UTHSC College of Nursing Magazine - Fall 2021 by University of Tennessee Health Science Center

NURSING THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER FALL 2021

The Power of Nursing

The Ruth Neil Murry General Scholarship As the first Dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing, Ruth Neil Murry left an indelible mark on nursing education in Tennessee. From the moment she became dean in 1949 until her retirement in 1977, Dean Murry provided the guidance and vision that made the college the leader in nursing education that it is today. During her tenure as dean, the school of nursing made the transition from a diploma program to a collegiate educational program. She also spearheaded the effort to establish the graduate program in nursing, which began in 1973. Many alumni remember Dean Murry for her commitment, exemplary ideas, and skillful foresight in setting the bar of excellence for nursing education. She was the epitome of professional nursing and expected the same from her students. In 2020, the Ruth Neil Murry General Scholarship was endowed through an estate gift left by one of Dean Murry’s closest friends. Your gifts to the Ruth Neil Murry General Scholarship Fund will honor and continue the legacy of excellence started by Dean Murry and help this fund grow to support more nursing students at UTHSC. You may donate directly to this scholarship using this link: giving.uthsc.edu/ nursingscholarship. For more information on how you can contribute to the College of Nursing, please contact Michelle Stubbs, director of Development at mstubbs@utfi.org or call 901.340.1048.

LEADERSHIP

< From Dr. to Nurse

UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE Dean of the College of Nursing Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAANP Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins, III, MBA

After loss, nursing offers fulfillment

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Chandra A. Tuggle Director of Development, College of Nursing Michelle Stubbs

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud, MBA

In Mom’s Footsteps >

Daughter follows mom into rural community nursing

Editors Leigh Ann Roman Peggy Reisser Designer Adam Gaines Writers Leigh Ann Roman Peggy Reisser Jackie Denton Amber Carter Photographers Natalie Brewer Adam Gaines Nick McGinn Nathan Morgan Leigh Ann Roman Erin O. Smith On the cover: Olivia (left) and Hannah Feruglio are identical twins who share a passion for the power of nursing and are pursuing their goal of becoming registered nurses together in UTHSC’s rigorous, 12-month BSN program. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073801(012-220250)

< In Sickness and Health Care when ill confirms nursing career

14 Family Ties >

Siblings tackle accelerated BSN together

16 <C ongrats!

Proud to honor our 2021 grads

From the Dean The challenges of the last year have been many, but they have deepened the College of Nursing’s commitment to excellence, as we seek to improve the lives of Tennesseans statewide through the profession of nursing. I am incredibly proud to share that our college has achieved recognition as a Center of Excellence from the National League for Nursing in the category of Enhancing Student Learning and Professional Development. This four-year designation reflects our college’s commitment to high standards in our primary role of nursing education. Our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has also been recognized for excellence by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked our program No. 26 – placing the college in the top 8% of all DNP programs in the nation, ranked and unranked. As you read the articles in our 2021 Nursing magazine, you will see the power of nursing in the story about the impact of nurse practitioners in rural Erin, Tennessee, and the story of a physician who chose the path of the DNP to make the greatest impact on her patients. The college also is expanding its academic offerings, opening a DNP concentration in Nurse Midwifery this year. Ours is the only Nurse-Midwifery program at a public college or university in Tennessee, and we look forward to the impact our graduates will make on the lives of women and children. We also expanded our Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) program options to include a traditional, two-year pathway to the BSN – an addition that allows us to broaden the pool of students we admit and increase the nurses we graduate to serve our communities. A word about our students: I am so proud of them for staying the course in this continuing pandemic. They are determined to reach their goals in nursing and are achieving those goals with excellence. The story of recent BSN graduate James Davis is a testament to the grit required of nurses, and I am pleased to say that all of our students have that quality. I am also excited to share that the research efforts of our faculty have grown in the last year. We have again retained our No. 1 rank in the state as the College of Nursing that receives the most funding from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, the college has received grants that will allow us to make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable patients. These include a $1.5 million grant to train nurses as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and a $50,000 grant to develop a weeklong boot camp to train nurses treating patients who have sickle cell disease. All of these achievements would have been remarkable during a normal year, but I believe it is especially noteworthy that the college has made these strides during a year of remote work. I count myself fortunate to lead and work with such talented and dedicated faculty and staff who are committed to developing the nurse leaders of tomorrow. I offer my heartfelt thanks to our alumni for their continued support of our mission, and I look forward to the ways our college will continue to contribute to the impact of the nursing profession in Tennessee. Sincerely,

Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAANP Dean of the College of Nursing The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

From the Chancellor For almost a dozen years, I have had the pleasure and privilege of serving as the chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. As I prepare to retire from my position by the end of the 2021-2022 academic year, I am proud and grateful for all that we have accomplished together. We have witnessed major milestones in the development of UTHSC, across the state, as well as on the Memphis campus. The past year has been one of recovery and growth for the university. We are weathering the global coronavirus pandemic together. We have graduated our students on time and maintained graduation rates and first-attempt board pass rates above 95%. We were thrilled to send our graduates off in May to their careers or to further learning opportunities with our first in-person commencement ceremonies in more than year. We have continued to grow our clinical enterprise, in cooperation with our increasing and changing faculty practice plans throughout the state, to more than $300 million in clinical revenue. We have also increased our research with grant awards that reached a record $122 million in FY21, a 43% growth in research grants and contracts in five years. We have more than doubled our all-source, non-clinical grants and contracts (sponsored program revenue) to more than $300 million annually (the largest in the UT System.) The College of Nursing has been a major contributor to these academic, clinical, and research achievements. The college has received many accolades over the last year, illustrating its collective excellence under the leadership of Dean Wendy Likes. Innovative new programs have been added, research funding continues to rise, and the college remains committed to improving the health of citizens across the state. Additionally, faculty, staff, and students of the College of Nursing have wholeheartedly joined the university in serving as a sure and steady leader in the state’s battle against the coronavirus, contributing selflessly to clinical care and the vaccination workforce. You can be proud of your college and your alma mater. We appreciate all your support and know that we cannot achieve or grow without you. Thank you for all you do. Sincerely,

Steve J. Schwab, MD Chancellor The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

From the Alumni President It has been one year since I began my term as president of our College of Nursing’s Alumni Board of Directors. As a board, our responsibility is to advocate, promote and help foster lifelong relationships between the UTHSC College of Nursing and our alumni around the world. In 2020 and 2021, the university faced many challenges, most notably the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a national conversation about systemic racism, and the announced retirement of UTHSC Chancellor Steve Schwab, MD. Additionally, the College of Nursing moved into a new home in the Historic Quadrangle in the heart of the Memphis campus. All faculty and staff are now under one roof, and students can study together in the Dr. Cheryl Cummings Stegbauer Student Center or conduct presentations with faculty or peers in the Alumni Board of Directors Conference Room. It is a beautiful and functional building that will help the college continue to progress. Through it all, I have been inspired by the continued steadfastness of our College of Nursing leadership, faculty, and staff to find innovative ways to consistently recruit and educate some of the best nurses and nurse leaders in our nation, as evidenced by the recent national ranking of our DNP program and our designation as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence. While the past year and a half was uncertain for many, the college’s nursing students have continued to successfully navigate through uncharted clinical experiences and glean new best practices in treatment, care, and nursing leadership for our communities. It has been an exceptional time to be a nurse and an alum of the UTHSC College of Nursing. I encourage you to investigate ways you can participate with alumni or support the college’s many needs. Consider underwriting a stethoscope for a BSN student; contributing to the Ruth Neil Murry General Scholarship; or joining others for a tour of the new College of Nursing Building when in Memphis. Whatever you are able to do, we’ve learned since Spring 2020 that we should not take for granted the opportunities we have to come together as a community. The work of doing all we can to help maintain these important programs for nursing and a meaningful presence with our alumni will continue with your support. For more information on how you can be involved or help, please contact Michelle Stubbs, development director for the college, at mstubbs2@uthsc.edu. Our love for the UTHSC College of Nursing’s family is shared, and I look forward to staying involved as we work together in service. Sincerely,

Susan Sanders, DNP ‘09

BY THE NUMBERS

NIH-FUNDED COLLEGE OF NURSING IN TENNESSEE

$1,713,064

FACULTY GRANT SUBMISSIONS

122

FACULTY PRESENTATIONS

TOTAL GRANT FUNDING FOR FY21

$760,386

FACULTY JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

IN TOTAL NIH FUNDING

404

TOTAL CoN ENROLLMENT

151

NURSING STUDENTS RECEIVING SCHOLARSHIPS

$423,464

AWARDED IN SCHOLARSHIPS

100%

OF UTHSC CoN GRADUATES EMPLOYED WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF GRADUATION

97.1%

THREE-YEAR AVERAGE NCLEX-RN (BSN) PASS RATE

96.3%

INITIAL BOARD CERTIFICATION RATE FOR ALL DNP CONCENTRATIONS COMBINED

This data reflects FY2021 UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

UTHSC College of Nursing Achieves National Recognition on Two Fronts The UTHSC College of Nursing has elevated its national profile this year, earning recognition from two prestigious organizations for its standards of educational excellence. The National League for Nursing (NLN) in August designated the college as an NLN Center of ExcellenceTM in the category of Enhancing Student Learning and Professional Development. The designation is for a fouryear term, 2021-2025, and the college is one of only three nursing schools in Tennessee to be recognized by the NLN.

