TAKING BETTER CARE OF THE WORLD. · at 1,012 students and growing as we foster the “smart” use...

D U Q U E S N E U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F N U R S I N G 1

NURSINGDuquesne University School of

MagazineVolume 2

T A K I N G B E T T E R C A R E O F T H E W O R L D .A D VA N C I N G N U R S E S E T H I C A L LY, T E C H N O L O G I C A L LY , G L O B A L LY.

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

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

4 DOING THE RIGHT THING: NURSES ARE ON THE FRONT LINE OF ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE

10 LEARNING AND RESEARCH: ACROSS THE GLOBE AND IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

16 ROBOTS, APPS AND IPADS! OH MY!

20 A LIFELONG LEADER IN SOCIAL JUSTICE: MEET SISTER ROSEMARY DONLEY

24 ALUMNI NEWS

28 FACULTY NEWS

30 STUDENT NEWS

Dean: Mary Ellen Glasgow, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

Editor and Assistant Dean, Recruitment and Enrollment Management: Cherith Simmer, MS, RN

Design: Red House Communications

Duquesne University School of Nursing600 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15282

412.396.6550duq.edu/nursing

It has been another noteworthy year at Duquesne University School of Nursing. Our enrollment stands at 1,012 students and growing as we foster the “smart” use of technology in our classroom and clinical environments. As we report in this issue, we continue to transform our academic programs at all levels to integrate ethics in nursing education. Innovative, forward-thinking

coursework is fundamental for preparing students for leadership and high-demand specialties; therefore, knowledge of nursing ethics is integral to students’ understanding of the ethical dimension of nursing practice with clients across the lifespan. At every turn, our faculty supports all students in responding to the challenge to live their beliefs in relation to ethics, social justice and patient advocacy in nursing practice, as well as in their lives as individuals and citizens. Our graduate students address health care ethics through immersion in practice issues and engagement in policy critique and evaluation; they mine ethical leadership in complex organizations; and they explore research and health policy from a social justice and ethical perspective. This spring, we will launch a new interdisciplinary PhD in Nursing Ethics program that will explore ethical challenges from educational, clinical practice and policy/leadership perspectives. And thanks to a generous donation by a nursing alumna, we will take our ethical knowledge into the broader nursing community by hosting a biannual Carol Carfang Nursing and Healthcare Ethics Conference starting in 2018. This issue also spotlights our mission of preparing nurse leaders—locally and globally. Faculty, staff and students have stepped out to make an impact on the global stage. They have traveled to places such as Rome, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland to learn from nursing scholars, to Saudi Arabia to conduct research, and to Nicaragua to deliver care to underserved populations. As citizens of the world, we embrace diversity of all kinds and stand with the oppressed and vulnerable. These are hallmarks of a Duquesne nursing education. You’ll also read about our renowned faculty who have received individual recognition and honors for excellence in scholarship, teaching and service. I hope you find the School of Nursing Magazine informative and take pride in knowing that you are an integral part of our success. Thank you for your support of Duquesne University School of Nursing.

Sincerely,

Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

Dean and Professor

LETTER FROM THE D E A N

NURSINGDuquesne University School of

MagazineVolume 2

D U Q U E S N E U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F N U R S I N G 54 D U Q U E S N E U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F N U R S I N G

A DVA N C E D P R O G R A M S T E AC H E T H I C S “WE NEED TO HAVE NURSES WHO ARE LEADERS, WHO UNDERSTAND NURSING ETHICS AND HAVE A FRAMEWORK TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT THEY CAN TEACH TO OTHER NURSES,” STATES GLASGOW.

A 32-year-old mother of three requires a blood transfusion in order to survive. As a Jehovah’s Witness, she has repeatedly refused the transfusion. But just before becoming unconscious, realizing that she may be on the verge of death, she whispers to the nurse, “Please do not let me die.” The patient’s husband, however, is insistent that she not receive a transfusion—that it is not what his wife would want. Should the patient receive a transfusion? If so, how forcefully should the nurse advocate for that course of action? This scenario is just one example of the many ethical dilemmas in health care today. There are power struggles that can affect patient care. There are issues about when to withdraw treatment, when to use experimental treatments, whether money should be spent on one person if it means less treatment for others. Short staffing or lack of resources in an institution are ethical issues nurses encounter on a regular basis. “Nurses are typically with patients 24/7, so they are the health care professionals who really recognize ethical dilemmas,” says Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow, dean and professor of the School of Nursing. “They may know it does not feel right, but

they sometimes cannot address it using an ethical framework, or explain why it is not right.” To that end, Glasgow has focused on making sure that ethics has a role in every program at the School of Nursing. Undergraduates learn fundamentals, such as the ethical reasons for washing hands or performing skills properly. Advanced programs teach ethics

related to organizations, leadership and research. Not surprisingly, ethical dilemmas cause a great deal of anxiety for nurses. “Nurses often face situations where they know the right thing to do, but they are constrained by law, by institutional policy, by the path of least resistance and sometimes

by physicians,” states Dr. Eric Vogelstein, an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the School of Nursing and the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts’ Department of Philosophy. “That is a phenomenon called moral distress, and it is a key component in nurse burnout and turnover.” This is just one of the challenges that the School ofNursing addresses in educating nurses on how to think and debate in a rational way and thereby empowering them to stand up for what they know is right.

D O I N G T H E R I G H T T H I N G NURSES ARE ON THE FRONT LINE OF ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE. BY OFFERING THE

NATION’S F IRST PHD IN NURSING ETHICS, DUQUESNE’S SCHOOL OF NURSING IS LEADING THE

WAY IN GIVING NURSES A BETTER FRAMEWORK AND A GREATER VOICE.


GIVING NUR SES A VOICE IN ETHIC S Although nurses are often in the best position to raise ethical issues, the School of Nursing recognizes that coming forward is not always easy. “There is a power differential,” Glasgow maintains. “Sometimes the right thing does not happen. Everyone needs to be a safety advocate and do the right thing. Teaching that theory to nurses and giving them those skills is essential.” According to Vogelstein, because the institutional power is different between physicians and nurses, physicians often have more decision-making authority, despite the fact that they may not have the knowledge that nurses have on the specifics of the case. “This creates some problems and tension and is one of the main causes of moral distress among nurses,” says Vogelstein. “Nurses do not have the organizational power to do what they know is the right thing, based on their experience with the case. That is why a collaborative, team-based approach to health care is so important.” As the health care environment continues to change, it is important to develop nurses who can make an impact in health care institutions and higher education in order to give nursing an important voice around ethical issues.

