ForwardNursing Spring 2023
The spring 2023 edition of ForwardNursing.
File: SoN-ForwardNursing-Spring-2023_Web.pdfForwardNursing
School of Nursing Wellness Advisory-Action Committee Strives to Foster a Culture of Support and Well-being
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is committed to ensuring all students have access to various forms of mental health and wellness resources. In January 2022, the School of Nursing formed the Wellness Advisory-Action Committee, a group that advises and assists in the development and enhancement of a culture of wellness to improve the health and well-being of all members of our School of Nursing community through wellness initiatives. Comprised of students, faculty, and staff, it has grown to over 20 dedicated members in its first year. “We are so fortunate to have a diverse committee that brings varied knowledge, experiences, and ideas,” says Katie Pavek ’08, PhD’21, RN, School of Nursing Wellness Officer and assistant clinical professor. “Their excitement and commitment to this work has resulted in some great outcomes in the first year.”
Tell us about your role as the School of Nursing’s Wellness Officer – what are some of your responsibilities and objectives?
Pavek: I was fortunate to begin serving as the School of Nursing’s Wellness Officer at the beginning of this academic year (Fall of 2022). It is my goal to deeply ingrain a culture of wellness throughout the School of Nursing that positively impacts the health and wellness of students, faculty, and staff. I hope to serve our School of Nursing community as a leader, as a trusted resource, and as a collaborator as we collectively work to improve the many dimensions of wellness that impact our well-being.
With what does the Wellness Advisory-Action Committee assist?
Pavek: A few highlights of wellness initiatives that the committee has implemented over the past year include: a fall and spring wellness series including yoga, mindfulness, and a community walk to Picnic Point; the creation of a School of Nursing wellness website; monthly wellness activities; and a wellness survey that was used to assess the strengths and needs of our School of Nursing community.
What are some initiatives that the School of Nursing is committed to when it comes to improving wellness for our students, faculty, and staff?
Pavek: We strive to foster a culture of wellness through positive culture change and wellness initiatives. Such initiatives may include implementing wellness activities, fostering belonging and inclusivity, integrating evidence-based preventative strategies, reviewing and revising policies and procedures, advising and collaborating with committees and leaders on system-based initiatives, and collaborating with students, faculty, and staff in the support of individual and collective well-being.
Why is wellness so important to the School of Nursing?
Pavek: The School of Nursing largely relies on the people that work and learn here. It is essential that students, faculty, and staff are supported in their wellness, and that we are intentionally creating an environment in which people can thrive. If we work or learn in an environment that puts our well-being at risk, we are unable to reach our full potential, both personally and professionally.
Dean’s Letter | Spring 2023
It is an honor to lead the UW–Madison School of Nursing at this special time in our history as we approach our centennial year, 2024. This milestone is an opportunity to celebrate the impact that our students, faculty, staff, and alumni have had on the health of populations by developing knowledge, providing care, informing policy, and on advancing the nursing profession itself.
As we prepare for our centennial year, we are spending 2023 reflecting on the legacy of excellence that has resulted from nearly a century of leadership and innovation in nursing education. Since 1924, the School of Nursing has continuously adapted its programs and curricula in response to evolving public health needs, changing and aging populations, and to prepare leaders for increasingly complex health systems.
The School of Nursing has a rich and impressive history of faculty members who have risen to the challenge and opportunity of defining and redefining academic nursing. Under the direction of Helen Denne (Schulte), the first leaders of the School of Nursing set the standard—and their expectations—at nothing short of excellence. Our committed faculty then supported, mentored, and modeled that in all aspects of nursing. That commitment to teaching and mentoring students into the profession remains one of the School’s greatest strengths.
Students with a deep commitment to meeting the health needs of their time have always brought passion and an intrepid readiness to assume the role of leader and advocate as nurses and nurse scientists. And, as our mission and the impact of our alumni still reflect, they have done so in the profession and society.
Throughout the decades, the School has leveraged new technologies and led in the delivery of nursing programs. This form of educational innovation has resulted in wider reach for the School and it has provided greater access to our offerings. This remains a benefit for degree-earning populations as well as those seeking continuing education.
During the pandemic, strategic use of technology was instrumental to continuity in course delivery, student progress, and ensuring mastery of skills when on-site clinical education was limited. We continue to equip our teaching and learning environment with state-of-the-art resources and expertise to ensure that we are educating practice-ready nurses. Increasingly, preparation for the demands of modern health care includes expanded use of simulation, which is key to students’ mastery of skills and confidence with clinical judgment.
