Dr. Judith Gordon, PhD, has been appointed Interim Associate Dean for Research at the UA College of Nursing, effective Aug. 31. She will replace Dr. Usha Menon, who has accepted a position of Associate Vice-Dean for Research at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

In her UA administrative leadership role, Dr. Menon has been an inspiring voice for promoting nursing and health research, engagement and productivity. A nationally -connected and highly knowledgeable researcher in health disparities and cancer screening for prevention, Dr. Menon has catalyzed an incredibly effective research environment at the college through team-building and mentoring many individual researchers. In addition, she was Co-PI and Participant Engagement Director for the All of US Research Program, bringing her community participatory expertise to this large and interprofessional national initiative.

Please join in giving a fond farewell to a passionate and intelligent nurse researcher who leaves a legacy of unparalleled success at the UA College Office of Nursing Research.

Dr.  Gordon will pick up the baton as Interim Associate Dean for Research.  She is currently the Executive Director of Research Initiatives in the Office of Nursing Research, and through this role has been integrated into the activities of the Office. She is a leading expert on tobacco cessation and prevention with more than  20 years of high-level research experience and has been the PI or Co-Investigator on more than 30 projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and private foundations.  She recently received a $1.5 million grant, in conjunction with colleagues in Oregon, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to enhance an evidence-based tobacco-prevention program for fifth and sixth graders.

Please join in congratulating Dr. Gordon and we look forward to the continued success that she will bring the research team at the UA College of Nursing.

Ida (Ki) Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN

Interim Dean

UA College of Nursing

On August 15, each incoming FNP DNP-2 student was given a new iPad to use for their academic and clinical learning for the entire 2019 clinical year. All told, 43 students and the 10 core faculty members who are involved received the devices to continue to enhance the College’s ability to leverage technology to better connect and engage students and connect them to faculty.

Funded by a $20,000 sub-award of the Graduate Nursing Education grant, the funding focused on supporting clinical education for Nurse Practitioner students. The project became a reality thanks to support from the College's Office of Learning & Healthcare Technology Innovations (LHTI). 

FNP Program Coordinator and Director of Practice Innovations, Allen Prettyman, PhD, notes that the online FNP program has embraced the use of technology since the program’s inception. But the goal is to take the College’s commitment to technology to the next level. “We’re innovating in the use of technology embedded in an education platform,” says Dr. Prettyman. “Other schools have been exploring how to use technology in online education, but the faculty team at the College of Nursing is striving to be leader in using technology in innovative ways to enhance the student experience.”

“Other schools have been exploring how to use technology in online education, but the faculty team at the College of Nursing is striving to be a leader in using technology in innovative ways to enhance the student experience." ~ Dr. Allen Prettyman

The integration of iPads into the clinical curriculum for Family Nurse Practitioner students will give Dr. Prettyman and his colleagues the ability to continually innovate and engage students in an immersive educational experience. “We will monitor the advantages this will have for our students in clinical environments,” he says. The iPad program fits perfectly with the College’s focus on developing telehealth strategies focusing on rural health. Students will be equipped to complete their clinical evaluation process using the new technology, a vast improvement from more cumbersome technology models that came before, such as a Chromebook and a conference tower that had to be shipped to clinical sites.

As for the future? “Once the first year is completed, we’ll be assessing whether this might work for other programs,” says Dr. Prettyman. “Down the road, we plan to develop this use of technology as an area for ongoing study.”

The College of Nursing has a robust history of enriching its programs through innovative technology. Results have included telehealth training for students, work to tailor the electronic health record to best support the needs of nurses, and faculty forays into the business world with an invention that prevents the health-related downsides of immobility and a start-up early detection alert system that will vastly improve patient outcomes.

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Alumni:

It is with very mixed emotions that I send this message to inform you that I have stepped out of my position as the Dean of the University of Arizona College of Nursing.  The joy for me is that I will continue in a faculty role to provide leadership within special and focused realms. 