Introducing the nation’s first PhD in Nursing Ethics. Glasgow describes why this PhD program, which is being introduced this summer, is so unique. “It is not an add-on or a couple of courses,” she says. “All of the courses are related to ethics, and student dissertations are on health care ethics. And students are not only going to be taught by nursing faculty who understand the clinical environment, but they are also going to be taught by health care ethicists like Dr. Vogelstein and faculty from our Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics. Students will have a mixture of clinical faculty and experts who really understand theoretical ethics.” Vogelstein adds, “In this research-focused program nurses will gain expertise in the ethical dimensions of their practice in a way that is rare among nursing schools.”


A NATURAL FIT WITH THE UNIVER SIT Y MISSION “Duquesne has a track record of ethics education for nurses that is unique,” remarks Vogelstein. “Our Catholic background provides a foundation in ethics and our Spiritan mission specifically includes ethics.” He adds, “You need leadership at the dean and administrative levels to press ethics education in a vigorous way. Thankfully, that is what our dean has been doing, by revamping the curriculum to include stand-alone ethics classes which, in and of itself, is fairly innovative. The goal is to have the School of Nursing known as a leader in nursing ethics, and I think we are on our way, given that this is going to be the first PhD in Nursing Ethics in the country.” “All the pieces fit,” states Zoucha. “It is the next natural progression for our school—to be known as the place to study nursing ethics because of the faculty from the Center for Healthcare Ethics and our faculty in the School of Nursing.” Glasgow says, “One thing that differentiates Duquesne is our focus on ethics throughout the university. We talk about ethics in business and law and all our other disciplines. Duquesne has a history of valuing ethics that distinguishes us from other institutions.”

THE PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON AND COMBINE EMPIRICAL

INQUIRY, WHICH IS THE HALLMARK OF PHD TRAINING, AND ALSO NORMATIVE INQUIRY, WHICH ASKS WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE, WHAT OUGHT TO BE THE CASE, AND WHAT ARE

THE ETHICAL AND MORAL DIMENSIONS OF PRACTICE.

CONT INUING THE CON VER SATION : E T HIC S AND N U R SIN G Vogelstein’s paper, “Autonomy and the Moral Authority of Advance Directives,” which argues that advance directives lose their authority when someone has severe dementia, will be published in The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. His most recent paper, “Professional Hubris and Its Consequences: Why Organizations of Healthcare Professions Should Not Adopt Ethically Controversial Positions,” appears in Bioethics. Vogelstein believes that it is problematic for organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association to take positions on controversial medical issues. “They are speaking with some degree of authority,” he says. “I suggest that the leadership of these types of organizations has no special ethical authority over others who think about the issues in depth, such as academic ethicists or even the public at large, and that there are various negative consequences of taking these types of stances.” Recently, Vogelstein received an internal grant from Duquesne to write a paper called “Deciding for the Incompetent,” which is forthcoming in an anthology called Ethics at the End of Life. The paper evaluates the standard theories about how we ought to make medical decisions for patients who are not competent to make their own choices, and discusses how those theories result in different actions.

chair of advanced role and PhD programs, who helped to develop the program, students will receive the best of both worlds. “They will be well trained by experts in health care ethics and well trained in nursing research methods with a nursing focus. Each program will offer its strengths in helping to build a scholar in nursing ethics,” he says.

Nurses will develop the intellectual skills and the practical knowledge to identify ethical issues in nursing practice, to evaluate both the various options according to moral and ethical reasoning, and standards of evaluation that are decidedly ethical in nature, as well as to come to a well-reasoned resolution and conclusion. According to Associate Professor Dr. Rick Zoucha,

S HINING A N AT ION A L SPOT LIGHT ON NUR SING ETHIC S Thanks to the generosity of nursing alumna Carol Carfang, N’73, and Anthony Carfang, B’73, a member of the Duquesne

University Board of Directors, the School of Nursing will host the Carol Carfang Nursing and Healthcare Ethics Conference

in 2018.

“We will be inviting nationally recognized nurses and ethicists to talk about some of the leading health care issues that are

happening presently,” states Glasgow. “We will discuss how to analyze and address ethical issues and come to well-reasoned

conclusions from a nursing perspective. Ethics is something that nurses can relate to; they have all experienced situations

that elicited discomfort and they want to talk about them. The conference will offer opportunities to discuss solutions from

a policy or organizational perspective.”

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Learning at Duquesne University occurs both on campus and beyond in places such as Nicaragua, Italy, Scotland, Ghana and Tanzania, to name a few. For more than two decades, nursing students and faculty have been around the world in a spirit of service, learning and international collaboration. Nursing Dean Mary Ellen Glasgow, a strong advocate for the development of a global nursing perspective,believes that international experiences make the world feel smaller. “As the number of immigrants increases in our country, knowledge about infectious diseases has become essential. Health care practitioners need to know to ask questions related to different health practices, as well as cultural and religious norms,” explains Glasgow. At Duquesne, a global perspective is introduced into all levels of the nursing curriculum; a transcultural nursing class is included in all undergraduate and DNP programs, and those enrolled in the PhD program are required to study abroad.

Students gain field experience in Nicaragua, Ireland, Italy and Scotland, where they enroll in courses such as Transcultural Global Health Perspectives, visit hospitals and clinics, and explore the culture. At the University College Dublin, PhD students are introduced to Irish faculty, discuss their

research with other students and attend an action research conference. And students traveling to Nicaragua participate in direct patient care in the communities and in health promotion and disease prevention projects. Dr. Rick Zoucha, chair of advanced role and PhD

programs, adds, “These experiences enable the students to see the commonalities and differences in health care and health care access. It changes their world view and we hope that will impact how they care for people in any setting.” Zoucha is an internationally known transcultural nursing research expert and holds the Joseph A. Lauritis, C.S.Sp. Endowed Chair in Teaching and Technology in the School of Nursing.

L E A R N I N G A N D R E S E A R C H : ACROSS THE GLOBE AND IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

BY OFFERING TRANSCULTURAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCES, THE SCHOOL OF NURSING HELPS STUDENTS LIVE ITS MISSION.


