BridgesA J O U R N A L F R O M T H E I P F W D E PA RTM E N T O F N U R S I N G FALL 2014

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Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Community Members,

Throughout 2014, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Indiana University-Purdue

University Fort Wayne (IPFW). The anniversary celebration presents an obvious opportunity to recognize the

many innovations and accomplishments of the Department of Nursing as well as the many achievements of our

alumni, faculty members, and students. It is also a chance for us to explore how much the nursing profession has

changed, particularly the amazing growth in the responsibilities and opportunities for nurses.

Over the years, the IPFW Department of Nursing has enhanced and revised its curricular offerings to produce

appropriately-educated nursing professionals and educators. At the same time, the role and responsibilities of

nurses have been extended, thanks to the innovations in practice and research advances.

As the healthcare landscape undergoes dramatic shifts in how care is delivered, the way in which nurses lead has

become increasingly vital. Now as Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), the approach to clinical service positions our future

graduates to respond well to and manage change with intelligence and expertise.

Across the campus, in and out of the classroom, and within communities, IPFW faculty, alumni, student nurses, and

graduate nurses have put nursing leadership into action. During our 50th anniversary year, we commemorate their

contributions to the advancement of nursing and interprofessional education, research, the profession, health care, and the

community. In addition to events, we will have special publications, including this inaugural issue of Bridges, to mark the

anniversary year.

This issue will highlight the Department of Nursing’s planned new academic offering: the Doctor of Nursing Practice, which

will offer two strong graduate-level clinical practice pathways for nurses as adult gerontology primary care practitioners

and family nurse practitioners, and be a dynamic graduate-level pathway in nursing education. We will also share research

endeavors of graduate students and faculty, and community improvement efforts that have shaped the nursing profession

and those who have earned their degrees here at IPFW. We invite you to join us in our celebration of excellence as we

celebrate our 50th year anniversary!

Lee-Ellen C. Kirkhorn, PhD, RNProfessor and Chair of Nursing, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

from the ch ir

Welcome to the premier issue of the IPFW electronic nursing

journal Bridges. Bridges was named for the many connections that are the fabric of the nursing practice. As nurses, we make individual, family, group, and community connections. We work as colleagues to come together on behalf of our patients and clients, bridging whatever gaps in under-standing care considerations that may exist. The Willis Family Bridge and the Venderly Family Bridge that are part of our beautiful IPFW campus serve as metaphors for these many bridges. Bridges will be published at the beginning of each term to showcase the continuing excellence of our IPFW Department of Nursing.

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cont ntsfrom the chair ...................... 2

panoramas .......................... 4

features ................................ 6

congratulations .................. 16

departmental updates ....... 18

spotlights ........................... 20

tracking the mastodons ..... 22

donate! .............................. 29

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The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), one of the largest international nursing organizations, works to foster, develop and connect nurse scholars and leaders worldwide to improve health care. The honor society promotes nursing excellence through its initiatives in research and leadership, programming and publications, as well as through an electronic library. STTI also develops and distributes nursing knowledge for use in practice.

Membership in STTI is by invitation only to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, and to nurse leaders who show exceptional achievement in nursing. The at-large induction of the local Xi-Nu Chapter took place on April 6 in the IPFW Walb Ballroom. Forty two individuals—including 14 undergraduate and three graduate nursing students from

IPFW—were inducted at that ceremony. Also inducted and recognized were two nursing leaders from IPFW, Vicki

Maisonneuve and Johnathon Leichty. IPFW Department of Nursing Chair Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn gave the address.

STTI is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the learning, knowledge and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide. Founded in 1922, STTI has more than 130,000 active members in more than 85 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others.

STTI’s 486 chapters are located at 662 institutions of higher education throughout Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, the United States and Wales.

pan ramasHonor Society Promotes Nursing Excellence

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To celebrate IPFW’s 50th Anniversary, the Department of

Nursing would like to showcase our nursing faculty and staff who

are proud graduates of IPFW. Front Row (left to right):

Sydney Miracle, Jo Bauman, Mike Sorge, Becky Jensen, and

Nila Reimer. Back Row (left to right): Becky Salmon, Sarah Didier,

Tammy Toscos, Katrina Kessler, Rachel Ramsey, Pam DeKoninck,

Sally Hartman, and Connie Cole. Not Pictured: Cathy Duchovic,

Deb Baresic, Carol Sternberger, and Deb Poling.Nursing Department Gets a New Look

The IPFW Department of Nursing has gotten

a little more colorful this summer. Stop by the

third floor of Liberal Arts Building to see the

changes. It will brighten your day!

