xt7fn29p5k9z https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7fn29p5k9z/data/mets.xml University of Kentucky College of Nursing Kentucky -- Lexington University of Kentucky College of Nursing 2013 newsletters English University of Kentucky College of Nursing Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. University of Kentucky College of Nursing publications Nursing Opportunities, Fall 2013 text Opportunities, Fall 2013 2013 2013 2019 true xt7fn29p5k9z section xt7fn29p5k9z Opportunities
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF NURSING
OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities
OPPORTUNITIES/Fall 2013
OPPORTUNITIESOpportunities
LIFE
WORK
{
{
school
BALANCING
Opportun
* dean’s
2013-2014
LETTER
Op
Amazing
Impressions
Prior to being named interim dean of the College of Nursing, I was keenly
aware of the many talents of our students. Since assuming the role, I am
even more aware of their capabilities and motivation to learn. The dedicated
faculty, staff, preceptors and others who contribute to their education are
equally impressive. For these reasons, we are excited about featuring some of
our students who are balancing multiple demands while enrolled in rigorous
programs of study, yet still find time to do even more!
When you read the “balancing act” article, I believe you will be impressed — and perhaps amazed
— about the way DNP student Autumn Roque balances her personal and professional life while
coordinating a commute from her home in northern Virginia to her work in Washington, and
classes five times a semester at the College of Nursing in Lexington! There is no doubt that using
information technology for a variety of curriculum strategies and methods eases her study burden
somewhat. Still, it takes resilience, dedication and love for knowledge to maintain oneself whether
in the BSN, DNP or PhD program.
Not long ago, I asked two of our BSN students why it was important for them to seek
employment in a hospital setting while enrolled in school. Kate McNulty said she planned on
applying for a nursing externship during the summer before her last semester in order to have
additional nursing experience. Similarly, Ryanne Haga spoke about how grateful she was to have
the opportunity to participate in the Norton Extern Program. Ryanne said, “I think this is going
to be an optimal time to use everything I have learned here at the UK College of Nursing and
practice in real time in a very hands-on manner.”
Finally, when you read about the research grants that faculty members have received since the
last issue of Opportunities, you will have a better understanding about why students come to
UK for their PhD studies. They get very involved in the research activities of our gifted, talented
faculty. Our PhD graduates leave here prepared to be scientists with the capability of addressing
clinical problems that our DNP graduates will then incorporate into their evidence-based practice
leadership roles.
In sum, the payback of students’ investment of time and resources is certainly well worth
the outlay. Thank you for supporting them in their efforts!
Patricia B. Howard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Interim Dean and Professor
O
* Fall 2013
LIFE
WORK
{
{
school
table of
CONTENTS
7
page
Feature
Balancing Act
18
page
Practice
Helping, Healing, Caring Hands
24
page
Research
Early Impact
28
page
Technology
Amplifying the Art of Education
2
3
5
32
34
37
Grant Productivity
Awards
Faculty & Staff Appointments & Transitions
Events
Donors
Donor Profile
* uk
grant
PH E A LT C T IA RT Y
RODUHC VI E
FUNDED
Grants awarded
RESEARCH
Efforts to Maximize Perinatal Outcomes
in Women-at-Risk (EMPOWR)
Kristin Ashford, women’s health nurse practitioner and
associate professor, received a four-year, $587,038 Start for Mothers
and Newborns grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS). The purpose of this award is to test whether or not an enhanced
pregnancy centering model will reduce the incidence of adverse perinatal
outcomes. EMPOWR will empower women via self-management and
peer support.
A Dietary Antioxidant Intervention
for Secondary Prevention of
Cardiovascular Disease
Martha Biddle, assistant professor, received a University of
Kentucky Faculty Research grant for $20,000 to test the effect of a dietary
antioxidant intervention on biomarkers of inflammation in patients who
have experienced myocardial infarction.