This issue of ForwardNursing focuses on our history and legacy as well as our promising current state. It is both interesting and inspiring to read about the milestones of our past co-mingled with snapshots of today’s successes and points of pride. These features demonstrate that while we and our graduates have continued to advance nursing education, science, and practice, our contributions are an extension of the progress that came before us.
When I announced the School’s Centennial Celebration and Campaign in 2021, I said, “As alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and supporters of the School of Nursing, we should look back proudly at our legacy of nurse leaders that have advanced us as a School, improved health, and contributed so much to the nursing profession. The successes of our first 100 years position us to look resolutely toward our future knowing there is still so much we can do.”
I am, indeed, proud to honor and build upon the legacy of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. Thank you for your part in all we have done and still aspire to do! The School of Nursing is preparing the next generation of Badger nurses whose leadership will change lives in a future that transforms health and achieves equitable care.
Sincerely,
Linda D. Scott
New to Public Health Residency Program Bolsters Public Health Workforce
By Christina Hernandez Sherwood
Despite Julianna Manske’s years as a nurse educator and acute care outpatient oncology nurse, she was overwhelmed in 2016 when she became a frontline public health nurse in suburban Milwaukee. The local health department, Manske, MSN, RN, OCN, quickly learned, is where residents turn for answers to all manner of health-related questions, ranging from how to avoid the stomach bug circulating the schools to how to handle a dog bite to the risks of long-term radon exposure.
“Every time I answered the phone, I was googling the answers or asking my colleagues,” says Manske. “There’s a huge amount of education and knowledge that’s needed from that frontline workforce.”
Not only was there so much for public health nurses to learn but the education they needed was not organized well. Because of this gap, Manske and others she met that year at a state orientation for public health workers were not confident they could meet the needs of their communities. “We could do better,” she says.
Within a year, Manske and a small group of other incoming public health nurses had laid the groundwork for what they envisioned as a first-of-its-kind public health nurse residency program. Following an established framework outlining the responsibilities of public health departments, the team created a six-month, in-person residency program that combined education and networking to help better prepare nurses in southeastern Wisconsin for their public health roles.
Today, what began as a nurse-focused grassroots effort in one corner of the state has become a yearlong virtual residency program open to all early-career public health professionals working in governmental public health organizations across the country. Housed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, the New to Public Health Residency Program is a partnership between the School of Nursing, the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“The overall goal is to help people entering public health practice be successful by improving their knowledge and skills and increasing their job satisfaction,” says Susan Zahner, DrPH, RN, FAAN, associate dean for faculty affairs and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the School of Nursing. “We want people to enjoy public health and stay in it because we need public health workers.”
Zahner, whose work focuses on improving public health practice through research and development, had long believed in the need for a public health residency for nurses to help bridge the transition between school and practice. Then she met Manske, who was ready to expand the new program beyond southeastern Wisconsin. “The timing and passion aligned,” Manske says. The two teamed up, secured grant funding, and brought on Hannah Hayes ’16, Cert’16, MPH, RN, to rework the Southeast Wisconsin Public Health Nurse Residency Program to a broader audience. The original residency program, which lasted six months and focused solely on nurses, was adapted to all public health professionals.
“In any public health department, there are multiple different professionals working together: nurses, epidemiologists, nutritionists, social workers, animal control officers, and so on,” Zahner says. “We wanted to encourage the concept that public health is an interdisciplinary field, and that nurses and people in many other disciplines work together.”
The expanded program was set to pilot a cohort in northern Wisconsin when the COVID-19 pandemic brought in-person learning to a sudden halt in early 2020. With another year to further adapt the residency, Manske, Zahner, and Hayes decided to make the program fully virtual, combining a robust online course with complementary synchronous aspects to increase overall accessibility, and adding mentorship and project development components. The first cohort of this reimagined program, made up of 24 participants from Wisconsin and Virginia, launched in September 2021.
The New to Public Health Residency Program consists of 12 online learning sessions, as well as a synchronous “community of practice” component, which includes about 90 minutes per month of live discussion. Each resident is also matched with a public health mentor based on their personal and professional preferences, and graduates are given the opportunity to become mentors.