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fe tures

IPFW nursing majors will soon be part of a program to bring 20 to 25 students to Lac du Flambeau, the northern Wisconsin reservation, during the fall semester of 2014, as part of a domestic inter-cultural immersion program. IPFW nursing faculty members Katrina Kessler, Deb Poling, Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn, along with IPFW photographer Jim Gabbard, visited Lac du Flambeau in March to meet tribal members, tour the reservation, and co-create possibilities for this new nursing and photography student experience.

Research consistently shows that culturally-immersive programs enhance students’ knowledge of other cultures. It is anticipated that this expe-rience will improve students’ recognition and understanding of challenges facing American Indian people, their awareness of cultural biases and their understanding of the skills needed to provide educational and healthcare services to American Indian people.

This summer, plans were solidified for a Community Health Undergraduate Clinical Immersion program under Denise Jordan’s leadership and a Graduate Student Clinical Immersion program under Deb Poling’s leadership. Helping students become more culturally competent is one of the overarching goals of this experience, which is planned for fall break. Another anticipated outcome is that nurses will gain a better understanding of American Indians and will sharpen their understanding of how years of oppression have affected their lives and socioeconomic status.

Partnership with Lac du Flambeau

helps nursing students cultural

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cultural

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“Every patient that nurses encounter will have a different story to tell and a different experience,” said IPFW Nursing Chair Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn. “As future health care practitioners at both graduate and undergraduate levels, it is important to become immersed in as much cultural diversity as possible. In the nursing profession, we work with all types of people coming from all walks of life, and it is vital that our students are cultur-ally competent.” She believes that bringing nursing students together with Ojibwa children and families will help the future nurses better appreciate the many challenges American Indi-ans face.

Deb Poling, IPFW director of graduate nursing and a member of the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Consortium, added that immersion programs “also help students better understand interprofessional education and how multiple professions work together to provide education, health and behavioral health services to a culturally diverse population.”

As part of the immersive experience, nursing students will volunteer in reservation schools, shadow a reservation social worker, work in the reservation health center and interact with American Indian youth and their families. Students interested in school nursing will have opportunities in newly-renovated special education classrooms working with Lac du Flambeau

teachers. While the grant-funded, state-of-the-art classrooms and the dedicated teachers that fill the Lac du Flambeau schools are impressive, many of the children still struggle aca-demically and socially. Tribal leaders visited with nursing faculty about the negative impact that poverty, violence, substance abuse, gangs and other factors have on their students, even those in the youngest grades.

“Many of the young people experience hard times at home,” said Deb Poling. “Talking with tribal members, it was clear to faculty that many homes did not have the support that children need to develop healthy social behavior. Many did not see past high school and others just wanted to do nothing.”

In summary, the one-on-one time on the reservation will provide IPFW nursing students with a better understanding of the issues facing Lac du Flambeau youth and elders. It also will help them appreciate the meaningful work being done by nurses, educators, and others to address those issues.

Hospitality faculty from the IPFW College of Health and Human Services intend to join the fall break immersion and their role will be to plan additional exciting opportunities for students of their discipline to participate in future trips to the reservation. Look for more information on the Lac du Flambeau immersion experience in a future issue of this newsletter.

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“The program will bring nursing students together with Ojibwa children and families, and will help them better appreciate the many challenges American Indians face”

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demonstrate skillful leadership in clinical practice

Prior to the 21st century, males interested in the medical field traditionally went to medical or dental school, while similarly-inclined women enrolled in nursing schools. But statistics show that is no longer the case, with more women entering traditionally male-dominated fields, and more men pursuing nursing careers.

