"It is my honor to lead a team of extraordinary faculty to educate future generations of nurses achieve unsurpassed excellence in nursing practice," ~ Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP

Dr. Prettyman said “It is my honor to lead a team of extraordinary faculty to educate future generations of nurses achieve unsurpassed excellence in nursing practice.”

Dr. Prettyman received his PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Delaware and is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 25 years’ experience. He applies his expertise in interdisciplinary preventive healthcare and blends it with his administrative experience to lead healthcare innovations. His educational trajectory has focused on families and applying a holistic model and approach to healthcare. Dr. Prettyman has worked tirelessly to provide nursing students with an interdisciplinary educational platform to learn and apply clinical skills. Additionally, he successfully balances the role of expert nurse practitioner providing care to individuals with administration responsibilities such as staffing, outcomes research protections, and budget. Striving for unsurpassed excellence in clinical outcomes, he has developed ongoing collaborative relationships with interdisciplinary translational researchers. Dr. Prettyman’s research has been published in the Journal of Nurse Practitioners, The Gerontologist and the American Journal of Physiology, to name a few.

"In my role, we plan, we provide guidance, and we work to rapidly complete investigations to minimize exposure to others. Much of what we do is educational, and during this time, education can prove very challenging with a variety of viewpoints. This isn't unique to COVID, it's with any crisis situation. I can say, there is never a day just like another," ~ Carrie Langley, UArizona Nursing PhD student and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar

Living and working in southeastern Arizona since 2009, Langley was drawn to UArizona Nursing because of its rural health focus and its strong mentorship opportunities. In her PhD studies, her research zeroes in on mental health in rural communities. She came to her current position with Cochise County after completing her Masters of Public Health in 2011. “I had worked with public health while serving in the military,” she says. “After leaving the military the opportunity with local public health presented, which was a great fit for me.”

As Cochise County’s Director of Health and Social Services, Langley serves as the incident commander for the County’s response efforts. She and her team work as a unified command with the office of emergency services, offering services in Benson, Bisbee, Douglas, Sierra Vista and Wilcox, five days a week. Langley is careful to distinguish her role from her nurse colleagues who are working in direct patient care. “I enjoy my role in public health, but I think it's important to state I do not consider it ‘front line’ work,” she says. “In my role, we plan, we provide guidance, and we work to rapidly complete investigations to minimize exposure to others. Much of what we do is educational, and during this time, education can prove very challenging with a variety of viewpoints. This isn't unique to COVID, it's with any crisis situation. I can say, there is never a day just like another.” 

Langley says that the biggest challenge nurses face during this crisis is its pervasive impact on everyday life. “I have no doubt each experience is as unique as each individual,” she says. “However, for many, this may be the first time the crisis at work is also the crisis impacting every aspect of life. In other words, you can't ‘just leave it at work.’” For her, one of the biggest challenges is the sheer scale of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s the fact that this is not a rapid event,” she says. “This is a marathon, and we are not yet to the halfway point. It's difficult, but finding balance is critical, and staying the course will be paramount.”

Staying above the fray during challenging times requires positive thinking. Langley cites a Mr. Rogers episode as a touchpoint when she’s feeling overwhelmed. “There’s an episode when he is speaking to children about ‘the helpers,’” she says. “There are helpers everywhere, and as I observe acts of kindness in the public, or the dedication of our healthcare workforce, I'm inspired. When I look at the way we are working diligently, developing ideas, and pushing forward, the perseverance is motivating.”  

She may be in the thick of the fray fighting COVID-19, but she still manages to keep her eyes on a post-pandemic future. She plans to continue her research, for which she has been funded to complete an intervention study in her local community for adults transitioning from jail to the rural community. Additionally, she plans to continue her public health work and harbors ambitions of returning to the military in a few years. As a Wildcat Nurse, Langley feels empowered to dream big. “It has allowed me to learn from some of the most talented professionals nursing has,” she says. “I feel inspired and motivated, and ready to take on any challenge my career may bring.” 

