Eunice Moe Brock, BSN ‘41, celebrated her 95th birthday and also welcomed two more great grandchildren in 2012 – Violet Elisabeth Voelker was born on Nov. 18, and Elon Hawkeye Kvares, her eighth great grandson, was born Dec. 8.

Virginia Maxwell George, BSN ‘47B, enjoys living in Belmont Village, an assisted living residence in Nashville.

60s

Connie Reid, BSN ‘65, enjoys reading and her grandchildren in her retirement.  Son, Adrian, and his wife Rebecca, welcomed Eleanor Alma Reid in February 2012, the couple’s first child and Reid’s first granddaughter.  Daughter Megan and son-in-law Thom Saylors relocated their family that includes Jacob, 12, and Daniel, 10, to Franklin, N.C., for Thom’s new job as recreation manager in the U.S. Forest Service for the Nantahala Forestry District.

Donna C. Miller, BSN ‘66, is retired from her 46-year nursing career – the last 30 years in hospice care. Career highlights include becoming a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse and being named one of the “100 Great Nurses in Dallas/Ft. Worth” in 1998. She remains active as an organist and choir director in a Lutheran church and is grandmother to three, with another on the way.

Charlene Tosi, BSN ‘68, lives in Fenton, Mich., and has published a new book, “Discover Your Woman Within: Journey to Wholeness.”  It can be purchased on her website www.womanwithin.com. Her son designed the cover.

70s

Elsie Wilson, MSN ‘74, PhD, CNM, ARNP, completed her PhD in Theology from International Seminary, Plymouth, Fla., graduating Magna cum Laude.   Her dissertation was titled, “Applying Principles of Midwifery to the Ministry:  A Comparison of Physical and Spiritual Birth.” She received an award for Outstanding Dissertation, and hopes to publish it sometime in 2013.  Although retired as a certified nurse-midwife who worked extensively in the Frontier Nursing Service, she plans to teach her dissertation principles to midwives, ministers and others.
Betsy Merlin Stewart, BSN ‘78, married Vanderbilt University alumnus Kent Taylor Stewart, BE ‘77, on Aug. 27, 2011, and resides in Nashville.

80s

Anne C. Page BSN ‘80, is a Perianesthesia Specialist at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., where she blends direct patient care in Anesthesia with Quality Improvement projects and staff development.  She holds both CAPA & CPAN certification.  Anne and her husband, Philip, BE/ME ‘80, are the parents of Eloise Page Spetko, BA Mathematics ‘07. To celebrate their 30th reunion, Anne met fellow ‘80 BSN classmates Judy Baird Cunningham, Anne Chandler McAlister, and Pamela Petros Litchford in Sanibel Island, Fla., in November 2010.

Julie Lindley, RN, BSN ‘83, is the director of Health Service and Physical Education at Grapevine-Colleyville, Independent School District in Texas. She spoke at the Texas School Nurses 11th Annual School Nursing Conference on “Delegation: The Professional School Nurse Role” to 350 school nurses from across the state.  She also serves as the Governmental Liaison for the State School Nurse Association.

Beth Hartman Plonk BSN ‘84, MSN, CFNP 1989 and 1990 from the University of Virginia, lives in Durham, N.C., working as a case manager at Duke Homecare and Hospice. Beth received the Drew Award for Excellence in Hospice Nursing Practice and was also selected by the National Association for Home Care and Hospice as one of the top 50 home care and hospice nurses in the nation for 2012.

Elizabeth Burgess Dowdell, PhD, BSN ‘84, RN, FAAN, published two papers: “Urban Seventh Grade Students: A Report of Health Risk Behaviors and Exposure to Violence,” in the Journal of School Nursing, 28(2), 130-137 and co-authored a second paper with Susan Gresko, “Perceptions of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and How a Pulmonary Function Printout Influenced Practice” in Nursing Research and Practice, (Article ID 794585).

Sharon Adkins, MSN ‘88, RN, received the State Award for Excellence for increasing awareness and acceptance of Nurse Practitioners from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners at their annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.  Sharon is the executive director of the Tennessee Nurses Association.
90s

Leigh Ann Chandler, MSN ‘91, GNP-BC, began a new hospice nurse practitioner job with Lifetime Care Hospice in Rochester, N.Y.  The job was a dream come true for her and she plans on working on her Palliative Care certification this year.

Kelly A. Wolgast, MSN ‘93, Founders Medalist, earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Executive Nurse Leadership in December 2012 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  Kelly is an assistant professor at VUSN, teaching in both the Health Systems Management MSN Program and the DNP Program.  Kelly’s daughter, Marley, will be attending Penn State University this fall.  Kelly received her BSN from Penn State in 1985.

Nicole Swann, MSN ‘97, lives in Louisville, Ky. She became a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in 2011 and works part-time in private practice in Crestwood, Ky., at Positive Connections.  Nicole recently started a full-time position in community mental health at Communicare, in Bardstown, Ky.  She has two children, Savanna, 14, and Luke, 11.

Meredith Schrader Florentz, MSN ‘98, is in her 14th year as a labor and delivery nurse at St. Johns Hospital, Maplewood, Minn., and is busy raising two kids, two cats, and lots of fruits and vegetables in her garden.
Deborah Lanius, MSN ‘99, started working at the Veteran’s Administration Outpatient Clinic in Rock Hill, S.C., in June 2012.

Carl Wherry, MSN ‘99, has served as the senior nurse practitioner at UCLA Medical Center for neurocritical care since 2004. He is a member of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners, and he and his wife are busy with 6-year-old twins.

2000s

Katie Moran Bostrom, MSN ‘00, was nominated for Real Awards for her achievements in neonatal nursing practice.  She recognized that the local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and its infants could benefit from improved developmental, kangaroo method, and family-centered care. She has chaired the committee, raised funds, presented on the topic, and revised policies. She has collected data to show improvement and used this to get further funding and support.

Katie Cope Murchison, MSN ‘00, welcomed daughter Emma Fraser Murchison on July 31, 2012, joining big sister Abby, 6. Katie continues to work in reproductive endocrinology with Fertility Center of Chattanooga and Knoxville, and is looking forward to precepting a VUSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program student this year.

Jacky Carver, MSN ‘01 was re-appointed to a second term on the Tennessee Medical Examiner Advisory Council by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.  Additionally, she serves on the advisory council of the Upper Cumberland Human Resources Agency and as the chairman of the board of the Smith County Help Center.

Amy Costner-Lark, MSN ‘01, DNP, APRN, is a heart transplant nurse practitioner at the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute and assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing.  Amy founded a Costner Medical Missions in 2004.  The non-profit organization has taken seven  medical/dental mission trips to Ecuador, Peru and the Galapagos Islands.  The next trip is May 18-26, and she recruits medical providers and non-medical volunteers who will treat around 500 patients in three days.

Leigh Lindsey, MSN ‘03, recently completed her PhD in Education and Organizational Leadership from the University of Louisville and teaches at Western Kentucky University.  The title of her dissertation is “Mentoring of Rural Nurse Managers.  The Experiences of New Rural Nurse Managers: Does Mentoring Make a Difference?”

Kate Carlson Wrammert, MSN, ‘03, and husband, Jens, welcomed twin boys, Grant Patrick and Lucas Andrew, in April 2012. Kate is an Oncology Nurse Practitioner at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, where she has worked since 2004.

Laura Beth Brown, MSN ‘04, president, Vanderbilt Home Care Services and vice president, Vanderbilt Health Services, was recognized with the Health Care Emerging Leader of the Year award by Leadership Health Care (LHC), an initiative of the Nashville Health Care Council to nurture the talents of future health care leaders.  She was noted for her active participation in a range of programs and for serving as a role model.  She is also a former board member of LHC.

Terri Hartman, MSN ‘04, RN, HACP, is the Privacy Office director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  Both of her daughters graduated from college;  Lana, from the University of Louisiana, and Dana, from Southern Methodist University.  Dana is teaching English at the Hanvit School in South Korea, and Lana is teaching Latin and English at the Louisville Classical Academy.

Betsy Perky, MSN ‘04, is engaged to Brandon Kennedy, a graduate of David Lipscomb University who lives in Brentwood, Tenn.  The wedding is planned for May and the couple will live in Thompson Station, Tenn.

Liz Nacozy Wessel, MSN ‘06, and her husband, James, live in Huntsville, Ala. They recently adopted Kate, a 16-month-old baby girl from China, who joins daughters Molly, 2, and Anne, 4. They are planning several trips to Vanderbilt in coming months and years for surgeries for Kate’s cleft lip/palate.  Liz hopes to see classmates while in Nashville and is grateful to have such a solid nursing background.

Andrea Boohaker, MSN ‘07, and her husband, Michael, welcomed their first child, Robert Gabriel Dean, on Sept. 30, 2012. They live in Houston, Texas, where Andrea works for The University of Texas (UTHealth) as an orthopaedic trauma nurse practitioner.

Bethany Andrews, MSN ‘09, ACNP, married Kevin Rhoten on Sept. 29, 2012.

Brittany Haemmerlein, MSN ‘09, welcomed son Harrison Alexander on Dec. 24, 2012.  He joins big brother William Fieldon, 3.  She has also started a new position at Centerstone, a national not-for-profit provider of community-based mental health care.  In addition to her clinical practice as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, she has accepted the position of nursing supervisor.

Janye Wilson, MSN ‘10, announced the birth of her daughter, Eden Marie Wilson, born on July 22, 2012. Janye is a Clinical Research Management graduate.

Joanna Vallie, MSN ‘11, RNC-OB, C-EFM, is the nurse director of obstetrical nursing at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass.  She spent the last 20 years at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, where she was most recently director of maternal child health. She oversaw a number of administrative and clinical projects, including leading the organization in achieving a “Baby Friendly” designation.

Colette Bennett Andrews, MSN ‘12, and Thomas Douglas MacKinnon Wolford, both of Nashville, were married Oct. 26, 2012, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church.  Colette recently joined the AMG Critical Care Group at Centennial Medical Center as an acute care nurse practitioner.  Doug is an attorney with Community Health.

Sharon Foley, MSN ‘12, is a certified nurse-midwife with Geisinger Health System in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.
Ellie Kenemer, PMHNP, MSN ‘12, moved to Carolina Beach, N.C., and is doing telehealth with ACT Medical Group in Wilmington. Ellie is enjoying her new career, and her dog, Celeste, enjoys her retirement on the beach.

Kathy Naifeh, RN, MSN ‘12, landed a position with the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs as a Nursing informaticist within one month of graduation.  She is the Nursing ADPAC (Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator) and VANOD (VA Nursing Outcomes Database) coordinator.  She notes that the learning curve is high, but it has been very satisfying due to the administrative and nursing staff support.

John Savage, DNP ‘12 , CRNA, APRN, pictured second from the left in this family portrait, is the Vice President of Operations at Community Care, Inc.  He presented his VUSN Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project poster, “The Current State of Anesthesiology Controlled Medication Security in Ambulatory Surgery Centers,” at the Tennessee Nurses Association Annual Meeting and at the American Nurses Association 7th Annual Nursing Quality Conference in Atlanta.

Angela Steadman, MSN ‘12, works for Carey Counseling Center in Paris, Tenn.  She loves VUSN and made lots of friends from all over the country while in nursing school.  She encourages other classmates to join the Facebook page:  “Vanderbilt University PMHNP Class of 2012.”

Angela Sterling, MSN ‘12, was recently promoted to Clinical Manager for the Rehab and Orthopedic Unit at Memorial Hermann Hospital-Northwest in Houston, Texas.

Melinda Weaver MSN ‘12, recently became a provider for Cole Family Practice in Nashville. The practice group is owned by fellow Vanderbilt alumni, Amy Clark-Cole, MSN ‘07, and employees include Weaver and Annie Cole-Bradley, MSN ‘11.  The group recently opened its second location in East Nashville’s Riverside Village.

In Memoriam

Louisa L. Spell, BSN ‘41, died Aug. 2, 2012, in Emory, Va.

Bessie Balch, BSN ‘49, died in January, in Nashville.

Helen I. Pamintuan, BSN ‘54, died Oct. 3, 2012, in Norman, Okla.

Patricia Macbeth Short, BSN ‘58, died Oct. 30, 2012, in Williamstown Commons, Mass.

