Flood Update

The College of Nursing is high and dry, but The University of Iowa campus has been hard hit by the flood of 2008. For up-to-date information, go to http://www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery

To learn how you can help our beloved campus, see the right-hand links of the UI Foundation Web site.

"OUR TURN TO TAKE CARE OF DAWN"

The travels of Dawn Dubsky, BSN 98 , have taken her to Thailand, Spain, Mexico, Africa and nearly every state in the U.S. Results of a recent trip to Ghana, Africa, however, created an unimaginable detour in her plans.

In February, just five days after returning from Africa, Dawn was diagnosed with a virulent form of malaria and was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A day later, she was fighting for her life in the ICU as her body went into septic shock. She was transferred to the University of Chicago Medical Center for life-saving surgery.

On March 3, Dawn lost her limbs to her knees and elbows. After enduring numerous long and involved surgeries, she is amazing friends and family wiht her positive attitude toward rehab and her future.

Dawn’s sister Colleen says of her, “She is a caregiver who worked with children and the sick and has contributed considerable amounts of positive energy onto our earth in her time here. On her trip to Africa, she even brought much-needed supplies to a hospital. Dawn has helped and inspired so many people around the world. Now it’s our turn to take care of Dawn.”

To help Dawn with the financial burden she now faces, her friends and family created the non-profit Luv-a-Dub Organization. Donations can be made through the luv-a-dub.org Web site. To date they have raised $30,000. A July 18 fundraiser will be held in Chicago. See the Web site for details.

 

Alumna's book deals with child's view of Alzheimer's

"SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP" IN INDIA

Social entrepreneurship works by identifying large-scale social problems and then finding innovative means to solve them.

As part of a group 20 UI students in a social entrepreneurship class, who traveled to rural southeastern India Dec. 28 - Jan. 19, BSN student Reed Underwood learned firsthand how such an approach can empower and improve the lives of the poor, the handicapped and the disadvantaged. She was assigned to work with the Satya Special School in Pondicherry.

Read more ...

WILSON TO STUDY IN NIGERIA
Ronda Wilson, an RN-to-BSN student has received a UI Study Abroad Scholarship. She will be conducting

independent study examining the rural health care delivery in Nigeria and looking at health care problems of area farmers. Wilson is a registered nurse at the UI and a clinical research coordinator in the Department of Internal Medicine.

CONGRESSMAN'S ROUNDTABLE SHINES LIGHT ON NURSING ISSUES

Faculty, students, and nurses from UI Hospitals and Clinics and local clinical agencies had a chance to voice their concerns about the state of nursing in Iowa March 25 at a roundtable discussion hosted by the UI College of Nursing.  Initiated by Congressman Tom Latham, this was the first of five forums held in District 5.

Latham has scheduled these discussions at various sites around the state to gather insight and comments from a broad contingency of Iowa’s nursing community on how to best address a growing nursing shortage. He expects the discussions to inform his efforts to direct the national debate on the nursing crisis from Iowa’s unique perspective.

The forum opened with comments from Rita Frantz, College of Nursing dean; Heidi Nobiling, senior assistant director, Nursing Administration, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; and Cathy Abrams, vice president of nursing, Mercy Hospital, Iowa City.

Read the discussion topics ...

Outstanding Iowa nurses were honored Sunday, May 4 at the "100 Great Iowa Nurses" celebration at the HyVee Conference Center in West Des Moines. The event is sponsored by The University of Iowa College of Nursing, the Iowa Nurses Association, the Iowa Nurses Foundation, and the Iowa Hospital Association. Nearly 800 attended.

Read more ...

AWARD WILL JUMPSTART MEN'S NURSING GROUP

Despite recent gains in the number of men in the nurse workforce, they still represent only about six to 10 percent of America’s nurses.

Todd Ingram, assistant clinical professor, hopes to persuade more men that nursing is a viable, attractive career option. Ingram won a Catalyst seed grant from the U of I Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity to establish an eastern Iowa affiliate of the national American Assembly for Men in Nursing.

“Once our group is organized, we’ll focus on recruiting more men into the profession, creating more diversity, and providing support for practicing nurses,” Ingram says. “The group will be open to all.”

      Todd Ingram

Read more ...

COLLEGIATE TEACHING AWARD TO BERG

Assistant Professor, Parent Child and Family Area of Study,

Mary Berg, is a 2008 Collegiate Teaching Award winner.

