Nan Gaylord

If you ask Nan Gaylord what our nation’s most valuable resource is, she won’t answer with water, oil, or natural gas. She’ll tell you, it is our children.

“If children are not well cared for, our next generation will be troubled,” said Gaylord, an associate professor of nursing.

It was this strong belief that led Gaylord to pursue a career in pediatric nursing.

Gaylord is founder of the Vine School Health Center, a school-based health care clinic that serves students in Knox County who have limited access to health care.

“My research and work are dedicated to the access to health care for children, which will hopefully allow for the consideration of alternative delivery sites for care, alternative providers of care, and reimbursement of the care provided in these sites,” she said.

Gaylord has expanded the reach of the Vine School Health Center by using telehealth technologies. Telehealth is the use of digital technologies to deliver medical care, health education, and public health services by connecting multiple users in separate locations.

“Dr. Gaylord is an inspiration to her students, colleagues, and the patients that she serves,” said Dean Vickie Niederhauser. “As the founder and director for the Vine School Health Center, Dr. Gaylord has created a national model for care of children in community-based settings.”

Gaylord inspires many people with her passionate advocacy for children on both the local and national levels.

“Dr. Gaylord is the epitome of a nursing educator and children’s advocate,” said Alicia Alexander-Helms, a former student and now Vine Health Center colleague. “She is a great leader and an empowered woman. She serves her students and community in a tireless manner.”

Gaylord hopes this excitement is contagious and that the next generation of advanced practice nurses she mentors will enjoy their professional life as much as she does.

“I hope I inspire my students to think outside our nursing box, to think about what is possible and what is best for our little patients, and then plan accordingly to see that possibility actualized,” she said.

Peggy Pierce

The aging baby boomer population, coupled with changes in health care, has significantly increased the critical need for advanced practice nurses.

Peggy Pierce, assistant professor of nursing, is tackling this national problem one student at a time. As chair of the College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, she helps students become clinical practice leaders and educators.

“Our students come from many different backgrounds and experiences,” she said. “They work, they have families, but they are trying to accomplish this grand goal. We want to help them move toward this goal in a way that works for them while also meeting our high program standards.”

Ben Barbour, a graduate student in nursing, said Pierce inspires him to approach all of life’s problems from multiple angles.

“Dr. Pierce encourages her students to find creative solutions to complex problems, and base their decisions on sound evidence,” he said. ”She inspires students to treat all patients in a holistic manner, and she has expanded my knowledge of complementary and alternative medical therapies.”

Pierce is making UT history by leading the first interprofessional team-based education program between nursing, industrial engineering, medical, and pharmacy students. This spring, a group of students from the different disciplines began learning together using telehealth technology in the delivery of patient care at clinics around Knox County. This way of learning gives students real-world clinical experience, which studies show improves patient results.

“The future of healthcare reform will depend on cohesive teamwork to provide safe, efficient, and effective patient-centered care models,” said Dean Vickie Niederhauser. “Dr. Pierce’s leadership in this interprofessional endeavor is an inspiration to all the students.”

When Pierce isn’t teaching students in a classroom or clinic, you can find her teaching an early morning outdoor “bootcamp” fitness class.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5034, wheins@utk.edu)

On Wednesday, February 27, faculty and staff will receive an email from the College of Social Work’s Center for Applied Research and Evaluation with a link to a survey. Staff without regular access to email will receive a paper copy. The results of this survey will be used in the development of various campus wellness initiatives and services that will benefit the entire campus community.

The survey is voluntary and anonymous. Participants will have the option to be entered into a drawing for an iPad mini.

The employee health and wellness initiative is being developed under the guidance of the VOLwell Committee.

Members of the committee include Susan Martin, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs; Vickie Niederhauser, chair of the VOLwell Committee and dean of the College of Nursing; Peggy Pierce, assistant professor in the College of Nursing; Katie Morgan, clinical instructor for nursing; Karen Lasater, clinical assistant professor for nursing; Mike Stahl, professor of management; Eric Martin, lecturer of accounting and information management; David Bassett, professor of kinesiology, recreation, and sports studies; Eugene Fitzhugh, associate professor of kinesiology, recreation, and sports studies; Dixie Thompson, associate dean and professor of kinesiology, recreation, and sports studies; Laura Miller, assistant professor of communication studies; and Rosa Thomas, coordinator at the Safety, Environment, and Education Center.

