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Bachelor of Science in Nursing Class of 2022: Backed by a Passion for Research, Kerry Chou Seeks to Combat Unnecessary Patient Suffering

Dec. 12, 2022

University of Arizona College of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student Kerry Chou, who will receive his degree at the December 15 Fall Convocation Ceremony, was first inspired to pursue a career in nursing while still in high school.

“Growing up, my family really pushed me to pursue the sciences in general,” he says. Realizing early on that math-related disciplines were not his forte, he focused on chemistry, biology, and physics for most of high school.

During that time, his experience with classmates who overdosed or missed school because of substance abuse bloomed what would become his research passion: finding ways to mitigate pain brought on by the opioid crisis. Additionally, his participation in his school’s philosophy club helped him narrow his interest in pain management from a moral perspective. “In my opinion, that really opened up the importance of health care for me,” he explains.


I was up for a challenge and also I just wanted to really solidify my preexisting knowledge, especially since, when I’m going into the hospital, when I’m taking care of someone, I want to make sure that I’m actually up for the task and that I’m not messing anything up in terms of quality of care," ~ Kerry Chou, Fall 2022 BSN Graduate


Chou chose to pursue a career in nursing because he saw it as his fastest and most effective pathway to provide quality patient care. A consummate striver, he chose UArizona’s nursing program because of its reputation as being more rigorous than other programs. “I was up for a challenge and also I just wanted to really solidify my preexisting knowledge,” he says. “Especially since, when I’m going into the hospital, when I’m taking care of someone, I want to make sure that I’m actually up for the task and that I’m not messing anything up in terms of quality of care.”

During his time in the BSN program, Chou’s pivot to research has become his passion project. “My only critique in nursing is that unfortunately our health care system seems a bit reactionary, especially with our opioid epidemic,” he says, explaining that his experience treating overdoses in the hospital showed him how much of a drain of resources and manpower the issue can be from other patients.

In pursuit of the goal of promoting effective patient care while producing cutting edge research to combat unnecessary suffering in the clinical setting, Chou has been fortunate enough to connect with several professors who have been involved in helping him pursue a more in-depth inquiry into his field of interest.

He has worked with UArizona Nursing’s Jessica Rainbow, PhD on a project investigating nursing pain and practical prevention strategies in the clinical setting. He also worked with the UArizona Department of Pharmacology’s John Streicher, PhD in developing and testing a protein inhibitor that would be able to amplify the pain relief of opioids without changing side effects, which became the focus of his final thesis. “The goal of dose reduction is to give less opioids and therefore cause less respiratory depression while not compromising pain relief,” he says. “Hopefully this will help stop certain addictions from moving from the beside to the community.”

“Working with Kerry Chou has been an incredible honor,” Dr. Rainbow says. “Kerry is hardworking, organized, and brilliant. Kerry is always motivating teams to complete projects even when momentum for the project is lagging. He is willing to jump in to help with wherever tasks are needed. I am so proud of Kerry and thankful for all his dedication to our project on nurse pain.”

As for the future, Chou has secured a post-graduation position at the Minnesota Mayo Clinic, working in the neuro-intensive care unit. He’s also busy building connections and scouting for additional future research lab work that fits his interests. He says pursuing a PhD is likely on the table, although he’s not yet certain in it will be in nursing.

Asked about the advice he’d give to students considering following in his academic footsteps, Chou stresses the need to be proactive when pursuing research disciplines. “There are a lot of professors out there that are really kind and that really want you to succeed,” he says, noting that it’s important to reach out to instructors to receive as much training as possible.

As far as nursing in general, he advocates for the importance of taking care of one’s own mental health. “In order to produce the best care, we have to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves before we can take care of others,” he says.

Thinking back on his three and a half years at UArizona Nursing, Chou is grateful for all the opportunities and support he has had to delve into topics that he’s most passionate about. “There’s a lot more than just the surface-level knowledge,” he says. “If we want to know more about a topic, there’s an unbelievable number of things to continue looking into, reading, and researching up on. It’s OK to not know all there is to know. We just have to keep learning – that’s the fun of it."

