The New “Essentials”: Re-envisioning the BSN Curriculum

gator nursethe newsletter for the alumni of the uf college of nursing | fall 2010 | Vol. Xii, no. 4

the

Junior Bsn student candace Kuphal plays with a toddler at a day care center.But this is no ordinary day care center. it is housed in the loften center, a magnet high school and home to the

accePt program, which provides services for teens who are pregnant or already have children. it is the only high school in gainesville with day care services for students, and candace and her fellow Bsn

classmates work with the children, assessing them and engaging them in constructive play. afterward, the nursing students turn their attention to the moms attending class on the other side of the school, learning to assess the teens physiological and mental health issues.

it’s all part of a new way the uf college of nursing is educating the next generation of nurses. candace is one of 191 new students who are the first class in a newly revised Bsn curriculum that incorporates clinical learning at community sites such as the loften center.

A group of junior BSN students at their community clinical site—the Loften Center. As part of the new BSN curriculum, students visit sites in the community to gain awareness of health promotion and prevention.

“We recognized that health care is increasingly occurring in so many sites outside of the traditional hospital, and those types of experiences would benefit our students as health care needs continue to evolve,” said Jodi Irving, Mn, arnP, assistant professor and member of the curriculum revision team.

the revision came after much work and discussion by the College’s faculty and based on the recommendations of the american association of Colleges of nursing’s Baccalaureate essentials docu-ment, which was updated in 2008.

Across the Lifespan“our curriculum will be strengthened

by this update,” said sharon Bradley, DnP, rn, interim associate dean for academic and student affairs and curriculum coordi-nator during the Bsn curriculum revision. “our faculty studied and applied recom-mendations from the aaCn essentials and documents from the Institute on Medicine and the Joint Commission, among others, to create a curriculum that responds to our future health care environment. We want to educate the next generation of nursing

professionals who will provide patient-centered care and are well-positioned to improve outcomes and impact the health of our patients.”

While the previous curriculum focused more on pediatric, maternity, adult and elderly health specialties, the new curricu-lum looks across the lifespan of the patient and the curriculum moves from simple to

high-resolution models of health care. It also incorporates more types of clinical sites outside of the traditional acute care setting such as the Loften Center—a community-based site.

Partnering for PatientsIn addition, the curriculum emphasizes

areas of growing importance in health care:

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Student Andrew Schmucker takes the blood pressure of a resident of the 400 Building where Schmucker’s clinical group talks to lower-income and largely underserved residents about health promotion and awareness.

Candace Kuphal reads a book to a little boy at the Loften Center day care for the children of teen mothers.

2 the gator nurse

genetics, informatics, evidence-based practice and interprofessionalism. one of the learning components is the students’ participation in the Interdisciplinary Family health program, where students from different health-related college at uF form teams of three and are assigned a client in the community. the team assesses their clients’ health care needs in a physical, psychological and social framework.

By working together for a year and bringing in mul-tiple perspectives, each stu-dent sees the contributions of the different professions. It was an eye-opening experience for stephanie Dyal, a nursing junior who is partnered with a medical and pharmacy stu-dent in the IFh program.

“It was interesting to see how each of us approached our patient’s health care needs through a completely dif-ferent lens and with unique strategies,” Dyal said. “rather than be counterproductive, it proved to be quite helpful and informative to learn and understand from my peer on health care issues and ques-tions I hadn’t thought about. I think we all felt the same way, and it just enhanced the patient experience.”

Full-Circlethe nursing curriculum has always

emphasized health promotion and preven-tion, but the new curriculum emphasizes health promotion at the very beginning of their nursing education, especially at the community sites.

gradually the students move to set-tings where more complex care is delivered. typical areas of nursing practice will be inte-grated throughout the curriculum so that

students see patients at various stages in their lives with varying degrees of health issues.

as a result, students have a full-circle experience. they can see how the health promotion efforts they learned about and administered early in their curriculum can do much to prevent the serious illness they

encounter in patients at the end of their curriculum.

“today, patients have more chronic health problems, are more vulnerable, and are discharged more quickly to the home and to community settings requiring greater attention to the coordination of care,” Bradley said. “In Florida especially as the baby boomers age, our future nurses will see an increasingly older adult population with greater diversity and cultural variation. this type of curriculum helps to prepare them for that future.”

another unique aspect of the curricu-lum is that faculty members are team-teach-ing courses, which provides students with additional exposure to different disciplines. all of the accelerated and generic Bsn stu-dents are divided into six teams with four faculty members assigned to each. each team has faculty members representing each of

the three departments and varying clinical expertise.

People in Your NeighborhoodFaculty members also utilize

an innovative learning tool called “the neighborhood,” which is a virtual community specifically designed to enhance nursing edu-cation by featuring 11 households and community agencies. the stu-dents are able to interact with the households which contain 40 featured characters, representing individuals from various cultural groups across the age, health-illness and socioeconomic spectrums.

“We tie what the students may be learning in their didactic classes to the situations in these households,” said Crystal Martz, Msn, rn, clinical assistant pro-fessor in community health nurs-ing. “In weekly seminars, we then

discuss these health-related issues and ask the students to apply their knowledge to various health scenarios. the students have really responded to this.”

