Year in Review: Top USF College of Nursing stories of 2018
As 2018 comes to a close, the USF College of Nursing is looking back at the key accomplishments and milestones that marked the past year. Our year in review highlights the prominent news stories that impacted our nursing students, faculty and staff.
Three USF College of Nursing faculty members were inducted as fellows in the American Academy of Nursing. Associate Dean Theresa M. Beckie, Assistant Dean Teresa N. Gore, and Assistant Professor Alicia Gill Rossiter were recognized for their national and international contributions to nursing during the group’s annual policy conference.
Associate Professor Harleah Buck became a fellow of the American Heart Association’s Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing. Dr. Buck was nominated for her extensive scientific work focusing on gerontology, cardiovascular disease and palliative care nursing.
College of Nursing Assistant Professor Stephen McGhee received the USF Global Achievement Award. The prestigious award acknowledged his outstanding global engagement. In April, McGhee oversaw nursing trips to Scotland and Panama.
College of Nursing doctoral students Lauren Wright and Tram Pham continued to advance the Natural Nipple. The pair won a $50,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop a baby bottle nipple that mirrors the shape and breastmilk flow rate of the baby’s mother. The duo also won the $10,000 prize in a health innovation competition.
HeartMapp, a proposed mobile application that helps heart patients manage their health, got a $225,000 boost from the National Institute of Nursing Research. The grant helps researchers begin a pilot study with a small group of patients. Dr. Ponrathi Athilingam talks about her idea for HeartMapp and her unconventional path into nursing.
The Dean’s Suite was named in memory of Patricia A. Burns, who served as dean of the College of Nursing from 1997 to 2010. During her tenure, Dr. Burns helped establish what is now USF Health and guided the creation of the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia, and Clinical Nurse Leader advanced degree programs.
Nursing professor Nick Hall pedaled 1,725 miles from Tampa to Toronto this summer in an effort to help end polio. Dr. Hall completed the solo adventure cycling trip in 20 days, logging 100-plus miles each day for up to 14 hours a day.
Experiential learning took a giant leap forward with a cutting-edge ultrasound simulator that projects 3-D holographic images. The CAE VimedixAR with Microsoft HoloLens allows users to visualize complex organs and holographic layers of the circulatory, respiratory, and skeletal structures of the manikin.
At the College of Nursing, two trailblazing veteran nurses know firsthand how being a nurse on the battlefield, coupled with the military’s leadership training, has brought them to where they are now. Vice Dean Susan Perry and Assistant Professor Alicia Rossiter talked about their pride in serving as military nurses.
After a collaborative effort, the College of Nursing unveiled new mission and vision statements. The mission: USF College of Nursing provides innovation and leadership in preparing 21st-century nurses to demonstrate excellence in research, education, and clinical care while promoting health and wellness in our community and around the world.
The College of Nursing’s nurse anesthesia program gained its doctoral degree accreditation. The approval means beginning in May 2019, students entering the nurse anesthesia program will be graduating with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, as nursing schools shift from awarding a master’s to a doctoral degree to meet a nationwide mandate.
Compiled by Elizabeth L. Brown, USF College of Nursing
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