“When I came to the college as a PhD student in 1993, I bet you we had a third of the number of students we have now. The number of program specialties and students here, it's just exploded. And now, of course, we also have our Gilbert campus with both a BSN and MEPN (Master of Science for Entry into the Profession of Nursing) program there,” said Dr. Goldsmith, who is the College of Nursing Alumni Council’s new president.

Among the changes she sees are the transition from traditional to evidence-based nursing; more technology and simulation training; a growth in online programs; a focus on self-care along with patient care to avoid burnout; and an increasing emphasis on diversity.

Promoting diversity for faculty is as important as it is for the student body, Dr. Goldsmith said. “And, with that, I hope comes more of an emphasis on equitable health care,” she added. “How can we make sure that everybody is taken care of the same way, that health care is equitable across the board, across the nation, across regions and across zip codes? That’s crucial.”

Assistant clinical professor Sharon Hom, PhD, MS, RN, agreed. She started as a UArizona Health Sciences researcher with degrees in molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology and physiology before earning a bachelor’s in nursing in 2009. She has taught in the BSN and MEPN programs since 2012 and was part of the Integrative Nursing Faculty Fellowship’s first class in 2016.

“I’ve never been prouder of the entire College of Nursing community than during the COVID-19 pandemic," ~ Sharon Hom, PhD, MS, RN

“Faculty members are strengthening nursing education with programming, so nurses are better prepared to promote health equity, find solutions to reduce health disparities, and explore how best to improve the health and wellness of the populations we serve,” said Dr. Hom, who grew up in a rural farming community in Arizona’s Gila Valley. “Our amazing staff work tirelessly to support these efforts.”

As an underrepresented minority and first-generation graduate, Dr. Hom supports diversity as an educator and mentor in the Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence and Indians in Nursing: Career Advancement and Transition Scholars programs.

Cultivating memories is a precious thing, said Nicole Bencs, DNP, RN-BC, CPNP who earned a bachelor’s in nursing in 2003 and a DNP with a pediatric nurse practitioner specialty in 2014.

“As a student, I think everyone remembers little nuggets and moments along the way from nursing school. They remember a faculty member, or multiple ones, that left an impact of some sort on them,” said Dr. Bencs, a lecturer in the BSN program. “What is really cool is being on the other side, teaching the next generation and hopefully leaving some impact and nuggets to my students to pass on as well.

“Technology is quite a bit different and more advanced today. Students now get to participate in many hands-on experiences with simulation and high-fidelity mannikins,” she added. “One thing students really love that we didn’t have when I was a student is the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center in the Health Sciences Innovation Building. They always have a good experience with learning activities there.”

Dr. Bencs is also in the U.S. Navy Reserves, where she serves with an officer she taught when he was a BSN student. “It’s really fun that he is a former student and now we are friends, colleagues and peers,” she said. 

Heidi Kosanke, MSN-Ed, RN, CCRN, shares that perspective. A 2002 BSN graduate, she has been teaching in the MEPN program since 2014. 

“There is an amazing feeling of pride when you see a group of students graduate, and it is even more gratifying to work alongside them as a peer and see their continued growth after graduation,” Kosanke said. “I worked on weekends in operating room recovery and loved being able to ‘call report’ to a former student.”

She and Laurel Bilbo, MSN-Ed, RN, a 1986 BSN graduate who joined the faculty in 2013, agree there’s no higher honor than to be recognized by students with a teaching award.

“Receiving the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2020 was a very humbling experience,” Bilbo said. “The students are what bring the greatest joy to this job. Seeing their excitement and lightbulb moments make it all worthwhile.” 

The faculty members also noted how nursing uniforms have changed through the years – from polyester fabrics to polo shirts to scrubs – and the challenges and frustrations created by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the efforts to address them.

“Workload at bedside is a challenge. Burnout is a challenge. Nurses leaving the field altogether,” Dr. Bencs said. “There are staffing shortages, high turnover, high patient ratios – more demands on nurses in general. While nursing is a very rewarding career, it is also very taxing physically and emotionally. We try to instill and teach our students that self-care and work/life balance are necessities. We encourage them to ‘recharge their batteries’ in ways that are meaningful to them. These tools will carry them forward into their careers.”

“I’ve never been prouder of the entire College of Nursing community than during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Hom added. “The creativity, innovation, adaptability and flexibility helped us remain academically and fiscally stable as a college despite the challenges we faced.”

Visit our College of Nursing history webpage for an in-depth look at our early years up to 2001.

Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) was developed at the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University. Unlike other meditation programs that focus solely on mindfulness, CBCT is focused on how an individual interconnects with other people, building an ethos of compassion and well-being for the person and for others.

