USF Nursing hosts summit to develop strategic plan

USF College of Nursing hosted a three-day strategic planning summit to create the college’s USFCON2020 strategic plan.

More than 150 faculty, staff, students, alumni and guests joined forces to collectively create the college’s vision for the next five years through creative, honest and informed conversations.

Facilitated by Carla Carten, PhD, and Amber Johnson of Carten Organizational Management Consulting, the purpose of the summit was to use the Appreciative Inquiry model to achieve the following:

• Identify the college strengths
• Establish a shared strategic vision for the next five years
• Identify initiatives that allows us to achieve our vision for the future
• Strengthen relationships between faculty, staff, students, and community partners
• Establish a general timeline and plan to implement the strategic plan

“The summit provided USF Nursing faculty and staff with the unique opportunity to get to know each other as individuals beyond titles and professional roles and experience and focus on the phenomenal expertise our diversity offers,” said Linda De Mello, MS, director of the strategic initiatives at USF Nursing, “We discovered an extraordinary consensus about what staff and faculty valued most about the college and witnessed a profound shared commitment to transforming healthcare transforming lives through global leadership in research, education and practice. ”

During the event, Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing, recognized new faculty and staff and also honored current faculty and staff with various awards.

Awardees included:

• Mentor in Teaching Award – Melanie Michael, DNP, MS, FNP-C, CPHQ, assistant professor and director for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• Mentor in Research Award – Connie Visovsky, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, associate dean for student affairs and community engagement
• Innovative Teaching Award – Valorie MacKenna, MS, RN, instructor
• Clinical Teaching – Bethany Tucker, MSN, instructor
• Outstanding New Investigator – Amanda Elliott, PhD, assistant professor
• Established Investigator Award – Maureen Groer, PhD, Gordon Keller professor
• Research Article of the Year Award – Maureen Groer, PhD, Gordon Keller professor
• Clinical Article of the Year – Stephen McGhee, MSc, Bsc, PGCE, RNT, RN, VR, instructor
• Faculty Leadership Award – Kathy Katz, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, assistant professor
• Outstanding Service Award – Joan Perl, RN, MS, instructor
• Community Service Award – Nick Hall, PhD, professor
• Dean’s Diversity Enhancement Award – Kimberly Brown, academic specialist
• Outstanding Staff Leadership Award – Scott Burgess, MS, associate director & academic advisor for the graduate program
• Outstanding Staff Teamwork Award – Emmanuel Rivera, MHRM, academic services administrator of the undergraduate nursing program
• Outstanding new staff award – Shereena Farrington, academic program specialist
• Staff of the Year Award – Vjollca Hysenlika, MA, media/public relations officer, news writer and social media manager for media and communications
• True Unsung Hero Award – Melissa Leggatt, research support specialist and coordinator of CARE data

To view more photos from the event click here.

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