Carolina Nursing 1
Spring 2014 Vol 14, No. 1
Leading with
Integrity
Scholars Program in Nursing
Innovation. In February of
2013, the UNC Board of
Governors acknowledged
exemplary cooperation
amongst nursing deans across
the state and unanimously
approved establishment of six
programs of study leading to
the Doctor of Nursing Practice
(DNP). In August of 2013, the
first cohort of DNP students
enrolled at Chapel Hill. In addition to preparation as
expert clinicians, DNP graduates will be well-prepared to
collaborate with other health professionals in leading local
and national efforts to transform health care.
As you browse this issue, you will read about how
preceptors enhance the learning of nursing students;
about the lifetime of achievement and retirement of two
distinguished professionals; and how the School’s focus on
research, inquiry, and evidence-based practice provides a
strong foundation for our undergraduates.
I see more great things ahead for the School as its highly
talented faculty and staff continue to produce innovative
ideas that advance nursing education, research, and
practice. Having just recently seen the School’s newest
graduates receive their diplomas, I remain hopeful that the
goal of better health for more people at a lower cost might
just be within reach. I leave UNC-Chapel Hill proud to
have been a Carolina Nurse.
Sincerely,
Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor
FROM THE DEAN
FROM THE DEAN
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Over the past five years, I have cherished your commitment
to the School of Nursing as alumni, friends, and Foundation
Board Directors. Your belief in this School made serving
as its sixth Dean both a privilege and honor. I have
been fortunate to work alongside the highly talented
School of Nursing faculty and staff and take pride in our
accomplishments. I am grateful for the academic support
of colleagues from across this campus, which has created
opportunities for the scholarship of faculty and students
to flourish.
On July 1, 2014, I am stepping away from my role as Dean
of the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. While leaving is hard, it is reassuring to know
the School will be stewarded by Donna S. Havens, PhD, RN,
FAAN, a very capable colleague and leader. I am personally
grateful to Donna for accepting the Interim Dean position
and trust that the School will thrive under her responsible
and visionary leadership.
Thanks to our donors, the School of Nursing’s permanent
endowment increased by 39.71%, or more than $4 million
since 2009, and we saw the two highest years for private
giving in the SON’s history in 2011 and 2013. Last year,
Carol and Coleman Ross created the Carol Morde Ross
Distinguished Professorship in Psychiatric-Mental Health
Nursing, which is the first new Distinguished Professorship
offered by the School since 1999. Twenty-two new student
scholarships and awards will provide future generations
access to an affordable Carolina nursing education. Alumni
and friends have also given countless hours to the School
through mentoring students and new graduates, speaking
with classes about School history and work experiences,
acting as preceptors, and participating in many School events,
such as the first student and alumni mixer held last fall.
The last five years have seen many exciting changes at the
School, including the launch of new programs. UNC-Chapel
Hill is one of three nursing programs in the nation to
receive funding from the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation
to offer exceedingly capable undergraduate nursing
students the opportunity to concurrently enroll as BSN
and PhD students in the highly interdisciplinary Hillman
Carolina Nursing 1
NEWS
2 Donna S. Havens to serve as Interim Dean
2 Megan Williams elected President of NCNA
3 Celebrating 25 years of
doctoral education
4 Calling forth the courage
5 Angelo Moore presents
2013-2014 Ethnic Minority Visiting Scholar talk
5 News briefs
FACULTY NEWS
6 A legacy of scholarship
8 Faculty awards and accomplishments
8 SON welcomes new faculty
10 Promotions and retirements
12 Alumni create space for
SON history
FEATURES
13 Celebrating the
accomplishments of Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN
15 Baccalaureate education: a foundation of excellence
17 The powerful impact of preceptors
20 From student to colleague
21 Connecting class to class
Spring 2014 Vol 4, No. 1
Carolina Nursing is published by
the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill School of Nursing
for the School’s alumni and friends.
This magazine is produced and printed with private funds.
Dean
Kristen M. Swanson, RN, PhD, FAAN
Associate Dean for Research
Kathleen Knafl, PhD, FAAN
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Gwen Sherwood, RN, PhD, FAAN
Associate Dean for Administrative Services
Lisa Miller
Editor-in-Chief
Meagen Voss
Office of Advancement
Anne Webb, MPA, Assistant Dean
for Advancement
Meagen Voss, MS, Associate Director of
Communications and Public Relations
Katisha Paige, Associate Director of
Development and Alumni Affairs
Lauren Hipp Hundley, Advancement
Services Coordinator
Nancy Lamontagne,
Communications Liaison
Alicia Tapp, Communications Intern
Images and Photography
Brian Strickland
Katisha Paige
Meagen Voss
Design and Production
UNC Creative
School of Nursing
The University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
Carrington Hall, CB 7400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460
(919) 966-4619
E-mail: sonalum@unc.edu
nursing.unc.edu
TABLE OF CONTENTS
24 GLOBAL HEALTH
SON FOUNDATION
26 Symposium established in memory of Colleen Elshoff Astrike
27 Eunice Brock establishes nurse practitioner scholarship in daughter’s memory
28 Undergraduate scholarship Honors Jo-Anne Trowbridge Martin BSN ’69
29 Susan Ruppalt Lantz Creates Ruppalt Scholarship
30 Giving and Gratitude
ALUMNI
32 Alumni News
36 My Alumni Story
37 Class Notes
On the Cover: During Alumni Distinguished Professor Kristen M. Swanson’s tenure as the sixth dean of the School of Nursing, a path has been set for diversity, innovation, discovery, and academic excellence.2 Spring 2014
NEWS
MEGAN P. WILLIAMS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH CAROLINA NURSES ASSOCIATION
Clinical assistant professor Megan P. Williams, MSN, RN, FNP, was sworn in as the 51st President of the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA) during their annual meeting. She and her fellow board members assumed leadership during a critical time. “As the leading professional association for registered nurses in North Carolina we need to consider not just the future of nursing, but the future for nursing,” said Mrs. Williams.
As President, Mrs. Williams aims to make NCNA more flexible and encourages direct member participation. She is also spending time advocating for legislation that supports nurses and promotes safety, health, and access to care. She has appeared on UNC-TV, Capitol Beat, and Time Warner Cable News to increase awareness of the needs of nurses as well as their contributions to society.
At the SON, Mrs. Williams teaches undergraduate nursing students in the classroom and in clinical settings. Mrs. Williams is the faculty advisor for the Association of Nursing Students and practices as a family nurse practitioner at the acute care after-hours clinic at UNC Campus Health.
“I am passionate about nursing,” said Mrs. Williams. “My role as a nurse educator is important. I am in a unique
position to provide students with learning environments where they will gain the specialized expertise necessary for the important role they will play as part of a health care team. I look forward to engaging with nurses at all levels of practice across our state to move nursing forward.”
UNC provost James W. Dean, Jr. has named professor Donna S. Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing as Interim Dean of the School, pending approval from the Board of Governors. Dr. Havens will begin on July 1 after Dean Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN, steps down as dean (read more in the Letter From the Dean).
“With Dean Swanson at the helm, the School has launched new degree programs, strengthened its relationship with UNC Hospitals, and opened new faculty practice sites,” Dr. Havens said. “During this transition, I will partner with the School and University in finding the best person to lead us as we continue on a trajectory of nationally recognized excellence in nursing education, research, and practice.”
Dr. Havens earned a PhD in Nursing at the University of Maryland and completed postdoctoral study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She has been a tenured professor at UNC for more than a decade and chaired the Health Care Division from 2003 to 2006. She came to UNC from the Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing, where she held the Ebberly Endowed Professorship and was part of a five-person team that provided interim leadership to the School while a new dean was recruited.
Dr. Havens developed the Decisional Involvement Scale, which is used to identify actual and preferred degrees of staff nurse involvement in workplace policy and practice decisions. She has served as principal investigator of multiple studies and has published, consulted, and presented extensively on topics related to improving nursing practice and patient care.
DONNA S. HAVENS TO SERVE AS INTERIM DEANCarolina Nursing 3
Alumni, faculty, and nursing leaders gathered in the new addition of Carrington Hall to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the doctoral program at the SON and the launching of the DNP program. PhD alums came from across the country to reconnect and celebrate.
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN, outlined the history of the PhD degree at the SON and how the strong foundation for doctoral education led to the current DNP focus on clinical scholarship. DNP director and associate professor Debra J. Barksdale, PhD, FNP-BC, ANP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FAAN, shared her thoughts on the first year of DNP education at the SON. PhD program director and associate professor Suzanne Thoyre, PhD, RN, FAAN, reflected on the SON’s commitment to educating the next generation of innovative thinkers. PhD students Kayoll Gabraith and Louise Fleming, and DNP student Carla Jones then spoke eloquently about their empowering experiences as doctoral students at the SON.
Following remarks, guests celebrated the official opening of the doctoral suite in the new addition of Carrington hall with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Drs. Barksdale and Thoyre shared the honor of cutting the ribbon.
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF
DOCTORAL EDUCATION
(Clockwise from top left) Drs. Debra Barksdale and Suzanne Thoyre prepare to cut the ribbon to the new doctoral suite; PhD students Kayoll Galbraith and Louise Fleming addressed the guests; Alumnus Stewart Bond, MSN ’88, PhD ‘06, had a chance to reminisce with professor emeritus Margaret Miles; The SON’s first doctoral degree recipient Diane Hudson-Barr, PhD ’94, (far left) reconnected with PhD graduates (from left to right) Esther Tesh, BSN ’62, PhD ’96, Sheila Santacroce, Phd ’97, and Julie Taylor, BSN ’83, PhD ’99.4 Spring 2014
On Thursday, March 6th, leaders in
nursing and academia came together
to share provocative ideas and bold
approaches to enhancing health care in
the daylong symposium Calling Forth
the Courage: Making a Difference in
Health and Health Care.
Keynote speaker Doug Shackelford,
PhD, Dean, and Meade H. Willis
Distinguished Professor of Taxation
of the UNC-Kenan Flagler Business
School, began the symposium with
a big-picture talk about the different
perspectives experts within a discipline
can bring to the table. For example,
Dean Shackelford said, taxation is
important both for the professionals
who write tax policy and those who
want to assure clients won’t pay any
more taxes than required. Both groups
care about taxation, but they approach
it differently.
These different perspectives can
make collaboration between groups
difficult. Dean Shackelford shared some
strategies he employs when bringing
people with multiple perspectives
together. Setting clear expectations and
asking participants to avoid jargon, he
said, helps encourage experts to listen to
each other better. “I almost always start
our conferences by saying that if you
feel comfortable about everything that’s
on today’s agenda, you’re probably in
the wrong place.”
Following the keynote, Chris Tanner,
PhD, RN, FAAN, from Oregon Health
and Science University, brought nursing
education to the forefront. Nursing
curriculums, she said, have to adapt to
changes in health care (such as reduced
hospital stays and increased home care)
that are changing how nurses work.
“There are some great opportunities for
nursing, but we need to have a workforce
ready to assume these responsibilities.”
Angelo Moore, PhD ’10, who is a
lieutenant colonel in the United States
Army, presented a talk on military
health care. Through research, LTC
Moore and his colleagues have found
that soldiers have an average of 12
appointments a year. He suggested the
recent military focus on wellness and
prevention might have an unintended
consequence of forced increase in
utilization of services. For example,
“We [soldiers] cannot call in sick. The
system forces us to be seen.”
Amy Barton, PhD, RN, FAAN,
from University of Colorado explored
clinical collaboration in her talk. “To
get it [practice] right is really going
to take working together,” she said. “I
investigated frameworks we can use to
talk about how we can come together
in new and different ways.” Dr. Barton
discussed different aspects of a collabo-ration
“continuum” and how it could
be applied to health care. She shared
lessons learned from Sheridan Health
Services, a nurse-managed clinic for
low-income individuals Dr. Barton
helped develop.