“The idea for this project came from our earlier work with Cognitively Based Compassion Training with breast cancer survivors several years ago,” Dr. Pace says, adding that researchers including Terry Badger, PhD, RN, Eleanor Bauwens Endowed Chair and professor in the UArizona College of Nursing and UArizona Cancer Center member, have studied the importance of supportive partners for the well-being of cancer survivors for years.

“There is neuroscience research showing that people who meditate over time can actually change their brains and the way their minds work," ~ Thaddeus Pace, PhD, UArizona College of Nursing associate professor

“We wanted to expand our use of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training for survivors and partners together,” Dr. Pace says.

Study participants will attend weekly CBCT sessions or Cancer Health Education classes for 10 weeks. Both groups will receive the training online in a format similar to internet-based group exercise classes. Survivors and their supportive partners can participate from anywhere with an internet connection and a computer or large tablet.

While previous studies utilizing meditation have been done in person, the pandemic inspired Dr. Pace and his colleagues to look at a new model utilizing video conferencing systems to expand access.

“The pandemic has made everyone more comfortable with using systems like Zoom, and we started to think it would be really interesting to create a program through Zoom,” Dr. Pace says. “We conducted a pilot study with survivors and partners that worked relatively well, so this project is a continuation of that on a larger scale, allowing survivors and supportive partners to participate coast to coast.”

“The pandemic posed the great challenge of learning how to successfully deliver compassion training online,” says Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, executive director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University. “What started as a challenge quickly became a blessing. We have been able to share on a larger scale and offer to more people than ever before. Collaborating with UArizona Nursing on this novel research project will allow us to combine new insights with previous studies and learn even more about how to benefit cancer survivors and the supportive partners.”

Interested in participating in the study? Click here.

This research is supported by the National Cancer Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health (R01CA264047).

“I’ve learned that the wildcat nurse is a nursing professional who recognizes the importance of the value that nurses serve for our community. A wildcat nurse is also someone that practices being open-minded, is aware of the importance of health equity, and has a commitment to lifelong learning," ~ Alexa Dang, UArizona Nurse Anesthesia Student

How did you get started on your nursing career?

Originally, I went to a community college and got my Associates degree in nursing and then transferred back to the University of Washington to earn my RN-BSN bridge degree. From there I worked many jobs in the field. My first job was in wound care at a wound center, where I had some very interesting interactions with different specialties within wound care. It was quite a sick population of patients in an underserved area. After that, I worked in a cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit in Tacoma.

I thought that I had found my calling. I loved the environment, I loved the people I worked with, I loved the challenges of learning about the human body and illnesses and physiology of it. I worked there for six or seven years before I discovered what a CRNA was. Colleagues of mine were applying to programs. After working with recovering open heart patients, I found I really enjoyed the perioperative aspects of caring for patients. I had a great relationship with many of the anesthesiologists and the surgeons that I worked with in the cardiovascular ICU, so I became inspired to seeks a role as a CRNA. I applied to programs with the help of many of my colleagues, some of whom are now CRNAs, and mentors in leadership who also supported me through this journey.

What led you from Washington to Arizona?

I was born in Seattle and didn’t leave there until about 2017. I moved to Chicago for a year and worked in a cardiovascular ICU, where I learned about the regional differences in practice. At that point I was actively seeking to go to CRNA school, exploring the different programs, and interviewing. I thought that I wanted to live in the Midwest but after interviewing at a of couple places I realized that maybe it wasn’t the right fit. So I talked with some of my colleagues who had gone thru the process, finding out what they loved about their program, what kind of support did they have. A lot of people who apply to CRNA school say, ‘I’d take any position if they let me in,’ but I found the biggest connection with the faculty at UArizona Nursing. I really enjoyed the interview process, I felt supported, and the University of Arizona had a great standing as a college, so I decided to pursue my career here.

What’s your favorite features of the UArizona Nurse Anesthesia program?

I started the program right at the height of COVID. My first year was in 2020, so everything was just starting with the pandemic. Our program actually started a month earlier than expected, and there was a lot of concern and fear going on. The initial semester is largely in-person normally, but everything was online at that point. Our anatomy class was online rather than in the lab, so it was hard at first to establish a rapport with my classmates. We’re a very small class of 18, but when we finally met in-person in September, I discovered those relationships were my favorite part of it. My class is incredibly diverse in background and in culture, and we really connected immediately. We all have a passion for learning and being in that sort of environment. It was great having classmates and faculty all on the same page and excited about anesthesia.

What’s does it mean to you to be a Wildcat Nurse?