Betty Jane BJ Montfoort, NR ‘59, died Dec. 26, 2012, in Overbrook, Kan.

Linda Swann Dumat, BSN ‘63, died Sept. 16, 2012, in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Phyllis L. Ratliff, BSN ‘70, died Oct. 3, 2012, in Blufton, S.C.

Dean Conway-Welch’s unmatched leadership in nursing and health care has not only positively influenced thousands of young people to make nursing their professional choice, but has positively impacted decisions made at the national level of health care. On a more personal level, her presence always brings out that “pride of being a nurse” – and particularly, a Vanderbilt nurse.
Robin Diamond, MSN ‘78, JD, RN

Dean Conway-Welch has energized nursing with her spirit of excellence and long-standing dedication.  Attaining my MSN from Vanderbilt, after my children went off to college, has been an extremely rewarding and fulfilling accomplishment and I owe that in part to the excellent learning environment at the Vanderbilt School of Nursing with Dean Conway-Welch at the helm.
Deborah M. Taber, MSN ‘01, RN

When I looked for examples of innovation and creativity in our discipline, I often looked to Vanderbilt and Dean Conway-Welch’s leadership. I was never disappointed. Colleen Conway-Welch is a visionary leader and a major force for change and progress impacting our national healthcare system and the profession of nursing. I know my career has been highly influenced by her actions and her example.
Andrea (Andi) Parodi, DSN, RN Vanderbilt BA ‘99

Before she died, my mom, Rebecca Clark Culpepper, MSN, RN, the assistant hospital director for Quality Assurance and Education, shared with me Colleen’s secret to success at Vanderbilt. She said, “Colleen changed the way nursing and medicine interact at Vanderbilt and in the overall profession.  She was the first to be so much more successful at working with the Medical School and Hospital Administration because she approached them as a member of the health care team, rather than as nursing vs. medicine.”
DeMoyne K. Culpepper, MSN ‘00, BSN ‘89, RN

Colleen has created a legacy to a profession, to a community, to a nation; she has been at the forefront of change in nursing education, public policy and political action.  Her optimism, willpower and determination have pushed through barriers and created change.  She is the epitome of someone living her purpose and who loves what she does.
Debbie Hill, VUSN

When I graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing 65 years ago I had the best nursing education offered at that time; it has been a privilege to follow the progress that has been offered under the leadership of Dean Conway-Welch.
Martha Crews McBurney, BSN ‘47A

I have not had experience working with Colleen directly, but I have seen her testifying at the Tennessee Legislature as an advocate for the rights of Nurse Practitioners regarding epidural pain management. She is so articulate and was able to convey the importance of the role of the nurse practitioner in rural practices. She is a model for future students.
Sandra A. Rosedale, MSN, RN

Dean Colleen Conway-Welch has devoted her time to ensuring that nurses and health care professionals are prepared to deal with real world disasters. With her leadership, VUSN has developed the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education, the National Center for Emergency Preparedness and the Middle Tennessee Medical Reserve Corps.
Stephen Guillot, Director, NCEP

Dean Conway-Welch will always stand out to me as one of those rare, highly exceptional people one encounters throughout life who has left a lasting impression influencing so many people even beyond the nursing community. We will all miss her presence, but I am forever grateful to have been a student under her leadership.
Tracy Johnson, DNP ‘10, FNP-BC

During my 20 years of academic life under the direction of Colleen, I learned that an abundant academic life starts with a rise in consciousness in knowing that what one wants may not be what one needs, and often is not even what one truly wants. Colleen is a steward of making smart choices.
Lynda L. LaMontagne, DNSc, PhD, RN
Professor Emerita

Thank you, Dean Conway-Welch, for your leadership and vision for the MSN-bridge Program. Your assistance with an opportunity to practice at Mayo Clinic for my final clinical was an amazing, diverse experience that has helped me in my clinical career.
Lynnette Clancy, MSN ‘98, APNP

I would not be a nurse without Colleen who oversaw the development of the bridge program that brought me to the profession. I have heard Colleen say nursing is a career with countless opportunities, and this has inspired me to forge a unique path always staying open to new possibilities.
Francie Likis, DrPH, NP, CNM, MSN ‘94, FACNM

With your exceptional leadership ability and zeal for excellence, you helped to re-define the nursing profession as a profession beyond bed side care. Your creativity and brilliance opened new doors for nurses. You took the Vanderbilt program to a height that I could not even imagine when I graduated 20 years ago. Thank you!
Lola Bamigboye, MSN ‘93, RN

Colleen has shaped my career trajectory and influenced the lives of untold numbers of patients and family members for the better. She always encouraged me to risk the next challenge. She approved every novel faculty practice arrangement that I brought her way and each made profound and lasting differences in patient care.
Jim Pace, DSN MDiv, MSN ‘81, ANP, BC, FAANP

Dean Colleen Conway-Welch was my first exposure that nurses could be national and international voices when it comes to health care and being a patient advocate. She was instrumental in changing my perception about how influential nurses can be on a larger scale.
Pamela Waynick-Rogers, DNP, MSN ‘92, APRN-BC

She embodies innovation, excellence and respect for the profession of nursing. All these qualities have shaped the program of nursing at Vanderbilt and nursing across the nation. From the bridge program to disaster training to the doctoral program to informatics, her hand has helped prepare nurses of the future. Thanks to her and her extraordinary vision we all benefited.
Diane Deslauriers, MSN ‘04, RN

Colleen has remained at the head of the nursing education pack, so far ahead on the curve that she often predicted trends and had to coax the rest of us to catch up. She has given the school footing to lead in the future. I salute Colleen for all of her many achievements and am grateful to call her friend.
Doreen James Wise, MSN, BSN ‘68, EdD

Dean Colleen Conway-Welch is the embodiment of a servant leader. She instills in her colleagues the importance of knowing not only a colleague’s/ student’s name but also the person him-/herself. Her calm demeanor is an inspiration to all with whom she is associated. She models leadership through collegial relationship rather than directive.
Susan Mott-Coles, MSN ‘93 DNP, RN, AOCN, ACNP-BC

Dean Colleen Conway-Welch had the vision when she came to Vanderbilt in 1984 to create a nursing school that would meet the demands of the 21st Century. She did this by changing the educational mission to one that graduated Advanced Practice Nurses. By doing this Dean Conway-Welch catapulted Vanderbilt Nursing School into one of the finest schools in America as well as making Vanderbilt the “go to” university for advanced nursing education.
Frank H. Boehm, MD
Professor and Vice Chairman, Department OB/GYN Vanderbilt

Graduating from the highly esteemed VUSN is one of my proudest achievements. With this great honor comes a greater responsibility. I strive to exemplify the values of excellence in service, compassionate care, dedicated mentorship, and continual learning. Thank you, Dean Welch! God bless you for your years of faithful service.
RaShaye Freeman, DNP, APRN, MSN ‘02, FNP-BC, ADM-BC, CDE

She taught me that when sitting at a table full of men, and you are the only woman in the room trying to communicate the vision of executive leadership, hold up your head high, speak authoritatively, dress for success and demand what is right for the success of the School of Nursing and its mission, no matter how intimidated you might feel.
Dawn Pemberton, VUSN

Dean Conway-Welch was my dean and became my friend. Her beautiful mix of warmth coupled with her knowledge about nursing and life formed the backbone of our friendship. She helped me solidify my
position as a nurse, attorney, speaker, author and entrepreneur, to which I am truly
grateful.
Elizabeth Gardner Rudolph, JD ‘89, MSN ‘85, VSN ‘82, RN

The day before I was to have exploratory abdominal surgery, by a non-Vanderbilt oncologist, for a second onset of cancer, Colleen called the Vanderbilt Cancer Clinic and got me a next-day appointment with Dr. John Greer. With a recurrence of stage-4 Hodgkin’s disease, John started chemotherapy that day without surgery. He saved my life and five years later saved the life of my wife, who had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Colleen helped save my family.
Jerry Murley, VUSN

I believe “growth of the School” captures many of the changes Dean Conway Welch has spearheaded.  It has not only been in record numbers of admissions, the growth of the school has been in forging a new approach to education through the creation of the Bridge Program, the creation of nine nurse practitioner programs, the expansion of the faculty to provide the necessary teams to shepherd students through the NP programs, the development of both a PhD program as well as the DNP program.
Joan King, PhD, ACNP, ANP FAANP, MSN ‘75, BSN ‘72

At the new student reception, Dean Conway-Welch warmly shook my hand, noted what program I was entering, and then simply said “Oh good, you’ll be able to help everybody.” It was so refreshing to hear this during a season of life where many people didn’t understand my educational choices!
Sharon Foley, MSN ‘12, CNM/FNP

Colleen has never been too busy to put the interests of her family first. She inspires me as a professional woman, but that she puts being a stepmother and wife ahead of all demanding voices at work, impresses me more.
Janetta Fleming, BSN ‘79

If everyone’s life is a journey, Colleen has certainly been there for me, many, many steps of my journey. In addition to her professional support, she has stood by me when I’ve dealt with very personal issues such as divorce and the death of a loved one that pushed me toward depression and alcohol abuse.  It was Colleen that got me into treatment, and when I was accused of faltering, it was Colleen who stood up for me.  I’m still here at VUSN because she believes in me.  I thank her every day for that.
Sandy Church, VUSN

Colleen’s understanding of interdisciplinary nursing impacting health care is imaginative and powerful; she is a sure example of dignity and empowerment to VUSN and beyond.
Christine Shih, RN, CS, MSN ‘99, FNP, ANP, PNP

I’ve worked for Colleen for five years now. I’ve never worked for a boss who, no matter how busy she is, will stop what she’s doing and thank us for a job well done.  She has strength, intelligence and compassion. Colleen may be retiring, but these halls will always have her presence and her distinct laughter.
Connie Hess

Seven years ago, Dean Conway-Welch took the time, as I was walking down the corridor at Godchaux Hall to talk with me about nursing out west and the eminent national changes.  Through her encouragement and inspiring words about me returning to school at age 48, I successfully pursued my DNP degree.  I am so grateful.
Chris Skinner Fox, BSN ‘80, CRNA, DNP

Upon my arrival at Vanderbilt, I was deeply impressed by the pro-nursing atmosphere.  I chose to obtain my MSN here, and Dean Conway-Welch was an inspiration.  After hearing her speak, I realized that she is truly nurse’s nurse.
Theresa Shalaby, MSN ‘10, RN, CCRP

Dean Colleen Conway-Welch spearheaded VUSN to be a top 20 nursing school, and without such an excellent education, I would not be able to do what I love to do most, which is treat patients with evidence-based care.
Jennie Harper, MSN ‘08, BSN ’06, ACNP-BC, AOCNP

The Dean has always been a champion for excellence in nursing practice and makes sure nursing’s voice is heard locally, nationally and internationally. While every nurse may not have personally crossed her path, the Dean has made a difference to every nurse.
Cathy Ivory, PhD, RN-BC

I can not think of the School of Nursing without thinking of Dean Conway-Welch, and I can not think of Dean Conway-Welch without thinking of everything she has done for the school.  As a graduate and an advanced practice nurse at VUMC, I am very grateful for her vision, knowledge, and all that she has done.
Debbie Snedegar, MSN ’92

I will probably never know all that Colleen has done for nursing, but I am sure of her influence at VUSN. Her unyielding acceptance and support over the years have been astounding! As she has cultivated her faculty, she has remained a force in nursing around the world.
Sarah C. Fogel, PhD ’01, MSN ’94, RN

I was so inspired by Dean Conway- Welch’s career and her impact on the nursing profession that I decided to attend VUSN.  She inspired me to make one of the best and most important decisions of my life.
Jennifer David, RN (Class of 2014 PNP)

Colleen has been a tremendous influence on me personally and professionally. She was kind enough to marry my father in 1985. She has been a role model for me throughout my career, encouraging me to get my master’s degree, which has served me very well. I am always proud to say that I am a VUSN graduate.
Alicia Welch Davenport, BSN ‘85

I consider the term of Colleen Conway-Welch as dean a special time of growth for the School of Nursing.
Virginia George, BSN ‘47B

I was considering a business or law background when I met her. She told me, “If you go to nursing school, the world will be your oyster.” She was right.  Nursing has changed my life and allowed me to help many more people.
Mo Rassekhi, MSN ‘97

