News

Dr. Taylor-Piliae Receives Funding to Address Type 2 Diabetes Using an Integrative Intervention

July 20, 2023

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Ruth E Taylor-Piliae , PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN

The University of Arizona College of Nursing is proud to acknowledge the achievements of Ruth Taylor-Piliae, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, professor, and her colleagues, who recently received a $20,000 award  from The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) Foundation to address type 2 diabetes using an integrative intervention. This project involves several CON faculty members and a PhD student. 

Investigators:  Ruth Taylor-Piliae, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN (Principal Investigator), Julio Loya, PhD, RN (Co-Investigator), Meghan Skiba, PhD, MS, MPH, RDN (Co-Investigator), and Carlie Felion, PhD Student, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, BC-ADM (ADCES Intervention Monitor)​​​​​​

Title: An Integrative Online Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Intervention Featuring Tai Chi Easy

Funding Agency: The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) Foundation

Amount: $20,000

Award Period: 07/19/2023-06/18/2024

Description: In this project, adults (40-64 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving care in a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) in Southern Arizona will participate in a six-week Integrative Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Intervention featuring Tai Chi Easy™ (TCE). To expand diversity and equity by increasing access to Diabetes Care and Education, the proposed Integrative DSMES+TCE intervention will be delivered asynchronously on-line using Zoom Technology, leveraging existing online learning platforms and accommodating working adults.

 

UArizona Nursing Receives $2.6M Grant to Support Doctor of Nursing Practice Students’ Clinical Placements

July 19, 2023

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Allen Prettyman , PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP and Lindsay Bouchard , DNP, PMHNP-BC, RN

The University of Arizona College of Nursing is proud to acknowledge the achievements of Drs. Allen Prettyman, clinical professor, and Lindsay Bouchard, associate clinical professor, who recently received a $2.6 M four-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to increase the number and diversity of family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and certified nurse midwife students trained with UArizona Nursing and federally qualified health center partners in Southern Arizona. 

Grant Details: Allen (PI) and Bouchard, Lindsay. HRSA 1T94HP49356 “ANEW Program; Project IMPACT Immersive Managed Practice Adaptable Clinical Training,” 

The students, who are part of the College’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, will be prepared through immersive education and training to provide primary care services, mental health and substance use disorder care, and maternal health care for the diverse populations in the rural, border, and medically underserved communities in Southern Arizona.

UArizona Nurse Anesthesiology Program Receives Health Resources and Service Administration Traineeship Grant

July 18, 2023

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Kristie Hoch , DNP, CRNA

In June, the University of Arizona College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesiology Program was one of only 128 programs across the country to receive a multi-year Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship. The grant comes thanks to the tireless efforts of Program Administrator Kristie Hoch, DNP, CRNA.

Awarded by the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), the $70K grant will be distributed to Nurse anesthesiology residents (NARs) in the program over the next three years. The funds are minimal, but Dr. Hoch’s commitment to the NARs is such that she sees it as her duty to bring in any extra funds that she can. “The Nurse Anesthesiology residents pay the highest tuition in the college of nursing,” she points out. “It’s another way for me to support them during the program.  They need all the help they can get, because of the rigors of the program, they cannot work to support themselves or their families."


The Nurse Anesthesiology residents pay the highest tuition in the college of nursing. It’s another way for me to support them during the program.  They need all the help they can get, because of the rigors of the program, they cannot work to support themselves or their families," ~ Kristie Hoch , DNP, CRNA, Associate Clinical Professor, Program Administrator


The funding criteria dictates that those who receive a portion of the grant must complete a rural or medically underserved community clinical rotation, which is fitting, Dr. Hoch says, because the nurse anesthesiology specialty covers 80% of rural access to care across the country. “In addition to the various training that we will comply with for the grant, we bring them in for simulation labs to complete different modules preparing them for this type of independent practice,” Dr. Hoch says.

We have attained the HRSA grant since the inception of the program, and it requires various levels of education a training to apply and meet the standards of the grant. With the previous grant, NARs were required to complete modules on opioid free anesthesia and the various medications for multi-modal pain management in addition to peripheral nerve blocks to enhance pain management and decrease opioid usage during anesthesia.  They also received substance use disorder training. The new HRSA grant will help train NARs the impact Advanced Practice Nurses have on social determinants of health. Part of the funding will also be used to provide further Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training.  “We are proud of the diversity in our program,” Dr. Hoch says. “Currently, among our three cohorts we are at 50%. As Vice President Kamala Harris stated, “Our unity is our strength, and our diversity is our power.”  You must have a workforce that represents your community.”

Obtaining the HRSA funding is an arduous process, but Dr. Hoch points out that Nurse Anesthesiology residents truly deserve it because they’re ineligible for other graduate medical education funding because they are not physicians. It’s an unfair paradigm, she says, “Because we are their anesthesia providers in 80% of rural America.  We provide access to care that many would not receive without us. That’s why I do it: to support them. I love my profession and I hope that I instill that passion in them during my limited time with them in their program.”