I’m not originally a Wildcat Nurse but I’ve learned that the wildcat nurse is a nursing professional who recognizes the importance of the value that nurses serve for our community. A wildcat nurse is also someone that practices being open-minded, is aware of the importance of health equity, and has a commitment to lifelong learning. That’s what it means for me.

What are your plans for the future?

After I graduate in May, I will be studying very vigorously for my board’s examination. Hopefully I’ll take that within a month after graduation. After that there’ll be a little bit of a gap of time between when I take boards and when I start working, so I would like to take advantage of spending quality family time with my husband as well as my family back in Washington.

Where would you like to pursue work after graduation?

That’s a big question for me at the moment. I’m based in Phoenix, so I plan to stay here immediately after graduation, probably for two years. Many of my clinical rotations are in Phoenix, I’ve made a lot of connections here with the CRNA community and I feel like this is a great place to start my practice. However, since I’m not originally from Arizona, I may move closer to family back in Washington, or maybe in the middle, Oregon, between Washington and California, where my husband’s family lives.

Do you have any advice for students considering this career?

It sounds cliché but I would say ‘Never give up’ if you truly want to be in this profession and you know it deep down. You may experience failures in applying or interviewing – for example, I’ve had an experience of a terrible interview -- but keep going. Brush it off and learn from the experience. It will be worthwhile.

“I think it’s wonderful that it’s recognized. It’s great that it was a day, then a week, and now a month. The recognition is important, especially given our geographic location to the border and the number of students that we have here to help celebrate what is representative of our community," ~ Linda Perez, RN, Principal Lecturer

Over the years, Perez has been a med-surge nurse, a travel nurse, an ICU nurse, a medical malpractice nurse consultant for a law firm, a kidney transplant coordinator, and an endoscopy nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital, where she eventually advanced into management. “Then a friend of mine said, ‘Linda, you’re always teaching, you’re always helping students, why don’t you come try your hand in teaching?’” she says. “And now I’ve been here at the College of Nursing for 14 years.”

How do you feel about Hispanic heritage Month?

I think it’s wonderful that it’s recognized. It’s great that it was a day, then a week, and now a month. The recognition is important, especially given our geographic location to the border and the number of students that we have here to help celebrate what is representative of our community.

Of three million RNs, only 5.4% are Hispanic. What do you think of those numbers and what do you think can be done to correct that disparity?

That is the sole purpose of the Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) program when we initially started it, and that’s why I’ve been a part of that. That’s been huge in trying to cultivate students that are of a minority or underrepresented to feel like we can do it, that they do belong, that they can make a difference with the patient outcomes of the future. Because their patients see nurses that look like them and represent them, they feel like they have an advocate and therefore patient care, we know, will improve.

It’s understanding culture, the idiosyncrasies within patients, and the language. These students understand the respect that is needed as part of the culture. As a college, we must continue to work to cultivate that. The problem is our program is so competitive that we bring in so many people from other states that we knock out our own community people that would be wonderful nurses. We’re trying to implement the holistic admissions process, and I’m currently working to change the metrics so that it’s not as GPA-focused as it’s been. It’s gotten better but I think it could be better.

What are some of the benefits of the ANIE program?

ANIE has fostered a sense of belonging fir these students, which is one of the biggest things that has helped them thrive. In working with them, it obviously gets very difficult at times. They get frustrated and worry that they can’t do it. It’s important having a faculty mentor that can push them along and say, ‘Yes, you can.’ One of the biggest things that has come from these underrepresented students is resilience. Because they have resilience, they’re willing to continue to try.

Part of ANIE being part of a Hispanic Serving Institute is trying to help students at a younger age to prepare them for a college trajectory and be stronger in some of the STEM fields. What our pre-nursing students often struggle with is chemistry, math, physiology, and so we need to be able to try and strengthen that within high schools so that they can prepare better for college. In the long run, that’s what we need to do. That was one part of when I was a fellowship at the HSI was looking at how do we help younger students in high school and how do we strengthen STEM for our underrepresented students so that they can equally have the same opportunities as others to get into those fields.

How do you feel about the efforts the college has made to work on issues of diversity and inclusion?

I’m so happy that it’s part of our strategic plan. We need to advance the initiatives; we need to advance these directives. We’ve scratched the surface. We’ve done well and had extremely good outcomes with our ANIE program. We know that programs like this are successful for students, but this shouldn’t just be for a select few. We can only touch a few because of the limitations within the grant, but it would be wonderful if this was embedded into our curriculum on a regular basis.

In your teaching duties, what do you do to promote these goals?