IN O UR BACKYA RD Student knowledge and experience with culturally competent care is advanced through involvement with research Zoucha conducts in Pittsburgh. Recent project highlights include:

Participatory-Action Research Zoucha and a student team studied five distinct cultures from Pittsburgh’s African immigrant and refugee population to ascertain their health care needs. While each participant identified with a specific country, they all shared a common experience of living in many countries in refugee camps prior to coming to the United States. The study focused on the participants’ unique realities and perspectives about their most pressing needs, rather than the researchers’ perceptions of their needs. Using this information, the team developed a specific intervention to address these needs. The school continued to consult and collaborate with members of the African immigrant community and offered a conference on Culture and Health at a Crossroads: Dialogue on Change and Opportunity for African Immigrants and Refugees.

SIDS Study Drs. Rick Zoucha, Cindy Walters, Alison Colbert, Elaine Carlins and Eileen Smith conducteda Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) study in conjunction with Cribs for Kids with an African-American community in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood that had a high incidence of sleep-related deaths. Their research discovered misperceptions about SIDS, a baby’s sleeping position and the practice of co-sleeping. The team developed an educational intervention for parents as well as grandmothers and aunts, who were found to have a great deal of influence on young mothers.

Photo Voice Research Drs. Rick Zoucha and Melanie Turk studied a specific Nigerian population whose risk of obesity increased the longer they resided in the U.S. Using the Photo Voice research method, researchers asked participants to pick photos to explain healthy and unhealthy foods and healthy and unhealthy activities. Participants felt that eating Nigerian foods such as plantain, goat, rice and fish was healthy while eating American food such as pizza and hamburgers was not. However, the typical Nigerian lifestyle included more walking than what occurs in Pittsburgh. After discussing healthy food options in light of this altered lifestyle, participants were able to adapt their cooking to incorporate traditional tastes so their families would enjoy American food.


70

nursing students in the last 2 years have

traveled to study, conduct

research or volunteer in

countries such as Italy,

Nicaragua, Ireland, Costa Rica,

France, Ghana and Tanzania.

M A K I N G A N I M P A C T A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

36 The number of

BSN students that studied in Italy:M

ore t

han

Japan, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Bermuda are just a few of the

countries in which

our graduate students

live and work. VETERAN-GRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS

HAVE CONTINUED THEIR STUDIES WHILE BEING

DEPLOYED TO COUNTRIES SUCH AS GERMANY,

QATAR AND CAMEROON.8

Duquesne University School of Nursing’s COMMUNIT Y-BASED

HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER S (CBHWC ) provide

wellness-oriented nursing services to vulnerable populations,

as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary care experiences

and service and research for students and faculty.

During the 2015-2016 academic year, faculty and students served

at 6 CBHWC sites in the greater Pittsburgh area and

engaged in a total of 1,690 client encounters.

students traveled to Nicaragua to assess family

health needs and conduct health screenings of

older adults, pregnant women and children.

26

SCHO OL OF NU R S I N G ALUMNI ASSO CI ATI ON N EWS

The School of Nursing Alumni Association has a proud legacy of serving its alumni community and promoting the school and its mission. The association, comprising more than 5,000 alumni across the U.S. and beyond, strives to provide support to students, alumni and worthwhile projects. Although many Duquesne nursing alumni remain in Pennsylvania, others are establishing careers and making a difference in cities like Seattle, Los Angeles, Houston, New York and Atlanta. With the growth of our international community, our graduates are making an impact in numerous countries including Canada, Japan, Afghanistan and England. Over the past year, the association has continued to be a strong supporter of student-centered initiatives that increase scholarship dollars and strengthen program resources, as well as fund events that encourage alumni engagement. Recent accomplishments include:

• Exceeded the 60 percent fundraising mark for the first Nursing Alumni Association $50,000 Endowed Scholarship for nursing students.

• Raised nearly $2,000 in less than 24 hours for the School of Nursing through the inaugural Duquesne Day of Giving.

• Purchased clinical items for the Learning and Simulation Center, as well as a needed bench in the student seating area.

• Provided in-kind and financial support and networking to student organizations such as Alpha Tau Delta, Chi Eta Phi and Duquesne University Student Nurses Association.

• Partnered with the PA State Nurses Association on several initiatives, including one for Pittsburgh’s Young Nurse Professionals group to promote collaboration and professional growth.

If you are an alumni, we encourage you to get involved. There are numerous opportunities for networking and socializing with fellow alums, as well as mentoring nursing students and young alumni. Please contact Leah Vota Cunningham, nursing alumni president, at [email protected].

Alum

niFaculty

ALU M NI SPOTL IGHT: MARY BETH WARG O As an undergraduate, Mary Beth Wargo, N’10, participated in several global health experiences in South and Central America. She followed her dream to work with diverse populations and moved to Texas to work at Dell Children’s, where she immersed herself in new Spanish-speaking environments. She continued her dream and volunteered with Project Hope to work as a pediatric nurse on a ship in the South Pacific; she then joined Médecins Sans Frontières, Doctors Without Borders, and in the last three years has completed four missions working in refugee camps in Syria/Jordan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Central African Republic. She has recently returned to the United States to pursue a dual PNP and PhD graduate degree.

FACU LT Y IM PACT • Associate Professor Becky Kronk, PhD, CRNP, presented, “Designing An Undergraduate Genetic and Genomic Nursing Course Based On The Essential Competencies” at the International Society Of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) Conference in Dublin, Ireland.

• Associate Nursing Professor Dr. Khlood Salman is living and working in Saudi Arabia to study the impact of culture and religion on breast cancer prevention among Muslim women. See page 28 to learn more.


Mannequins that bleed and moan. Accurate drug information at the tap of a finger. And a robot that allows faculty and students to see, speak and even remotely maneuver around a classroom. That is not the future; that is now in the School of Nursing, where technology is enhancing the learning experience in new and exciting ways. What started as a one-room lab with eight hand-cranked beds has moved, grown and evolved over the last two decades into nursing’s state-of-the-art Learning and Simulation Center. Packed with technology, the center offers a safe environment where nursing students can practice simple to complex patient care skills. If the new Learning and Simulation Center was not high-tech enough with its life-like mannequins and simulations, now it offers a truly futuristic way for distant learners and educators to get in on the action, too.