Faculty members and students have reacted positively to the overall curriculum change, Bradley said.

“We have had positive feedback from both faculty and students thus far,” Bradley said. “Change is never easy but often neces-sary. But if you have a high caliber of stu-dents and faculty, you always get better than what you expected.”

Lunise Benjamin plays with some of the day care center children.

“ Today, patients are sicker and discharged more quickly so they are still sick in these

types of community settings. In Florida, especially as the baby boomers age, our

future nurses will see increasing diversity and acuity in the patient population. This

type of curriculum helps to better prepare them for that future.” — Sharon Bradley, DNP, RN

FaLL 2010 3

these simple words were painstakingly pieced together and writ-ten on a folded piece of paper by a Maasai man in rural southeastern Kenya. the man—not fluent in english—had managed to find a way to impart this simple message in order to thank those who work at the africa Infectious Disease (aID) Village Clinics. the Clinics are a us-based charity that provides medical care and education to roughly 100,000 Maasai people. at the helm of this venture is uF nursing alumna ann Lurie, a global philanthropist and president of aID Village Clinics.

In 2009, Lurie received an honorary doctorate in public ser-vice from uF and was named the uF College of nursing alumna of the Year. upon reconnecting with uF and the College, Lurie

offered uF nursing Dean Kathleen Long and Clinical assistant Professor sally Bethart a unique opportunity to visit the aID Clinic in Kenya and witness firsthand the incredible work being done to improve the health and quality of life for rural village communities in africa by providing timely and accurate disease diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and health education.

Long and Bethart traveled to Kenya in september. Long stayed for 10 days, and Bethart will be there through mid-December, assessing infection control measures at the Clinics and working closely with Lurie and the nursing and health care staff in establishing protocols.

Lurie’s background in nursing and health care has inspired and guided her philanthropy, which focuses on empowering communities and insuring real world results. In 2002, Lurie and

Kenyan medical staff began with a trailer outfitted with a laboratory, examination room and toilet facilities, eventually establishing a fixed-base compound where aID Village Clinics was born. In the past six years, aID Village Clinics has continued its mobile outreach and created a fixed-base compound of 22 buildings, including laboratory facilities, a dispensing pharmacy, inpatient facili-ties for seriously ill patients, and a voluntary counseling and testing center for hIV.

to provide a glimpse of the experience Long and Bethart shared at the aID Village Clinics, here is Dean Long’s recount of a day in Kenya, which was sent to nursing faculty.

Nursing Dean and Faculty

Member Experience Health Care

Firsthand in Kenyan Clinic

“"You do good work here. People

who come here get well. I want

to say thank you very much.”"

Top: Clinical Assistant Professor Sally Bethart, UF nursing alumna

Ann Lurie and Dean Kathleen Ann Long stand in front of the AID

Village Clinic in Kenya.

Bottom: Some of AID Village Clinic’s “neighbors.”

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dean’smessage

Dean Long donates her "magic blood" to help aid a very ill Kenyan girl.

Dean Long set to hop aboard the small plane used to carry visitors

to and from the AID Village Clinic in remote Kenya.

Bethart will be in Kenya through mid-December. She is pictured here while helping at one of the mobile clinics that visits the Maasai community to provide care.

I thought I would tell you about what I am calling “my best day” to give you a flavor of the clinic and our work here, which is multifaceted.

On Friday morning, Sally and I went to rounds—I to pediatrics and Sally to the adult area. In rounds it was noted that one of the little girls who is HIV-positive continues to be terribly anemic despite their best nutritional efforts. For several days all she has done is sleep fitfully and cry—scream actually—whenever she is touched. They needed a blood transfusion for her, and they did not have a donor with her type. I happen to have a type she can use and volunteered. The staff seemed a bit surprised that I would do this, however, I was very comfortable in making this decision.

I had had my blood typed and cross-matched earlier, and then was ready to donate, which I did. Lest you wonder about any risk to me, I had been thoroughly assured by the Clinics’ sponsor that she and her family members had donated several times, and they were absolutely confident in the sterile procedures used. Sally accompanied me for the donation, and her “eagle eyes” assured me that the sterile technique was perfect.

I spent the rest of the day on the wards, helping and watching, depending on what was needed. That evening as it was getting dark, we ran into Ann who needed our help. This led to what we choose to call “three strong nurses” doing what needed to be done. With a small flashlight we opened up two large (train car size) shipping containers to look for baby bassinets. The opening involved a lot of pushing, pulling and figuring. The shipments had come from China, and I must say they were SECURELY closed, partly by rusted latches. Sally, Ann and I had our strength tested. After much searching, we found the bassinets—in various boxes in the second shipping container, a bit of a challenge in the dark. We then carried them in various pieces and multiple trips across the compound, washed them, assembled them and put the newly admitted, tiny, premature infants in them. We bundled them with blankets and got a little blowing heater going. We were tired.

