Dr. Susan B. Hassmiller (BSN ’77; MS ’79, Health Education) graduated with a

Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Florida State University. After graduation, she

went on to further her education earning two master’s degrees and a doctorate before be-

ginning a nursing career filled with accomplishments.

Since graduation, she has volunteered and held numerous nursing positions in pub-

lic health settings at the state and national level. Dr. Hassmiller is also involved in the Amer-

ican Red Cross’ national nursing committee and is chair-elect of the Central New Jersey Red

Cross. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of the Joint

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ National Nurse Advisory Council and the New

York Academy of Medicine. Dr. Hassmiller is the recipient of a number of awards, most notably the Flor-

ence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor given to nursing professionals by the International

Committee of the Red Cross.

Dr. Hassmiller joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1997 and is now the foundation’s

senior adviser for nursing. She is also the Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Initiative on the Future of

Nursing at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a 50 state ef-

fort to implement the IOM recommendations on the Future of Nursing. Her responsibilities include shaping

and leading the foundation’s strategies to address the nation’s nursing and nursing faculty shortages in an

effort to create a higher quality of patient care.

Dr. Hassmiller is also a nationally recognized nurse leader and expert. During her career, she has worked as a nurse educator teaching public health nursing at the University of Nebraska and George Mason

University in Virginia. She was also the Executive Director of the U.S. Public Health Service Primary Care

Policy Fellowship for the Health Resources and Services Administration working on national and internation-

al primary care initiatives that affected the health of underserved populations.

On Friday, November 18, 2011 Dr. Hassmiller spoke to students, faculty and staff about the na-

tional initiative on the future of nursing report, and provided information on the impetus for this campaign.

She also participated in the University’s Homecoming parade, and later in the evening she was recognized by

the College of Nursing as our 2011 Distinguished Graduate during the Alumni Reception in Duxbury Hall.

On Saturday, November 19, 2011 Dr. Hassmiller was formally recognized by Omicron Delta Kappa as a

Grad Made Good at the Homecoming Awards Breakfast. She was recognized for making a difference

through her outstanding accomplishments and recognition in the field of nursing.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation (BCBSF) announced a grant of $10,000 for

faculty development at the Florida State University College of Nursing in honor of Dr. Susan Hassmiller. Dr.

Hassmiller was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna of the FSU College of Nursing, for her work in spear-

heading the national Future of Nursing Campaign for Action. This Campaign follows the release of the 2010

IOM Report of the Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, funded through the Robert Wood

Johnson Foundation.

Dr. Hassmiller's accomplishments exemplify the college's mission to develop

nurse leaders for professional practice and research in diverse settings,” said Dr. Di-

anne Speake, the College of Nursing's interim dean. “This gift will be used to foster

faculty development and enhance faculty teaching effectiveness and scholarship.”

Susan Towler, Vice President of the BCBSF Foundation said “we are proud

to honor the extensive accomplishments that Susan Hassmiller has brought to the field

of nursing nationally. With her vision and leadership, 36 state coalitions, including

Florida, have joined the Campaign for Action to address nursing’s input into the trans-formation of the healthcare system.”

Susan B. Hassmiller (‘77), PhD, RN, FAAN

A 2011“Grad Made Good” and Distinguished Alumna

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

DNP Practicum -

A Student’s

Perspective

2

DNP Projects 2

Sigma Theta Tau 2

Homecoming 3

DAISY Faculty

Award 3

Alumni Outreach 3

Development

Updates

4

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Nursing N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 C O M M U N I T Y U P D A T E

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Foundation Announces $10,000 Grant

P A G E 2

DNP Projects - Family Nurse Practitioner

Susan Bulecza RN,

MSN, APRN-BC says “she

has always viewed practicum

hours as an opportunity to

explore different settings”. The

Fall Semester’s practicum was

on health policy, and she knew

Washington, DC was the ideal

place to examine health policy.

Through her employment she

developed a professional rela-

tionship with the Chief Nurse

of the American Red Cross, Dr.

Sharon Stanley, PhD, RN, RS.

So, she asked Dr. Stan-

ley if she could spend a week of

practicum with her and experi-

ence national health policy inter-

action in the disaster pre-

paredness context, and she

said yes! In addition to

working closely with Dr.

Stanley on internal Red

Cross issues Susan also

attended several high-level

multiagency meetings that

provided a unique oppor-

tunity to see senior leaders

engaged in strategic plan-

ning and policy decision-

making that have broad

ramifications. An example

of one such meeting was

the Federal Nursing Ser-

vices Council’s all-day stra-

tegic retreat. This council

October 12 at 6:00 pm students representing the top 35% of the

College of Nursing’s students were recognized for their academic achieve-

ments and inducted in to the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Nursing

Honor Society. A total of 86 students, half of them doctoral, and one nurse

leader were invited, and 37 BSN, 5 MSN, 8 DNP, and one Nurse Leader

were inducted into STTI. The ceremony was held in the Grand Ballroom of

the Alumni Association with a reception immediately following the induction.