In my courses as a course chair there’s a lot that I’ve learned. One of my projects thru the HSI Fellowship was to try and look at what’s called Cultural Competence and Cultural Pedagogy that you would infuse into the curriculum. How are we more aware? How are we going to apply this now? As I give my lectures, I try to infuse how would we approach it with different cultures. How does your assessment look on somebody who is not white? What features are you really looking for, and we’ve incorporated asking questions right off the bat, such as ‘Are there any cultural or spiritual preference that I may need to know that may impact assessment?’ We’ve added wording for the students to use so that they’re bringing that up right at the beginning, along with asking their allergies. We’re making them aware of those preferences for how to address people in a polite and respectful way. We’re showing them how to deliver patient-centered care that is not assuming that because somebody has come in that they’re going to have disparities but being willing to address them if they do happen.

“I look forward to representing the alumni council and really getting the word out about what we do, and also being involved with events like homecoming that engage our alumni, students, and potentially faculty at the College of Nursing. This is a great opportunity to become involved again with a really great organization," ~ Melissa Goldsmith, PhD, RNC, University of Arizona College of Nursing Alumni Council President

It was Dr. Goldsmith’s positive experience in the College’s PhD program that truly solidified her desire to give back to the alumni who came before and who come after her. “I really loved the program,” she says. “I loved our professors, and the cohort I was with. It really changed the way I looked at nursing as well as the way I looked at knowledge. There were parts of it that were hard, of course, but it really prepared me for what I’m doing now.”

Since childhood, Dr. Goldsmith has been a natural caretaker/nurturer. By the time she was 12, she was both babysitting and pet sitting for neighbors, signs that caring for others was an important cornerstone of her personality. Both of her parents were teachers – her father a high school bio-chemistry teacher and her mother an elementary school teacher – impressing her with the importance of education from an early age. “I would go and visit my father’s lab, which was full of really interesting things, so science and knowledge were really important to me,” she says. “As I reached the end of high school, I was very interested in a career where I could combine the skills of science and teaching for a career.”

A high school aptitude test that indicated her aptitudes would lead her to success in either teaching or nursing sealed the deal. “That validated my thoughts about a career in a caring science was something that aligned with my skills, knowledge, and aptitude,” she says. “I tell my students when I introduce myself that I really think education was in my genes because as I went through undergraduate nursing school and I watched what my professors were doing in their career, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, you can be a teacher and a nurse!’ I knew by the time I was finishing up my undergraduate program that eventually I wanted to teach nursing.”

As the new College of Nursing Alumni Council President, Dr. Goldsmith is grateful her experience as an alumna and is enthusiastic about the chance to employ her leadership skills to enrich the lives and careers of her fellow alumni.  In the past, she was an active Council member, helping to lead the College’s 50^th Anniversary planning and homecoming planning efforts, but other responsibilities consumed her attention since then. After Nursing Alumni Council Board of Directors member Helena Morrison, PhD, RN, asked for her help with an awards vote, Dr. Goldsmith was newly inspired. “I started to attend the meetings and then was invited to consider taking over as President when Margie Pazzi’s term was up,” she says. “It was a great opportunity to become involved again with a really great organization.”

As for her term as UArizona Nursing Alumni Council president, Dr. Goldsmith plans to build on what Margie Pazzi began. She hopes to organize two alumni events each year – the grand affair that is homecoming but also a second event in the spring that will focus on honoring the alumni of the year. A cornerstone of her vision is to strengthen the interactions that alumni have with current students. “We want to focus on events that are really centered around getting involved with the students, and having our students get to know our alumni council members,” she says. 

During her term, Dr. Goldsmith is especially excited about getting the word out about the Council’s activities through planning events that are fun and engaging for alumni, students, and other faculty members.  With its eye on both the past and the future, freed more than ever from the constraints of COVID, the Alumni Council will be prepared to address the varied needs of all Wildcat Nurses.

Asked about her advice for students considering enrolling in a UArizona Nursing program, Dr. Goldsmith highlights the need for openness and courage.  “Students who are considering our college need to know that we have a very long track record of providing really excellent programs and that our outcomes have been very strong for a long time,” she says. “In a broader sense, choosing nursing as a career is such a great choice because there are so many opportunities, so many different things that you can do with a nursing degree. The opportunities are deep and meaningful. When I talk to students about opportunity, I always tell them ‘When opportunities arise -- and they may be different from what you expect -- don’t be afraid to explore those opportunities. Sometimes the opportunities that arise come up just at the right time. Embrace opportunity, don’t fear it. A lot of students go to nursing school, and they think they’re going to spend the rest of their career working at a hospital bedside. That’s not always the case because there are many different avenues and opportunities in nursing. Just be open to those opportunities.”