"Working 12 days straight while in school full time is already hard. Throw in a COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory distress, death and feeling tired and overwhelmed in the mix, it really becomes just a blur. Nonetheless, my determination, my own relentlessness, and my dream of becoming a Navajo provider to help my people has remained untouched," ~ Calvina Nez, UArizona Nursing DNP Student

Can you share your perspective of the challenges nurses face during this crisis in the Navajo Nation?

Nursing on the Navajo Nation has always been hard because there were always limited resources long before COVID-19. After a while, adapting and overcoming becomes second nature. The mentality will always be ‘Get the job done.’ Taking care of the people is most important of all.

How are nurses in your community fighting this epidemic?

Because there is limited help, we nurses are fighting this epidemic with not only a long-standing Navajo cultural stoicism but with relentlessness, because those qualities are just us.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Like the rest of America, our biggest challenge is limited Personal Protective Equipment, but we also face limited healthcare providers, limited hospital beds, and limited ventilators. We also have to find water and food for our patients, many of whom are in isolation living 45 minutes to an hour away from the nearest grocery store. Reservation living is tough but the Díneh people are stronger.

How have you managed balancing your school work and your clinical work?

Working 12 days straight while in school full time is already hard. Throw in a COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory distress, death and feeling tired and overwhelmed in the mix, it really becomes just a blur. Nonetheless, my determination, my own relentlessness, and my dream of becoming a Navajo provider to help my people has remained untouched. In the end, being a single mother, working full time and going to school full time lie within self-discipline, will power, strong mindedness, tenacity and plain old grit.

Is there something you can share that gives you hope and helps you stay positive?

The thank you’s and hugs from patients and their families, and the gracious outpouring of support for the Navajo Nation gives me hope and helps me stay positive.

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

Being a Wildcat Nurse means I belong to a long standing group of prestigious, successful nurses who innovate within the nursing profession and transform healthcare through excellence.

What does the Year of the Nurse mean to you?

The Year of the Nurse means we are going to once again hold the spotlight on a profession that has the upmost commitment to those they care for. A bit ironic that COVID-19 has shown the world who nurses are.  

"I continue to be fascinated by and excited about nursing. It is clear to me that I want my legacy to be: she made a difference in practice and education, and because of that nursing is enhanced and the health of others is enriched," ~ Dr. Sue Roe

In the years since, she has more than fulfilled the vision Dean Coulter had for students and the profession. Dr. Roe has earned a Doctorate in Health Policy and Administration, and has worn such  diverse professional hats as Dean, professor,  author, administrator, consultant, holistic nursing expert and community leader. And that’s just the tip of her iceberg. Never one to slow down, Dr. Roe is currently chair of the online graduate nursing program in the College of Graduate Health Studies at A.T. Still University, which specializes in innovative academic programs with a focus on whole-person healthcare, interprofessional education, diversity, and underserved populations.

 “I have been very fortunate that my nursing career has been extremely varied” says Dr. Roe with a smile. Over the years, she has headed training departments, helped expand  the University of Phoenix’s nursing program and served as the University’s provost, authored multiple books on holistic health care and run her own consulting firm, The Roe Group Enterprises, which helps health care organizations and educational institutions achieve optimal performance through workforce development.

Dr. Roe has diverse administrative experience in both private and public sector institutions and has keynoted and been a presenter at a variety of conventions, seminars, workshops, and programs across the country. She has taught and designed academic courses for over 35 years at several public and private universities/colleges using a variety of delivery formats. “Sometimes, I’ve gone outside of nursing, but never away from nursing,” she says. Her achievements are so inspiring that she was selected as the 2019 Alumna of the Year for UArizona Nursing.