“It has been my honor to serve as your Dean for the past nine years and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together." ~ Dean Joan Shaver

Senior Vice-President for the Health Sciences, Dr. Michael Dake conducted a search for the next Dean of Nursing and has selected Dr. Ida “Ki” Moore as Interim Dean.  You can be sure that this will make for a seamless transition and continue a tradition of excellence that we have all come to expect from the College.  Ki is a long-time member of the faculty, a dedicated teacher, accomplished researcher and passionate nurse. She has been a member of the administrative team all through my deanship, is very knowledgeable about all facets of the College and will be superb in leading the college mission and facilitating the working relationships with all of you.

It has been my honor to serve as your Dean for the past nine years and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together. Thanks to dedicated division and unit leaders, faculty and staff, we are focused on the student experience with attention to inclusiveness, diversity and preparing nurses for the future of healthcare. Through collaborative teamwork, faculty are breaking down conventional education models and generating new and novel modes of learning. Mentoring is extraordinary across all our programs.

We have continually evolved our efforts to serve communities that now, more than ever, need qualified healthcare professionals. We have grown our degree programs by two to three times and the faculty team has more than doubled. We derive pride from the cadre of successfully funded researchers in signature areas of nursing and health-related research.  We have established a faculty practice domain that is unique, versatile and ready for new versions.  We are expanding our community outreach to professionals in nursing and health care through innovative continual professional education, often in partnership with practice partners; and to the lay community through consultations and presentations. We are positioning to expand our global connections.  Our staff colleagues are teamed to provide essential and highly competent support for reaching our existing, emerging and ever lofty goals.  You can see that we will continue to build on a solid foundation that started with the inauguration of the College in 1957. 

It is with utmost sincerity that I thank you for unwavering support for the UA Wildcat College of Nursing during my tenure as Dean.   It is through your generous service, financial and moral support that we have prospered.   With your continued support, I know that the College will reach even greater heights!  

Warmest regards,

Joan L. Shaver, PhD, RN, FAAN

Professor and Dean

UA College of Nursing

On Tuesday, July 10, 23 campers enrolled in PharmCamp paid a special visit to the University of Arizona College of Nursing as part of an interdisciplinary activity with our Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) students. In a win-win situation, the nursing students got a chance to give back to the community, and the PharmCamp kids learned about the role nurses play in health care. After campers toured the College of Nursing and participated in simulation lab activities in the Steele Innovative Learning Center (SILC), some of them expressed interest in pursuing a future career in nursing.

“It was amazing to have the opportunity to share the knowledge I have gained during my first year of nursing school with such enthusiastic and intelligent students!” says third-semester senior in the BSN program, who interacted with the campers. “A handful of the PharmCamp students ended their day at the College of Nursing with a newfound interest in nursing and I am proud to have played a part in inspiring them.”

A successful annual community outreach program conducted by the UA College of Pharmacy, PharmCamp introduces 800 diverse middle school students from Southern Arizona to a one-week experience of supervised activities and workshops, laboratory exercises, presentations and discussions, field trips and visits.

UA College of Nursing Class of 2018: Marion Cook

MEPN student; Vice President MEPN Organization 2017-2018; from Tucson

Why did you decide to pursue a career in nursing?

I started off studying translation and interpretation at the University of Arizona, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Interpretation. As part of those studies, medical interpretation was a subject matter that I found really interesting. It inspired me to move into a more hands-on career than translation and interpretation, where you are less involved in patient care. I began taking pre-nursing and volunteering at a free clinic on the Southside called Clinica Amistad, because it’s important for me to help people who aren’t proficient in English get better access to the health care system. I fell in love and decided I didn’t want to do anything else.

What drew you to the UA College of Nursing?

I’m from Tucson, so I was really into the idea of staying here. This is my home and I love this city. Additionally, the UA College of Nursing has an excellent reputation with very high rankings. It has a stellar NCLEX passage rate, and the employment rate six months after graduation is around 98%. I already have a job offer from St. Mary’s Hospital that I accepted in June.

What features of your program are you especially passionate about?

Nursing’s really special because there are a lot of cool things you can study. Where else can you go to school and see a baby born or view an open-heart surgery? As a nursing student at the UA, you get these wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Even as a professional nurse, you’ll have to specialize and you won’t be able to experience all these different kinds of things in your career.

What faculty particularly made an impression on you?