ANIE Summer Intensive 2023: Focus on Pre-Nursing Student Julian Grijalva

July 17, 2023

Established in 2018 with a $1.9 million grant from the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA), the University of Arizona College of Nursing’s Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) program has become a crown jewel of the College’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Full-time, pre-professional nursing, Bachelor of Science in nursing and doctoral students who are Native American, Hispanic/Latino, first-generation college attendees or from a rural or U.S.-Mexico border community may qualify to become ANIE scholars. As scholars, they gain access to financial support and academic enrichment services, such as mentoring, coaching, individual and group tutoring, professional skills development and peer networking.

One of the program’s most valuable resources is its annual ANIE Summer Intensives, which are required for first-year, first-semester Pre-Professional Nursing students already enrolled at the UA and first and third-semester students in the BSN program.

We recently caught up with ANIE pre-nursing scholar Julian Grijalva to hear about his experiences in the Summer Intensive and where he hopes to go from here.

The 2023 ANIE Summer Intensive students and faculty

A native Tucsonan, Grijalva went to Sunnyside High School. Growing up, he was inspired by the examples of the nurses that cared for his parents when they required hospital care. “Seeing nurses take care of my parents helped me develop an appreciation for them,” he says, noting that this admiration inspired him to want to give back to his community the way those nurses supported his parents. Currently a UArizona pre-nursing student with a minor in public health, Grijalva is taking part in this year’s ANIE Summer Intensive to better prepare him for his future nursing studies.

What inspired your interest in nursing?

I have a lot of experience in hospital environments, which helped me develop a passion for caring for others. When my mother gets out of the hospital, she needs care at home, so I’ve developed a passion for caring for her. But whether it’s my mother or anyone else, I’ll still treat them the same, because it’s always been a love for me to help people and care for others.

Tell us about your experience serving vulnerable populations in the form of fostering infants and children?

My mother has been a foster parent for about 18 years. Since I was born, she’s always gotten new kids, particularly ones whose mother’s abused drugs during pregnancy. They often had issues with breathing and other problems. It’s sad to see, but over time you develop an appreciation for doing something really good for them. Even though we don’t keep the baby, we do make an impact. We feel like we’ve done enough for them to live a healthy life.

Tell us about your experience in the ANIE Summer Intensive.

In the program, we learn what students would learn in their first semester of nursing school. We get a little brief overview, and we volunteer in specific clinical sites to prepare ourselves and learn skills we can use while we’re in there. I also am retaking some courses right now to freshen up on some skills before I hopefully get accepted into the BSN program.

What attracted you to UArizona Nursing?

The first thing is, it’s in my area. I love Tucson and I want to be here my whole life. Secondly, I’ve always dreamed of attending the University of Arizona and I’ve always heard amazing things about the nursing program.

How did you get involved in the ANIE program?

It was through student-run club called Professional Achievements in Nursing (PAIN) that helps pre-nursing students learn more about the program. They had a presentation about ANIE and one of the things that attracted me was the way they provide diversity and inclusion for people you don’t usually find in nursing school. That’s really nice because it’s hard to do school when there aren’t people who look like you or who don’t have the same background as you.

How’s the experience going?

It’s amazing. It’s definitely a summer intensive, but it’s really nice getting involved with other students. I love getting information from inside the nursing program. We’re not only learning about what they’re going to expect, but also about the clinical experience. It’s been a big blessing for me, because I was in a Certified Nursing Assistant program during COVID, so we didn’t get to go out do clinicals. ANIE gives me the opportunity to experience the clinicals that I missed.

What are your hopes for the future?

I want to work as a registered nurse, but after that I want to give back to my community as much as I can because they’re the ones that helped me become the person that I am today. I have to give a part of me because I wouldn’t be here without that support system. I live in a low-income area where people I went to school with don’t really think about going to college. I want to get involved with that type of community and tell them ‘College might be tough but it’s definitely something you should experience.’ I also want to get involved with the health care system in a low-tech, low-income area where people may not be able to afford insurance, or areas where they might not be supported in health.

ANIE Summer Intensive 2023: Focus on BSN Student Samantha Chai

June 27, 2023

Established in 2018 with a $1.9 million grant from the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA), the University of Arizona College of Nursing’s Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) program has become a crown jewel of the College’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Full-time, pre-professional nursing, Bachelor of Science in nursing and doctoral students who are Native American, Hispanic/Latino, first-generation college attendees or from a rural or U.S.-Mexico border community may qualify to become ANIE scholars. As scholars, they gain access to financial support and academic enrichment services, such as mentoring, coaching, individual and group tutoring, professional skills development and peer networking.