Through their estate plan, the Dr. Sue and Professor Bill Roe Endowment for Integrative Nursing will enable the College to create an endowed chair that will focus on building a whole-person health care framework for nurses working on a master’s or doctoral degree. Bill, a professor emeritus of applied behavioral sciences and human factors, acknowledged a love of nursing that runs deep in his family. “My mother was a nurse and my grandmother was a practical nurse,” he says. “I hold a deep value for  nursing and its many contributions.”

“We felt we could really make an impact, and it felt right to do it here because this is where I started my nursing career,” says Dr. Roe. “Dean Moore is such a wonderful person. We felt very welcomed. We knew that the endowment would be meaningful because the College already has a substantial integrative health initiative.”

Dr. Roe and her husband hope that the endowment will develop integrative nursing as a transformational practice. “We want to move nursing forward, not maintain the status quo,” Dr. Roe says. “I love the notion of changing practice.” 

The future is bright for Dr. Roe. When many of her peers are retiring, she moves tirelessly forward with her quest for knowledge and her desire to lead by example. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’m just not at the end of my career,” she says. “I continue to be fascinated by and excited about nursing. It is clear to me that I want my legacy to be: she made a difference in practice and education, and because of that nursing is enhanced and the health of others is enriched.”

"I found I loved taking care of people, but what I most enjoyed was taking care of the people who take care of the patients. I love to see others grow in their profession.  That might be in a clinical direction or a leadership direction, but it is wonderful to watch someone grow.  It’s very rewarding to me," ~ Agnes Poore, BSN, MBA, Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer, Casa de la Luz Hospice

Poore got her first taste of caregiving as the middle sibling of 12 children. “I did lots of caregiving for younger siblings and a couple who were older than me,” she says. Because of that experience, nursing was a natural choice for her. Growing up in Blenman-Elm within blocks of the UArizona Health Sciences buildings as they were first being erected, she always felt that becoming a Wildcat Nurse was her destiny – and a big part of her DNA. Her father was a Wildcat, two of her cousins and a niece became Wildcat Nurses, and her three children are all graduates of the University. "Four of my siblings are UArizona grads as are a number of other family members,” she says. “We are definitely a Wildcat family.”

When she first entered the profession as a bedside nurse, Poore loved caring for families, but as she delved more into management she found that her skills were better served in that area. “I found I loved taking care of people, but what I most enjoyed was taking care of the people who take care of the patients,” she says. “I love to see others grow in their profession.  That might be in a clinical direction or a leadership direction, but it is wonderful to watch someone grow.  It’s very rewarding to me.”

After stints as Head Nurse/Manager and later Assistant Director of the Maternal Child Department at Tucson Medical Center, she moved into the home health care field, which eventually pointed her in the direction of the kind of hospice care she provides today at Casa de la Luz. After meeting her future business partner, Lynette Jaramillo, and receiving the blessings of their families as well as securing a small business loan, Poore and Jaramillo co-founded Casa de la Luz in 1998. In November, the largest provider of hospice services in Southern Arizona will turn 22. The facility currently employs more than 270 individuals of varied disciplines and skills, including more than 100 registered nurses.

“To me, hospice is an incredible service where we get to care for the patient and family—they are the center of everything we do,” says Poore.  “Whatever it takes to get them the care they need, that’s what we do.  Because, as we say, ‘we only get one chance to do it right.’  I tell many staff members that is what hospice is all about and why many of us got into nursing in the first place—it’s about caring for people.”

Poore stresses that creating a loving environment for end-of-life care means surrounding patients with the people who mean the most in their lives -- family, friends and loved ones -- is the best way to fight back against isolation and loneliness. An equally important factor is the health care professionals who make up the staff. With hospital wages and community pay often widely divergent, she has struggled at times to find staff, but she has managed to find like-minded people with a passion for care that matches her own. “Our staff find that the rewards we have in this hospice work often far outweigh what difference there may be between hospital and community pay,” Poore says.