At the end of the day, as we turned to leave the ward, I spotted the same tiny little girl who was so lethargic and irritable earlier in the day. She was now sitting up in bed with her grandmother nearby. I waved to her and she smiled and waved back; the transfusion was running and almost completed, and already she seemed so much better. While we, of course, cannot take any photos of patients— in my mind it is a picture that I will never forget.

The next morning at rounds, the pediatrician commented that I must have “magic blood” because the child was so much stronger. I think the magic was actually in the experience. It was very meaningful to have done something, however small, to help.

FaLL 2010 5

the Vietnamese boy is a “prison child,” just one of the many young charges touched by Karen reed, Dhsc, Msn, rn, a Clinical assistant Professor in the College of nursing, during her third trip to Cambodia this summer. she visited in 2005 and 2007 to learn about the country and teach nurses about rehabilitation.

When she had the oppor-tunity to return this summer, she jumped at the chance. this time, her mission was to teach Cambodian undergraduate nurs-ing students. For six weeks, she battled extreme heat, daunting language barriers and a lack of fundamental understanding to instruct her “hatchlings” on everything from metabolism to alcoholism.

reed’s dynamic teach-ing techniques were a refresh-ing change from the traditional style of teaching in Cambodia: Faculty sit at a desk and read from their lectures, which often contain obsolete information due to their own insufficient education.

Instead, she used team proj-ects, relay races, flashcards and colored pencils to rouse all the senses, enhance understanding and break through language bar-riers. For many of the terms she taught, there is no Khmai

(Cambodian language) equivalent. “I was constantly having to filter their responses: are they

understanding, not understanding, how do I make them under-

stand?” she said. “so I used stories. Cambodians love stories. they will sit for hours to listen to a good story.”

she also had to come up with examples that translated with-out words, like using a light switch to explain how the thyroid gland switches metabolism on and off.

on top of the language barrier, she taught her students a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology — as well as biology, pathology, pharmacy and nursing.

and then, of course, there was the heat.“I never knew I could produce that much sweat. I’m teach-

ing endocrine and fluid and electrolytes, and there would be a disease where profuse perspiration was one of the symptoms, and the students would go, ‘Dr. Karen, do you have this disease?’” she recalled, laughing. “no, I’m just 52 and menopausal. that’s the cruel joke.”

Despite the difficulties, reed is committed to educating her “hatchlings” on nursing management of diseases, collaboration with pharmacists and physicians and the role of the nurse as a patient advocate. such concepts are alien in Cambodia, which lacks an accredited nursing program — as well as transplants, outpatient dialysis and MrIs. Patients receive treatment primarily from no-cost missionary and church-run hospitals.

on weekends, reed traveled to these remote health-care havens to offer her expert care. In addition to the rampant mal-nutrition and lack of dental care she witnessed, she is especially concerned with caring for Cambodia’s elderly. the Khmer rouge genocide during the 1970s nearly decimated a generation. among the almost 15 million people in Cambodia, fewer than 50,000 are over 70.

she plans to return next year to witness her students’ progress in nursing school.

“they’re some of the bravest people I know because of the personal sacrifices they make over a long period of time,” reed said. “Who am I to hold back and not give freely of my knowledge, my time and my talent? Failure to do so is to fail an entire country. and I’m just not willing to let them down.”

summer in cambodia:nursing Professor teaches, touches lives in Poor country

by Shayna Brouker

The little Vietnamese boy in the yellow shirt was not born in the harsh environment of a Cambodian prison but

arrived with his mother when she was arrested for drug traf-ficking. Just 5, he was thrown into a world of violence and fear. But for just a few minutes, he is enveloped in the grace and bright smile of a tall American woman as she balances his feet on hers, grasping his small hands in a playful dance.

Reed kept a detailed blog of her experience. Visit www.cambodianrn.wordpress.com.

(Top) Dr. Karen Reed pictured with her Cambodian nursing students and (bottom)

while visiting patients in the community.

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Changing Leadership in the College of Nursing academic and student affairs

the College is pleased to wel-come new members of its admin-istrative team. after studying the complex position of the associate Dean for academic and student affairs and gathering input, Dean Long decided to alter the leadership positions in the office to give more focus on both academic affairs and student affairs. In november, Jean Ballantyne, PhD, rn, will be the new associate Dean for academic affairs and sharon Bradley, DnP, rn, will be the new assistant Dean for student affairs. Dr. Bradley has served as Interim associate Dean for academic and student affairs since May.

Dr. Ballantyne previously served as Director of the university of alaska-anchorage’s school of nursing and Campus Director of Montana state university’s Billings Campus.