The UT community can get plenty of good health information from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 3 in the in the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center Ballroom at UT’s health fair.

The College of Nursing, the Student Health Center, and the UT Medical Center are hosting “HealthBeat 2013,” a free health fair for UT students, faculty, staff, retirees, and their families.

Several screenings and tests will be provided, and exhibition booths also will be set up with representatives from various healthcare organizations and UT departments providing information.

Participants will be able to obtain information about areas such as nutrition and weight management, diabetes, breast health, primary care, adult immunizations, ER trauma, genetic counseling and genetic testing, and general health.

Insurance is not required for any of the screenings or tests. Small fees will apply only to those screenings that require lab work.

More information will be available closer to the date.

Mirvis will address why the reform seems much more contentious than changing other parts of our social infrastructure and other difficulties reform efforts face. The discussions will also include the difficulty in identifying effective policy strategies, implications of the provisions that expand access to health insurance, why the reform is so important, ideological differences behind policy selection, and the political forces that ultimately determine the outcome of the effort.

• From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29, in College of Nursing, room 201, he will discuss “Why is Health Reform So Hard? Faculty and students are invited to attend.
  
• From 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 30, in the Claxton Complex, room 206, he will discuss “Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” The UT community and the public are invited to attend.
• From noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30, in the Claxton Complex, room 206, he will discuss “Health Policy: Why It Matters and How to Get Involved.” Students are invited to attend. Lunch is provided. Please RSVP to dutenk@utk.edu.

Mirvis has been active in health policy issues at the local, state, and national levels. He and his colleagues have recently completed a series of original research projects on the impacts of health system reform on the health care system in Tennessee. Mirvis has been on the UT College of Medicine faculty since 1975.

Nurses snapped into disaster response mode, evacuating 20 babies—carrying them down dark staircases and ensuring breathing tubes remained intact—through a fierce storm and into ambulances.

The unique skills needed in such situations are exactly what the Global Disaster Nursing Program in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, teaches. The one-of-a-kind program aims to meet the challenge of educating twenty-first century nurses for leadership in disaster response, recovery and humanitarian relief.

“When disaster strikes, nurses are on the front lines managing resources, communicating information, and directing others in caring for people’s psychological and physical well-being,” said Susan Speraw, program director. “However, disaster-specific management and practice skills are rarely taught in the nursing curriculum.”

Launched in July 2005, UT’s program prepares nurse leaders, managers and advanced practice nurses to plan for mass casualty disasters, effectively manage logistics of an event in progress, work cooperatively with government officials and responders and provide direct patient care to victims of trauma or catastrophic events. Students can receive a master’s, doctorate (PhD or Doctor of Nursing Practice) or post-master’s certificate with a concentration in global disaster nursing.

“Given the increasing numbers of disasters globally, the requirement for higher education that addresses readiness expertise remains,” said Sharon Stanley, chief nurse of the American Red Cross, who responded to Hurricane Sandy’s devastation. “While volunteers can be trained with classes and/or short course preparation, the leaders who will continue to forge pathways ahead for community resiliency need advanced skill that can only be gained in formal education programs combined with real time experience.”

The UT program is needed now more than ever. Statistics predict disasters to become more common, according to the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster.

“Nurses play a key role in addressing the health care needs of those impacted by a disaster,” said Laurel Cassidy, mental health officer with Doctors without Borders and graduate of the program. “My education supported my research and practice in the field, built on what I knew and provided me with the opportunity to develop my own nursing scholarship and expertise.”

Speraw saw the need for the program following the 9/11 Commission Report in which the need for nurses—although in the middle of the action—was overlooked and a need for a uniform language in disaster situations was emphasized.

“We developed an interdisciplinary curriculum in which nurses learn about topics such as earthquakes, law, architecture, tropical medicine and infectious disease,” said Speraw. “Students solve real problems in collaboration with other disciplines, which is what they will be doing in disaster situations.”