“Having an opportunity to share resources and break down silos was one of the original goals of the New to Public Health residency program,” says Manske, who is now a residency program manager and facilitator. “Now, we are bringing people together so we can have productive, open dialogue. We’re not just doing the same things the way they’ve always been done. It’s about challenging each other to work at the top of scale and be the public health leaders the public needs.”
The program’s content — provided by more than 70 public health experts who volunteered to develop educational content about their specialties — is framed around five foundational areas and capabilities of public health as described in the Foundational Public Health Services Model: environmental public health, communicable disease control, chronic disease and injury prevention, maternal, child and family health, and access to and linkage with critical care. In a module on environmental public health, for instance, residents might learn about lead, radon, and other human health hazards via a voiceover PowerPoint presentation, then use an example from a real-life, de-identified case study to discuss applying the lessons in their own communities.
At the end of the program, each resident presents an evidence-based practice project that is applicable to their public health work. One recent project, which focused on lactation support in the workplace, involved educating local business leaders about the benefits of breastfeeding. Another involved training several hundred community members to administer the opioid overdose treatment Narcan.
Though the assignment is to plan a project — not necessarily to implement it — most residents eventually bring their ideas to fruition. “It’s really rewarding to see everyone come together and share in that accomplishment,” says Hayes, a residency program coordinator and facilitator. “It’s a reminder of why I do the job, too.”
The residency’s first graduates — some 30 public health professionals from two cohorts — reported a nearly 37 percent increase in their public health core competencies after completing the residency, according to a post-program survey. A full 87 percent of graduates said the program increased their confidence in how they perform their public health duties.
“I lead a [team]… that has implemented an entire training for next generations of [public health] professionals,” one participant wrote, “and used what I learned to reach out to another jurisdiction to co-write requests that turned into us becoming the first two Narcan vending pilots in the state.”
Four more cohorts totaling nearly 100 residents kicked off throughout 2022. These included the first state-specific co-facilitated model, a cohort of Alaska public health nurses that maintained the core components of the program but adapted synchronous discussions to suit the needs of their state. At least three more state-specific cohorts are expected to launch in 2023.
“The end goal is to be a service that supports public health,” Manske says, “so that the workforce can thrive and continue to grow.”
2023 NAO Award Winners
Q&A: Mary Gulbrandsen, MS’74, RN, PNP, and Tolu Oyesanya ’11, MS’12, PhD’16
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Nurses Alumni Organization (UW NAO) proudly announces the 2023 NAO Award Winners. Mary Gulbrandsen, MS’74, RN, PNP, has been selected as the 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award recipient, and Tolu Oyesanya ’11, MS’12, PhD’16, has earned the 2023 Outstanding Badger Nurse Award.
Gulbrandsen is the executive director of Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS). This private, non-profit foundation offers need-based grants to recent graduates of Wisconsin public high schools who are attending Wisconsin public colleges full-time and committed to supporting children. With a background as a pediatric nurse practitioner and former school district administrator, she has merged her passions and skills in health care, education, and administration to impact young people positively. Gulbrandsen also serves on the UW–Madison School of Nursing Board of Visitors. In this role, she enjoys learning about the impressive work of faculty and students, keeping up with new practices and research, and sharing the excitement and quality of the School of Nursing with others.
Oyesanya is an associate professor at the Duke University School of Nursing. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees at the UW–Madison School of Nursing between 2011-2016; she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in brain injury research at Shepherd Center in Georgia. Her research has identified that despite high risks of readmissions and complex medical needs, there are no transitional care standards in the United States for patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), impacting independent living and increased family involvement in care management.
Get to know the 2023 NAO Award Winners:
Why did you choose UW–Madison?
Gulbrandsen: In my undergraduate program at St. Olaf College, our pediatric textbook was authored by Florence Blake and Eugenia Waechter. Pediatrics was my favorite area of practice, and I wanted to study under Florence Blake, which I believed would be a wonderful learning opportunity – and although she retired before I arrived on campus, her influence was still dominant, and the learning was wonderful.
Oyesanya: I went to UW–Madison for all my higher education and studied at the university for 24 consecutive semesters, pursuing my degrees over nine years. I chose UW–Madison for three reasons. First, Wisconsin is known for being an academic powerhouse, producing strong undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Second, the university has numerous resources to support students and faculty. Finally, Wisconsin was close to home—I am from a suburb of Milwaukee called Franklin, about an hour and a half drive from campus. It was nice to have family nearby and to be able to return home whenever I wanted. I’m glad I found a home at UW–Madison.