National League for Nursing UTHSC is among just 23 programs from across the country designated as a Center of Excellence by the NLN in 2021. “This recognition is a reflection of our college’s commitment to the student experience and educating high-quality, well-prepared nurses,” Dean Wendy Likes said. “We have a long history of innovation in our curriculum and programming that focuses on the quality of our graduates. This recognition is a tremendous honor.” Assistant Professor Melody Waller, PhD, RN, led the college’s Center of Excellence task force. “The NLN is the go-to organization for many colleges of nursing, and we are now set as an exemplar for other schools in the area who may want to improve their efforts in this category,” she said. The variety of sustained initiatives within the college greatly contributed to achievement of the Center of

Excellence designation, Dr. Waller said. Successful grant applications by researchers support the strategic goals of the college. Another area that helps the college to stand out is the Center for Global and Community Partnerships, which includes the St. Jude Global Partnership, the Libertas School Partnership, the Nurse Scholars program, community grants that allow bedside nurses to do research, the Regional One Partnership, and the Public Health Nurse Residency.

Top-Tier Graduate Programs The college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program was also recognized for national excellence this year, ranking No. 26 in the U.S. News & World Report ranking of Best Graduate Schools. The college achieved this rank among the 163 doctoral nursing programs in the 2022 listing. The ranking places the program in the top 16% of DNP programs listed, and in the top 8% of all 357 DNP programs in the nation. “The fact that our college was ranked so highly is truly a reflection of the quality I see exemplified each day among our faculty, students, and staff. I could not be prouder of this achievement, especially as it has occurred during a time of great challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,” the dean said. The College of Nursing has long shown leadership in the preparation of advanced practice nurses. UTHSC opened the first DNP program in Tennessee, which was only the second in the nation, in 2005. The program is known for the variety of specializations it offers. With the recent addition of the Nurse-Midwifery concentration, UTHSC educates nurses in eight specific DNP concentrations. In addition, three dual concentrations are available, including a program focusing on pediatric primary care and pediatric acute care.

2021-2025 CoN a Center of Excellence Among 23 Programs in the U.S. Recognized by The National League of Nursing No. 26 CoN’s 2022 Ranking in U.S. News & World Report Top 8% of DNP Programs in U.S.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

New Building Highlights Return to Campus After more than 100 years in operation, the College of Nursing has moved to a home of its own. As part of the $70 million renovation of the Historic Quadrangle in the center of the UTHSC campus, the College of Nursing has a dedicated building for faculty, students, and staff for the first time in its history. The five-floor building is a renovation of the Crowe Building, which was constructed in 1928. The building was used as research space before closing in 2016. “As we transitioned back to more in-person meetings and classes for fall, the move to our new building added to the excitement of being together again under one roof,” Dean Likes said. When students returned to campus, they were able to relax or study between classes in the new building in the Dr. Cheryl Cummings Stegbauer Student Lounge or in the W. I. and Emma Lee Greenhill Quiet Room. The building also offers the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Dialogue Center, named for an alumna and faculty member who was an international leader in nursing theory.

which to work with my colleagues. I especially love the windows and looking out over Union Avenue into the horizon to clear my head as I work. If I can’t work outside, the next best thing is to see it.” Comprising 53,390 square feet and 82 offices, the building also offers additional space for research students and ample space for faculty research offices. “I am l enjoying the well-equipped research suites and conference rooms, which allow faculty, staff, and students the space and technology to collaborate with other investigators near and far,” said Associate Dean of Research Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN.

The Building at a Glance • 53,390 square feet • 5 stories

Tracing its history back to 1898 and the establishment of the Memphis City Hospital Training School for Nurses, the College of Nursing was the first school of nursing in Tennessee. Its first superintendent was Lena A. Warner, who was also the first graduate nurse in Tennessee. The new college building has an area devoted to history and memorabilia.

• 82 offices

“I am so excited about the aesthetics of the building, said Mona Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN, chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, who has been on the faculty since 1987. “It is a beautiful environment in

• College of Nursing Alumni Board Conference Room

Amenities • Dr. Cheryl Cummings Stegbauer Student Lounge • W. I. and Emma Lee Greenhill Quiet Room • Dr. Margaret A. Newman Dialogue Center • History and memorabilia display

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

CoN Enrollment

404

CoN New Student Enrollment 2021 (as of August 2021)

153 Total

3 NNP 15 PMH

1 RN-BSN

1 PhD

DNP

122

51 ABSN

BSN

7 DNP NMW

4 RNFA

26 DNP CRNA

4 PNP-PC

CoN TOTAL FOR FY2021

(July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021)

261 Certificates

RN–BSN

19 FNP 16 AG-ACNP 7 PNP-AC

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Photo credit: Nick McGinn

Tragedy, Persistence, and Hope Mark Journey to Nursing By Leigh Ann Roman When Filipina “Pin” Cevallos Schnabel was a teenager, a jellyfish bite triggered mastocytosis – an illness involving the mast cells – which introduced her to the health care world as a regular visitor to emergency rooms in her home country of the Philippines.

impression given to me by the nurses in Vanderbilt and the experience when our daughter was in the NICU was beyond amazing,” she said.

Mast cells are involved in allergic reactions, and Dr. Schnabel suffers from a rare and serious form of mastocytosis in which her allergic reactions often result in anaphylaxis – a life-threatening response.

Dr. Schnabel earned her BSN at East Tennessee State University, her MSN at Belmont University, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at the UTHSC College of Nursing. During that six-year journey into the nursing profession, Dr. Schnabel learned a new way of viewing patients.

Her health challenges inspired a commitment to be part of the healing professions – a theme that would be repeated throughout a life and career that has included work as both a medical doctor and a nurse practitioner.

“A nurse looks at the whole person, not just at the illness,’’ she said. “A nurse thinks about how is the patient’s family support, can they afford their medication? I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so nice. This is wonderful.’ ’’

“I was around the doctors and the nurses, and they were so compassionate and intelligent that I decided I wanted to be a doctor and be in that world,” she said, describing her life as a young woman.

She is grateful to her instructors who helped her learn to think like a nurse. “They were wonderful teachers who helped me transform my brain,” she said.

The Doctor Receives Expert Care She did become Dr. Cevallos and was a member of the medical faculty at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, as well as practicing as an Ear, Nose and Throat Head and Neck surgeon. She completed a fellowship in voice and swallowing disorders at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. However, a bout with breast cancer in her 30s caused her to reconsider her priorities. While still in the Philippines, she met and married a man from Tennessee, which meant a move to his home of Manchester – a small town about an hour from Nashville. Dr. Pin Cevallos became Pin Schnabel at age 40, and she and her husband, Michael, were soon expecting a baby. Their joy was followed by tragic news in the second trimester, when they learned the baby suffered from multiple congenital anomalies. The Schnabels understood that their baby would not survive long after her birth. Isabella Rosemary Schnabel lived 19 days in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center NICU, where “they were so caring for us, the doctors and the nurses,” she said. Dr. Schnabel recalled a nurse in the NICU who gave her husband his own Rosary, because he knew the couple were Roman Catholic. “We were suffering, but were being blessed by the people around us,” she said.

Becoming a Nurse Her experience there emphasized her desire to return to the world of health care. But this time, she chose nursing, because it offered better work-life balance, and because “the 10

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Although she could have worked as a nurse practitioner without earning a DNP, Dr. Schnabel said she chose to pursue the DNP because it is the terminal degree for nurse practitioners. The Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report in 2010 recommended doubling the number of nurses pursing doctorates by 2020. “The DNP opens up other possibilities and leadership and teaching roles,” she said. She chose UTHSC for the program’s high quality and longevity. It is the second-oldest DNP program in the country. “I learned so much about quality improvement at UTHSC,” said Dr. Schnabel, who graduated in May 2021. “Pin was an excellent student,” said Dr. Laura Reed, concentration coordinator for the Family Nurse Practitioner program in the College of Nursing. “She was always willing to share her clinical experience and knowledge with other students. She excelled as a team member and did incredible work. She is a shining example of a DNP graduate and will continue to contribute greatly to her clinical practice.” As an advanced practice nurse, Dr. Schnabel works for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in pediatric ear, nose, and throat. One of her primary responsibilities is ‘tongue-tie’ surgery, a procedure in which she repairs a condition that restricts the tongue’s movement and often interferes with an infant’s ability to nurse successfully. Although Dr. Schnabel never planned on working exclusively with children as a nurse practitioner, “I thought maybe God brought me here so I can help other Isabellas,” she said. “Twice a week I get to carry these young babies after their procedure to their mothers, and the mothers are so thankful. It is very fulfilling.”

Robin Black (left) earned her advanced nursing degree at UTHSC and is happy to see her daughter, Piper (right), seeking her DNP at UTHSC.

Like Mother, Like Daughter By Leigh Ann Roman Continuity of care is more than a philosophy at the Hilcrest Clinic in Erin, Tennessee. It is a way of life. For nearly 30 years, Robin Black, FNP, BC, PNP, BC, has worked as a nurse practitioner at the small, privatelyowned clinic in rural Houston County. Her daughter, Piper Black, BSN, hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps upon graduation from the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in UTHSC’s College of Nursing. Robin earned her master’s degree at UTHSC to become a nurse practitioner in 1989, and Piper is scheduled to graduate from UTHSC in May 2022 with her DNP. When Robin, 56, took the nurse practitioner position in Erin years ago, it was a one-year commitment. “I fell in love with the people of this community, and 28 years later, here I am,” she said. Piper, 28, said she has always known that she wanted to work in rural primary health care. “I watched my mom love coming to work every day,” she said.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Located in Middle Tennessee, Houston County has a population of about 8,100. The county seat of Erin is known for its Irish Day Parade and Arts and Crafts Festival. The county also is home to Danville Landing on the Tennessee River. Piper grew up at the Hilcrest Clinic, getting off the school bus there every afternoon. “The nurses would let me help bring the kids back and pick out their BAND-AIDS,” she said. “She would hold other kids’ hands when they got their blood drawn,” Robin said. And when her mother brought home blank patient charts, Piper would set up a clinic in the basement.

Supporting Rural Health Care Piper is one of five DNP students at UTHSC whose education is being funded, in part, with scholarships provided through a four-year $2.79 million HRSA grant to the college that is dedicated to educating nurse practitioners and nurse midwives to practice in rural and underserved areas.

