UNC Wilmington
School of Nursing Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 2
End of Semester Issue
Editor: Sandra O’Donnell (odonnells@uncw.edu)
Upcoming Dates:
Jan. 7: Spring Semester begins.
Jan. 7: Faculty Meeting, 3:30-5
p.m., 1051 McNeill Hall.
Jan. 9: Spring classes begin.
Jan. 14: Faculty Council Meeting,
3:30-5 p.m., 1051 McNeill Hall.
Jan. 16: Board Meeting of the Nu
Omega Chapter of STTI, 5-6 p.m.,
1022 McNeill Hall.
December 2012
Production: Debra Simpson (simpsond@uncw.edu)
Greetings from the Director
The fall 2012 semester in the School of Nursing is ending with much success. On Dec. 15, the School of Nursing graduated 51 pre-licensure students, two RN to BSN students, 12 master’s students (FNPs) and one
post-master’s FNP certificate student. In addition, five pre-licensure students celebrated the completion of their honors projects.
The School of Nursing has been active in recruiting new faculty. Several
major searches are underway.
Jan 16: Nu Omega Educational
Program. Topic and speaker to be
announced. NHRMC.
In the spring ’13 semester the School of Nursing will be implementing the
new five semester pre-licensure curriculum. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) intent to plan proposal went forward to N. C. General Administration. If all goes
well, the DNP Program will admit five students in fall 2014.
Jan. 28: Undergraduate Council
Meeting, 3-5 p.m. 1028 McNeill.
First-Semester Nursing Instructors Honored
Feb. 18: Prelicensure Council
Meeting, 3-5 p.m., 1028 McNeill.
Mar. 2-10: Spring Break.
Mar. 18: RN-BSN Committee, 3
p.m., 2056 McNeill Hall.
Mar. 20: Sigma Theta Tau Board
Meeting, 5-6 p.m., 1022 McNeill.
Mar. 28-29: Good Friday Holiday.
April 9: Faculty Meeting, 3:30-5
p.m., 1051 McNeill Hall.
April 12: Simulation Workshop on
“Debriefing for Meaningful Learning”. Full-day session.
April 18: Research Day Dinner,
Madeline Suite.
April 19: Research Day Presentations. Burney Center.
First-semester prelicensure nursing
instructors were selected as winners
of the Organization the Month
(OTM) in September.
Adrianne
Hahn, May ’14, nominated this
group for “the outstanding support
that they have provided” the 50
first-semester students. Further, it
was noted that these individuals
“approach situations with patience
and [the] desire to teach.” This
award is given by the National Residence Hall Honorary, an organization which represents the top 1 percent of student leaders who live on
campus. According to the application, it is a means of recognition of outstanding individuals
and programs that have made significant impacts on the UNCW campus.
Pictured above from left to right: Sandra Robinson, Heidi Winslow, Margaret Verzella,
Stephanie Turrise, Kelly Laham, Saralyn Gillikin, Deborah Pollard, Nancy Grant and Sandra
April 26: Last day of classes.
Please submit items of interest,
calendar events, notable achievements, community events and
questions you may have for our
faculty and staff to our editorial/
production staff: Sandy O’Donnell
or Debra Simpson.
Welcome to the Classes of December 2014 and May 2015
We welcome 50 new students to the prelicensure Class of Dec. ’14 and 50 new students to the
new curriculum for the prelicensure Class of May ’15. Congratulations!
Volume 6, Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
Notable Achievements
Kala Duckworth (BSN, Dec. ’11) was selected to participate in a panel of 12 recently licensed nurses who worked with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in Chicago to review questions and provide input to the competency setting
for the planed revisions of the RN-NCLEX exam for April ’13.
Jeanne Kemppainen will publish her co-authored article on “Anxiety Symptoms in HIV-Infected Individuals” in a special
supplement to the January issue of Journal of Nurses in AIDS Care that relates to symptom management in HIV disease.
Kemppainen recorded a podcast at the national conference of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) describing this
article. The podcast will be posted on the ANAC Facebook page in January.
April Mathias was awarded $12,000 through the J. Richard Corbett Charitable Trust Grant to conduct research on Oral Histories of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps University Degree Program Graduates.
Kathleen Ennen made a presentation for the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) Group of Holden Beach, N.C. on Oct. 22. Her
topic was “Safe Exercise for Older Women.” Ennen has also published her research on women and strokes. The citation is as
follows: Ennen, K. A., & Beamon, E. R. (2012). Women and stroke knowledge; Influence of race, age, marital status, and residence location. Health Care of Women International, 33(10), 922-942.