“This grant provides the opportunity to expand wearable technologies into community engaged research for cancer survivors in a unique way and brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts," ~ Meghan Skiba, PhD, MS, MPH, RDN

What was the inspiration for this new intervention?

Gardening has been shown to promote cancer preventive behaviors for cancer survivors and melanoma is a cancer control priority in Arizona.  This intervention was inspired by the uniqueness of our area, including the arid southwest environment, five distinct growing seasons, the needs and limited resources for melanoma survivors, and expansive Cooperative Extension office and community gardens across the state that show promise for scaling the intervention. Prior to submitting this grant, stakeholders were engaged to adapt an existing evidence-based intervention, Harvest for Health, in a meaningful way to build capacity and sustainability. Adapting and testing, prior to dissemination and implementation, of existing effective interventions to meet the needs of diverse populations prevents us from redundancy in research.

What will the structure of the intervention be?

Harvest for Health Together Arizona (H4H2-AZ) is an adapted multimodal mentored community garden intervention. Thirty diverse melanoma patients will be recruited to participate in a six-month intervention to grow two seasonal vegetable gardens. Participants will be matched to a ‘near peer’ Master Gardener and provided with a lease for a shared garden plot through the Community Gardens of Tucson with necessary gardening supplies including seeds and sun protection. Following a five-module handbook custom designed for H4H2-AZ, participants will work together with their Master Gardener to prepare, plant, harvest, and preserve their garden. Additionally, Master Gardeners will deliver workshops that align with module content. The innovation of this intervention comes from collecting real-time UV exposure and providing feedback to participants while in the garden. Diet, physical activity, and quality of life will be measured before and after the intervention.

What is particularly important about the research you’ll be undertaking?

This is the first study designed to improve supportive cancer care by integrating melanoma patients with existing community gardening networks in Pima County and includes wearable UV sensors and just-in-time feedback to evaluate impact on cancer preventive health behaviors -- including diet, physical activity, energy balance, and UV protection. Our findings from this study will provide important feasibility and acceptability data to inform future large-scale interventions. This work will also show the benefits of application of sensor technologies in behavioral interventions to provide objective outcome data on modifiable health behaviors.

Tell us more about the wearable technology that will be in the works with the help of Shade.

We will be integrating wearable UV sensors, or dosimeters, to monitor and provide just-in-time feedback of UV exposure to participants aiming to reduce sunburns and improve sun-protective behaviors.  The reusable UV sensors are made by Shade and come with a complementary mobile app where participants can securely share their data with us as well as see their cumulative and instantaneous UV exposure. This sensor technology has been previously used at the University of Arizona but we will be among the first to integrate it in a behavioral intervention for melanoma patients.

How did you gather your partners for this project?

The partners on this project are community leaders and experts already doing important work in our community and we hope this intervention will elevate it. The partnerships were built from conversations with members of the UACC Skin Cancer Institute, UArizona Cooperative Extension, and original H4H investigators. Dr. Delaney Stratton is a cutaneous oncology nurse practitioner brings important clinical perspective and partnerships and Dr. Hall brings in key stakeholders for environmental sustainability. In particular, Parker Filer, an extension agent with the Cooperative Extension has been a key player establishing the community connections necessary for the intervention’s success. Parker has assisted with engaging the Community Gardens of Tucson as well as the Pima County Master Gardeners.

How do you hope the results of this research improve cancer preventive health behaviors among melanoma survivors?

UV exposure is the primary modifiable risk factor for melanoma, but melanoma is also an obesity related cancer; survivors of which may benefit from adhering to current cancer prevention guidelines. H4H2-AZ promotes cancer preventive health behaviors and emphasizes sun safety, which is often absent in gardening interventions but is important for melanoma prevention and survivorship. Currently, there are limited active supportive lifestyle interventions for melanoma patients in Arizona, which makes our multiple health behavior approach fill a current need in the population. H4H has previously shown improvements in vegetable intake and physical health for cancer survivors, and we anticipate similar findings from H4H2-AZ

Can you share any details about the larger extramural grant application you’re planning for next year?

We will build on the partnerships established from this pilot and will also engage the Arizona Melanoma Task Force in scaling the intervention. H4H2-AZ is intervening on multiple levels, including the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and organizational, therefore we will be submitting a grant to further study optimization of the delivery of H4H2-AZ and distal outcomes, expanding the program across all AZ counties. Findings from this intervention will provide preliminary data to support an extramural grant application that has been a work in progress as part of my participation as a fellow in the 2022 cohort of the National Cancer Institute’s Multilevel Intervention Training Institute.