It can be difficult to attract young physicians to a small, rural community like Houston County, Robin said. But she wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. The U.S. could see an estimated primary care physician shortage of between 21,400 and 55,200 by 2033, according to data published recently by the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 85% of nurse practitioners are trained in primary care, and nurse practitioners represent one out of four providers in rural practices, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Robin loves the small-town atmosphere of Houston County and the way it affects her work at the Hilcrest Clinic. “You see people from birth to the grave,” she said. “The patients I had when I arrived here are now my elderly patients, and I remember their history, their life.” “They aren’t just chart numbers to us,” Piper adds. “When you live in Erin, you know every family and it’s personal. It makes the job so much less of a job.” Robin’s patients are like an extended family. “I love taking care of people,” she said. “I love when they improve, and I love holding their hands and loving on them when they don’t. At least once a day I say, ‘I have the best patients in the whole world.’ ” And some might say that they have the best nurse practitioner in the world. Robin recounted a story of a patient who had recently thanked her for insisting that the woman’s husband receive a prostate test three years ago. The test resulted in the diagnosis of an aggressive cancer. The man was treated, and recovered. “She told me I was a Godsend, and it just gave me chills,” Robin said. Another local family sends Robin flowers every year on a very significant day. It is the anniversary of the date that Robin ordered lab work on their two-year-old daughter. Robin immediately noticed how pale she was. The lab work showed leukemia. “We caught it in time,” Robin said. The little girl is a healthy nine-year-old now. The holistic nursing perspective informs the care she gives, Robin said. If someone comes in with a stomach virus, she will also take the time to ask that patient whether she has received a pap smear or mammogram recently.

A Passion for Nursing After earning a microbiology degree at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Piper said learning how to think like a nurse presented a steep learning curve. “You take a step back and you don’t just look at the symptoms and science; you look at the person and ask what the symptoms are doing to their life and lifestyle,” she said. She earned her BSN in the accelerated program in the UTHSC College of Nursing and lauds her instructors for their commitment to ensuring that their students adopt a true nursing mindset. “Nursing changed my outlook. I see the person as a person, not as a checklist of things to fix,” she said UTHSC Nursing Instructor Anita Settles-Seymour, MSN, RN, taught Piper in the BSN program and recalls her passion for nursing. “She always possessed a positive attitude and spent time with her patients. Her mom and her community are important to her. I think her positive attitude, listening skills, and dedication to serving her community will make her successful as a practitioner in rural health. She is one of the best.” Piper hopes to transition from UTHSC directly to practice at the Hilcrest Clinic, where she recently completed a clinical rotation for her DNP program. “I can honestly say this is it for me. I never envisioned anything differently.” Hilcrest Clinic owner Michael A. Carter, MD, said Piper has wanted to work in rural health care as long as he has known her. “I believe she is going to be an excellent provider once she completes her training,” he said. “It’s difficult to know what the future holds, particularly in health care, but I certainly intend to keep Piper here in her hometown, if at all possible.” Robin is thrilled to see Piper grow into the nurse practitioner role. “I love that she is following in my footsteps. I think she will be wonderful in this position,” she said. “Her knowledge base is way more advanced than mine was when I was in the program 30 years ago. The role of the nurse practitioner has evolved, and UTHSC has done a fabulous job of training her.”

And it is that holistic view that Piper values so much, although, as valedictorian of her Houston County High School class, she had originally planned to become a physician. Conversations with the local doctor at the Hilcrest Clinic helped her to see that she could provide consistent patient care and enjoy greater work-life balance as a nurse practitioner.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Health Crises Affirm BSN Student’s Decision to Become a Nurse By Leigh Ann Roman With degrees in biology and public health, James Davis had been part of the health care world for years, when he decided to become a registered nurse. “I wanted that patient interaction,” he said.

Assistant Professor Crystal Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-C, a faculty adviser to the BSA, said, “He is a natural leader with a strong work ethic and a giving spirit, and I can’t wait to see the nurse that he becomes.”

What he didn’t realize was that he would also receive a front-row seat to the patient’s perspective, while pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree at UTHSC.

Davis secured a nursing position prior to his graduation August 18, and now works in the Emergency Department of Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto – the hospital where he received treatment for his pulmonary embolism and COVID-19.

Davis, 36, chose UTHSC’s 12-month BSN program because of the UTHSC College of Nursing’s reputation and the accelerated programming. But during that 12 months, Davis suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while playing basketball. As a result, he developed a deep-vein thrombosis, or blood clot, in his leg that dislodged and blocked the arteries in his lungs – a pulmonary embolism. Fortunately, a family member who checked on him was able to call 911 so he could receive life-saving treatment. Davis took a trimester off from the nursing program due to his health problems, but once he recovered he began working at a local hospital. There, he was exposed to COVID-19, became ill, and was again hospitalized. He received excellent care and was discharged after a week, but said it took him about three months to fully recover. “The whole process reaffirmed my choice of becoming a nurse,” he said. “Nurses have the most contact with their patients.” Davis sees the nursing profession as a way to give back, something that is very important to him. “I believe I was given a deck of cards, a lot of resources that others didn’t have,” he said, citing his upbringing in Clarksville, Tennessee, in a two-income military family with first-rate health benefits. “I believe you have an obligation to help your fellow man or woman if you can,” Davis said. “I was helped when I needed it, and I want to return the favor.” One of the ways he has done that during nursing school is by serving as president of the College of Nursing’s chapter of the Black Student Association (BSA). He and members of the organization recently volunteered to serve at the Sunday Community Breakfast of Calvary Episcopal Church for the homeless.

He also plans to continue his education in the College of Nursing, pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in acute care because he wants to work as an advanced practice nurse in the emergency department. “I went through that for a reason,” Davis said, referring to his illnesses. “A lot of people are not on the patient side of health care. I have had that experience, and I am going to make sure my patients are taken care of and try to anticipate their needs.”

Olivia (left) and Hannah Feruglio are identical twins who are pursuing the ABSN degree together.

Siblings Support Each Other in One-Year Bid to Attain BSN By Leigh Ann Roman Hannah and Olivia Feruglio have a lot in common with Hailey and Tucker McKinney. Both sets of siblings have embarked on a 12-month mission to join the nation’s most trusted profession – nursing. They are part of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at UTHSC, which began in August 2019. Geared to students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, the concept-based program aims to build nurses in one year. The inaugural graduating class fulfilled that goal, attaining a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Exam-RN® (NCLEX). For the Feruglios, the choice to attain a BSN in one year is the continuation of a lifetime of togetherness as identical twins. Olivia and Hannah share more than green eyes and dark brown hair, they shared an apartment while attending Mississippi State University, and they have shared jobs, such as nannying and tutoring for the same families. But it is their deep-seated desire to help others that led them both to the nursing profession.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

“It is the biggest honor to be able to be with someone when they are at their most vulnerable and need you the most,” Olivia said. Hannah agreed. “Nursing is not just medicine, it’s therapy,” she said. “You should be their shoulder to cry on, their rock – their comfortable rock.” The Feruglio sisters, who graduated from Germantown High School, are very happy with their choice of the UTHSC accelerated BSN program. “The CHIPS (Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation) is amazing; our classes are hard, which means I’m learning; the professors are fantastic; and the instructors are even better,” Hannah said. Their clinical experiences in the hospital teach them so much about the art and science of nursing, the sisters said. In one clinical rotation, a student may get to cut an infant’s umbilical cord after delivery; in another, the same student may hold the hand of a hospice patient who is alone in the world.

Tucker (left) and Hailey McKinney are also siblings who are working through the ABSN program together.

“We are there at the beginning and at the end of someone’s life,” Olivia said. “It’s incredible,” Hannah added. And they know they are making a difference. It is that ability to make a difference that the McKinney siblings noticed when they were working as scribes in the emergency departments of Methodist Hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, before entering the UTHSC nursing program. Both McKinneys have bachelor’s degrees in the sciences from Christian Brothers University and were working as scribes to gain health care experience. “Nursing is more personal,” said Tucker, 23. “The nurses are there 90 percent of the time, while the doctors are there 10 percent of the time. The nurses put in the IVs and are giving care . . .It is the nurses, not the doctors, who patients thank first when they leave the hospital.” Hailey, 24, said that even during their clinical rotations, they can see they are making a difference. At Methodist South Hospital, she had several elderly patients with dementia. “I could sit there and feed them, call their family and hold up the phone,” she said. “It’s not just about the procedures. It’s just really cool to help somebody who is hurting and to make it better when we can.”

“We study in the same room,” Hailey said. “We have taken over the dining room as our workspace. Our laptops are next to each other, and we practice our questions together.” Both sets of siblings also plan to earn their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees at UTHSC. While the McKinneys are interested in psychiatric mental health, the Feruglios are focused on a pediatric nurse practitioner concentration. Halfway through the demanding, one-year BSN program, the friendship and support among classmates helps the students keep going, the Feruglios said. “We were hoping to find good friends in the program, but we weren’t expecting to find best friends,” Hannah said. “It is like a family.” And when the going gets tough, staying focused on the goal gets them through. “This is something I’m going to be able to do,” Tucker said. “My dream is of being a patient’s hope when I enter the hospital room, their lifeline. Really, if it only takes one person to make an impact, I want it to be me.”