“The nursing profession remains overwhelmingly female, but the representation of men has increased as the demand for nurses has grown over the last several decades,” according to a U.S. Census Bureau study released in February 2013. The study showed that from 1970 to 2013, the proportion of male registered nurses more than tripled from 2.7 percent to 9.6 percent, and the proportion of male licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses more than doubled from 3.9 percent to 8.1 percent.

male nursing students

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This trend is reflected in the IPFW Department of Nursing, which has seen an increase in the number of male students graduating from its nursing program. The May 2011 graduating class for the Bachelor of Science with a major in nursing program consisted of 12 percent males, while the graduating class in May 2014 consisted of 23 percent males. When looking at the numbers for the bachelor’s program, there has been an overall increase in male students. In spring 2011, 11.5 percent of the bachelor’s in nursing students were male; in spring 2014, that number grew to 13.3 percent.

The change has been slow, but men are finding that healthcare workers and patients are open to having a male nurse, as evidenced by the observations of IPFW nursing student Nicholas Redding, who said, “I do feel that most patients and fellow health care professionals are very accepting of male nurses. A male nurse must be aware that people of different generations or ethnic backgrounds may not be as accepting as most and that the male nurse should not take offense to this, but continue to provide excellent care to all patients.”

In the past, it was thought that men would not make good nurses because women were thought to be more naturally caring; but, as stated by IPFW nursing student Philip Roberts in his Pinning Ceremony speech in May 2014, this is not the case: “(The following) quote means a lot to me and pretty much sums up my core beliefs as a nurse: ‘Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.’”

Nursing student Shawn Coil also expresses the sentiment that males nurses are just as caring and accepted as their female counterparts. “I see males in nursing on a daily basis. Whether it’s at work or school, the numbers of males who take on the career are increasing. Although males are not typically considered nurturing, I see a lot of patients who are just as happy with their male nurse and the care they provide; some have even said they are the best nurse they have ever had. (Male nurses) add a new dimension of strength, which allows some patients to feel safer during ambulation, and we can decrease the workload needed with larger patients. Times are changing, and I am proud to be part of the growing number of males in the nursing field.”

Male nursing students at IPFW say they also feel supported, as evidenced by the following statement from Jordan Gerardot that reflects the growing trend: “Being a male in the IPFW nursing program has shown me how society is becoming more accepting of the male nurse. Through my lectures and clinical experiences, my fellow nursing students, professors and patients have been encouraging and willing to help me succeed. Personally, I am proud to be a male nursing student and looking forward to becoming a male nurse.”

“Times are changing and I am proud to be part of the growing number of males in the nursing field.

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“Times are changing and I am proud to be part of the growing number of males in the nursing field.

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University Engagement Award Goes to Nursing Department

The IPFW Department of Nursing will be the 2014-2015 recipient of the IPFW

Chancellor’s University Engagement Award, a distinction that is given to one IPFW

department each year.

Along with the nursing department, Matthew 25 will also receive an award as

our community partner. The award will recognize the inner-city health clinic’s

tremendous benefit to Fort Wayne as well as the mutually-beneficial exchange

of knowledge and resources to our nursing students and the community

at large.

The IPFW Chancellor’s University Engagement Awards were developed to honor

outstanding community engagement on the part of faculty, staff and students.

According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching,

“Community engagement describes the collaboration between institutions of

higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national,

global) for the mutually-beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a

context of partnership and reciprocity.”

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Congratulations

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to our Spring 2014 Nursing Graduates. This is a huge moment in the story of your life, and you should be very proud of all the great things you’ve accomplished.

Congratulations

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departmental upd tesHLC Visit Paves Way to New Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

On July 28, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) visited Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) to determine our capacity for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to be awarded on our regional campus. This was a final step and a most important approval for us. HLC site visitors—all Ph.D. prepared—came with expertise in program evaluation, nursing practice, and distance education. It was a great day for Indiana nursing, as all members of our IPFW graduate nursing program and all the nurses on our campus—from the Chancellor to our students—spoke powerfully and passionately about the importance of this new degree offering.

While we will not know the outcome of this visit until November, it should be noted that our faculty, staff and student participation was truly stellar. Below is an abbreviated sample of the day’s visit, which opened in our Chancellor’s Office.

Agenda for HLC Visit to the Department of Nursing

9–10 a.m.—Meeting between the HLC site visitors, Chancellor Vicki Carwein, Ph.D., DN, and Vice Chancellor Carl Drummond, Ph.D.