Big picture, where do you hope this work will lead?

We anticipate that this work will lead to sustainable connections between clinics and community to promote the health of cancer survivors and their families in Arizona. The big picture is a collage of individuals gardening in their neighborhoods and building networks of support to reduce melanoma incidence and mortality.

Learn more about Dr. Skiba’s project by visiting the Healthy Harvesters program page.

“I focus on pregnancy, on reproduction, and on the placenta in particular, as an environment that’s connected to the past and the future in terms of health," ~ Julienne Rutherford, PhD, John and Nell Mitchell Endowed Chair for Pediatric Nursing

Dr. Rutherford comes to the UArizona from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was Associate Professor and Associate Department Head of Human Development Nursing Science in the College of Nursing. She has been a Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing mentor and has received numerous awards including: the UIC Researcher of the Year Rising Star in Clinical Sciences, American Society of Primatologists Legacy Award, National Academy of Science Kavli Foundation Fellow, the American College of Nurse Midwives Excellence in Teaching Award, an NIH Loan Repayment Program Award, and the Teaching Recognition Program Award and Award in Teaching Excellence both from UIC.

Dr. Rutherford is a biological anthropologist whose work integrates evolutionary theory with biomedical science. For 20 years, she has sustained a program of research exploring the intrauterine environment as a biosocial determinant of health. “I pull from several threads of biological anthropology and health sciences,” she explains, noting that her work centers on the dynamic intrauterine environment of the fetus and how lived experience of the mother across her own life course and even prior generations shapes that environment. “That drives not only pregnancy outcomes and fetal outcomes but really health across the life course for individuals,” she says. “I focus on pregnancy, on reproduction, and on the placenta in particular, as an environment that’s connected to the past and the future in terms of health.”

Dr. Rutherford’s current research focus is her “Womb to Womb” model of reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes in the marmoset monkey. Using data provided by the NIH-funded Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Rutherford examines how different intrauterine conditions shape birth outcomes, growth and development, and even ultimately pregnancy outcomes of future generations. “We’ve shown in the marmoset that it is not a mother’s age or weight at the time of the pregnancy – the things we focus heavily on in human clinical contexts – that have the strongest impact on her pregnancy, but things that happened during her development, things she didn’t have any control over,” Dr. Rutherford said, explaining that the marmoset’s variable litter size provides the opportunity to study several factors. “If a marmoset female is born as a triplet or on the smaller end of birth weight, she is more likely to have worse pregnancy outcomes when she grows up. This gives us a lot to think about in the way we tend to blame mothers for their pregnancy outcomes, not taking into account their entire lived experience, in ways that contribute to disparities and injustices in maternal and infant mortality.”

As part of UArizona Nursing’s new Nurse-Midwifery program, Dr. Rutherford will be a passionate and knowledgeable player. She hopes to help students contextualize pregnancy as a process beyond anatomy and physiology and show how the world around us can shape those experiences negatively through stress and discrimination, but also positively through social, systemic, and structural kinds of support. In addition to teaching the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth to midwifery students for the past decade, she has direct experience with midwifery from giving birth to her daughter – an experience she calls life-changing. “I was already studying the biological process of pregnancy, but experiencing it in a midwifery model, being cared for as a whole person, was really incredible,” she says.

As the John and Nell Mitchell Endowed Chair, Dr. Rutherford will continue her research on the intrauterine environment, which focuses on more than the early postnatal life to include infancy, childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. “I’ll be developing my own program of research, as well as supporting other faculty and PhD students to develop synergies of work that encompass a life course approach to health in thinking about pediatric research, and ultimately pediatric care,” she says. For example, one area of research she is excited to explore more deeply at UArizona is the underlying biological mechanisms of postpartum hemorrhage. “Excessive bleeding at birth is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality globally,” Dr. Rutherford notes. “There are many kinds of hemorrhages and likely many pathways, but we really know very little about how the risk develops early in pregnancy. I am so excited about the intersections between basic science and clinical care that I and other faculty in the College of Nursing have in this area and can’t wait to start collaborating!”

She was drawn to UArizona Nursing for numerous reasons, including its focus on collaboration and innovation, but also its commitment to engage in honest conversations around equity, diversity, and inclusion. “And, I would add, justice,” she says, pointing out that academia broadly, and nursing in particular, tend to be very white fields. “We don’t match the communities that we’re serving through our scholarship and through our clinical practice. Coming from one of the most diverse universities in the country, these are really important issues to me, so that’s hugely meaningful to see them being so openly engaged with in the UArizona College of Nursing.”