Her schedule bursts with activity, including administrative tasks such as meetings with department directors and the management/supervisor team, but she always makes sure to maintain a human connection with her entire staff. “I like to make rounds in the office, seeing the staff—and not just the nurses,” she says.  “We have a number of administrative staff who are ‘behind the scenes’ as well as our own physicians, a whole IT department, plus our field staff who are working all throughout the community using laptops and remote connections.”

That sense of interpersonal connection is one of the things Poore prides herself most on, although it has been strained by the current COVID-19 crisis. All but a handful of Casa de la Luz staff are working remotely. Less than 10 staff members work in the office to try to keep things business-as-usual for patients, families and referral sources, forwarding messages, concerns and other issues to appropriate staff off-site for follow-up. “It’s been a challenging time while so many of us are working from home and social distancing,” says Poore.  “We look forward to a time when we can get back to normal, working closely together again.”

Poore acknowledges that it’s difficult being present for patients without being in their presence. But she and her staff are rising to the occasion, connecting patients to the services and people in the community who can help them best. “Keeping them connected to their families, friends, and loved ones helps them to not feel so isolated,” she says.  “We have staff making frequent phone calls and doing some ‘virtual’ visits with and for them with facetime, zoom, other applications.”

No matter what, Poore has optimism for the future of nursing, and she continues to maintain a strong commitment to her alma mater. At Casa de la Luz, she continues to work with students from UArizona Nursing and over the years has hired many UArizona graduates who she is proud to have on her team. To students just entering the field – or considering a nursing education, she has some simple words of advice: “There are so many opportunities in nursing.  Find your passion, what makes nursing meaningful for you.  And don’t be afraid to follow a dream, as long as you know where you are headed.”

"This unique program will prepare qualified practitioners to address the increasing health care challenge of autism spectrum disorder," ~ Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean, UArizona Nursing

Training more clinicians to address the rise in ASD’s prevalence is pivotal because ASD must be diagnosed prior to age 4 for families to receive full access to state services across the nation. The short-term result of this program will be improved access to healthcare services for children diagnosed with ASD.

The goal of the interdisciplinary program is to prepare pediatric clinicians with the skills necessary to  diagnose and manage autism. The first cohort of six students will graduate in August, 2020, and is comprised of five NPs and one MD.  The first cohort of six students for this program began August 26, 2019. 

"This unique program will prepare qualified practitioners to address the increasing health care challenge of autism spectrum disorder," said University of Arizona Nursing Dean Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN. "Dr. Gloanna Peek and her team have developed an outstanding curriculum.  I am most grateful to Drs. Sydney Rice and David Harvey for their mentorship, and to Arizona Complete Health for the financial support that allowed us to develop the program."

The three-semester online program is designed for clinicians seeking a post graduate certificate in Diagnosis and Management of Autism Spectrum Disorder in pediatrics. Students will complete 12 credit hours total over three semesters (Fall, Spring and Summer). Each semester students are required to complete 180 clinical hours and take one graduate level didactic course covering such subjects as Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening and Assessment, Health and Behavioral Care Planning and Intervention for Children and Adolescents, and Leadership and Advocacy for ASD. Supervision for the practicum hours will be provided by preceptors at approved clinical sites and clinically supervised by faculty.

The expansive clinical hours will enable students to rigorously prepare for addressing ASD. “Students will be in an approved clinical site, which means they have to be in a site where they’re diagnosing and managing autism,” said Dr. Peek. “Members of our first cohort are actually working with children who have been diagnosed with autism. These clinicians will now have expanded knowledge, skills and training to improve their diagnostic and management capacities. They’re receiving specific training to diagnose and provide comprehensive care for patients with ASD.”

In addition to leaders from Arizona Complete Health, Dr. Peek collaborated with Sydney Rice, MD, professor of pediatrics in the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, to design and implement the curriculum and this certificate program. Dr. David Harvey, principal consultant, Vantage Point Behavioral Services, has also been instrumental in the design and implementation of the new program.