10–10:45 a.m.—Conference Call between Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Carol Sternberger, Ph.D., RN; Peggy Gerard, Vice Chancellor of Purdue Calumet; and Jen Coddington and Jane Kirkpatrick of Purdue West Lafayette.

10–10:25 a.m.—DNP Program Overview. IPFW participants included Department of Nursing Chair Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn, Ph.D., RN, and Deb Poling, Ph.D., RN, FNP-BC, CNE, director of graduate nursing programs and DNP program coordinator.

10:25 a.m.–12 p.m.—Program Assessment, including a brief tour of the practice area for nurse practictioner students, led by Drs. Kirkhorn and Poling, and a virtual HLC visitor site and relevant program documentation by Drs. Kirkhorn, Poling and Jensen.

12–1 p.m.—Lunch with IPFW Nursing Students and Alumni, including Chapman Scholar student Lauren Fulk and Tabitha Bane, BS, RN, a student in the

adult-gerontology nursing program; and recent alumni Ludmilla Emerson, MS, RN, AGNP-BC, Katrina Kessler, MS, RN, NP-BC, and Connie Cole, DNP, RN.

1–2 p.m.— Frozen Yogurt Social and Meeting with Graduate Faculty, including Connie Cole, RN, DNP; Carol Crosby, RN, DNP; Linda Finke, RN, DNP; Becky Jensen, RN, Ph.D.; Heather Krull, RN, DNP; Nila Reimer, RN, Ph.D.; Tammy Toscos, Ph.D.; and Susan Ahrens, RN, Ph.D.

2–4 p.m.—Agency Tours led by Drs. Finke and Toscos.

4–5 p.m.—Focus on Distance Learning and Technology: including IPFW participants Michael Sorge, technology and simulation coordinator; Karen VanGorder, Division of Continuing Studies; and Scott Vitz, IT Services; along with Cheryl Truesdale, Shannon Johnson and Ludy Goodson.

5 p.m.—Closing with Department of Nursing Chair Dr. Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn and Dr. Poling.

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Scholarlysubmissions

Scholarly Submissions from 2014 • A Unique Interprofessional and Multi-Institutional Education

Series, DeborahPolingandMaryKiersma• Assessment of Health Profession Student Perceptions of

Interprofessional Education, DeborahPoling,MaryKiersma,DawnLaBarbera,MindyYoder,andVeroniaGurguis

Scholarly Submissions from 2013 • Inspirations in Education, SarahJ.Beckman• Diversity Matters: Engaging Students, SarahJ.BeckmanandS.Boxley-Harges

• Nursing Student's Clinical Reasoning during Simulation,RebeccaS.Jensen

• Student Evaluations of Interprofessional Simulation,RebeccaS.JensenandDeborahPoling

• When the Sandwich Generation becomes a Triple Decker: Qualitative Perspectives from the Oldest Old,LeeEllenC.Kirkhorn

• Action Research in Global Health,LeeEllenC.Kirkhorn,C.M.Berry,PeiruZhou,A.F.Meerwald,andL.Wieseman

• Beyond the Boundaries: Evolving Simulation and Skills to the Next Generation of Healthcare,DeborahPolingandR.Jensen

• Interprofessional Education,DeborahPoling,M.Kiersma,D.LaBarbera,andM.Yoder

• One Community's Practical Plan for Development and Implementation of Interprofessional Medical Education Curriculum,DeborahPoling,DawnLabarbera,MindayYoder,andMaryKiersma

• One Community's Practical Plan for Development and Implementation of Interprofessional Education Curriculum, DeborahPoling,D.LaBarbera,M.Kiersma,andM.Yoder

• Interprofessional Education in Healthcare Disciplines, DeborahPolingandNancyMann

• Interprofessional Education and Service Learning,DeborahPolingandNancyMann

• Interprofessional Education in Healthcare Disciplines,DeborahPolingandNancyMann

• Liberating Insight by Walking in Other People's Shoes, GailRathbun,JaneLeatherman,andRebeccaS.Jensen

• Commitment to Nursing Education,NilaReimer• Engaging Patients in Underserved Populations with Health

Information Technology (HIT), T.Strasen,ShannonF.Johnson,andTammyR.Toscos

Publication Submissions from 2013 • Finding the Way to Evidence-Based Practice,SusanL.AhrensandCarolSusanJohnson