Introducing DUSTIN. Nursing now has a new member on the team—a robot that acts as the eyes, ears and mouthpiece for students and faculty who cannot participate in person. Its nickname is DUSTIN, short for Duquesne University Simulating Telepresence In Nursing, and Duquesne is only

the second nursing school in the nation to have one. “You can connect to this robot from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection,” says Joe Seidel, director of technology in the School of Nursing. “So even if the students are not on campus in the lab, they can connect

to him through an iPad or iPhone app or any computer. Once connected, they can use DUSTIN to see, hear, speak and communicate with anyone in the room. DUSTIN’s screen displays a live video feed of the person at a distance, so it feels like he or she is part of the team.”

R O B O T S , A P P S A N D I P A D S ! O H M Y !

At Duquesne University

School of Nursing,

technology is enhancing

the learning experience

in new and exciting ways.

M E E T D U ST I N T H E R O B OT HIS NAME IS SHORT FOR DUQUESNE

UNIVERSITY SIMULATING TELEPRESENCE IN NURSING, AND DUQUESNE IS ONLY

THE SECOND NURSING SCHOOL IN THE NATION TO HAVE ONE.

THE SCHOOL OF NURSING IS INVESTING IN LEADING-EDGE,

HIGH-TECH WAYS TO LEARN.

D U Q U E S N E U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F N U R S I N G 1 9

“We have a product called Skyscape Skills Hub,” says Henry. “It is a quick point of care reference. If a nurse needs to learn about a medication or review a skill, the information is easily accessible through an iPad or phone app. They know the reference is up to date. It ensures that someone is not proceeding without a clear review.” “It is providing nurses with another tool. Before, a student’s first research might be a Google search, and you never know if the site they use provides accurate information. Now they will go to Skyscape and look up a drug. They will get specific information that they know is safe for a patient, as well as high quality instructions and steps to administer the drug,” adds Seidel. Seidel sees even bigger possibilities for the iPad in nursing. “I think the software is going to improve greatly over the next few years,” he says. “There are going to be a lot more apps available for nursing, whether for studying for exams or for simulation. Professors have begun integrating the iPad more into the classroom. Materials can be wirelessly displayed from the iPad on the projector, and groups can more easily share information with each other. There is tremendous potential here. “We are on the forefront of technology in the School of Nursing,” says Seidel. “And we will continue to be the leader.”

1 8 D U Q U E S N E U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F N U R S I N G

“We have other communications tools such as GoToMeeting and GoToTraining, which are wonderful for online courses, office hours or classroom presentations,” says Seidel. “But DUSTIN gives the person who is online the freedom to move around the room and interact. It is the person at a distance who is in control of the robot’s movement; it does not require any intervention from those in the room. It even allows the user to move its head to more clearly see whose speaking.” The School of Nursing is just beginning to delve into DUSTIN’s possibilities. “We are now planning ways that it can be used,” remarks Rosanna Henry, director of the Learning and Simulation Center. “I am working with Clinical Professor Dr. Joan Such Lockhart, who teaches in the MSN Nursing Education and Faculty Role program. She would like her graduate students to take advantage of DUSTIN in learning opportunities in the center. Our plan is to have the nursing education students remotely join in to understand simulation as a teaching modality.” All this technology is helping Duquesne nursing students in new and amazing ways, including putting a world of information at their fingertips.

There’s an app for that. Every nursing student at Duquesne uses an iPad. And today that tool is more powerful than ever for preventing mistakes and speeding things up.

HELP PREPARE TOMORROW’S HEALTH CARE LEADERS WITH A GIFT TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING.

We invite you to learn more about the following areas of giving:• Technology• Ethics• Research• Scholarships• Community Engagement

To learn more about these initiatives, contact the Office of the Dean of Nursing at 412.396.6553 or visit duq.edu/nursing/donate.

Explore the many ways you can structure a significant gift commitment that will make a lasting impact on the School, its students and ultimately the countless patients each of them will serve throughout their careers.Contact us today.

University Advancement Administration Building 600 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, Pa 15282 412.396.5690 duq.edu/make-a-gift

AR E YO U R E ADY?

TECHNOLOGY IS ENRICHING THE EXPERIENCE OF

NURSING STUDENTS AT DUQUESNE. THERE ARE NEW

WAYS TO CONNECT. INNOVATIVE WAYS TO LEARN.

AND SAFER, FASTER WAYS TO DELIVER CARE.


“My mother used to call me ‘Helpful Henry,’” remembers Professor of Nursing Sister Rosemary Donley, S.C., the Jacques Laval Chair for Social Justice at Duquesne University School of Nursing. “And it was not a compliment,” she chuckles. “She thought I was helping people who maybe did not want to be helped, or I was doing something that maybe did not need to be done.” Donley’s passion for serving others began when she was 17 years old, and entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. “When I told my parents I wanted to become a nun, my father was very happy, and my mother was very upset. She thought I was too young. Somewhere along the line, she got the idea that I would probably last about three months,” she recalls. “So she let me go. She was wrong!” Donley assumed she would become a teacher, but the sisters had other plans. “They decided that I should be a nurse, and I had never thought of that,” she remarks.

An eye-opening experience. Perhaps it was fate that Donley was assigned to Pittsburgh Hospital, which was located on the edge of several distinctive, culturally rich communities filled with Southern Italians, African-Americans and white, middle-class people. In the late 1960s it became an epicenter for racial discord. Times changed—and so did Donley’s

perception of the world. The death of Martin Luther King, Jr. incited an era of disruption and anger. Locally, the construction of the Pittsburgh Civic Arena added to the burgeoning turmoil by displacing many African-American residents from their homes. Local

neighborhoods became filled with drugs and violence. “I suddenly saw something very different,” says Donley. “I saw the breakdown of the family. I saw people leave the neighborhood and go elsewhere. Vibrant communities were suddenly boarded up. It hurt to see how things can fall apart; how really fragile we are.

A L I F E L O N G L E A D E R I N S O C I A L J U S T I C E : MEET SISTER ROSEMARY DONLEY, PHD, APRN, FAAN

S I ST E R R O S E M A RY D O N L E Y, P H D, A P R N , FA A N , IS AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN WHO HAS HELD A TORCH FOR THE VULNERABLE AND UNDERSERVED FROM HER DAYS AS A YOUNG NURSE IN A RIOTOUSCOMMUNITY TO POLICY-MAKING ON CAPITOL HILL TO HER CURRENT LEADERSHIP ROLE IN SOCIAL JUSTICE.