In the final presentation of the
day, Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD,
RN, FAAN, from the University of
Pennsylvania talked about strategies
learned from randomized trials with
individuals living with HIV/AIDs. To
be effective, she said, it is critical that
researchers form a bond with people in
the community. “If you want to change
the behavior of a given population, you
must take time to understand why they
do what they do,” Dr. Sweet Jemmott
said. “This approach requires reflection,
persistence, great communication, and
above all, commitment.”
CALLING
FORTH THE
COURAGE:
A DAY OF
INSPIRING
DISCUSSION
From left to right: LTC Angelo Moore, PhD ’10, Dr. Amy Barton, Dr. Chris Tanner, Dean Kristen Swanson,
and Dr. Loretta Sweet Jemmott
NEWS
Carolina Nursing 5
During Calling Forth the Courage:
Making a Difference in Health and Health
Care, Ethnic Minority Visiting Scholar
Lieutenant Colonel Angelo Moore,
PhD ’10, explained how military culture
influences military medicine.
Through his current research, LTC
Moore discovered that on average
soldiers undergo 12 health visits per
year. “That’s a lot of appointments,” he
said. “Some of those numbers are high
because as soldiers we have to always
be ready. We cannot call in sick.”
According to LTC Moore, the
military is now focusing heavily on
primary care. One model is the soldier-centered
medical home; a single site in
which soldiers can receive care from a
variety of providers as close as possible
to their duty station.
“We all have to work together
to provide care for the military
population,” he said. “So how can
we help serve them?” He called for
educators to provide soldiers access
to higher education and support in
achieving their goals in nursing and
health care. Finally, he advocated more
research collaboration between the
military and nursing schools. “To have
academia and the military and practice
professionals all come together would
be a great thing.”
ETHNIC MINORITY VISITING SCHOLAR
LECTURE GIVEN BY ANGELO MOORE
NEWS BRIEFS
ABSN Student Wins
“A Nurse I Am” Scholarship
John Haddock, a May 2014 graduate, was
one of 10 students from across the U.S.
selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship
from Cherokee Uniforms. To earn the
scholarship, Haddock wrote an essay in
response to the documentary “A Nurse
I Am.” Haddock’s winning essay is
called “A Nurse I Am: Let’s Make Them
Feel Good!”
The American Cancer
Society Awards Scholarships
to SON Students
Four students have received American
Cancer Society Graduate Scholarships in
Cancer Nursing Practice. The recipients
are Sean Gallagher, RN; April Lenker, RN;
Melissa Matson, RN; and Lori Walker, RN.
The scholarship supports graduate
students pursuing their MSN or DNP. The
UNC recipients are second-year students
in the MSN program studying to become
adult-gerontology nurse practitioners with
an oncology focus.
Dr. Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, FAAN,
professor of nursing, said, “It is very
rewarding that all four students who
applied were able to receive this
generous scholarship.”
Students Receive Awards
at Graduation
At the spring 2014 commencement,
four students were acknowledged for
extraordinary accomplishments. Erin
Claire Richardson received the George
Livas Award, an award established by
the BSN Class of 1956 and other friends
of Mr. Livas to recognize an outstanding
undergraduate student. The Pauline
W. Brown Diversity Scholarship Award
was presented to Ethan Cicero for his
paper Communicating & Caring for
Transgender Patients. Rachel Nash and
Carra Wainwright received BSN Class
of 2003 scholarships, awards that were
established as a senior gift to the SON.
6 Spring 2014
FACULTY NEWS
Two legends in nursing science,
Drs. Merle Mishel and
Margarete Sandelowksi have
retired from the SON. “The
scholarship of the School of
Nursing faculty and students
prospered through their
mentorship and exposure to the
rigor and creativity of their
thinking,” said Dean and Alumni
Distinguished Professor Kristen
M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN.
MERLE H. MISHEL,
PHD, RN, FAAN
Kenan Distinguished Professor of
Nursing Merle H. Mishel’s scholarship
on uncertainty has made a tremendous
impact. “Her insights into the
universal importance of uncertainty in
illness have had a major influence on
how we study the impacts of illness,”
said research professor Barbara
Germino, PhD, RN, FAAN. “What I
respect most about Merle is her career-long
commitment to both theoretical
development and the application of
theory in research.”
Dr. Mishel’s theory has provided a
conceptual framework for exploring
how uncertainty can influence a patient’s
experiences in illness, treatment, and
hospitalization. Her seminal paper
has been designated one of the
top 50 most-cited publications in
nursing journals. The scales she
created to measure uncertainty have
been translated into more than 17
languages and used by researchers all
over the world. Her work to develop
interventions for managing uncertainty
in long-term survivors of breast and
prostate cancer received continuous
support by the National Institutes of
Health for 27 years. The high caliber
of Dr. Mishel’s research was recognized
through her induction into the Sigma
Theta Tau International Researcher
Hall of Fame.
Highly dedicated to doctoral
education, Dr. Mishel has mentored
nurse scientists who have become
accomplished scholars in their own
right. In her decade at the SON, Dr.
Mishel served as chair for 18 doctoral
students and postdoctoral scholars.
Thirteen have attained tenure-track
positions at acclaimed schools. “Merle
A LEGACY OF SCHOLARSHIP
Dr. Margarete Sandelowski (left) and Dr. Merle Mishel (right) together at a Dr. Sandelowski’s
retirement celebration.
Carolina Nursing 7
has changed the lives of others around
her by creating an environment where
critical inquiry and discovery are
modeled and expected. She has made
significant contributions to nursing
science and to the next generation
of scholars,” said Donald “Chip”
Bailey, Jr., PhD ’02. A former student
of Dr. Mishel, Dr. Bailey is now an
associate professor at the Duke School
of Nursing.
“Merle is passionate about helping
individuals and teams solve the very
complex issues we study,” said Leslie
Davis, BSN ’85, MSN, ’80, PhD ’11.
After earning her PhD under Dr.
Mishel’s guidance, Dr. Davis became a
faculty member at UNC-Greensboro.
“She opened my mind to different
ways of seeing the phenomena I study,
variation in methodologies to address
the research questions I pose, different
ways to analyze the data collected, and
new ways to interpret findings in light
of theory.”
An exemplary nurse scientist, Dr.
Mishel invites everyone around her
to think about clinical challenges in
nursing science at a high level. Though
colleagues will miss Dr. Mishel’s
enthusiasm, the SON will continue to
benefit from her legacy of research and
generous mentoring.
MARGARETE SANDELOWSKI,
PHD, RN, FAAN
Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished
Professor Margarete Sandelowski
joined the faculty of the SON in 1986.
She has made major contributions
in the domains of conceptive,
prenatal, and nursing technology,
and qualitative and mixed-methods
research methodology.
A prolific writer and speaker, Dr.
Sandelowski has produced 148 refereed
journal articles, 50 refereed research
abstracts, 25 book chapters, and over
100 invited presentations for national
as well as international meetings. She
wrote five books, including the award-winning
With child in mind: Studies of
the personal encounter with infertility,
and the highly praised Devices and
desires: Gender, technology, and American
nursing and Handbook for synthesizing
qualitative research. Her work has been
translated into Spanish and Japanese,
and reprinted in social science
anthologies. Four of her articles are
among the top 50 most-cited articles
published in nursing journals from
1956 to 2011. She has received over
20 years of NIH funding as principal
investigator. The power of her written
words was acknowledged by her peers
when she received the Eileen Basker
Memorial Prize in Gender and Health
Research from the Society for Medical
Anthropology of the American
Anthropological Association. She was
also the first recipient of the Laurel
Archer Copp Literary Achievement
Award given by the SON.
Dr. Sandelowski never hesitated
to share her innovative ideas with
others. For 18 years, she has led
annual summer intensive programs
on qualitative and mixed-methods
research through the SON Center for
Lifelong Learning. She has served as
a mentor for many graduate students
as well as faculty. “I have very crisp
memories of sitting with Margie in
her office at our weekly meetings
while she helped me to develop my
ideas,” said former student Sharron
Docherty, PhD, PNP-BC, FAAN.
“I would attempt to furiously scribble
down all of the golden wisdom that
emerged and Margie would make
me put my pen down and extol me
to ‘just listen.’ I learned to bring a
tape recorder.”
Dr. Docherty and many other
distinguished scholars shared stories
about Dr. Sandelowski at a recent
celebration of her career. Jennifer
Leeman, DrPH, MDIV, recalled how
Dr. Sandelowski encouraged her to
develop her own research ideas and
pursue them through a post-doc. Sally
Thorne, PhD, RN, FAAN described
Dr. Sandelowski’s role in shaping
qualitative health research. “As you
read through the very best of qualitative
contributions to health knowledge, you
will inevitably find tangible reference
points to that Sandelowski footprint,”
said Dr. Thorne.
Former deans Cynthia Freund,
PhD, RN, FAAN and Linda
Cronenwett, PhD, RN, FAAN spoke
of Dr. Sandelowski’s dedication to
the School. “As a former dean, I
would describe Margie as my ‘go-to’
person,” said Dr. Freund. “She was
civil, fair, thorough, and willing to
take on a difficult job. No question it
would be done well.” Dr. Cronenwett
added, “Wherever I went in the world,
nursing leaders knew Dr. Sandelowski
and treasured her mentorship.
Through her editorial service to
leading journals, she touched many
scholars’ lives. She is a star in UNC-Chapel
Hill’s crown.”
Dr. Sandelowski plans to continue
writing, speaking, and providing
consultations. She will also continue
to offer programs through the SON’s
Center for Lifelong Learning.
8 Spring 2014
FACULTY NEWS
RUMAY ALEXANDER was inducted as
a Fellow in the American Academy of
Nursing. Dr. Alexander was also the
recipient of the 2013 M. Elizabeth
Carnegie Award from the Southern
Regional Education Board Council on
Collegiate Education for Nursing.
DEBRA BARKSDALE was appointed
to the Advisory Board for the UNC
Center of Faculty Excellence by
Provost James Dean. Dr. Barksdale
will serve on the board for three years.
ANNA BEEBER has been named a
Fellow of the Gerontological Society
of America. She also received funding
from NINR for a five-year study
called “Alzheimer’s Medical Advisor:
A symptom and sign management
toolkit for caregivers.”
LINDA BEEBER has been appointed as
a Research Navigator for the UNC
North Carolina Translational and
Clinical Sciences Institute.
ASHLEY LEAK BRYANT received a K12
Paul Calabresis Career Development
Award in Clinical Oncology.
MARIANNE COCKCROFT defended her
PhD dissertation “Self-Care Behaviors
of College Students with Diabetes.”
NANCY CROWELL passed the ANCC
exam. She is now a board certified
adult gerontology primary care
nurse practitioner.
CAROL DURHAM was inducted as a
Fellow in the American Academy of
Nursing. She was also elected President
of the International Nursing Association
for Clinical Simulation and Learning.
ERIC HODGES was appointed to the
Provost’s Committee on Inclusive
Excellence and Diversity. This
committee is responsible for reviewing
institutional data and developing
excellence strategies.
2013–2014 FACULTY AWARDS
AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
THE SON
WELCOMES NEW
FACULTY
Five new tenure-track faculty joined the SON
during the 2013-2014 school year. From left to
right: Dr. Mark Toles studies care transitions for
older adults; Dr. Ashley Leak Bryant’s research
focuses on quality of life for individuals with
acute myeloid leukemia; Dr. Cecilia Roscigno
examines families’ experiences in making
difficult decisions when their child is at risk
for death or disability; Dr. Jada Brooks studies
psychological factors related to management
of childhood asthma; and Dr. Jessica Zègre-
Hemsey investigates strategies to improve care
for acute coronary syndrome.
Carolina Nursing 9
SANDY HOFFMAN defended her PhD
dissertation “How Nursing Students
Experience Caring Relationships
with Patients.”
CORETTA JENERETTE and her co-PI
Paula Tanabe from Duke University
received an R13 conference grant from
NIH to host an educational meeting
on sickle cell disease. She was also
appointed to the Provost’s Committee
on Inclusive Excellence and Diversity.