“The average age of diagnosis of a child with ASD in Arizona lags behind the national average by about one year,” said Scott Van Valkenburg, MD, Arizona Complete Health Chief Medical Director. “Funding this program through the College of Nursing is critical to developing a pipeline of qualified health care providers that can lower the age of diagnosis for ASD, which allows us to start treatment sooner. Starting treatment sooner yields better outcomes and a greater quality of life for that individual.”

If the program is demonstrably successful in Arizona, it could expand to a national stage. “I’ve been a pediatric nurse practitioner for a really long time and there’s a lot of need here,” said Dr. Peek. “There are many kids that are not being diagnosed, which means they and their families are not receiving the necessary services. I think the ASD ceritificate will really improve access to care for patients and families, and I think it could definitely grow based on the interest that’s out there.”

For more information about UArizona Nursing’s Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) certificate program visit https://www.nursing.arizona.edu/autism-spectrum-disorder-certificate

"As a trauma nurse, I see the immense impact that trauma has on mental health, and the importance of mental health on recovery and physical health overall," ~ Mary Lee Montgomery Sidorowicz, UArizona Nursing DNP Student

What is it like to be on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic?

It has definitely been the most stressful time of my life, particularly as a nurse. I see it in my colleagues every day. We all have days where the impact of being on the frontline taking care of incredibly sick patients and knowing our risk for exposure and illness is increased can be daunting. I feel fortunate to work at a hospital with excellent leadership that was very prepared. The hospital I work at did a lot of preparation during the Ebola crisis that really paid off now as we face this pandemic.  It has required us to be incredibly flexible and engaged, as every day our protocols and responsibilities are changing. 

Can you share your perspective of the challenges nurses face during this crisis working in trauma/ICU?

Approximately half of our shifts are spent caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients and half trauma patients. This is unique for us as it requires us to be flexible and take care of patients that are more commonly seen in the medical ICU setting. Additionally, we are starting to see more cases of trauma patients who come in with traumatic injuries but end up testing positive for COVID-19. We have begun to test all trauma patients on admission for COVID-19, as it has become prevalent enough in our community that we have seen some unexpected cases. Just this week, we had a patient with a gunshot wound and an elderly patient who fell test positive. It has shifted our perspective of who should be tested and how to best manage the flow of these patients around the hospital. Again, every day and week we face new challenges and find new ways to meet these challenges. 

How are nurses in your community fighting this epidemic?

A lot of nurses have really stepped up to the challenge in a way that I have found extremely heartening and demonstrated the bravery and go-getter attitude that nurses possess. For example, we have nurses and nurse techs that assist with donning and doffing PPE in COVID-19 rooms. Just the other day I met a nurse from our outpatient ophthalmology clinic that volunteered to work in the COVID-19 ICU to assist us. She could be staying at home but chose to be deployed to our unit. Additionally, I've seen nurses coming together to speak up for each other in hospitals that are struggling, whether it be raising awareness on social media or speaking out to our nursing unions about the struggles nurses and healthcare workers are facing. I think this time has really demonstrated the impact that nurses can have on social media by advocating for healthy choices and dispelling misinformation. 

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I think the biggest challenge I face is stress management. Just like everyone else in our country and the world, I am reeling with the impact that this virus has had on my life. Due to our projected surge in Washington in early April, I have chosen to isolate from my family for a few weeks. I have not seen my children for two weeks, even though they are only two blocks away. It is hard to be separated from them and deal with the stress of work. Many nurses need to be reminded to take care of themselves, and I am certainly one who needs reminding of that. 

How have you managed your school work and your clinical work?

Fortunately, I like school and find it to be a good distraction. During the first month I was really struggling. Washington was the initial epicenter with the first death in the US occurring at the hospital I work at.  In those early days it felt impossible to focus as life was changing gears really quickly. Now that the day-to-day changes have slowed down, it feels easier and sometimes refreshing to work on school work, to focus my energy on the future and learning. 