Donley recalls a personal revelation from The Face of the Person with Mental Illness symposium in 2014. “I knew that depression was treatable, but this speaker said it was preventable. When you think about how devastating the effect of a depressed mother is on her family and herself, you realize how much better it would be to prevent it. So what are the skills you need to recognize people who are at risk of depression, and how do you intervene? The symposiums are a way of gaining new insight, learning program skills, relational skills and communication skills. Hopefully, this work continues beyond the two-day symposium,” she says. In fact, the symposiums have resulted in many programmatic spin-offs at Duquesne, from programs to help veterans receive an education to programs that give books to children who have never owned one. “It is not rocket science,” says Donley. “It is saying you can help.”

Looking back…and ahead. It is not surprising that throughout her career, there have been some memorable people and pivotal moments for Donley. When she was a young nurse, there was a patient who lost a long, painful battle with tuberculosis of the kidney. “She taught me more than any textbook what it is like to live with a chronic disease,” says Donley. Another life-changing experience came in the 1960s from a patient with metastatic cancer. Donley took care of her during a personally emotional time—the death of her own mother. “This woman wanted very much to live,” remembers Donley. “But unfortunately

“It is not just the people

who have taught me; it

is actually a lot of the

students I have taught

who really inspire me to

do the best job I can do

for them—because what

they are going to do is so

important,” she says.

her illness was untreatable.” Donley read poetry to the woman when she could not sleep at night. “I helped her die, and she helped me live. If you let yourself, you can learn so much from your patients.They can be your best teachers, but you have to be willing to be vulnerable with them and be honest with them,” she says. The value of those kinds of relationships is something that Donley would like to see emphasized more in modern health care. She remembers when health care was a work of mercy. “Now it is a business. Somewhere between business and the work of mercy is the right balance. You certainly need to have enough money to pay your workers and to buy equipment to help patients get better, but if the total focus is on money, then I think that is wrong,” says Donley. Remembering special teachers, students and patients causes Donley to reflect. “I have always had people who have helped me. And I have always had the grace or common sense to follow their directions,” she says with a smile. “It is not just the people who have taught me; it is actually a lot of the students I have taught who really inspire me to do the best job I can do for them—because what they are going to do is so important.” Sister Rosemary Donley plans to stay at Duquesne, where she enjoys teaching and where she can continue her life-long passion for learning. And after that? “In my fantasy world, I am a gourmet cook, and I own a bed and breakfast,” quips Donley. “But I don’t clean; I just cook!”

“I became interested in the people, and I hope not in a judgmental way, but in a way that tried to see what others were facing. And I wondered sometimes what I would do, had I been in their situations.” Donley went on to earn her master’s degree in nursing and in 1969 she began teaching at St. Francis Hospital’s Community Mental Health unit, the first community-based mental health center in the city, where she worked with a diverse patient population. “It was a very interesting time. It was a chance for me to see the other side,” she says. “I was white. I was raised in a loving, religious family, with values, honesty and integrity. It was idyllic. I thought every family was that way. I had never seen or experienced what others had seen and experienced.” When Donley completed her PhD in 1971, she accepted an appointment at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. In 1977, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation honored her with a Health Policy Fellowship. She moved to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the House and the Senate and learned about health policy. In 1979, she was appointed Dean of Nursing at The Catholic University of America and in 1986, she was named executive vice president. Returning to the faculty of nursing in 1998, she developed programs to prepare nurses to work in underserved communities with vulnerable populations. With the help of federally funded grants, she brought nurses to work in safety net clinics in the poorer parts of the Capitol.

A life-changing advertisement. A friend called Donley about a Duquesne University ad she had seen. “She said, ‘There is a job there that sounds just like you. They want someone to teach social justice.’ I said, ‘They want someone to do what?’” For years she had been doing social justice on the side in the guise of health policy, and could not believe anybody would pay for this type of work. “I was more attracted to what I would be doing than to the title. I would have taken the job if it had no title at all,” Donley says. She visited Duquesne several times and liked what she saw. “I was impressed with the students and how much they liked Duquesne. The faculty and staff and administrators seemed very sensitive to the students. Every time I talked to the people at Duquesne, it seemed like it was the place where I was called to be,” she says.

Donley began reading the writings of the Duquesne University founders, the Spiritans, and realized many of their religious beliefs had similar roots to those of the Sisters of Charity. “From a religious and philosophical perspective, I was very comfortable with that,” Donley explains. “So I came to Duquesne in 2009, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I love what I am doing. The faculty, staff and students are all in this together.”

The creation of a symposium for social justice. In addition to teaching, Donley set out to organize an annual symposium on social justice. “The dean told me, very casually, ‘By the way, we do not have any money for a symposium, so you will have to raise it.’ I had done capital campaigns and annual giving and grants, so I sort of knew the process,” Donley laughs. Duquesne University’s Advancement Office introduced her to Jack McGinley, who turned out to be an old friend of her father. “I happened to also know Rita McGinley, his aunt. That made it very easy to talk to Jack and then later Rita,” says Donley. With the help of additional contacts, Donley has created a network that supports fundraising efforts, program development, and both national and local symposium speakers. Donley stresses the importance of creating an environment that invites networking and the sharing of ideas. “It’s always good to know that someone else is facing the same challenges,” she explains. “But even more important is the opportunity to learn from someone else’s experiences.” Today, the McGinley-Rice Symposiums on Justice for Vulnerable Populations are endowed by the generous support of the Rita M. McGinley Foundation, John R. McGinley and the John R. McGinley, Jr., Esq., family. “This year marked our seventh symposium,” says Donley. “Basically the conferences are an effort to call attention to underserved and vulnerable people. There are children who are malnourished and hungry and probably starving in the city of Pittsburgh. That does not have to happen. And it does happen because people are not aware of it. “So part of McGinley-Rice is shining a light on people who could benefit from help and another part is helping the people that are trying to be the helpers, by giving them contacts and networking opportunities and insight into programs.”


Sr. Rosemary Donely talks with Kellie Collier, administrative assistant for the Jacques Laval Chair for Social Justice and Associate Dean for Research.