CHERYL JONES was selected as a 2013
Robert Wood Johnson Executive
Nurse Fellow. She also received
funding from the National Council
of State Boards of Nursing for her
study “Educational Transitions and
Trajectories of Registered Nurses in
North Carolina” and funding from
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
for “Evaluating the Business Care for
Nurse Residency Programs.”
JILL HAMILTON was chosen as the
keynote speaker for the Helen S.
Miller lectureship and luncheon at
North Carolina Central University.
SHAWN KNEIPP was inducted as a
Fellow in the American Association of
Nurse Practitioners. She also received
a NC TraCS Dissemination and
Implementation grant.
BETH LAMANNA received the UNC
Health Care 2014 Faculty of the Year
Award.
JENNIFER LEEMAN is a co-PI with
Jean Wiecha from RTI International
for a NC TraCS award to support their
proposal “Developing a tool to assess
practitioner capacity to change policies
and environments.”
BARBARA MARK received the 2013
Path Paver Award from the Friends of
the National Institute of Nursing. This
recognition is given to a nurse researcher
whose work greatly contributes to the
understanding of human health care.
CAROLYN MCKENZIE was certified as a
Clinical Nurse Leader.
MARY LYNN PIVEN was awarded a
three-year grant from the Kate B.
Reynolds Charitable Trust. Piven will
use this award to expand Healthy Ideas,
a depression management program
for older adults, in up to 15 counties
across North Carolina.
SHIELDA RODGERS was selected to be
an evaluator for the Commission on
Collegiate Nursing Education accredi-tation
process. She also received the
2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award
from the North Carolina Central
University Department of Nursing.
The September/October issue of the
journal Nursing Research published a
study in which researchers identified
the most frequently cited articles
published in nursing journals from
1956 to 2011. The publications of
three SON faculty members were
included in the Top 50.
Four publications on qualitative
methods by Cary C. Boshamer
Distinguished Professor Margarete
Sandelowski, PhD, RN, FAAN, were
ranked at positions 2, 3, 13, and 17. An
article on content validity by Professor
Mary Lynn, PhD, was in position 4.
Kenan Distinguished Professor of
Nursing Merle Mishel, PhD, RN,
FAAN, wrote a paper on measuring
uncertainty in illness that appeared at
position 30.
The study authors identified the
Top 50 articles after conducting an
analysis that included over 100,000
articles from 89 nursing journals.
PUBLICATIONS
BY THREE SON
FACULTY AMONG
TOP 50 MOST-CITED
ARTICLES
Mary Lynn Margarete Sandelowski Merle Mishel
10 Spring 2014
PAMELA ROWSEY was appointed to
the Provost’s Committee on Inclusive
Excellence and Diversity.
SHEILA SANTACROCE was awarded a
two-year Nurse Discovery Award by
Alex’s Lemonade Stand for a study to
examine arterial stiffness in children
after they have completed cancer
therapy. Drs. Debra Barksdale and
Jamie Crandell are co-investigators for
the study.
MARY SCHULER was awarded Emeriti
status at Norwalk Community College
in Norwalk, CT.
LESLIE SHARPE was selected as a
Duke-Johnson & Johnson nurse
leadership fellow. She also received the
2014 American Association of Nurse
Practitioners-North Carolina Award
for NP Advocacy.
GWEN SHERWOOD received funds to
support participation for 20 nursing
students in interprofessional patient
safety summer camps.
VICTORIA SOLTIS-JARRETT received
HRSA funding for her proposal
“Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in
North Carolina: Interprofessional
Education, Practice, and Integration of
Care.” Drs. Noreen Esposito and Mary
Lynn Piven will collaborate with Dr.
Soltis-Jarrett on this project. She was
also inducted as a Fellow in the AANP.
THERESA SWIFT-SCANLAN received
a UNC Faculty Research Award
and the Barbara Senich Genomics
Innovation Endowment Award to fund
her research on epigenetic changes
associated with breast cancer.
SUZANNE THOYRE was inducted as
a Fellow in the American Academy
of Nursing.
MARK TOLES was selected as the
faculty recipient of the 2013 Gordon
H. DeFriese Career Development
Award in Aging Research. He was also
named an NC TraCS KL2 scholar.
DEBBIE TRAVERS received an AHRQ
grant for her project “Evaluation of
Stage 3 Meaningful Use Objectives.”
MARCIA VAN RIPER was honored with
the Founders Award for Outstanding
Nursing Education in Genetics by
the International Society of Nurses
in Genetics.
JENNIE WAGNER was appointed to
the Provost’s Committee on Inclusive
Excellence and Diversity.
MEG ZOMORODI received an AHEC
Clinical Site Development grant. She
will use the award to plan new student
practicum experiences.
2013-2014 FACULTY AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)
2013–2014 PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
ANNA BEEBER: Associate Professor
BETH BLACK: Associate Professor
JADA BROOKS: Assistant Professor
ASHLEY LEAK BRYANT: Assistant Professor
ERIC HODGES: Associate Professor
CORETTA JENERETTE: Associate Professor
DEBORAH MAYER: Professor and Director of Cancer Survivorship
CECILIA ROSCIGNO: Assistant Professor
TODD SCHWARTZ: Research Associate Professor
SUZANNE THOYRE: Professor
MARK TOLES: Assistant Professor
VIRGINIA TYSINGER: Clinical Assistant Professor
JOHN VALGUS: Clinical Assistant Professor
JESSICA ZÈGRE–HEMSEY: Assistant Professor
RETIREMENTS
CATHIE FOGEL
MERLE MISHEL
VIRGINIA NEELON
MARGARETE SANDELOWSKI
FACULTY NEWS
Carolina Nursing 11
MARGARET MILES RECEIVES
HIGHEST HONOR FROM AAN
Professor Emerita Margaret Miles, RN, PhD, FAAN, was named a Living
Legend by the American Academy of Nursing. The Living Legend distinction is
the highest honor offered by the Academy. Only 84 nurses have been selected as
Living Legends.
Dr. Miles was one of the first pediatric clinical nurse specialists to investigate
the psychosocial needs of hospitalized children and their parents at a time when
the focus of care was strictly on medical treatment. Her early explorations led her
to study the suffering of bereaved parents and parents of critically ill children.
Later on, Dr. Miles and her colleagues scrutinized the stress parents experience
when their child is hospitalized in an intensive care unit. The research instruments developed in her studies have been used
by investigators around the world.
Dr. Miles is well-known for her leadership and mentoring as well as her seminal research. She was critical in launching
the Society of Pediatric Nurses and served as the founding president. In recognition of her service, the Margaret Miles
Distinguished Service award is given biannually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the society.
Through her prior role as core director for the Center for Innovations in Health Disparities Research, she has mentored
numerous faculty who have developed programs of research on health disparities and minority populations.
LINDA CRONENWETT RECEIVES
AAN PRESIDENT’S AWARD
During the 2013 meeting of the American Academy of Nurses (AAN),
Beerstecher-Blackwell Term Professor and former Dean Linda Cronenwett,
PhD, RN, FAAN, was honored with the AAN President’s Award. The
President’s Award is given to “one who exemplifies extraordinary contributions
to improving the quality and safety of health care for all.”
Dr. Cronenwett served as Principal Investigator of Quality and Safety
Education for Nurses (QSEN) for seven years. Under her leadership, the
project received four phases of funding from the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) and led to the spread of quality and safety competencies
along with curricular and teaching strategies that were successfully piloted
at many nursing schools. She also contributed to the award-winning book Quality and Safety in Nursing: A Competency
Approach to Improving Outcomes (edited by Associate Dean Gwen Sherwood, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Professor Jane H.
Barnsteiner, PhD, FAAN, from the University of Pennsylvania).
Currently, Dr. Cronenwett is continuing her work to improve health care quality by serving as the co-director of the
Executive Nurse Fellows program. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation and the
Board of Trustees for the North Carolina Quality Center at the North Carolina Hospital Association.
12 Spring 2014
Without a dedicated location for history to be shared, there’s a chance the accomplishments of previous generations might be lost in the surge of forward progress. Drs. Barbara Jo Foley, BSN ’67, and Meg Zomorodi, BSN’01, PhD ’08, came together to preserve the SON’s past through the gift of the SON History Room.
“Both of us are very proud of the School and the history of the School,” said Dr. Foley. “We had a mannequin here and a display case there, but I really wanted to see the his­tory of the School organized in one place.”
Dr. Zomorodi attributes the original idea for the room to Assistant Dean of Advancement Anne Webb. “I told her I wanted make a gift that would get other alumni involved,” she said. “I was talking with Anne about how much nursing has changed since I earned my BSN and she proposed a history room after seeing one at another school. I loved it from the moment she thought of it.”
The room is located across the hall from the Office of Student Affairs and the new Student Resource Room, which is also supported by Drs. Foley and Zomorodi. The artifacts currently on display include textbooks and a student uniform from one of the School’s earliest classes. Items representing the SON’s 25 years of doctoral education are prominently featured right now and the display will continue to be refreshed to highlight important milestones. With so many “firsts” as part of Carolina nursing history, there is ample material.
Drs. Foley and Zomorodi hope the History Room will offer students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to reflect on all the SON has achieved “Our school is a hub for nursing
in North Carolina,” said Dr. Foley. “It’s important for people to remember how we got there.”
The SON Alumni Board of Directors will make recommendations for featured materials and all alumni
are encouraged to share ideas. “Nursing is in a rapid state
of change,” said Dr. Zomorodi. “I think it’s important to look at where we have come from to understand where we can go. I can’t wait to see how this history room changes over time.”
ALUMNI CREATE SPACE
FOR SCHOOL OF NURSING HISTORY
Top: SON history on display. Bottom: Drs. Barbara Jo Foley (left) and Meg Zomorodi (right) together at Homecoming 2013.
FACULTY NEWSKristen M. Swanson, RN, PhD, FAAN, began her tenure as
the sixth dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing in
August of 2009. She also served as Associate Chief Nursing
Officer for Academic Affairs at UNC Hospitals.
During her time at UNC, Dean Swanson has worked
with faculty and staff to develop innovative ways to prepare
nurses to meet tomorrow’s health care needs, to conduct key
research aimed at improving patient care, and to increase
the health of others through clinical practice.
Dean Swanson is known for her research on pregnancy
loss and for developing the Swanson Theory of Caring—
which is used both nationally and internationally to guide
research, education, and practice. UNC Hospitals selected
the Swanson Theory of Caring as the conceptual framework
for Carolina Care, which guides its nursing care. Due to
the strong academic and practice partnership enjoyed by
Dean Swanson and Associate Dean for UNC Health Care
Mary Tonges, PhD, RN, FAAN, as well as the excellent care
provided by nurses and other health professionals at UNC
Hospitals, patient satisfaction scores have been the highest in
the nation amongst academic health science centers for three
out of the last four years. The Virginia Mason Medical Center
in Seattle uses the Swanson Theory of Caring in its health
care delivery system as well. In recognition of her work with
the Medical Center, Dean Swanson was designated the first
Virginia Mason Medical Center Distinguished Nursing
Scholar in 2012.
During the last five years, Dean Swanson has been a
leader both locally and nationally. She serves on the National
Advisory Council for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Nurse Faculty Scholars, was appointed to the North Carolina
Institute of Medicine, chaired the nominating committee
for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing,
served as President of the NC Deans of Baccalaureate and
Higher Education Programs, and received the University of
Rhode Island Dean’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She also
chaired the search committee for the UNC Executive Vice
Chancellor and Provost.