Dr. Bradley has been at the College of nursing since 2000. Prior to being named the Interim associate Dean, she served as the College’s curriculum coordina-tor and served on the faculty team to revise the College’s Bsn curriculum. College of nursing associate Dean for academic and student affairs Karen Miles, edD, rn, retired in May after four years of service to the College.

archer family health care is

“all aboard” for new electronic health records

the faculty and staff at the college’s nurse-managed health center, archer family health care (afhc), are in the process of adopting a new electronic health record (ehr) and practice management (Pm) system. afhc is one of a 30-member consortium of safety net providers across the country working with alliance of chicago communi ty h e a l t h services to implement these state-of-the-art systems. the traditional, paper-based health record currently in use will be replaced by the ehr and the new Pm system will be used for scheduling, billing, and financial management.

the ehr will facili-tate the engagement of patients in health promotion activities and in development of their treatment regimens. electronic communication among providers, between providers and specialists, and between pro-viders and pharmacies will enhance continuity of care across the health continuum. faculty members and students will use the new system to access a data warehouse on health care outcomes for the types of patients served by consor-tium members.

archer family health care implemented the Pm sys-tem in november and is set to “go live” with the new ehr after the first of the year. following full implementation, all records will be paperless, another advantage of the new system.

in keeping with archer’s railroad history, patients are being informed of upcoming changes using an “all-aboard the train to electronic health records” theme so that they better understand the transition.

gator nurses and friends…please send us your most updated email address for our records. so much of today’s communication is going online, and we want to be sure you receive the latest updates on gator nursing as well as invitations to regional gator nurse gatherings in your area. Please send your updated email address (and any other updated contact information) to lindsey stevens in the Public relations and alumni affairs office (lmstevens@ufl.edu or call 352-273-6395).

We want to stay better connected with you!

dr. Bradley

dr. Ballantyne

The Archer Family Health Care EHR transition team consists of College faculty and staff members: (Back row, L-R) Latacha Robinson, Justin Burley, Holly Farish-Hunt, Anita Touchston, Denise Schentrupp and Phyllis Stephens. (Front row): Susan Schaffer, Joan Walker and Chikako Alvardo.

We Want to Connect…

WiTh You!

FaLL 2010 7

Anastasia Albanese O’NeillBsn to PhD student

For anastasia albanese-o’neill, a promise she made to her 6-year-old daughter is what brought her to pursue a career in nursing. albanese-o’neill’s daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16 months.

“My husband and I have always told our daughter that we have to do more than simply ‘hope for a cure.’ We have to engage in the process of contributing to its discovery — whether that’s through raising money, awareness, or participating in research.”

after years in marketing and public affairs, albanese-o’neill enrolled in the uF accelerated Bsn program and received her Bsn degree in 2008. she learned to greatly admire the extraordinary and critical role nurses play in our health care system.

after graduation, it seemed albanese-o’neill would fulfill her promise when she was hired in her current position as Director of the uF nPoD diabetes project, a collaborative type 1 diabetes research effort headed by College of Medicine eminent scholar Chair Mark atkinson, that seeks to better understand the causes of diabetes in humans and ultimately find a cure for the disease. In addition to acting as the Director for nPoD, she also serves as a diabetes nurse educator in the pediatric diabetes clinics.

But it wasn’t enough. albanese-o’neill couldn’t stop thinking about all of the possible ways to improve the lives of children who live with diabetes and the family members who care for them. so she enrolled in the College’s Bsn to PhD program to ultimately conduct her own research and contribute to the field.

“I believe that we can better leverage technology to improve both diabetes education and diabetes management, and some of those improve-ments will come from best practices in nursing,” albanese-o’neill said. “I also believe that nursing research can complement the extraordinary efforts already underway at the uF Diabetes Center and engage more people in research and progress toward a cure.”

Albanese-O’Neill with her daughter, Cassidy and son, Jackson at one of their favorite places, “The Swamp.”

gator nursing students:

working hard to achieve their dreams

students

Consider including the College of Nursing in your year-end giving.

For more information, contact Anna harper at aemiller@ufl.edu or call 352-273-6330.

This holiday season, give a gift that impacts people’s lives…Give the gift of nursing.

8 the gator nurse

UF Official Host of 25th Anniversary SNRS Conference in Jacksonville

2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the southern nursing research society, and they will commemorate that milestone at their annual conference in Jacksonville in February. the uF College

of nursing will act as the official host for this event. nurse researchers, faculty and deans from schools of nursing, graduate nursing students (Msn, DnP, and PhD), and clinical experts from across the southeast, are among those who attend this event. Both snrs and uF are planning an exciting and informative conference with worthwhile educational experiences and festive celebra-tion of the snrs 25th anniversary.

the conference will take place February 16-19, 2011, at the hyatt regency Jacksonville riverfront. We encourage all uF alumni and friends who are interested in this event to register and show

your support as gator nurses! For more information, visit http://www.snrs.org/.

Carolyn MolloPostbaccalaureate DnP student

Carolyn Mollo says she has the best of both worlds. after graduating from Florida atlantic university with her Bachelor’s degree in nursing in May, she came to gainesville to pursue her Doctor of nursing Practice (DnP) degree at the university of Florida and begin a new position as staff nurse in the shands at uF or. as someone who aspires to be an advanced practice nurse in acute care, being around both expert faculty members and high-level clinical staff is a perfect experience.

“I am learning from the best and with the best,” Mollo explained.

Mollo didn’t always know nursing would be her career path. When Mollo’s grandmother was in hospice care in rhode Island, she saw the impact that one kind nurse could have on a patient. Mollo began reflecting on her own positive experiences with nurses and realized that becoming a nurse was her calling.

Mollo was named her community’s nursing student of the Year by Palm healthcare Foundation’s 2010 nursing Distinction awards Ceremony and is on the executive Board of the Florida nursing student association.