The program emphasizes global issues and development of care delivery competence in challenging environments. Students do field work, go abroad or work with an agency that responds to humanitarian needs in under-resourced areas.

“Emerging generations know they will be spending their productive years in a globalized world,” said Frederick Burkle, Jr. of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. “Global nursing programs like UT’s provide essential real-world competencies that complement the vision of the future these students eagerly seek.”

For information, call Susan Speraw at 865-974-7586 or visit nursing.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T:

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

Susan Speraw (865-974-7586, ssperaw@utk.edu)

The Health and Information Technology Simulation (HITS) Laboratory will be housed in the former Student Health Center at 1818 Andy Holt Way. A joint endeavor of the colleges of nursing and engineering, the HITS lab will feature simulated learning experiences and opportunities to explore research scenarios.

The building will add more than 7,000 square feet to the nursing college’s current space and open the door to use more cutting-edge technology such as human simulation manikins.

“Gaining first-hand knowledge of the impact that health technology has on improving patient care, quality, and safety is critical for nursing students,” said Dean Victoria Niederhauser. “Research has shown that when students engage in simulated scenarios in a safe learning environment, they are better prepared to enter into the work force upon graduation.”

The $1.5 million project involves renovating the three-story building; the HITS Lab will take two floors and one floor will house a rare plant herbarium for the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The second floor will include four patient exam rooms; a pediatric inpatient room; an operating room; a room that functions as an intensive care unit, medical surgical room, and birthing room; faculty offices; storage space; and lockers. It will also contain a debriefing room with an observation and control laboratory where students and professors can observe how other students are handling simulated scenarios live. The experiences can be taped so that students can review how they responded to situations.

The basement level will contain an apartment with a bedroom, living room, and dining room for simulated learning and collaborative nursing and engineering research projects to tackle health care challenges. For example, HITS co-directors Tami Wyatt, associate professor of nursing, and Xueping Li, associate professor of engineering, plan to conduct a study using new smart-home technologies to assist with independent living for elderly people. These technologies will allow older adults to live safely in their own homes.

Construction is slated to begin this fall and be completed in January.

Student Health Services moved from its former Andy Holt Avenue building last December. The new Student Health Building, on the corner of Pat Head Summitt Street and Andy Holt Avenue, opened to students in January 2012.

The College of Nursing’s current building is also converting its learning laboratory into a simulated hospital ward so students can practice health assessments. Their original lab will double the capacity of beds and create a better learning environment for undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

The learning lab work is slated to begin in December and to be competed in March 2013.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

The Fabulous Forty—forty outstanding College of Nursing alumni—were nominated and selected because of how they make a difference in the lives of individual patients, organizations, and/or the community.

“The awardees are recognized for their excellence in nursing and health care, leadership in advancing the nursing profession, and innovation in professional nursing,” Dean Victoria Niederhauser said.

The awardees include Cynthia Abraham, Lesley Adkison, G. Rumay Alexander, Matthew Bell, Jewell Birdwell, Donna Boyd, Laura Beth Brown, Victoria Cannington, Patricia Chaloux, Cheryl Daugherty, Rebecca Davidson, Becky Fields, Ben Francisco, Wendy Franklin, Maureen Groer, Derenda Hodge, Elizabeth Jesse, Jo M. Kendrick, Sandy Lassiter, Roberta Lavin, Terri M. Marin, Kim Massey, Bruce McLaughlin, Jan McNally, Jeff Mills, Betty Nash, Deborah Persell, John Preston, Theresa Renfro, Shannon Richmond, Felecia Rivers, Karen Roden, Alice Royce, Mona Shattell, Rita F. Silen, Mary Sowell, Sandra Wade, Lisa Wagoner, Kathleen Walker, and Diane Whaley.

Sharon Tanner, a 1985 Masters of Science in Nursing graduate, received the Dr. Sylvia E. Hart Distinguished Alumni Award.

More than 400 people attended the NightinGala, which featured a presentation by Bill Bass, professor emeritus of anthropology and founder of the Forensic Anthropology Center (also known as the the Body Farm), and was emceed by WBIR-TV anchor Robin Wilhoit.