A LUMN I NEWS

Together they are tackling important questions, such as how to use telemedicine services to move from traditional hospital-based care to ambulatory care; how to do a better job with patient education and healthy lifestyles; and how to use the nursing staff more fully to help supplement and provide those areas with care. Some innovative solutions include expanding the use of nurse midwives and encouraging the use of nurse practitioners for routine primary women’s health care. “Nurses come prepared to provide more education and listen to their patients,” says McLaughlin. “We are moving more and more to team-based care with physicians and other health care providers. It is about bringing all the skill sets to the table.” McLaughlin believes nurses are in an ideal position to lead the change. “Nurses make up the largest portion of health care professionals across the country,” she states. “We’re pushing for new models of care. We are doing more research, looking at more evidence-based practices, and partnering more with others such as physical therapists and pharmacists.” Thanks to her longtime leadership experience in hospital administration, McLaughlin is able to bring the sometimes disparate worlds of nurses and physicians together by acting as a facilitator and translator. “That can be a challenge,” she admits. “We are not educated or trained the same way, but we get things done much better and faster working together.” In 2014, McLaughlin served as president of the Council of Women’s and Infants’ Specialty Hospitals, a group of high-volume obstetrical care hospitals that collaborate and share information about programs, best practices and national policy. In 2015, she chaired the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Maternal and Child Health Governing Council, where she helped to examine and analyze trends in women’s health across the nation. Previously as a council member, she advised the AHA on public policy, advocacy, and new issues in maternal and child health. McLaughlin has advocated for maternal child care across the country, and is part of an ongoing effort to educate patients to have healthier lifestyles. One of her main concerns in women’s health care is the issue of opioid addiction, particularly in pregnant women. Maternal addiction is growing across the country and the region, and McLaughlin believes pregnancy is a huge opportunity to help women combat the illness. “When women are pregnant, they want to be at their healthiest. Moms who are addicted are no different. They want to be healthy and have a healthy baby, so they are very motivated to make a change in their life,” she says. McLaughlin points to the Pregnancy Recovery Program at Magee as a great example of a way to help. “Keeping moms healthy and advocating good health during pregnancy can hopefully have longstanding effects on both moms and children going forward.”

SHA PIN G WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE HERE AND ACROSS THE NATION. IT IS N OT JUST MARIBETH MCL AUGHLIN’S JOB—IT IS HER PASSION. Duquesne University nursing alumna Maribeth McLaughlin’s interest in women’s health was first inspired by her OB professor Dr. Shirley Wheeler at Duquesne’s School of Nursing. Caring for pregnant women and their babies struck a chord and, after graduating, she took a job at Magee-Womens Hospital. That was 31 years ago, and McLaughlin has been there ever since. At Magee, now part of the renowned University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), McLaughlin worked in critical care, became an educator and then was offered a management role in the ICU. Every step of the way, she remembers nurse mentors tapping her on the shoulder and encouraging her to explore opportunities and push herself to new levels. “They challenged me to try new things and helped me to grow as a nurse, an educator and a leader,” says McLaughlin. While she had three children still under the age of 5, McLaughlin went back to school for a Master’s in Public Management and achieved her goal of graduating before her firstborn went to kindergarten. Today, McLaughlin embraces the task of leading nursing at Magee. She also plays an important role in women’s health throughout the UPMC system, working with physician and administrative partners to shape new models of care for women across Western Pennsylvania. Their focus is to find ways to create better access and better outcomes for women, particularly those in rural communities.

ALUMNI PROFILE :MARIBETH MCLAUGHLIN, BSN, MPM, RNVICE PRESIDENT OF WOMEN’S HEALTH FOR UPMC AND VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, MAGEE-WOMENS HOSPITAL OF UPMC

ONE- ON - ON E WI TH MAR I BETH MCL AU G HL I N Why did you decide to become a nurse?

MCLAUGHLIN: I grew up with an uncle who was a disabled veteran from the Korean War. We cared for him until he passed away. A sense of wanting to take care of others was instilled in me. It sparked me into wanting to be a nurse.

What interested you about women’s health?

MCLAUGHLIN: If we can teach women to take appropriate care of themselves, they can then take care of their families, and we will have a healthier society. There is a lot of evidence that shows women make the decisions for their families about health care. Focusing on women and women’s health helps bring families into the fold.

How did your experience at Duquesne help you in your career?

MCLAUGHLIN: The focus on being caring and compassionate is what I remember so strongly. It was not just about learning tasks and skills; it was about listening to your patients and advocating for them. I have come to realize how important that is. If I can stay focused on my patients and their families, I will make the right decisions. That was very much instilled in me at Duquesne.

And on a personal note?

MCLAUGHLIN: My daughter is in nursing school. It is fun to have her call me and talk about her early nursing school moments. It grounds me and reminds me why I wanted to be a nurse. Also, I have to say my husband has been a wonderful, supportive partner. We celebrated our 25th anniversary in September. That has been a huge piece of how I have been able to be successful.


“Nurses have always been the

core of health care. We spend

the most time with our patients,”

she continues. “We assess and

listen to what their needs are and

advocate for them, so we’re well

positioned to partner with others

to change the way health care is

delivered in this country.”

Photo courtesy of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)


Always eager to continue learning, Garibo enrolled in Citizen’s School of Nursing, which was associated with AVH. Koharchik happened to be a professor there as well, and Garibo became her student. “I told her, ‘I’m going to follow your footsteps,’” says Garibo of Koharchik. “She was genuine, hardworking and caring for her students. She always encouraged us to ask questions. All this drew me to her.” At graduation, Koharchik gave a speech encouraging her students to pursue their bachelor’s degrees and continue in lifelong learning. Garibo took it to heart. He earned his BSN degree.

A door opens. Garibo applied and was accepted to Duquesne University’s School of Nursing. “Duquesne is special to my heart,” shares Garibo. “They encouraged me. Any time I wanted to talk to my professors, they were there for me. They were like a family member. They understood and were compassionate.”

At Duquesne, Garibo’s and Koharchik’s paths crossed yet again. “I had accepted a position at Duquesne and then, lo and behold, Garibo shows up at my office,” Koharchik remembers. “He said he had earned his bachelor’s degree and he wanted to come here to get his FNP. I was thrilled.” Once again, Koharchik would play a pivotal role in Garibo’s life. Required to do research as a graduate student, Garibo reached out to her. “She had a project involving teaching students a more effective way to perform dosage calculations and she became my preceptor,” he recalls.