“attaining my DnP will allow me to stay true to who I am as a nurse while giving me the opportunity to impact the way that care is delivered in acute care settings,” Mollo said. “I feel that this degree helps to elevate our nursing profession.” Mollo is “on the job” in the Shands at the University of Florida

operating room, where she works as a nurse while obtaining her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from UF.

gator nursing students are extraordinary at all levels. we are highlighting two students in their first semes-

ters of their respective programs. anastasia albanese-o’neill was an accelerated Bsn student who is now

beginning the accelerated Bsn to Phd program, and carolyn mollo is in her first semester of the Bsn to dnP

program, in the acute care nursing track. Both are passionate about nursing and improving patient’s lives.

FaLL 2010 9

tai chi can alleviate osteoarthritis symptoms

If forms of exercise were given awards, consider tai Chi for “best all-around.” In addition to its known health ben-efits including physical fitness, cardiovascular health and

improving symptoms of diabetes, it can also improve muscle strength and bone mineral density, and decrease the fear of fall-ing, according to a recent university of Florida study.

In a study of older women with osteoarthritis, those who participated in a supervised tai Chi exercise program once a week for six months significantly improved their bone muscle density and muscle strength and decreased their fear of fall-ing. all of these improvements combined can help to increase independence for older adults and reduce the risk of disability, said researchers.

“a loss in bone density and strength puts people at risk of fractures, which can lead to loss of independence and dis-

ability,” said Beverly roberts, PhD, rn, Faan, the annabel Davis Jenks endowed professor at the university of Florida College of nursing. “tai Chi appears to have a similar affect on bone density as other exercises but it is more accessible and attractive to older adults, making it easier for them to stick to this exercise routine.”

her research, with rhayun song, PhD, rn, of Chungham national university, which studied older Korean residents, was featured in a recent issue of the Journal of alternative and Complementary Medicine.

tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and mostly per-formed now for its health benefits. this low impact exercise

uses slow, coordinated flowing movements and combines these with breathing, imagery and relaxation.

osteoarthritis, which affects nearly 27 million americans, involves the degradation of joints and is accompanied by pain and tenderness. It typically causes a decrease in movement, which may lead to muscle atrophy and bone breakage. risk fac-tors include genetic, metabolic, developmental and mechanical causes.

eighty-two subjects, mostly Korean females, participated in the study. half of this group participated in a 3-week supervised training period three times a week and then for the remainder of the six months attended a supervised training session once a week. the other half served as a control group.

those who completed the sessions had significantly improved bone density, muscle strength and a decreased

fear of falling. Comparatively, the control group actually showed decreased bone density and no improvements in muscle strength and fear of falling.

“not only did this study show improvements in muscle strength and bone density, both very important for older adults with osteoarthritis, it also decreased a fear of falling—a fear that can be crippling to those for which independence means so much,” roberts said. “Further, the greater the fear of falling the more likely older adults will become sedentary that increases the risk of disability.”

roberts says future studies should include a larger sample sizes and extend the training period for at least a year to be able to monitor long-term progress in bone density.

“research on tai Chi is rapidly expanding, and the diver-sity of its health benefits is also increasing,” roberts said.

uf study:

research

“Research on Tai Chi is rapidly expanding, and the diversity of its health benefits is also increasing.” — Beverly Roberts, PhD, RN, FAAN

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Tell me about how you met each other and how long you have been friends.

Habgood: I met nancy when she was a staff nurse and I was a student in pediatric nursing. this was my first clinical course and she was very helpful in showing a new student the ins and outs of caring for very critically ill children. We met again when we both taught at st. Petersburg College.Cross Hamilton: I must admit that I am honored that Mary Kay remembers me from the “7th Floor” at shands. as she mentioned, our next connection was our mutual employment at st. Petersburg College. I had been teaching there a few years before she arrived and it was wonder-ful to have a gator nurse colleague.

What part has the “Gator Nursing” bond played in your friendship?

Habgood: Both of our children, Kenneth and richard, graduated from uF. During the years that nancy’s daughter Pam and our boys attended, we enjoyed football weekends and reconnected with gator nursing friends. Cross Hamilton: gator nursing gave us a common ground and a shared back-ground of experiences. Both of our hus-bands were gator grads.

I must also mention that the support and kindness of both Mary Kay and John during the long illness and death of my husband, Bill Cross, will never be forgot-ten or undervalued.

When Jerry and I were married in 2002, the habgoods went on our honey-moon. Jerry is so supportive of everything that I have accomplished since our mar-riage, and he and John are great friends.

Why did you make the decision to be connected and give back? Would you encourage others to do so?

Habgood: John and I decided to give back to both the colleges of nursing and Business in part to honor the educa-tion that we received, and to give other students the opportunity to attend with scholarship help. We feel a responsibility to make the future better for those that follow us.Cross Hamilton: When I entered the university of Florida in the fall of 1960, I came with an annual scholarship that my mother’s employer provided for lower-income families. I never could have received the education that I did without the generosity of others.

after the death of my husband it became financially necessary to consider a donation of philanthropy. Dan ott at the uF Foundation provided knowledge and kindness in guiding me to creating a charitable remainder trust. It was only natural and gratifying to give to the College of nursing in my late husband’s memory. I have been involved since 1993 with the Dean’s advisory Board and have felt pride in learning about gator nursing.