She cares about all of our nursing students and expresses how she feels.  She supports ALL of the staff and faculty here at VUSN which makes working for her and VUSN a rewarding process.
Kristie Smith, M Ed., VUSN

Without her vision and innovative thinking, I wouldn’t be a practicing nurse practitioner today.  Her creation of the Bridge program allowed me the opportunity to pursue the goal of becoming a nurse practitioner as a midlife career change.
Amy Thomas, MSN ‘12, ANP-C

CCW made a difference in nursing and to me personally by improving the image and status of nursing.  I have always been proud of my profession and the work I do, but Colleen has made it more visible, and I thank her for that.
Charlotte Covington, MSN ‘89, BSN ‘69, FNP-BC

The Dean has innovative ideas about the future of nursing, puts them into action at VUSN, and encourages the nursing community to also engage them.  Her quality focus and support of faculty and alumni – in addition to current and prospective students – continues to inspire and motivate me.
Deb Partee, MSN ‘83, BSN ‘79

Colleen’s determination birthed the highly respected and influential nurse-midwifery academic program and faculty practice at VUSN.  Her persistence has allowed thousands of women in Middle Tennessee and beyond to opt for a holistic, evidence-based model of care.  Her visionary leadership, understanding and contributions to health policy, and many personal accomplishments combine to make her my special nurse-midwifery leader role model.
Mavis Schorn, PhD, CNM

CCW is one of those people who, just when you think you have them figured out, does something unexpected, and very often, something unexpectedly wonderful.  Without question and not without occasional controversy, Colleen has been an incontestable force for nursing, for nurses and for Vanderbilt, impacting lives of countless students and faculty, and ultimately the lives of the patients for whom they care.
Carol Etherington, MSN ‘75, RN

All I can say is that Colleen is a terrific Dean. She cares about her faculty and is very supportive. What I admire the most about Colleen is her forward vision and belief in creativity. This is the first school I have worked where the Dean supported the creativity of his/her faculty.
Karen D’Apolito, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC, FAAN

Any time that someone would find out that I graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Nursing, it was always followed by the question “do you know Dean Conway-Welch?”  I have taken her example. Thanks for modeling and role modeling for me the true leadership skills of a nurse leader!
Doug Arrington, PhD, MSN ‘88, current VUSN alumni board president

Dean Conway-Welch’s contributions to the profession of nursing are enormous, having advanced not only nursing education but also the way nursing care is delivered in the clinical setting here at Vanderbilt and elsewhere around the entire world. Her efforts to place the School of Nursing at the nation’s forefront have had an enormous impact on the University, our country and on the many thousands of students educated under her leadership.
C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs

Colleen became a true mentor and adviser to me.  She and I talked a lot about my hopes and dreams, and she always was there to encourage me. I am a proud Vanderbilt-educated Family Nurse Practitioner.  She saw something in me that I didn’t even know was there.  I am forever grateful.
Cindy Scott, MSN ‘00, FNP-C

She could get me to do projects about which I was ambivalent: chairing the committee that recommended discontinuation of the baccalaureate program and designating me to co-found Vine Hill Clinic. It all turned out better than I had anticipated.  She could envision the future before the rest of us.
Joyce K. Laben, JD, MSN, FAAN
Professor Emerita

From small requests to large projects, you listened, asked questions and if you sensed merit in the idea, you gave the “green light” plus the resources needed. I will miss your humor, pet adventures, vision, and your sense of adventure and risk taking where nursing is concerned.  I will always think of you as “the wind beneath our wings.”
Jana Lauderdale, PhD,
RN, FAAN

I have been privileged to work with Colleen since her arrival at Vanderbilt.  As she began her leadership journey with the School of Nursing, she committed herself quickly to supporting both the development of the academic work of VUSN and to the partnership of Nursing and the clinical enterprise.  In addition to her support of Vanderbilt Nursing and VUSN, she has been an extraordinary philanthropist. She has given of her time and energy to many organizations that quietly supported vulnerable women and families in our community.  I lost count of initiatives where she was behind the scenes making connections of people with projects to support community organizations.
Marilyn Dubree, MSN ‘76, RN, NE-BC
Executive Chief Nursing Officer, VUMC

When Clayton Christensen coined the term “disruptive innovator” he must have been inspired by Colleen!  As a leader and a mentor, Colleen is never all about herself, she is all about the collective VUSN.
Donna McArthur, PhD, MSN ’77, FNP-BC, FAANP

“The public response to these offerings speaks well for Vanderbilt’s reputation in the world at large; people are demonstrably interested in what we do,” Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Cynthia Cyrus said. “It also shows the way in which digital courses can be a sort of megaphone, amplifying the wonderful knowledge and exciting ideas our faculty bring and sharing them out with the global community.”

The Coursera partnership is one of the first outcomes of the Chancellor’s Committee on Social Media and the Internet, convened in February 2012.

“Because Chancellor (Nicholas) Zeppos put this committee in place, Vanderbilt was able to take action very quickly,” said Douglas Schmidt, professor of computer science, associate chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Program and one of the faculty teaching a Coursera course this semester. “We’re now poised to be on the cutting edge of and leading new developments in this arena, rather than just reacting to them.”

Schmidt, and other faculty interviewed, believe teaching through Coursera will improve the experience of their own students in Vanderbilt classrooms.

“I plan to use the videos I am producing for Coursera for the face-to-face class I am teaching at Vanderbilt now. We won’t have to spend so much time in class going over introductory material—the students can watch the videos on their own time,” Schmidt said. “We can then spend the time in class doing what people come to Vanderbilt for—mentorship and collaboration and creating a design studio experience in the classroom. It’s really about personalizing the education for the students.”

The pilot courses are being produced largely with existing resources, with staff and students from across campus pitching in with video production, all on an extremely tight timeline.

“The provost asked me to participate on a Friday and our course profiles went live on Coursera on the next Wednesday, so I didn’t have much time to overthink the prospect and had to jump right in to course planning,” Pope said.

Schmidt’s course and that of David Owens, professor of the practice of management and innovation, began the first week of March. Owens’ own experience taking a Coursera course, and failing to complete the assignments, led him to customize his course on innovation to include different levels of engagement.

“One thing I’ve been thinking about is that it is unfortunate that people don’t press through,” Owens said. “I set my class up to include three levels – the basic level involves watching all of the videos—approximately 20 hours—and taking embedded quizzes along the way.” Owens’ second tier involves completion of different tasks and exercises, while the third requires participation in a group project.

While students globally have the potential to benefit from the online classes, Cyrus and others also see this is as a potential boon for Vanderbilt alumni.

“Our alumni are excited to have the chance to be ‘back in the classroom’ – both to remind themselves of what makes a Vanderbilt education special, and to sample pieces of our campus offerings that they might not have had time for when they were here,” she said.

The pilot project will continue in the fall of 2013, with courses will be hand-selected so each of the colleges and schools has the chance to participate. Cyrus anticipates having an open call for additional Coursera proposals during academic year 2013-2014.

– Melanie Moran
Visit vu.edu/digital-learning to watch videos about digital learning at Vanderbilt and to learn more about these initiatives.

• VUSN PhD student Bethany Andrews-Rhoten was recognized as the Graduate Nurse of the Year.
• Kim Domaradzki, BSN, RN, VUMC Perinatal quality consultant, was named Quality & Risk Management Nurse of the Year.
• Chelsea Cash, BSN, RN, ENPC, Pediatric Emergency Nurse at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, was recognized as Emergency Nurse of the Year.
• Carol Huber, BSN, RN, VUMC Lactation Consultant, NICU, was named Pediatric Nurse of the Year.
• Sharon Karp, PhD, CPNP, VUSN assistant professor of Nursing, was recognized as the Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year.
• VUSN Professor Sheila Ridner, PhD, ACNP, was named Research Nursing Nurse of the Year.
• Erin Rodgers, MSN, CPN, VUSN assistant professor of Nursing, was recognized as Graduate Nursing Education Nurse of the Year.

“This individual will be responsible for building upon the school’s rich heritage of more than100 years of leadership in nursing education,” said Balser.  “The School of Nursing plays an instrumental role at Vanderbilt, helping fulfill our mission to train the nation’s next generation of leaders in health care while also making significant contributions to our clinical and research endeavors.

“Dean Conway-Welch and her senior leadership have set the school on a strong strategic path,” he added.
The committee is chaired by Robert Dittus, MD, MPH, associate vice chancellor for Public Health and Health Care and senior associate dean for Population Health Sciences. Other committee members are: Leanne Boehm, School of Nursing PhD candidate; William Cooper, MD, MPH, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and professor of Pediatrics; Marilyn Dubree, MSN, RN, Executive Chief Nursing Officer; Thomas Elasy, MD, MPH, Ann and Roscoe Robinson Chair of Clinical Research at the Diabetes Center and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health; Kevin Johnson, MD, MS, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics; Joan King, PhD, MSN, professor of Nursing; Melanie Lutenbacher, PhD, MSN, associate professor of Nursing; Morgan McDowell, School of Nursing Master’s candidate; Jonathan Metzl, MD, PhD, Frederick B. Rentschler II Chair and Professor of Sociology and Medicine, Health and Society; Bonnie Miller, MD, senior associate dean for Health Sciences Education; Lorraine Mion, PhD, MSN, Independence Foundation Chair of Nursing Education; Sandra Moutsios, MD, assistant professor of Medicine; Warren Sandberg, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology; Paul Sternberg, MD, assistant vice chancellor for Adult Health Affairs and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Clare Thomson-Smith, JD, MSN, assistant dean for Faculty Practice; and David Raiford, MD, associate vice chancellor for Health Affairs, liaison with the search committee and VUMC executive leadership.

“We were delighted with both the number and the interaction of participants,” said Linda Norman, DSN, RN, FAAN and co-director of the PhD in Nursing Science Program. “The application process for a doctorate program is involved and time-consuming. Applicants have lots of questions and many are anxious about the process.”

Ann Minnick, PhD, RN, FAAN, and co-director of the PhD in Nursing Science Program added, “The more people we can reach to explain our program’s format, requirements and what to expect during the admissions process, the greater likelihood the application experience is positive for everyone.”

For more information about the PhD in Nursing Science Program, visit our website at: nursing.vanderbilt.edu/phd or call toll free (855) 868-7410.

Photo by Daniel Dubois

The road to further nursing research and higher education for Jie Deng started with the 2003 SARS outbreak in China.  At the time, Deng was the Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing.

“Our nurses were incredible – the sacrifices they made for their patients. We had very limited knowledge at the beginning, and that made me see the need for nursing research as the foundation for providing the best health care to patients,” said Deng.

Fast forward about six years, Deng, PhD, MSN, RN, is one of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s newest
faculty members.  She left her home in China after 12 years in various nursing positions to pursue a PhD at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, which she completed in 2010, followed by her post-doctorate which she completed in 2012.

Deng was interested in symptom management, and throughout her doctoral education worked with cancer patients.  She gained experience and growing curiosity through strong mentors such as VUSN’s Sheila Ridner, PhD, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s Barbara Murphy, MD, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Nancy Wells, DSN, but it was really listening to patients that attracted her to study secondary lymphedema and post cancer treatment in head and neck cancer patients.

“Some breast cancer patients told me their lymphedema was even worse than their cancer.  It affected their daily life and relationships with family – things like grandparents who couldn’t hold their grandbabies because of swelling in their arms,” said Deng.

She recalls seeing her first patient in the Vanderbilt-Ingram’s Head and Neck Cancer Clinic who asked for advice on how to handle neck swelling.  Deng promised to look up information in the literature and was surprised to see so few research articles in the area.

As VUSN faculty, Deng is working on several projects, including a validation instrument for rating external lymphedema in head and neck cancer patients – truly ground-breaking work that opens up the field to future interventional studies.

“I want to dedicate myself to lymphedema research, teaching and service,” said Deng.  “Teaching is an important part of that because it really feeds the research environment.  I’ve had exceptional mentors, and I am very interested in mentoring pre-doctoral students, residents and fellows and eventually post-docs.”

While Deng is a proud nurse, nurse researcher and professor, she’s also a proud mom.  She and her husband have three children – Julia, 11, Michael, 3, and Jacob, born in  August 2012.