More than $55,000 was raised to equip and renovate the college’s simulation and learning laboratories.

“These learning centers will allow UT nursing students access to the highest quality educational experiences by simulating real life situations,” said Niederhauser. “They will be able to learn in a ‘safe’ environment prior to entering into high-risk clinical situations.”

The College of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader in the education of highly skilled, visionary nurses. The college enrolls more than 600 students in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. The master’s program offers concentration areas in global disaster, family practice, administration, pediatrics, mental health, and nurse anesthesia. For more information, visit nursing.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

The two grants from Human Resources Services Administration in the US Department of Health and Human Services are a million dollars more than the college’s research funding total for fiscal year 2012.

Both grants will benefit children at Vine School Health Center—and eight other schools linked to the center by telehealth connections—through the promotion of interprofessional care and real world training for students. Telehealth is the use of digital technologies to deliver medical care, health education, and public health services by connecting multiple users in separate locations.

“These grants will propel our efforts to train health and other professionals together to improve access to holistic health and wellness services for children in our communities,” said Dean Victoria Niederhauser.

The first grant, about a million dollars over three years, will leverage telehealth technology to deliver improved health care to patients who have limited access. The funding will establish UT’s first “interprofessional education” effort for advanced nursing education by allowing graduate students in nursing, medical, pharmacy, and industrial engineering to learn together in simulated and patient care clinical environments.

“This funding creates a unique opportunity for students studying in these four professional fields to work together,” said Peggy Pierce, project director and nursing assistant professor. “The industrial engineering students are an especially unique component in this program in which they will work with the health professions students to evaluate factors influencing the safety and quality of care and bring expertise in documenting and analyzing the processes in simulated and real-life scenarios.”

All students will undergo intensive eight-week rotations involving web-based and face-to-face team education, simulations, and telehealth team-based clinical education in delivery of care at school-based clinics.

Pierce noted that using online and distance education with interprofessional teams will allow students to engage in the learning process with one another, even when schedules make it difficult. A total of 168 students are expected to participate over the three years.

The second grant, totaling about $1.5 million over three years, will allow students to work with nurses, social workers, and special education teachers at Vine School Health Center. The collaboration will improve holistic care for children and their families served by the center.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance care for our patients as our nurses develop skills to work with other professionals in the clinic,” said Nan Gaylord, project director and nursing associate professor. “It also allows our students to improve their ability to communicate in an interprofessional practice and to solve complex clinical, educational, and psychosocial problems.”

The long-term goal of this project is to establish a collaborative practice environment for underserved children and families at the clinic.

“It is critical for our health professionals to be educated in delivering patient-centered care as members of an interdisciplinary team,” Niederhauser said. “This effort allows us to emphasize evidence-based practice and quality improvement approaches to produce the best health professionals possible.”

UT’s College of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader. The college enrolls more than 600 students in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. The master’s program offers concentration areas in global disaster, family practice, administration, pediatrics, mental health and nurse anesthesia. For more information, visit nursing.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

The fundraiser will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21, at the Downtown Hilton. The cost is $100 per person. The event is open to the public. Registration can be completed by visiting volsconnect.com/2012nightingala or by calling the Office of Alumni Affairs, at 865-974-3011.

Alumni, faculty and friends will enjoy food, drink, music and an inspiring and humorous presentation by Bill Bass, professor emeritus of anthropology and founder of Forensic Anthropology Center, also known as the “Body Farm.” Robin Wilhoit, co-anchor of WBIR’s Action 10 News, will serve as emcee. The evening will feature a cocktail hour and dinner, silent and live auctions, presentation of the Fabulous 40 Nursing Alumni Awards and the Dr. Sylvia E. Hart Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award and musical entertainment.

The College of Nursing’s 41st year will see an improvement in facilities and learning environments. Funds from the dinner will support this growth, college programs and student scholarships which help UT continue to meet the growing need for nurses.

“We are so grateful for the continued support of our community, Board of Advisors, and nursing practice partners who support our strategic imperative to have state-of-the-art facilities,” said Dean Victoria Niederhauser. “Their generosity is allowing our students to use the best technology available that will best prepare them for the real world.”