Managing Nicotine Withdrawal in Medical
and Surgical Patients
Audrey Darville, assistant professor and certified tobacco
treatment specialist for UK HealthCare, received a two-year,
$199,082 investigator-initiated grant from the Pfizer Medical Education
Group. With this award, Dr. Darville and her team will develop and
promote participation in web-based training modules to provide
information for managing nicotine withdrawal and tobacco use cessation,
provide a discussion forum for providers and clinical experts, and monitor
withdrawal management practices of providers by specialty at UK
HealthCare pre- and post-intervention.
FRESH: Dual Home Screening for
Lung Cancer Prevention
Ellen Hahn, professor and director, Kentucky Center for Smokefree Policy and Tobacco Policy Research Program and Marcia
A. Dake Professor in Nursing, received a $2,100,351 grant from the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The goals of this
project are to test a dual home screening and tailored environmental
feedback intervention designed to reduce environmental risks for lung
cancer, and to identify factors associated with monetary incentives for
radon mitigation.
Promoting Responsive Smoke- and Tobaccofree Policy Adoption and Implementation
Ellen Hahn, professor and director, Kentucky Center for Smokefree Policy and Tobacco Policy Research Program and Marcia A.
Dake Professor in Nursing, received $50,000 for year one of what is
anticipated to be a five-year initiative from the Foundation for a Healthy
2
OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2013
Kentucky. The goal of the study is to promote smoke- and tobacco-free
policy adoption and effective implementation through advocacy, policy
analysis and monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.
Community Partnerships for Tobacco
Prevention and Cessation
Ellen Hahn, professor and director, Kentucky Center for Smokefree Policy and Tobacco Policy Research Program and Marcia
A. Dake Professor in Nursing, received $114,263 from the Kentucky
Health Services to monitor progress in reducing tobacco use in Kentucky
and meeting CDC tobacco prevention and cessation goals.
Reducing Health Disparities in
Appalachians with Multiple Cardiovascular
Disease Risk Factors
Debra Moser, professor and Linda C. Gill Chair in Nursing,
received a $2,092,473 contract from the Patient Centered Outcomes
Research Institute (PCORI) to determine the effectiveness of a patientcentered CVD risk reduction intervention in a major at-risk population
living in an environment where CVD risk reduction is difficult.
Early Detection and Prevention of
Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to
Cerebrovascular Disease
Debra Moser, professor and Linda C. Gill Chair in Nursing, is a
multiple principal investigator with Gregory Jicah, associate professor,
Department of Neurology and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, on
a $1,859,780 National Institute of Nursing Research funded study to
directly increase the understanding of and impact of the major cause of
cognitive decline in the elderly population.
Aging, Neuromuscular Behavior,
and Risk of Occupational Low Back Pain
Deborah Reed, professor, is collaborating with Babak Bazrgari,
assistant professor, College of Engineering, (principal investigator) on a
grant funded for $413,233 from the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH). The purpose of the project is to explore
relationships between aging and spine biomechanics.
A Model of Decision-Making in
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Elizabeth Salt, assistant professor and rheumatology nurse
practitioner, received a $225,000 grant from the American College of
Rheumatology to empirically evaluate a process of decision-making used
by rheumatoid arthritis patients as they decide to take medications for this
disease and to determine if medication adherence impacts disease activity.