– Kathy Rivers

For more information on this topic:
Deng, J., Murphy, B.A., Dietrich, M.S., Wells, N., Wallston, K.A., Sinard, R.J., Cmelak, A.J., Gilbert, J., & Ridner, S.H. (2012 Jul 12; 2012 EPub Ahead of Print). The Impact of Secondary Lymphedema after Head and Neck Cancer Treatment on Symptoms, Functional Status, and Quality Of Life. Head & Neck. doi: 10.1002/hed.23084 PMID: 22791550

Deng, J., Ridner, S.H., Dietrich, M.S., Wells, N., Wallston, K.A., Sinard, R.J., Cmelak, A.J., & Murphy, B.A. (2012). Factors Associated with External and Internal Lymphedema in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer. International Journal of Radiation Oncology *Biology* Physics, 1, 84(3):e319-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.04.013 PMID: 22652102.

The Clinic at Mercury Courts staff recently welcomed Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell, right, for a tour of the new facility. Aaron Scott greets Harwell and VUSN’s Bonnie Pilon, DSN, RN. Lipscomb University’s Chad Gentry, Pharm.D., background, helped coordinate the visit and guide the tour. Photo by Joe Howell

More than 1,200 underserved and disadvantaged people in Nashville will gain access to high-quality primary care thanks to a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Division of Nursing grant recently awarded to The Clinic at Mercury Courts.  The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing primary care clinic, operating in conjunction with Urban Housing Solutions, was opened in 2012 to serve people and families transitioning from homelessness and other poverty situations.

“This is a tremendous boost.  It gives us much-needed support to effectively provide health care to members of the community who are often the hardest to reach and those who need high-quality health care the most,” said Bonnie Pilon, DSN, RN, senior associate dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships at VUSN.

This grant will provide resources to target two specific groups:  1) People living in transitional and low-income housing in urban Nashville, most of whom are uninsured, and 2) homebound and group housing residents, a majority who are elderly, frail and low income, who will receive medical house calls from advanced practice nurses teamed with a pharmacist and counselor.

In addition to providing health care, the HRSA grant is the first of its kind in Middle Tennessee that brings together interprofessional, licensed providers working with a nurse-led primary care site.  The health professionals team includes a family nurse practitioner, a pharmacist, a physician and a master’s-prepared professional counselor/health advocate.  The group will provide preventive and chronic disease management.

“We have piloted programs where students from different health care areas learn side by side, and this is a great clinic site to continue that model of learning. This grant takes things one step further by bringing together licensed providers working as a team,” said Pilon.  “This will allow us to create, implement and test this approach like never before.  We hope what we learn will be scalable in other communities across the country.”

The Clinic at Mercury Courts, located on Murfreesboro Pike in the former motor lodge of the same name, is a nurse practitioner-run primary care clinic in partnership with Urban Housing Solutions, a nonprofit committed to affordable housing for low income individuals and families.  The grant will serve residents in nine apartment complexes in a 2.5-mile radius of the clinic.

To kick off the series premiere last fall, VUSN invited the public to Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema to get a sneak peek of the first episode and participate in a panel discussion with experts Margaret Buxton, MSN, CNM Clinical Practice Director, West End Women’s Health Center; Michelle Collins, PhD, CNM, director of the VUSN Nurse-Midwifery Program, and James Epstein, PhD, Distinguished Professor of History at Vanderbilt.

Additionally, Buxton and Collins blogged about each weekly episode on the Nashville Public Television website. Comments included observations about the differences and similarities between midwifery care in the 1950s and now and comparing the culture of midwifery between the United Kingdom and the United States.  Cueing off the show, they discussed issues such as sexually transmitted disease, contraception and the philosophy of nurse midwifery care.

Call the Midwife Season 2 started airing in late March, with additional blogs by Buxton and Collins. To read the blog posts, visit: wnpt.org.

Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, a successful health care entrepreneur before serving in public office, challenges audience members to dig deep for health care delivery solutions. Photo by Anne Rayner

More than 200 students, faculty and community members gathered to hear former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen discuss his thoughts on meaningful health care reform, as part of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Centennial Lecture Series.  His take-away message: Members of the health care community, not just elected officials, have responsibility to help solve the health care problem.

“I really do believe medical centers like Vanderbilt ought to be leading the discussion in the country,” said Bredesen.  “It’s a nonprofit organization, with and headed by some very smart people … and I would much rather the people standing within 500 yards of me now do the fixing than a bunch of accountants or management consultants or someone else operating out of a K Street office in Washington.”

The problem, according to Bredesen, is that in the U.S. “if you have health insurance, the purchase of health care is extremely inelastic.  The cost of a procedure, the cost of a drug, the cost of services in that system has little to do with whether it’s consumed or not.

“We have the logical and perfectly foreseeable result of the payment system, the economics of which we’ve adopted for health care,” he added.  “If we see that as a core issue, we can work to find solutions.”

Bredesen focused his comments on what he called the broad shapes of the health care issues in our county.
Under the Affordable Care Act, he expects health exchanges will transform how health is delivered because there will be a substantial decline in employer-based insurance that will have cost and innovation implications. He also shared his concerns about how to pay for the new law.

“The biggest shape in reform is one that isn’t there,” he said.  “If you believe it’s all about the economics, you need to find better ways of financing the delivery of health care, and I do not see a robust quality assurance structure.”

He believes that the health care industry needs a set of quality standards – measuring techniques in real time to see if standards are being addressed.  Bredesen provided examples of certain illnesses, like diabetes, with wide treatment protocols, and other illnesses with little or contradictory treatments.  He cautioned that quality assurance is not about counting visits, but about assessing the individual care.

“It’s hard to believe that setting quality standards by doctors, nurses and medical field professionals would not transform process for the better,” he said.

As far as future reforms, he would like to see a health care system that provides a base level of care as a right of citizenship.  He believes health care has to be delivered through some system of care that eliminates silos and balances cost of care appropriately with objective and public quality measures.  He also would like to see a strong quality assurance system with public results so customers can “vote by their feet.”

As most of you know, I will be stepping down as Dean at the end of this academic year, followed by a year of Sabbatical – so you are not rid of me yet! It has been a great honor and privilege to lead this School for the past 29 years.

I have worked every day to increase the value of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing diploma by educating clinicians, researchers and leaders with the skills to impact health care at the individual, community, national and international levels. Together, we have done just that.

We have transformed nursing education at Vanderbilt and across the nation.  We have advocated for nurses, advanced practice nurses and doctorally prepared nurses in such a way that it has resonated throughout the world of nursing.   We have grown in the areas of research, informatics, teaching and faculty practice, enriching our students and our community.  We have prepared our graduates to enter an ever-changing health care system, and we nurtured our students and their critical thinking skills to address the most challenging problems in our industry.

It has not been easy, but then again, nothing worth doing is ever easy.

This has all been possible because of the combined talents and expertise of faculty, students, graduates, community leaders and staff working together toward common goals that have elevated the education and profession of nursing.  Each faculty member has been a tireless educator always striving for excellence.  Each
student has shown incredible persistence and tenacity in pursuit of his or her education.  Since 1908, each graduate has become an ambassador for the School and a role model to others in their careers.  Each staff member has worked tirelessly to make the School appear to run effortlessly.

Your School, our School, is larger than any one of us dreamed. We are the largest professional school on campus with about 1,000 students and have a fierce devotion to technology and blended distance learning, a combination of electronic learning via computer as well as in person learning here at Vanderbilt.  This is where nursing education is going in the future.  We already have at least 10 years of experience, making us the canary in the coal mine.

Ours is a collective strength.  While we have accomplished so much together, I still believe the best is yet to come.

Thank you,
Colleen Conway-Welch, PhD, CNM, FAAN, FACNM
Nancy and Hilliard Travis Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing
colleen.conway-welch@vanderbilt.edu

Sigma Theta Tau International’s Iota Chapter was founded in 1953 at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.  In honor of the group’s 60th Anniversary, Vanderbilt Nurse sat down with Senior Associate Dean of Informatics Betsy Weiner and Tom Christenbery, professor and IOTA Chapter president, to discuss the history and future of the organization.

What is Sigma Theta Tau International?
TC: It’s the nursing honor society – an international organization that focuses on a global commitment to improve health of all citizens primarily through nursing scholarship.  The Iota Chapter was founded by 14 members, and today we have more than 2,000 members.  Ours was the eighth chapter, and now there are more than 480 chapters worldwide.

BW: The national organization was started in 1922 in Indianapolis by six nursing students, originally housed in a hallway at Indiana University.  STTI has expanded to an entire building in Indianapolis, which is all paid for by members. They have grown to serve 130,000 active members in more than 85 countries.

TC: The message is clear – never underestimate what six nursing students can do.

Tell us more about the research focus.
BW: I’ve enjoyed watching how the group has expanded their thinking about clinical scholarship over the years, while always promoting leadership.  Not everyone has to conduct peer-reviewed research and turn their work into an R01 for it to be meaningful to the world of nursing.

TC: Every year the Iota Chapter helps sponsor a Nurse Research Day which nets lots of quality improvement projects developed by staff nurses.  We have a panel that evaluates the research posters and selects three entries for monetary awards.  We invite School of Nursing students to view the posters, so they can get an idea of the kinds of important questions that staff nurses are asking, take those questions and develop clinical protocols.  Our students are right down there in the trenches.

BW: The chapter’s research awards are about putting your money where your mouth is.  They are not large, but they are important.  They begin to help students, particularly our doctoral students, who need money to support their projects.  It goes a long way toward later recognition, and students get the message that they are not alone.  They have the Iota Chapter behind them.  They are standing on the shoulders of the people who are in the chapter.

TC: Yes, and little grants breed big grants.

What other things does the chapter sponsor?
TC: Since the inception of the Doctor of Nursing (DNP) Program, Iota has sponsored the DNP Scholarly Project Presentation Day.  Students present their poster and do podium presentations for a review panel of experts.  Three are given special recognition.  It looks great on your resume as you are starting the next career phase.

Why was STTI needed in the first place?
BW: When STTI was formed in 1922 there was a growing need for an honor society in nursing. Other academic subjects had them, and nursing needed one, particularly with the emphasis on the baccalaureate beginning to turn out scholars.  Also, one of the ways to get recognized in your own university was to get recognized first in your own honor society. At Vanderbilt, there was talk about starting an STTI Chapter as early as 1939, but there were concerns.  Was the School large enough? Did it make sense for a private school of nursing? There was some friction over the years, but the students felt strongly about legitimizing nursing as a scholarly discipline.  They didn’t give up.

So, 1953 was when things came together?
BW: Yes.  It is very important that Vanderbilt was the eighth chapter founded.  The chapter names follow the Greek alphabet. Though Iota is the ninth letter in the alphabet, we are the eighth chapter because the Beta Chapter folded.  Over the years, it’s become very prestigious to belong to a one-
letter chapter.  When the chapters come together for the biennial conventions, they are positioned by founding date.  The Iota Chapter representatives are literally down in front of this large gathering.  We are closer to the microphone, and I think people listen a little better.  Other chapters acknowledge the rich history the Iota Chapter brings.
TC: When you understand the STTI history, you realize that our grandmothers did the work to get us there.

What interaction does Iota have with other chapters?
TC: The latest example is that we had a member of the Iota Chapter who moved to London.  She became a member of a chapter they are just getting started, Phi Mu.  There are fewer than 15 members and we want to help mentor them along and look for joint projects we can share.
BW: Being in STTI is a wonderful common denominator.  When I travel internationally, I usually call Sigma headquarters to ask if there are any chapters or honor societies trying to become a chapter.  I’ll mix the trip in with a consultation to a younger chapter about how to do things.

Tell us about STTI firsts.
TC: Sigma was the first nursing organization to supply nursing research grants.  It published the first scholarly nursing journal, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, and it developed the first electronic library of research – the Virginia Henderson International Library.
BW: Virginia Henderson was one of Iota’s members.  We are proud to have her signature in our induction book.  She went to a number of the Sigma conventions and loved talking and sharing her wisdom with young nursing students.  She died just short of turning 100.

What happens during the conventions?
BW: Every two years, we have a convention that unveils a biennial theme branded by the president of the organization.  In between conventions, we have regional assemblies that help officers learn how to become leaders and share ideas to get individual chapters going.  This structure has really helped us be a relevant group.  For example, this year’s Presidential Call to Action from Dr. Suzanne Prevost, who was our celebration speaker, is “Give Back to Move Forward.” Each convention also offers a continuing education program of events as well as the Biennial Convention of Delegates where important organizational issues are presented, discussed and voted.