Last year, more than 275 alumni and friends gathered at the NightinGala fundraiser to show their appreciation and support for the college and helped raise more than $60,000.

For information on becoming a corporate sponsor, purchasing a table, or donating auction items, please call the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Corporate sponsors include East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and University Health Systems Inc.

The College of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader in the education of highly skilled, visionary nurses. The college enrolls more than 600 students in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The master’s program offers concentration areas in global disaster, family practice, administration, pediatrics, mental health, and nurse anesthesia. For more information, visit www.nursing.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Phyllis Moore (865-974-3011, phyllismoore@tennessee.edu)

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

Now, a UT nurse anesthetist will be instrumental in guiding the future of nursing and advanced practice nursing care across the state.

Donald Bell, a clinical associate professor of nursing and certified registered nurse anesthetist, has been elected chairman of the Tennessee Board of Nursing (BON).

Bell is the program administrator and coordinator of UT and UT Medical Center’s Nurse Anesthesia Concentration. He is the first certified registered nurse anesthetist to chair the state organization and has been an advanced practice nurse representative on the BON for the past two years.

Bell has served as president, district director and on multiple committees of the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists. He has also served on various committees of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Bell has been a nurse anesthetist for more than twenty-four years. He received his master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from the Gooding Institute of Nurse Anesthesia, Bay Medical Center, in Panama City, Florida; his master’s degree in health education from UT; and a master’s degree in nursing and a doctor of nursing practice degree from UT Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee.

“The Tennessee Board of Nursing plays a crucial role in the assurance of safe and competent delivery of nursing care, protection of the public and assuring that there is an adequate supply of qualified nurses to meet Tennessee’s healthcare needs,” said Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing. “Dr. Bell will represent the voice of Tennessee nurses by advocating for our profession and supporting rules, regulations and legislation that promotes health and supports access to health care for the people of Tennessee.”

Certified registered nurse anesthetists are advanced practice registered nurses who specialize in anesthesia care and who safely administer more than thirty-three million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

Donald Bell (865-305-7762, dbell@utmck.edu)

Called Lippincott’s DocuCare EHR, the new product integrates electronic health records (EHR) commonly used in hospitals and medical offices into a simulated learning tool for students. Proficiency using EHR is paramount for nursing students as the Obama administration has challenged health care providers nationwide to transition to this new technology.

The device was developed by Tami Wyatt, associate professor of nursing, and her graduate student Matt Bell (now an alumnus), along with Xueping Li, an associate professor in industrial and information engineering, and his graduate student, Yo Indranoi. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), a leading international publisher for health care professionals and students, purchased the invention in 2010. It is now being marketed worldwide.

“Today’s new graduate nurses must be adept in using this technology, including electronic health records, to comply with accreditation standards,” said Wyatt. “Relying on the limited exposure to EHR technology that nursing students get during their clinical experiences is just not enough.”

By integrating EHR technology into multiple courses across the nursing curricula, the product provides continuity in learning, and students begin relying on EHRs as tools to gather data and anticipate patient care.

The product includes more than seventy pre-populated simulated patient records and cases. Each case includes links to LWW textbooks, giving students access to diagnosis information, procedure descriptions and videos, and other evidence-based content that is used in over 1,200 hospitals nationwide.

Instructors can bring classroom case studies to life by creating simulated patient records, building assignments, and evaluating student documentation performance. The program is designed to better prepare students for practice, in a fully realistic, yet risk-free, simulated environment. LWW will train faculty on how to use this new tool and integrate it into their curriculum.

As part of an ongoing partnership with Laerdal Medical—the top distributor of simulated mannequins for nursing education—the tool includes a variety of Laerdal’s patient scenarios and simulations.

The development of the tool, which began in 2007, has been a collaboration across UT’s campus. Law students offered legal advice for the startup company that marketed Lippincott DocuCare before it was purchased by LWW. Business students helped design a business plan. The UT Research Foundation copyrighted the technology.