SCHOOL OF NURSING HIGHLIGHTS 2009-2014
During Dean Swanson’s tenure, the UNC-Chapel Hill School
of Nursing has greatly enhanced nursing education, practice,
and research. The School’s focus on high-quality innovative
research resulted in cumulative five-year extramural research
funding of $22,801,075. The School graduates over 170
baccalaureate-prepared nurses each year with the vast majority
of them staying in the state for their first job. For pre-licensure
students, 90% complete their Bachelor’s degree on time, and
CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF
KRISTEN M. SWANSON,
PHD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor
Carolina Nursing 13
Left: Rameses gives Dean Swanson a hug at the School’s Alumni Day. Right: Dean Swanson presides over her last SON convocation and addresses the
graduates of the Class of 2014.
14 Spring 2014
first-time NCLEX pass rates have remained at 95% or higher.
The MSN program has almost doubled since Dean
Swanson came to the SON, with 107 graduates during the
2013-2014 academic year. More than 95% of primary care
nurse practitioners educated at UNC-Chapel Hill remain
in the state, with 93% going on to practice in a rural or
medically underserved area of the state. Since 2009, 94%
of UNC-Chapel Hill prepared nurse practitioners passed
certification exams on their first try on average.
The School increased options and flexibility for nurses
who want to advance their education. There is now a
shortened time to completion for master’s programs that
prepare nurses to become nurse practitioners and clinical
nurse leaders, and a redesign of the PhD program enables
BSN-prepared students to complete the program in 3.5
years. In addition, the newly launched Doctor of Nursing
Practice Program and the Hillman Scholars Program in
Nursing Innovation offer new ways for nurses to pursue
advanced education at UNC.
In 2011, the School of Nursing was ranked fourth by
the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate School
Rankings (there was a three-way tie for number one). The
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education reaccredited
the School’s Baccalaureate and Master’s Programs for ten
years in 2012, and the PhD Program underwent a very
positive review by the Graduate School. The American
Nurses Credentialing Center reaccredited the Center for
Lifelong Learning as a provider of continuing nursing
education for four years. The DNP Program will undergo its
first review for accreditation in October of 2014.
Within the last five years, more than 30% of tenure-track
faculty members were hired in the SON. During
that time, racial and ethnic diversity among faculty has
increased, and the school improved its global health
presence by welcoming more Visiting International Scholars
and awarding stipends to support global health projects.
Three faculty members were named Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholars; two were
selected as RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows; and former
Dean Linda Cronenwett was selected as the National
Program Officer for the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows
Program. In 2011, Chancellor Thorp approved a faculty
practice plan for the School, and new practice sites are now
operating in Chatham, Orange, and Alamance Counties.
Carolina faculty provide high-quality continuing
education throughout the state. Revenues from continuing
education increased by 48% since 2009. Through the
North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC),
faculty members provided an annual average of 602.8
hours of educational outreach and technical assistance to
NC nurses. Renovations in Carrington Hall created new
workspaces where investigators can collaborate and students
can learn together. Upgraded technology in classrooms
and conference rooms has opened new opportunities for
distance learning and global teleconferencing.
During Dean Swanson’s time as Dean, the School’s
national leadership has flourished, as has its dedication to
meeting the health care needs of North Carolinians. “When
Dean Swanson arrived, the SON was facing some incredibly
tough funding challenges,” said Associate Dean Gwen
Sherwood, PhD, RN FAAN. “Leading with integrity, she
navigated the School through multiple state funding cuts
without layoffs and sustained the high quality of a Carolina
education. Her accomplishments over the past five years
will live on in the lives of our faculty, students, and staff.”
Left: Dean Swanson chaired PhD graduate Carolyn Huffman’s dissertation committee. They celebrated together at graduation in May 2014. Center:
SON alumna Lt. General Patricia D. Horoho, the Army Surgeon General, visited the School and was named the 2011 Alumna of the Year. Right: Dr.
Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami and former Secretary of Health and Human Services, presented the 2012-2013 Ethnic Minority
Visiting Scholar lecture to an audience of more than 700. Pictured are Drs. Debra Barksdale, Shalala, Swanson, and Rumay Alexander.
Dean Swanson joins
student ambassadors,
who helped host the
Alumni Awards and
Donor Recognition
event in 2010.
Carolina Nursing 15
Pursuing a BSN degree in a research-intensive
environment like the SON offers many opportunities for
undergraduate nursing students. They can conduct research
alongside faculty who are developing cutting-edge inquiries.
More importantly, they are encouraged to be inquisitive,
to think about alternative solutions to problems, and to
develop evidence-based approaches to test those solutions.
“I have visited an array of nursing schools for the
accreditation work I do,” said clinical associate professor
and director of the undergraduate program Beverly Foster,
PhD, RN. “They all talk about research because the
standards require them to. But they don’t talk about it with
the zeal that we do here. Research is contagious at UNC,
and I think you’d have to be pretty thick-skinned not to
catch the bug.”
According to Dr. Foster, one challenge undergraduate
educators face on a research-rich campus is striking a
balance between teaching students the fundamentals of
nursing practice they need and sharing the exhilarating
discoveries made by researchers. “It is very important
that we offer students a foundational education that is
contemporary, fits the essential standards we are supposed
to meet, and is offered as creatively as we can deliver it,”
said Dr. Foster. “From there, we integrate some of those
exciting new things we’re all exposed to in Carrington Hall.
A strong foundation is key for their success.”
Undergraduate clinical faculty are selected to teach at
the SON because they are highly skilled clinicians who
bring a scholarly approach to the care they provide. They
purposefully incorporate evidence into their courses and
encourage students to critically evaluate that evidence.
Their passion for scholarship thrives in a research-intensive
environment—a passion that is fueled by the modeling of
clinical experts who engage learners in a commitment to
deliver care of the highest quality.
BACCALAUREATE EDUCATION:
A FOUNDATION
OF
EXCELLENCE
Dr. Kathy Alden finds great joy in
teaching undergraduate students.
“It’s truly fulfillment. If I could redo
my nursing career, I’m not sure I
would change anything.”
16 Spring 2014
SURROUNDED BY EXPERTISE
Clinical associate professor Kathy Alden, EdD, MSN, RN,
IBCLC, has been teaching undergraduates at the SON
for 25 years. One of the many reasons she has stayed at
the SON is the collaborative effort to provide the highest
quality education. “The environment within the SON is
one of inquiry,” she said. “We teach students about the
importance of evidence-based practice and we are fortunate
to have scientists in the School who are helping to create
that evidence. In addition, we have faculty who are experts
and leaders in nursing education who help to create and
disseminate knowledge about teaching.”
Dr. Alden’s scholarship focuses on maternal newborn
nursing. She is co-editor of a leading maternity and
women’s health textbook. She collaborates with faculty from
the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy to
offer interprofessional obstetrical simulations for nursing,
medical, and pharmacy students. She appreciates having
the chance to improve and enhance her teaching skills
alongside researchers and educators who are leading experts
in their disciplines. “There is a real sense of collegiality
and teamwork here,” she said. Dr. Carol Durham, who
is an acclaimed expert in simulation, has been integral in
leading the SON in the use of simulation. Dr. Alden has
collaborated with Dr. Durham since the first high-fidelity
simulator arrived in the SON in 2000 to incorporate
this interactive teaching strategy into the undergraduate
curriculum. “Carol is a wonderful colleague with innovative
ideas. She is a great resource to faculty and students.”
Dr. Alden’s students benefit from exposure to faculty
experts as well. For her maternal newborn course, Dr.
Alden often brings in Dr. Beth Black, a leading expert on
perinatal loss, to share her knowledge and experience. Many
of her students understand just how valuable it is to have an
opportunity to learn from such highly regarded researchers.
“She creates evidence and has such compassion for the
families who are part of her studies,” she said. “The students
realize that getting to hear it from her, a national expert, is
such a privilege.”
HIGH CALIBER STUDENTS
“I think we attract the best and the brightest,” said Dr.
Alden. “Many of the students know they are going to
advance their education to the graduate level and their
sights are set beyond their bachelor’s degree.”
Dr. Alden’s experience in the classroom is that SON
students are passionate about learning and they are driven
to understand the science behind nursing care. “They
challenge my knowledge,” said Dr. Alden. “They ask such
great questions and they always want to know why.”
Ambitious undergraduate students have an opportunity
to explore their own research questions through the
Left: Dr. Beverly Foster (center) works constantly with undergraduate faculty to craft an undergraduate curriculum that ignites a passion for nursing.
Right: Tamryn Fowler decided to teach undergraduate nursing students so she could inspire them during their formative years.
FEATURES
Carolina Nursing 17
undergraduate Honors program. To earn Honors or
Highest Honors at the SON, a student must have a 3.4
GPA in their nursing courses and complete an independent
research project during the last two semesters of study.
They are required to write a paper and present a poster
about the project at a research symposium held at the end
of the year.
Since the program was started in 2007, the SON has
graduated 127 Honors students with 41 students earning
Highest Honors. Some submitted their papers for peer
review and have been published in journals such as Military
Medicine and Nursing and Health. “Our Honors Program
encourages exceptional thinking,” said Dr. Foster, who leads
the program for the SON. “Many students who graduate
with Honors go on to successful careers.”
CHOOSING TO TEACH
AT A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
Clinical instructor and SON alum Tamryn Fowler, BSN
’09, MSN ’12, joined the faculty at the SON in 2013. “One
of the reasons why I became a faculty member of the SON
was that I recognize the high quality of the faculty, students,
staff, and research leaders we have,” she said. “I wanted to
be a part of it.”
Ms. Fowler chose to teach undergraduate students
because of the drive and energy they have. She enjoys seeing
them meet challenges head on and overcoming them
as they work towards their goals of becoming a nurse.
She appreciates the opportunity to lay the groundwork
for students who might go on to conduct research or
pursue advanced practice degrees. “I want to contribute
to moving the profession forward by teaching our future
leaders,” she said. “Undergraduate instruction allows me
to be a part of building the foundation they need for a
successful career.”
As a newer faculty member, Ms. Fowler looks forward to
opportunities to pursue research of her own. She has many
potential interests spanning from hematology/oncology to
pediatrics to nursing leadership. “As a new faculty, my focus
has been primarily on shaping my teaching,” she said. “But
I am very interested in research. I feel motivated every day
I come to work. My students push me to be a better teacher
and nurse. My colleagues inspire me to develop as a leader
and researcher. I love it.” 
Preceptor Sandy Currin (right) shares wisdom she gained from her 42 years of experience with BSN student Catherine Nichols (left).
The best preceptors are those who demonstrate
excellence in care, who challenge students to think for
themselves while never discouraging them from asking
questions or seeking help. SON preceptors are practice
leaders who provide students with quality instruction and
experiences needed to excel.
TEACHING COMPASSION
Sandy Currin, BSN, RN, has been a nurse for 42 years.
About eight years ago, just a couple years after she began
working for UNC Health Care, she decided she wanted
to teach. Precepting, Mrs. Currin realized, was the best
path for her. As a preceptor, she has continued to serve
THE POWERFUL
IMPACT
OF
PRECEPTORS
18 Spring 2014
patients as a bedside nurse while teaching skills to students
one on one. “UNC has mighty sharp students. They ask a
lot of questions. They’re receptive and eager to learn. It’s
incredibly fun to be around them.”
As a preceptor, Mrs. Currin models excellent nursing
care. “I help them get comfortable with their responsibilities
so they can go beyond the tasks and think critically about
the care they are giving.”
Mrs. Currin believes building rapport with patients
and their families is critical and spends considerable time
helping students learn how to build trust and interact with
professionalism and empathy. For example, if a patient or
their family is disappointed with their care, acknowledging
the frustration can help. “They’re irritated because they’re
in the hospital when all they want to do is get back to their
everyday lives. It’s helpful to say you recognize they’re not
feeling well and you’re doing your best to help them get
through it.”
BSN student Catherine Nichols had only been working
with Mrs. Currin for a week. It did not take long for her
to notice how patients can sense Mrs. Currin’s dedication.
“They just keep singing her praises,” she said. “Knowing
that I’m going to be in a similar clinical environment soon, I
want to learn everything I can from Mrs. Currin. A textbook
can’t teach you how what’s meaningful to every patient. I
want to be compassionate the way she is.”