This archival photo was taken when Alice Malone, STTI national vice president, visited for the installation ceremony of the Iota Chapter. (L to R) Virginia Crenshaw, counselor, Barbara Massenburg, secretary, Alice Malone, national vice president, Phyllis Hayes, president, Mary Lou Moore, president-elect, Nancy Armistead, treasurer, and Marie Buckley, archivist.

What makes you the proudest?
BW: I take great pride and delight over the student presentations – how much they have grown in a short amount of time.  I know the faculty effort that was put into helping each student and the external committee members who helped the student think things through.  I almost feel like a proud parent.
TC: Iota and its activities don’t just fall out of the sky.  People on the board are highly involved in their own careers, and own families, and still find time to make Iota work. It does take a lot of time and work.  Our grandmothers are smiling down on us during Iota board meetings.

What are the membership requirements?
TC: Once you understand the STTI philosophy, most people get hooked.  You can be inducted as a student, or you can be inducted as a nurse already in your career.  We have members who, for instance, did not have a chapter associated with their nursing school.  We have members who work at non-Vanderbilt hospitals. We have a rich variety that makes our group all the stronger.

BW: You can also have dual membership.  I joined the STTI Chapter at the University of Cincinnati in 1978 and am also a member of the Iota Chapter.  It’s literally just a few dollars more a year.  That way I can stay in touch with my original chapter as well as Iota.  I would encourage more people to consider dual membership.

What are the benefits of membership?
BW: We are a community of committed scholars.  The way I got to meet all the big names in nursing was often because of  STTI.  I had the joy of sitting next to Joyce Fitzpatrick at a Sigma event or picked other nursing leaders up at the airport.  Part of where I am in my career is because of STTI.  When I was chapter president, I had a regional coordinator to bounce ideas off of and I learned a lot. I later served as regional coordinator myself, as well as a member of the board at the international level.  I’m currently a member of the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library Advisory Group.  I don’t want to list all the boards and committees I have served on, but to point out that for everything I put into STTI, I got back out 20 times what I invested.

TC: We have monthly board meetings, annual meetings, and a monthly newsletter.  Most importantly, we help people feel connected.  We share and build scholarship at the local level.  We want to know what each other is doing.  When we have induction ceremonies, you can see how important this commitment – this sacrifice for scholarship – these new members are making.

What makes STTI relevant?
BW: It was built on the right professional values that would allow it to have right foundation worthy of lasting 60 years, and beyond.  If it had been built on a foundation of sand, with a short view of only what was important in 1953, it wouldn’t have lasted.

TC: Health care is constantly changing and nursing is constantly changing to meet growing needs.  A constancy is the standard of scholarship.  We have not wavered on that in 60 years, and I’m very proud of that.

What do you want everyone to know?
TC: The idea that our chapter began with a group of dedicated nursing students who understood the importance of scholarship or research before that was fashionable.  We still believe in that initial mission, even though life around us changes.

BW: We have to remember the philanthropic nature of what good things can be done through STTI.  For those who are STTI members of another chapter, I encourage you to consider dual membership with the Iota Chapter.  For those who are Iota Chapter members but haven’t gone to local, national or international meetings, I encourage you to get more involved.  Believe me, once you attend a convention or hear a debate, you will be impressed.  For those nurses, who never had the time or interest to consider membership, now is a wonderful time to seek membership.

Photo by Lauren Holland

Nutrition instructor Jamie Pope lectures to her students on the power of superfoods, with a rainbow-colored collection of nutrient-rich fare on the table before her and a green screen draped behind her.

Her class is 50,000 students strong and growing. Except for a throng of studio lights, camera equipment, computers and a teleprompter, not a single student is present – at least not physically – for the entire seven-week course.

Instead, they will watch the lectures from the comfort of their homes, or perhaps a coffee shop or library, in some cases halfway around the world, and submit all work online.

The course, Nutrition, Health and Lifestyle: Issues and Insights, is a hybrid of Pope’s two current and extremely popular courses within Vanderbilt University’s School of Nursing, Introduction to Nutrition and Nutrition and Health: Issues and Insights. It also serves as one of five pilot courses marking Vanderbilt University’s virtual entrance this spring into the world of MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, on the  digital learning platform Coursera.

With an established history in digital learning more than a decade long, the School of Nursing was an obvious department to include in the Coursera endeavor while Pope’s far-reaching nutrition expertise was a prime pick for a broad and far away audience.

“I think the practical application aspect of my course has made it appealing,” said Pope, MS, RD, LDN. “I’ve seen the nutrition classes in the School of Nursing grow over the last decade to the point that we fill lecture halls with wait-ing lists. What we are seeing on Coursera is an extension of that.”

The nutrition and health topics she poses are applicable to the diverse world-wide audience MOOCs seek to attract. They are not limited to the brick and walls of a classroom, a face-to-face lesson or even restricted to the United States’ borders.

Pope breaks down the science of nutrition, dispels and validates food and supplement myths and equips her students with the ability to navigate the evolving world of diets and healthy lifestyle trends.  Each semester, Pope’s face-to-face courses fill up quickly, attracting a myriad of students in nursing and across undergraduate majors who want to learn how to apply nutrition to their daily personal and professional lives. Coursera will allow Pope to extend her classroom size and share her knowledge outside of Vanderbilt.

MOOCs are a growing trend in the era of distance learning. They appeal to people of all ages from all over the world who are enticed by the idea of learning for free with access to some of the greatest minds at top universities only a click away. In many cases, no prerequisites are required to sign up for courses.

At this point, no college credit is offered for these online classes, though people who finish a course can often earn a certificate of completion. There is no charge for enrollees.

Coursera, launched by two Stanford University professors in 2011, has more than 3.1 million registered students and is one of several MOOC platforms available on the Internet. Vanderbilt and its five courses are among the more than 62 participating universities and 334 courses available, the numbers show on the Coursera website.

Long before the existence of the phrase MOOCs or the platforms, such as Coursera, the School of Nursing had been participating in distance learning since the late 1990s, beginning with live video stream of course lectures that allowed students to view instructor talks from their computers and via mailed DVDs.

With the recruitment of Betsy Weiner, PhD, RN, to Vanderbilt in 2001 to serve as the senior associate dean for Educational Informatics, the School of Nursing embarked on an ambitious decade of developing and expanding on distributed course delivery in flexible formats for the interactive learner.

“We’ve been in this production mode for a number of years because we wanted  to do more than video stream,” she said. “Now, we have a variety of tools depending on what it is we are trying to accomplish.”

Much of the work to build a Coursera class takes place behind the cameras. VUSN’s in-house expertise in videography, graphic design and course delivery has been a tremendous asset in turning this pilot into a reality. Photo by Lauren Holland

Among the many tools are blackboard e-technology, discussion boards, Second Life virtual reality world and electronic proctor devices that allow students to take tests from their home. But these distance learning courses are different than  MOOCs in that students have to be enrolled and receive college credits.

Weiner has a full-fledged support team of 17 staff, such as videographers  and graphic designers capable of producing animated content. She has lent her team and its existing resources and experience to help conceive Pope’s Coursera nutrition course.

Her team’s development over the years and its technology and informatics capabilities made the School of Nursing  an ideal place to pilot a Coursera course.

“I thought it was appropriate because we have the expertise, and Jamie’s course  is a popular class. A lot of students out-side the nursing major take the course,” Weiner said.

“I think we not only have a track record of trying new things, we have a  faculty and student body that are always looking to improve patient care and learning at the same time. I have never worked with a group that is as willing to say, ‘Let’s try that.’ We have to stay on top of whatever the newest technology is, especially  in the consumer market.”

Pope is new to the world of online teaching, but she is far from being a novice in the realm of nutrition. She began working at Vanderbilt 26 years ago in obesity research, weight management, health promotion and heart disease prevention, later becoming an instructor of Nutrition at the School of Nursing in 2000. She also is a longtime member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has served as media representative for the Tennessee Dietetic Association. She also served for more than a decade as a nutrition consultant to the company Smart Balance Inc.

Outside of Vanderbilt, she is a published co-author of several best-selling books, Including  “The T-Factor Gram Counter” and “The Last Five Pounds: A Liberating Guide to Living Thin.”

When Vanderbilt’s Provost Richard McCarty and School of Nursing Dean Colleen Conway-Welch asked Pope in September to be a part of the Coursera pilot, she said she wasn’t familiar with MOOCs, their potential, or even what would go into developing such a curriculum. But she didn’t hesitate to participate.

“I was honored to be asked to teach one of Vanderbilt’s inaugural Coursera courses and didn’t consider not accepting the invitation,” she said. “I saw it as an opportunity to broaden the scope of my teaching, and in a sense, serve the Vanderbilt community and beyond.”

She and the four other Coursera instructors from Vanderbilt got to work immediately, holding meetings every other week to collectively devise engaging and effective high quality courses, academically and technically.

An intense undertaking far greater than even she understood, Pope has been videotaping two-hour sessions for each week of the Coursera course. But instead of the traditional continuous lecture format typical for the live classroom, her weekly lessons will be broken down into about nine, five- to 10-minute video segments.

During tapings, she refers to a PowerPoint slide on a teleprompter to guide her through the topic discussion. She flows, then trips over a word.

“Wait, let’s do that again,” she utters with a giggle. She notes how she loves video editing so that her lectures will at least appear seamless.

“I actually find it easier to stand up in front of my ‘live’ classroom and teach with their faces and participation than filming segments for Coursera in front of a camera,” she said.

The number of learners who will watch her and absorb her material is staggering, a fact Pope tries not to dwell on. Even her mother is taking the course, she jokes.

“My course is past the 54,000 mark and it doesn’t launch until May 6, so that enrollment will be even greater by the time it starts,” she said. “I try not to focus on the huge numbers – it’s daunting, but certainly makes me re-evaluate what I teach and how I teach it.”

Double-checking her nutrition facts, ensuring she’s up on all the latest trends, is her goal. She’s charted her seven-week course on a seven-page spreadsheet.

Many of her segments will include lectures in front of a green screen, which will allow the VUSN graphic designers to insert slides and animation behind her. But she’s getting creative.  With the resourcefulness and support of VUSN videographers Greg Tipton and Clay Sturgeon, and VUSN graphics manager Keith Wood, she’s doing Skype interviews with nutrition professionals, photo slideshows with voiceovers by other experts and in-person interviews.

Any class materials or resources will be free, via reliable websites she recommends. Coursera courses do not require students to purchase books or materials.

Questions will be embedded within the short video segments to assess and reinforce learning and then an online quiz will conclude the weekly session that contributes toward a course “grade.” Another part of the students’ participation and grade will be to research a dietary supplement or other nutrition-related topics and submit conclusions on their validity or lack thereof.

But she admits this is a time-intensive learning process and that although she is the instructor, the other Coursera team members are all working hard to help make her course, and all the Vanderbilt offerings, top-notch technically and academically.

Pope confers with Vanderbilt senior Natthew Arunthamakun, computer whiz and former nutrition student of hers, who is a key member of the team helping bring the Nutrition course to life. Photo by Lauren Holland

Pope is hoping to draw on wisdom of what does and doesn’t work in the Coursera platform from Vanderbilt senior Natthew Arunthamakun, a Neuroscience major, who took her “live” Nutrition courses two years ago.  His interest in nutrition and health sparked, he kept in touch with her after completing the courses, and when she began Coursera, the two mapped a plan for him to explore the Coursera platform and work with her through independent study.

Attrition rates for MOOCs tend to be high, with a chunk of students not finishing the courses, and she wants to retain as many students as possible.

Arunthamakun recently completed his first Coursera course on Drugs and the Brain, taught by a neuroscience professor at CalTech. He’s only taken live courses with Vanderbilt professors, so it was alluring to try a course with an instructor at another institution.

“My first impression was skeptical as I wondered if it was like any other online courses I have seen or heard about from commercials. However, as I researched and read more, I realized the prestige and the involvement of top tier universities and professors from around the world being involved in Coursera,” he said.

“The credentials were there and I realized that this was a wave to freely educate the public throughout the world and how it can bring awareness and spread knowledge to areas where education can be difficult to obtain.”