• Clinical Reasoning During Simulation: Comparison of Student and Faculty Ratings, RebeccaS.Jensen

• Cervical Screening: Assessing Patient Anxiety, JanetteS.Jones• Introduction to Pathophysiology,LeeEllenC.Kirkhorn• Pathophysiology, LeeEllenC.KirkhornandJ.Banasik• Openness at the Closing of Life, LeeEllenC.KirkhornandS.Peck

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sp tlightsAlthough I am new to Indiana, having only lived here since July 1, 2013, I already can tell that Fort Wayne is a gracious and welcoming community. As some you may know, I am a widow (my husband died of leukemia in 2001), and the mother of one daughter, Amelia, who will be starting college this coming year. She keeps me busy with her many different activities, and she is the light of my life. I have had the privilege of meeting many of you students at our Nursing Spectacular functions, and your passion for nursing excellence is inspirational.

You will quickly learn that I love teaching and learning and that I am very student centered. In addition to my role as a faculty member, I am also your new chair for the Department of Nursing within the IPFW College of Health and Human Services. I have an open-door policy, and I encourage you to stop by my office (LA 343) and say hello.

You can feel confident that I have considerable teaching and leadership experience. I was a professor of nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for

the past eight years. Prior to that, I held a tenured position at Washington State University’s Intercollegiate College of Nursing (a research-intensive program), where I served more than 20 years as a nurse educator. I also held a position with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I served four years as associate dean of the Western Campus of Nursing in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

I have a long interest in strengthening linkages between community health agencies and academic institutions. In Washington State, I contributed to the college’s nurse-managed People’s Clinic, which was founded in l998. I have published widely in nursing and have conducted three funded, post-doctoral programs of research in applied gerontology. These included a two-year program of study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research, and two others that were funded by the Gerontological Society of America.

Throughout my tenure in nursing education, I have lived in or visited more than 14 different countries, including Singapore, Japan, China, Russia, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Australia. I have also spent time in France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland. My Ph.D. (dissertation topic: nursing ethics) is from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (summa cum laude) is from Washington State University College of Nursing in Spokane, Washington. I also hold a Master of Nursing degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.

The wisdom that I have taken away from every new educational experience has given me a rich appreciation for the nursing practice and has provided incredible insights that shape the way I view the world. I look forward to getting to know each of you and to learning about your interest areas as we launch a new semester here at IPFW. Welcome to the fall term!

Respectfully Yours,Lee-Ellen C. Kirkhorn, PhD, RNIPFW Professor and Chair of Nursing

Spotlight on Our New Department Chair

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Spotlight on IPFW Nursing Faculty who are Purdue Graduate Students or AlumniOne way in which nursing programs obtain faculty is to foster and encourage students within their graduate programs to work in the program during and after their studies. Full-time faculty members are also offered a reduction in the number of courses they teach while returning to earn higher degrees. While many of our current faculty members are alumni of Purdue nursing programs, three will be highlighted in this article.

Dr. Connie Cole just completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Purdue West Lafayette. She has taught in IPFW’s Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program for several semesters and is one of two nurse practitioners who run the Health and Wellness Clinic on campus. Dr. Cole also has her own practice as a nurse practitioner, in which she handles medical concerns for various extended-care facilities. Her experiences in clinical practice help make IPFW’s Nurse Practitioner program a stellar product, and her background as a doctoral program student and faculty member will be leveraged as IPFW moves forward with its DNP program.

Beth Bufink has worked in the nursing laboratory for several semesters. She is completing the IPFW graduate program with a specialization in nursing education and is transitioning to a part-time faculty position that will include lab hours in the fall 2014 semester. Beth, who brings knowledge of perinatal nursing care, including neonatal intensive care nursing, to IPFW’s nursing program, plans to apply for a full-time faculty position when one becomes available. She is a valued member of the lab faculty, especially in terms of debriefing students after patient care simulations to make connections between the simulation and future nursing actions.

Rachel Ramsey completed IPFW’s Master of Science in Nursing program with a specialization in nursing education. She has worked as a full-time clinical assistant professor, teaching in the undergraduate nursing program. Rachel’s experience working as a Registered Nurse in the local hospitals supports her work in clinical instruction. She uses active learning strategies, which have been shown to improve retention of knowledge, in her online and on-campus courses.