FINDING TIME
Working with a preceptor is an
excellent opportunity for nursing
students to learn how to organize
their work day. Nancy Register,
FNP, has been precepting Carolina
family nurse practitioner students at
the SAS Health Center in Cary, NC
for 13 years. Mrs. Register focuses
on organizing their time as a nurse
practitioner. “I’m usually their last
stop,” she said. “Their next clinical
site is often their first NP job. I want
my students to get comfortable with
running a tight schedule.”
SAS is a great site for nurse
practitioner students to adjust to a
new type of schedule without being
overwhelmed. Mrs. Register and
her colleagues see their patients for
half an hour on average. Because
SAS funds the center as a benefit
for their employees, providers have the freedom to spend
more time giving comprehensive care. While most students
will go on to positions where they will see patients for
fifteen minutes or less, Mrs. Register orients them towards
managing their tasks efficiently while building relationships
with the people they are caring for.
Mrs. Register does not expect students to copy her every
move. “I want them to be able to figure out who they are
going to be as a provider,” she said. Rebekah Doiron, an
RN and Mrs. Register’s current FNP student, appreciates
that teaching philosophy. “Nancy is a joy to work with,” she
said. “She does a very good job explaining things in a way
that is easy to understand. She encourages questions and
values input. I feel very blessed to be at SAS this semester
since it is both close to home and a very good learning
environment. Ultimately, I would like to be able to offer this
type of experience to students in the future.”
CARING FOR HEROES
Vennise Johnson-Hill, BSN, RN, has been precepting for
seven years at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in Durham,
NC. Many of the students she has supervised are part of
the VA hospital’s VALOR program, a paid externship that
combines classroom instruction with one-on-one mentorship.
This past summer, Ms. Johnson-Hill worked with BSN
student and VALOR scholar Leanna Phifer. Growing
Vennise Johnson-Hill (left) enjoys seeing BSN student Leanna Phifer (right) master new techniques.
FEATURES
Carolina Nursing 19
up, Ms. Phifer saw her grandfather go in and out of
the hospital many times. He would often tell her about
the nurses who spent time with him despite their busy
schedules. Ms. Johnson-Hill reminds her of the nurses
her grandfather used to praise. “Vennise has been great,”
she said. “I know if I have a question, I can ask her. I feel
very supported.”
Ms. Johnson-Hill was especially helpful when Ms. Phifer
had to face the sorrow of losing a patient. She remembers
vividly being alone in the room with a patient when he
coded. “I started CPR,” she said. “The code team came, and
we were able to get him back. Later, I found out he didn’t
make it.”
Ms. Johnson-Hill took the time to help her process her
experience. “I always give students an opportunity to talk
about what happened,” said Ms. Johnson-Hill “I always ask
them how they felt about it. No matter what, I do my best
to be there for my student, to listen, and offer support.”
GIVING BACK TO THE NURSING COMMUNITY
This spring, Laura Haythorn, BSN ’06, MSN ’10, ONP,
RN, OCN, precepted a nurse practitioner student from
the SON for the very first time. As a nurse practitioner
in the radiation oncology department of the VA Hospital
in Durham, NC, Ms. Haythorn sees patients, conducts
research, and provides patient education. Despite her
packed schedule, she wants to give back to the nursing
community. “My preceptors shaped my practice into what
it is today. I have always wanted to be a preceptor.”
Ms. Haythorn believes that a love of teaching and
learning matters just as much as experience. “I enjoy sharing
knowledge and having to be on my toes,” she said. “Having
to explain why you’re doing everything you’re doing makes
you think more and I like that.”
Becke Edwards, RN, OCN, Ms. Haythorn’s first
NP student, appreciates working with such a dedicated
preceptor who offers her a high-quality clinical experience
when it comes to being a good preceptor. “From day
one, I could tell that she wanted to make this the best
experience that she could for me,” she said. “Laura
really went out of her way to make me feel confident in
this setting.”
Ms. Haythorn believes it is important for preceptors
to be role models for practice and ultimately a colleague
students can turn to when they enter the workforce. She
maintains contact with many of her own preceptors and
looks forward to remaining in touch with Ms. Edwards,
who graduated in May 2014. “Having excellent preceptors
showed me that I could become a strong, confident, and
powerful provider who can really do a lot of good,” she said.
“I hope I have shown Becke that she can be that awesome
provider too.”
The SON would like to thank SON alumni Gwendolyn H.
Waddell-Schultz, BSN ‘70, MSN ’76, at the Veteran Affairs
Hospital in Durham, NC, and Gale B. Adcock, MSN ’87, at
the SAS Health Center for arranging interviews and inviting
our reporter to visit their facilities. Thank you for making this
story possible. 
Nancy Register (left)
demonstrates the electronic
records used at the SAS Health
Center to NP student Rebekah
Doiron. In addition to providing
learning opportunities for
SON students, the Sall family
created a scholarship honoring
Jimmie Butts, who established
the SAS Health Center and
earned her FNP certificate
from the SON. This scholarship
has supported NP students
since 1996.
20 Spring 2014
Drs. Deborah Mayer and
Ashley Bryant celebrate at
graduation in May 2011.
The Evolution of a Research Mentorship
FROM
STUDENT
TO
COLLEAGUE:
Deborah Mayer and Ashley Leak Bryant
first met at a SON function in 2007. They realized
they shared a love of oncology. Their initial connection
ultimately led to a rewarding mentoring relationship that
has enhanced oncology nursing scholarship at the SON.
DISCOVERING A PASSION FOR RESEARCH
Ashley Leak Bryant, PhD, RN-BC, OCN, has been
interested in oncology care and oncology nursing ever since
she started nursing school. By the end of her BSN program
she knew she wanted to pursue graduate education so she
could develop better approaches to caring for people who
have cancer.
She earned a master’s degree in nursing administration
at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While
working towards her master’s degree, she completed a data-based
thesis on the impact of spirituality and symptoms
on the recovery process for breast cancer survivors. “I
was led in a different direction when I was conducting my
research. I enjoyed meeting these women and hearing their
stories about how cancer impacted their lives physically,
emotionally, spirituality, and socially. Those experiences
led me to think more critically about how I could become a
better clinician and researcher.”
Dr. Bryant’s commitment to the care of older people with
cancer is deep and longstanding. Over time, she discovered
how little was known about enhancing quality of life for
patients with hematological cancers. Realizing she lacked
the research skills to identify interventions to improve their
lives, she pursued her PhD and shifted her emphasis to
research that would benefit older adults living with cancer. In
her dissertation, Dr. Bryant critically examined quality of life
domains, such as emotional and physical well-being, among
survivors of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Simultaneously,
she explored demographic and disease characteristics of
NHL survivors by age and found coexistence of positive and
negative perceptions that mediate quality of life.
To facilitate her transition to a new research focus, Dr.
Bryant applied for the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing
Capacity scholarship from the John A. Hartford Foundation.
Dr. Mayer served as her primary mentor and dissertation
chair. “Deborah has a national reputation in oncology
nursing and is a leader in survivorship care,” said Dr. Bryant.
“I knew there was so much I could learn from her.”
ADVANCING CANCER CARE
Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN has been
investigating ways to improve quality of life for cancer
survivors and cancer care throughout her career. As
Director of Cancer Survivorship, she is currently studying
the effectiveness of a smart phone application designed to
encourage colon cancer survivors to engage in more physical
activity following treatment. Her other area of research
is focused on how survivorship plans, detailed next steps
for post-cancer care, play a role in transitioning from final
treatments to a more advanced stage in the recovery process.
FEATURES
Carolina Nursing 21
Throughout her award-winning research career, Dr.
Mayer has mentored many students. She has learned
what qualities lead to an excellent collaboration between
a mentor and a student. “Being a good graduate student
means stepping up and saying ‘I’m interested in this
problem, and I want to study it,” she said. “Ashley was
definitely one of those students.”
Drs. Mayer and Bryant aimed to produce at least one
conference abstract and one publication from each research
project. They exceeded their goal. Though it’s important
to get the work done, Dr. Mayer believes one of the most
important things about successfully mentoring a student
is checking in with them. “You have to pay attention to
the process as well as the outcomes,” said Dr. Mayer. “If I
said something that hurt Ashley’s feelings, we figured out
where that came from and what it really meant. As long as
a mentor and student have that underlying respect for each
other, they can work through just about anything.”
By the time Dr. Bryant graduated from the SON in
2011, she had three first-author journal articles and several
conference abstracts. Those publications and her interest
in improving cancer care led her to take a cancer care
quality training postdoctoral researcher position at the
Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her postdoc led
to her current position as a tenure-track assistant professor
at the SON.
Through her postdoctoral work and a K12 Paul
Calabresi Career Development Award in Clinical Oncology
she received through NC TraCS, Dr. Bryant has extended
her network of mentors. She still finds herself seeking Dr.
Mayer’s guidance and oncology expertise. “From day one
she believed in me,” said Dr. Bryant. “Having someone who
believes in your worth and your ability to make a difference
in cancer care—that was invaluable.” 
In Fall 2013, the SON Office of Advancement,
Alumni Affairs, and Communications collaborated with
the Undergraduate Student Council (UGSC) to host the
School’s first student and alumni mixer. The event marked
the beginning of an alumni mentoring and networking
program overseen by Katisha Paige, associate director of
advancement and alumni affairs. “I wanted to offer our
alumni more opportunities to connect with our students,”
said Ms. Paige. “This mixer gave alumni and students a
chance to connect and communicate face to face.”
The mixer served as a great companion event to the
UGSC’s “Get Hired” series, which focuses on transitioning
students to professional careers. The series addresses mentor-ing
and networking as well as interviewing skills and appro-priate
social media behavior. The 17 alumni, who were joined
by over 75 students, represented classes from 1972 through
2013. Alumni degrees ranged from BSN to MSN and PhD.
Following remarks from Dean and Alumni Distinguished
Professor Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN, eager
students sought out alumni to ask questions and seek advice.
Jesutofunmi Mabo is
suited up for a ride in the
Air Care helicopter.
CONNECTING
CLASS
TO
CLASS
22 Spring 2014
SON alum Kathleen Abode, BSN ‘00
(right), speaks with BSN students
Stephanie Morgan (middle) and Leah
Morgan (left) about her experiences
at the NC Children’s Hospital.
awareness and conducting research on the discrimination
transgender individuals encounter in the healthcare system.
He was recently awarded Highest Honors for his research
project. Dr. Bailey recognized that they shared strong
interests in research and education. “We’re both passionate
about what we do,” said Dr. Bailey.
Mr. Cicero reconnected with Dr. Bailey soon after the
mixer. “I wanted to know more about his research to see if
there might be any intersections between his work and the
projects I’m working on,” he said. He sought Dr. Bailey’s
opinions on career direction as well. Dr. Bailey encouraged
Mr. Cicero to pursue a PhD. “It’s something I’m definitely
considering,” said Mr. Cicero. “The impact I could have
as a researcher could make a real difference in the way care
is delivered.”
Dr. Bailey plans to continue offering his time to SON
students. He encourages other alumni to join him. “Beyond
it being a professional obligation for us to nurture the
next generation, this is an opportunity to give back to a
FEATURES
By the end of the mixer, students had a better sense of
their career options, and alumni left with the satisfaction
of having invested their time in the newest generation of
nurses. Since that evening, Ms. Paige is proud to report
that many students and alumni have reconnected outside
the walls of Carrington Hall. “Alumni are a tremendous
resource,” she said. “They have a lot to offer students.”
MENTORING: A PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATION
As an associate professor at the Duke University School
of Nursing and an award-winning researcher, alumnus
Donald “Chip” E. Bailey, Jr., PhD ’02, RN, FAAN,
has a keen appreciation for mentoring. “As an alum, I
feel it’s important to engage with students because they
represent the future of nursing,” he said. “It contributes
to the growth of the profession and the growth of nursing
research. It’s critical work for me and other alums to do.”