Through his Coursera course, Arunthamakun has given Pope the good and the bad of the online platform, ranging from ease of access to information to the pitfalls of not having the in-person guidance of an instructor.

“It works well as lectures/videos can be reviewed and access to links and research studies is provided that pertains to the specific topic at hand,” he said. “It is almost like a college lecture, however it lacks in the personal interaction between the student and teacher. It is difficult to expound on the knowledge that is being taught and is only limited to what the professor wants you to know.”

In turn, Pope believes because of all this work her live lectures will improve and her knowledge base will expand,  making for a better course for her Vanderbilt students.

“I think it is going to help my teaching. I am learning even more about the topics I teach about, and it is helping me develop content for my own courses. I really have to step back and look at my material,” she said.

While navigating the challenges, Pope has hopes about what she would like people to get out of her Coursera course. For those who can’t be in the face-to-face lecture hall with her in courses N231a and N231b, she seeks to provide awareness and a base.

In the end Coursera students won’t get a grade per se, but if they have fulfilled the coursework and watched the
lectures they will obtain a certificate of completion.

“There is a lot of confusion in nutrition about what we should do, what we shouldn’t do. Not that I am going to give concrete answers, but I want to give people more of a foundation so they can evaluate better on their own, and I want to give them a better grasp of terms so when read and hear things about nutrition, they’ll understand how it impacts them,” she said.

- Christina Echegaray

• Colleen Conway named Dean
• VUSN organizationally moves to the Medical Center
• Julia Hereford Society established
• Positions of associate deans for Academics, Research and Practice established

1985

• BSN degree begins phase-out
• Joint Center for Nursing Research opens
• Gov. Lamar Alexander appoints Conway-Welch to Tennessee State Board of Nursing

1986

• Pre-Specialty Bridge-to-MSN introduced; graduates receive the master’s degree as first professional degree
• MSN curriculum refines to 39 semester hours

1987

• Senior-Year-in-Absentia program begins with undergraduate liberal arts institutions.

1988

• First Pre-Specialty to MSN class graduates
• President Reagan appoints Conway-Welch to National Commission on the HIV Epidemic

1989

• Last BSN degrees awarded
• Joint MSN/MBA program begins with Owen School of Management
• $1 million donated to endow the Independence Foundation Chair for Nursing Education

1990

• Vine Hill inner city primary care clinic opens
• Rural primary care clinic opens in Stanton, Tenn.
• Julia Eleanor Blair Chenault Chair in Nursing created
• National League of Nursing grants full eight-year reaccreditation to Pre-Specialty (bridge) and MSN program

1991

• First Biomedical Research Support Grant received by Judy Ozbolt

1992

• First MSN/MBA student, Anna Chalfant O’Neal, graduates
• Conway-Welch joins the Healthcare Leadership Council Board of Trust
• Hearst Foundation commits $100,000 to endow a minority scholarship fund
• VUSN receives $150,000 from DHHS Division of Nursing to initiate PhD program

1993

• PhD program admits first class
• Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation awards first student nursing scholarship

1994

• Nurse-Midwifery program receives $100,000 grant to establish women’s health practice with support from Gov. Ned McWherter

1995

• Patricia and Tommy Frist give funding to build Patricia Champion Frist Hall
• Fall Hamilton school-based clinic opens

1997

• Patricia Champion Frist Hall completed
• Conway-Welch named to Institute of Medicine of the National Academy
  of Sciences
• First PhD student, Kuei-Ru Chau, graduates
• VUSN becomes only school approved by the Pentagon for Air Force Academy graduates to earn MSN degree
• VUSN enters field of distance education with synchronous and asynchronous learning methods

1998

• House Speaker Newt Gingrich appoints Conway-Welch to National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare

1999

• Pre-Specialty (bridge) and MSN program receive eight-year accreditation from National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
• East End Women’s Health and Birthing Center opens in East Nashville

2000

• VUSN sponsors International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education
• Betsy Weiner, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, named to the newly established position of Senior Associate Dean for Educational Informatics
• VUSN receives Division of Nursing five-year grant to expand community primary care clinics

2001

• Nancy and Hilliard Travis endow the Nancy and Hilliard Travis Professor of Nursing Chair; Conway-Welch named to chair

2002

• National Center for Emergency Preparedness established
• The National Institutes of Health/National Center for Research Resources awards $1.3 million to renovate Godchaux Hall

2003

• Vanderbilt ranks 12th among private Schools of Nursing in NIH funding
• First employer-based, nurse-practitioner-run primary care clinic opens at Sanford Corporation in Lewisburg, Tenn.
• West End Women’s Health Center opens with nurse-midwifery practitioners

2004

• VUSN partners with Fisk and Lipscomb Universities to offer pre-specialty nursing curriculum leading to a undergraduate degree given by their home school
• Postdoctoral program begins

2005

• Frist Nursing Informatics Center opens in Frist Hall
• VUSN receives federal grant to establish a local Medical Reserve Corps
• Faculty Practice begins “Vandy Calls” for nurse practitioner house calls to frail elderly
• Two primary care clinics open at employer sites at Maryville and Dickson, Tenn.
• Martha Rivers Ingram Chair in Nursing created

2006

• Godchaux Hall completes renovation
• President George W. Bush appoints Conway-Welch to Board of Regents position of the Federal Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
• Bonnie Pilon receives grant to expand house calls program across Davidson and Wilson counties
• VUSN addresses nursing faculty shortage by offering a PhD in Nursing Science through distance learning format

2007

• VUSN ranked 19th in top nursing schools by U.S. News and World Report
• Nursing Annex renovation completed
• Vine Hill Community Clinic becomes a Federally Qualified Health Care Center
• Vine Hill Clinic doubles in size to serve additional populations

2008

• VUSN celebrates its Centennial
• Doctor of Nursing Practice Program begins
• VUSN receives full eight-year re-accreditation for the MSN program from National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

2009

• Modern Healthcare names Conway-Welch to Top 25 Women in Healthcare
• Distance Learning extended to virtual reality environment of Second Life through $1.6 million HRSA grant
• Betsy Weiner receives $1.3 million from HRSA to deliver faculty development in informatics, simulation and telehealth

2010

• First class of DNP students graduate
• VUSN receives Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation grant for Vanderbilt Program in Interprofessional Learning
• Nursing Clinical Simulation Skills Lab becomes Laerdal Medical Corp. Center of Educational Excellence

2011

• VUSN partners with the School of Medicine and Peabody College of Education and Human Development to offer a new Master’s degree in Health Professions Education

2012

• U.S. News and World Report ranks VUSN 15th in graduate nursing school rankings
• VUSN opens faculty practice at the Clinic at Mercury Courts, serving homeless and people with transitional housing
• VUSN achieves landmark of 1,100 enrolled students

In 1985, after Colleen Conway married Ted Welch, she signed an informal written agreement between the two of them that she would resign as dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing after five years. Eight years later Welch lovingly tore up the agreement and handed her the pieces.

Twenty-nine years later Conway-Welch is stepping down at the end of the academic year. She is the second-longest sitting dean of any U.S. nursing school, but her legacy isn’t simply a measurement of time. It is reflected in the indelible impact she’s made on the school she loves, the world of nursing and the many people she has inspired along the way.

“Colleen’s contributions to Vanderbilt have been enormous,” said Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.  “Her vision for innovation in advanced practice training for nurses has set a national standard, and has made Vanderbilt a leading destination for nursing education and research.”

Transformational Leader

Nearly three decades ago, Conway-Welch filled her car with most of her worldly possessions in Colorado and headed for Nashville as the incoming dean of the School of Nursing, which was on the brink of closing.

“On the drive out, even I thought I was crazy for making this leap — I was a divorced, Irish-Catholic, 40-year-old female professional woman with no Southern connections or music skills, going to Nashville. It felt like an incredible risk,” she said. “Then I told myself, it was just another adventure.”

Conway-Welch with husband, Ted, and beloved dog, Heidi, at their Nashville home.

She accepted the position with two stipulations: First, the undergraduate program would have to be overhauled; Second, the school would have to move from underneath the umbrella of the provost and instead report directly to the Medical Center vice chancellor for Health Affairs, at that time Roscoe R. (Ike) Robinson, MD.

She thought she would serve at the school for about five years — enough time to rejuvenate it with the new accelerated “bridge” to master’s program, the original idea for which she credits to Jean Watson, Dean of Nursing at the University of Colorado, in the early 1980s.

“Sometimes you can’t do things in increments, you have to just find the window and drive the truck through it,” said Conway-Welch. One of those cases was the decision by her and the Nursing School faculty to no longer admit freshman into the program. “I woke up in a cold sweat the night before telling the registrar, but we needed to press on.”

She thinks the biggest difference she has made in her professional career is developing the bridge program, where  students have several different entry  points toward earning their Master’s in the Science of Nursing degree. Now, accelerated programs are common and flourishing around the country.

From the start, Conway-Welch believed her primary responsibility was to continue to increase the value of all nursing degrees from Vanderbilt.  “That’s what I set out to do, and that’s what I’ve done.” VUSN currently ranks 15th in the latest US News and World Report rankings.

Ironically, one of her very first fundraising visits was one of her most successful.  It was to Ted Welch, father of a Vanderbilt nursing school student and prominent local businessman. Conway-Welch recalls preparing in her Green Hills condo the night before. She wrote down all the key points and practiced her delivery in front of the mirror for hours.

Ten minutes into the meeting, Welch agreed to give the school the amount requested. Conway thanked him, but rattled on with her presentation.

Their next meeting was a dinner date.  Colleen and Ted’s courtship ensued and the two married just three months later.

Visionary

There is no question that Conway-Welch ushered in an era of nursing education reform at Vanderbilt, which continues today.  Her ability to see what is on the horizon for nursing, and to help set the stage through educational opportunities, preparing VUSN’s graduates for an ever-changing health care environment, has been the hallmark of her career.

“Colleen has done things as a dean that really have not been done in any other place. She sets the bar, particularly for private school deans, for the scope of things we should be involved in beyond academics, research and a little practice.  We have been one great big demonstration project,” said Linda Norman, DSN, RN, FAAN, the Valere Potter Menefee Chair in Nursing and senior associate dean of Academics.

During her deanship, the school’s  faculty practice network has flourished, starting with Bonnie Pilon, DSN, RN, FAAN, senior associate dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships, coming on board in 1989.  The network now includes several clinics in underserved neighborhoods, two nurse-midwifery clinics, a school-nurse contract with Metro Davidson County, and others. These sites improve access to health care for patients and serve as places for students to gain valuable clinical experience.

“Colleen is always moving to the  next horizon.  She saw things and continues to see things that the rest of us don’t always see clearly.  She has pushed and dragged us into the next decade and into the next century,” said Pilon.

Her vision and leadership resulted in the school’s academic progress. Realizing the need to provide nurses with doctoral education, Conway-Welch opened the PhD program in 1993 and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in 2008.

Before others considered how technology could offer new options of cur-riculum delivery, Conway-Welch saw it as the wave of the future.  Today, VUSN is known nationally as a role model for successful use of information technology.  More than half of the 1,000 students currently enrolled are educated via blended distance-learning programs, spending part of their classtime physically at VUSN and the rest in clinicals and classes online.

“Colleen is a true visionary.  When she first recruited me here in 2000, her comment was ‘I need some senior leadership in this area because we need to know what to do next.  I trust you to figure that out,’” said Betsy Weiner, PhD, RN, the Centennial Foundation Professor of Nursing and senior associate dean for Informatics.

Advocate

As Conway-Welch rejuvenated VUSN, people across the country took notice.   She has become a national leader in the world of health care, never shying away from difficult or controversial issues.  When addressing students at graduation, she tells them that with a nursing degree, they can be entrepreneurs, policymakers, advocates and more.  She says it, because she has lived it.

In 1997, she was elected into the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.  President Ronald Reagan named her to “The Presidential Commission on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic, 1988,” a bipartisan commission on the HIV epidemic.  In 2006, she was appointed by President George W. Bush for a five-year term as a member of the Board of Regents for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

“Dean Conway-Welch has made contributions in all areas of nursing, but her support of nursing research has been extraordinary.  During her involvement in the national leadership effort, the National Institute of Nursing Research was established.  Her unwavering support of science, especially in the areas of post-doctoral fellowship, has resulted in increasing the number of nurse scientists whose discoveries have positive effects on patients, families and communities,” said Ann Minnick, PhD, RN, senior associate dean for Research.