Susan Roberts, associate professor of clinical research, presented her research at the 12th Annual Conference of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance. The abstract of her study, entitled The Ribavirin Pregnancy Registry: Challenges & Lessons Learned, was authored by Roberts, S. S., Jones, J. K., Miller, R. K,, Lau, L. F., Kwo, P. Y., Greene, M. F., Nexsoi, D. R.,
Robertson, C. S., and Maddrey, W. C.
Madelaine Lawrance published her article in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The citation for the publication is: Lawrence, M. & Repede, R. (2012). Incidence of deathbed communications and impact on dying experience. American Journal of Palliative Medicine. Doi: 10.1177/1049909112468222
Natalie Locklear (MSN, Dec. ’12), pictured left, received a generous donation from Nurse Advocate Board Member Becky Varner. This donation assisted with the printing of a 10-page brochure to be distributed to members of the Lumbee tribe. Locklear’s masters project involved the
development of a culturally tailored patient education brochure for reducing cardiovascular risk
factors in Lumbee Indians.
Mariah Whisenhunt (MSN, May ’13), pictured right, presented a
poster at the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and
Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) on Nov. 17 at Duke University.
Allison Jacobs (MSN, Dec. ’11) had her manuscript “Diabetes and Medication Adherence among
Lumbee Indians Living in Rural Southeastern North Carolina” accepted for publication in the
Journal of Transcultural Nursing.
Congratulations to graduate faculty Susan Marshall who successfully defended her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project titled “Health benefits regarding cardiovascular disease in adults in a
private practice.” She will be awarded the DNP from Vanderbilt University in May.
Congratulations to undergraduate faculty Brandy Mechling who successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation titled “Living in a
shadow: Parental depression through the eyes of emerging adult children, their perspectives and current psychosocial wellbeing.” She will be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in May.
Congratulations to Jared Schneider (Dec. ’12) on his new commission as a U.S. Army officer. Schneider, who was released from
military duties to attend nursing school under the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program (ACEP), will return to the U.S.
Army as a Commissioned Officer and serve as an Army Nurse.
Volume 56 Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
Notable Recognition
Lolita Bryant (MSN, May ’11, RN-BSN, May ’04) was the keynote speaker at the Second Annual
College of Health and Human Services Convocation on Sept. 24. Bryant, currently nursing supervisor and
administrative operations officer at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and part-time instructor for
Cape Fear Community College, spoke on her nursing education and career path over the past 23 years.
She offered her insights as to how individuals can achieve the success that is hoped for and to make an
impact.
Kathleen Ennen was awarded the 2012 Mentorship in Nursing Award presented by the North Carolina
Nurses Association Board of Directors on Oct. 3 during the Annual NCNA Convention.
Patty White presented her poster depicting learning objectives and outcomes of Reflective Day, a compilation of learning activities requiring 48-50 nursing students to examine how an illness or chronic condition impacts both patient and families. The
presentation was made at the Celebrating Teaching with Provost Battles reception Dec. 6. White’s proposal on student driven
simulation for the upcoming UNCW’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) applied learning was accepted for the upcoming semester. Also, White has been accepted for a poster presentation on March 9 at the Fourth Annual “So You Bought the Manikin, Now What?” conference in Greensboro. The poster will be titled, “The Nuts and Bolts of Student Driven Simulation.”
Congratulations to RuthAnne Kuiper, Carol Heinrich, April Matthias, M. Graham and Lorna Kotwall-Bell whose 2008 research
was cited in the January/February issue of Nurse Educator. The research compared nursing students’ clinical reasoning after
simulation to clinical reasoning following an authentic clinical experience. The citation for the article is: Lusk, J. M. & Fater,
K. (2013). Postsimulation debriefing to maximize clinical judgment development, Nurse Educator 38(1), p. 16-19.
Honor Students Recognized for Achievements
Congratulations to the Dec. ’12 honors students for completing and defending
their honors theses. These students received their honors medallions on Dec. 9.
Pictured below are (from left to right): Jessica Messina (Dec. ’12), Katie Godown
(Dec. ’12), Bethanne Dehler (Dec. ’12), Mallory Ehrenzellar (Dec. ’12) and Kristin George (Dec. ’12). These students, who were selected as part of the Honors
College during their Freshman year of study, chose to conduct research projects
in nursing and will graduate with Department Honors.
Forty and Eight Society Voiture Scholarship Endowment Increases
The Forty and Eight Society Voiture 245 increased their scholarship endowment in
nursing with a gift of $2,000. The local chapter has invested in UNCW students since
1979. The Forty and Eight Society has awarded scholarships of $1,000 each to eight
prelicensure students this academic year. Scholarships are available to nursing students who have been residents of Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover or Pender
counties for a minimum of five years.