At the mixer, Dr. Bailey met USGC Chair Ethan Cicero.
Mr. Cicero has dedicated much of his time to increasing
Carolina Nursing 23
school that gave us a lot in terms of scholarly, financial, and
emotional support. We should give back because we’ve been
given a lot.”
NURSING IN THE AIR
Derek Chrisco, BSN ’91, spends his days in the sky as a
flight nurse for UNC Health Care’s Carolina Aircare team.
He is very grateful to the SON. “I always like to say that
UNC gave me three of the best things in my life,” he said.
“Thanks to the SON, I have a career that I love, my wife
Lori (BSN ’91), and ultimately my son.”
Mr. Chrisco has given back to the SON by serving on the
Board of Directors for the SON Alumni Association. This
year he decided to be even more generous and offered to
raffle off a chance to ride in the Aircare helicopter as a way
to encourage more students to attend the mixer.
The lucky student was BSN Jesutofunmi Mabo. She
shadowed Mr. Chrisco during two flights: one to transport
an accident victim to UNC Hospitals, and another to
transport a patient to the intensive care unit. “Flying in the
helicopter was incredible,” said Ms. Mabo. “It was amazing
to watch the care team work.”
Mr. Chrisco is hoping to have more opportunities to
work with current nursing students. “In my interactions
with students, I have been amazed at their passion and
knowledge,” he said. “I want to support the School much
like it has supported me in my career.”
NETWORKING OVER SPRING BREAK
Edward Decker, BSN ’10, was pleasantly surprised when he
received a call from ABSN student Sherry Young. She told him
his name was on a list of SON alumni who lived near Salt Lake
City, Utah, she requested from Ms. Katisha Paige. She was
thinking about relocating to Utah after graduation and she was
curious what it was like to live and work in Salt Lake City.
Mr. Decker did her one better. He invited her to spend
some time in Utah with his family over spring break so that
Ms. Young could see the city for herself. “I got my start in
nursing because someone stuck their neck out for me,” he
said. “The nursing job market is getting more difficult for
new grads. This was a chance for me to reach out and give
someone a hand.”
Over spring break, Ms. Young and her husband traveled
out to Utah. After some skiing in the mountains, they came
to Salt Lake City to spend time with Mr. Decker and his
wife. He offered Ms. Young a tour of the hospital and the
city. They bonded over stories of what it is like to be a
second-degree student.
The UNC Health Care Air Care team operates two helicopters 24 hours a
day, seven days a week and alum Derek Chrisco, BSN ’91 works for them
as a flight nurse.
The trip convinced Ms. Young to apply for a position
at the University of Utah. She recommends the alumni
networking service offered by the Office of Advancement
to any student preparing for a job search. “The UNC name
goes so far and the alumni network is so big,” she said.
“Don’t hesitate to reach out to them.” 
BECOME AN
ALUMNI MENTOR
Share your expertise and
experiences with SON students by
adding your name to our growing
list of mentors. If you are interested
in being connected with some of
our current students email Katisha
Paige at Katisha_Paige@unc.edu.
Global Health at the SON
From Day One
When assistant clinical professor Chris
Harlan came to the SON in the late
90s, she brought with her a desire to
offer students valuable experiences in
global health.
“Our students are going to be
working with people whose life
experiences are different than their
own throughout their careers,” said Ms.
Harlan. “I felt we needed some original
ways to help them gain those skills.”
In 2004, she helped lead the first
SON service trip to Antigua, Guatemala.
Since that first trip, the options for
SON students to travel have expanded
exponentially. Students can now
travel to Honduras or Guatemala over
spring break as part of a course called
“Health Care in the Global Context.”
Undergraduates may also pursue a
summer work experience at a location of
their choice. Students in pursuit of their
BSN on the accelerated track have the
option to enjoy global health experience
by traveling over their winter break.
“We have students who specifically
want to come to Carolina because we
have these opportunities to go abroad,”
said Ms. Harlan. “Trying to come
up with travel that fits into a nursing
curriculum has been a great challenge,
but we wanted to support our students in
becoming better nurses.”
Over the past 10 years, the
Global Health Program at the SON
has facilitated travel for students in
dozens of countries on every continent
except Antartica. That effort has been
generously supported by the Global
Health Scholarship and the Linda
Cronenwett Global Health Scholar
funds. Stipends provided by these funds
are awarded annually to help support
students’ travel.
Providing health care abroad can be a
life-changing experience. “They develop
a great respect for people in developing
countries who have very few resources
and the nurses who care for them,”
said Ms. Harlan. “Our students always
come home amazed at how resilient
and creative these nurses are. It makes
students appreciate how lucky we are to
have what we have in the United States. I
love seeing that light bulb go off in their
head. Seeing new awareness emerge is
extremely rewarding to me.”
GLOBAL HEALTH
Associate Dean Gwen
Sherwood Receives Prestigious
International Health Award
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Gwen
Sherwood, PhD, RN, FAAN, was selected
to receive a Special Award for Outstand-ing
Health Professional Educators by a
committee representing the Prince Ma-hidol
Award Conference. She was one of
seven international educators chosen for
the award and the only nurse. Selection
criteria for the award called for visionary
leaders who have successfully implement-ed
innovative teaching techniques that are
“part of an evidence-base for producing
quality health personnel.”
Dr. Sherwood was chosen for the
award because of her internationally
acclaimed effort to transform education
in patient safety and quality. As co-investigator
and facilitator of the
first four phases of the Quality and
Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
initiative, Dr. Sherwood participated in
developing approaches to incorporate
recommendations made by the
Institute of Medicine into nursing
education. One of the results of her
work on QSEN was the award-winning
book Quality and Safety in Nursing: A
Competency Approach to Improving
Outcomes, which was edited by Dr.
Sherwood and her colleague Dr. Jane
Barsteiner, PhD, FAAN. Not bound by
borders, Dr. Sherwood has reached out
to nursing faculty in China, Thailand,
Macau, Mexico, England, and Kenya to
share her expertise on patient-safety
education. She has also disseminated
her scholarship through workshops
on patient safety, interprofessional
education, and reflective practice.
“The chance to participate in the
Prince Mahidol Award Conference
was a well-timed opportunity,” said
Dr. Sherwood. “The innovations in
transformative education shared by
global leaders at this conference reflect
similar efforts that are underway at the
School of Nursing.”
This is the first year organizers of the
Prince Mahidol Award Conference chose
to recognize leaders in health educa-tion.
Dr. Sherwood traveled to Thailand
to receive the award in person during the
closing ceremony of the conference.
“The School is blessed to have a
world-class educator like Dean Sherwood
leading our academic programs,” said
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor
Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN.
24 Spring 2014
Carolina Nursing 25
An International Perspective on
Nursing Work Environments
A cultural exchange between the SON
and the Florence Nightingale School
of Nursing at King’s College London
brought nurse researcher Jill Maben,
PhD, MSc, to campus. Dr. Maben, who is
Chair of Nursing Research and director
of the National Nursing Research Unit
at King’s, presented research findings to
nursing faculty and students.
Dr. Maben hypothesized that
challenging practice environments have
the potential to erode nurses’ ideals. She
tested her assumption by conducting a
study in which she interviewed nursing
students about the type of care they
wanted to give patients, and then re-interviewed
them regularly for up to three
years. She discovered most of the nursing
students had become “compromised
idealists,” or individuals whose care fell
short of the ideals they learned while
in school.
While in Chapel Hill, Dr. Maben
toured UNC Hospitals and spent time
developing research plans with UNC
nursing professor Donna Havens, PhD,
RN, FAAN. Dr. Havens has conducted
numerous studies about nursing work
environments in the US. She and Dr.
Maben will work together to investigate
best practices for health professionals
around the world.
“Work environment is a universal issue
in health care,” said Dr. Maben. “There
are systems approaches I think that we
can share and investigate together.”
Building a Global Research
Network for Bladder Health
Incontinence is a global issue in women’s
health. Few scholars understand that
better than Mary Happel Palmer, PhD,
FAAN, AGSF, the Helen W. and Thomas
L. Umphlet Distinguished Professor in
Aging. In addition to publishing numer-ous
studies on urinary incontinence and
bladder health, Dr. Palmer has built an
international global research network that
includes scholars in countries as far away
as Korea and China.
Dr. Palmer has expanded her global
connections largely through the Visiting
International Scholars program. The pro-gram
matches international scholars from
around the world with faculty to provide
them with opportunities to meet experts
in the United States and conduct research.
“It’s important to have critical
mass and to include as many diverse
viewpoints as you can for a problem,”
said Dr. Palmer. “Some of our theories
may not apply as well to other cultures.
We need to work together to develop
culturally appropriate theory-based
interventions.”
So far Dr. Palmer has mentored eight
visiting scholars and will be mentoring
another two starting in August 2014.
Scholars who have joined her research
group have come from Korea, China,
Thailand, and Taiwan. While they are in
the United States, Dr. Palmer sets them
up for success.
“Visiting International Scholars work-ing
with me are expected to conduct
original research, submit an abstract to a
conference, and to turn that abstract into
a publication,” said Dr. Palmer. “I offer
them a very outcomes-driven experience.
So far, we’ve been very successful with
publishing and presenting our work.”
One of her most promising collabora-tions
is with Dr. Ae Young So, a profes-sor
in the Department of Nursing at
Gangneung-Wonju National University
in Korea. Drs. So and Palmer found up to
76.3% of Korean women 60 years or older
have experienced incontinence, yet less
than 10% of those women sought medical
help. Several other collaborations with
Korean nurse researchers have developed
as a result of this work. Another important
collaboration is with Dr. Kefang Wang,
a professor from Shandong University
School of Nursing in Jinan, China. Drs.
Wang and Palmer developed a women’s
toileting behaviors scale which identifies
behaviors that contribute to the develop-ment
of lower urinary tract symptoms.
Dr. Palmer continues fostering
global collaborations to promote bladder
health. She is hoping to bring some of
her collaborators together at an inter-national
meeting on aging in 2017. “My
ultimate goal is that we can bring more
researchers and clinicians together so
we can start collaborating to form an
international approach for addressing
bladder health and incontinence,” she
said. “There is so much we can learn from
each other.”
26 Spring 2014
SYMPOSIUM FOUNDED
IN HONOR OF COLLEEN
ELSHOFF ASTRIKE
Some gifts to Carolina come from a place of gratitude, a
moment of fullness, or a sense of wanting to share. Others
may arise from a desire to create opportunity. Still others
come instead from a space of loss, healing, and a hope that
the gift will prevent harm from happening again. Such was
the story that led to the Colleen Astrike Symposium at
the School of Nursing. Carolina graduates Joan Davis and
Nancy Astrike created the symposium, which will focus
on patient safety, in the hope that the circumstances which
surrounded Nancy’s mother’s death will never be repeated.
Colleen Astrike, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother,
retired civil servant, and tireless volunteer died in
November 2012 from complications after a fall. She was 78
years old when she died in the hospital. Colleen’s life was
highlighted by her concern and kindness for others.
It happened on a Saturday, on Colleen’s third day there.
“There was a weekend lull at the hospital,” Nancy said.
“We couldn’t get anyone to assess or acknowledge that her
condition had changed, and it got to the point where we
became the aggravating family. Hour after hour, she was in
progressively more profound pain. The end result is that she
spent probably the last 10 hours of her life in unnecessary
pain, and probably the last 12 hours of her life unnecessarily
scared.”
In the months since, Nancy was tormented. Rather than
just missing her mom, she wondered what more could or
should have been done.
“I’ve come to this place, emotionally, through a lot of
good conversation and good help, and reflection on my
mother,” she said. “It’s not a life well-lived, nor a service to
her, to wallow in the injustice of it all.”
So she and her life partner Joan – who Colleen called
a daughter, too – created the Colleen Elshoff Astrike
Symposium at the School of Nursing. Its goal is to inspire
high-level discussion about patient safety among nurses.