Respectfully Yours,Lee-Ellen C. Kirkhorn, PhD, RNIPFW Professor and Chair of Nursing

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tr cking the mast dons

Jo BaumanCoordinator of Advising

Jo Bauman, coordinator of Advising in the Department of Nursing, was raised on a farm outside Monroeville, Indiana. As second oldest of nine children, she grew up in a home where education was taken very seriously. After dinner was cleared from the table, no one went outside to play or turned on the television until

everyone’s homework was complete.

Graduating salutatorian in a rural Allen County high school in the early 1970s, Jo was not encouraged to attend college. Completing a business curriculum in high school, she sought employment at Lincoln Life, where she worked her way up to an executive secretary position. In 1984, Jo and her husband started a family while also starting their construction company, Bauman Construction, Inc. Within six years, Jim and Jo became parents to four children, and continued to provide administrative support for their firm.

In 1993, Jo decided to work on a college degree at IPFW, majoring in psychology. While balancing her many responsibilities, Jo earned the William James Award in Psychology as well as the Psychology Department’s senior scholarship. During her college days, Jo worked with Judy Tillapaugh in Student Wellness.

Upon graduation, an IPFW employee suggested that Jo apply for a position in the Department of Nursing, and Jo responded that she treated all of her children’s injuries with band aids. She realized this position was for a pre-nursing advisor. Jo was chosen for the position, which has grown into advising for pre-nursing, students in the clinical portion of the nursing program, as well as for RNs earning their Bachelor of Science with a Major in Nursing degree. Jo and fellow advisor Sydney Miracle were named IPFW’s Advisors of the Year in 2013.

Jo says she considers it an honor and a privilege to mentor students to fulfill their goals, while working among some of the smartest people she has ever met. Whether representing the Department of Nursing on the IPFW Academic Advising Council, partnering with other advisors in the College of Health and Human Services to form a CHHS Success Center, acting as the department’s Easter Bunny for baskets for the children of SCAN, or as the Christmas Angel for the department’s adopted family from the Salvation Army, Jo approaches each day with a sense of purpose and spirit of joy.

Meet the IPFW Department of Nursing Staff

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Deb Poling, Ph.D., RN, FNP-BC, CNEDirector of Graduate Nursing

Deb Poling is Director of Graduate Nursing programs at IPFW. She has been in this position since August 2011. “I love the opportunity to work with such wonderful students,” she says. “Each of them has so many caring qualities that are sorely needed in our profession today.”

Deb relates how she selected nursing as her career: “My mother was born during the ‘polio era.’ She was infected at six weeks of age and suffered from all the consequences, short of being placed in an iron lung, of that terrible disease. While I was growing up, she was hospitalized at least 21 different times for orthopedic surgeries. That was back in the days when patients were hospitalized for at least a week at a time. I spent lots of time in the hospital, while growing up, to visit her. I loved being in the hospital and watching the nurses work. I knew that they must be really smart, caring, and enjoy being around people.” This led to her decision, telling herself that “I have to be a nurse. My senior year in high school came around and I told the guidance counselor that I was going to study nursing. I was and continue to be extremely proud of the profession.”

During her second year of nursing school at Mt. Carmel School of Nursing, Deb realized that she wanted to be a nurse educator. “I loved my faculty and I thought that what they did seemed so ‘cool.’ So, I began the process of doing what it takes to become a nurse educator,” she relates. She completed

her B.S. in Nursing at IPFW and then completed her M.S.N. at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. She became a certified adult nurse practitioner after graduation, but began her teaching career and worked only part time as a nurse practitioner. She later took courses so that she could sit for the ANCC family nurse practitioner and became an FNP. She completed her Ph.D. in Nursing Education at the University of Northern Colorado in Greely, Colorado, with a dissertation on Nursing Case Management Models: Is There a Difference in Patient Outcomes?

A few of her clinical nursing experiences include serving as a staff nurse on a surgical nursing unit at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio; as a staff and charge nurse in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis at Lutheran Hospital in Ft Wayne; as a nurse manager for two school-based health clinics in Denver, Colorado; as a nurse practitioner in pulmonary at The Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, and as a nurse practitioner in the renal division at University of Colorado Health Sciences.