Why is it important to stay connected to your alma mater and nursing college?

Habgood: In addition to the social ben-efits of staying connected with the univer-sity, it has been a great help with John’s medical problem during the past year. he was treated with expert care, respect and caring during our numerous visits. uF

truly sets the standard for the way health care should be delivered. Cross Hamilton: staying connected has increased my social awareness of the great things that are being accomplished at uF. I embrace Dean Dorothy smith’s plan to incorporate the students of nursing into the larger population of the university. It has been important to keep in touch and connected to the College to be able to fol-low the paths that nursing is taking. I have benefitted greatly by the seminars and presentations which have been available. It is with pride that I attend these func-tions and see the direction that nursing is going. We have such outstanding gradu-ates. their stories inspire me.

What benefits does being philanthropic add to your lives?

Habgood: Philanthropy benefits our feeling of contributing to something larger than ourselves and is an oppor-tunity to “pay it forward” in return for all of the ways others in our lives have shared their expertise and sup-port. From a financial standpoint, the tax advantages presented by Dan ott in the foundation office proved a powerful incentive for giving.Cross Hamilton: I concur with Mary Kay’s statement. Philanthropy has broad-ened my life’s experiences. It has provided me with new friendships, new opportuni-ties and a tremendous feeling of gratitude that I am able in a small way to help others financially to become gator nurses. My donation of time and financial support has been far more fulfilling and enrich-ing than I had ever expected.

gator nurses and friends…alwaysFor Mary Kay habgood and nancy Cross hamilton, being gator nurses is a part

of their identities and friendship. Friends for more than 35 years, they have shared family memories, nursing experiences and their love of all things orange and blue. avid gator fans, they are also passionately supportive of their alma mater and are frequently in atten-dance at College of nursing events and conferences.

they also share their passion in supporting the College. Both, along with their hus-bands, have given charitable remainder trusts to the College of nursing to benefit faculty and student support. a charitable remainder trust allows the donor and their beneficiaries to receive a guaranteed income, fixed or variable, from their gift.

For habgood and Cross hamilton, being gators and gator nurses means giving back. We asked them to talk about their experiences as friends, gator nurses, and proud alumni and supporters of the College.

Mary Kay Habgood (l) and Nancy Cross Hamilton with Albert the Alligator at the College’s Reunion cocktail reception.

If you would like more information on ways to give to the UF College of Nursing, including the benefits of charitable remainder trusts, please contact Anna Harper at 352-273-6360.

FaLL 2010 11

more than 300 gator nurses, family and friends came back to the college for the annual reunion weekend september 24-25, 2010. alumni interacted with each other and reminisced about “when they became a gator nurse” while eating delicious food, bidding on an array of merchandise at the silent auction and ending the day with a gator victory over the Kentucky wildcats, 48-14.

the silent auction raised a record $4,000. this year’s autographed tim tebow Broncos mini helmet opened a slight bidding war and eventually went home with chuck geiger, husband of Barbee geiger, Bsn 1974, with a winning bid of $410!

guests enjoyed face painting, and a caricaturist and interacted with alberta. this year the alumni council awarded 15 students $300 book award scholarships, and they were recognized for their accomplishments at the tailgate celebration.

Gator Nurses Come Back to Campus for

Annual Reunion Weekend

(Clockwise from pg 12): Max Geiger-Mizis gets a hug from Alberta; Kathleen Wright (BSN 1975) and husband John; Professor Jodi Irving and Linnea Schramm (BSN 1984, MSN 1987); Jo Snider and Margee Leturno (BSN 1993); a Gator Nurse family enjoys Reunion; Sandra Seymour (MSN 1969), Jodi Irving, Rose Nealis (BSN 1971, MSN 1972), Jo Snider, Dee Goff (BSN 1971) and Christine Miller (BSN 1971); (L) Incoming Alumni Council president Karen Hanson (BSN 1966, MSN 1986) and Dean Long present outgoing president Bonnie Pepper (BSN 1980) with a plaque for her service.

12 the gator nurse

the uf college of nursing alumni affairs office is looking for class representatives! class representatives make the uf college of nursing more accessible to alumni, help to build relationships among alumni, faculty and students. currently, there are more than 8,000 gator nurse alumni. as a class representative, you’ll help us keep in touch with our alumni as well as:•serve as a liaison between the college and your classmates. •reconnect your former classmates•help gather information for the alumni news section of The

Gator Nurse.•communicate with classmates regarding reunion and other

upcoming alumni activities.•encourage classmates to become inspired with a class gift.

here is the current list of class representatives. we welcome multiple representatives for class years so if you would like to serve, please join us! we also welcome those who are interested in serving as a class representative for different programs (Bsn, msn, Phd or dnP).

calling all alumni:

Be a class reP!