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

I completed my undergrad at UArizona Nursing as well, so I feel like I am a Wildcat nurse all the way! It was so fun coming back to campus for RISE and walking the halls of the College. At the time I didn't know it, but the nursing college really prepared me to be a successful nurse in so many ways. Nursing school was hard but I came out feeling so proud and so ready to take on my career. The College of Nursing prepares nurses to give excellent, safe care but also encourages scholarship and continuing education.

What does the Year of the Nurse mean to you?

The Year of the Nurse came at an interesting time! It's been an honor to be recognized by our community as being such a vital part of society. While there isn't much good I can say to come from a pandemic, I think this experience will shift our society's focus back to the importance of health and wellness for all people, a goal that most nurses strive for on a daily basis. 

"Supporting nursing research, scholarship and education are important components of SIGMA’s vision to transform global healthcare. In line with that mission, our grant recipients this year seek to improve quality of life for migrants and young adult nurses. The SIGMA Beta Mu Chapter at the University of Arizona is pleased to support these projects and looks forward to hearing about the findings next year." ~ Jessica Rainbow, PhD, RN, UArizona Nursing Assistant Professor and Sigma Beta Mu Research Committee Chairperson

Dr. Kiser’s project got its genesis when she was approached by UArizona Nursing’s partners at the college of nursing at UNISON in Hermosillo, MX to work with them on the project as a way of responding to the urgent challenges around migration on both sides of the border. 

“Migration has become an urgent issue here in the borderlands and is a complex and rapidly changing dynamic,” says Dr. Kiser, noting that several health sciences colleges have joined together to support efforts to care for what were large numbers of migrants crossing the border. UArizona Nursing’s partnership with Casa Alitas, a program run by Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Inc. that offers short-term shelter to the dispossessed.  “As national policies have shifted these past three months, the entrance of migrants into Arizona has almost come to a stop, as migrants are now being returned across the border to wait in Mexico for their asylum hearing date.  This is a complex situation that requires a coordinated, binational response and binational cooperation,” says Dr. Kiser.  

Enabled in part by the Sigma Beta Mu research grant, Dr. Kiser hopes to create an opportunity for nurse educators and scholars to join together to examine the experience of being a migrant, both in the United States and Mexico.  This research will allow for the comparison of experiences in the two countries and has the potential to inform healthcare policies and practices in both nations.  It also is an opportunity for nurses to create a collective voice in how nursing can respond to the increasing demands migration is placing on healthcare systems, both at a national and a global level.

Investigators in Mexico and Arizona will interview migrants in their native language regarding their experience of being a migrant. The focus is on resiliency and self-efficacy, and what factors are or are not protective on the journey.  They then will compile the data and work in a binational team to evaluate and report on the findings.

“Previous research has clearly demonstrated how dangerous and traumatic the migratory experience is,” Dr. Kiser says. “It also has demonstrated the tremendous resilience of many migrants, as they are often escaping violence and persecution in their own countries to seek safety for themselves and their families.”

Chloe Littzen, who expects to graduate in May 2021, was inspired to address the topic of young adult nurse work-related well-being by her experience working as a bedside nurse in a busy pediatric intensive care unit. “I suffered from burnout and ultimately suboptimal well-being at only 25 years old,” Littzen says. “I believe that through rigorous research we can develop needed knowledge to support our young nurses to thrive in these busy work environments.”

Littzen points out that the topic of her research is important because young adult nurses have the greatest suboptimal well-being compared to any other cohort of nurses. Coincidingly, young adult nurses leave the workforce at an alarming rate, which creates a shortage of nurses in the workforce, as well as nursing faculty to train more nurses. “We need to look at ways to keep our nurses well at the bedside, so we can sustain the workforce, and ultimately the health and well-being of all,” she says.

Littzen will complete her research with a convergent mixed methods design online. Using social media, primarily Facebook, she plans to sample young adult nurses to participate in a quantitative cross-sectional questionnaire via Qualtrics, as well as qualitative semi-structured interviews via Zoom videoconferencing. After both the quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analyzed independently,  she plans to merge the results to gain a more comprehensive understanding of young adult nurse work-related well-being.