The first one is scheduled for the spring of 2015. “It’s not
about casting blame on those who were there that day,”
Nancy said. “We hope that this, in some small way, will
prevent it from happening to someone else.”
Nancy and Joan – both political science majors – feel that
their Carolina education transformed them, and they feel
even more kinship through Carolina’s deep ethos of public
service. They will become Carolina parents this fall when
their daughter Emma Astrike-Davis enrolls as a Morehead-
Cain Scholar. The combination of wanting to impact the
nursing profession, their strong love of the University,
plus wanting to honor Colleen’s spirit led them to create
something positive out of something painful.
“In a lot of ways, my mother, this little old lady, led a lot
of people,” Nancy said. “You really don’t live it if you can’t
live it authentically. And she was that example. Fortunately,
I lived to be old enough to really appreciate the sense of
conviction and the courage she had.”
Story written by Claire Cusick
Top Left: Colleen Astrike with her daughter Nancy Astrike.
Top Right: Colleen with her husband Charlie. Bottom: Colleen hugs
her granddaughter Emma.
SON FOUNDATION NEWS
Carolina Nursing 27
Several years ago Eunice Brock established the Melinda
Kellner Brock Public Health Nursing Scholarship, honoring
the memory of her daughter Melinda. She has been more
than pleased with the recipients chosen by the School of
Nursing for this scholarship and has decided to give an
additional scholarship to the School of Nursing to be called
the Eunice M. and Melinda Kellner Brock Nurse Practitioner
Scholarship. She believes her daughter would have shared her
view enthusiastically. Eunice became interested in the Nurse
Practitioner profession when she experienced the benefits of
that profession personally. She believes that in the coming
decades nurse practitioners will be needed increasingly due to
the decline of physicians entering family practice.
Melinda began her career in nursing 30 years ago in
pediatric care and subsequently in Family Planning at
the Durham County Health Department, where her true
calling was care for the underserved. Eunice speaks of her
daughter’s warmth, care, and compassion, not only for family
and friends, but also to everyone she met. She calls her “the
special light” in the hearts of those who knew her well. Her
friends and family describe Melinda as “beautiful inside and
out,” “an inspiration,” a “vibrant life source,” and a “rare gem
with a contagious smile and love for the good in all peoples.”
Melinda’s personal characteristics and view of the world
had much to do with her chosen profession. As one of her
co-workers stated, she was obviously meant to be a nurse,
and she was determined to help those who most needed it
and to make the world a better place. This, not material
wealth, was Melinda’s definition of a worthwhile life.
Melinda’s mother, Eunice Brock, was the first woman
to be the sole owner and operator of her own real estate
company in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. It was a unique
“boutique” company, which emphasized a high level of
service to her clients. She was known in the community
as the “doyenne” of Chapel Hill realtors. Eunice has
lived in Chapel Hill since 1959 and raised her three
children here. During her life in Chapel Hill, she became
an ardent advocate for many worthy causes. In recognition
for her many contributions to the life of Chapel Hill,
she was named as one of Chapel Hill’s “Town Treasures”
in 2011.
“Students who benefit from this new scholarship will
have a chance to contribute to making the world a healthier
and better place,” said Ms. Brock. “I believe Melinda’s
legacy of care for the underserved will live on through
future Carolina nurse practitioners.”
EUNICE BROCK ESTABLISHES NURSE PRACTITIONER
SCHOLARSHIP IN DAUGHTHER’S HONOR
Left: Eunice Brock with her daughter Melinda. Right: In 2012 Eunice
Brock met the first recipient of the Melinda Kellner Brock Public Health
Nursing Scholarship, BSN student Audrey Boyles.
28 Spring 2014
Jo-Anne Trowbridge Martin, BSN ’69
has been very generous to the SON.
Together with her husband Ted, she
endowed the Ann Peirce Trowbridge
Scholarship in her mother’s memory
and created the Joe Earle Trowbridge
Scholarship for graduate psychiatric
mental-health nursing to honor her
father. At the end of Jo-Anne’s second
term on the SON Foundation board,
Ted decided that two scholarships
weren’t quite enough. So he surprised
Jo-Anne with one more scholarship,
one named after her.
“Ted was well aware of the joy I
received from meeting the recipients
of the scholarships we established in
memory of my parents,” said Jo-
Anne. “Several years ago I initiated
estate planning through the School of
Nursing, but I never dreamed I would
have a scholarship in my name. I now
feel even more personally connected to
the School’s future.”
Ted created the scholarship to
honor Jo-Anne’s contributions to
nursing and education. Not long after
graduating from the SON in 1969,
Jo-Anne joined the United States Navy
Nurse Corps and served her country
for 33 years, reaching the rank of Cap-tain
before she retired in 2000. She has
also served in various leadership roles
in the American Legion, Red Cross,
National Disaster Medical System
and local outreach programs in North
Carolina. She has served as a board
member for SON Alumni Association
Board and the SON Foundation. Dur-ing
her two terms on the Foundation
Board, she held the positions of Vice
President and Secretary.
The endowed scholarship will
support undergraduate students
pursuing their BSN degree for years to
come. “Nursing appealed to me because
I have always enjoyed helping and
nurturing people,” said Jo-Anne. “The
School gave me the skill and confidence
I needed to succeed. This scholarship
will give other students the opportunity
to achieve the same level of excellent
education. For me, investing in the
School’s future has never been viewed as
optional, but rather an honor, privilege
and responsibility.”
UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP HONORS
JO-ANNE TROWBRIDGE MARTIN BSN ’69
Ted (left) and Jo-Anne Martin (right) had the pleasure of spending an evening with MSN student
Anusha Smith (middle), one of their 2013 scholars.
SON FOUNDATION NEWS
Carolina Nursing 29
Susan Ruppalt Lantz BSN ’73, was processing insurance
claims and serving as a volunteer physics tutor for her UNC
Hospital coworkers when her supervisor pulled her aside
to encourage her to consider different career goals. She
asked if Susan had ever considered nursing. Because of her
strong belief in Susan’s skills and abilities, she arranged an
admissions meeting with Dean Lucy Conant.
A former math major at UNC, Susan’s academic record
was excellent. As a single mother with a young daughter
to support, she didn’t know how she would manage the
program. Qualifying for a scholarship, she balanced school
with working long hours while relying on the kindness
of friends and neighbors in the campus Victory Village
community to help her with childcare. Money was so tight
she borrowed her text books and worried about having
enough food for her daughter. Encouragement from
instructor Dr. Barbara Jo Foley (BSN ’67) helped sustain
Susan during a time when there was little support for nursing
students who were also single parents. These challenges
strengthened her appreciation for the opportunities and
security provided by her chosen career.
As a student, Susan developed a deep appreciation for the
nurse’s role as patient advocate. She realized patients under
anesthesia were particularly vulnerable since they are unable
to advocate for themselves. This recognition led to a long
career in the operating room. She held top positions within
the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, and
founded the North Carolina Council of the organization.
On hearing that there was a critical need in the military
for nurses with trauma and surgical expertise, Susan enlisted
in the army at the age of 42. She was sent to basic training to
prepare for deployment to the Middle East where US forces
were engaged in Operation Desert Shield. In the desert of
Saudi Arabia, she helped set up an evacuation hospital. With
the onset of Desert Storm, she cared for the causalities of
the conflict — allied soldiers, enemy prisoners of war, and
civilians. Susan served long and intense shifts, but
felt surrounded by an amazing network of talented and
dedicated soldiers.
Prioritizing service to others throughout her career led
to her decision to give future nursing students the same
opportunities for success she had at Carolina. Susan is
funding an endowed scholarship that will help others and also
create a legacy in her family name, Ruppalt. “At each difficult
point in my life, someone gave me a hand up in a way that I
wouldn’t have expected or looked for. Why wouldn’t I take
the opportunity to do the same?”
The Ruppalt scholarship will go to a meritorious
nursing student with preference given to single parents.
Through her generosity, students will receive support to
overcome some of the same challenges Susan faced as she
began her long and successful nursing journey.
SUSAN RUPPALT LANTZ CREATES
RUPPALT SCHOLARSHIP
Left: Susan Ruppalt Lantz (second from the right) celebrated homecoming by spending time with fellow classmates from the BSN class of 1973 and
mentoring current students. Right: Susan (in the middle) with her colleagues Nan Park (left) and Lucinda Moody (right) on their way home from Saudi
Arabia.
30 Spring 2014
SON FOUNDATION NEWS
Carol, BA ’64, and Coleman Ross,
BSBA ’65, spent the evening with
Elizabeth Coble, the 2013–2014
Eunice Morde Doty Scholar.
Elizabeth spoke about the
opportunities the scholarship
has afforded her during the
evening’s program.
BSN Student and 2013–2014
Cronenwett Global Health
Scholar Lisandro Hernández
concluded the evening by
speaking about his experiences
providing health care outside
the United States. He also had a
chance to meet donor Mary Lou
Booth, BSN ’57, who created the
global health award in honor of
former Dean Linda Cronenwett.
Student Ambassadors Ronnell Green and Andrea Marrow greeted donors, alumni,
and their guests at the door with smiles and warm words of welcome.
GIVING AND GRATITUDE:
SCHOLARS MEET DONORS AT ANNUAL ALUMNI AWARD Carolina Nursing 31
AND DONOR RECOGNITION RECEPTION
Jane, BSN ’56, and Tom Norris, BSBA ’55, JD ’60, met MSN student
Jade Clausen. Jade is the recipient of the 2013–2014 Norris
scholarship, which Jane and Tom founded to support graduate
nursing education.
The first Charlotte V. Nelson Scholar,
undergraduate student Kara Perry met
Meg Zomorodi, BSN, ’01, PhD ’08, as well as
Meg’s two children: Arianna and Benjamin.
Meg and her husband Ali Zomorodi, MD,
established the Charlotte V. Nelson Scholarship
in memory of Meg’s mother, who was an
outstanding nurse.
The Carrington Scholarship supports outstanding
students like Anna Lee. Here she greets Nancy and
Erwin Fuller BSBA ’60 who represent the Carrington
family and continue to support the School.
32 Spring 2014
At a reception held at the Paul J.
Rizzo Conference Center, the SON
Alumni Association recognized donors
and alumni for contributions they
made to nursing, their communities,
and to the SON. During a ceremony
presided over by Dean and Alumni
Distinguished Professor Kristen M.
Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN, five
awards were given.
The first recipient was Robert
Dodge, BSN ’91. A clinical associate
professor at the UNC School of
Medicine, Dr. Dodge was honored with
the Distinguished Alumnus Award for
his work in the field of HIV/AIDS. He
has been conducting research as well as
providing clinical care and education
about HIV/AIDS since 1992.
Robin Knobel, PhD ’06, was
recognized next with the Distinguished
Alumna Award. Dr. Knobel, an assistant
professor at Duke University School
of Nursing, teaches in the graduate
nursing program and conducts research
on physiologic processes related to
thermoregulation and perfusion in
extremely premature infants. Her work
has led to changes in national guidelines
regarding neonatal resuscitation.
The Graduate of the Last Decade
(G.O.L.D) award was given to Leslie
Davis, BSN ’85, MSN, ’89, PhD ’11.
Dr. Davis is an assistant professor
of nursing at UNC-Greensboro.
Much of her research and writing has
focused on cardiovascular health. Dr.
Davis has been working with many
national organizations, including
the American Heart Association, to
implement evidence-based protocols
for nurse practitioners and other
health providers.
David Oehler, BSN ’96, received
the Carrington Award for Community
Service. Mr. Oehler has been a
manager for the New Hanover
Regional Medical Center (NHRMC)
Orthopedic Hospital for several years.
His roles have ranged from nursing
supervisor to his current position as
administrator of the NHRMC Cape
Fear Campus. His leadership led the
NHRMC orthopedic program to earn
a Specialty Center Designation as well
as numerous quality and service awards
from national agencies.