UArizona Nursing Researcher Joins UArizona College of Engineering to Explore Israel’s World-Class Health Care Innovations

Dec. 6, 2022

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Shu-Fen Wung (4th from L.) during the UArizona Israel trip

As part of a multidisciplinary project between the University of Arizona College of Engineering’s Center to Stream Health in Place (C2SHIP)  and the UArizona College of Nursing, Associate Nursing Professor Shu Fen Wung , PhD, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN recently traveled to Israel to work with Israeli health care innovators in digital health.

The trip to Israel came about because the Center was seeking to learn more about countries with the most advanced healthcare technology. “Israel stands out because it’s an innovation hub,” Dr. Wung says. “Also, they have an integrated health care system that capture the data at the ecosystem level. We considered other countries as well but after we evaluated, we concluded that Israel was the best place to visit.”

Dr. Wung has been partnering with the College of Engineering since 2019, when she reached out to engineering faculty for assistance with designing and analyzing false alarm research data she was gathering using advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. When Janet Roveda, PhD at the College of Engineering launched its Center to Stream Health in Place (C2SHIP) in 2021 – the only National Science Foundation-funded Industry/University Collaborative Research Center focused digital health center in the US. -- Dr. Wung was appointed as Director of Translational Health Sciences . Her presence also provided the College of Nursing a seat at the table for these discussions. “Because of my extensive research and clinical background, I can provide hands-on practical insights on what makes sense for an industry to promote regarding aging in place,” Dr. Wung says, citing her longstanding success in funded research to guide other clinicians and caregivers to effectively and safely use health technologies when caring for people with acute or  multiple chronic illnesses.


Israel stands out because it’s an innovation hub. Also, they have an integrated health care system that capture the data at the ecosystem level. We considered other countries as well but after we evaluated, we concluded that Israel was the best place to visit," ~ Shu-Fen Wung, PhD, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN


Drs. Wung, Roveda, and John Paul SanGiovanni from UArizona and Dr. Tavakolian from the University of North Dakota served on the C2SHIP-Israel delegation to learn more about the country’s healthcare innovations in care delivery and healthtech to help evaluate their suitability for introduction into United States markets. “We wanted to help their industry, but on the academic level we were establishing a strong collaboration between our universities and the top universities and institutes in Israel,” Dr. Wung says, noting that the bond could allow the collaborators to apply for funding together from the National Science Foundation (NSF), private foundations and individual donors interested in promoting in-home health care delivery.

The trip, which took place between September 8-18, brought the UArizona representatives to several innovation hubs, including Ichilov Medical Center. “The IMed works closely with healthcare professionals to develop technology that turns unmet needs into solutions,” Dr. Wung says. In addition to the advanced seamless hospital admissions technologies, one innovation that particularly impressed her was the 3-D printing technology to precicisely develop patient-specific custom medical implants for surgeries. “They’re able to anatomically map out one’s body parts, taking into consideration things like tumor mass and topology  to cause minimal destruction, in creating individualized orthopedic structures,” she says. “It was quite eye-opening how strong they were in innovation.”

Shu-Fen Wung , PhD, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN

Additionally, Dr. Wung and her colleagues toured Israel’s biggest insurance company, MaccabiHealthcare Systems, which has a strong clinical research division with connected health data and capacity for large-scale prospective data archiving and access for efficient analysis. They also visited the Holon Institute of Technology, which, she says, is the most relevant to nursing education and her research. “They’re also working on innovative teaching curriculum,” she says. “Not only are they training engineers but they’re immersing medical education into their training, with a goal of developing engineers who are well-versed in health technology.” The institute is slanted toward medicine, Dr. Wung says, but she sees it as an opportunity to bring a nursing voice to the discussion  if the University of Arizona and the Institute partner in submission of education grants.

Dr. Wung was particularly impressed with the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, which, unlike traditional art schools, has a focus on art and design that can impact healthcare settings, including music created to decrease stress and evaluating technology for better user experiences. “I’m familiar with using cognitive psychology to evaluate usability,” Dr. Wung says, “but using art and design is a promising future direction.  It was quite fun to see the artful projects they were working on that also incorporate AI in the design of healthcare technologies.”

During her time in Israel, Dr. Wung was impressed with how front and center technology was to the different companies and institutions she toured. She returned to Arizona excited about the new partnerships and eager to see how the nursing field could contribute to future innovations.