ALUMN I NEWS

T HE TRUE GRIT OF YIT How does one dare to dream when escaping a war-torn country only to be confined in a hot, crowded Kenyan refugee camp for two and a half years, leaving behind a beloved wife and a 4-year-old daughter? In 1993, this was the plight of Yitnalem Garibo. Although he was one of the lucky ones to eventually find asylum in the United States, his hardships did not end there. Garibo found himself in Pittsburgh, where he was faced with learning a brand new culture and a difficult language. “It was a big shock,” says Garibo. “I only understood about 20 percent of what I heard.” A local church helped him find employment. On his own, Garibo scrimped and saved and soaked up all the knowledge he could. He bought a car and paid to learn how to drive it. Eventually he earned a degree in accounting and got a job at Del Monte, where he was a model employee until the company downsized.

The road to nursing. “I had an interest in nursing even at college,” Garibo remembers. “My advisor said accounting was a better way to go, so I followed that. After I was downsized, I began working as a nurse’s assistant at Allegheny Valley Hospital (AVH).” There Garibo met Dr. Linda Koharchik, presently an assistant professor and director of Adjunct Faculty and Clinical Affairs at Duquesne’s School of Nursing. At the time, she was an AVH supervisor. She had heard good things about Garibo, but one story really impressed her. “He worked with very sick cancer patients. He was cleaning up an incontinent patient, who was embarrassed, and Yit told him that he was honored to be able to do this. He was such a good example to the students that were on that unit with him.”


YITNALEM “YIT” GARIBO

MADE THE DIFFICULT

JOURNEY FROM

ETHIOPIAN REFUGEE

TO FAMILY NURSE

PRACTITIONER WITH

DETERMINATION,

GRACE, HUMILITY

AND THE

MENTORSHIP OF A

DUQUESNE PROFESSOR.

Assistant Professor Linda Koharchik, DNP, stands proudly with her mentee, Yitnalem “Yit” Garibo, GN’16.

Too many students were unable to show competency in dosage calculations and were failing the clinical course because of math. “I saw how devastating it was,” says Koharchik. “I did a lot of research and found that there was one best way to teach math. Duquesne then adopted that method, and our failure rate decreased to zero.” Koharchik earned a Creative Teaching Award at Duquesne for her work on the project, and Garibo earned authorship on an article. “I was very proud to have his name next to mine on the article,” she adds. Koharchik was also instrumental in helping Garibo secure a graduate teaching job at Duquesne that provided tuition remission—no small deal for Garibo, whose wife and daughter had now joined him from Ethiopia. “He’s done very well,” says Koharchik. “He worked in community clinical teaching and in medical/surgical units with students. I received good feedback from the students. Now he’s moving on!”

Master of a brighter future. Garibo graduated with his Family Nurse Practitioner master’s degree from Duquesne University in May 2016 and recently passed his boards. He looks back on a long, hard journey—and ahead to a life of unfathomable opportunity. “It was difficult,” Garibo recalls. “Being a refugee. The hardship of learning the language. Adjusting to the culture. But it didn’t pull me down. I kept going. I kept fighting.” With that grit—and the mentorship of people like Dr. Linda Koharchik—Garibo is achieving a dream he couldn’t have imagined in the refugee camp. Confident of his job prospects, he hopes one day to get involved in volunteer work helping the underprivileged. Koharchik adds, “I’m so proud of Yitnalem. Mentoring is important in nursing, especially when someone can give you confidence and the push to keep moving.” It’s a quality she feels Duquesne fosters. “We find a way to rise above our circumstances and to be successful. Duquesne gives people the opportunity to do that.” Garibo would surely agree. “Life is good,” he muses. “You work hard and you accomplish. I bet you my daughter is going to live a better life than what I’m living. That is only in America.”

“GRADUATE SCHOOL IS NOT AN EASY

ACCOMPLISHMENT. BUT I FOUND AT

DUQUESNE THEY TRULY LIVE THE MISSION

OF ‘WE SERVE GOD BY SERVING STUDENTS.’

THEY HELP OUT AND REALLY WORK HARD

FOR THEIR STUDENTS’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS.”


WELCOMING NEW FACULT Y AND STAFF In the 2016-2017 academic year, several new faculty and staff members were welcomed to the School of Nursing.

NUR SING FULBRIGHT SCHOL AR TO STUDY IMPACT OF CULTURE , RELIGION ON BREAST CANCER PREVENTION AMONG ISL AMIC WOMEN Associate Nursing Professor Dr. Khlood Salman, a Muslim woman and native of Iraq, understands that traditional principles and cultural customs guide Islamic women’s health behavior. It was a close friend’s death from breast cancer, however, that partially spurred Salman’s research focus on women’s health and led to her being awarded a

Fulbright scholarship focusing on breast cancer prevention. Salman’s Fulbright Scholarship is the first awarded to a School of Nursing faculty member. “Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in the field,” says Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow. “Dr. Salman is an exemplar of a faculty scholar and leader who is invested in the health care needs of women of Middle Eastern descent, improving the Muslim-Christian dialogue and a strong advocate for cancer prevention and culturally relevant care for women.” Salman traveled to Mecca in Saudi Arabia this past fall to study the impact of culture and religion on breast cancer prevention among Muslim women. “Modesty is a big thing for women in Islam—it is not only cultural, it is in religion, too,” says Salman, whose friend never disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis, despite being asked about her health. “Many Muslim women do not feel comfortable being checked by a male doctor or being close to a man who is not their husband or a family member. And, women in the Middle East devote themselves to taking care of their husband and their family—that often results in them putting themselves last. When you do not take care of yourself, anything can happen.” According to Salman, Muslim women in Saudi Arabia are not comfortable discussing breast cancer. “I proposed to go to Mecca—a very Islamic, conservative city and the holiest city of Islam—to understand how women there perceive breast cancer prevention,” she says. Salman is based at Umm al-Qura University, where she plans to find a fellow faculty member to partner with on her qualitative study. She acknowledges that she will not be able to start surveying women right away because of their modesty. “I will settle in for a few months and then start to make friends and go from there,” Salman says. “I do not anticipate any problems. I speak the language, which helps, and I am Muslim, so I know the religion and the culture very well.” Besides her research, Salman plans to offer both faculty and student workshops at Umm al-Qura University. “You have to educate women there, especially nursing and health professionals, in order to raise awareness,” says Salman. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

FACULT Y NEWS

AAN FE L LOWS In 2016, the American Academy of Nursing inducted three new members from Duquesne University School of Nursing. Academy Fellows are nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice and research. They have been recognized for their extraordinary contributions to nursing and health care.