Describe how your nursing education has influenced your career or life path.
Gulbrandsen: The combination of pediatric nursing and health systems education provided me with many rich opportunities to think about and address the health needs of children and families in various settings and ways. The combination of knowledge gained from these two backgrounds forced me to think not only of an individual’s care but also about how care might be provided in a much larger context. My professional career has ranged from providing nursing care in a residential setting, a hospital nursery, and a school setting to serving as an administrator in a school setting, managing a range of responsibilities from budgeting to implementing new programs for students and employees. I later managed a non-profit foundation. Designing and implementing that foundation to provide need-based grants to students curiously and once again using the skills fostered through my nursing and health care education at UW–Madison. Nursing is one of the most flexible and profound educations a person can use throughout life. It provides a unique way of looking at issues and executing solutions.
Oyesanya: My nursing education has been instrumental in my progression to academic nursing. Nursing education helped develop my passion for nursing research. I have had wonderful nursing educators who provided me with foundational knowledge critical to my learning, growth, and development as a nursing scientist. Further, nursing educators taught me how to teach future nurse scientists. I am happy I can pay it forward.
Why did you choose nursing? Did you always know you wanted to be a nurse, or did you explore other options first?
Gulbrandsen: My Grandmother was a nurse, and I respected her work caring for other people. When I graduated from high school, I did not look at a wide array of careers – my only other interest then was to be a math teacher. I was lucky I ended up in a college program of study and a career that I love, which has provided me with numerous and varied career opportunities.
Oyesanya: My mother recently retired from being a registered nurse for over 30 years. She was a neuro rehab nurse for the last 20 years of her career. Not surprisingly, I followed my mother’s footsteps directly into neuro-rehab nursing. While I explored other options first, such as medicine, I found my way to nursing, and I am so happy that I did.
Which role, position, or experience has been the most significant to your nursing career? Why?
Gulbrandsen: Designing, implementing, and managing the Madison Metropolitan School District health services program with a wonderful team of professionals was an amazing opportunity and experience. It showed me the importance of working as a team and helped me realize that new programs don’t “just happen.” They take understanding and implementing everything from establishing a vision to executing it within the existing systems and spaces.
Oyesanya: My role as a tenure-track faculty member has been the most significant in my nursing career. I’ve been able to work with people from different walks of life and across career stages: students, postdocs, faculty, patients, providers, community partners, national organizations, etc. I’ve engaged in education, research, community partnerships, policy, etc. I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to contribute in numerous ways. New challenges and opportunities arise regularly, and I love being able to assess needs, problem-solve, adapt, and be flexible to make meaningful contributions.
Which School of Nursing member (faculty, leadership, or staff) had the biggest impact on your experience?
Gulbrandsen: Joy Calkin, Mary Lou Byers, Ruth Redman, and emeritus professor Florence Blake were an outstanding team of professors from whom we learned and practiced nursing care to children with consideration to their growth and development and their illness and health, all within the context of the family, care setting, and community.
Oyesanya: Dr. Barbara Bowers has been an instrumental role model for me. I was lucky enough to have Dr. Bowers serve as my dissertation chair. She was a wonderful mentor, guiding me significantly in numerous areas throughout my dissertation work. Dr. Bowers was incredibly involved in the School; while serving as the associate dean of research, she ran an extremely productive program of research, mentored individuals across career stages inside and outside the university, and engaged in a long list of service-related opportunities. But somehow, she found time to invest in me; she gave me her undivided attention when we met (including 38 meetings just for grounded theory dissertation data analysis), and she shared her wisdom and expertise with me without hesitation. Even after I graduated, Dr. Bowers continued to help and support me. She taught me so many important things that I’ve been able to pass on to my mentees. Thank you, Barb, for all you do for me and everyone!
What advice would you give to recent graduates and young alums?
Gulbrandsen: Enjoy every aspect of nursing practice. The opportunities are endless. Continue to pursue educational opportunities throughout your career. Constantly prepare yourself for opportunities that may come your way and then act on those that inspire you.
