National Ranking
U.S. News & World Report ranked 681 Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. The College of Nursing is ranked #29 (tied), and is the highest-ranked BSN program in Utah.
Grant Awards
Principal Investigator Dr. Gwen Latendresse and Co-Investigators Dr. Sara Simonsen, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Xiaoming Sheng, Dr. Marcela Smid, Dr. Uma Dorn, Dr. J.D. Smith, and Dr. Ryoko Pentecost (sub-contract with Boise State University) received a $1.9M National Institutes of Nursing Research R01 grant for their project titled Prevention of Perinatal Depression among at-risk Individuals through Integration of a Multimedia, Web-based Intervention within the Healthcare System. During this 3-year project, the team will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of integrating a remote-access perinatal depression prevention program within a healthcare system and embedded in the existing web-based patient portal YoMingo®. For this type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation project, they will use the Implementation Research Logic Model to evaluate systems and strategies that link intervention determinants, including sociocultural determinants, with implementation outcomes in Latino, underserved (rural), and urban populations. In addition, they will use a randomized preference trial to assess the impact of patient preference and sociocultural factors – geographic residence, race/ethnicity, significant life events, mental health history, mental health stigma – on participation and preliminary outcomes.
Dr. Kathie Supiano (PI), and the Caring Connections team received a two-year extension with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for $400,000. This contract will allow the team to train clinicians about the Grief of Overdose Death, and to implement the Overdose Grief Support Program in substance use disorder treatment programs and mental health service settings in Utah.
Two of Dr. Kathie Supiano’s mentees received Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation Hillman Emergent Innovation: Serious Illness and End of Life grants.
- Dr. Siobhan Aaron, a recent T-32 post-doctoral fellow and now Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve School of Nursing, received a grant for her project A Culturally Centered Complicated Grief Group Therapy Intervention for Black Americans. Bereaving Black communities are at heightened risk of Complicated Grief because of historical trauma, systemic racism, mistrust in the healthcare system, and a frequent reluctance to seek mental health care. Dr. Aaron will investigate the experience of Black grievers and use those findings to modify an existing intervention, Complicated Grief Group Therapy, into a culturally centered psychotherapeutic intervention.
- Dr. Abigail Latimer, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, received a grant for her project Adapting the Serious Illness Conversation Guide for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness. The population of homeless older people continues to grow rapidly, and their physical and mental burdens, combined with challenges in receiving adequate care, contribute to shorter life expectancies than their housing-secure peers. Dr. Latimer seeks to adapt the Serious Illness Conversation Guide, which is primarily used to drive values-based conversations between caregivers and oncology patients, for use with older adults experiencing homelessness to recognize and meet their serious illness needs.
Alumni Weekend
Eden Bennett and Mindy Francis planned and organized a food truck lunch and tours of the College of Nursing Simulation Center to kick off the College’s 75th Anniversary celebrations. They also sponsored additional Alumni Weekend events, including the Half Century Society Induction Luncheon, Awards Ceremony, bowling, and swag giveaways. Alumni shared their stories, memories, and photos. Vianney Alcala, Yvonne Bass, Debbie Boulter, Sherri Kerney, Mary Neville, Eric Nhem, Jacqueline Scheider, Jeanne Schlater, Amanda Thomson, Janzell Tutor, and Cole Wandler helped plan and conduct the activities.
The College of Nursing Dean’s Advancement Board sponsored three awards.
- The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes College of Nursing alumni who graduated 15 or more years ago and have attained a high level of professional accomplishments and/or have advanced nursing or gerontology through practice, research, education, or administration. Dr. Susan VanBeuge received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award.
- The Young Alumni Award recognizes College of Nursing alumni who graduated within the last 10 years and have attained a high level of professional accomplishments and/or has advanced nursing or gerontology through practice, research, education, or administration. Dr. Amanda Eckersley received the 2022 Young Alumni Award.
- The Distinguished Service Award recognizes both alumni and non-alumni who have dedicated personal time, talents, and energy to strengthen and improve the community in which they live. Terese Cracroft received the inaugural 2022 Distinguished Service Award.