“While I don't have any specific hypotheses at this time, based upon the literature I expect to some degree that the role of perceived co-worker social support will be revealed as a strong predictor of young adult nurse work-related well-being,” she says. “I am excited to see what is revealed from the data, no matter what the findings are. Being awarded this grant by Sigma Beta Mu has given me hope for the future as I can now challenge the status quo of what we think is 'right research' and develop needed nursing knowledge to help our frontline nurses.”

Littzen hopes that the knowledge developed from her research can be applied to the healthcare work-environment, nursing education, and nursing research. She anticipates that the knowledge produced from her research can help guide nursing leaders and those in healthcare administration to better support their nursing staff's well-being. Additionally, she hopes that educators can utilize the knowledge produced from her research to help support our future nurses by teaching them how to support their well-being preventatively and help develop future interventions to support young adult nurses in the workforce. 

Kiser and Littzen will receive their awards at Sigma Beta Mu’s Induction Ceremony, which will take place virtually, and will both share their findings at next year’s induction ceremony.

"Diversity in research is important not only in studies but also diversity of scientists that are being trained and funded," ~ D. Anthony Tolentino, PhD student

What does it mean to you to be accepted into the 2020-2022 NCSP scholar cohort?

As a person of color and an immigrant, opportunities like this do not come easily.  I certainly did not imagine that I will be accepted into this competitive program. The cohort is racially diverse and composed of five physicians and two nurses coming from Arizona, Duke, Harvard, Michigan, and Stanford. A significant factor that attracted me to NCSP is their core value of diversity. Diversity in research is important not only in studies but also diversity of scientists that are being trained and funded. I sincerely believe in what Dr. Neil Powe from UCSF said, “Diversity in science is science done well.”

It is very humbling to be part of this cohort and NCSP. NCSP builds upon from the former physician-only RWJF Clinical Scholars Program, and I am delighted to represent nurses and Filipino-American nurses, in this program. I am anxious if I will measure up but, at the same time, eager to push my comfort zone and ready to learn and apply what UArizona has prepared me for the last four years.

What will your participation in the NCSP involve?

NCSP is a consortium of six universities - Michigan, UCSF, UCLA, Duke, Yale, and UPenn. Although each site funds its own scholars, all sites share the same training curriculum and vision and encourage strong collaboration among sites. The program is two years. The first year is mostly didactic engaging in coursework, identifying partners in research, and completing specific research milestones. At the end of the first year, scholars can earn a Master's degree. At Michigan, we will receive a Master’s degree in health and healthcare research. The second-year will be dedicated solely to completing research.

Can you provide more details on your project, developing interventions to manage Type-2 diabetes in Filipinx-/Americans?

Despite advances in technology and diabetes care, racial minorities, such as Filipinx-/Americans (FAs), continue to experience a lower quality of health due to health disparities. The CDC reports the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among FAs as the highest age-adjusted rate among Asian-Americans. In response to the national mandate to improve minority health and eliminate health disparities, I am proposing to develop a technology-based intervention (TBI) to reduce the burden of diabetes among FAs by leveraging knowledge from nursing, information, and cognitive sciences. The TBI is yet to be determined, but I am looking into a scalable and accessible technology such as a mobile phone application, the use of augmented reality or virtual reality. The intervention will target self-care behaviors such as eating, exercise, coping, and medication adherence.

What was your inspiration for this study?

My inspiration for my postdoc study is my father and my FA community. My father died due to complications of Type 2 diabetes while I was in the program, and I wish I had done more to help him. This research is a tribute to him, and I hope to help the broader FA community moving forward. Often, FAs are aggregated with other Asian Americans which masks the specific health needs of FA. Additionally, in many studies, FAs are underrepresented; therefore, there is a critical need for community representation and participation to develop effective and targeted interventions.