One of the program’s most valuable resources is its annual ANIE Summer Intensives, which are required for first-year, first-semester Pre-Professional Nursing students already enrolled at the UA and first and third-semester students in the BSN program.

Continuing our coverage of some of our exceptional Summer Intensive students, get to know senior student Samantha Chai, who expects to graduate with her BSN cohort in December 2024. And stay tuned for the next installment of this series, which will focus on soon-to-be BSN student Julian Grijalva.

 

The 2023 ANIE Summer Intensive students and faculty

Born and raised in Tucson, Samantha Chai’s mother is Mexican and her father is Chinese American. About to enter her senior year, Chai’s BSN cohort is expected to graduate in December 2024. She knew from a young age that her purpose in life was to help people. “I didn’t know how I was going to do that, but I just felt so strongly about that,” she says. “Some very strong female powerhouses in my life guided me to the idea of nursing.” She finds inspiration and challenge through the UArizona Nursing program and is passionate about furthering her goal of giving everything she can to her patients.

What piqued your interest in UArizona Nursing?

People always say Wildcat Nurses are a very special breed of nurses. I grew up here, so in the times that I had to go to the hospital I would talk to my nurses and a lot of them were Wildcat Nurses. I had such wonderful experiences, so I think that’s what really drove me. If I could be of service the way they were of service to me, that would be so special.

How did you get involved in ANIE?

I got an email from an advisor about ANIE applications being accepted if you met certain requirements, so I signed up. I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but it truly has been a life-changing experience in so many ways, and given me so many exciting opportunities.

What have been your favorite parts of the program?

The biggest blessing I’ve gotten is the friendships, the support systems. Every single person I started this program with is truly my best friend. They are the people that have gotten me through getting into nursing school, being in nursing school. It’s such a beautiful, caring space.

Tell us about your experience in the ANIE Summer Intensive.

This is my third summer intensive. It lives up to the name as far as being intensive. There are various types of learning that cater to the experience of a nurse as a whole but also focus on community health. We’re focusing on a self-care approach for modalities and methods and learning about alternative medicines and how those work with western medicine. We also have a critical thinking class that helps facilitate a community of friendship amongst the peers within the program.

And we have these really cool clinical experiences at facilities like Hacienda at the River, which is a nursing care home. We got to go into a memory care unit and get patient-to-patient interactions. Yesterday I went to a Banner Intensive Care Unit -- it was a special experience, because technically I haven’t learned the ICU protocol yet. That comes in third semester, but being able get these experiences is such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

We’re also able to go on trips. Next week, for example, we’re going to Flagstaff for the Regional Health Conferences. We’re given a lot of opportunities and knowledge in these different types of classes that we wouldn’t be able to get in a traditional setting. It’s special, too, that many of us are the people who are representing the underrepresented communities. Being the ones who have power speaking up for our people and having knowledge of different types of modalities, and being the type of nurse who will stick up for a patient if there’s a language barrier, or a cultural barrier. The ANIE program does a really good job of making us feel like we belong and making us feel not only that it’s our responsibility but our gift of being able to share what we know with others.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m such an open book when it comes to my future. What drives me is patient-to-patient connection. It’s funny, my mom is a kindergarten teacher on the south side at a Title One school, and she has such an impact on her community because she speaks the language, and she understands the culture. I’ve been so lucky to see that.  I’m really inspired by the way she’s able to be somebody in her community that has done so much good and made such an impact on these children’s lives, so I would love to do something to emulate that – to be the best nurse I can be.

ANIE Summer Intensive 2023 Sews Seeds for a Bright Nursing Future for UArizona Students

June 22, 2023

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The 2023 ANIE Summer Intensive students and faculty

Established in 2018 with a $1.9 million grant from the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA), the University of Arizona College of Nursing’s Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) program has become a crown jewel of the College’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Full-time, pre-professional nursing, Bachelor of Science in nursing and doctoral students who are Native American, Hispanic/Latino, first-generation college attendees or from a rural or U.S.-Mexico border community may qualify to become ANIE scholars. As scholars, they gain access to financial support and academic enrichment services, such as mentoring, coaching, individual and group tutoring, professional skills development and peer networking.

One of the program’s most valuable resources is its annual ANIE Summer Intensives, which are required for first-year, first-semester Pre-Professional Nursing students already enrolled at the UA and first and third-semester students in the BSN program.

Linda Perez, M Admin, RN, the principal lecturer for the Summer Intensive, explains that the program prepares students for their coming studies by creating a warm environment where they get acquainted with their cohort, meet faculty and generally build a sense of bonding and belonging. “They get to learn from each other and establish connections through peer mentoring,” she says. “First-semester students peer mentor the pre-nursing students and the third-semester students mentor the first-semester students.”