* AWARDS
CONGRATULATIONS
Recipient List
2012-2013
College of Nursing
Student Awards
Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation
RECIPIENTS: Nicole Carlon, Shauna
Sheehy, Nicole Smith, Lindsey Cole and
Jesslyn Kolpek
Best Graduate Student Poster
Presentation
RECIPIENT: Cynthia Baxter
& HONORS
Arteriosclerosis/Heart Failure Research
Award, American Heart Association,
Council on Cardiovascular Nursing (2012)
RECIPIENT: Misook Chung
College of Nursing Alumni Association
Presidential Award
RECIPIENT: Allison Jones
awards
Marie Cowan Promising Young Investigator
Award, American Heart Association
(November 2012-November 2013)
RECIPIENT: Rebecca Dekker
Carolyn A. Williams Award
RECIPIENT: Sharon Lake
Sebastian-Stanhope Award
RECIPIENT: Sarah Lester
College of Nursing Alumni Association
Nightingale Award
RECIPIENTS:
Katelyn Dekker (December 2012)
Kristina Robinson (May 2013)
College of Nursing Faculty Award
RECIPIENTS:
Kathleen Davis (December 2012)
Kyndal Riley (May 2013)
Maurice A. Clay Award (Omicron Delta
Kappa Leadership Award)
RECIPIENT: Naomi Sloan
Baptist Health Nursing Leadership Award
RECIPIENTS: Jacob Higgins
(December 2012)
Naomi Sloan (May 2013)
UK HealthCare Commitment to Nursing
Excellence Award
RECIPIENTS:
Samantha Quaine (December 2012)
Meng Zhang (May 2013)
2013
Delta Psi
Award Recipient
SPRING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Marion McKenna Leadership Award
RECIPIENT: Patty Hughes
2013
College of Nursing
Student Scholarship
Showcase Awards
Best Undergraduate Student Oral
Presentation
RECIPIENT: Anthony Carney
Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation
RECIPIENT: Nattarose (Eve) Srihakim
2013
College of Nursing
Annual Award Recipients
Employee of the Year Award
RECIPIENT: Sherry Holmes
Excellence in Undergraduate
Precepting Award
RECIPIENT: Ellie Scherrer
Excellence in Graduate Precepting Award
RECIPIENT: Christina McGlothlin-Boggs
Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award
RECIPIENT: Lynne Jensen
Excellence in Part-Time Teaching Award
RECIPIENT: Katie Bailey
Excellence in
Research/Scholarship Award
RECIPIENT: Zim Okoli
Excellence in Clinical Practice Award
RECIPIENT: Carol Martin
Excellence in Undergraduate Unit/Agency
Award (tie vote)
RECIPIENT: UK Chandler Emergency
Department
RECIPIENT: UK HealthCare Good
Samaritan Wound Care Clinic
Gloe L. Bertram Award
RECIPIENT: Mary Gregory
Louise J. Zegeer Award
RECIPIENT: Gina Lowry
Teaching Excellence in Support of
Professional Nursing
RECIPIENT: Magdalena Muchlinski
2012-2013
Other Faculty Awards
Saha Award for Cardiovascular Research
and Education, UK (2012)
RECIPIENT: Demetrius Abshire
Teacher Who Made a Difference,
UK College of Education (2013)
RECIPIENT: Kristin Ashford
Inducted as Fellow, American Heart
Association (2012)
RECIPIENT: Susan Frazier
Certificate of Appreciation, Development
and Delivery of Nursing Continuing
Education, UK College of Nursing
(2012-2013)
RECIPIENT: Carrie Gordy
Alumni Professorship,
UK (July 2012-June 2017)
RECIPIENT: Ellen Hahn
Teacher Who Made a Difference, UK
College of Education (2013)
RECIPIENT: Lynne Jensen
Sarah Bennett Holmes Award, UK
Women's Forum (2013)
RECIPIENT: Lynne Jensen
Fellow, American Heart Association,
Seminar in Epidemiology and Prevention
of Cardiovascular Disease (2012)
RECIPIENT: Gia Mudd-Martin
Good Samaritan Foundation Professorship
and Endowed Chair in Community Health
Nursing, UK College of Nursing (October
2012-October 2017)
RECIPIENT: Deborah Reed
Fellow, American Association of
Occupational Health Nurses (2013)
RECIPIENT: Deborah Reed
Teacher Who Made a Difference, UK
College of Education (2013)
RECIPIENT: Carol Riker
Inducted into the UK College of Public
Health Hall of Fame (2012)
RECIPIENT: Marcia Stanhope
(emerita faculty)
Distinguished Alumni, University of