Muñoz was invited to join the Bali trip because of his efforts to investigate ways the College can advance experiential learning and service learning for nursing students. The College's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Nursing Committee (EDI-NC) had been actively brainstorming ideas for ways to offer health equity related learning to students, so when the travel opportunity arose, Muñoz was thrilled for the chance to learn more. “They asked if I wanted to see how the program is run, so I could learn behind the scenes and experience a CIELO trip” he says. “I immersed myself as a participant and learned not only about Bali, but also about how CIELO trips are managed, and the impact they have on participants.”

Muñoz joined a pilot trip that was the first time faculty and staff joined a CIELO trip, which normally focus on student experiences. With a longstanding commitment to issues of inclusive excellence in higher education, Muñoz was able to meet like-minded colleagues from across campus and share knowledge about ways to enhance the learning experiences of historically marginalized students.

“Some of these students are used to learning within the four walls of a classroom, and this trip really takes that learning outside. They get to talk to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to learn from the local community, so it’s a very immersive trip," ~ José Muñoz, Senior Professional, Diversity Equity and Inclusion

“We are providing greater access and participation for the students that do not historically go on these global learning experiences," says Dan Xayaphanh, Director, CIELO. "If you thought these programs were not for you because of specific barriers, CIELO is here to help open these doors and provide these life-changing opportunities!”

“There’s a lot of research that connects study abroad activities with retention and persistence,” Muñoz points out, noting that financial barriers and time constraints are often the cause of students’ lack of opportunity. CIELO aims to guide students on study abroad experiences at very low cost and offers programs that are more manageable timewise, such as one or two-week stretches rather than semester or month-long programs that are more typical.

“Those are some of the barriers that CIELO is looking to address and really get students to think outside the box,” Muñoz says. “Some of these students are used to learning within the four walls of a classroom, and this trip really takes that learning outside. They get to talk to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to learn from the local community, so it’s a very immersive trip. There’s a lot of reflection time for the participants, and we’re able to have those critical conversations on issues such as climate change and health care.”

The Bali trip was packed with activities. CIELO participants learned about local Balinese culture through cooking classes, Legong dance performances and the annual Galungan celebration, a holiday celebrating the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. In addition to the cultural immersion activities, participants were also able to visit to various local NGOs, including a local coral restoration center working to reverse the effects of global warming on local waters, and the PKP Women’s Center, which has an overall goal to facilitate female empowerment and gender equality to Balinese women and girls. Each day concluded with personal reflection time as well as small group work geared around processing the day’s activities.

“The program was very intentional,” Muñoz says. “It helped me center myself. As I was learning about different cultures, I reflected on my own culture.” Studying abroad, he says, sparks cultural humility and breeds a sense of empathy that makes us think critically about how we enter spaces when we’re travelling. “The CIELO program focuses on the historically marginalized faculty and staff population, which in itself was really empowering.”

Inspired by his experience, Muñoz returned to UArizona Nursing with new connections, and a firm desire to apply concepts like cultural humility to the College’s curriculum and programming. “As an ED&I professional, I want to see how we can continue to move that so our students will have those skillsets to help address some of these disparities that exist within our own community,” he says. “We want them to be culturally responsive to the needs of our own community.”

As Fall semester looms, Muñoz is looking forward to going back to the drawing board, working with CIELO as well as UArizona Nursing colleagues to reimagine what education looks like and discover the best ways to provide these opportunities to nursing students. “We’re exploring all our options to provide these kinds of experiences to our students and our faculty to participate,” he says. “There’s definitely momentum growing here. What CIELO is doing is amazing and I’m so proud to say the UArizona has a program like this that is forward thinking and working collaboratively with other colleges and units to afford these experiences to students, faculty and staff.”

For more information about CIELO, please visit diversity.arizona.edu/cielo

“Never did I forecast that my daughter would pursue the same career path as I did. I’m so very proud but I’m also so humbled that she would resonate facilitating healing as deeply as I do. It’s a proud mom moment but it has deeper connections to our shared healer’s heart," ~ Lorre Laws, PhD

It's rare for a parent and their child to pursue similar career arcs, but Dr. Laws and DiBene’s urge to care for society’s most vulnerable people caused their professional aspirations to intersect, albeit through different pathways. After a midlife career pivot out of the real estate industry, Dr. Laws devoted her energies to nursing. “I wasn’t making a difference in the way I was called to do,” she says. “So, I went through the MEPN program and I just flourished.”