“The thing that I admire most about her is that she is so committed to the work that is being done here at the school and its impact on society and health care in general,” said Becky Keck, MSN, RN, senior associate dean for Administration and Operations and chief administrative officer at VUSN.  “She has been a very active advocate for nursing policy and for public health issues – on state and national levels.”

Conway-Welch will continue to serve as a member of the Vanderbilt faculty, working with her successor and Balser, in support of the School of Nursing and nursing and health policy issues.

– John Howser and Kathy Rivers

At Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, we believe our past accomplishments catapult us to future successes. The following pages found here highlight the School’s continued growth and meaningful contributions to the world of nursing and nursing education.

[2011 Cumulative Report - PDF]

Virginia Maxwell George, BSN ‘47B, MSN, MA (’72 Peabody) VUSN faculty emerita, moved into Belmont Village, an assisted living residence in Nashville.  She is happy at her new home and invites friends to visit.

50s

Bonnie Weaver Battey, MSN ‘59, PhD, is a professional educator, administrator, facilitator and consultant in fields of communication and health professions. She has served as chair of nursing departments and initiated two new nursing programs – a program in associate degree nursing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and an RN completion baccalaureate program at Memphis State University. She is an author of numerous articles and three books.

60s

Phoebe Giffen Hood, BSN ‘60, MPH, has joined Consults in Wellness in Wilmington, N.C., as a family nurse practitioner.  She focuses on functional medicine, a more holistic, natural way of treating the causes of disease, and still runs her Bed and Breakfast at Mallard Bay.

Carrol “Ditto” Smith, BSN ‘64, PhD, RN, is spending a year in Rwanda as part of a team assisting with upgrading the five nursing schools and two medical schools. She is also a full-time faculty member of the College of Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Doreen James Wise, BSN ‘68, MSN, MEd, sold her business in December 2011.  She spends most of her time hiking and fly fishing in Wyoming and Arizona. She plans to become more active in College Forward, a charity dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged youth colleges.

70s

Judy Heffron Sweeney, BSN ‘70, MSN ‘75, VUSN professor emerita, is enjoying retirement after 36 years of teaching and directing the VUSN Pre-Specialty program.

Ginna Betts, MSN ‘71, JD, reunited with some Psych/ Mental Health MSN classmates and faculty this spring (Gloria Calhoun, Linda Pearson and Freida Outlaw) to talk about their divergent and wonderful careers in nursing and health care.

Sally Hughes Lee, BSN ‘71, MSN ‘72, PhD, is happily retired in Rocky Face, Ga., after a very active 52-year career as a nurse,  family nurse practitioner and nursing faculty member.

Melissa Coate Hauck, BSN ‘72, works with Centennial Heart Cardiovascular Consultants LLC.  She is a fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society and recently co-chaired a session at the group’s annual scientific session.  She is a Certified Cardiac Device Specialist.  She and husband, Christie, love spending time with their seven grandchildren, ages 18 months to 10 years.

Susan Alford, BSN ‘74, retired from health care marketing/sales in 2009 and got married in 2010.  She is enjoying retirement which includes horseback riding and volunteer work.

Rose Ziesch Alvin, MSN ‘74, PhD, recently retired after a career that included doing startup work for private practices, community clinics, child development collaborations and staff nursing.  She has also assisted with communication links for nurses, like practice issues, graduate education and legislative work. She is a mother, grandmother, reader, gardener, music lover and soon-to-be Pilates instructor.

Carol Caine Guess, BSN ‘76, MSN, lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., and has three married daughters, one grandbaby, and one on the way. She is working in a geriatric clinic, Alexian Brothers PACE.

Linda Garver Breum, BSN ‘77, MSN, is the chief nursing officer at a small community hospital, Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.  She lives, and walks every morning, on the beach, and is an avid cyclist, riding about 75 miles a week.

Ann Hotter Tescher, BSN ‘77, MSN, had a research study published, “All At-Risk Patients Are Not Created Equal: Analysis of Braden Pressure Ulcer Risk Scores to Identify Specific Risks,” in the Journal of Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing (2012:39(3):282-291).  Third-grade daughter, Margaret, keeps her busy.

Kathryn Wolff Heller, RN, BSN ‘79, PhD, is a professor at Georgia State University in the Physical and Health Disabilities Special Education graduate program and works as a nurse in the hospice program at Visiting Nurse Health System.

Stacy Reckeweg, BSN ‘79, RN, CHPN, is clinical informatics director for Covenant Hospice in Pensacola, Fla.  She lives with her husband, Jim Ketchum, and two teenage sons in Fairhope, Ala., volunteers as a parish nurse and serves on the executive board of Murray House Assisted Living Facility, a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of the Gulf Coast.

80s

Stephanie Davis Burnett, BSN ‘81, MSN, DNP, ACNS-BC, CRRN, was named the Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year by the National Black Nurses Association during a gala in Orlando, Fla. She is an advanced nurse coordinator at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Carolyn Van Bochove-Melcher, BSN ‘81, is enjoying her work as a substitute school nurse. Her daughter, Eloise, is looking at colleges, and son, Will, is a student at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine.  Her husband is a ship captain.

Vicki Wineland Perry, BSN ‘81, recently remarried and moved to Fort Smith, Ark., after living in Florida for 27 years and working for the Florida Department of Health. She and her husband, Jim, have three “wonderful” daughters and feel that life is very good.

Deborah Schafer Wilson, BSN ‘82, has earned an MSN/Ed and is a doctoral student at Morgan State University.  She teaches nursing at Wor-WIC Community College in Salisbury and is a certified childbirth educator and doula. She and her husband, Darrell, have two adult children and a baby grandson.

Jane Bass Turner, BSN ‘84, MSN ‘89, lives in Carthage, Tenn., with her husband, Larry, and daughter Lilly.  She enjoys being a stay-at-home mother and keeps busy with volunteer activities at her daughter’s school and in the community.

Sherry Owen Murray, BSN ‘87, recently received her MSN from Belmont University and is certified as a family nurse practitioner.  She works for Take Care Health in Lebanon, Tenn.  She and her husband, Brian, have two adult sons and an Italian Greyhound, Fat Tony.

Anna-Gene Chalfant O’Neal, BSN ‘88, MSN ‘92/MBA ‘92, was named CEO/President of Alive Hospice, an organization committed to serving the Nashville community along the final stages of life.  She and her husband, Scott O’Neal, (VU ‘88) recently celebrated their 24th anniversary.  They have two children: Ayla is a sophomore at Mississippi State University and Bates is a junior at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville.

Lisa Cavin-Wainscott, MSN ‘88, RNC, MSN, APRN, CPST, is a perinatal clinical nurse specialist at Olathe Medical Center in Kansas.  The business publication, Ingram’s, recently presented her with the 2012 Ingram’s Heroes in Healthcare Award for her work in perinatal education, bereavement and volunteer work in the community.

90s

Elizabeth Neile Chesnut, MSN ‘91, started working at Emory University Hospital after graduation from VUSN in 1991.  She recently celebrated her 20th anniversary of working at Emory – 17 years as a cardiac transplant coordinator.

Lee Ann Hanna, MSN ‘93, PhD, CPHQ, FNAHQ, works as the director of Education for TriStar, Centennial Medical Center in Nashville.  She is certified as a Healthcare Quality Fellow in National Association of Healthcare Quality.   She and husband, Anthony Warren, have a son, Thomas Dale, and daughter, Katherine Elizabeth.

Amy Hull, MSN ‘94, is a VUSN program coordinator and instructor. She recently received the Rodney Appell Continence Care Champion Award at the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates (SUNA) annual awards luncheon.  SUNA granted her $20,000 to examine the comparative benefit of different exercise programs for women with stress urinary incontinence. Her research has been published in nursing and physician-reviewed journals.

Francie Likis, BS ‘93, MSN ‘94, recently received the American College of Nurse-Midwives Best Book of the Year Award for the second edition of the textbook “Women’s Gynecologic Health.”  She is the co-editor.
Mark Young, MSN ‘96, was promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve in March.  He is currently serving as Rear Detachment Commander of the 4203rd U.S. Army Hospital.

Kristin Sohn, MSN ‘97, MD, recently graduated from the Nevada School of Medicine and is a pediatric resident at University of California Davis Medical Center.  She received honorable mention placement in the Gold Foundation’s Humanism in Medicine Essay contest. She and her husband live in Sacramento, Calif.

Marilyn Davis, MSN ‘98, graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s (TCSPP) program in Clinical Psychology – Marriage and Family Therapy specialty this fall in Pasadena, Calif., in her pursuit of a doctorate in Clinical Psychology by 2015.   She works as a registered nurse at University of California Irvine (UCI) Medical Center.

Rene Love, MSN ‘98, DNP ‘10, received the 2012 Jeanette Chamberlain Award for Service from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses at their national conference in Atlanta for her sustained service at the regional, state and national levels in mental health disaster response. She serves as the American Red Cross State Disaster Adviser for Health and Mental Health Services and is pursuing her PhD at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Anne Gingerich Brenneman, MSN ‘99, is the Simulation Program Manager at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver.  The hospital is building a new simulation suite set to open this fall and is establishing a hospital-based simulation program for interdisciplinary team training.

2000s

Kimberly Box, MSN ‘01, ACNP-BC, gave birth to Hannah Reagan Box on Sept. 2, 2011. She weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz. and was 19 inches long. Big brother, Hayden, is 7. She has been practicing in Tupelo, Miss., for the past five years. Her husband, John, is pastor of the First Baptist Church in Shannon, Miss.

Kirstin Curtis, MSN ‘02, APRN, celebrated her first year as owner/family nurse practitioner at Mount Shuksan Family Medicine in Washington:  mtshuksanfamilymedicine.com. Her practice is thriving, with a special focus in dermatology.  She has been a guest lecturer for the British Columbia Nurse Practitioner conference, among other groups. She loves what she does and thanks Vanderbilt for its excellence.

Charlotte Ellerby, MSN ‘02, started a house-calls company with her sister, Anitra Ellerby-Brown, (MSN ‘08). The company opened its first clinic in Columbia, Tenn., called Medicine inMotion Primary Care. Ellerby’s son, Clarkston, is 13.

Eleanor Bell Hall, BSN ’85, MSN ‘02, graduated in October 2011 with a PhD in Nursing from the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing, Georgia State University. For the last five years, she has been an assistant professor in the Nursing Division at Thomas University, Thomasville, Ga.

J. Scott Johnson, MSN ‘02, is enrolled in the PhD in Nursing Science program at VUSN, focusing his research in symptom management of dyspnea in the geriatric population.

Christopher S. Castle, MSN ‘03, is a nurse practitioner at Greeneville Orthopaedic Clinic and the pastor at Phipps Bend Freewill Baptist Church. Cooper, his 4-year-old son, has mitochondrial disorder. Castle organized a sanctioned 5K race in September in order to educate, advocate and bring awareness to mitochondrial disorders. His vision is to promote the race at the local, regional, national and international level each year.

Nichole Berglund Clark, MSN ‘04, FNP, is celebrating her nurse practitioner-owned clinic’s second anniversary. Hope Medical Clinic was awarded Best of the Best Medical Clinic for 2011 by Van Buren County, Ark.

Kristi Hazlewood, MSN ‘05, and husband, Jody, have three children, ages 16, 14 and 11. She is a Certified Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner practicing at Milan School Health Clinic.  She earned her FNP degree from Northern Kentucky University in 2009.

Paul Kadetz, MSN ‘06, graduated with a PhD from the University of Oxford, Department of International Development, in March.  He is an Associate of the China Centre for Health and Humanity, University College London and is starting a post as a lecturer and coordinator of the MPH program at the University of the West Indies.

Heather Murphy, MSN ‘06, relocated to Hattiesburg, Miss., where her husband is working on his master’s in Theatre at the University of Southern Mississippi.  She is practicing full scope midwifery in a local community health center and at Rush Hospital. Son, Hawthorne Sage, is 2 1/2 and will welcome a new sibling in November.

Amy Clark-Cole, MSN ‘07, FNP/CNM, is expecting her first baby in October. Cole Family Practice is doing well and currently employs two Vanderbilt nurse practitioner graduates.