Alabama at Birmingham (2012)
RECIPIENT: Marcia Stanhope
(emerita faculty)
Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
and Nurse Midwives (2013)
RECIPIENT: Kathy Wheeler
Academic Leadership Development
Program Fellow, Southeastern
Conference Academic Consortium
(2012-2013)
RECIPIENT: Patricia Burkhart
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
3
* 6
awards
& HONORS
AWARDS
Photo Gallery
CONGRATULATIONS
Award
gallery
Recipient
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1/ Teacher Who Made a Difference, UK College of Education (2013): Carol Riker; 2/ Fellow, American Heart Association, Seminar in Epidemiology
and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (2012): Gia Mudd-Martin; 3/ Excellence in Graduate Precepting Award: Christina McGlothlinBoggs; 4/ Student Scholarship Showcase — Dr. Barbara Teague, donor; Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation, Lindsey Cole (not pictured:
Nicole Carlon, Shauna Sheehy, Nicole Smith and Jesslyn Kolpek); Best Undergraduate Student Oral Presentation: Anthony Carney; Best
Graduate Student Oral Presentation: Nattarose (Eve) Srihakim; Interim Dean Patricia B. Howard; 5/ Sarah Bennett Holmes Award, UK
Women’s Forum (2013): Lynne Jensen; 6/ Excellence in Undergraduate Unit/Agency Award: (tie vote) UK HealthCare Good Samaritan Wound
Care Clinic (pictured) and UK Chandler Emergency Department; 7/ Excellence in Clinical Practice Award: Carol Martin; 8/ Excellence in
Research/Scholarship Award: Zim Okoli; 9/ Teaching Excellence in Support of Professional Nursing: Magdalena Muchlinski; 10/ Employee of
the Year Award: Sherry Holmes; 11/ Inducted as Fellow, American Heart Association (2012): Susan Frazier; 12/ Good Samaritan Foundation
Professorship and Endowed Chair in Community Health Nursing, UK College of Nursing (October 2012-October 2017): Deborah Reed
4
OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2013
12
* TRANSITIONS
Faculty Transitions
Faculty Transitions
Kristin Ashford
Kristin Ashford,
PhD, RN, APRN,
has been promoted
to associate professor
with tenure. She
received her PhD in
nursing from UK
in 2007. She began her research career as an
NIH BIRCWH (Building Interdisciplinary
Research Careers in Women’s Health)
Scholar. She currently serves as PI on an
NIH COBRE (Centers of Biomedical
Research Excellence) study in which she
leads a multi-center trial across two states.
She is administrator of the Kentucky GIFTS
(Giving Infants and Families Tobacco-free
Starts) program, working jointly with the
Kentucky Department of Public Health
to provide smoking cessation and wellness
services to prenatal and postpartum women
across Appalachia. Dr. Ashford was named
the 2010 Nurse Researcher of the Year by
the Kentucky Nurses Association Nursing
Education and Research Cabinet. She also
received the Outstanding Early Career
College/University Teacher Award from the
Kentucky Academy of Science.
Patricia Burkhart
Patricia Burkhart,
PhD, RN, has
been promoted
to professor with
tenure. She is the
associate dean of
the undergraduate
program in the College of Nursing, where
she teaches undergraduate parent-child
nursing and mentors undergraduate
research interns. She co-directs the Deans’
Interprofessional Healthcare Honors
Colloquium at UK. Dr. Burkhart’s research
is an expansion of her dissertation study,
which focused on testing an intervention
to improve children’s adherence to asthma
self-management. Her work has been
published in several nursing and medical
journals. Her award-winning presentations
have been given at numerous national and
international conferences. She has received
research funding from the National Institute
of Nursing Research/National Institutes
of Health and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health. Dr.