•1961 Peggy fernandez, Bsn

•1965 carole Patterson, Bsn dodie ellis ,Bsn

•1966 carol Bogan-steiner, Bsn selen lauterbach, msn

•1967 ann smith, msn

•1968 carole Patterson, msn

•1969 sandra seymour, msn

•1970 donna Johnson (lerch), Bsn

•1971 rose nealis, Bsn

•1972 rose nealis, msn

•1974 maryse Parrino, Bsn

•1976 Kim curry, Bsn

•1977 rosalyn reischman, msn

•1978 charlotte spellacy, Bsn

•1979 maria Verma, Bsn

•1980 Jean melby, Bsn doreen thayer-licitra, Bsn

•1981 sheryl curtis, Bsn

•1983 sabrina smith, Bsn

•1985 Bruce williams, Bsn

•1987 faye medley, msn

•1988 shari nederhoff, Bsn Julie fisher, Bsn

•1989 shirley Berkstresser, Bsn

•1990 melinda morrison, Bsn

•1993 cary carter, Bsn

•1996 allison mcalhany, Bsn

•1996 debra Pusateri, msn

•1998 Beverly childress, Bsn

•1998 allison mcalhany, msn

•2003 Jessica sherman, Bsn

•2004 Brittney stover, Bsn

•2005 lindsay sherrill, Bsn

•2006 lauren cook, Bsn cassidy Bell, Bsn

•2007 Jessica wild, Bsn

•2008 amy chu, Bsn

if interested in being a representative for your class year, please contact Lindsey Stevens at lmstevens@ufl.edu, or 352-273-6395.

FaLL 2010 13

Did you know if you document your intended estate plan, the College can recognize you now through the uF Bequest Society?

over the years, many uF alumni and friends have remem-bered the College of nursing in their estate plans. In recognition of such commitments to the College, those supporters who docu-ment a specific or residual bequest provision of at least $10,000 will be recognized through the uF Bequest society.

to be recognized in the Bequest society, simply provide the uF College of nursing with either a copy of the specific provision that reflects your estate commitment for the benefit of the College, or complete a bequest society form.

Bequests may be designated for the unrestricted use of the College or for a specific purpose of your choice. those who are interested can discuss areas of interest to support with Dean Kathleen Long and Director of Development anna harper, and they can update you on the needs of the College.

In addition, a bequest gift of $30,000 or more may be desig-nated to create an endowed fund in memory or honor of a loved one or to carry your own name. the annual spendable income from the endowed fund, as defined by uF Foundation policy, provides perpetual recognition for the person or persons named.

if interested in obtaining a bequest society form or exploring planned giving options for the uF College of Nursing, please contact Anna harper at aemiller@ufl.edu or 352-273-6360.

have You Left the College of Nursing in Your Estate Plan?

uF nursing alumna Kathryn Clinefelter greatly understands the value of her nursing degree so it was not difficult for her to decide to give back to the College. Clinefelter and husband Lee donated a piece of land they owned in archer, Florida to the College of nursing to benefit education, research and practice initiatives.

Clinefelter received her Bsn in 1972 and Msn in 1977, both from uF. she and her husband owned a piece of property in archer where Lee’s cabinet shop once stood. after he retired, they had retained the property as a commercial rental. When it came time to decide to whom they should donate the property, it took the Clinefelters less than 24 hours to decide on the College of nursing.

“My reasons for choosing the College are founded in my rec-ognition and appreciation that the education I received there not only prepared me to provide excellent clinical care but also gave me the skills to pursue my eventual passion—leading others to provide high quality patient care,” said Clinefelter, also a member of the uF nursing alumni Council.

the Kathy and Lee Clinefelter Patient Care Quality and access endowment Fund was established in grateful recognition of Kathy and Lee’s strong affirmation and generosity for the College of nursing.

Clinefelter’s career includes work in obstetrics, nursing educa-tion and nursing quality. she currently serves as sole proprietor for her own company—Innovation in Healthcare Quality. she provides

consultation and care evaluation services in man-aged care. apart from that, she also manages special projects for the texas Medicaid and Children’s health external Quality review organization.

Proceeds from the endowment will be used at the Dean’s discretion in support of the Dorothy M. smith endowed Chair and activities of the Blue Cross Blue shield of Florida Center for health Care access, Patient safety and Quality outcomes at the university of Florida as well as support of teaching, research, and programs associated with patient care at the archer Family health Care Practice.

“as someone who was a student when Dorothy smith was dean, I think her approaches for clinical and evidence-based excel-lence, linking education and practice, and educating nurses as fully-contributing members of the health care team, are vital in educating nurses who enter the work force ready to not only provide excellent patient care but also to improve quality and safety for patients,” Clinefelter said.

If you are interested in contributing to this endowment or would like information on how you can give back to the College, please contact Anna Harper at 352-273-6360 or aemiller@ufl.edu .

Clinefelter Gives Back to her Alma Mater

giving

Lee and Nancy Clinefelter

14 the gator nurse

president’smessagealumni news

Do you have an update to share? Please contact Tracy Wright at tracyb@ufl.edu or call (352) 273-6421.