Wyatt and Li are co-directors of the Health Information Technology and Simulation Laboratory (HITS Lab), an organized research unit at UT. The overall goal of the HITS Lab is to advance the science of health information technology and examine ways HITS enhances consumer health and professional health education.

To learn more about DocuCare, including purchasing information, visit the website.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

The funding will help pay for five students who meet certain criteria—they are making a career switch to nursing and are underrepresented in the field.

“These scholarships will support a well-educated, diverse nursing workforce that will provide safe, quality care for our citizens,” Dean Victoria Niederhauser said. “NCIN is helping to fill the nursing pipeline with capable, culturally competent nurses.”

The grant comes on the heels of numbers released by UT’s Center for Business and Economic Research which predict an increasing deficit of registered nurses as the decade progresses, culminating in a shortage of 14,910 RNs in 2020 in Tennessee.

“Nurses are needed now more than ever as the baby boomer population ages,” said Dean Niederhauser. “Yet, we are losing nurses because we lack funding and faculty to educate them. Grants like this one help tackle this challenge.”

The grant will provide five $10,000 scholarships to accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degree students who are either underrepresented in nursing or from a disadvantaged background for the 2012-13 academic year. The accelerated program enables students with a bachelor’s degree in another field to complete the bachelor’s degree in a year of full-time study. Students are then eligible to take the National Registered Nurse licensure examination.

The scholarship recipients will participate in a yearlong mentoring program where they will work to develop leadership skills related to self-knowledge, strategic vision, risk-taking and creativity, interpersonal and communication effectiveness, and inspiring and leading change. With this grant, the college has increased enrollment the program by 50 percent for the fall with a total of twenty-four students.

The New Careers in Nursing (NCIN) Scholarship Program was launched in 2008 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to expand enrollment in accelerated degree programs in schools of nursing while increasing diversity in the nursing workforce. Since 2008, the NCIN program has distributed 2,717 scholarships to students at more than 100 unique nursing schools. This year, funding for 400 scholarships was granted to 55 schools.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and healthcare issues facing our country. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

UT’s College of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader in nursing education. The college enrolls more than 600 students in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. For more information, visit nursing.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

Wyatt will be inducted on September 21 in Anaheim, California.

The NLN is a membership organization for nursing faculty and leaders in nursing education. Academy of Nursing Education Fellows are selected for their innovative teaching and/or learning strategies; nursing education research; faculty development activities; academic leadership; promotion of public policy that advances nursing education; and/or collaborative educational, practice, or community partnerships.

Wyatt was one of thirty-two nursing educators selected this year.

Wyatt helped invent an educational software program recently purchased by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins that integrates electronic health records commonly used in hospitals and medical offices into a simulated learning tool for students. Called Lippincott’s DocuCare, the tool is being tested in 200 nursing programs and will be on the market in August.

Wyatt’s research lies in education technology, childhood chronic illness, simulation, and health information technology. Her teaching interests involve education technology, nursing education and simulation.

“Dr. Wyatt exemplifies the caliber of the UT College of Nursing faculty,” said Dean Victoria Niederhauser. “Her innovative approach to nursing education creates an environment that supports student learning across undergraduates and graduate nursing programs. She is well-deserving of this national recognition.”

Wyatt is chair of the Education Technology and Simulation Committee and co-director of the Healthy Information Technology and Simulation Laboratory. She is a 2012 Harvard Macy Health Education Professions Educator Scholar, a 2011 Tennessee Nurses Association Nursing Teaching Excellence recipient, and a 2008 recipient of Gamma Chi Chapter’s Excellence in Research Award. Wyatt joined UT in 2003 after receiving her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Virginia.

This is the NLN’s sixth class of fellows. The program was established in 2007. For more information about the NLN Academy of Nursing Education, visit the NLN website.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

Hamparsum Bozdogan

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Ramon P. DeGennaro, the CBA Professor of Banking and Finance, has been appointed as UT’s voting member for the Atlanta Census Regional Data Center. The university is the newest member of the ACRDC, which offers qualified researchers access to data which is otherwise unavailable. The ACRDC is a partnership between the US Census Bureau and a consortium that also includes Georgia State University, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University, Georgia Tech, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Georgia. For more information about using the ACRDC, visit the website.