Burkhart served on the board of directors
of the Lexington-Fayette County Health
Department from 2003-2012. In 2008 she
received the Society of Pediatric Nurses
Excellence in Nursing Research Award. She
also received the Excellent Undergraduate
Research Mentor Award at the 2008 UK
Showcase of Undergraduate Scholars.
Karen Butler
Karen Butler,
DNP, RN, has
been promoted to
associate professor
with tenure. She
earned both her
MSN and DNP
degrees from UK, finishing her DNP
in 2006. Dr. Butler is a clinical course
coordinator in the undergraduate program
and teaches in the DNP Program as well.
In 2006 she joined the Tobacco Research
Policy Program as a faculty associate. She has
won awards for her work in both scholarship
and education, including the Louise Zegeer
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Award in 2008. Dr. Butler has clinical and
research interests in adult health promotion,
including tobacco dependence prevention
and treatment. Dr. Butler’s work related to
nursing education, leadership, evidencebased nursing practice, college student health
and tobacco has been presented in local,
state, national and international venues,
and has been published in a variety of
journals. She is a member of five professional
organizations and serves on multiple
manuscript review panels.
Claudia Diebold
Claudia Diebold,
MSN, RN, CNE,
retired in June 2013,
after teaching in
the undergraduate
program at the
college since
faculty
1994. She was promoted to senior lecturer
in 2009. She was the course coordinator of
Professional Nursing Care Across the Lifespan,
an eight-credit-hour fundamentals course,
Career Management, a senior-level course
preparing students for their first position; and
the NCLEX. She developed the Skills Lab
Internship Program, an enhancement course
for undergraduate students. She also served
as the faculty co-coordinator of the Nurse
Residency Program since 2002, when UK was
one of the original pilot sites. She served on the
original curriculum development task force and
the recent curriculum revision task force. She
was also the site evaluator for the Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education Nurse
Residency Accreditation process.
Jan Findlay
Jan Findlay, PhD,
RN, APRN, assistant
professor, has joined
the faculty and UK
HealthCare in a
collaborative position
with the college and
with UK HealthCare Nursing. In addition to
service and scholarship, Dr. Findlay’s teaching
role will primarily be in the DNP Program, in
the Psychiatric/Mental Health Track BSNDNP Option. Her clinical practice will focus
on evidence-based practice endeavors at Eastern
State Hospital.
Dr. Findlay is a 2012 graduate of the college’s
PhD Program. Her dissertation was titled
“Decision-Making Processes and Health
Behaviors among Adults Diagnosed with
Schizophrenia.” Her practice has focused on
psychiatric/mental health since 1991. In 2013
she completed the post-masters certificate,
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner,
at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond,
Ky. She earned her BSN at Capstone College of
Nursing, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa,
and her MSN at the University of Alabama at
Birmingham
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
5
* faculty
& S TA F F
TRANSITIONS
Staff Transitions & In Memory
Melanie HardinPierce
Melanie HardinPierce, DNP, RN,
APRN-BC, ACNP,
has been promoted
to associate professor
with tenure. She
has an extensive background in adult
critical care. Her research interests include
improving outcomes in the mechanically
ventilated adult critically ill patient
population, prevention of ventilatorassociated pneumonia, and positional
therapy as an adjunct treatment for acute
respiratory distress syndrome. She has
written numerous textbook chapters in the
area of high acuity nursing and is a co-editor
of an award-winning, nationally recognized
critical care textbook, High Acuity Nursing
(fifth edition). Dr. Hardin-Pierce teaches in
the graduate program, practices as an acute
care nurse practitioner at Baptist Health
Lexington and is also involved in research
with the college’s RICH Heart Group.
Sharon Lock
Sharon Lock,
PhD, RN, APRN,
associate professor
and coordinator for
the Primary Care
Track in the DNP
Program, is serving
as interim associate dean for MSN and DNP
Studies. Dr. Lock is in the position while
Patricia Howard is serving as interim dean
of the college. In addition to her teaching,
research and administrative duties, Dr. Lock
continues to practice at the UK Women’s
Health and Rheumatology Clinic.