Currently, Dr. Wung and her colleagues in the College of Engineering and College of Agriculture & Life Sciences are meeting frequently with their Israeli partners. Drs. Wung and Roveda have also submitted a training grant that will be used to train students in new health technologies. “My goal is to make sure that any technology that’s developed has clinical relevance. And that it's user-centered, meaning they can’t just develop anything without considering who is using it, whether it’s a clinician, a patient, the family, or the caregiver. The goal is to make sure that the technology used will improve the quality and safety of their care.”

Dr. Wung is excited about how open and innovative the Israeli companies are, and how energetic they are about pushing care technology to the next level. “They do a good job of infusing disciplined knowledge into their design and viewing the technology as part of the daily environment. That’s really important because the U.S. is moving toward a holistic health concept of how your body and the environment are interconnected.”

Dr. Timian Godfrey Selected to AAN Class of 2022 Fellows

Nov. 18, 2022

Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, an assistant clinical professor in the University of Arizona College of Nursing, was recently inducted into the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), a policy-oriented think tank composed of top nursing leaders and honorary health care colleagues elected by their peers. The induction ceremony was held during the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference on Oct. 27-29 in Washington, D.C.

“Becoming a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing is very special to me and one of the highest honors a nurse can receive,” Dr. Godfrey said. “This honor shines a critical spotlight on the work we are doing at the College of Nursing and the University of Arizona Health Sciences. I’m hopeful outside interest will grow in supporting and creating systems of inclusive excellence that reshape how we connect with disenfranchised communities to promote community capacity and advance health equity.”


“This honor shines a critical spotlight on the work we are doing at the College of Nursing and the University of Arizona Health Sciences. I’m hopeful outside interest will grow in supporting and creating systems of inclusive excellence that reshape how we connect with disenfranchised communities to promote community capacity and advance health equity," ~ Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC


Dr. Godfrey has more than 18 years of health care experience and teaches in the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program family nurse practitioner specialty. She is the project director for the nursing workforce diversity initiative at the college. Under her leadership, the initiative provides scholarship and success services to help cultivate a professional, cultural and academic identity for those with backgrounds underrepresented in nursing.

Joan L. Shaver, PhD, RN, FAAN, a professor in the College of Nursing, wrote one of Dr. Godfrey’s nominating letters. “I sponsored Timian Godfrey’s application for fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing out of recognition of her accomplishments in advancing equity and diversity here at the University of Arizona and beyond,” Dr. Shaver wrote. “Her leadership has propelled sustained strides in effectively diversifying, attracting and courting students, faculty and staff.”

Dr. Godfrey is the only Arizona inductee out of the 250 nurse leaders in the class of 2022. The newest fellows are leaders and experts in policy, research, administration, practice and academia who champion health and wellness locally and globally. They represent 17 countries, 35 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Arizona has such a rich cultural landscape, and elevating the voices of our communities to inform academic and research processes is what I aim to incorporate into my work,” Dr. Godfrey said. “Being an ethnic minority, mixed race (Navajo and Okinawan-Hawaiian) and first-generation college scholar has allowed me to integrate my life experience into my professional journey and provides a tremendous amount of motivation. A strong connection to my culture guides an intuitive nature that strives to understand and uplift underserved populations.”

“I am thrilled to celebrate with Timian her induction into the AAN because as a leader in our field of nursing, she has genuinely earned the recognition of her peers,” Dr. Shaver said. “As an elected fellow, by bringing her culturally informed and uniquely humble but sophisticated presence and voice, she will be a remarkable asset to the AAN.”

The AAN’s announcement of this year’s fellows noted that the selection committee received a record number of applications, a 30% increase from the previous year. Fellows are selected based on their contributions in advancing the public’s health.

“At a time when investments in, and policy to address, health equity, innovation and access are paramount, the academy is thrilled to welcome these dynamic and courageous nurse leaders who will support our collective vision of healthy lives for all people. Induction in the academy is a powerful moment in a nurse’s career,” said Kenneth R. White, PhD, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN, president of the American Academy of Nursing. 

Wildcat Nurse Spotlight: Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Jesus "JP" Prado

Nov. 15, 2022

When University of Arizona College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student Jesus "JP" Prado accepts his diploma this December, he will be celebrating a year that was marked by not one but three significant achievements: in addition to earning his DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialty degree, he was recently promoted to Major in the Air Force Reserves, and received the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding and Invaluable Military Service.