The Forty and Eight Society was formed in 1920 by veterans of World War I. The
name was derived from “40/8” signs indicating cargo capacity of 40 men and 8
horses who were often transported to the front lines in French railroad boxcars.
After the Korean War, nursing scholarships became a priority for the national Forty and Eight Society when the shortage of
registered nurses became apparent. The local chapter of the Forty and Eight Society established the scholarship in nursing at
UNCW in memory of John H. McInnis, former director of Voiture 245’s Nurses Training Committee; Dorothy Dixon, former
director of the UNCW School of Nursing; and Harold Sternberger, one of the original members of the organization.
Pictured above from left to right: Owen Martin, Walker Biggs, SON Director James McCann, Harold Davis, Manly Davis and
CHHS Dean Charles Hardy.
Volume 6, Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
Congratulations to the Newest Members of the Nu Omega Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau
International
Congratulations to the following students and nurse leaders for their
recent induction on Nov. 1 into the Nu Omega Chapter of Sigma
Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing:
Prelicensure Inductees (pictured right):
Jordan Allen
Madeline Chastain
Laura Davis
Betsy Dickerson
Emily Durham
Mallory Ehrenzeller
Kaitlyn Elliott
Elizabeth Laney
Jill Ferebee
Megan Garland
Katherine Godown
Megan Goodwin
Julia Houston
Hayley Kerr
Mattie King
Brittany Martin
Hannah McClung
Chandler Moeller
Katheryn Smith
Amy Stryjewski
Katheryn Walsh
Joan Feagan
RN to BS Inductees:
Pamela Balogh
Tammy Marquez
Heather Mitchell
Kellie Nye
Carrie Peterson
Sarah Silvers
Rebecca Trickey
Nurse Leaders (pictured above left):
Carolyn Brown
Saralyn Gillikin
Wendy Holmes
Heather Sear
Christy Simmerman
Marie Williams
Master of Science Inductees (pictured above right):
Courtney Chostner
Jena Coltrane
Kelly Crenshaw
Laurie Edwards
Colleen Fels
Jessica Harris
Ernestine Johnson
Tricia Reich
Merrie Walters
Student Certification Exam Success
The annual first-time pass rate for 2012 on NCLEX is as follows: 96 percent pass rate for the Class of Dec. ’11 and 98 percent
pass rate for the Class of May ’12.
The Family Nurse Practitioner graduating class of Dec. ’11 had a first-time FNP Certification Exam pass rate of 100 percent.
Volume 6, Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
Congratulations to the December 2012 Graduates!
MSN Graduates
Family Nurse Practitioner
Cynthia Amber Brown
Kelly Lynne Capobianco
Lorene Prazak Cooper
Donnay Hall Elkins
Jamie Shepard Hamm
Jenna Breanne Hedrick
Kelli Renee Kelderhouse
Natalie Pierce Locklear
Cathy Gayle Mann
Rachel Josephine Miller
Alexis Dawn Medlin Passingham
Amanda Jo Stone
FNP Post Masters Certificate
Sharon Rising Wilkerson
BS Graduates
RN/BS Martha Crystal Byrd
Prelicensure (pictured below)
Sarah Louis Baric
Pamela Ann Betz
Jessica Lynne Bledsoe
Stephanie Lillian Brown
Lila Katherine Byrd
Sarah Elizabeth Campbell
Anna Victoria Cooley
Tammy Lynn Craig
Laura Kathryn Davis
Bethanne Dehler
Emily Yasemin Dillard
Kelly Anne Donoghue
Julia Anne Donovan
Mallory Frances Ehrenzeller
Lauren Elizabeth Elium
Kaitlyn Suzanne Elliott
Joan Elizabeth Feagan
Tiffany Lynn Freeman
Rebecca Anne Furr
Megan Elizabeth Garland
Kristen Elizabeth Gay
Kristin George
Allie Taylor Gilbert
Katherine Anne Godown
Julia Elizabeth Houston
Kelli Marie Hunt
Amelia Mariel Incze
Aaron Michael Jamison
Mattie Denise King
Elizabeth Jean Laney
Kara Ann Legrand
Meghan Elizabeth Lynch
Brittany Nicole Martin
Jessica Sarah Messina
Anna Elizabeth Miller
Kristin Faith North
Michelle Susan Paulson
Lauren Faye Petasne
Stephanie Leigh Price
Cory Alan Rogge
Jared Richard Schneider
Allison Ann Sears
Amanda Leigh Shirley
Sarah Elizabeth Silvers
William Robert Simpson
Tabitha Elayne Smith
Robert Michael Speight II
Emelie Jane Spinks
Morgan Michelle Tevlin
Kathryn Renee Walsh
Layne Mitchell Winstead
Volume 6, Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
Simulation Center News
The Simulation Learning Center (SLC) continued to have a very active semester as current simulations are refined and/or expanded upon and new activities for student learning are created and implemented. With several new full- and part-time faculty, there have been additional orientation and training sessions for these instructors. The newly acquired Virtual IV® simulator has had outstanding reviews by students and faculty alike. It serves as a teaching tool for students learning the skill of IV
insertion and also for student review as they enter their last clinical course. The graduate nurse practitioner students are able to
practice a procedure through use of a newly purchased task trainer.