“I am excited about being part of this university community, and in particular, our IPFW Department of Nursing,” she said, noting that new and exciting graduate nursing programs are coming to IPFW. For more information on these new programs, she suggests that you watch for an announcement that is coming “very soon!”

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tr cking the mast dons (continued)

Dr. Rebecca JensenFormer Director of Research and Simulation

Dr. Rebecca Jensen began teaching at IPFW in 2001 as a continuing lecturer. In the intervening years, she advanced to assistant professor and then associate professor. In addition, she managed the Nursing

Simulation and Skills Center for the past seven years in her position as Director of Research and Simulation. Within the university, Dr. Jensen served on several faculty committees and represented the Department of Nursing on the Faculty Senate. She also held various board-member roles while representing IPFW in the local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the Honor Society for Nursing.

Conducting research for her dissertation and beyond, Dr. Jensen studied how simulation and debriefing affect nursing students’ development of clinical reasoning. She also has led efforts to develop and institute inter-professional patient care simulations to improve collaboration and communication between multiple disciplines and students in the undergraduate nursing program.

In August, Dr. Jensen left IPFW for the opportunity to examine the use of simulation to improve patient care outcomes in the clinical environment by joining Parkview Health Systems as Simulation Lab Manager at the Mirro Family Research and Education Center. “While leaving the faculty position at IPFW was difficult, the new responsibilities in managing the simulation center will provide a way to concentrate on and improve the use of simulation to improve patient outcomes and assess skills and reasoning in practicing healthcare workers, as well as students,” she said.

“While leaving the faculty position at IPFW was difficult, the new responsibilities

in managing the simulation center will provide a way to concentrate on and

improve the use of simulation to improve patient outcomes”.

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Nila ReimerDirector of Undergraduate Nursing

Nila Reimer, who has been teaching in the nursing program for 10 years, says she is honored to be Director of the Undergraduate Nursing program. “I taught nursing clinicals as a limited term lecturer for six years prior to beginning my full-time role at IPFW in 2004. I

began serving in the role of Director of the Undergraduate Nursing program in 2009,” she said.

“I see my career of nursing as a gift and I cannot imagine my world without the experience of nursing,” Nila says in reflecting on her career. “Providing holistic care of persons using authentic presence has expanded my view of the world, for which I am eternally grateful,” she said. “I enjoy learning and growing with nursing students and it is enthralling when students share their experiences with a spirit of inquiry that is key for advancing the nursing profession. With my passion and respect for nursing, I hope to inspire nursing students about the special attributes of nurses that patients deserve during care.”

Nila said that when she started looking into her career, she did not intend to be teaching nursing. “As a student in the IPFW Nursing Program many years ago, I found nursing care exciting, and at that time, I felt that I would always work solely in the healthcare setting. My first love of nursing was intensive care, where I worked for 10 years.” While working in the intensive care unit, she decided to pursue her master’s degree in nursing, which she says, “expanded my world even more. I always

wondered what it was like on the other side of the fence for ill patients whom I cared for in the intensive care unit, so I chose a thesis topic of residents’ engagement in exercise programs in nursing homes.”

Nila soon learned that care of residents required a new and very special humanistic skill of nursing that she needed to learn more about, so she worked in a nursing home, and again found another area of passion. “As I grew in my role in academia, I realized that I needed to further develop my education in order to gain new expertise and understanding about the changes in nursing education. I am honored to have recently completed my Ph.D. in Nursing Science at Indiana University School of Nursing.” Her dissertation topic was Things That Matter to Residents in Nursing Homes and the Nursing Care Implications. She says she is excited to begin sharing her study findings with other nurses and students, and to enhancing their knowledge about care of residents in nursing homes.

“I am blessed to have the opportunity to work with excellent students and faculty at IPFW. Many exciting actions are occurring in our nursing program.” She notes that IPFW currently is collaborating with Parkview Health Network in planning a nurse residency program, and that the program hopes to soon have a nurse-student fellowship in action where students work directly with nursing staff members for a deeper level of learning about evidence-based practice. She points out that the program will focus more on inter-professional education and advanced simulations, adding “I wish to thank our students, faculty, and staff for the opportunity to grow and learn together during these exciting times!”

