, Izzy and Lucy. I also enjoy Carolina football, but then again who doesn’t?! My nursing interests include pediatrics, quality improvement, and education. Tell us about your family. I’m a first generation college student. My parents have always urged me to pursue my dreams, and I am so incredibly thankful for the work ethic they instilled in me. Two of my aunts are nurses, so I always have someone to share nursing stories with at family gatherings. Also, I stay entertained by my two younger brothers. There is never a dull moment around my family! What does it mean to be a College of Nursing Alumnus? Were there any faculty and/or campus experiences that helped you with your career choices and where you are now? To me, graduation day was one of the most rewarding days of my life thus far. Being a USC alumni means more than simply the degree you receive; it means that you are tough enough to make it through a well-respected program that prepares you for a lifetime of nursing. Being very active in SNA, I was greatly influenced by Professors Gloria Fowler and Kate Chappell, but I feel as though all of my professors were genuinely interested and invested in my future. I hope to teach one day, and I can only hope that my students perceive me to be just as passionate about nursing as my professors were. Is there anything you would like to say to your classmates and other reading the newsletter? Never forget where we came from. Our class is dong great things in all areas of nursing across the globe. We’ve definitely come a long way since that first clinical rotation. Don’t be afraid to give back to others, and share what you’ve learned. Never stop learning. As cliché as it sounds, I’m a firm believer that “knowledge is power.”

Dennis A. Taylor, MEd., MBA, DNP (‘11), ACNP-BC, FCCM Dr. Dennis Taylor was promoted to Assistant Vice President, System Nursing for the Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) in January of this year. Dennis works in partnership with the Nurse Executive Council and other senior leaders to facilitate and advance strategic initiatives in care delivery and care coordination, with attention to safety, quality and service. Dr. Taylor is working to engage system nursing leadership and staff to ensure consistency across the patient care platform for the development and implementation of programs and activities to promote nursing excellence related to: practice and innovation, professional development and education, and nursing quality. Dr. Taylor most recently led the nursing research and evidence based practice work at Carolinas Medical Center. Dennis is an acute care nurse practitioner with CHS Department of Surgery and Trauma Services and has served as chief flight nurse and assistant program director of MedCenter Air.

All Gifts and Pledges to support Nursing can be sent to: USC College of Nursing 1600 Hampton Street, Suite 736 Columbia, SC 29208 Gift Processing Checks Made Payable to the USC Educational Foundation or at our website http://giving.sc.edu/ To learn how you can make a difference at USC College of Nursing contact the Development Office at 803-777-3468.

USC College of Nursing Homecoming 2013 Viana McCown Lectureship “Redesigning Nursing to Advance Healthcare in South Carolina”

Keynote Address: “What? A Nursing Employment Bubble?”

Speaker: Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN Vanderbilt University, Valere Potter Distinguished Professor of Nursing Chair of the National Health Care Workforce Commission (Commission created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act)

Schedule of Events: 8:30

Registration