Presentations
Drs. Youjeong Kang, Xiangyang Ye, Josef Stehlik, Jincheng Shen, and Kathi Mooney presented a poster titled Charlson Co-morbidity Index Score and 30-day Rehospitalization in Heart Failure Patients at the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting 2022 in Washington DC.
The Palliative Care: Building Communities, Expanding Boundaries symposium, to be held on October 5-6, will bring together individuals and communities of interest locally, statewide, and globally, to learn about approaches to improve access to palliative care. Aiming to create a blueprint that fosters palliative care collaborations across communities and cultures, the symposium will feature national palliative care leaders and emphasize engagement of all attendees – stakeholders of palliative care. Among those presenting, Dr. Lynn Reinke, Claire Dumke Ryberg, RN, Presidential Endowed Chair in End-of-Life/Palliative Care, will deliver a podium presentation titled Utah Frontier: A Vision for Building Communities and Expanding Boundaries for Palliative Care. Dr. Lynn Reinke will moderate a Utah Program Highlights, Revisiting Vision, & Next Steps panel discussion that includes Dr. Linda Edelman, Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Nancy McLeskey, Dr. Holli Martinez, and Dr. Kathi Mooney. Those who helped plan, organize, and support the two-day event include Dr. Gail Towsley, Dr. Lynn Reinke, Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Andrea Wallace, Christine Moua, Lynn Dixon, Mindy Francis, Vianney Alcala, Jacqueline Scheider, Colleen Neering, and members of College of Nursing Systems and Technology.
Publication
Bybee S, Cloyes KG, Mooney K, Supiano KP, Baucom BRW, Ellington L. Posttraumatic growth and life course stress predict dyadic wellbeing among sexual and gender minority (SGM) and non-SGM couples facing cancer. Psycho-ooncology. 2022. Epub ahead of print.
Community Engagement
Faculty, staff, and students administered 956 flu shots and 150 COVID booster vaccines at the University of Utah Employee Appreciation Day. Those who organized the clinic and administered immunizations included Dr. Sharifa Al-Qaaydeh, Dr. Anna Alder, Donnie Benson, Dr. Jennifer Clifton, Dr. Teressa Garrett, Dr. Brenda Luther, Dr. Debra Penney, Dr. Carolyn Scheese, Dr. Catherine Staes, and many College of Nursing Students. An employee wrote, “I wanted to write and thank you for putting on EAD. This year I especially appreciated being able to get my flu shot and covid booster (and have them reported to work wellness). Both of the people who gave me a shot were great! There’s a range of how physically comfortable shots are to get, and I really appreciate the skilled and (very nearly) painless delivery.” Wendy Poppleton, Director of Benefits at the University of Utah wrote, “It was a fabulous day and everything went so smoothly and quickly! I heard from several people that the flu clinic is really the reason they come to EAD – it’s so easy. Thanks everyone!!!” Dr. Brenda Luther and students also administered flu shots at Huntsman Cancer Research.
Moniqa Arnes provided a tour of the College of Nursing Simulation Center for Dr. Aghadeer Jheiwan. Dr. Jheiwan is the founder and General Director of the Princess Taghrid institute for Development and Training in Jordan, a non-governmental organization established in 2010 to rehabilitate, educate, and employ orphaned and abandoned youth, especially young women in abusive situations. During her visit to University of Utah Health’s Global Health Office, Dr. Jheiwan wanted to visit the College of Nursing and its Simulation Center. Dr. Jenneth Doria, Dr. Debra Penney, and Dr. Jennifer Macali met with Dr. Jheiwan and guided her group.
Dr. Jenneth Doria, Dr. Debra Penney, and Dean Marla De Jong led a tour for Dr. Freddy Elbaiady, founder and CEO of the Salam Medical Center in Egypt, and elected member of the Egyptian Parliament (House of Representatives). Dr. Ann Butt provided a tour of the College of Nursing Simulation Center. Salam Medical Center is a unique health care delivery system with peacemaking at its core, promoting and building positive relations among people of different faiths while providing high-quality health care to the people who live in and near El-Qanatir Elkhaireya, Egypt. Dr. Elbaiady is interested in finding ways to improve training for nurses and nurse assistants who work at Salam Medical Center.