Like the Feruglios, the McKinneys support one another through the rigorous nursing program. UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Accelerated BSN Shows Success; Program Adds Traditional Pathway As the College of Nursing retools its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to meet the changing needs of the health care industry, it is showing success and growth. The first cohort of the 12-month BSN option achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Exam-RN® (NCLEX), after graduating in August 2020. The college now admits two cohorts to the 12-month option annually and has opened a traditional four-semester BSN option that welcomes its first cohort in August 2022. “This first-time NCLEX pass rate is a testament to the resilience and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” Dean Likes said. “To have achieved this during a pandemic, when many challenges were presented, is extraordinary.” The national average for first-time NCLEX pass rates was 87.53% in 2020, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Both the accelerated and traditional BSN options are concept-based. “We made a conscious decision to use

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concepts to drive our curriculum to enhance clinical decision-making and reduce content overload,” said Randy Johnson, PhD, RN, the BSN program director and an associate professor in the College of Nursing. “The curriculum was developed by faculty to address priority concepts and exemplars that are most reflective of the current clinical practice.” Both BSN options prepare students to take the NCLEX. The traditional BSN is geared to students who have completed 60 hours of prerequisite courses at a community college or other college and want to complete a nursing degree in a four-semester format within a dynamic health science center. The pace of the new program is similar to a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree, while the college’s accelerated BSN is an intense, 12-month program for students who already have earned a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.

Scholarship 2021

Total Faculty Grant Funding $1,713,064

Grant Funding $1,827,736

$1,689,248

$1,500,000

$1,713,064

$1,000,000 $500,000

$100,000

FACULTY PRESENTATIONS 2021 TOTAL: 122 56

$50,000

FY2019

FY2020

FY2021

NCLEX Pass Rates for BSN % Rate 100

$2,000,000

100%

International

State

National

Local

Regional

98 97.4%

96%

2018

2019

94 92 90

2017

2020

Faculty Grant Submissions by Year 25

TOTAL: 31

TOTAL: 25

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS 2021 TOTAL: 67

TOTAL: 40

20 17

15 10

13 11

Journal

5 2

3 1

FY2019

Federal Professional

2 0

FY2020

Foundation

Other

FY2021

Internal (UTHSC CoN)

State UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

CON Awarded $1.5 Million for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Training The College of Nursing has received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration to fund a much-needed expansion of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training and certification in West Tennessee. SANE programs are designed to train nurses to address survivors’ needs and provide trauma-informed care. The 21 counties of West Tennessee have only six certified SANE nurses, five of whom practice in Shelby County. But the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation received nearly 1,600 reports of sexual assault in West Tennessee in 2019, indicating a significant shortage. Andrea Sebastian, DNP, PNP, SANE-P, an assistant professor in the UTHSC College of Nursing, has worked as a child abuse nurse practitioner for the last seven years at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and will serve as manager of the SANE Training and Education through Partnerships for Underserved Populations (STEP UP) project, funded by the HRSA grant.

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Increasing Resources for the Most Vulnerable “Currently, we do not have enough SANE nurses in West Tennessee to provide exams and resources to victims,” Dr. Sebastian said. “With this grant, we will be able to increase access to these invaluable resources and help victims of sexual assault in our community.” The UTHSC team will work with West Tennessee Healthcare, the Shelby County Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center, and the Whiteville Family Medical Clinic on the project. The team’s goal is to transform the nursing workforce by increasing the supply, distribution, and retention of certified SANEs and improving access to timely, expert care for all sexual assault survivors in West Tennessee. Assistant Professor Christie Manasco, PhD, RN, is one of the co-investigators on the grant. “The funding from this grant will significantly help us close the gaps to equitable SANE care in West Tennessee. The efforts supported by these funds will help us to reduce inequalities and disparities and promote better outcomes for survivors,” she said.

STEPPING UP to Increase Access In July, the STEP UP grant team launched a plan to recruit up to 61 registered nurses or advanced practice registered nurses from the West Tennessee counties, with a focus on the rural and underserved areas. The grant will pay for participants to earn certifications through community or academic programs for adult and pediatric patients. The grant team will also work with regional stakeholders to develop and implement a regional Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team that will assess the needs for sexual assault services in the area, reduce barriers to SANE training, and coordinate SANE clinical training opportunities. Grant funding also will be used to develop and provide resources for SANE self-care, peer mentoring, continuing education and recertification.

Dr. Sebastian will be supported on this grant by coinvestigators, including Dr. Manasco, Assistant Professor Lisa Beasley, DNP, APRN, NP-C, RN; Assistant Professor Sally Humphrey, DNP, ARN, CPNP-PC; and Assistant Professor Diana Dedmon, DNP, FNP-BC, director of clinical affairs. College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-Bc, FAANP, will serve as women’s health adviser on the grant, and the program coordinator for the Doctor of Nursing Practice DNP program, Trimika Bowdre, PhD, MPH, will be the evaluation adviser. “The College of Nursing is very grateful for the funding to support this important work of providing appropriate care to this very vulnerable group of people,” Dean Likes said. “The need for this in West Tennessee is beyond question. I look forward to working with this team in the College of Nursing and our community partners to provide this vital service to our communities.”

Other Major Grants The UTHSC College of Nursing has increased its emphasis on research, submitting 40 grant proposals in the last year. This hard work and persistence has resulted in high-impact grants.

$50,000

Day

Dedmon

$76,350 A $76,350 sub-award from a $200,000 grant to the UT Institute of Agriculture was awarded to the college to improve vaccination rates in rural and underserved communities. The grant will focus on strengthening immunization education among adults in six rural and underserved counties in Tennessee through a collaboration between grant investigators, UT Extension agents, and the Tennessee Department of Health. The co-principal investigators from the college are Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN, assistant dean for the Center for Community and Global Partnerships; and Assistant Professor Diana Dedmon, DNP, FNP, BC, director of clinical affairs and holder of Michael Carter Endowed Professorship.

Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), Inc., awarded a $50,000 grant to the college to fund a Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Henry Nursing Excellence, a five-day intensive course that will be the first of its kind in the U.S. The program is being developed in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates. Sara Day, professor and assistant dean of the Center for Community and Global Partnerships in the College of Nursing, is the principal investigator for the grant. She will be supported by Assistant Professor Artangela Henry, DNP, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, and Yvonne Carroll, JD, RN, director of patient services, department of hematology at St. Jude.

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CoN Becomes Telehealth Training Center The UTHSC College of Nursing has been selected as the first satellite telehealth training center in Tennessee by the South Central Telehealth Resource Center. The new training center, scheduled to open this fall, will offer a much-needed resource to train health care providers in telehealth services, which have grown exponentially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of the center within the college will also allow faculty to include telehealth in the curriculum. “We will be able to integrate telehealth training into their program of study and provide students the skills to use telehealth to care for their patients in the future,” said Sarah Rhoads, PhD, DNP, WHNP-BC, FAAN, a professor in the College of Nursing.

The South Central Telehealth Resource Center, headquartered at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, is part of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. Funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the resource center provides telehealth training in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. A sub-award to the college from the South Central Telehealth Resource Center will provide the new telehealth training center at UTHSC with a telemedicine cart, including peripheral devices such as stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, dermatological and dental cameras. In addition, there will be interactive modules displayed on tablets and remote patient monitoring equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs, scales, pulse oximeters, and glucometers. The use of telehealth has increased dramatically since the pandemic began, and the primary use of telehealth has been for mental health. “Telehealth training is vital,” Dr. Rhoads said. “Some health systems had a broad infrastructure and could deploy telehealth easily during the pandemic, while other clinics have struggled to implement telehealth – even a year later.” Dean Likes said, “Telehealth has the potential to improve the quality of health care, increase clinical workflow efficiency and make health care accessible to more people. This is a great opportunity to train health care providers in the use of innovative technology to enhance care using state-of-the-art equipment housed right here in the College of Nursing.”

The first class of the new DNP in Nurse-Midwifery pictured with Dr. Kate Fouquier, far right.

Healthier Moms and Babies Goal of New Nurse-Midwifery Program Registered Nurse Jasmine Walker wanted to join the first cohort of students in the new Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse-Midwifery program in the UTHSC College of Nursing for a simple reason: To help increase the number of healthy mothers and babies in Shelby County. The nurse-midwifery program, the only such program at a public university in Tennessee, was approved in March, applications closed in May, and the first cohort of seven students began in August. The full-time plan of study for the program is three years, and the part-time plan of study is four years. Walker has been a registered nurse at Regional One Health on the High-Risk Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit since July 2020. Before that, she worked in Intensive Care Step Down and Medical-Surgical Units. “I chose to pursue a career in midwifery for multiple reasons,” said Walker, the mother of a toddler. “My main reason is my interest in becoming a primary care provider in women’s health. Many times, as a registered nurse, I see patients at their worst. I feel as if I can make a bigger impact if I am able to work with patients in the beginning of their pregnancy journey.” The certified nurse-midwife provides pregnancy and childbirth care, as well as primary care, annual gynecology wellness exams, family planning, fertility, and newborn care. “I have learned that many patients simply lack proper education, resources, and support necessary to establish and maintain a healthy pregnancy,” Walker said. “As

a midwife, I can meet the patient where they are and increase their awareness and access to needed and beneficial resources in the hopes of decreasing maternal and fetal deaths, complications during pregnancy and delivery, and overall increase the amount of healthier pregnant women, mothers, and babies.” The College of Nursing is partnering with Regional One Health, the only hospital in the greater Memphis area that offers midwifery care, and CHOICES birth center for clinical education. Students are required to complete a minimum of 1,200 hours in supervised family-centered care that includes managing births in the hospital and birth centers. “The maternal mortality rate in Tennessee is one of the highest in the country with a preterm birth rate at 11.2%. According to the March of Dimes, there hasn’t been any improvement in our numbers in over 10 years,” said Kate Fouquier, CNM, PhD, FACNM, the nurse-midwifery concentration coordinator, a practicing certified nursemidwife since 1996, and a Fellow in the American College of Nurse Midwives. “The unique perspective of nurse midwives can provide the gap coverage that our Tennessee mothers need to deliver healthy babies. Midwives provide women-centered care throughout the lifespan. The midwifery model of care empowers women through education, support, and a belief in the normalcy of life events, including birth. By educating and supporting women, they are better equipped to make healthy choices for themselves and their families.”