“As a student, Mr. Prado has a curious mind and is eager to learn,” says his UArizona faculty mentor, Assistant Professor Sara Edmund, DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC. “During his time in my classes, he separated himself from colleagues through his meticulous work ethic, attention to detail, and drive to complete work in a precise yet expeditious manner. Of all the students I have been fortunate enough to mentor, he stands out as one of the most forward-thinking, motivated individuals with whom I am acquainted.”

Originally hailing from the Los Angeles area, Prado has been in the Air Force reserves for 12 years, stationed at Luke Air Force Base as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) -- highly trained reservists who are assigned to active-component units and government agencies. “I joined the Air Force reserve in 2010,” Prado says, who now calls Mesa Ariz. Home. “I’ve been a Chaplain since then, and I’ve been chasing education in between those duties. I have five kids, and a very supportive family that makes this craziness possible.”


Being in the Air Force Chaplaincy, a lot of what we do is counseling and having the ability to clinically recognize when there are issues going on that are beyond the spiritual issues that people deal with. I felt that by me having extra education I’d be making a better chaplain for the Air Force, but also within the community," ~ JP Prado, DNP PMHNP specialty student


We caught up with Prado recently to learn more about his nursing journey, his research focus and his hopes for a bright future.

What led you to pursue a career in nursing?

I started off in an ambulance when I was 18, handling 911 calls in L.A. I got my feet wet with that, but I went and pursued my ministry before nursing. Albert Schweitzer, an influential medical doctor and theologian whose books are a staple in modern seminary, felt that giving back was so important. He had an illustrious career as an academic and as a physician, and I thought early on that I would want to do something like that. I didn’t go to medical school, but for me it was the best way to tie it all together – connect the ambulance to the nursing and the nursing to the DNP, which I’ll be finishing here in December.

What drew you to the PMHNP Specialty?

Definitely mental health. Being in the Air Force Chaplaincy, a lot of what we do is counseling and having the ability to clinically recognize when there are issues going on that are beyond the spiritual issues that people deal with. I felt that by me having extra education I’d be making a better chaplain for the Air Force, but also within the community. I want to do what I can to make sure my kids have the best future in the areas that they’re going to live, so that they have a good chance of having successful, thriving lives.

What has been your favorite part of the program?

I love learning, so for me, anything that is going to challenge me, make me more informed to be able to think about unique situations better critically. The DNP program exposes you to a lot of that because it’s such a broad program. You learn so many things, from informatics to leadership to the specialties, and then the core requirements like pharmacology and pathophysiology. It's comprehensive and at the same time concentration focused. I think that’s probably what I enjoyed the most about it.

What was the focus of your Quality Improvement Project?

It was on smoking behaviors and treatment considerations to improve psychiatric provider knowledge. The reason that’s meaningful and unique is that in the community, particularly with vulnerable community members dealing with issues like schizophrenia, substance abuse or bi-polar disorders, the medications they’re prescribed that have high efficacy for treatment outcomes are significantly impacted on the pharmaco-dynamic level when they smoke cigarettes.

When you look at national trends of smoking, it’s gone down in the U.S., but smoking has an 80-90% prevalence with schizophrenics and people with bipolar disorders. When they smoke it decreases the efficacy of their medications because the smoke – it’s called a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon – causes the CYP450 enzyme to hyper metabolize in medication. They might be doing everything that they’re supposed to but they’re not improving because it can all come down to that little cigarette really throwing off the medication as much as 50% of it not having its intended clinical outcome.

I get to have a meaningful impact on immediate treatment outcome but also on the community, because people aren’t treated, they’re going to end up in the emergency room, they’re going to end up on the streets, so it does have a real impact.

What are your plans after you graduate this December?

I got hired at my clinical site where I did my Quality Improvement project, Bayless Integrated Healthcare here in Mesa. I applied for a post-doctoral research fellowship, so I’ll find out whether I was accepted for that in April of 2023. My goals are to move into doctoral level academia, so I have put that bug in Dr. Edmund’s ear. I teach currently as an adjunct at Grand Canyon University, at the undergraduate level. Ultimately, I would like to to do community focused work, but also going into the schools to then pay it forward to the next generation.

Do you have any words of wisdom for students considering following in your footsteps?

Number one, be humble. Number two, use a calendar. Number three, work hard.