Patricia Wilger is my favorite faculty member. She was my instructor for med-surg and behavioral health, which is her specialty. Behavioral Health requires a lot of empathy. Not only does she have a huge capacity for love, but she’s also very knowledgeable, supportive and understanding. She really made a big difference for me. Darese Taylor, my faculty mentor, is another great instructor. She’s a NICU nurse who does a lot of the BNP lectures, which are always so much fun.

Can you share a favorite memory from your time at the College of Nursing?

There was a day when I was scheduled to go into the Operating Room at the VA when I had one of those ‘Wow, being a nursing student is so cool’ moments. Typically, it’s a boring shift because they don’t have a whole lot of traffic, so I wasn’t expecting much, but that was the day I saw an open-heart surgery. I witnessed an aortic valve replacement. The patient’s heart was beating right in front of me. They stopped his heart, put him on bypass, and started it back up again. It’s amazing what you do in health care. It’s just one of those things that not a lot of people get to see in their lives.

What are your hopes for the future?

I want to work as an RN for at least five years. Eventually, I really want to apply to the DNP program and become a Family Nurse Practitioner.   As an RN in a patient setting, where you’re mostly treating disease as it has already progressed, I think I’d eventually like to move into primary care to prevent disease from happening in the first place. That’s my ultimate goal, I think.

Judith S. Gordon, PhD, a University of Arizona College of Nursing professor, and colleagues in Oregon have been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to enhance an evidence-based tobacco-prevention program for fifth and sixth graders.

The first version of the program – which is called Click City: Tobacco – was a huge success among students, teachers and parents, who enjoyed the fun, game-based delivery, but also appreciated its effectiveness. The program was found to reduce young people's intention to smoke cigarettes in the future. However, the program focused mostly on preventing use of conventional cigarettes.

Since the launch of Click City: Tobacco, use of e-cigarettes among youth has surpassed that of regular cigarettes. Studies have shown that youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to take up smoking regular cigarettes, thus setting themselves up for a lifetime of health problems.

"The e-cigarette phenomenon has increased dramatically since we originally developed this program. Now, kids are much more likely to use e-cigarettes than they are to use traditional cigarettes," Dr. Gordon said. "We also need to reprogram Click City: Tobacco so that it works on multiple devices that didn't exist when we first designed it."

Thanks to a $1.5 million National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant, principal investigators Dr. Gordon and Judy A. Andrews, PhD, of Oregon Research Behavioral Intervention Strategies, will update the online program to address the hazards of e-cigarettes and other types of vaporized products. Drs. Gordon and Andrews will test the updated program with students in Arizona and Oregon.

“Our goal is to create an effective program that can be used in classrooms across the country to meet their health curriculum requirements and reduce the use of tobacco and vaping products." ~ Judith S. Gordon PhD

The updates to program content are designed to inform students of the risk factors from e-cigarettes, which researchers hope will lead to more critical perceptions of the devices.

"Now, kids think there's no risk in using e-cigarettes, so we want to make sure they understand the dangers involved, not only today but in the future. We want to teach them what e-cigarettes are and change their perceptions of the devices. For example, they don't even know there's such a thing as secondhand vapor," Dr. Gordon said.

The program also will use a methodical, analytical approach to create and test new components. While other programs offer a curriculum comprised of various components that have not fully been tested before dissemination, Drs. Gordon's and Andrews' research team painstakingly will test each program element before implementation.

"Our approach is based on optimized designs where we develop each component and then test it individually to make sure it is effective before it is included in the final program," Dr. Gordon said.

Also, because the program is completely self-contained and delivered online, setting students up with the program is all that teachers need to do. "Our program is 'plug and play,'" Dr.  Gordon said. "The intervention is especially effective because it's delivered the same way every single time. It also generates reports, so teachers can monitor student progress and provide optional classroom activities and parent newsletters."

"Click City: Tobacco is a model for how to employ new technology in an engaging way to teach youth about the dangers of tobacco use and other health issues, and positively influence their choices," said UA President Robert C. Robbins, MD. "Dr. Gordon's work is a prime example of the University of Arizona College of Nursing's innovative and successful approaches to health and wellness education. The positive impact will benefit Arizonans and extend well beyond our state's borders."   

The original Click City: Tobacco program has been used in schools throughout Oregon, and several other states have expressed interest in using the new program once it becomes available.