Oyesanya: I encourage you to stay connected with your colleagues and create a powerful network of intelligent and successful nurses that you can call on for whatever you may need for the rest of your life. I encourage you to stay engaged with the School of Nursing — go out, do wonderful things, and keep in contact with the school and faculty. I encourage you to give back as alumni and support students who will be the future of nursing. For those of you graduating with your bachelor’s, I encourage you to continue advancing our profession by returning to school to get a PhD or doctorate in nursing practice (DNP), where you will have an opportunity to refine your clinical, research, and leadership skills. And most importantly, always remember that your words of encouragement could be the small motivation someone needs to realize their full potential.
What advice would you give a current nursing student?
Gulbrandsen: Don’t assume that you will stay in one area of nursing practice throughout your professional career. Delve into each clinical rotation and area of study as though it may be your first job. Enjoy your time on campus, learn from one another, and have fun!
Oyesanya: For those in nursing school who will soon enter the nursing workforce, I encourage you to remember that you are not just a nurse. You are the front line of patient care and the key to improving patient outcomes. I encourage you to stay curious and always ask, “Why?” instead of simply doing things the same way because someone tells you, “That’s the way we always have done it.” Now is the time to think about how you want to contribute to nursing. Nursing is a multi-faceted and dynamic profession that allows you to engage in numerous areas, including patient care, education, research, leadership, and administration. You name it, nurses do it. Nurses are the front line of patient care, education, and research and are the key to improving patient, family, and provider outcomes. Nurses, in collaboration with other allied health care professionals, are essential to quality care. Nursing also contributes substantially to knowledge production at institutions of higher learning. Nurses make a real difference. We do exciting work, tackling and embracing all challenges that come our way. How will you contribute to nursing?
Dean’s Letter | Fall 2022
Recognizing that health care is a means of making a positive impact on the lives of others, talented individuals with strong leadership attributes are drawn to begin or advance in nursing education at the UW–Madison School of Nursing (SoN). Once here, students discover there are even more avenues than they knew for improving, promoting, and protecting health and well-being as nurses.
Didactic curricula, clinical learning experiences, simulation, co-curricular programming, and immersion opportunities teach what it means to provide excellent patient-centered care. These same experiences also create a recognition of the social determinants and environmental factors that negatively impact health, undermine prevention, and create barriers to care. For many students, this unlocks a deeper appreciation for the complexity of health needs that exist. Importantly, it also broadens their vision of where, how, and on what scale nurses can intervene. Whether they become clinicians, scientists, educators, administrators, or entrepreneurs; or whether they step into the myriad of other roles where their skill set and insight is needed, Badger nurses lead.
It is our mission to develop leaders for the profession and society. This is in support of our vision to be a world leader in nursing innovation that advances health for all. As our students prepare to contribute to a nursing workforce with an aim to build health equity, they must be aware of and willing to disrupt sources of disparities. To do so, they must be encouraged to recognize, embrace, and trust their capacity to lead and create change. Cultivating a leadership mindset and identity is integral to nursing education. I can proudly say that it is a point of distinction at the SoN.
Our faculty and staff consistently model leadership and advocacy. Further, they involve and empower students to develop their voice, refine their judgement, and act decisively as leaders. We are grateful that our clinical partners, alumni, board members, and others in professional and community settings purposefully do the same as preceptors, mentors, role models, and sounding boards for our students and new graduates.
This issue of ForwardNursing highlights leadership as an aspect of nursing that is critical to maximizing the impact on health, society, and systems that provide care. The cover artwork asks the question, “How do nurses lead?” Not surprisingly, the pages that follow are filled with examples that demonstrate what we know is true: Nurses lead in all ways, circumstances, and places. Nurse leaders in the profession build and guide teams.
They are also present and engaged in communities, working in partnership to better understand the needs—while drawing on the strengths–of underserved populations. Nurses challenge the status quo and then advance knowledge, initiatives, and policies to change it.
The SoN encourages and supports our students in developing their unique style of leadership. We aim to cultivate individuals’ strengths and traits, preparing them to step into action with confidence, humility, passion, and authenticity when and where concerns arise. I am proud that a breadth of approaches are valued and demonstrated throughout the School and in our graduates. The future of nursing will require leadership that takes many shapes, surfaces in a variety of ways, and which can meet a diversity of needs.
Our alumni, friends, and partners—YOU—also have valuable perspectives on leadership to offer. I hope that as you read what is shared by others in this issue of ForwardNursing, you will be moved to offer your own thoughts on leadership. It is truly an honor to gather and share stories that reflect the legacy of leadership in our past, demonstrate our present aspirations, and inspire us for a future that transforms health through nursing.