During the height of COVID-19, participation in the Summer Intensive dipped, but 2023 has seen a resurgence of activity. During the six-week program, third semester students get to shadow an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse to see the kinds of patients they’ll be caring for in the following semester. They also participate in community immersion experiences at Clinica Amistad, Casa Alitas and Pascua Yaqui Health Department. Pre-nursing students receive a raft of instruction in subjects like writing, self-care, academic success strategies, and presentation skills.

Students also get to participate in exciting off-campus opportunities like the Global MindEd Conference in 2022 and the Rural Health Conference in 2023.

Perez is proud to be a part of the ANIE students’ nursing journeys. She loves seeing their personal and professional growth during the Summer Intensive. “They’re proud of themselves, their self-esteem grows,” she says. “What they achieve in such a short period of time is just truly amazing. I wish I could bottle up the secret sauce and make it happen for every student.”

Over the coming weeks, we'll be profiling three ANIE scholars -- Andrea Acero, Samantha Chai and Julian Grijalva -- to hear about their experiences in the Summer Intensive and where they hope to go from here:

 

Andrea Acero

A first-generation college student hailing originally from Phoenix, Andrea Acero is about to enter her third semester in the UArizona Nursing BSN program. “The opportunities that ANIE brought were intriguing to me because, being a first-generation student, no one in either of my extended families has any experience in health care,” she says. “I’m the first one going into a medical field.” Acero’s first Summer Intensives were marred by the onset of COVID-19, forcing her to attend virtually, but she has prized her in-person experiences since then. She has learned clinical skills, physical assessments, medical terminology, and more, all of which have better prepared her for her future career.

What inspired your interest in nursing?

My parents were both immigrants, so I was aware of their experiences not having their own representation or hearing stories from other people in our community about distrusting health care providers due to not seeing a similarity in the sense of community overall in health care. But I think what truly inspired me was my experience volunteering in Phoenix at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where there was a bilingual nurse. I thought that was interesting because I had never been exposed to that before. I’m Spanish speaking as well, so seeing how much that impacted the patient made me realize that’s how I would be able to make an impact within my own community.

How did you get involved in the ANIE program?

I had heard about ANIE the summer before my freshman year. Emails were sent to all the students that talked about an opportunity for first-generation college students or those identifying as of Hispanic descent or being from rural communities, and so I thought, ‘Okay, I fit within this program.’ I saw it as an opportunity to explore in pre-rec to see if this was truly something that would be a good fit for me. I applied, and then after some interviews, I was introduced into the program.

Tell us about your experience in the summer intensives?

We’ve taken classes in medical terminology, and we’ve built strong critical thinking with our professors. Overall, it was a great way to familiarize ourselves with some of the faculty before going into the college.

The second summer we were finally able to be in person, which was great. We were able to learn about physical assessment as well as skills that would help us ease the transition of first semester. We also attended a conference in Colorado that was great.

Students during the ANIE Flagstaff trip, overlooking the Grand Canyon

What is your biggest takeaway from the ANIE Summer Intensives?

My interest in community health overall. It’s always been something that I’ve leaned toward, but seeing the impact we’ve had in helping others has been great. Over the summers, we’ve been going to smaller clinics in Tucson, like Clinica Amistad which helps those that are underserved and uninsured, as well as Casa Alitas, which is the intake for refugees, where we’ve helped with their transition and provided medical care. My hope is that after receiving my BSN and RN and establishing myself as a nurse I can come back to help the community. Aside from that exposure and all the opportunities, the summer intensives have set a great foundation for friendship. Having others in the group who have similar experiences and backgrounds to me has been great.

What attracted you to the UArizona program?

Two of my siblings graduated from UArizona, so that was one aspect of it, knowing that they had a great experience. I wanted to stay closer to home, and I’d investigated the various state programs, but I knew from speaking to a few nurses how great the program was. I love Tucson, I love the closeness of the community itself, as well as the UArizona campus. So far, it’s been the best choice I made.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I definitely see myself going higher, whether it’s my DNP or a PhD. A DNP is something I have always thought about – to be able to provide direct service to others as a Family Nurse Practitioner -- but I also think that teaching is something that I’ve always really enjoyed. If I’m able to eventually go back and teach others or become a professor, that would also be something I would really enjoy.

Dr. Timian Godfrey Draws on Tradition for Guidance, Strength

June 8, 2023

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Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, meets with students taking part in the annual summer Arizona Nursing Career Apex Transitions program and summer intensive at the University of Arizona College of Nursing.

It’s hard not to be drawn to Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, an assistant clinical professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing. She has a warm, welcoming smile and easy laugh. There is passion in her voice as she talks about creating equitable opportunities in nursing for students from historically marginalized communities. She is also open about discussing how important failure was on her path to becoming who she is today.

But what really sets Dr. Godfrey apart is Hózhó.