"Our goal is to create an effective program that can be used in classrooms across the country to meet their health curriculum requirements and reduce the use of all types of tobacco and vaping products," Dr. Gordon said.

Earlier this month, Brittany Abeln became the first University of Arizona College of Nursing student to be selected as a Jonas Scholar. Established in 2006 to advance all aspects of the nursing profession, Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare supports doctoral students who will conduct critical research, educate the next generation of nurse leaders and transform clinical care. The scholarship offers financial assistance, leadership development and networking support. Abeln, a fourth year dual degree PhD/DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student, joins a cohort comprised of 200 scholars from across the U.S., focused on some of our most challenging healthcare needs. Abeln will receive a $10,000 award, matched by $10,000 from the College of Nursing, to support her studies between 2018 and 2020.

“I'm honored to have been chosen and very excited to represent the UA College of Nursing as the Jonas Scholar for the next two years." ~ Brittany Abeln

“We’re proud of Brittany’s achievement,” says UA College of Nursing Clinical Associate Professor, Rene Love, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP. “She has a special interest in exploring mental health inequalities that exist in the LGBTQ population, specifically the mental health inequalities that exist for transgender youth. She is highly motivated and has already presented at two conferences and co-published a manuscript as the primary author since starting the PhD/DNP dual degree program.”

“The Jonas Scholar award is highly competitive,” says Lois Loescher, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Director of the UA College of Nursing PhD program. “Selection is based on the expertise of faculty and the strength of the doctoral programs, as well as individual student achievements. We are excited about this opportunity for the College of Nursing and for Brittany.”

Take a few minutes to learn more about Brittany and her studies at the UA College if Nursing:

What does it mean to you to be selected as a Jonas Scholar?

I’m honored to have been chosen and very excited to represent the UA College of Nursing as the Jonas Scholar for the next two years. The financial support for me, as a dual PhD/DNP student, is huge.

 Work you’ve done in the Psych Mental Health Program?

My research focus and interest is on LGBT mental health inequalities overall, but I’m specifically interested in examining anxiety and depression as well as protective factors in transgender youth. Over the past three years as a student, I’ve attended and presented posters at two Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) conferences as well as the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) conference. I’ve also worked with Dr. Love on a manuscript that will be published in September on Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

As part of the next generation of nurse leaders, what will your contribution be?

I see my impact really being in contributing to nursing research. I plan to specifically focus on LGBT mental health, because research is lacking in that area. I want to help shine a light on the mental health inequalities that face this community to help find better interventions and lead to better outcomes for that population.

Why did you choose the UA College of Nursing?

When I graduated with my BSN in December of 2014, I had no doubt in my mind that the UA was where I would continue my graduate education in nursing. The faculty was absolutely incredible to work with as an undergrad, and now as a graduate student I’ve had so many amazing mentors help me along the way. They’ve been completely invaluable to my experience. Specifically, I’d like to thank Dr. Audrey Russell-Kibble, who was my honors thesis mentor back as an undergrad, for really pushing me to graduate school. I also want to thank Dr. Rene Love and Kate Sheppard for advising me and Dr. Lois Loescher for her help with the application for the Jonas scholarship.

What motivated you to pursue a career in nursing?

I wanted a career where I could interact with people and make a difference in their lives. I feel so lucky to have found nursing, because I consider this career to be one of the loves of my life. I’m kind of a geek for research, so I knew I wanted to work in academia.

What features of your current program mean the most to you?

With the exception of clinicals, my program is completely online, but I’ve still been able to make connections with other students and have really gotten to know my faculty and learn from them. I really enjoy the College’s emphasis on evidence-based practice, and within that there’s this great focus on research that I really love.

With the help of her $20,000 portion of a $3 million gift to the Center for University Education Scholarships (CUES), University of Arizona College of Nursing professor Cheryl Lacasse, PhD, RN, AOCNS, plans to build an innovative online, virtual health care system. It will include sections like administration, integrative health, discovery and evidence-based care, acute care, and palliative care, among others. This simulated learning environment will assist graduate-level nursing students to learn leadership skills through carefully constructed assignments for specific core courses in the Clinical Systems Leadership Masters of Nursing program.