Sincerely,
Linda D. Scott
Celebrating 50 Years of Alumnihood
Our class experienced tremendous change during our nursing education—both on campus and throughout the world. We witnessed Vietnam War protests, the Watergate scandal dominated the news, and Title IX was passed, all while we prepared to begin our nursing careers. We were pioneers in 1972 when only 5% of nurses nationally had baccalaureate or higher degrees, and we received a world-class education. Our class continued to make significant contributions to practice, education, research, and service throughout our careers. Fifty years sure have flown by quickly!
Our class established two legacy gift opportunities to support future generations of Badger nurses. First, the Global Health Nursing Fund supports student expenses for interprofessional international and local health projects. This fund continues the historical emphasis of exposing students to diverse and underserved populations. Second, we reserved an entire row of seats in the School of Nursing’s auditorium. We have all named a seat in honor of someone who impacted our nursing journey—a parent, faculty member, or friend. If you are interested in helping support either of our class legacy opportunities, please contact Ali Lazar at alison.lazar@supportuw.org.
On, Wisconsin! On, Class of 1972!
The School of Nursing Class of 1972 Celebration Committee:
Dorinda Cartier
Veronica Engle
Karen Ransom Harris
Nancy Heins-Glaser,
Deborah Reitman Judge
Bonny Cox Kulick
Linda Kautza Procci
Kathy Capelle Schneider
Class of 1972 Reflections
Members of the Class of 1972 share their experiences and memories of their time at the School of Nursing and their careers post-graduation.
What was a significant memory or experience from your nursing education or time on campus?
My favorite experience was the public health summer semester that we spent in Minnesota and North Dakota studying under Bunny Owen. Our class treated and engaged with migrant workers and their families.
–Kathy Capelle Schneider ’72
My favorite memory was during Core Concepts when we were having our first clinical rotations. Jane Fay was our welcoming, capable, and helpful instructor. Our group really bonded from our experiences at University Hospital.
–Bonny Cox Kulick ’72
“I owe my nursing career to my BSN education at the UW–Madison School of Nursing and the many mentors I had throughout my career.”
— Dorinda Cartier ’72
What was your favorite role in your nursing/professional career?
I was hired three months after graduation working at UW Hospital with general medicine and cardiac medicine patients who were referred from outlying areas of Wisconsin. This was the start of treating hypertension and post-procedure care for patients who had a cardiac catheterization to determine the next steps for their heart health. Pacemakers were also relatively new! EVERYTHING I learned at the UW–Madison School of Nursing, both as a student and then as a staff nurse, prepared me to take on new challenges in the new jobs I worked in over the 48 out of 50 years that I worked.
–Dorinda Cartier ’72
Twenty-five of my 40-year nursing career were spent as an emergency department (ED) nurse. This specialty led me to graduate school and a position as a Clinical Nurse Specialist within the ED. From there I moved into an advanced practice community-based nurse case manager role that was life-changing.
–Sara Grant ’72
My most rewarding position was Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis TN for 27 years. I enjoyed the diverse challenging roles that changed over time without having to change jobs. I was an administrator, Chairperson of Medical-Surgical Nursing, which is really care of hospitalized older adults. As an educator, I helped develop and then taught in the first PhD in Nursing program in Tennessee. I was also an NIH-funded scientist studying health disparities, pain, and end-of-life care of Black and White older adults. And last of all, I was a clinician, practicing as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (GNP) in an inner-city Medicaid clinic and developing Tai Chi wellness programs for older adults. Scientist was my favorite role of the four. Relocating from Madison to Memphis TN and UTHSC, located in the mid-South, provided unique opportunities for research questions, faculty practice, and education. -Veronica Engle ’72
Heathcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) reviews were some of my best experiences as I had a direct impact on care levels in inner city populations. Home care was key but home care administration was sone of the most challenging of my entire career.
– Nancy Heins-Glaser ’72
My years at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles pulled everything together for me. While in my role as the vice president of operations, I was able to work in partnership with the physician chairs of the various departments. Together we could leverage and excel in the highest quality of care, pursue cutting edge research, educate and train the next generation of physicians, nurses, and other health care disciplines, and ensure like the “Wisconsin Idea” we spread the evidence across Los Angeles, the state and the nation.