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Reed and Cavallo Win DAISY Award

ABSN Milestone Celebrated with Virtual White Coat

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Faculty at the UTHSC College of Nursing this year honors Assistant Professor Laura Reed, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC (left), in the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Nursing Instructor Christie Cavallo, MSN, RN, EdD(c), CNE, CNEcl, in the Department of Acute and Tertiary Care. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Faculty was created to recognize nursing faculty members who inspire their students to remember that nursing is more than skills or technology. These faculty members help ensure that the art, as well as the science, of nursing are brought to all interactions with patients.

Like most events during the pandemic, the Winter 2021 White Coat Ceremony for students in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (BSN) program was virtual. The donning of the white coat signifies transitioning from didactic to clinical education. Students in the accelerated BSN program had their white coat photos taken with BSN Director Randy Johnson and Dean Wendy Likes, and offered quotes on the meaning of nursing for a video presentation. Student Aerial Moore, pictured here with Dr. Likes (left) and Dr. Johnson (right), said: “Empathy, care, respect, and compassion inspired me to enter the profession of nursing, so that I can contribute those characteristics of myself in order to improve health care and provide excellent patient care.”

Faculty Includes Four Rising Stars Four faculty members from the UTHSC College of Nursing have been selected as Tennessee Rising Star Nurse Leaders. Their selection was based on criteria determined by leaders from the Tennessee Action Coalition, Tennessee Nurses Association, and Tennessee Hospital Association including leadership among peers and others, professional growth and development, contribution to building a culture of health in the community, and commitment as a role model for health. As part of this cohort, they will become members of the TN 40 Under 40 program’s learning collaborative. The winners include Associate Dean of Research Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN (top, left); Assistant Professor Cory Wilbanks, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CNL (top, right); Assistant Professor Lacretia Carroll, PhD, MSN, RN (bottom, left); and Assistant Professor Crystal Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-C (bottom, right).

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CRNA Student Receives First Cornwell Scholarship Mila Devineni, a student in the Nurse Anesthesia DNP program was selected as the first recipient of the Patty Cornwell Stewardship and Advocacy Scholarship. Devineni, who is also president of the Tennessee Association of Student Nurse Anesthetists (TASNA), was honored August 16 during the 2021 American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Annual Congress (AANA) in Austin, Texas. The $3,000 scholarship was established jointly by the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TANA) and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Foundation in recognition of legendary TANA member Patty Cornwell, CRNA, who has devoted a lifetime of service to her profession, and the organizations. Devineni is scheduled to graduate from UTHSC in May 2022.

Fighting COVID-19 Students and faculty from the College of Nursing continued to assist with community efforts to combat COVID-19 in Shelby County throughout the year. During FY2021, students and faculty contributed 66 volunteer shifts as part of the COVID vaccine response, covering 303 hours. This includes a CoN Day of Service at the Pipkin Building vaccination site in Memphis, where students, faculty, and staff volunteered in clinical and non-clinical roles in celebration of National Nurses Week, May 6-12.

Virtual Cashdollar Covers Ethical Challenges of COVID-19 More than 270 people registered for the 2020 William T. Cashdollar Distinguished Visiting Professorship Nov. 6. The theme was Ethical and Human Challenges of Coping with COVID-19. The program featured keynote speaker Douglas Diekema, MD, MPH, director of education at the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics – Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The program panel included faculty members Donna Lynch-Smith, DNP, ACNP-BC, APN, NE-BC, CNL, and Sherry Webb, DNSc, RN, CNL, NEA-BC.

Textbook wins Journal of Nursing Book of Year A nursing textbook edited by BSN Program Director and Associate Professor Randall Johnson was awarded first place in the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards for 2020. Dr. Johnson authored four chapters and was one of three editors for the book, “Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology: Essentials for Clinical Practice.” AJN has listed the best in nursing publishing since 1969.

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Dr. Wicks Named Assistant Editor of Nursing Journal Professor Mona Newsome Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been appointed Assistant Editor of the Journal of Nursing Education. Dr. Wicks has been a member of the Journal’s editorial board since 2012 and was a review panel member for several years prior to that promotion. Dr. Wicks will work with the editor and associate editor to manage the growing volume of manuscript subscriptions. Dr. Wicks chairs the CON’s Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

Jones-Purdy and Maceri Win SGAEC Teaching Awards The Student Government Association Executive Council’s Excellence in Teaching Awards for the College of Nursing this year recognized Instructor Patricia Jones-Purdy (left), MSN, RN, and Assistant Professor Sam Maceri, DNSc, RN. Students nominate faculty members for this award, which is among the most prestigious award faculty can receive. Jones-Purdy has been on the CON faculty since 2018. Dr. Maceri joined the faculty in 2016 and retired in July, 2021.

Two Accepted to Rural Health Leadership Academy Assistant Professor Christie Manasco, PhD, RN (left), and Assistant Professor Lisa Beasley, DNP, APRN, NP-C, RN, were recently accepted into the Inaugural Rural Health Leadership Academy of the Rural Health Association of Tennessee. This experience will provide networking and collaborative connections throughout the state that can be used to further develop the rural health initiative of the college.

Nursing Students Honored by BSA Two nursing students were recognized in the UTHSC Black Student Association Awards for their academic excellence and community service. Ryan Blue, BSN (left), a student in the Nursing Science PhD program, was recognized through the College of Graduate Health Sciences. And Kristin Fitchpatric, BSN, a recent graduate of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program in psychiatric mental health, was recognized through the College of Nursing.

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Dean Wendy Likes with UT President Randy Boyd at a UTHSC Employee Appreciation Day before the pandemic.

Wendy Likes Named 2021 Health Care Hero UTHSC College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes was named a 2021 Health Care Hero in the category of Administrative Excellence by the Memphis Business Journal. The Health Care Hero Awards recognize the leadership of health care workers in the community, highlighting their contributions to their respective fields. “I am honored to receive this recognition and to work with outstanding faculty, staff, and students who share in the vision of living our lives for a greater purpose,” Dean Likes said. “I have been fortunate to have a career where I can give back and have the opportunity to work with such a stellar team of dedicated and passionate individuals.” Dr. Likes has led the college since 2015. A certified family nurse practitioner who works with patients who have cancer and pre-invasive gynecologic conditions, Dr. Likes is a three-time UTHSC alumna, earning her MSN, DNSc, and PhD degrees from the institution. She is also the founder and executive director for the Center for HPV and Dysplasia at Regional One Health, where she also has a clinical practice. During her tenure as dean, Dr. Likes has set the following goals for the college: Working persistently to raise the college’s national standing, increasing the student body, adding more degree and certificate offerings, attracting accomplished faculty, and improving the research profile. Under her leadership, the College of Nursing’s DNP program is nationally ranked at No. 26 on the U.S. News & World Report list of DNP programs for 2022.

Dr. Likes has served as principal investigator or coinvestigator for more than $3 million in grants and special project funding from organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. She has also authored or contributed to more than 30 peerreviewed journal articles; given nearly 80 presentations at regional, national, and international health care industry conferences, conventions, and meetings; and served on numerous health care committees and advisory boards. She has served as co-chair of the Education Committee for the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology; chair of the Research and Awards Committee for Sigma Theta Tau-Beta Theta chapter; and a member of the Tennessee Center for Workforce Development with the Tennessee Hospital Association. In 2017, she was appointed by the Tennessee Governor to serve on the Healing Arts Committee. “I have been so happy with the college’s progress,” said Dean Likes. “We have grown tremendously over the last six to seven years from the number of faculty to research funding, to academic programs and beyond. We have had a focus as a college on innovation to meet the workforce needs and health needs of our community. Our faculty, staff, and students share in our common vision of being an invaluable resource in using innovation to transform health care. When I was a student sitting in the GEB in the 1990s obtaining my MSN, I would have never thought I would be faculty at UTHSC, much less the dean. I am beyond blessed to serve the college and the university.”

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College of Nursing Welcomes New Faculty Members The UTHSC College of Nursing has added several new faculty members over the last year.

Lisa Beasley, DNP, APRN, NP-C, RN Dr. Beasley joined the faculty in September 2020 as an assistant professor. Prior to joining the UTHSC faculty, she was director of Clinical Education and a clinical associate professor at the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing. She earned her BSN and MSN at the University of Memphis and earned her DNP at the University of Alabama. Dr. Beasley is the President of the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA) District 1.

Artangela Henry, DNP, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC Dr. Henry joined the faculty in April 2021. A three-time alumna of the UTHSC CoN, Dr. Henry has clinical experience in internal medicine, acute care services, and underserved outpatient population centers. Her focus is preventive care and management of sickle cell disease in the adult population.

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Tori Payne Webster, MSN, RN Webster joined the college as a nursing instructor for the BSN program in December 2020. Webster is an alumna of the UTHSC MSN, Clinical Nurse Leader program, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Memphis. She most recently worked as a staff nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit where, she served as co-chair for her unit’s Shared Governance Committee.

Christina Wills, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC Dr. Wills joined the College of Nursing as an assistant professor in the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner concentration in January 2021. She received her BSN from Middle Tennessee State University School of Nursing in 2011 and completed her DNP at the UTHSC College of Nursing in 2016. Dr. Wills has been a nurse for 11 years and has spent the majority of her time working in the hematology/ oncology setting at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Y’Esha Williams, PhD, MSN, RN Dr. Williams joined the CoN faculty as assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in June 2021. She will be engaged primarily in teaching psychiatric and mental health nursing in the BSN program. Dr. Williams comes to the CoN from the University of Memphis, where she has taught since 2016. Dr. Williams earned her MSN and PhD in Nursing Science at UTHSC.