In October, the first faculty development program offered by the Simulation Learning Committee was offered to 19 faculty and
staff in which the latest national simulation initiatives and research were presented. A full-day program, scheduled for April
12, 2013, will be offered with guest speaker Kristina Dreifuerst from Indiana University School of Nursing, who will present
her model of simulation debriefing entitled “Debriefing for Meaningful Learning.” This program will be open to non-UNCW
participants as well.
A cooperative program between the SON and the Watson College of Education in November focused on the medically fragile
child in the school environment due in large part to the efforts of SON faculty Patty White and Carolyn Jackson.
Numerous tours were conducted for individuals and groups, which included the newly appointed Provost Denise Battles, the SEAHEC College
Bound Program, the UNCW Scrubs and Scholars course and the CHHS
Facilities Management Task Force. Representatives from the Fayetteville
and local Veterans Administration also received a tour of the center and
discussions are underway for future use of the center by this organization.
Students enrolled in the Cameron Business School course Training and
Development toured the center with an interest on simulation technology
used in the delivery of employee training and development programs. On
Dec. 3, the final tour of the semester was conducted for 20 students from
Charity Middle School in Rose Hill, N.C., who are interested in becoming
nurses. (A photo taken during the tour is at right.)
For the spring ’13 semester strategic planning for utilization and organization of the SLC has begun as the number of enrolled
first semester prelicensure students will be 100 and a Foundations of Nursing course will be offered for the first time.
ANS Hosts the Second Be the Match Registration Drive
The UNCW Association of Nursing Students (ANS) hosted their second on-campus Be the Match bone marrow donor registration drive in the Warwick Center Ballroom. Twenty ANS volunteers recruited UNCW students, staff and others to join this
national registry. The Be the Match marrow registry is a national database consisting of names of those who have been tissuetyped and undergone a thorough confidential health review. Once an individual has joined the registry, he or she is part of a
national database consisting of potential bone marrow matches. If an individual anywhere in the world becomes ill and requires a bone marrow transplant, a matched individual may be called upon. At the October drive, nearly 50 new potential donors were added to the registry.
Additional information on the Be the Match organization is available at www.marrow.org. Another drive is planned for the
spring ’13 semester. Special appreciation goes to Devon Kerner (BSN, Dec. ’13) for her efforts in organizing and publicizing
these events.
News from the Office of Student Services
The Office of Student Services has been successful using the online appointment scheduling system. Also, the office is currently
converting all paper files to electronic ones. This conversion is expected to be completed in the spring semester.
Volume 6, Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
ANS News
Several Association of Nursing Students (ANS) events during the
fall 2012 semester benefited the community. Operation Christmas Child was a fundraiser where ANS members filled shoeboxes
with items such as toys, coloring books, socks, school supplies
and hygiene items. A total of 69 boxes were donated to the Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. Also, the officers
organized a clothing drive that donated clothes to the Wilmington Interfaith Housing Network, an organization that provides
shelter, meals, case management and educational services to
homeless families. The Be the Match bone marrow donor registration drive was held in October (see related story on page 6)
and with gratitude to 20 ANS volunteers added 50 new potential
donors to the national bone marrow registry.
Other philanthropic activities included participation in the Diabetes Walk, Heart Walk, Run for the Ta Ta’s, the Zombie Run,
Escape to Sisterhood, Breathe Deep Wilmington where ANS
members participate in a four-mile walk/run to benefit lung can- ANS members who participated in the Breathe Deep Wilmington 4mile walk/run to benefit lung cancer research are pictured above.
cer research (see photo above), and Runway for Robbie. In addition to the $173 raised for the Heart Walk, three volunteers
participated in a blood pressure screening. At the Escape to Sisterhood event, five ANS members took blood sugar and blood
pressure readings. ANS also partnered with Tri Sigma Sorority to raise money for the Robbie Page Foundation, a foundation
developed to fund the building of play atriums in the Chapel Hill and Dallas Children’s Hospitals. Members were able to set up
for the event as well as model in the fashion show.