–Linda Kautza Procci ’72
“I would not be the person I am today without the classroom, experiences,
and real-world learnings on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in the early ’70s. I am beyond proud to be a Badger nurse, as it brought me to a very fulfilling career and so much more.”– Karen Ransom Harris ’72
I was the first advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) hired by Naples Community Hospital to staff their Urgent Care track in the emergency room. I helped start a private oncology practice in Naples, Florida, in 1993 and it ultimately became Florida Cancer Specialists, the largest privately owned oncology practice in the country.
– Bonnie Bodin ’72
A Message for the Class of 2022 from the Class of 1972
Congratulations, Class of 2022! You’ve made it through the rigorous preparation for a nursing career that has been a central part of our lives for the past 50 years. You’ve accomplished this amid a global pandemic, demands for social justice, and a period of extreme political polarization.
Our years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1969-1972, were also times of fear, political turmoil, and social unrest and violence in the streets. We remember bearing witness to the Civil Rights Movement, assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, and experiencing the National Guard and police in riot gear on campus. We also can’t forget the bombing of Sterling Hall.
These issues added significant stress during our nursing education as current events have added to yours. However, navigating these issues also provided opportunities for growth and personal development. Nursing’s holistic philosophy of body, mind, and spirit demands personal exploration of these domains. The societal issues we’ve navigated during our respective nursing educational experiences provided a unique context for this self-reflection.
We, the Class of 1972, are confident that you will carry this personal exploration
and philosophy forward into your nursing careers. You will be better human beings
and compassionate nurses for having
endured these tumultuous times and embraced these existential issues during your nursing education.
We have compiled a list of short words of wisdom we’ve gained over 50 years:
- Nurses are change agents.
- Stand by your actions when you are confident in your knowledge base and experience.
- Never be afraid to ask for assistance when you need it.
- Listen to those around you who have sound insight and perspective. They can help you modify your approach to create a better result or outcome.
- Develop collegial relationships with all levels of care providers—from nursing assistants to physicians. Everyone has a part to play in providing comprehensive care to patients and, generally, the RN is the glue that holds it all together!
- Encourage active participation in decision making by providing the education that patients need to weigh the pros and cons of treatment options. Things are rarely black or white and there is seldom only one option to achieve a goal.
- When physicians have exhausted treatments to offer a patient, nurses are still able to give individualized care and emotional support.
- Two words to eliminate from your vocabulary when working: NEVER and ALWAYS.
- Be flexible, change is a constant.
- Be a lifelong learner. The science of medicine/nursing/pharmaceuticals is constantly growing. You can’t know everything, but you can always go back to the literature.
- Participate in professional organizations. The networking and support opportunities that they provide are invaluable.
- Mentor the next generation of nurses; you have wisdom to share.
You have the tools and abilities to accomplish your dreams. Go forth and sort the wheat from the chaff. We wish you all the best as you join alumnihood and hope that you can look back 50 years from now and be as proud of your alma mater and the preparation you received as we are.
—Members of the UW–Madison School of Nursing Class of 1972: Dorinda Cartier, Veronica “Roni” Engle, Karen Ransom Harris, Nancy Heins-Glaser, Deborah Reitman Judge, Bonny Cox Kulick, Linda Kautza Procci, Kathy Capelle Schneider
A Passion for Mental Health Care Becomes a Personal Legacy
By Cheyanne Carter
Over the course of her 45-year career, Phyllis Clark Jacobs ’65 shaped the landscape of mental health care and psychiatric nursing. She used her strengths in leadership, research, and education to improve nursing education and community support surrounding mental health. Her passion for this field stemmed from her experience as a Badger; “Phyllis’ time as an undergraduate is what seemed to spark her interest in this field…the researching and exploring she was able to do there stuck with her forever,” said her husband, Louis (Lou) Jacobs. She had developed a vision of mental health care that is now at the forefront of national health care.
Born and raised in Sugar Grove, Illinois, Jacobs graduated from the School of Nursing in 1965. She then went on to receive her master of science in nursing from Washington University’s St. Louis School of Nursing. Jacobs continued to pursue her passions for research and innovation through teaching at several esteemed institutions. Her career took her to Missouri Baptist Hospital School of Nursing, St. Louis University School of Nursing, and Millikin University. Most of it, however, was spent in Kansas at Wichita State University (WSU) School of Nursing. For 23 years Jacobs flourished in sharing her knowledge with future nurses and expanded her research in mental health nursing. During that time, she served as the director of the undergraduate nursing program for 11 years.