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A paper by Frederick Dosalinger, a research associate in ecology and evolutionary biology, in the Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment was named Risk Management Paper of the Year for 2011. The paper “Developing Health-Based Pre-Planning Clearance Goals for Airport Remediation Following a Chemical Terrorist Attack: Decision Criteria for Multipathway Exposure Routes” was cited as giving salient management actions should airports experience terrorists’ release of toxic substance into airport environments. The paper was selected by an editorial board comprising of distinguished scientists and risk assessment professionals on the basis of quality of writing and contributions to the field of risk assessment.

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An article written by Terry Hazen, Governor’s Chair for Environmental Biotechnology, has been named Top Feature Article of 2011 by the journal Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T). BP’s Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico drew inevitable comparisons with what until then was the nation’s worst environmental catastrophe, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. In ES&T‘s Best Feature of 2011, Hazen and Ronald Atlas, of the University of Louisville, point out the key differences in the environmental impacts of the two spills. Hazen and Atlas have firsthand experience of the spills: Hazen was an investigator on the BP spill whereas Atlas served as a lead scientist during the Valdez response. Crews worked feverishly to contain both spills, but in the end, naturally occurring microbes were responsible for much of the cleanup.

To read the original article, visit ES&T online. Read the perspective piece about the Top Feature Article here.

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Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing, has been selected to join an elite network of more than 5,000 women as a member of the Leadership America Class of 2012. Leadership America is a program of Women’s Resources. Established in1974, Women’s Resources seeks to advance the power of leadership and legacy through programs that connect, inspire, empower, and honor women. She is one of about fifty outstanding women leaders competitively selected from across the nation to participate in the longest-running women’s leadership development program in the US. Throughout the year-long program, Niederhauser will have the opportunity to broaden her perspective and enhance her recognized leadership skills.

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Fritz G. Polite, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, has received the 2012 Ethnic Minority Award for Southern District American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. He was honored at a luncheon earlier this year. Polite serves as director of the Institute for Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity and director of Outreach and Global Engagement for the college.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Nursing is answering a call from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to serve the nation’s veterans as well as they have served their country. The college will join more than 150 state and national nursing organizations and more than 500 nursing schools in a coordinated effort to further educate our nation’s three million nurses so they are prepared to meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

“Whether we’re in a hospital, doctor’s office or a community health center, nurses are often the first people we see,” said Obama. “Because of their expertise, they are trusted to be the frontline of America’s healthcare system. That’s why Jill and I knew we could turn to America’s nurses and nursing students to help our veterans and military families get the world-class care they’ve earned.”

More than 300,000 veterans returning from Afghanistan or Iraq have PTSD or TBI. Since 2000, more than 44,000 of those troops have suffered at least a moderate-grade traumatic brain injury. Veterans seeking care within the Veterans Affairs health system are often treated by healthcare professionals who have received extensive training in mental health issues. However, the majority of veterans seek care outside of the VA system in their local hospitals, and this effort will ensure their caregivers are aware of their special needs.

“We are committed to incorporating key concepts in all our programs that will promote optimal health and wellness for military families,” said Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing. “It is an honor and privilege to support this nationwide effort to raise awareness in how to better care for our veterans.”

A concerted effort to share the most up-to-date information across academic and practice settings will improve care for common combat-related issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and depression throughout the healthcare system.

The effort is led by the American Nurses Association, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National League for Nursing, in coordination with the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense which have outlined specific goals and commitments to the cause. For more information, visit the Joining Forces website.

UT’s College of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader. The college enrolls more than 600 students in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

College of Nursing instructor Lynne Miller started the Precious Prints Project, a program that partners with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to provide parents who have lost children a tangible remembrance of their child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ZZWCgsaKM

Leadership America is a program of Women’s Resources. Established in1974, Women’s Resources seeks to advance the power of leadership and legacy through programs that connect, inspire, empower and honor women.

“This opportunity will widen my views on leadership at a national and international level,” said Niederhauser. “I plan to apply these newly developed skills and perspectives in my role as Dean at the College of Nursing. It is a true honor.”