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Sarah Beckman, IPFW associate professor of nursing, and Johnathan Liechty, IPFW limited term lecturer and Manager of Student Services at Parkview Health, were notified that their abstract,

It is a Brave New World: Students Champion QI Initiatives, was accepted for the 2015 American Nurses Association (ANA) Nursing Quality Conference. Their abstract was chosen for poster presentation by the ANA peer review committee from more than 600 entries received.

The conference is scheduled for February 4-6, 2015, at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The conference theme is “On the Frontline of Quality: The Future of Health Care.” Beckman and Liechty said they are excited to be presenting at the American Nurses Association Quality Conference, which is a leading conference for clinicians, educators, administrators, and executives.

The presentation will report contributions of IPFW senior leadership student projects that were completed in collaboration with nurse preceptors employed at Parkview Health. Partnerships between IPFW and community healthcare agencies are highly valued. This is an opportunity to show how Parkview Health and IPFW are on the frontline of partnering to advance quality goals in health care and nursing education. Undergraduate nursing students work with nurse preceptors in the practice setting and participate in quality-improvement initiatives. In the past, students have

championed projects that changed practices, influenced policy changes, and contributed in meaningful ways to quality improvement goals of community organizations.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to highlight successes and innovations and gain national and international recognition,” said Beckman. “Another benefit of attending such professional conferences is that we are exposed to other success stories that may in part validate our initiatives but are certain to give us new ideas. We expect to return with an attendance list of participants that can assist us in our journey to achieve excellence in teaching, learning, and application to practice.”

Beckman and Liechty indicated that they want to acknowledge Dr. Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn, chair of the IPFW Department of Nursing, Judy Boerger, Chief Nursing Officer for Parkview Health, and Debra Stam, Manager of Work Force Development for Parkview Health, for their continued support and encouragement. “In addition, there are many preceptors, internal change agents, who deserve recognition—for without them, students would not be able to ‘champion’ unique and individualized quality improvement projects,” they said, adding that “collegial teamwork and collaborations yield exponential win-win educational outcomes that make us all proud!”

Editor’s Note: Accompanying this article (pg. 28) is the abstract of the presentation that was selected for the 2015 American Nurses Association Nursing Quality Conference.

Abstract of Beckman and Liechty Chosen for ANA Conference Presentation

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The 2015 American Nurses Association (ANA) Nursing Quality Conference is scheduled for February 4-6, 2015, at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

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Abstract:

It is a Brave New World: Students Champion QI InitiativesCo-Authors: Johnathan Liechty and Sarah Beckman

Purposes: Highlight creative methods used to enhance quality in care delivery. Report outcomes associated with practice-academe partnerships. Describe successful teaching and learning strategies that make transparent the connections between course content, assignments, and real world applications.

Relevance/Significance: Practice-academic partnership in place for 25 years; preceptor model updated as appropriate. Graduates are expected to participate in quality improvement, thus students need experience. Thinking outside-the-box led to students as “QI champions” and rotated emphasis onto the organization to recruit students instead of majority of onus on the faculty member to locate placements. The role of organizational leaders in this new paradigm aligns resources to create and sustain partnerships.

Strategy and Implementation: An innovative strategy for this organization was to partner with a strong baccalaureate nursing program and leverage the relationship by encouraging facility nursing leaders, faculty, and students to identify QI opportunities and to support the student’s work to “translate quality improvement opportunities into viable solutions for professional practice” in the organization.

The challenge that many organizations have are time and dedicated resources, as well as champions to coordinate and steer quality initiatives. This presentation will capture how students in a leadership course satisfy this need—and do so many times in 16 weeks or less during a 90 hour clinical with a preceptor. Student QI champions participated in root cause analyses, helped develop best practice policies and procedures, created educational materials for staff, patients, and families, and presented data to organizational leaders.

Evaluation: Three evidenced-based QI projects impacted practice and outcomes to affect change on the assigned unit (met goals) and changes in the system (exceeded goals). Outcomes included improved working relationships among preceptors, students, and faculty as measured by narrative evaluative comments from project participants. Preceptors and students report intrinsic and professional rewards.

Implications for Practice: Represents best practices for enhancing practice-academe partnerships and can serve as a template for nurse leaders in both settings. Outcomes are influential and more powerful than could be achieved by working alone. The preceptor-student partnership mirrors the preceptor-novice nurse model.

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