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

I am very proud to be part of a state university, especially the University of Arizona. When people say, ‘Where’d you go to school?’ it’s great to identify that I’ve gone to a school that is established, reputable, and then regarding the program, competitive and selective. To me it means that I’m invested within my state. At the same time there’s a little bit of bravado with regard to the alma mater. Bear Down!

UArizona College of Nursing Celebrates Opening of MEPN Program in Gilbert

Nov. 7, 2022

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University of Arizona Health Sciences

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marked the opening of the University of Arizona College of Nursing’s new fourth floor facilities in Gilbert, Arizona.

Town of Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson oversaw the event as the master of ceremonies. Remarks from University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins, MD, University of Arizona Health Sciences Senior Vice President Michael D. Dake, MD, Kathleen Insel, PhD, Interim Dean of the UArizona College of Nursing, and Rep. Andy Biggs preceded the ceremony.

The University of Arizona College of Nursing’s new fourth floor facilities in Gilbert, Arizona.

Since 2019, the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing integrative health (BSN-IH) pathway has occupied the entire third floor of the University Building in downtown Gilbert. The expansion, approved by the Town of Gilbert in December 2021, will accommodate the College of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing – Entry to the Profession (MEPN) program.

The MEPN program, which is moving to Gilbert from the Phoenix Bioscience Core, will occupy an entire floor, giving the college new classroom space overlooking the downtown Heritage District. This space will house two accelerated nursing programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.


We are thrilled the MEPN program has the opportunity to join the Gilbert campus and our University of Arizona BSN-IH students and colleagues. The classroom and experiential learning capabilities are exceptional and provide students with an outstanding, well-rounded nursing education," ~ Kelley Miller Wilson, DNP, MSN, CMSRN


“We are thrilled the MEPN program has the opportunity to join the Gilbert campus and our University of Arizona BSN-IH students and colleagues,” said Kelley Miller Wilson, DNP, MSN, CMSRN, director of the MEPN program. “The classroom and experiential learning capabilities are exceptional and provide students with an outstanding, well-rounded nursing education.”

Kathleen Insel, PhD, Interim Dean of the UArizona College of Nursing, addresses attendees at the ceremony

The University Building is equipped with an eight-bed skills lab and a nursing simulation suite designed to replicate a hospital patient-care setting, which was a major factor in the College of Nursing’s decision to expand in Gilbert. The College of Nursing has invested more than $300,000 to update the third floor of the University Building with speaker systems, technical infrastructure and state-of-the-art simulation equipment.

The MEPN program retrains students with university degrees in other fields to become nurses, while simultaneously earning a master’s degree with the goal of becoming registered nurses. The melding of the BSN-IH and MEPN programs in the same building will help educate and train new generations of Wildcat nurses who are desperately needed to fill an anticipated nursing shortage of almost 1 million nurses by 2030.

Memories of Change for Nursing Faculty Who Once Were Students

Oct. 28, 2022

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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists students watch the monitors in the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center after administering medication to a manikin during a simulation.

Evidence-based nursing, technology, diversity and growth. Those four change-focused ideas sum up the 65th anniversary of the University of Arizona College of Nursing for several former students turned faculty. 

They are proud to teach in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)Master of Science in Nursing (RN-MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, which are all ranked among the top 30 nationwide by U.S. News and World Report.

Melissa Goldsmith, PhD, RNC, a clinical associate professor, has been a nurse since 1985. She graduated with a doctorate in 2004. 

Associate professor Melissa Goldsmith, PhD, RNC, says one of the biggest changes she has seen at the College of Nursing is the availability of online classes, which were nonexistent when she was a student.

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

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

Sharon Hom, PhD, MS, RN (back row), poses with several Nursing students from the Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence program.

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

Nicole Bencs, DNP, RN-BC, CPNP, and her former student Jeremiah Palicka, RN, are both in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Palicka is now enrolled in the nurse anesthesia DNP specialty program.

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

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

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

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

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

Heidi Kosanke, MSNEd, RN, CCRN (left), and Karin Blasko, RN, BSN, MSN, present their poster on graduate mentoring at the 2021 Arizona Nurses Association fall conference in Chandler, Arizona.