Dr. Lacasse’s bold envisioning of online learning had modest roots. “It started out as an idea developed by a colleague and myself as a ‘real world’ example of a health care system to facilitate learning in a senior-level BSN nursing leadership class focused on quality and safety,” she says. Now, thanks to her participation in the inaugural CUES Distinguished Fellows cohort, she’s taking her idea to the next level.

This year, six faculty members received a $20,000 CUES grant for between one and three years to work on a project in their discipline that explores new ways to approach teaching and learning.  “I’m honored to be part of the first group of the CUES Fellowship,” says Dr. Lacasse. “Collectively, we’re going to have a big impact on the scholarship of teaching at the University of Arizona. They’re looking at our group to pave the way for future CUES fellows and be role models for excellence in teaching scholarship across the University.” The virtual health care system is still in the planning stage, but Dr. Lacasse aims to have a prototype and begin pilot testing by the second year of the project.

Tell us about your project.

The initial inspiration for the project was transformed into a multi-dimensional system for many courses in the RN-MSN program. The project will be built in a virtual space so that students in health care professions can engage in active learning about the dimensions of leadership in health care. This project assists students to experience a community-based health care system of the future using principles of simulation, gaming theory, and augmented reality.  The ultimate focus is on interprofessional education and providing a platform for students to develop their leadership skills as they work together to solve systems-related health care challenges and ultimately their capacity to have a positive effect on the evolution of health care.

How is it multi-dimensional?

The virtual health care system will include many critical dimensions for learning about leading in a complex system. Some dimensions will include critical information for learning and others will engage students in online experiential learning. It will be built to provide a platform for faculty to create assignments that incorporate critical information from a complex health system and inspire students to expand their thinking about specific aspects of systems leadership. Ultimately, my vision is that all professions involved in health care – pharmacy, public health, medicine, business and health law -- can use this platform for intra and interdisciplinary education.

How is your system different from other models that are available?

Currently, the virtual health care systems in education that are available focus on clinical care delivery. Most of them are focused on interacting with patients and families with chronic conditions and difficult social conditions from the viewpoint of a clinician entering their profession. This project provides an opportunity for graduate students to explore their influence on high quality care through the lens of leadership within a complex health care system.

What are your hopes for the prototype?

I’m working with a faculty leadership team, online educators, and experts in instructional design and creation of virtual environments. Initially, the prototype will be developed, tested, and piloted at the College of Nursing. Faculty will be consultants for structuring the prototype, and key individuals from colleges with health care tracks will also be invited to share their ideas. Health care is very dynamic and the challenge for this project is to develop an enduring platform for relevant, engaging education for future leaders in health care. In the future, this platform can be used by faculty teaching health care-related leadership courses across disciplines.  

What is the importance of this kind of technology in education and health care?

It is important that online students are intimately engaged with the use of educational technology to enhance the learning experience. Often, this means that students have a more personalized interaction with learning media. The key is to create media that facilitates meaningful learning that can be translated from the virtual learning environment to the real world in health care leadership. It’s also important for individuals to be able to enjoy their learning and to have an active learning experience. The virtual world ensures that diverse students can come together and have similar kinds of experiences, whether it be on a discussion board or in real time or perhaps using some of our other technologies to do video conferencing or asynchronous audio/video discussion to be able to talk about their experience in the simulation area.

Example of a simulation?

One media piece involves using an innovation lab to create an experimental healing environment. Students would have the ability to design a hospital room, or a space in a person’s home, or perhaps in long-term care as an optimal healing environment. They would be able to then place the furniture, paint the room, allow for direct or indirect sunlight, decorate with artwork, etc. Currently, the Healing Environments course in the RN-MSN program uses a similar learning activity with only one basic environment. There are several patient case scenarios, including a child, a middle-aged individual, and an older individual with various chronic conditions. And they all have different kinds of chronic conditions. Students chose to create their environment based on one of three specific health care cases. In this activity, students are encouraged to imagine what a person-centered healing environment might look like and how they can facilitate healing by leading small but important changes in the physical health care environment.

Why is this project unique/innovative/different?

The uniqueness of the project comes from the environment that will be built that’s focused on leadership development for online students experienced in the health professions. Opportunities for learning essential leadership skills in health care by interacting with a simulated, online health care system assists in translating knowledge into the workplace.