Are you anticipating particular outcomes from your research? 

I am hoping to examine how TBI can improve T2D management and health outcomes among FAs, and comparing a self-managed non-technology based program to the TBI that I will be developing. If the current pandemic ends up longer than predicted, we might see some fallout from the management of chronic diseases. Consequently, we will probably see a shift from the traditional models of care that we now have to utilize more technology-based practices such as virtual care and remote patient monitoring. I hope that we can develop high-quality TBIs that are non-inferior or at least equivalent to current face-to-face standards of care with diabetes management.

What are your long-term goals for this research?

My longer career-term goal is to design and implement user-centered technology products or interventions that address individual and community health issues. I see myself as a change agent in advocating for underrepresented populations. I want to assure that my community is heard. I also want to leverage technology to create new models of care by developing theory-based, nursing-led, scalable, innovative technological solutions that can improve the lives of people – one person at a time.

Beyond your participation in the NCSP program, what are your hopes and goals for the future?

This is a tough question for me to answer, as I typically don’t plan. If you asked me two years ago if I would be starting a postdoc program, I would have said no. That being said, I do hope to start a research career as a tenure-track faculty member at a university. However, I have this strong urge to continue practicing informatics at a healthcare system. I have been a nurse informaticist for more than a decade, and my everyday practice has informed my predoctoral research. My goal is to find a dual appointment – both at a university and health system. If our physician colleagues can maintain clinical practice while being a faculty member, why can’t we do that as nurses? Ultimately, I want to practice healthcare (be that in research, teaching, service) that is grounded and focused on what is essential to our patients, clients, and our communities. One thing that I will never forget that Dr. Gephart instilled in me is to always go back to what matters the most when we are doing research --- our patients. Nursing, after all, is about health, the environment, and our patients.

"The effects of this pandemic will last long after the initial curve flattens. However, we are confident that a new day will rise and darkness will be dispelled. Our call as nurses compels us to hope so and to work to make that day shine again on all humankind," ~ Rev. Rudy Valenzuela, PhD, NP, FAANP

From Dr. Valenzuela:

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached the U.S.-Mexico border, with 15 cases in Yuma County, and 2 confirmed cases in San Luis Rio Colorado as of April 4.

Thus far, binational government officials and health leaders at the federal, state, and local levels and the residents of both sides of the border have been able to slow down the spread what would otherwise be a catastrophic pandemic in this area. Yuma county has 32 “staffed” ventilators, and San Luis Rio Colorado has three ventilators.

The suggested guidelines by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, and the local Health Departments on both sides of the border have been implemented both at YRMC Primary Care Clinic [in San Luis, Arizona] and Clinica Santa Maria de Guadalupe in San Luis Rio Colorado [in Mexico]. 

At Clinica Santa Maria de Guadalupe, we are partnering with the local General Hospital, which has been designated the COVID-19 hospital. About 40 patients have been referred this past week [the week ending April 3^rd] due to the presence of symptoms and risk factors among these patients.

There is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) on both sides of the border, but, as it is said, need is the mother of invention. Staff at both clinics have come up with ingenuous solutions to the current PPE shortage. For example, cloth masks have been made to prolong the life of N95 masks. At Clinica Santa Maria de Guadalupe, cloth gowns and homemade face shields have been made by the nurses to protect staff and patients.

Both clinics continue to be open daily, offering the availability of “virtual consults”, that is, phone calls to patients so as to avoid unnecessary traveling.

As for the other part of my work here at the U.S.-Mexico border, churches have been closed for about 10 days. No liturgical services are offered in the church to avoid gathering of people. This has given me the opportunity to utilize social media in order to reach people. Holy Week services will be done in isolation, but transmitted via social media.

Many people are currently unemployed on both sides of the border. The harvesting season is over in the U.S., and many sources of employment, like maquiladoras, restaurants, etc. have been closed in San Luis, thus leaving many people stranded financially.