1970sSandra Dunbar, Bsn 1973, a nationally rec-ognized nurse scientist and educator, has been chosen to serve as the associate dean for academic advancement at emory university’s nell hodgson woodruff school of nursing. in this new position, she will enhance teach-ing, scholarship and service by creating an infrastructure to support the development of academic leaders within the school of nursing. dr. dunbar has been a pioneer in cardiovascu-lar disease nursing research. she is currently leading three national institutes of health (nih) studies that are focused on reducing caregiver stress and enhancing the quality of life among heart failure patients with diabetes. her most recent honors include the 2010 outstanding nurse scientist award from the council for the advancement of nursing science; the 2010 distinguished researcher award from the southern nursing research society; an american heart association Best abstract award; the american association of critical-care nurses distinguished research award; the emory school of medicine’s one in one hundred mentor award for postdoctoral men-torship; and the georgia nurse researcher of the year award.

1990sMelody Corso, Bsn 1999, earned her msn in nursing education from florida state university in december 2009. she was also inducted into sigma theta tau her last semester there. melody has been teaching in a practical nurs-

ing program in lake city at florida gateway college (most recently lake city community college) since 2004. melody has also been the coordinator of the Pn program for the past three years.

Jennifer Vedral-Baron, msn 1996, was installed as the 73rd commanding officer of the Pensacola navy hospital in the 184th year since its conception. Vedral-Brown, a navy nurse corps officer, came to Pensacola from duty as the executive officer of naval hospital Jacksonville. she began her navy nursing career as a staff nurse at naval hospital long Beach, calif., and was selected to receive the “commanding officer’s award for general excellence” as a newly promoted lieutenant Junior grade. in 1990-93, she was assigned to nh Jacksonville’s intensive care unit. capt. Vedral-Baron achieved critical care nurse certification (ccrn). her awards include the legion of merit, meritorious service medal (two awards), navy commendation medal (four) and navy achievement medal (five).

2000sMelanie Strickland, Bsn 2003, graduated in June with her master’s degree as a women’s health nurse practitioner from the university of cincinnati in ohio.

Joseph G. Kelly, msn 2007, was named Best nurse Practitioner in the air force for 2009. he returned from afghanistan in august 2009 after almost seven months there and is currently in tampa with u.s. central command.

hello gator nurses!as this is my first offi-

cial President’s message, i wanted to say how happy and proud i am to be able to represent the uf nursing alumni council for the next two years. this group is remarkable—incredibly dedicated and passionate about gator nursing. i hope more of you consider becoming involved with the alumni council or serv-ing as a class representative. reconnecting with gator nursing has been one of the best things i have done in recent years.

fall has been busy as always for gator nursing. of course we held our annual reunion weekend in september when the gators took on Kentucky. this event continues to get bigger and better as the years pass. this year, we had more than 300 people register for the tailgate event and about 70 for our friday evening reception. Both events were fun and festive. we also had great ceu presenta-tions with an international/global nursing focus that were fascinating.

thanks to all of you who attended these events. i hope you enjoyed the great food and atmosphere. i am also so proud to announce that we raised a record $4,000 from our silent auction, which benefits the alumni council Book awards. Because of the extreme success of the 2009 silent auction, we were able to give Book awards to 15 incoming Bsn students who use this to offset the rising cost of textbooks.

all of us on the alumni council who reviewed the more than 70 applications were so impressed by the achievements, maturity and passion exhib-ited by all of the applicants. it was very difficult to narrow down the group to only 15 recipients. this is yet another example of how alumni council members are able to stay connected to the future of gator nursing and make a real impact on students’ lives.

i am looking forward to the next two years of my presidential term and hope to welcome even more of you on our council. go gator nurses!

— Karen hanson, Bsn 1966, msn 1986

Karen hanson

In Memoriam Susan Spitzer Lazar, Bsn 1981. lazar passed away from advanced ovarian cancer on september 17, 2010 after a 27 month battle. she is survived by her husband Jerry of 24 years and her daughter, andrea (andi). she will be missed.

FaLL 2010 15

non-Profit org.u.s. Postage PaidPermit no. 94gainesville fl

health science centerP.o. Box 100197gainesville, fl 32610-0197

Chuck and BarBee Geiger show off their winning auction item—a signed tim tebow denver Broncos helmet, which fetched more than $400 to benefit the alumni council Book awards. the helmet was one of many “bidworthy” items, which included gator memorabilia and gifts, fine jewelry and art and home-wares. if you would like to donate an item for the silent auction or want more information to benefit the Book awards, contact Tracy Wright at tracyb@ufl.edu or call 352-273-6395.

fall 2010 | Vol. Xii, no. 4

The Gator Nurse is produced three times a year for the alumni, friends, faculty and staff of the University of Florida College of Nursing.

Dean Kathleen ann long, Phd, rn, faan

Director, Alumni Affairs and Public Relations and The Gator Nurse managing editor tracy Brown wright, mamc tracyb@ufl.edu

Contributors

anna miller harper

yancy Jones

lindsey stevens

Design Js design studio

Printer storterchilds Printing company inc.

www.nursing.ufl.edu

©2010 university of florida

college of nursing

nursethe gator

nursethe gator

the newsletter for the alumni of the uf college of nursing