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

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

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

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

Researchers to Test Compassion Meditation to Improve Health for Breast Cancer Survivors and Their Partners

Oct. 26, 2022

Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Nursing were recently awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health, for the Breast Cancer Survivors and Partners Online Research Together (SUPORT) project, which will study the effectiveness of compassion meditation to reduce stress and anxiety for breast cancer survivors and their supportive partners.

Evidence suggests that breast cancer survivors often experience increased anxiety, stress, fatigue and social isolation many years after the end of their cancer treatments. Family members who live with breast cancer survivors, including husbands, wives, significant others, partners and adult children, also experience similar quality-of-life changes.

“There is neuroscience research showing that people who meditate over time can actually change their brains and the way their minds work,” says principal investigator Thaddeus Pace, PhD, associate professor in the UArizona College of Nursing. “Cognitively-Based Compassion Training in particular may be really ideal for improving survivors and supportive partners distress because of the way it may change how their minds work, especially in challenging and stressful situation that we all encounter in our social world.”

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

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


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


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

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

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

Thaddeus Pace, PhD

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

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

Interested in participating in the study? Click here.

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

Wildcat Nurse Spotlight: Nurse Anesthesia Student Alexa Dang

Oct. 19, 2022

A first-generation college student from Washington State, Alexa Dang wasn’t sure at first where her academic trajectory would lead her. Lacking resources and mentors, she had to figure out her path on her own. A natural caregiver, she enjoyed helping people from an early age. Friends and loved ones came to her with problems and she always felt like she had something to offer.

Initially, Dang enrolled in a college without a nursing program, but she soon realized that nursing was the career for her. “It took me a long time to figure out navigating college,” she says. “There wasn’t really anyone to inspire me to go into nursing. I didn’t know any nurses, but I knew that I loved caring for people. But when I went into a nursing program, I just fell in love with it. I had found my calling. There are so many options within the field and I’m grateful that I picked he profession.”


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


How did you get started on your nursing career?

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

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

What led you from Washington to Arizona?

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

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

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

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

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

What are your plans for the future?

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

Where would you like to pursue work after graduation?

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

Do you have any advice for students considering this career?

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

UArizona Nursing Professor Linda Perez Discusses Health Equity and the Importance of Hispanic Heritage Month

Oct. 12, 2022

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Principal Lecturer Linda Perez, RN (far right) with students and colleagues

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year between September 15 and October 15. It’s a time when the University of Arizona recognizes its status as a Hispanic Serving Institution and celebrates the Hispanic communities we serve here in Arizona and throughout our region.

At the College of Nursing, which remains committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, it’s also a time to celebrate our diverse faculty and student body, and to recognize ways we can advance cultural and inclusive experiential learning. It’s a pivotal job, considering of the 3 million registered nurses, only 5.4% were Hispanic. As a 2018 member of the Hispanic Serving Health Professions Schools – and one of only four nursing schools that are part of the organization – UArizona Nursing continues to build a better path forward to address healthcare challenges and promote health equity and inclusiveness.

We recently caught up with Principal Lecturer Linda Perez, RN, to hear her thoughts on the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month to her both personally and professionally, and the state of the college. Perez wanted to be part of health care from a young age. A natural caregiver, she cared for ailing family members and for her aging grandparents. “It was in my nature to go that way,” she says. “I fell in love with nursing once I started with it. It’s a career that’s given a lot of different opportunities.”


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


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

How do you feel about Hispanic heritage Month?

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

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

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

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

Linda Perez (front row, right) with students and colleagues at the annual GlobalMindED Conference

What are some of the benefits of the ANIE program?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Incoming UArizona College of Nursing Alumni Council President Has Big Hopes for the Future

Sept. 19, 2022

For Melissa Goldsmith, PhD, RNC, assuming the role of University of Arizona College of Nursing Alumni Council President was the natural next step in a long and textured career in nursing. A 2004 alumna of the College’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program, Dr. Goldsmith fully appreciates the experiences and opportunities her career – and her training from UArizona Nursing – have afforded her. That knowledge fills her with a sense of excitement about what she hopes to accomplish during her two-year term as president.

“I spent 12 years at the bedside as a staff nurse, and during that time I had leadership opportunities as a charge nurse and as an Assistant Nurse Manager,” she says. “I worked as a research nurse at the College of Medicine. I am now a nurse educator and have taught clinical and both in person and online classrooms and I’ve been able to delve into leadership in nursing education, so the opportunities are endless.”


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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