Leslie Scott
Leslie Scott, PhD,
PNP-BC, CDE, has
been promoted to
associate professor
with tenure. Dr.
Scott is a 2004 PhD
graduate of UK. She
is the coordinator for the Pediatric Nurse
Practitioner BSN-DNP Track and a boardcertified pediatric nurse practitioner with
more than 20 years’ experience as a certified
6
336253_Text.indd 6
diabetes educator. Her clinical practice is in
the pediatric endocrinology clinic at UK. She
has provided care to children with diabetes
for more than 18 years. Dr. Scott received the
Excellence in Clinical Practice Award from
the College of Nursing in 2007. She received
the Outstanding Community Service
Award-Camp Hendon from the Bluegrass
Leadership Council in 2006 and she received
the Diabetes Educator of the Year Award in
1999 and 2003 from the Kentucky Chapter
of the American Diabetes Association and
Kentucky Lion’s Club.
Darlene Welsh
Darlene Welsh,
PhD, RN, has
been promoted to
associate professor
with tenure. Dr.
Welsh received
her MSN from
UK, specializing in adult critical care. Her
PhD is in Educational Psychology from
the UK College of Education. She teaches
critical care nursing and coordinates a
senior practicum in the College of Nursing
undergraduate program. Her research
interests include occupational stress
among hospital nurses, nursing care and
intervention for heart failure patients, and
patient and student education.
Staff Transition
Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention.
Post-retirement, she does consulting and
freelance editing.
In Memory
Gwen Lee
Dr. Gwen Lee, 77,
professor emerita
of the College of
Nursing, passed away
due to Alzheimer’s
Disease in July 2013.
Dr. Lee retired
in 2002. She specialized in parent-child
nursing, nurse-midwifery and maternal-child
health early intervention. She also conducted
research, taught and mentored many nursing
students during her tenure. Dr. Lee earned
her diploma in nursing from the School
of Nursing, Nashville General Hospital,
Nashville, Tenn. (1955); a BS from Stetson
University, Deland, Fla. (1959); an MS from
the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
(1969); and a Doctor of Education from
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
(1973). Prior to coming to the University of
Kentucky, she served on the faculties of the
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill,
Clemson University, University of Tennessee
(Memphis) and the University of Washington
(Seattle). Contributions are suggested to the
Alzheimer’s Association, 6100 Dutchmans
Lane, Ste. 401, Louisville, KY, 40205.
Carol Donnelly
Carol Donnelly, BA, retired in January
2013 after serving as
the college’s grants
facilitator since
July 2000. In this
capacity, she assisted
research faculty and
PhD students with
grant applications,
renewals and manuscript editing. She also
edited and published Inquiring Minds, a
newsletter highlighting the research and
scholarship accomplishments of faculty
and students in the college, and served as
webmaster for the research section of the
college’s website. Prior to coming to the
College of Nursing, she served for six years in
a similar position at the Southeast Center for
University Has New Provost!
UK President Eli
Capilouto announced
that Dr. Christine
Riordan — most
recently dean of the
Daniels College
of Business at
the University of
Denver — is UK’s new provost. Look for more
on Dr. Riordan’s first months at UK and her
vision for education at UK in the next In Step
magazine, to be released in February 2014.
OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2013
9/20/13 12:37 PM
* 7
page
feature
WRITTEN BY:
Rebekah Tilley
PHOTOGRAPHS BY:
Lee Thomas
LIFE
WORK
{
{
school
BALANCING
In the dark morning hours of 4:30, 5:00, 6:00, a chorus of alarms goes off.
Some people start the day with yoga, prayer, or some other meditative
activity that centers and grounds the mind and spirit for the day ahead.
Others just hit the ground running.