Niederhauser is one of fifty-three outstanding women leaders competitively selected from across the nation to participate in the longest-running women’s leadership development program in the US. Throughout the year-long program, she will have the opportunity to broaden her perspective and enhance her recognized leadership skills.

“We consider it a privilege to assemble these influential women leaders from a broad diversity of professional and personal backgrounds and provide them opportunities to consider new modes of listening, to seek new perspectives, and to imagine new collaborations that will provide new solutions to the challenges of today’s interconnected global society,” said Martha P. Farmer, founder and executive director of Leadership America.

The theme for the 2012 program year is “Leading Into the Future…Changing the World for the Better.”

Participants will visit Washington DC, San Francisco and Houston, where each city’s opportunities and challenges will illuminate the participants’ knowledge and stretch their visions as they consider the future for America as a global leader, the future for national and global consensus and the future for global business and the economy.

Niederhauser joined UT in 2011 from the University of Hawaii, where she served as associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow from 2008 to 2011, is a board certified pediatric nurse practitioner and received the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Excellence in 2006.

UT’s College of Nursing is again teaming up with the Student Health Center and the UT Medical Center (UTMC) for “HealthBeat 2012,” a free health fair for UT students, faculty, staff, retirees, and their families.

The fair will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center Ballroom. Parking is available in Volunteer Hall across Cumberland Avenue. Normal rates apply.

Several screenings and tests will be provided, and exhibition booths also will be set up with representatives from various healthcare organizations and UT departments providing information.

“HealthBeat is a great opportunity to participate in important health screenings and receive additional informative materials,” said Mary Sue Hodges, clinical instructor in the College of Nursing. “Several labs done as a part of an annual physical are available at a significantly reduced rate.”

Participants will be able to obtain information on nutrition and weight management, diabetes, breast health, oral cancer, organ donor registry and sign-up, HIV/AIDS education, student health education and services, drug and alcohol abuse, heart health and stroke risk, primary care, adult immunizations, ER trauma, pharmacogenetics, genetic counseling and genetic testing, and general health. Ask-a-doctor and ask-a-pharmacist opportunities also will be available. Also, MEDIC will be hosting a blood drive.

In addition to the information and exhibition booths, the following screenings will be provided:

• Oral and dental health screening
• Carotid artery screening
• Skin cancer/age progression screening
• Blood pressure screening
• Bone density screening
• Body mass Index screening
• CO2/Pulse ox screening
• Vision screening
• Blood typing
• HIV/AIDS testing
• Sickle cell and other hemoglobinopathy testing

Insurance is not required for any of the screenings or tests. Small fees will apply only to those screenings that require lab work:

• A1C—This test measures blood glucose average for the past three months. $20
• Prostate Specific Antigen screening (men only)—This test measures the amount of PSA released into your blood by the prostate gland. $20
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)—This test serves as a tool to measure thyroid levels in the body and can help diagnose thyroid disease. $20
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel—This test measures protein, potassium, sodium, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and albuminum, among several other components. $20
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP)—This test measures inflammation of the heart and can help assess your risk for heart disease. $20
• Lipid Panel (fasting required except water and black coffee)—This test measures your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ratio and glucose. $20
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)—This test measures your red and white blood cell count. $15
• Vitamin D screening—This test measures the level of vitamin D in your body. For accurate results, do not take supplements for forty-eight hours prior to screening. $25

Fasting for eight to ten hours is required for the lipid panel. Water and black coffee are allowed, and drinking plenty of fluids the day before is advised. Prescriptions should be taken as prescribed. Diabetics should consult with their physician before fasting.

Credit cards, cash and checks are accepted. Checks can be made payable to UTMC. Results will be mailed to the participant within ten business days.

The following UT departments and programs will have representatives and/or booths at the fair: Center for Physical Activity & Health, Book and Supply Store, Student Health Center, Police Department, Human Resources, and the Safety, Environment, and Education Center.

Other participating organizations include UTMC Genetic Center, Knox County Health Department, Office on Aging, Tennessee Donors, and Tennessee Newborns.

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C O N T A C T :

Mary Sue Hodges (865-974-7596, mhodges4@utk.edu)

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)