Accreditation News
The George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center had a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation site visit for the Primary Care and Mental Health tracks of its post-graduate Nurse Practitioner Residency. Dr. Gillian Tufts, Dr. Tek Kilgore, and Dr. Sheila Deyette partnered with VA colleagues, advising about the structure and operation of the residency, recommending curriculum, contributing to residency activities, helping write the Self-Study Report, and meeting with members of the CCNE team. The evaluators reported that the VA’s Nurse Practitioner Residency Program met CCNE Standards I, II, III, and IV. During the exit meeting, CCNE evaluators provided a positive report, emphasizing evidence of a strong VA-College of Nursing academic partnership.
Professional Service
Dr. Lauri Linder was co-guest editor for the September/October 2023 special issue of the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing. This special issue addresses global pediatric oncology nursing. Along with co-guest editor Dr. Julia Challinor, Dr. Linder mentored nurses from across the six World Health Organization regions to develop their manuscripts regarding topics ranging from preventing bloodstream infections and addressing care needs of parents, to developing culturally meaningful educational resources.
Presentation
In partnership with the Department of Biomedical Informatics and the Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah Health Digital Health Initiative is sponsoring a Digital Health Think Tank discussion titled Accelerating Virtual Care University of Utah Health on December 6, 2023. Panelists Mike Applegarth, Dr. Elizabeth Sloss, and Nate Gladwell will participate in an engaging panel discussion about what is happening around Virtual Care on campus.
Publications
Goodwin RM, Utz R, Elmore C, Ornstein K, Tay DL, Ellington L, Smith, K, Stephens C. Leveraging existing datasets to advance family caregiving research: opportunities to measure what matters. J Aging Soc Policy. In press.
Hashibe M, Wei M, Lee CJ, Tao R, Koric A, Wang J, Daud A, Tay D, Shen J, Lee Y-cA, Chang C-PE. Incident cardiovascular disease risk among older Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander breast cancer survivors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023;OF1–OF10.
Linder LA, Challinor J. Pediatric oncology nurse-led research and evidence-based practice: Global exemplars to reduce disparity. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol Nurs. 2023;40(5):281-285.
van Thiel Berghuijs KM, Kaddas HK, Warner EL, Fair DB, Fluchel M, Knackstedt ED, Verma A, Kepka D, Green AL, Smitherman AB, Draper L, Johnson RH, Kirchhoff AC. Vaccination practices of pediatric oncologists from eight states. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23(1):1215.
University Engagement
Dr. Djin Tay and Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson were selected to be mentors for University of Utah Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR), which provides undergraduate students with an intensive 10-week research experience under the mentorship of a University of Utah faculty member. SPUR mentees receive a stipend, and have a robust summer experience, including hiring and onboarding, belonging to a cohort of scholars, receiving mentorship and advisement, attending educational programs, presenting research, and publishing their work. Students will work with Dr. Tay on her Economic Burden of Cancer Associated with Long-Term Treatment and at End-of-Life project and Dr. Taylor-Swanson on her MENOGAP: Engaging in Community-Led Development and Testing a Group Medical Visit Intervention project.
Community Engagement
Caring Connections team members Dr. Kathie Supiano, Adrienne Bott, Laura Bradbury, Anna Fetzer, and Kimberly Ponce Gonzalez, with support from Dean Marla De Jong, members of the Office of Advancement – Mindy Francis and Miriam Lovin, Systems and Technology – Cole Wandler, and Office Support – Shelli King, held the annual Grief and the Holidays event for the community. This year’s theme was “How the Light Comes.” The Caring Connections Advisory Board, Larkin Mortuary, and Ruby Snap Cookies supported the event. Taryn Hiatt, Utah and Nevada Area Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, was the featured guest speaker, and Peter Breinholt provided musical performances.
In the Media
Dr. Deanna Kepka and Dr. B.J. Rimel, members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), were nominated to represent AACI at the National Roundtable on Cervical Cancer. From their participation, they authored a commentary titled Collaborating to Reduce Disparities in Cervical Cancer, whichdiscusses how lack of public understanding contributes to stigma about cervical cancer and inhibits vaccination and screening. The commentary describes self-sampling as a way to empower patients – particularly for members of historically marginalized groups, those who live in rural communities, and those who have experienced trauma – and stresses the importance of collaborating and leveraging cancer centers to eliminate cervical cancer.
Lindsay Fischer featured Dr. Scott Christensen in the Oncology Nursing News article The Rate of Workplace Violence in Oncology Remains High. Dr. Christensen emphasized the importance of individual measures for nurses to decrease their risk, such as being aware of patient histories and recognizing signs of potential escalation. He highlighted the need for a culture of safety within healthcare institutions, including establishing a zero-tolerance policy for violence, offering regular training on patient de-escalation, implementing engineering controls, and creating efficient reporting processes and follow-up procedures.