Berg teaches in both undergraduate and graduate programs each semester. She supervises an undergraduate clinical group at UIHC, teaches a number of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) courses and oversees PNP clinical experiences.                                   Mary Berg    

An Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, she maintains her clinical expertise by working one day a week in the nurseries at the Children’s Hospital of Iowa, where she is also a preceptor to PNP students. In addition, Berg is a member of a research team studying pain responses to scoliosis surgery, has presented posters on this research at national conferences and has co-authored a related article. Berg also oversees the Young Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, which provides professional development for BSN students interested in careers in pediatric nursing. She is working toward a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, with a goal of graduating in 2009.  

MNRS HONORS 3 COLLEGE OF NURSING FACULTY

Three University of Iowa College of Nursing researchers received prestigious awards at the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) Conference in Indianapolis March 28-31.

Associate Professor Janet Specht,

earned the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing/MNRS Award for Leadership in Geriatric Nursing Research, for her longstanding program of scholarship and commitment to enhancing evidence-based care of older adults residing in nursing homes, particularly those with advanced dementia. Through her research activities, Specht aims to increase services to older persons, and to influence policy at the state and national level.                                          Jane Specht

Assistant Professor Barbara Rakel, received the MNRS Harriet Worley New Investigator Award, which recognizes exceptional achievement by an investigator in the early phase of his or her research career. In the past year, Rakel secured two grants totaling nearly $2.3 million funding for two studies of the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

         Barbara Rakel

Assistant Professor Marianne Smith, is the recipient of the Research Utilization/Evidence Based Practice Award from the Gerontological Section of the MNRS. Her research centers on dementia-related anxiety interventions to reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia, and on the care of those with dementia in assisted living residences.

 

                                                    Marianne Smith

MORE HONORS AND AWARDS

Lecturer Kerri Rupe, has been selected as a 2008 Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Marita Titler, senior assistant director, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, director of Nursing Research, Quality and Outcomes Management, and clinical professor, was selected by the (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City) Corridor Business Journal as a "2008 Women of Influence" honoree. She was recognized for her achievements in promoting evidence-based practice strategies in health care settings across the Midwest and the nation. 

Lecturer Mila Grady's abstract titled Extraordinary Care: Nurturing the Spirit of Older Adults was accepted for presentation at the National Gerontological Nurses Association meeting in October. The presentation will address the evidence regarding the impact of spirituality on health, wellness, adaptation to illness, and quality of life, describing how to assess spiritual needs of older adults and also addressing the evidence-based and culturally competent interventions for spiritual care.

Kathleen Buckwalter, Sally Mathis Hartwig Professor for Gerontological Nursing, and Director of the Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the UI College of Nursing, is the recipient of the Iowa Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (IAHSA) Advocacy Award. Professor Keela Herr, chair of the Adult and Gerontology Area of Study states, “This recognition represents individual contributions to senior service policies within the State of Iowa or national level and illustrates Kitty’s amazing outreach to the Iowa community and policy efforts.”

HARTFORD SCHOLARS ANNOUNCED

Four University of Iowa College of Nursing pre-doctoral students have been honored with selection to the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar program. Brianne Black, Heide Bursch, Kari Lane and Jimmy Reyes are among 15 in the nation to receive this honor.

The program offers support for tuition and fees, and up to $30,000 in stipend for each of two years for a total of up to $50,000 per year, which enables awardees to focus on full-time study and on honing their skills in research, education and leadership.

Read more ...

STUDY EXAMINES EFFECTS OF STIGMA ON PERSON'S WITH ALZHEIMER'S

 

The stigma that comes with progressive memory loss, for both the patient and their close family members, is the subject of a study initiated by nursing researchers at The University of Iowa and the University of Illinois.

“We hope to identify how stigma affects quality of life in persons with memory loss,” said Dr. Kathleen Buckwalter, Sally Mathis Hartwig Professor of Gerontological Nursing and director of The John A. Hartford Foundation for Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the University of Iowa College of Nursing.               Kathleen Buckwalter

1937

Marian Vaupel Munson, GN 37, now living at Southtowne Living Center in Eugene, Oregon, recently celebrated her 93rd birthday with her daughter, Ann Herrick.

1968

Jean Barry, PhD, BSN 68 is an associate professor of nursing at the Kirkhof College of Nursing at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on leadership theory and end-of-life/palliative nursing care. Her research program focuses on Staff nurse moral distress and suffering in the care of dying patients: Building theory and testing interventions.

1969

Claudette J. Heddens, BSN 69, MA 92, serves as President of the American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses for 2008

1974

Candace Steele, BSN 74 BC, MA, FAAVPR, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. 

1975

David Mangler, BSN 75, MS, was selected as the Executive Director of the Delaware Board of Nursing in September and began in this position on Nov. 2, 2007.  He is administratively responsible for 10 other Boards or Commissions in addition to the Board of Nursing. 