The last award of the evening, the
Honorary Alumna of the Year Award,
went to Debra Barksdale, PhD, FNP-BC,
ANP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FAAN.
Dr. Barksdale is an associate professor
in the SON and director of the Doctor
of Nursing Practice Program. Among
her numerous accomplishments
as a researcher, a nurse educator,
and leader, Dr. Barksdale served as
President of the National Organization
of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and is
the only nurse appointed by President
Obama to the Board of Governors
for the Patient-Center Outcomes
Research Institute (PCORI).
The awards were presented by
members of the Alumni Association
Awards Committee, including
Robin Harper, BSN ’86, and Phyllis
Justus, BSN ’81. Alumni Association
President Roulhac Johnson, BSN ’00,
was also acknowledged for her hard
work leading up to the ceremony.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI HONORED
AT AWARDS RECEPTION
The 2013 award
recipients were,
from left to right,
Mr. David Oehler,
Dr. Robin Knobel,
Dr. Leslie Davis,
Dr. Robert Dodge,
and Ms. Amber
Bivins. Ms. Bivins
accepted the award
on behalf of her
mother Dr. Debra
Barksdale (pictured
on the right).
ALUMNI NEWS
Carolina Nursing 33
If you attended an alumni event within
the past year, you might have notice
students dressed in white shirts and
black pants handing programs or giv-ing
directions. These Student Ambas-sadors
assist the SON Alumni Associa-tion
with various events by registering
guests, providing directions, and
offering friendly smiles to alumni.
“At an event, anyone could feel
lost and unsure of where to go,” said
Katisha Paige, associate director of
advancement and alumni affairs. “The
Ambassadors are there to help.”
BSN Student and Hillman Scholar
Leah Morgan became an Ambassador
so that she would have opportunities
to connect with alumni and serve the
School. “I always leave with a new
sense of inspiration for my future and
a rejuvenated love for our school,” she
said. “Interacting with alumni makes
me excited about all the potential ca-reers
I can have as a Carolina Nurse.”
Ms. Morgan said all students at the
SON should consider being an Ambas-sador
due to the value of interacting
with alumni. “It gives you a chance to
rub elbows with people who have been
in your shoes, who know where you are,
and who can show you all the different
paths you can take with your degree.”
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD ANNUAL MEETING
STUDENT AMBASSADORS SHINE DURING EVENTS
Sixteen students served as Ambassadors for the
2013–14 school year.
In November 2013, members of the SON Alumni Association Board of Directors came together for their annual meeting. Held at the
Sienna Hotel in Chapel Hill, the Board made preliminary plans for organizing special alumni events, streamlining the application
process for the Alumni Association scholarships, and refining the Alumni Award program. Goals for the year are to boost association
visibility and increase participation among younger alumni.
Row 1: Faculty Rep Meg Zomorodi, ’01, ’08; Landon Fox, ’56; Monica Przybylek, ’04; Frieda Bruton, ’57; Tamryn Fowler, ’09, ’12
Row 2 (middle): Ann Brown, ’73; Ashley Leak Bryant, ’11; Melody Warren, ’07, ’10
Row 3: Phyllis Justus, ’81; Robin Harper, ’86; Cathy Long, ’60; Carol Marriott, ’95; Kim Crickmore Osborne, ’86; Cheryl Conway, ’92;
Sara Edwards, ’85; Kathryn Jones, ’98; LaDonna Howell, ’78; Executive Director Katisha Paige, ’98
Row 4: Derek Chrisco, ’91; Stewart Bond, ’88, ’06; Cynthia Dearmin, ’76; Susan Andrews, ’87; Donna Laney, ’80; Wes Scercy, ’12;
Betsy Bradshaw, ’74
34 Spring 2014
SON ALUMNI COMING TOGETHER FROM NEAR AND FAR
3
ALUMNI NEWS
1
25
4
Carolina Nursing 35
1. Nurses from the BSN Class of 1957 met
with BSN students during a classroom panel. From right to left, Mary Lou Booth,
Martha Waters, Frieda Bruton, and
Barbara Self shared stories from their careers and provided perspective on how much the field of nursing has changed since they were in school.
2. The BSN Class of 1983 got together at Mary Chandler’s home in Chapel Hill after UNC’s Homecoming victory over UVA. They caught up on each other’s lives and also made preliminary plans for a class gift to the SON.
3. Members of the BSN Class of 1973 celebrated their 40th reunion during Homecoming weekend. On a beautiful fall day, they mingled with Dean Swanson before heading over to the stadium to watch the Tar Heels beat UVA.
4. SON alums came out to Greensboro, NC to share a meal at the annual North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA) meeting. They discussed nursing innovations with Dean Swanson and celebrated assistant clinical professor Megan Williams’ recent appointment as NCNA President.
5. In Washington DC, SON alumni got together for dinner with Dean Swanson.
6. Carolina Nurses came together for a reception co-hosted by several Wilmington-area alumni at the home of Alumni Association President Roulhac Johnson, BSN ’00. Associate professor Cheryl B. Jones and Betty Woodard, MSN ’87, spoke to guests about the impact
SON grads are making in North Carolina and beyond.
636 Spring 2014
When I was a little girl, I thought I
wanted to be a pediatric nurse. Then,
while I was in nursing school at UNC,
a very close friend of mine lost his
mother to breast cancer. At that time,
I decided to become an oncology nurse
in her memory. Thirty-five years later,
I’m still an oncology nurse and I’ve
learned so much from working with
this special group of patients.
Having a BSN from UNC-Chapel
Hill has opened many doors for me.
My first job was on the Oncology
Specialty Unit at Duke University
Medical Center, followed by a similar
position on the Oncology Unit at
Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
After several years in the hospital
setting, I became the chemotherapy
nurse for Robert Fenning, MD, a
wonderful medical oncologist in
private practice in Charlotte. We were
a great team, and I will never forget
the special relationships that I had with
our chemotherapy patients.
In 1994, I began working at Mission
Hospital in Asheville, NC as their
Cancer Outreach Coordinator and
later as a Clinical Research Nurse.
For the last 20 years, I’ve also served
as Director of Camp Bluebird, a
three-day retreat for adult cancer
survivors offering emotional support
and education for three days of
small group sessions, arts and crafts,
music therapy, and other activities.
It’s a safe place where survivors can
remove wigs and share feelings with
others who understand what they
have been going through. We want
our campers to know that there is
life after cancer, and that it is okay to
make plans and enjoy each day. Many
survivors who have attended Camp
Bluebird told me this retreat gave
them the coping skills that they needed
to enjoy life again.
Camp Bluebird is truly my passion,
and I want to encourage other Carolina
Nurses to follow their passion. Thanks
to the nursing education that I received
at UNC, I was prepared for a variety of
roles including nursing at the bedside,
administering chemotherapy in hospital
and outpatient settings, working
on breast cancer clinical trials, and
directing Camp Bluebird. I am so
proud to be a graduate of the UNC
School of Nursing, and it is truly a
privilege to work with the special
group of patients that we have at the
Mission Cancer Center.
Leslie welcomes anyone interested in
learning more about Camp Bluebird to
contact her at leslie.verner@msj.org.
MY ALUMNI STORY—
LESLIE VERNER, RN, BSN ‘79,
OCN, CCRP, CBCN
In Memoriam
Christie Worcester Baxter, MSN ’94
Maureen Callahan, MSN ’73
Beverly Rowe Howerton, BSN ’70
Frances Lee Jacobs, MSN ’72
Celeste Leffingwell Loftin, BSN ’62
Mary Jane Clement Peebles, BSN ’58
Carolyn Pearson Singletary, BSN ’61
Nancy Anne Noble Smith, BSN ’58
Adelaide Smith Stanley, BSN ’58
Ellen May Stout, MSN ’65
Barbara Miles Temple, BSN ’59
Leslie Verner
ALUMNI NEWS
Carolina Nursing 37
1974 Laureen Froimson, MSN ’74, started Gero-Psych Solutions,
PLLC. The business offers geriatric care and consultations for
the elderly community. Froimson presented at the October
2014 American Psychiatric Nurse’s Association national
convention in Indianapolis, IN. Recently, she was chosen to
serve on the continuing education approval committee of
the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA) and was a
“spotlight” nurse for the organization in September 2013.
1984 Terri Blount Griffith, BSN ’84, completed her master’s
degree in hospital administration at St. Louis University in
1986 and is now retired in Dallas, TX.
1987 Gale Adcock, MSN ’87, FNP, is running for the NC House
of Representatives, District 41. Ms. Adcock, is a 2006 Fellow
of the Institute of Political Leadership and was inducted as
a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
in 2011. She is serving her second term on the Cary Town
Council and is also Cary Mayor Pro-Tem.
Susan Andrews, BSN ’87, traveled to Gabarone, Botswana
for a ten-day mission trip to work in an HIV/AIDS hospice.
While there, she attended a meeting with nursing faculty
from the Institute of Health Sciences (IHS), where she met
Montlenyane Madisa, head of their family nurse practitioner
program. To Andrews’ surprise, Madisa received her MSN
through the SON in 2002.
2007, 2010 Melody Warren, BSN ’07,
MSN ’10, is thrilled that her son
Noah Frederick Warren was born on
February 4, 2014 at a weight of 9 lbs,
6 oz. “We love our little Noah,” she
said. “It’s just amazing how much he’s
grown over the past few months.”
2008, 2011 Micah McCanna, BSN ’11,
and his preceptor Paul Couch,
BSN ’08, appeared on the cover of
the November 2013 issue of the
American Journal of Nursing. They
are providing care to a patient at
NC Memorial Hospital.
2011 Dr. Lisa C. Lindley, PhD ‘11, was
awarded a Mentored Research
Scientist Development Award
(K01) from the National Institute of Nursing Research for her
study “An Examination of Hospice Use Among Children.” Dr.
Lindley and her colleagues are studying how characteristics
of children influence the use of hospice care services. Dr.
Lindley hopes her findings will help improve access to
pediatric hospice care.
2012 Sean Gallagher, BSN ’12, works at the Wesley Long
Community Hospital intensive care unit in Greensboro, NC.
He combined his musical talents and his passion for health
care to compose, perform, and record a song and video to
promote proper hand-washing techniques.
2013 Audrey Boyles was in serious car crash five days after
graduation. She spent her summer recovering from several
broken facial bones. She is now working at the Burn Intensive
Care Unit at UNC Health Care. “Working in the burn unit after
having experienced recent trauma proved to be extremely
challenging at first,” she said. “But luckily I am surrounded
by an amazing team who has supported me throughout my
training and continues to give me support as I’m on my own.”
There is much more to Audrey’s story. Visit nursing.unc.edu/
alumni-friends/my-alumni-story to read the full text of her “My
Alumni Story” and learn how to submit your own.
CLASS NOTES
From left to right: Susan Andrews, BSN ’87, Montleyane Madisa, MSN ’02,
and Whitt James, BA ‘82.
Courtesy of AJN.
Sean Gallagher demonstrates how to perform the “Cone Health Hand
Wash Hustle.” Enjoy the video at go.unc.edu/Wt48G.
the university of north carolina at chapel hill
campus box 7460, carrington hall
chapel hill, nc 27599-7460
Nonprofit
U.S. Postage
PAID
UNC–Chapel Hill
Tailgate with the SON for the big game! You can reconnect with classmates over a barbecue lunch, enjoy gorgeous views of Chapel Hill from the Bell Tower, or get your picture taken with Rameses. Purchase your football tickets through the General Alumni Association and you can sit with your classmates to cheer on our Tar Heels! For more information on purchasing tickets to the tailgate or the game, email sonalum@unc.edu or go online at go.unc.edu/r8PFc.
Classes of ’69, ’74, ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94, ’99, ’04, and ’09, please join us for your reunion year! If you’re interested in organizing reunion activities for your classmates, please contact Katisha Paige at Katisha_Paige@unc.edu.
Save the Date for
HOMECOMING
2014!
November 15