She fell in love with nursing as a profession and as a discipline, but also found she loved both teaching and research. Her path from MEPN student to DNP student to faculty member was marked by strong mentorship and guidance from College faculty, a dynamic she watched play out when it came time for her daughter to go through the program. “It’s one thing to see me benefit, but it’s a whole other thing when you’re watching your child go thru this process and see how richly she was supported and mentored by the MEPN faculty.,” Dr. Laws says. “It was truly beautiful to behold.”

For her part, DiBene gravitated toward nursing after her aspirations to join the Peace Corps fizzled in the wake of COVID-19. Having watched her mom go through the UArizona program, she knew that it was a career that could afford her the opportunity to further her dream of working with rural, indigenous populations. Knowing how much her mom loved the profession, she saw it as a great opportunity with a lot of stability within it. “She definitely influenced me to get into MEPN,” DiBene says. “And also before joining the program, seeing that she went through it, that she could do it.”

Dr. Laws was a resource throughout DiBene’s time in the program. “If I had questions or if there was something I didn’t understand from the professors, she was a great resource because she had been through the program herself,” DiBene says. “And she was my mom so it was a win-win because we already have a relationship.”

DiBene found the 15-month program fast-paced and challenging, but she worked hard and gained confidence, ultimately earning a 4.0 grade average. In her final semester, during her preceptorship, she decided she would pursue hospice work, which is what she plans to pursue after convocation. “It's hard and fast but you learn a lot,” she says. “You gain a lot of knowledge and a lot of skills about how to care for people and what resources there are in the community.” In the future, she hopes to offer her skills to help vulnerable, rural populations internationally.

As a professor, Dr. Laws was delighted to watch her own daughter be instructed by some of her own former faculty during her time in the MEPN program – as well as members of her own cohort. And when Convocation rolled around and the two of them took the stage together, albeit with different roles, she was overjoyed.

“My mom heart is full,” Dr. Laws says, reflecting on the moment she got to hood DiBene. “When you have them in your arms as an infant, you can never in a million years forecast this parallel path that we find ourselves on. As both a mom and as a nurse faculty member, it’s so rich. There have been so many students that I have taught along that way that I don’t have the opportunity to hood or pin, so not only am I hooding my daughter but it’s a moment where I can celebrate all the students that I’ve had the privilege of supporting along the way.”

“My goal is to establish a midwifery program that creates more nurse-midwives and develops a more diverse profession that is representative of the communities that we serve," ~ Erin McMahon, EdD, CNM, FACNM, Director, Nurse Midwife Program

According to Erin McMahon, EdD, CNM, FACNM, Director, Nurse Midwife Program, a nurse-midwife can care for a person throughout their lifespan and address all aspects of their reproductive and sexual health, which can include cancer screenings, family planning, contraception, perimenopausal or menopausal care. “It really covers a breadth of clinical needs,” Dr. McMahon said. “We do so by looking at the individual, their support systems, and taking a holistic view of their health and wellness.”

The need for nurse-midwives is growing as the field of obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) is seeing its workforce shrink. According to a 2017 report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly 1 in 3 OB-GYN doctors were aged 55 or older and nearing retirement. At the same time, younger doctors were trending away from general OB-GYN practice in favor of more specialized fields.

The United States is experiencing a maternal health crisis. According to the CDC, in 2020 861 women died related to childbirth and that is up from 754 in 2019. Women of color are disproportionately impacted by these statistics.

Additionally, access to prenatal and obstetric services are decreasing in rural areas due to closures of obstetric units and rural and critical access hospitals. Several of Arizona’s counties have very few or even no obstetric providers. Nearly half of the women in some rural areas must travel for more than 30 minutes to receive maternity care.

Dr. McMahon believes the new nurse-midwifery specialty will address those issues. She hopes to recruit registered nurses from communities across the state who can then return to work in their communities as nurse-midwives.

The Nurse-Midwifery program will prepare the certified nurse-midwife (CNM) to independently provide care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. The CNM scope of practice includes gynecologic care, family planning, preconception care, and care of the healthy newborn for the first 28 days of life. CNMs provide primary care to individuals across the life span, inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Care may be provided in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, private practice, community health centers, ambulatory clinics, hospitals, birthing centers and the home setting.

The Nurse-Midwifery (DNP-NM) specialty is a hybrid program utilizing a mixture of online didactic coursework, on-campus intensives and clinical placements. Applicants may enter the DNP program as a post-BSN student or a post-MSN student. The program has both full-time and part-time options. Graduates of the NM specialty are prepared according to the ACNM Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice and are eligible to apply for certification through the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

“My goal is to establish a midwifery program that creates more nurse-midwives and develops a more diverse profession that is representative of the communities that we serve,” Dr. McMahon said.

Nurse-Midwifery specialty program page