“As a Navajo woman, the traditional belief of Hózhó is deeply rooted in who I am,” Dr. Godfrey explained. “Hózhó is a complex, holistic philosophy of interconnectedness between health and well-being resulting in physical and spiritual beauty, harmony and goodness. This highly valued belief guided my decision to choose a career in nursing.”

Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, said that coming to the University of Arizona College of Nursing allowed her to “pursue my passions in education, research, and policy with tribal communities. I love it here. I really feel a sense of belonging.”

Dr. Godfrey was born in Provo, Utah and grew up 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah in American Fork. Her mother is Diné (Navajo) from Crystal and Shiprock, New Mexico, and her father is Okinawan-Hawaiian, from Oahu, Hawaii. She grew up taking part in Native American singing and dancing groups and learning Hula and Hawaiian songs.

“At home we had a lot of cultural connections as part of our daily lives, but outside of home I felt different. I did not fit in,” Dr. Godfrey said. It was the summers she spent on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico with her aunts, uncles and cousins that deepened her connection to Hózhó, leading her down the path towards nursing and higher education.

Dr. Godfrey, who teaches in the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program family nurse practitioner specialty, became a certified nursing assistant at 16. After “barely graduating high school,” she worked as a CNA for two years where she recognized the tremendous potential nurses have on improving health and wellness in people, their families and communities.

Dr. Godfrey with her mom, Bernice Francisco Yoshimoto, at a traditional performance in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“From there a profound eagerness to maximize my ability to help others grew,” Dr. Godfrey said.  “This led me along a pathway to become an emergency medical technician, then registered nurse, and then an advanced practice registered nurse. The experience gained within each of these health care disciplines has given me valuable perspective and understanding of the compounded effects education, research, policy and leadership have on health.”

When Dr. Godfrey earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern Utah University, her experience with academia was still challenging for her.

“I struggled as an undergrad as I was working full time as a CNA and EMT,” Dr. Godfrey said. “Meeting mentors made all the difference. As a society we put so much emphasis on GPA, but what is just as valuable are people who are hardworking, innovative and compassionate. That doesn’t always correlate with GPA. We must be adaptable to individuals and their learning styles to educate a dynamic future health care workforce ready to meet the multifaceted needs of an evolving society.”

Still in school

Dr. Godfrey earned her Master of Science Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, then her Doctor of Nursing Practice-Executive Leadership degree from Johns Hopkins before joining the UArizona College of Nursing faculty in 2019. Currently, she is enrolled in a nursing and health innovation PhD program through Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

“I’m really surprised that I’m still in school,” said Dr. Godfrey. “When I was younger, I thought my career would be more settled at this point in my life. The reality is though, more so than at any time in my life, I am acutely aware of how much I do not know and how much more I need to learn, which is why I am pursuing a PhD.” 

While at Johns Hopkins she received a scholarship through the Bloomberg School of Public Health to receive public health training and certification in American Indian Health. “Prior to this, I had no intention of working in academia. However, these research and education experiences opened my eyes to the impact population health focused work in policy and research can have on health inequities for Indigenous Peoples.”

Dr. Godfrey decided to pursue a research doctorate to build on her practical experience.  “I wanted a stronger skill set in how to generate evidence,” she said “I want to be able to take what I know and conduct research that generates evidence to support health equity for all people, but particularly Native communities. There is a lack of indigenous-led community generated research. This is a promising approach that can lead to positive outcomes.”

Arizona is home

The interconnectedness of Hózhó brought Dr. Godfrey to the university. Her husband Brandon Godfrey, MD, matched with University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson for a residency in emergency medicine.

Dr. Godfrey is the project director for the nursing workforce diversity initiative at the College of Nursing.

At the College of Nursing, Dr. Godfrey is the principal investigator for two federal grants aiming to diversify the nursing workforce and increase the presence of Native American nurses working in tribal communities.

“Timian shows an enviable balance of being personally persuasive about her ideas, while inviting and incorporating the ideas of all present,” said Joan L. Shaver, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and former dean of the College of Nursing. “Timian shows herself to be a generous and skillful mentor for colleagues and students.”

She is also collaborating with colleagues to increase equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at the College of Nursing and formally institutionalize EDI efforts. She is the project director for the nursing workforce diversity initiative at the college.

“Timian is a joy to work with,” said Francine C. Gachupin, PhD, MPH, associate professor at the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson. “Timian is very committed and dedicated to becoming a responsive and respectful community-based participatory researcher. She cares about the individuals impacted by illness and is invested in making their condition better while employing scientific rigor in her approaches.”

Empowered by students

The mother of two girls, 8 and 5-years-old, admits she has a lot on her plate, but says she is buoyed by her colleagues and inspired by her students and the communities she works with.

Dr. Godfrey with her husband, Brandon Godfrey, MD, and their two daughters in 2019 after her DNP commencement.