T H E F L O R I D A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y C O L L E G E O F N U R S I N G

Sigma Theta Tau

Educating Nurse Leaders and Researchers

is addressing parents’ health

practices in a Florida county

and providing health educa-

tion for parents of school-

aged children. The results of

the study indicated parents

realized there was a great

problem with childhood obe-

sity; however the incorrect

parental perception of their

child’s body measurement

index (BMI) and weight may

play a major factor in their

willingness to change.

Beth Guy’s project

is evaluating the effectiveness

of hypertension management

in the Panhandle of Florida.

The study evaluated practice

patterns against JNC 7 na-

tional benchmarks to deter-

mine if there are variances that

need to be improved. The rate

of hypertension and coronary

heart disease death rate in Bay,

Franklin, Gulf and Washington

counties are higher than the

state rate. Results indicated that

tighter control on patient com-

pliance would improve morbidi-

ty and mortality rates associated

with hypertension.

Virginia Cardenas’

project is on the clinical proto-

col for the management of sui-

cide at-risk students. Results

indicated that the introduction

of the new protocol resulted in

positive outcomes in terms of

increasing providers’ confidence

and knowledge in assessment of

suicide at-risk students.

Here is a brief over-

view of some of the studies

students in the DNP Family

Practitioner track are conduct-

ing on topics such as diabetes,

the health practices of parents,

hypertension, and managing

students who are at risk for

suicide.

Christine Bottkol’s

project is on innovative self-

regulation management (ISRM)

and improving control for Type

2 diabetes. Her study revealed

a reduction in overall HbA1C

levels (2.7%) by the end of the

first year of treatment using the

innovative approach compared

to 0.6% reduction using the

traditional approach.

Dawn Frost’s project

is comprised of all the chief

nurses of the Uniformed Ser-

vices, the American Red

Cross, and the Dean of the

Uniformed Services Universi-

ty of Health Sciences Gradu-

ate Nursing program. Partici-

pating in such a session with

senior nurse leaders who are

at levels to make significant

changes in how nursing prac-

tice and healthcare delivery

evolves in the uniform ser-

vices was amazing. Susan says

of her experience “It was a

fabulous week that started

early and ended late each

day.”

Doctor of Nursing Practice Practicum - A Week in Washington DC

Doctor of Nursing Practice

(DNP) Health Systems Leadership student Susan

Bulecza RN, MSN, APRN-BC. She is currently the Preparedness Director for

the State of Florida.

Homecoming 2011 “Seminole State of Mind”

P A G E 3 C O M M U N I T Y U P D A T E

the even-

ing she

was recog-

nized by

the Col-

lege of

Nursing as

our 2011

Distinguished Graduate during the

Alumni Reception in Duxbury Hall.

Tours of the College’s Archives

and Simulation Center were also

provided to Alumni.

On Saturday, November

19, 2011 Dr. Hassmiller was for-

mally recognized by the Circle of

Omicron

Delta

Kappa as

a Grad

Made

Good at

the

Home-

coming Awards Breakfast. She was

recognized for making a difference

through her outstanding accom-

plishments and recognition in the

field of nursing.

Saturday evening the Col-

lege participated in the Alumni

Association’s All College Alumni

Tailgate that was held in

the backyard of the Presi-

dent’s home. Food, enter-

tainment and transporta-

tion to and from Doak

Campbell stadium for the

Tailgate and the Home-

coming Football game were

provided.

DAISY Faculty Award

Homecoming 2011 marked

a first in the history of the College of

Nursing as one of our own, Susan B.

Hassmiller

(‘77), PhD,

RN, FAAN

was recog-

nized by the

University as

a Grad Made

Good for her professional accom-

plishments.

On Friday, November 18,

2011 Dr. Hassmiller spoke to stu-

dents, faculty and staff about the

initiative on the future of nursing

report, and provid-

ed information on

the impetus for

this campaign. She

also participated in

the University’s

Homecoming pa-

rade, and later in

Alumni Outreach - Atlanta Reception

In her letter of nomination for the

DAISY Award, she was described

as a Nurse Educator who exem-

plifies the kind of faculty member

that students, colleagues, staff and

administrators recognize as an

exemplary educator and an out-

standing role model. You can

read her nomination in its entirety

at: http://daisyfoundation.org/

daisy-faculty-award/faculty-

spotlight/CindyStudenic-Lewis.