Jennifer Nelson, MSN ‘07, is a full-time pediatric nurse practitioner with Rainbow Kids Clinic in Clarksville, Tenn.  She also works part-time as an RN on the pediatric cardiology pod at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Her son, Forrester, is working on his master’s degree and daughter, Emily, was married last year.

Keith Adkins, ANP-BC, MSN ‘08, transitioned from a cardiology hospitalist position at Vanderbilt to a position with the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute’s atrial fibrillation program.

Michelle L. Drew, MSN ‘08, DNP, MPH & TM, CNM, FNP-C, RN, received her DNP from Texas Women’s University.

Stephanie Fisher, MSN ‘08, is an assistant professor of nursing at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.

Lesley J. Mathis, MSN ‘08, ACNP, works as the nurse practitioner for the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.  She lives in Nashville with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, Harper.

Keith McKernan, MSN ‘08, recently accepted a position of Market Director of Risk Management at Shands Lakeshore Hospital in Lake City, Fla., where he oversees risk management services for three rural community hospitals in North Central Florida.

Tammy Hakim, MSN ‘09, is the executive director of the Patient Advocate Ministry (PAM) located in Brentwood, Tenn.  PAM offers a faith-based nurse navigator to guide patients through a variety of issues to ensure meeting the patient’s wishes and desires.  PAM is free and available to all senior citizens within Williamson and neighboring counties.

Emily Eckert, BS ’09 VU, MSN ‘10, lives in Nashville and works as a research nurse practitioner for the Department of Surgery at Vanderbilt. Her research team is conducting studies investigating the mechanism by which bariatric surgery reverses type 2 diabetes in excessively obese subjects.

Pamela Finley, MSN ‘10, ACNP-BC, has taken a new job as a nurse practitioner with The Bone Marrow Transplant program at Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.

Melinda McCusker, MSN ‘10, is starting a PhD in Nursing program at the Medical University of South Carolina.  She hopes to become a preceptor for medical and nurse practitioner students.

In Memoriam

Ann Looney Cole, BSN ‘36, of Franklin, Tenn., died on March 16, in Louisville, Ky.

Louise Lambert Drake, BSN ‘36, died on April 13, in Gastonia, NC.

Mae Elizabeth Beeler Isaac, BSN ‘37, died on April 16, in Danville, Ky.

Willie Woosley Causey, BSN ‘42, died on May 7, in Anderson, SC.

Lorraine Rupp Albin, BSN ‘47B, died on Dec. 5, in Flora Vista, NM.

Barbara Lou Cornett, BSN ‘48, died on March 25, in Salinas, Calif.

Eleanor Hoover White, BSN ‘48, died on Feb. 9, in Springfield, Va.

Joyce Inabinet McCroskey, BSN ‘56, died May 10, in Maryville, Tenn.

Janie F. Sullivan, MSN ‘62, died on March 29, in White House, Tenn.

Rebecca Raines Green, MSN ‘79, died on Jan. 31, in Nashville.

Krista Michelle Carver, MSN ‘05, died on May 1, in Nashville.

Donald Paul Jacobs, ACNP student, died on April 4, in Mt. Juliet, Tenn. He was scheduled to graduate in August from the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program with an Intensivist Care Focus.

Stanley Bernard, M.D., past chair of the Julia Hereford Society, died on July 14, in Nashville.

Photo by Daniel Dubois

VUSN’s Pre-Specialty Level of the MSN program is thriving with more than 160 incoming students each year, representing a variety of non-nursing educational backgrounds.  After serving as interim director and leading the faculty through a major curriculum revision, Mary Ann Jessee, MSN, RN, became Pre-Specialty director in May 2012.  Recently, she sat down with Vanderbilt Nurse.

How would you describe the VUSN Pre-Specialty Level to someone outside the world of nursing?
The Pre-Specialty portion of the MSN program  is a three- semester sequence of courses akin to the curriculum of an accelerated BSN for second degree students and very similar to the content included in a typical four semester baccalaureate nursing component from a four-year institution. Students gain knowledge and experience that meet the Essentials of Baccalaureate Nursing, but with a graduate school level of approach and expectation. Upon completion of the Pre-Specialty level, students are prepared to sit for the NCLEX, the National Council Licensure Exam for registered nurses.  In addition, our Pre-Specialty educates students to transition directly to the specialty level of the master’s program.  Our Pre-Specialty students take 43 credit hours and have more than 700 clinical hours in acute and community settings.

What type of student succeeds in this program?
The rigorous nature of the program works best for a student who is self-motivated, with a significant drive to learn and succeed.  GRE scores and grade point averages can tell us a lot about a person’s intellectual ability – and our students rank among the highest in the country.  However, students also must make a personal commitment to success.  Often it is the goal statements that prospective students write as part of their application process that enable us to recognize career goals and personal attributes that will contribute to their success in this program.

Please describe the current group of Pre-Specialty students.
When I look at the Pre-Specialty student body, I see diversity. There are students from affluent backgrounds and those who grew up with financial hardship.  There are those from supportive families and those who have achieved despite having very little support.  There are second and third degree students who come with a wealth of life and work experience.  There are students from many racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This diversity makes for a very rich learning environment for all of our students. Conversely, within that diversity is a commonality – a passion for improving people’s lives. There is empathy, compassion and a dedication for advocacy for patients, families and communities.   These students renew my passion as an educator and a leader. I am excited for the future of this program.

How does it prepare students for the Specialty level of the master’s degree?
While the Pre-Specialty level provides the generalist level of nursing education, we also ensure students have the opportunity to envision how they will apply the nursing concepts in their advanced practice roles.  We educate students to address the health status of patients along the continuum of care and through the transitions between levels of care, rather than focusing on one point on the continuum at a time.  The Pre-Specialty level educates students to partner with the patient and family to improve health status and health outcomes. Students are engaged in opportunities to develop attitudes of critical thinking, refine skills of leadership and teamwork, and practice professional behaviors that will propel them into their specialty year.

Why is the Pre-Specialty level an important entry point for students?
Our Pre-Specialty level provides a strong, generalist nursing foundation that is essential for function as a registered nurse. This same foundation provides the opportunity for students to make a rapid transition to advanced-practice education. Students are able to build upon their previous baccalaureate education.

Why was it time to revise the curriculum?
Rationale for the revision of our Pre-Specialty Curriculum stems from the recommendations by the National League for Nursing, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the Carnegie Center for Teaching as well as our desire to produce students armed with the capacities necessary to enter today’s health care system. Our curriculum needed to reflect the current movement toward competency-based outcome models in nursing education. We have taken these challenges and used them as the catapult for development of a set of outcomes for our Pre-Specialty level that not only meets, but exceeds, the expectations of the AACN Baccalaureate competencies and that prepares our students for the progression to specialty education and advanced practice in nursing. Our goal for this revision was to enhance the student learning experience through the implementation of evidence-based strategies that challenge students to move beyond factual knowledge to a higher level of clinical-judgment. This attention to development of the student’s clinical decision-making processes results in students who are poised to promote and improve the culture of safety in health care and improve patient outcomes.

What are the revisions?
Nursing education has been challenged to “radically transform” our teaching practices to enhance student learning and produce practice-ready nurses, according to “Educating Nurses: A call for radical transformation” study conducted by Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, and Day for The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. We are responsible for providing sufficient opportunity for students to gain the knowledge, skill, and attitudes needed to provide care that is especially attentive to patient safety needs. To meet those needs, we constructed a curricular framework that focuses on promotion of client-centered care, improved clinical judgment, development of a professional identity, leadership and inter-professional teamwork,  and embracing a spirit of inquiry.

We completed an analysis of our courses to identify gaps in content and opportunities for clinical application.  We also wanted to pinpoint overlap versus reinforcement of data and learning opportunities.  We constructed the curriculum to ensure the foundational concepts essential to the delivery of client-centered care were presented as evident threads throughout coursework. Experiential learning opportunities and evidence-based teaching strategies are interwoven to provide a cohesive and dynamic learning experience for learners with varied learning preferences and of varied age, culture and life-work experience.

How will you measure the impact?
The impact of these curricular changes will be measured with the traditional formative and summative evaluation processes. It is essential that nurses, whether working at the bedside or in advanced practice, have a broad knowledge base, weigh available evidence, and identify patient preferences, and synthesize these concepts to make accurate clinical decisions. Our chief goal is to prepare visionary, forward-thinking yet reflective nurses armed with the knowledge, skill and attitudes needed to navigate the ever-changing health care delivery system.
What attracted you to the Pre-Specialty level of the MSN program as faculty?

VUSN is my alma mater.  I believed in the program from the start because it’s how I chose to be educated.  I was attracted to the ability to make the smooth transition from baccalaureate education in another field to master’s level studies in nursing. During my years of generalist nursing practice, I reflected on what would have enabled me to be more practice-ready as a new graduate.  I wanted to utilize my experiences to provide improved learning experiences to future VUSN students. My years as a faculty member have provided me the opportunity to use my own experiences as a student and as a nurse to make a difference in the educational experience of students.

What did you learn as interim director?
More than anything else, I confirmed what I already knew – we have a team of experienced, talented faculty who are dedicated to asking the hard questions, doing the hard work, and making the often difficult changes that are required to improve student and patient outcomes.   Progress can’t be made without the participation and engagement of the entire team.  We share a vision for educating future leaders in the nursing profession. We are engaged in continuous evaluation and enhancement of student learning experiences. We strive to continually improve the students’ readiness for nursing practice and transition to their advanced
practice specialty.

Now that you are the director of the Pre-Specialty level, what is your vision?
I envision a success-based educational environment rich with passionate faculty with diverse interests and students eager to embrace new ideas yet willing to advocate for their own. I envision a curriculum that presents rigorous challenge to prepare students for real-world nursing practice. I envision graduates transformed into nurses with exemplary character, dedication to life-long learning, and a passion for improving patient outcomes. We have entered an era of significant opportunity for growth and change in nursing science. VUSN is poised to be a leader in the transformation of nursing education, practice and research.

What have you learned from your students?
Many things. Students bring diverse perspectives to discussions that continually challenge our perspectives as educators. I am always humbled by the volume and quality of contributions made by students to meet needs in their communities and around the globe. I am continually reminded that there are still people with servant-hearts that are dedicated to improving life for others. That is inspiring.

Why did you become a nurse? A teacher?
I’ve always been intrigued by why we do what we do. Is there a better way of doing things? What would be the result of doing something differently? As I began to investigate what I might do with my life, I continued to crave understanding of the rationale behind actions. I came to realize that my pervasive inquiry could be an asset in the nursing profession and could make a difference in the health and wellness of people.  Now, as an educator, I continue to ask “why?” but I now have an additional agenda:  to examine, create and implement evidence-based teaching strategies to improve the education of the next generation of nurses.

What is it like to be a part of such a transformation year in someone’s life? To see them become nurses?
It’s a remarkable experience. Students enter the program with their own perspectives on life, health and illness, nursing practice, and career goals within the health profession. Over the course of the Pre-Specialty curriculum, students are immersed in experiences that provide new knowledge, challenge their perspectives, and force them to take ownership of their values, beliefs and biases. These experiences foster the development of attitudes of critical thinking including integrity, curiosity and humility, to name a few. Students embrace and display these attitudes at their own pace. The point at which these attitudes become integral to each decision the student makes, signals to us as faculty that the transformation into a nurse has begun.

What do you think the Pre-Specialty curriculum will look like in 10 years?
I envision the Pre-Specialty curriculum as a leader in evidence-based nursing education, evidence-based practice and research.  I see this portion of the MSN program and our faculty team as a model for faculty team development.  I believe the curriculum will continue to support a thriving diverse student body passionate about making a difference in the lives of patients and families. The implications for community outreach, knowledge development and improvement of patient outcomes are significant. I look forward to the journey.

What do you want everyone to know about the program?
The VUSN Pre-Specialty faculty is dedicated to life-long learning, reflective practice, and continuous improvement of patient outcomes. We engage with students in a facilitative manner that encourages the development of trust-based teacher-learner partnerships. Our innovative, transformative methods produce nurses poised to encourage inquiry, create knowledge, and elevate the significance of nursing practice around the world.  We are VUSN.

- Kathy Rivers

Visit nursing.vanderbilt.edu/msn/prespec.html