Each semester, ANS organizes its own fundraising events. During the fall ’12 semester T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, hooded
sweatshirts, zip-up sweatshirts, sweatpants and car decals were sold. The garments with UNCW SON logos and decals raised
nearly $1,500 for the organization. Also, the ANS is currently sponsoring a “scrub donation” campaign in which the graduating
nursing students may offer gently used UNCW scrubs and polo shirts as possible donations to underclassmen seeking to obtain
or replace their clinical uniforms.
El Salvador Experience: Feb. 28 - March 9
Six students will be participating in the El Salvador Experience, led by faculty Jane Fox. Students work with people of all ages
from five indigent communities near La Libertad in El Salvador. Due to the diligent efforts of faculty and students alike,
health care is provided. Students are able to take client health histories, perform physical exams, suggest treatments and offer
patient education. A pharmacy is set up by the graduate student participants for medication administration. Fluency in Spanish if not required because of the availability of local interpreters.
Donations will be accepted in January for distribution among the natives. Suggestions for donations include light clothing for
all ages, hats, sunglasses, small toys and small toiletries.
Reflective Day Projects for the Pediatric and Community Nursing Courses: A Huge Success
On Nov. 29, 48 students enrolled in the undergraduate Pediatrics and Community nursing courses presented their reflective
projects to the course faculty, other students and guests. This assignment was a collaborative effort between the two courses
and one that has been accepted as a QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) applied and interactive learning experience (see related
story on page 3). The students were required to select a patient who had an impact on them and then create a product which
various aspects of the arts and humanities were incorporated. The presentations were varied in artistic scope and very creative:
interpretive dance, poems, photography, videography, composed music, paintings, quilts, soliloquies and other means of creative expression. Students were also required to write reflective essays on their experiences, which provided additional insight
into the individual student nurse/patient experiences.
Volume 6, Issue 2
School of Nursing Newsletter
Notable Recognition: Recipients of the December 2011 School of Nursing Awards
Excellence Award: Presented to a student with a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.25, outstanding clinical performance and nominated from students and faculty with final endorsement by the faculty:
Pre-licensure: Stephanie Brown
Graduate Students: Kelly Capobianco and Amanda Jo Stone
Achievement Award: Presented to the student who demonstrates growth and mastery of concepts and practices in nursing,
utilizes resources effectively to develop potential and takes initiative for personal learning growth:
Pre-licensure - Senior: Sarah Elizabeth Silvers
Prelicensure - Junior: Jennie Duncan
Graduate: Cathy Mann
DNP Proposal Update
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) proposal for implementation within the SON has been submitted to the Provost Office
of Academic Affairs where evaluation and edits will occur before submission to the General Administration.
Consultant H. Michael Dreher, associate professor of the Advanced Nursing Role Department at the College of Nursing and
Health Professions at Drexel University will assist graduate faculty Jan. 16-18 with curriculum development.
New Faculty Positions Filled
The following individuals have been selected to join the faculty. Brief biographical information and photos will follow in the
early spring edition of the newsletter. The individuals and the programs in which they will serve are as follows:
Michelle McEwen - Undergraduate Foundations and Women’s Health (full time)
Stephanie Turrise -Undergraduate Adult Health (full time)
Nancy Ahern - Undergraduate and Graduate Program (full time)
Lisa Long - Graduate Program (part time)
Rand Pennington - Graduate Program (part time)
Kellie Bemelmans - Clinical Research Program (part time)
Barbara Pennington - Clinical Research Program (full time)
Diane Parker - Graduate Program (returning part time)
The search for candidates to assist in the RN-BSN program and a Simulation Learning Education Specialist is currently underway. Other positions in which searches will continue are: the McNeill Distinguished Professor, Mental Health, Adult Health,
MSN-FNP/DNP and Clinical Research faculty.
Clinical Research Program Applications Increase
Applications for admission in the Clinical Research Program have increased to 55, the largest number to date.
Please submit calendar events, notable
achievements, community events, research/scholarship activities and questions for faculty/staff to our editorial and
production staff: Sandy O’Donnell
(odonnells@uncw.edu) or Debra Simpson (simpsond@uncw.edu).
Final Lingering Thought . . .
Have a Joyous Holiday!