This award was made

possible through the support of

College of Nursing alumna S. Ann

Evans (’71), RN, MS, MBA, FAAN

who is a member of the College of

Nursing’s Alumni Council, and a

board member of the DAISY Foun-

dation.

Thursday, October 6, 2011 the College of Nursing

in partnership with the Florida State University Alumni

Association held an Alumni Reception in Atlanta at the

JW Marriott Buckhead. The reception was co-hosted

by College of Nursing Alumna Sandra Dunbar (‘72), who

also serves on the Florida State University Alumni Asso-

ciation’s Board of Directors. Alumni came together to

reconnect and reflect on their experiences as students

and Alumni of the College of Nursing.

On Friday,

November

18, 2011,

College of

Nursing

Professor

Cindy

Lewis, MSN, MPH, RN was recog-

nized as the College of Nursing’s

first DAISY Faculty Award recipient.

A Message from the Dean

As the fall semester draws to a close, it is a good time to reflect on our many fall activities and accomplishments. We welcomed 100

new traditional BSN and 22 DNP students to the College of Nursing, bringing our total enrollment to 213 undergraduate and 92 graduate stu-

dents. Twenty-seven students in the accelerated BSN program will graduate on December 17, along with one MSN nurse educator and four

DNP students. Two of our accelerated BSN students have earned distinction as Garnet and Gold Scholars while one of our NP students pre-

sented at the national DNP meeting in New Orleans and another DNP student had her first journal article published. Fifty students were in-

ducted into Beta Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International in October.

Faculty continue to publish in refereed journals and make presentations at national nursing conferences. Our research endeavors

with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare are expanding as more nursing faculty assume active roles in clinical research studies. Our NP faculty

are providing health care to students in Gadsden County elementary and middle schools while graduate students and faculty are busy working

on DNP evidence-based projects in anticipation of graduating another 11 DNP students in the spring semester, along with 84 traditional BSN

students.

Our newly renovated Simulation Center, Nursing Archives Center, and Memorial Plaza opened during the semester, providing a place

for students to learn and to reflect on our history and individuals who helped shape the FSU College of Nursing. The CCNE accredita-

tion review in November validated the efforts of faculty to design a quality DNP program that meets national standards and the needs of our

community of interest. Homecoming events recognized Dr. Susan Hassmiller as a College of Nursing Distinguished Graduate and the first FSU

“Grad Made Good” from the College of Nursing. Ms. Cindy Lewis received the first DAISY Faculty Award from the College of Nursing at our

Homecoming reception. An alumni reception was held in Atlanta with more planned for spring semester in Jacksonville and other Florida loca-

tions to celebrate 60 years of graduating professional nurse leaders. As I look back upon the last six months, I am proud of what we have accomplished. I would like to thank students, faculty, alumni,

friends and staff for your support of the College and to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.

Dianne L. Speake, Ph.D., R.N.

Interim Dean

The Florida State University College of Nursing P.O. Box 3064310

Vivian M. Duxbury Hall

Tallahassee, FL 32306-4310

Phone: 850-644-3299

Fax: 850-644-7660

URL: http://www.nursing.fsu.edu

Join us on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/fsucollegeofnursing

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Nursing Research Program

Established in 2009, the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Nursing Research Program is a collaborative partnership be-

tween Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Foundation and the Florida State University Col-

lege of Nursing. The purpose of the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Nursing Research Program is to facilitate nursing research

focused on nursing practice improvement and to create and sustain a culture of inquiry between College of Nursing faculty and

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare’s nursing staff. Since its inception, 12 active research projects/studies have been completed, or

are in progress at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. For a list of recent and ongoing evidence based practice research projects

go to http://www.tmh.org/workfiles/aboutus/TMHAnnualReport2011.pdf.

College of Nursing Memorial Plaza

Professor Nanna Cuchens has served on the FSU College of Nursing faculty

for over 20 years. In her time at the College, she has impacted countless students.

After the tragic loss of her son LCpl Daniel Chaires in 2006, students returned the

favor by acting as the catalyst to establish the Daniel B. Chaires Nursing Scholarship at

the College of Nursing. The 2008 graduating class gave Professor Cuchens a plaque

and bench in Daniel’s memory. The bench is now a part of the College of Nursing’s

Memorial Plaza. On the evening of September 29, the College of Nursing held a dedi-

cation ceremony for the Memorial Plaza. The Memorial Plaza is located near the south

entrance to the College of Nursing, and often serves as a gathering place for students

to study and converse. A pair of bronzed Marine Corps boots given to the College of

Nursing by the University’s Grounds Department and the plaque given to Nan by the

College of Nursing’s 2006 graduates will eternally serve as a tribute to Daniel’s mili-

tary service to our country.

DEVELOPMENT UPDATES