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2021 Most Supportive Alumna Cheryl Cummings Stegbauer, PhD, MS, BSN, RN, APN, FNP-BC, FAANP Dr. Cheryl Stegbauer is a Golden Graduate, Class of 1969, from the UTHSC College of Nursing, and a long-time member of the faculty, serving for more than 30 years. Dr. Stegbauer helped develop the master’s degree program for Family Nurse Practitioners in the college in the 1970s and was part of the team that developed the UTHSC Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She received the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award in 2002 and the Public Service Award in 2004. Dr. Stegbauer has been active at both state and national levels with professional groups concerned with the legal, regulatory, and collaborative aspects of nursing practice. She was selected by the Nurse Practitioner Journal as one of the Top 25 Nurse Practitioners in the United States in the history and development of the nurse practitioner profession. Dr. Stegbauer was awarded Professor Emeritus upon her retirement in 2014 from the UTHSC College of Nursing. She continues to work as a consultant for legal and professional matters.

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2021 Most Outstanding Recent Alumna Award Andrea Kilgannon, BSN Andrea Kilgannon is a registered nurse with expertise in critical care and an extensive pre-nursing background in community health. In addition to earning a BSN with honors from the UTHSC College of Nursing in 2019, Kilgannon holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and foreign language and a master’s degree in romance languages from the University of Memphis. Kilgannon’s activities at UTHSC include serving as the procedural officer for the Student Nurses Association, Honor Council Chair for the Nursing Student Government Association, and the College of Nursing representative for UTHSC Unite, an organization concerned with improving the visibility of LGBTQIA+ students and initiatives on campus. Kilgannon was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and the Imhotep Society at UTHSC in 2019 and received the Imhotep Award and the College of Nursing Alumni Award in 2019. Kilgannon’s community activities include volunteering for the Memphis Full Spectrum Doula Collective, the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, OUTMemphis – the LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Mid-South, and as a regional organizer for Brand New Congress for the Mid-South. Kilgannon currently works at a microbiology laboratory, while preparing to return to school to study medical laboratory science.

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2021 Outstanding Methodist School of Nursing Alumna Paula Tapper Spears, DNSc, MSN, BSN Dr. Paula Spears graduated from the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in 1972 and completed her BSN at the University of Memphis (1981), and her MSN (1984) and DNSc (2002) at the UTHSC College of Nursing. Dr. Spears enjoyed a long career in clinical nursing and nurse leadership, until her retirement in 2018. After attaining her doctorate, Dr. Spears served Methodist Healthcare in an executive role focused on professional development of clinical staff and advancement of evidence-based procedures. She also served as principal investigator for a $1 million Health Research Services Administration grant for leadership development of frontline nurse managers. She obtained a second HRSA grant while leading the Nursing Institute of the Mid-South. In 2012, Dr. Spears moved to Texas to take the role of vice president of Professional Practice, Research, and Magnet at Texas Health Resources. Under her leadership, more than 200 evidence-based nursing research projects were published in journals nationwide. She was responsible for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program and led the development and deployment of sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) throughout the system. In 2014, she received the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Rust Medical Services Award of Excellence. In retirement, Dr. Spears continues to promote nursing excellence through her work with the American Nursing Credentialing Center as a Magnet Program Appraiser.

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Congratulations, Graduates! The College of Nursing recognized the graduation of 59 Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) at the May 19 commencement ceremony held at the Renasant Center in Memphis. The graduating cohort included: 7 in psychiatric mental health 1 in pediatric primary care 3 in acute pediatrics 2 in the neonatal nurse practitioner concentration 13 in adult gerontology/acute care 14 in the family nurse practitioner concentration 19 in the nurse anesthesia concentration. The following graduates were recognized with awards: Chelsey Parks, DNP, RN, College of Nursing Alumni Award Ryan Ware, DNP, RN, DNP Leadership Award Tammy Delaney, DNP, RN, DNP Clinical Award

The Legacy Continues: The Jim Stockdale Scholarship By Jackie Denton When James E. ‘Jim’ Stockdale began his career in 1955 as assistant director of Student Welfare for what was then the University of Tennessee Medical Units, it was the start of a legacy that would forever be integral to the history of the UTHSC College of Nursing. That legacy continues to impact nursing students even today. Stockdale, who passed away in December 2020, will always be known as “Coach” by alumni of the UTHSC College of Nursing. He served as coach for the UT Nurses basketball team for 26 years. From 1955 through 1981, he was the volunteer coach of the team of students from the college. The team played in the Memphis Park Commission Nurses League and traveled throughout the Southeast and Midwest competing in games and tournaments against other nursing schools, as well as in the Cotton States Nurses Tournament at the end of the season. During his tenure as coach, Stockdale and the team had 333 wins with 151 losses. The team seized seven Cotton States Tournament titles and won theMemphis Nurses League 12 times. During its entire history, the UT Nurses had 390 wins, 209 losses, and two ties. Stockdale’s impact that began more than 66 years ago is making a difference in the lives of current students in the College of Nursing through the Jim Stockdale Scholarship.

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The scholarship was established in 2011 and is endowed by players of the UT Nurses basketball team. It is awarded to a UTHSC College of Nursing student who demonstrates academic ability and financial need. “I decided to pursue nursing because nurses are first-line care in many people’s health care experience,” said Jade Abbott, a student in the accelerated BSN program. “I will have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life or someone will make a difference in mine. It is a rewarding field that challenges you every day. Being a recipient of this scholarship allowed me the opportunity to focus less on funding for school and more on academics. I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity and to use it to become the best nurse I can be.” In addition, members of the UT Nurses team also established a scholarship named for Stockdale that is awarded to one player on the Lady Vols team in Knoxville. In 2016, the former members of the UT Nurses team were able to hold a huddle with Coach Stockdale at the College of Nursing Alumni Weekend, during which he was honored with the Most Supportive Alumnus Award.

Scholarship Shares ‘Grace’ with Students in Need By Peggy Reisser Carolyn Moran-DePalma traces her career as a nurse and educator to “grace” and the kindness of instructors at the UT School of Nursing, now the UTHSC College of Nursing, who helped her when she needed it. After she entered nursing school in the 1950s, she realized her previous education, particularly in the sciences, had not prepared her for the rigorous course load. Fortunately, she was allowed to repeat a course and continue her education, a blessing that helped her keep up. “Some schools might not have allowed this,” she said. “I’ve always felt that it was grace that brought me to UT.” Recognizing that sometimes a little extra help can be the difference between success and failure, Moran-DePalma and her husband, Bruno DePalma, MD, have established a scholarship in the UTHSC College of Nursing to aid students who might need similar assistance. “I wanted students who might be challenged to have extra help,” she said. This could mean funds to help a student demonstrating academic ability but in need of tutoring or additional time to complete course requirements. It could be for general financial assistance for a deserving student with limited resources or ability due to disadvantaged circumstances. Moran-DePalma, who is retired and lives in St. Augustine, Florida, with her husband, spent her career as a nurse educator in medical-surgical nursing. She received a BSN from the UT College of Nursing in 1956, as the profession was beginning to encourage higher-level educational standards within its ranks. She earned a Master of Arts degree from Teacher’s College at Columbia University in New York City, with a focus on teaching in baccalaureate schools of nursing.

Her first teaching position was at Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis. She has taught at colleges of nursing, including the University of Vermont, the University of Oregon, St. Luke School of Nursing in New York, Brooklyn College, Indiana University, the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Ohio, Northern Kentucky University, and Chico State College in California. Moran-DePalma cites Ruth Neil Murry, dean of the UT College of Nursing for decades beginning in the 1950s, as an “innovator and a visionary” in encouraging nursing students to pursue their education by starting the first baccalaureate program for the College of Nursing. She also mentions Grace Wallace, who assisted Dean Murry, for being inspirational and a mentor to students. “UT’s program was very rare,” Moran-DePalma said. It is that philosophy of educational pursuit that she carried out through her career and will share through this generous scholarship. Moran-DePalma has been an active alumna of the UTHSC College of Nursing, serving on the alumni board as president and a board member. “I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. DePalma and her husband when she was thinking of supporting nursing students with a scholarship,” Dean Likes said. “She has had a very distinguished career, but what impressed me most was her dedication in helping others in their journey into nursing.”

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CoN Celebrates Nurse Heroes at Virtual NightinGalas The coronavirus pandemic has not stopped the NightinGala – an annual celebration of nursing by the UTHSC College of Nursing. As the pandemic escalated in 2020, the college first rescheduled, and then transitioned its NightinGala celebration to a virtual event in October. The 2021 NightinGala, which was scheduled during Nurses Week in May as usual, was also virtual. Both events were well-attended and recognized the efforts of nurse heroes in the Mid-South.

2020 NightinGala Nurse Hero Award Winners Bedside Nurse Hero Award: Ruth Antony, RN, of St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. With 18 years as a registered nurse, Antony consistently receives kudos from patients for her skilled care and kindness as the post-operative charge nurse. Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award: Carla London, DNP, APRN, CFNP, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. London is the advanced practice provider manager for the Infectious Disease Clinic at St. Jude. She provides exceptional comprehensive care to adolescents and young adults with HIV/AIDS and serves as a mentor to her colleagues. She is also chair of the St. Jude Nursing Diversity and Inclusion Council.

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Executive Nurse Hero Award: Cindy Wooten, MSN, RN-BC, system director of nursing practice and professional development for the Baptist Memorial Health Care. With more than 40 years of nursing experience, Wooten is responsible for developing patient policies, procedures, and guidelines, and leads the System Nursing Practice Council to oversee nursing practice.

2020 COVID-19 Community Nurse Hero Award: Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, former director of the Shelby County Health Department. Dr. Haushalter led the initial public health response to the pandemic in Shelby County and was integral in developing guidance to keep the public safe, including the three-phase approach to reopening the city and county.