1976
Joanne Rains Warner, MSN 76, was appointed dean of the University of Portland School of Nursing in Oregon. Warner is a nationally recognized expert in health policy with an extensive background in community health and nursing education. Prior to moving to Portland, Warner served the Indiana University system as the dean at Indiana University East and then as graduate dean and director of the doctoral program at Indiana University School of Nursing.

1979
Susan (Smitke) Schmid, BSN 79, received her MSN with emphasis on education from Cal State LA in June 07. Employed at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as Clinical Coordinator of Mother Infant Unit.

1982
After more than 10 years of living with misdiagnosed symptoms, Joy Wagner, BSN 82, was finally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She has developed a rehab program called fitMS, which has evolved into a program of fitness, education, advocacy and peer support practiced nationally and internationally by more than 4,000 members through live classes, email and DVDs. Learn more at www.fitms.org/index.php

1983
Dorothea Olsen, BSN 83, has retired from her full-time job at Mercy Medical Center in Clinton, IA, but has stayed in nursing by keeping a peds clinical position with the Eastern Iowa Community College District. "They won't let me retire!" she says. "I still enjoy my work after being a RN for 47 years." 

Mary E. (Fuller) Voegele, 38 GN, Jan. 29 of age-related causes at age 90. She worked as an RN for many years, and with her husband owned and operated Coast to Coast Hardware and Richie’s Drive-In in Cottage Grove, OR.

Mary Steiners, 25 GN, Feb. 19.

Elizabeth M. Wilson 36 GN, Feb. 22.

Paula Cohen Allen, 04 BSN, Mar. 20, in Lilburn, Ga. Allen was formerly of Lone Tree, IA and Wyaconda, MO.

Lindsey McMillan, a first-semester College of Nursing student, lost her life in a car accident in Texas March 18. The 20-year-old was native of Waukon, IA.

Darlene (Chevalier) Brady, 55 GN, Oelwein, IA, May 5.

Susan Peterson Mann, 63 BSN, May 7, in Omaha. She has been very supportive of the College of Nursing, endowing a scholarship for undergraduate students and providing support to the NCEC to name the executive board room in honor of Dr. Myrtle (Kitch) Aydelotte.

Patricia (Lovejoy) Isom, 61 BSN, Kaysville, Utah, May 11.

  Foundation News

GIVING PRACTICE

One patient had a bad case of gangrene. Another was in labor. Suzanne “Sue” F., 54 BSN, and William “Bill” C., 51 MA, 52 MFA, Ammerman found each “case” fascinating during their tour of the University of Iowa Nursing Clinical Education Center, which includes technologically advanced teaching mannequins.

Thanks to the couple’s interest—and generosity—UI College of Nursing students will have the chance to continue practicing on “patients” like these in the center, a joint venture between the college and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Department of Nursing Services and Patient Care.

“The Nursing Clinical Education Center is so important,” says Sue Ammerman. “It combines nursing education and clinical practice and gives students valuable hands-on learning. I wish it had been here when I was in school.”

Ammerman and her husband, a retired art professor who taught at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, wanted to help the next generation of Iowa nursing students, which is why the UI contributors have made two generous gifts for the Nursing Clinical Education Center.

“We helped name a room in the center where students and faculty can observe others at work,” says Sue Ammerman. “We named it in honor of my parents—their legacy is what helped us make these gifts.”

The Ammermans have many connections to The University of Iowa, where they first met at the Wesley Foundation. After marrying in 1954 and settling in River Falls, Wisconsin, with their three sons, the Ammermans remained connected to the UI throughout the years, returning for class reunions and campus visits—and giving generously.

“It’s so important for us to give back like this,” says Sue Ammerman. “Without the UI, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We would never even have met—so we owe everything to Iowa.”

For more information about supporting the Nursing Center for Clinical Excellence—or any other program or project—in the UI College of Nursing, please contact:

Bridget Hoffman, director of development, UI College of Nursing, The University of Iowa Foundation
bridget-hoffman@uiowa.edu

(319) 335-3305 or (800) 648-6973

To make a gift online for the UI College of Nursing today, please go to www.givetoiowa.org/nursing.

I have heard from a number of alumni and enjoy every contact. Please keep the news coming. Your successes are important to us and your classmates. -- Liz Swanson

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your classmates. To send your news or to UNSUBSCRIBE, call 319-335-7006 or e-mail elizabeth-swanson@uiowa.edu.

The University of Iowa College of Nursing
50 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1121
Phone: 319/335-7018 or 800-553-IOWA (4692) ext. 5-7108

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