Driving with one hand on the wheel and the other grasping a travel mug of
lukewarm coffee, they drop their children off at school and daycare before
searching for a parking space at work or school. And so the day begins ...
...whew!
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
7
* BSN, BS, RN
meet...
Sonia
YAKSICH
Birthing Center Staff Nurse
UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital
Lexington, Ky.
12HR
night
shift
IN BED BY
AWAKE BY
9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.
Always begins the day
DOES NOT
DRINK CAFFEINE!
with PRAYER
{
“It helps me
keep things
in perspective.”
loves herbal tea
FAVORITE // Rooibos tea
<<<<<<
Oh yeah...
MARRIED
Had a baby while
going through the
RN-to-BSN Option!
GETS ME THROUGH THE DAY:
I try to eat dinner with my family as
often as possible. That way I am at least
spending a quality 30-45 minutes with
everyone. I leave for work at 6 p.m., so
sometimes it is a very early dinner!
3...2...1...
3
DEGREES
other degrees:
“Know your limits: Opt for
the part-time option when
needed to balance life.”
CHILDREN
BS in Psychology
AS in Nursing
SONIA’S
MOTIVATION TIPS
Her husband is a
full-time nursing
student, too!
“I have a countdown app on my tablet
that let’s me know how many days until
graduation. It really helps to see the days
passing by!”
8
OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2013
* In one sense, nurses are always students: always studying, always keeping up
with the latest in health care research related to patient care.
“Self-development is very much a natural part of what a
nurse does,” says Patricia B. Howard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC,
FAAN, professor and interim dean, College of Nursing.
However, formally going back to school takes learning to the next level. Whether they are going
back for a second degree in nursing, enrolling in the RN-BSN Option, or are students in the
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or PhD program, nurses juggling school, life and a job perform
a balancing act that requires a lot of flexibility and time management skills to be successful.
All of this adds up to a tremendous number of people returning to nursing school while
simultaneously working and supporting a family. Fortunately most nursing programs assume that
students are working full time and offer options for part-time study. When it comes to balancing
work and school, it actually helps that nursing is a 24-7 job. Since nurses can work days or nights,
weekdays, weekends and holidays, a resourceful student nurse can work around the demands of
work, classes and personal life.
That’s exactly what Sonia Yaksich, BSN, BS, RN, UK Birthing Center staff nurse,
UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, needed to finish her bachelor’s degree in nursing
by enrolling in the RN-BSN Option. She already had earned an associate’s in nursing
and a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
In the RN-BSN Option, says Gina Lowry,
PhD, RN, senior lecturer and coordinator of
the RN-BSN Option, students meet for class
six times in the fall semester, four times in the
spring and three times in the summer to limit
the amount of time they will need to request
time off from work. “The RN-BSN Option is
designed around a distributed learning format,
which means the classes are a mix of online,
in-class and independent study,” says Dr. Lowry.
Additionally, most classes are held on Saturdays.
Dr. Lowry adds, “You just figure it out,” when
she recounts the scheduling gymnastics she did
during that time of her life.
Mrs. Yaksich’s example convinced her husband
to go back for a second degree in nursing as
well. They were both in school until Mrs.
Yaksich graduated from the RN-BSN Option
in May 2013.
“The end was pretty difficult,” says Mrs. Yaksich.
“I have three children and a husband who is in
school full time so it was quite a juggling act.
My final semester I worked three night shifts per
week and then I had a public health class that
had a clinical every Tuesday, and then every
Thursday I had a 12-hour Synthesis class. I was
doing four 12-hour days and one five-hour day
per week just of school and work, and I also had
papers to write. All that and my children as well,
including one who was born at the beginning
of my last semester. So life was pretty crazy.”
Despite the challenging finish, Mrs. Yaksich
says the pace of life overall while working toward
her BSN “… was really not that bad. At UK,
you can choose to go full time for 12 months
or you can do part time for two years. I did the
part-time option, and as a UK employee my
tuition was paid for. Also, the hospital was always
accommodating and made sure not to schedule
me the nights before I had class or clinical. I think
if I can do it working full time with three kids,
anybody could do it.”