“The stories, experience, knowledge, and wisdom shared by our students and community partners are continually enriching my intellectual growth, understanding of the world, and what is needed to create meaningful and sustainable change that promotes the health and well-being of people from historically marginalized groups,” Dr. Godfrey said. 

Dr. Godfrey said that she was taught to work hard, keep her head down and not to draw attention to herself. “I think that made me more passive and accepting, but students today challenge the norms,” she said. “The students we have now want to know the reasons behind certain policies and seek to understand the decision-making process. They challenge me to know the why behind what I am teaching. It challenges me to do more research. I find it empowering.”

Dr. Godfrey draws on the challenges, including failures, she faced as a student in high school and as an undergraduate to connect with and support students, especially those who come from underrepresented in nursing communities. “I fail all the time and I have to be transparent with team members and students,” she said. “Failing is essential to growth. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from doing something.”

Walk in beauty

With Hózhó guiding her, Dr. Godfrey is fueled by the strength of universal connections to provide opportunities to underrepresented people in health care education and to promote inclusive policies. 

“We are all connected to each other — the Earth, the animals, the sky and sun. That harmony between all these things is what keeps us healthy,” Dr. Godfrey said. “I truly believe if we put out beauty, harmony and goodness, it permeates throughout our world.”

Dr. Godfrey said there is a saying in Navajo that is used when saying goodbye that sums up the Hózhó philosophy she strives to follow: “May you walk in beauty.”

These are the JEDI nurses Dr. Tarnia Newton is looking for…

May 23, 2023

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The University of Arizona College of Nursing’s Tarnia Newton, DNP, FNP-C, said she believes all nurses have a calling to advocate for their patients through justice, equity, diversity and inclusion

It’s not a long time ago, nor in a galaxy far, far away, but Tarnia Newton, DNP, FNP-C, has wanted to be a nurse nearly her entire life. And now as a clinical assistant professor in the University of Arizona College of Nursing, she sees all nurses as Jedi warriors, fighting for their cause – in this case advocating for patients in their quest for affirmative, better health care.

JEDI in that sense, though, stands for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion as part of a certificate training program offered through the UArizona Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Inclusive Leadership Institute.

Tarnia Newton, DNP, FNP-C, an assistant professor at the UArizona College of Nursing, was Miss Commonwealth Bahamas 1991. She used the scholarship award to train as a nurse. (Photo courtesy Tarnia Newton)

“Everyone’s all about Star Wars, and I truly believe in being a JEDI nurse,” Dr. Newton said. “We need to be warriors advocating to break down those walls when we think of systemic racism, when we think of inequities, on behalf of our patients. That is the new nurse who is going to serve this nation in the sense of breaking barriers to social determinants of health.”

For Dr. Newton, being a JEDI nurse means being involved in the community and addressing inequities and disparities. “We need to develop nurses with the capacity to transform communities,” she said recently.

All of life involves risks

The desire to help others began early for Dr. Newton, a native of Freeport, The Bahamas. While she knew early on she wanted to be a nurse, circumstances redirected her from it for several years to follow in her father’s footsteps.

“He was a business entrepreneur,” she said. “At one point before the age of 5, I lived in Haiti because he was doing a hotel venture. So, he was just one of those people who took risks, big risks,” and did well for his family.

Her parents sent her to a Baha’i-based boarding school in India when she was 8. Dr. Newton returned at age 13 for high school, bringing back a slight “desi” or Indian accent and experience with Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance style. She taught the style to classmates for a school play set to a calypso song. After graduating at 15, she also attended a Baha’i college in Michigan.

When Dr. Newton was 18, her father died. She came home from Michigan and was working as a bank finance officer a year later, when family prompted her to compete in the 1991 Miss Commonwealth Bahamas contest to earn a scholarship to continue college.

She won the contest, the scholarship and trips to London, Portugal, South Africa, and New York City as a Bahamian ambassador. She was in high demand as an official ribbon-cutter locally as well. And she got to compete in the Miss World contest in Atlanta, the first time the pageant was held in North America.

“Actually, the only reason why I did that was the scholarship they were offering,” Dr. Newton said. “But it was a life-changing experience, not only because of all the places I got to go, but the platform it gave me to express myself. I really enjoyed it in that sense because I was in the community doing things that were needed at the time.”

Rather than return to college, she pursued business ventures that included manufacturing in India, wholesaling ready-made garments and exporting lobster from the Bahamas to the U.S.

Finding her voice in nursing

Six years later, she activated her pageant scholarship and became a licensed practical nurse in Miami through the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. There, she also attended Miami Dade Community College where she earned her associate’s degree in nursing in 2001.

Dr. Tarnia Newton leads pre-medicine students in a group discussion about how they would help an elderly patient who does not want to lose their independence but is showing signs of mental health issues.

At Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, she completed the Bachelor of Science in nursing program in 2014, then the Master of Science in Nursing program at California’s historically Black graduate college Charles R. Drew School of Medicine in 2016, and Doctor of Nursing practice program at Kentucky’s Frontier Nursing University in 2018.

Over that time, she held almost every job you could do in nursing, initially as a travel nurse working her way across the country. That included a revelatory practicum in an underserved clinic on Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation, reinforced later by an experience in San Antonio with an older Cherokee woman who, in a spiritual moment, told Dr. Newton she was sent by her grandfather to care for her. On the other extreme, she also worked as a nurse in the Bahamas, a luxury experience at a Sandals five-star resort.

“When I think of my nursing career, it’s been vast,” Dr. Newton said. “I used to do home health with pediatrics. I’ve worked extensively in critical care and care for older adults. It all goes back to I really like working in community, as a nurse and as an individual, urban or rural. And when I became a family nurse practitioner, that was one of the reasons why.”

These are the JEDI we were looking for

Since arriving at UArizona three years ago, she has quietly worked under the radar to achieve change. “That’s just me. I just always consider myself a whisperer,” making suggestions embraced by others, Dr. Newton said. She has been integral to the move toward expanding equity, diversity and inclusion at the College of Nursing as well as the broader Health Sciences and UArizona campus. These are the nurses you are looking for.

Tarnia Newton, DNP, FNP-C, instructs high school students in the Med-Start Health Careers Program, a six-week summer academic enrichment camp to improve access to health professions for those from underserved communities.

“I assist with a lot of the college’s ED&I efforts with Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, and José Muñoz. I’m also co-chair of the Health Sciences’ Pride Health Equity Alliance, formerly the LGBTQ+ Interest Group. And I’m on the university’s Black Faculty Speaker Series committee. So, I’m in a lot of places,” she said.

Dr. Newton was nominated for the Pride Alliance leadership post she shares with the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy’s Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, JD, MPH, due to her work introducing JEDI Safe Zone Training into the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice general orientation and coursework. In 2022, she won two related grants for that training to make the college a safer, more welcoming and inclusive environment for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. She’ll teach a new JEDI Health Equity course called Connection, Community, & Healing in Urgent Times this fall, a result of participating in the Culturally Responsive Curriculum Development Institute and being an Experiential Learning Design Accelerator Fellow.  The course has a service-learning component for students.

“A lot of times in nursing, they talk about ‘cultural competency,’ and I’m not a lover of that phrase,” she said. “I think it’s really cultural humility where we need to focus. That’s really a personal lifelong commitment to understanding, self-evaluating and learning about somebody else’s culture, their beliefs, their identities. It’s very important to have humility when you’re coming to a culture as a novice, and a willingness to learn. It’s about always being open and being a lifelong learner.”

That’s the JEDI warrior way.

New UArizona Nursing Dean Brian Ahn Has Big Plans for the College’s Bright Future

May 19, 2023

Dean Ahn Banner Image.jpg

Hyochol Brian Ahn, PhD, MSN, MS-CTS, MS-ECE, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN, Dean

When Hyochol Brian Ahn, PhD, MSN, MS-CTS, MS-ECE, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN begins his tenure as dean, University of Arizona College of Nursing on May 22, he brings with him a rich professional background, a wealth of experience, and a commitment to making the college the best it can be.

Previously, Dean Ahn was a professor and associate dean for research at the Florida State University College of Nursing and founding director of the FSU Brain Science and Symptom Management Center. He has received continuous funding as a principal investigator for the last 12 years and has delivered more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and more than 90 presentations related to areas including biobehavioral neuroscience, health equity and population health and wellness.


As dean, I hope to work with our faculty, staff, students, and community partners to expand our education and research to the next level of excellence," ~ Hyochol Brian Ahn, PhD, MSN, MS-CTS, MS-ECE, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN, Dean


Dean Ahn initially trained as a computer engineer, earning his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at the University of Seoul, South Korea. After coming to the United States in 2002 to complete his master’s degree and then PhD in engineering, he became fascinated by the various engineering needs and approaches that could be applied to nursing science. He decided to pursue a career in nursing when he realized the great potential for combining computer technology with nursing science to directly impact patient health.

Dean Ahn is thrilled about his new role at UArizona Nursing. “We have spectacular faculty, staff, students as well as hospital and community partners,” he says, noting the college’s research impact and recognition on the national stage of nursing education. “I’m very excited about this role, and as dean I would like to expand our education portfolio, increase research impact and recognition, increase community partnerships, expand our hospital partnerships, as well as our build relationships with alumni and our community organizations.”