Induc te e s Patricia Watts Kelley, PhD, RN, FNP, GNP, FAANP Professor

Cynthia Miller Murphy, MSN, RN, CAEDuquesne Alumna

Michael W. Neft, DNP, MHA, RN, CRNA, FNAPDuquesne PhD Student

FACTS A N D RA N KI N G S Most recent honors include: U.S. News & World Report • #85 Best Graduate Programs• #18 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs• #16 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs for Veterans.

GRANT U P DATESThe School of Nursing increased the number of grant proposals submitted (22) and accepted (10) for 2015.

Nursing has received several foundation and federally funded grants, including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded projects.

External Research Grants awarded totaled $716,329, including a five-year Department of Defense grant for Evidence-Based Mental Health Services for Distressed Post 9/11 Military Family Caregivers for $655,102; $312,720 in scholarships; $13,082 in foundation funding; and $15,000 in internal grants. An additional $40,000 was recently awarded to once again fund the Jonas Scholars Program.

FACULT Y NOTES: Research, Recognitions and Achievements

Drs. Alison Colbert and Melanie Turk received the 2016 Duquesne University Creative Teaching Award for their project “Building Empathy: Using Simulation to Help Nursing Students Understand the Experience of Poverty.”

Dr. Becky Kronk was elected to serve as Treasurer on the International Society of Nurses in Genetics’ Board of Directors for 2016-2017.

Dr. Joan Lockhart authored Nursing Professional Development for Clinical Educators, published by Oncology Nursing Society.

Dr. Kathleen Sekula co-authored A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing: Incorporating Forensic Principles into Nursing Practice, published by Sigma Theta Tau International.

Cherith Simmer, MS, RN, received the 2016 Cameos of Caring® Nurse Educator Award. This select group of nursing professionals represents excellence in nursing and patient care, and celebrates nurses who are everyday heroes and leaders in nursing care, education, and system and hospital management.

Dr. Melanie Turk received the 2016 Gaultier Community-Engaged Teaching Fellowship, sponsored by Duquesne’s Center for Community-Engaged Teaching and Research.

Dr. Yvonne Weideman, Dr. Joan Lockhart and Professor Marie Panas received the 2016 BAYADA Award for Technological Innovation in Health Care Education.

Laura Crimm, MSN, FNP-BCInstructor

Susan Hardner, MSN, RNInstructor

Marie Cippel, MSN, RNInstructor

Lindsay Bowman, MS Testing Coordinator

Denise Lucas, PhD, CRNP Chair of Advanced Practice ProgramsAssistant Professor

Devon George, MSN, RNNursing Recruiter

James Schreiber, PhDProfessor

Pamela Spigelmyer, PhD, RN, CNSAssistant Professor

Amber Kolesar, MSN, RN, CCRNInstructor

Ebony MoultrieLab Assistant

Michelle Rodriguez, BAAdministrative Assistant

Alana Harteis, MEd Undergraduate Academic Advisor

Not pictured above: Kimberly Womack, DHSc, MS, ARNP-BC, SANE-A, CEN, Assistant Professor

Patricia Watts Kelley


ST UDEN T NEWS

Grant author Mark Crider, PhD, RN, assistant dean for administration and special projects, and his team are proud of the progress made and have already noted several successes. Recent highlights include: • Four veteran students have graduated from the accelerated, second-degree BSN program. All have successfully passed the NCLEX and secured full-time nursing employment.

• Students enrolled in the following programs: — Seven Accelerated Second Degree — Eight Traditional BSN — Three RN-BSN

• Student retention rate is more than 84 percent.

• Nationally renowned psychologist Dr. Edward Tick, cofounder of Soldier’s Heart: Restoring Our Warriors and Communities, led a military-focused presentation and student panel discussion as part of a military- focused faculty and staff development program.

• The program also invited local service members to discuss their current careers at a special presentation, “Understanding the Mission,” to demonstrate the diversity of military work being conducted in the Pittsburgh region.

VETERANS INITIATIVES CONTINUE TO GROW In 2014, Duquesne University School of Nursing was among a select group of nursing schools in the nation awarded a nearly $1 million federal grant administered through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Administered over a three-year period, the grant, now in its final year, is designed to provide an innovative curriculum with a focus on veterans’ health and a personalized support system for students, customized to the unique needs of veterans and reservists, including academic credit for prior medical training and experience in health care.

• A new Veteran’s Resource Center was developed through a collaboration with Duquesne University’s Gumberg Library. Materials addressing the physical, mental, economic and social issues that face veterans were purchased to support faculty and staff who work with veteran students as well as to improve curricula, co-curricular offerings and campus services for veteran students.

• A veteran and military-specific freshman orientation program addressing all military-related new students was held in fall 2016. A breakout session geared toward VBSN students was also provided.

The School of Nursing will continue to expand its partnerships and develop new clinical connections with veteran hospitals, veteran service organizations, andcommunity-based agencies that provide care and services to underserved veterans and their families in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Duquesne is among just 15 percent of post-secondary educational institutions across the nation to be designated a Gold Medal Military Friendly School. Duquesne is a Yellow Ribbon Program participant and offers military programs designed for both veterans and active duty personnel seeking career advancement or a career change.

VBSN students and team, spring 2016.

THE HRSA AWARD FOR

YEAR TWO WAS $335,010,

AND THE PROGRAM HAS

BEEN FULLY FUNDED FOR

YEAR THREE AT $331,047.


THE SCHOOL OF NURSING CONTINUES TO ADVANCE ITS VETERANS TO BSN EDUCATION PROGRAM (VBSN) AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR VETERANS, ACTIVE MILITARY, RESERVISTS AND GUARDSMEN WHO WISH TO EARN NURSING DEGREES.

School of Nursing

600 Forbes Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15282

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