2021 NightinGala Nurse Hero Award Winners Bedside Nurse Hero Award: Jill Klobe, BSN, RN, CCRN, a nurse at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Although Klobe works in the cardiac catheterization lab at Methodist North, she is known throughout the hospital for assisting colleagues in other departments. Klobe recently partnered with a nurse scholar to develop and implement a research study on the effect of music therapy on anxiety in patients undergoing angiographic studies.

Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award: Jami S. Gattuso, MSN, RN, CPON. A nursing research specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Gattuso has authored multiple research studies oriented to saving lives or improving the quality of life for children fighting cancer. She also demonstrates excellence through her leadership in the Evidence-based Practice Fellowship at St. Jude. Gattuso is a member of the Association of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology Nurses, and has been recognized with that organization’s Excellence in Nursing Practice Award, the Dr. Patricia Green Leadership Award, and the Dr. Casey Hooke Service Award.

Nurse Leader Hero Award: Jamica S. Taylor, MSN, RN. A nurse in emergency services at Regional One Health, Taylor is a professional development specialist for Regional One and has demonstrated her leadership by creating a 16-hour Emergency Services Boot Camp for nurses onboarding in the department, in addition to a comprehensive pocket guide for emergency services staff. She also recently received grant funding to establish a nurse residency program in emergency services.

Nursing Team Heroes Award: The Radiation Oncology Clinic Team at St. Jude. The team provides compassionate care for patients undergoing very complex treatment. In addition to providing this care during the pandemic, the team assisted with the COVID screening process and staff swabbing program at St. Jude. The team is led by Christina Bosley, BSN, RN, and includes Brittany Bedard, BSN, RN; Tina Myers, BSN, RN; Laura Alexander-Dodds, RN, LADAC; Kathryn Witt, BHS, BSN, RN; and radiation oncology attendant Katherine Walker. The nurse practitioners on the team include Valerie Groben, MSN, PNP-BC, RN; Elizabeth Burghen, MSN, PNP; and Haley Ruleman, MSN, RN, PNP.

The COVID-19 Community Nurse Hero Award: Terri Stewart, MSN, RN, who was tapped to serve as the chief nursing officer (CNO) of the alternate care facility set up inside the former Commercial Appeal building to handle potential overflow of COVID-19 patients in Memphis. A nursing instructor at the UTHSC College of Nursing, Stewart willingly accepted the task and was integral to the successful completion of the project.

The Runyan Award The Runyan Award, established in 1979, recognizes a nurse who has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of community health. This award is traditionally announced during NightinGala. The 2020 Runyan Award winner was Jenny Dudzinski, MSN, RN, state public health nursing director for the Tennessee Department of Health. Described as an excellent leader and team builder, Dudzinski was also awarded the Intra-State Departmental Suicide Prevention Award by the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network in 2018. The 2021 Runyan Award recognized the Tennessee Department of Health Regional Nursing Directors. These eight directors oversee the state’s 89 rural county health departments and play critical roles in responding to crises, as well as providing primary care and core public health services in these counties. The directors collaborated with community partners to facilitate more than one million COVID tests and nearly 900,000 vaccines. They are Kathy Snyder, RN, Northeast Tennessee Region; Kathy Nelson, RN, East Tennessee Region; Shelnessa Taylor, RN, Upper Cumberland Region; DeSha Shaw, RN, Mid-Cumberland Region; Michelle Estes, RN, South Central Region; Susan Merriman, RN, Southeast Tennessee Region; and Mica Rudd, RN, MPH, and Janna Beth Shaull, RN, both from the West Tennessee Region.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC?

Donating to UTHSC every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone! Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs. Your gift in any amount will make a difference. Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society! For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.

Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516

1911 Society Donor Recognition The College of Nursing would like to recognize its donors for the impact they have made on our students, faculty, and staff in the past fiscal year. The following donors denoted by an asterisk have an active membership in the 1911 Society, thanks to their generous support of the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The 1911 Society recognizes the dedicated supporters of the university, who are vital partners in our mission of educating students, conducting innovative research, and improving health outcomes. Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across multiple levels, recognizing annual and cumulative contributions to UTHSC. To learn more online, visit giving.uthsc.edu/1911.

Your donations are critical to strengthening our impact across the state and around the world. There are multiple ways to support the College of Nursing. Cash gifts can be made online, by mail, or by phone. Other giving options include employer matching contributions, gifts of stock or bonds, real estate, gifts in kind, and various planned giving vehicles. For more information on how you can impact the College of Nursing, please contact Michelle Stubbs, director of Development, at mstubbs@utfi.org or 901.448.2076. Make your gift today! Visit giving.uthsc. edu/give.

Thank you for your generous support! Eleanor Lagmay Acosta *

Jacqueline and Tony Burchum *

Olamide Odunayo Adeleye *

Cheryl and Larry Burnett

Leslie Ann and Mark A. Akins *

Nancy S. and William W. Burton *

Sandra and Gene Alford *

Sharon E. Byers

Helen A. Alley *

Nathalia G. and Claude C. Cagle *

Vashti J. Alley *

Diane M. Campbell *

Nancy and Murphy Appling *

Lisa Ann Campbell *

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation *

Xueyuan Cao and Ming Juan Wang *

Carol Haynes Barraza *

Patricia P. and Michael G. Carlson *

Bill E. and Sherry Barry *

Kay P. and H.M. Carr *

Victoria Young Bass *

Henry Carrouth

Richard E. and Sandra Davis Bateman *

J. Woodson and Joan B. Carter *

Lisa Darlene Beasley *

Michael A. and Sarah A. Carter *

Bobby Lynn and Larry Dale Bellflower *

Ann and Ted Cashion *

Hallie P. and Patrick E. Bensinger *

Richard J. and Glenda B. Cavallaro *

Coleen and Marvin L. Bertsch *

Christie M. and Roger L. Cavallo *

Glynis Dye Blackard

Kathy and Harry T. Chandler III

Bethany Goolsby and Scott A. Blankenship *

Vicki and Steve Chandler *

Sari S. Bledsoe *

Barbara and Michael Cherry *

Patricia A. Blissitt *

Mary Teresa Clepper *

Linda Moore and Philip Bronfin *

Joyce Coats *

Helen Elizabeth Brooks *

Lanny L. Coker *

Arabella J. Mitchell and John Bruce *

Linda and Love Collins III *

Shirley Dean and Kirby Bryant *

Janice Collins-McNeil UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Marilyn and Barton Comstock

Carolyn Graff *

Emily J. Cooley

Phyllis H. and Warren C. Grant, Jr. *

Jane T. Cornish

Patricia Anne Grayson *

Dwight and Patricia A. Cowan *

E. Dianne Greenhill *

Dee Ann and John W. Cox, Jr. *

Tarrain Griffin

Lois Crenshaw *

Linda H. and Robert Gropp

CUPAHR

Barbara M. Grossman *

CVS Health Foundation *

Jiaqian Zhu Gu and Wei Kuan Gu

Charley and Shannon Deal

Terri Lynn Hall *

Diana and Darren Dedmon *

Nicole Clark and Rip Haney *

Rebecca M. Deloach

Michael Edward Hans *

Mary Carolyn Moran DePalma and Bruno DePalma *

Tosha Harris

Janet E. DePriest *

Margaret Thorman Hartig *

Ginger and Gary Dorris *

Charles and Mary S. Hartwig *

Carolyn Jean Driscoll *

Elizabeth Anne Heilig *

Karen and George Goodloe Early III *

Linda Marie Henley

Ann and Dan S. Eason *

Artangela Demetria Henry

Stephanie Machelle Eddings

Betty J. Henry *

Shirley D. Edmonson *

Ronald C. and Martha E. Highfield *

Edward Jones

David Brent Hightower*

Sherri Lynn and Michael E. Edwards *

Brittany Hill *

Betty J. Elkins *

George A. and Marion E. Hill *

Margaret and Jerry Lyn Emmons *

Linda C. Hill *

Mang Xiang Ensell *

Holland Insurance, Inc. *

Kiersten Espaillat

Malcolm H. and Brenda G. Holt *

Nancy and Mike Farrell *

Roenella G. Hornsby *

Anne and J. Chris Fleming *

Catherine Lynn Horobetz

Patricia Flynn and Jerry Heston

Scott C. Howard *

Mary G. Fong *

Edna P. and Les Howitt

Linda G. and Joseph L. Fontenot *

Sally Stevens Humphrey *

Mary M. and F. Joseph Forte, Jr.