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
9
* “I don’t know many nursing students who don’t have at least one pit stop to some
coffee shop throughout the day,” says second degree BSN student Joy Coles, BS,
whose personal favorite pick-me-up is a caramel macchiato from Starbucks. “If
coffee isn’t your thing, it’s tea, or some sort of snack, something to get you through
the second half of the day.”
Ms. Coles earned a degree in biomedical
science and worked in clinical research for a
few pharmaceutical companies before realizing
nursing was her calling. “It just wasn’t fulfilling
for me because my passion is to work with
and serve people,” says Ms. Coles. “It provoked
me to go ahead and pursue my dream of
becoming a nurse.”
With three children at the tender ages of 9,
7 and 2 and working one 12-hour shift a week
as a student nurse tech at Baptist Healthcare
in Lexington, she has learned to take the time
management skills she is being taught for
nursing and apply them to the rest of her life.
“As I’ve been mentored by registered nurses,
I’ve learned that time management is crucial,”
says Ms. Coles. “I hope to be an ICU nurse and
could have up to two critically ill patients to
care for at the same time. It all becomes about
prioritizing. One of the skills that UK has really
done a great job teaching us is how to prioritize.
In my day-to-day life, I work off a grid, literally.
I block off my time.”
Her day usually starts at 4:30 a.m. with prayer
and doesn’t end until around 11:30 p.m., which
makes Ms. Coles’ daily pilgrimage to Starbucks
even more understandable. She keeps a realistic
yet positive attitude toward the demands placed
on her by school, work and family.
“It’s a continual balancing act that requires support from
family and faculty. I have by no means mastered it. I rely on
my faith, and I understand I have to be able to adjust. And
that’s something about being a nurse, period. You just have to
be flexible. And you have to be willing to roll with the punches.
Being at UK, I’ve really honed in and learned how to do that.”
10
OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2013
* meet...
Joy
COLES
Student Nurse Tech
Baptist Healthcare,
Lexington, Ky.
Joy’s
day starts at
1
4:30 a.m.
A DAY {drink of choice}
Always begins the day
{
with PRAYER
“To stay centered, rely
on something bigger
than yourself.”
30
CARAMEL MACCHIATO
}
MARRIED
CHILDREN
second degree
miles
traveled
per day
“My whole life is
in my iPhone.”
2
BSN student
first degree:
Bachelor of Science in
Biomedical Science
Laughs often!
in bed by
Natural stress-reliever
11:30 p.m.
JOY’S
MOTIVATION TIPS
“Be flexible in all aspects of your life.”
“Have a support system in place and
stay positive! You can’t move forward
and look back at the same time.”
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
11
* BSN, RN
meet...
Ashley
GUILIANI
ICU Staff Nurse
UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital
Lexington, Ky.
Ashley’s
day starts at
5:30 a.m.
1
2
3
4
cups a day
pick-me-up
{guilty pleasure drink}
Diet Coke in the afternoon
non-fat vanilla
chai tea latte
1
BELOVED
PUPPY
MARRIED
GETS ME THROUGH THE DAY:
Knowing that I come home from
work or clinical to my puppy
sitting on the stairs to greet me
(best thing in the world!) and
eating dinner with my husband
pretty much every evening.
DEGREE
1
third-year
BSN-DNP student
100+
texts per week
with core group of friends
about class assignments,
encouragement or just to decompress...
in bed by
10:30 p.m.
12
OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2013
* More than caffeine, successful working students tend to have extensive networks of
support systems in place that make managing school, work and life possible. They
include managers willing to be flexible with their work schedules as well as spouses
and families willing to shoulder extra family responsibilities. And in the case of Ashley
Guiliani, BSN, RN, ICU staff nurse, UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, the most critical
component is a group of friends and co-workers goin