Asked about his hopes for UArizona Nursing’s future, Dean Ahn says he wants to elevate the college to the maximum level of excellence in education, research, and practice. With the American Nurses Association forecasting that one million new nurses will be needed in the U.S. by 2030, Dean Ahn wants to increase the clinical nursing workforce through the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

He also sees a need for more advanced degrees in nursing – especially within the nurse practitioner field as well as other levels of nursing leadership – and he hopes to create a focus on nursing engineering. “With my engineering background, I would like to create a nursing engineering program focused on using technological solutions,” he says.  “Artificial Intelligence changes almost all of the processes for our education and research. My vision is to incorporate these technologies to better nursing education research, practice and service.”

Thanks to a $9.2M share of in grants awarded by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to five Arizona nursing programs, UArizona Nursing is poised to expand its education portfolios in the ways Dean Ahn sees as game-changing. Pointing to several recent National Institute of Health (NIH) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants that college faculty have been awarded, Dean Ahn says that our faculty are already operating at a high level. “As dean, I hope to work with our faculty, staff, students, and community partners to expand our education and research to the next level of excellence,” he says.

UArizona Nursing Alumnus Selected as 2023 American Association of Nurse Practitioners Fellow

May 11, 2023

In March, University of Arizona College of Nursing alumnus Greg Brooks, DNP, APRN, FNP-C was selected as a 2023 American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) Fellow, joining a prestigious group of accomplished nurse practitioner (NP) who has significantly impacted the NP profession.

The FAANP Fellows program was established in 2000 and is dedicated to the advancement of NPs and the high-quality healthcare that they provide. FAANP Fellows volunteer their expertise as reviewers, topical experts, committee members, journal contributors, mentors and more. “When I went to the University of Arizona, a lot of my professors were FAANP Fellows,” Dr. Brooks says. “I looked up to them with great admiration. Being a part of the Fellows now helps me appreciate my studies for the DNP, which ultimately helped me embrace processes and quality improvement initiatives better.”

Dr. Brooks, who earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2011 as a member of the program’s inaugural cohort, has nothing but praise for UArizona Nursing. “I appreciated all my studies and work for my DNP and am proud to show my doctoral project to many,” he says. “It assisted me in my work as a missionary nurse practitioner and extended my scope of education and workshops. As Professor and the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Harding University's Carr College of Nursing, I educate BSN, Master's students, and FNP students, as well as educating in the health sciences program.”


When I went to the University of Arizona, a lot of my professors were FAANP Fellows. I looked up to them with great admiration. Being a part of the Fellows now helps me appreciate my studies for the DNP, which ultimately helped me embrace processes and quality improvement initiatives better," ~ Greg Brooks, DNP, APRN, FNP-C


Dr. Brooks’ completed his studies under then-faculty members Drs. Deborah Vincent, Judith Effkin, and Cathy Michaels. His successful doctoral project, which was aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a diabetes education process for rural, nurse practitioner-managed clinics, was titled "Improving the Management of Patients with Type-2 Diabetes in a Rural Clinic."

Dr. Brooks was originally planning on pursuing a PhD in nursing but chose to pursue his DNP at UArizona Nursing because of the new program as well as the research focus of faculty members on patients in rural counties suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. “Arizona led the way with the DNP in the nation,” Dr. Brooks says. “Which is one of the things I really enjoyed about it. In that initial cohort, we met a lot of people who did a lot of incredible things: people who were practicing as NPs, who worked in the military, who worked in rural areas and in private care. A lot of us were learning what a doctoral degree really stood for and what it meant.”

Dr. Brooks treasures his time at UArizona Nursing, especially the collaborative process of working with his instructors. “The one-on-one discussions that you have are reflective of what a doctoral program should be,” he says. “I was able to talk to people who were frontline in quality improvement, quality initiatives, and translational research. The beauty of being in the first cohort as they were still transitioning from a PhD level of study to a DNP was that I got all the rigor of a PhD and was able to apply it at what I considered a higher level and a deeper meaning at a DNP level.”

Since defending his dissertation, Dr. Brooks advanced to the position of Assistant Professor at Oklahoma City University (OCU), followed by Director of the DNP program. “I truly took what I learned at Arizona to help me shape and develop the DNP program at OCU, and then went on to help build another NP program at Harding University,” he says. As for the future, he hopes to continue medical mission trips to places like Africa, Tanzania, and Guatemala, looking a lot at systems analysis and processes to help improve outcomes for marginalized populations in underserved areas.

Asked about his advice for students considering following in his academic footsteps, Dr. Brooks advises them to engage in as much dialogue as possible with their professors. “I truly believe that while some knowledge comes from a book, much of it comes from the dialogue between professors and students,” he says.

Dr. Brooks’ pride in his alma mater shines through, even after 12 years. “I truly appreciate the road that I’ve been on, would not trade it in for the life of me,” he says. “I got to take classes from people who are well-published, who are active in research, who are seen as leaders in healthcare across the nation. I value and will forever speak highly of my time at UArizona.”