Ahsley H. and James Albert Hutcheson IV *

Kate and Mark Fouquier *

Melinda Dunn and Stephen T. Ikard *

Jerry Thomas Francisco *

Ramona and Mike Jackson

Patricia Cooper and Rudy Garcia

Susan and Dick Jacob *

Rachel and Christopher George *

Joan Ledbetter Jennings *

Douglas R. and Deana O. Geraets *

Qinyue Kerrie Jiang *

Germantown Plantation Retirement Community

Randall Lee Johnson *

Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation *

Myra Susan and Gordon F. Jones *

Marlon Dewayne Gibson

Robert W. and Irma Jordan *

Sharon and Joseph L. Glenn, Jr. *

Stan and Linda Douglas Joyner *

Gwendolyn E. Gnam *

Teresa Marie Judge-Ellis *

Joshua Goolsby

Patricia Anne and Ronald A. Kent *

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Janie D. and Jay Kimberley

Patricia Jane Myers

Sherry Lynn King

Robert Mynatt and Sarah Mynatt *

Carla S. Kirkland

Judy Evelyn Narramore *

Mary Anne and Scott R. Koeppel *

Jonathan Naylor

Ly Kim Kouch *

Stewart P. Nelson *

Violetta and Edward Kozlowski *

Tijuana Yvette and Forrest Nichols *

Kelsey Jean Krause *

NSGA

Lucinda Ann and Scott Kunkel

James A. and Alice Nunnery *

Carol and William H. Kutteh *

Maureen B. Orians *

Nancy Ann Lado *

Nancy W. Owen *

Alyce Theresa Langley

Diane Todd and Jim Pace *

Janice Shelley Ledbetter *

Tonya Denise and Mario Parson *

Shirley L. and Rodney C. Lester *

Elizabeth Anne and Robert Paton

Cherisa Tisdale Lewis *

Nancy Elizabeth and Alan Pechacek *

Shaunda Lou Lewis *

Delilah M. and William Pennington

Wendy M. Likes *

Patricia A. and Richard D. Peppler *

Sharon H. and V. O. Little *

Darren R. Perry

Melissa Jane and William J. Littman *

Kelly K. and Michael P. Pfrommer *

Vickie Denise Long

Clara Denise and Samuel Pieh *

Reba Hare Lunney

Julia Ponder

Timothy D. and Belinda S. Mandrell *

Jarethea Ann and Charles Powell *

Judy C. and Willie E. Martin, Jr. *

Zach M. and Ann Frizzell Pretzer

Cristina Nicole Martinez *

Robert B. and Linda S. Purdy *

Jon A. and M’Liss Darr Mather *

Queen Elaine ALF LLC

Stephanie Mays

Sheila Johnson Ramdhane

Uneika McBride

Josh Ramos *

Pamela Jo and Gary McCart *

Evelyn D. and Clarence Rebenstorff

Tracy and Eric McClinton *

Elinor F. Reed *

Margaret McClure *

Laura K. and John B. Reed *

Estate of Camille D. McCray

Laura Kathleen Reed

Wynema McGrew *

Regional One Health Foundation *

Kimberly R. McIntosh

Regions

Rebecca Ann and Jolly McKenzie *

Sarah Jane Rhoads *

Margaret Grim and Thomas K. McMahan *

Muriel Curry and Charles Rice *

Sandra E. and John M. McMillin *

Michelle N. Rickard *

Donna N. and Lawrence E. Mehr *

Lillian D. Riddick *

Methodist Healthcare *

Rachel Ann and Benjamin Roberts III *

Michael and Emily Mewborn *

Elizabeth Roemer *

Robin M. Mobley

Leigh Ann and Erwin Rowan

Whitney Muex

Pat Royal *

Emma C. Murray *

Jennifer H. Russell *

Valerie Murry *

Cynthia K. and Jerry Russell *

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Madge Richbourg Saba *

Alicia Alphin and Benjamin H. Tollison *

Jane S. Sander *

Diane Yates Trent

John R. and Barbara I. Sanders *

Janet and Scott Tucker *

Susan T. and Randy Sanders *

Reba Antionette Umberger *

Jennifer Scanlon *

University of Cincinnati *

Lisa W. Schafer *

Deborah A. Usselman

Patricia N. Scott and Jayant K. Deshpande *

UT Retiree Association

Jacqueline and Anthony Sharp *

Judy Carol and Jose Valdez *

Lois and Paul E. Shaver *

Tony and Karen Bryant Valk *

Anne Marie Shearin

Sarah Veeser *

Fannie T. and Franklin Shelton

William and Peggy Ingram Veeser *

Cheryl B. and James J. Shields *

Jane H. and Michael Vercruysse

Marguerite Royal and Thomas E. Simpkins, Jr. *

Jasmine Natashia Walker

Jillian Marie Smith *

Crystal R. and Kenneth Walker II *

Patti Smith

Melody N. Waller

Susan R. and Prentiss E. Smith *

Sallie J. Walton *

Janice J. and Carl A. Spane *

Alice U. Warren *

Harold and Paula Spears *

Lana Shamin Watts

Patricia M. Speck and Ronald L. Speck *

Sherry S. Webb *

William A. and Pamela B. Speitel *

Jo Ann West *

Janet and Mitchell Spurlock *

Sharon F. and Steven K. West *

Ansley Grimes Stanfill

Shirley Ann West

Dianne M. and William B. Stanford *

Bruce D. White and Sarah J. White *

Begee Staub *

Linda O. Wible *

Cheryl C. and William D. Stegbauer *

Mona N. and Sammie J. Wicks *

Mary Arnette and Sam Stewart, Jr. *

Cory Wilbanks *

Terri L. Stewart

Armantine K. Williams *

Dorothy A. Stockdale

Joyce P. Williams

Nancy Strohschein *

Valerie McDaniel Williams *

Michelle Stubbs *

Sandra Willmarth *

Savannah White Sturghill

Christina Wallace Wills

Marilynn Susan Bell Swain *

Gwen G. Wolford

Virginia E. Tacker *

Greta Cooper Young and Nina Katherine Sublette

Martin J. Taylor

Jan Young *

Nancy Utter Terry *

Rachel C. and Robert M. Young

Ginger Lynn Thompson

Kimberly S. and Eugene J. Zilske *

Stephanie C. Tims and Tom Tims * David A. Tipton *

*Active membership in the 1911 Society

Leave Your Legacy Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind? With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear

Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s more than 50 years of dedication to UTHSC as a student, faculty member, and administrator are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors. For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.

Thank you to our Legacy Society Members! Estate of Reba Absher

Mrs. F. Aline Larue

Estate of Beverly Bowns

Estate of Dr. Alys H. Lipscomb

Estate of Mary Jane Brewer

Estate of Lily L. Lusk

Estate of Lucile G. Buderer

Estate of Camille D. McCray

Estate of Kathrin Cashdollar

Estate of Dr. Margaret A. Newman

Ms. Janet E. Depriest

Dr. Stephanie A. Powelson and Mr. Thomas H. Tucker II

Estate of Helen C. Dunkin

Ms. Elinor F. Reed

Dr. Elizabeth Fuselier Ellis

Estate of Elizabeth Reese

Estate of Geneva Belk Greene

Dr. William A. and Mrs. Catherine Clark Shell

Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill

Dorothy Stockdale and James E. Stockdale*

Estate of Emma L. Heim

Estate of Esther Jean Trentham

Dr. Susan Robertson Jacob and Mr. Richard Jacob

Estate of Dr. Janet A. Williamson

Dr. June H. Larrabee

* Denotes someone who is deceased, but spouse is still living

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

Alumni Board of Directors PRESIDENT

EAST

Julia Ponder, ’17

Susan Sanders (2020 – 2022) ‘09

Sandy Bateman, ’70, ‘81

Pat Speck, ‘82, ’85, ’05, Methodist

PRESIDENT-ELECT

OUT-OF-STATE

Tosha Harris, ’18

School of Nursing

Kim Zilske (2020 – 2022) ‘07 SECRETARY

REPRESENTATIVES

Methodist School of Nursing

Michelle Boone, ’16

Representative

Kim Zilske, ’07

Paula Spears, ’84, ’02

Sandy Bateman (2020 – 2022) ’79, ‘81 REPRESENTATIVE AT-LARGE

PAST PRESIDENTS

TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVES

Belinda Mandrell, ’08

Armantine ‘Tine’ Williams, ’75, ‘81

WEST

Sara Wilkinson, ’18

James ‘Hutch’ Hutcheson, ‘07

Diana Dedmon, ’99

Dianne Greenhill, ’62

Jan Young, ’02 Belinda Hilliard, ‘01

Susan Sanders, ’09

MIDDLE

James Roberts, ’19

Susan Donlevy, ’77

Hallie Bensinger , ‘01 Melissa Flatt Littman, ‘81

Brittany Hill, ’07 Dee Blakney, ’07

In Memoriam Class of 1946

Class of 1956

Class of 1970

Mrs. Ruth Brier

Mrs. Jo Moore

Mrs. Linda L. Winstead

September 23, 2020

March 6, 2021

November 11, 2020

Class of 1948

Class of 1959

Class of 1988

Mrs. Ouida Felts Welborn

Mrs. Heloise Price Luton

Ms. Annette M. Wilson

December 7, 2020

November 2, 2020

October 3, 2020

Class of 1950

Class of 1963

Class of 1992

Mrs. Patricia L. Shacklett

Mrs. Martha C. Clark

Mrs. Bridgett Carolyn Ransom

June 14, 2021

November 9, 2020

May 16, 2021

Class of 1951

Class of 1967

Ms. Mary Kathryn Lawrence

Mrs. Norma M. Ruptier

August 11, 2020

December 24, 2020

Class of 1954

Class of 1969

Mrs. Gertrude M. Killen

Mrs. Anne B. Campbell

October 13, 2020

February 24, 2021 Mrs. Martha Nooner Nelson March 3, 2021

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2021

The UTHSC College of Nursing Professional Development Unit Presents

The 2021 William Cashdollar Distinguished Visiting Professorship Friday, November 5 | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Via Zoom Theme “Strategies to Support Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic” Keynote Speaker Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Anne and George L. Bunting Professor of Clinical Ethics in the Berman Institute of Bioethics and the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University.

Nursing Credit UTHSC College of Nursing, Memphis is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 2.5 NCPD credit hours will be awarded for this event. There is no charge for the Nursing Continuing Professional Development credit. For more information, contact Roylynn Germain at 901.448.2726.

Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, RN, FAAN A founding member of the Berman Institute, Dr. Rushton co-chairs the Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Ethics Consultation Service. Dr. Rushton is also an internationally recognized expert in ethics and palliative and end-of-life care. In 2001, she received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Pioneering Spirit Award for her work in advancing palliative care across the lifespan. In 2008 and 2014, Dr. Rushton was honored as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She is also an American Academy of Nursing’s Edge Runner and in 2014 received the Milestone Award for Bioethics Leadership from the Centre for Health Care Ethics at Lakehead University. Dr. Rushton is a Fellow of the Hastings Center and the American Academy of Nursing.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026

Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Show Your UTHSC Pride New UTHSC specialty license plates are now available at Tennessee County Clerk offices.

uthsc.edu/license-plate