Jacobs contributed so much to the field and within her specialty. She published numerous research papers and articles, and contributed several chapters to the Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing journal. She also worked in tandem with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to curate and review questions for licensing exams. Jacobs’ hard work and passion didn’t go unrecognized. She is an honoree in WSU’s Plaza of Heroines, and she received the WSU President’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2000.
Jacobs had a passion for service and giving back. She volunteered in her community and worked to support her neighbors within areas of mental health. From serving on the County Board of Mental Health in Wichita, Kansas, to leading bereavement support groups, to developing programs in high schools aimed at breaking down stigmas surrounding mental health, Jacobs combined her compassion and expertise to help everyone she could. She continued her passion for philanthropy after retiring in 2013 by establishing the Jacobs Scholar Program with her husband, Lou. The program supports graduate students at the WSU School of Nursing.
While her career took her to a handful universities, her love for being a Badger lasted beyond her lifetime. “We both felt very strongly that our time as undergraduates in Madison had certainly prepared us very well for our professional careers and led to success we had in our lives,” said Lou, also a UW–Madison alumnus. He continued to express that, “the whole experience of [UW–Madison] and Phyllis’ dedication to mental health nursing” led him to establish the Louis J. and Phyllis Clark Jacobs Professorship in Mental Health. Phyllis Clark Jacobs was passionate about establishing the foundations to continue to research and treat mental health as a national priority. Her vision is lived out through the professorship, where her legacy will continue to be a model of excellence in breaking down barriers for mental health care.
More than Medicine
By Cheyanne Carter
Photography by Todd Brown
At much younger ages, Black adults have disproportionately higher risks of developing high blood pressure (hypertension). Both predispositions are long-standing epigenetic and historical evidence of the stress and trauma marginalized Black communities can face. The American Heart Association (AHA) has prioritized cardiovascular health promotion to prevent the chronic health problems associated with hypertension.
Professor Linda Denise Oakley, PhD, RN, is taking the AHA’s heart health message to historically marginalized Black communities and nursing students. As the Louis J. and Phyllis Clark Jacobs Professor in Mental Health, Oakley is committed to using science to find health and well-being solutions to systemic hypertension present in Black communities. Her research, Nurses 4 Black Well-Being, seeks to fully implement the AHA priority by measuring and accurately defining key AHA psychological factors associated with cardiovascular health in marginalized communities.
Oakley is leading a team of nurse researchers and students from the School of Nursing and the School of Medicine and Public Health, and public health nurses with Public Health Madison and Dane County. With this impressive group of minds, her team advances the School of Nursing’s mission and the consensus report on the future of nursing in charting a path to achieve health equity.
“Real health care is not treatment,” Oakley expressed. “It’s not even prevention anymore — it’s promoting well-being and keeping people well.” She envisions the increased awareness of Nurses 4 Black Well-Being throughout the School of Nursing and the community can make equity a priority in cardiovascular health.
To understand the basis of this research, Oakley noted, one must recognize that while ordinary cardiovascular activity (i.e., taking the stairs) may help decrease hypertension for many people, Black people historically have not experienced these health benefits. Studies show that chronic stress reduces the effectiveness of otherwise helpful treatments. Oakley explained that everyday life for marginalized communities can expose people to constant biological and emotional pressure “under the skin” that becomes intergenerational.
“Marginalization is the combination of exploitation and exclusion… in combination with intergenerational epigenetics, it’s what keeps trauma in the community,” said Oakley.
The problem is vast, but Oakley and her research team are looking for solutions by surveying Black communities in Madison and using community engagement strategies to inform accurate models of strength, health promotion, and well-being. Oakley’s goal is to describe self-care methods for reducing this chronic stress pathway to hypertension and poor health.
One of the participants, Brian Bedford, expressed his gratitude for the effort to better the Black community in Madison through this research. Bedford is a social worker with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Odyssey Project, a program that takes a family approach to providing education and opportunities to low-income citizens. He also serves as an alderperson for the city of Madison, representing District 6, and is passionate about breaking down social and political barriers of generational poverty.
“Taking the survey, I was deeply appreciative of some of the questions, especially how it pertained to a historically marginalized people,” said Bedford.
Measuring Peace
First and foremost, Oakley has defined her target population as members of the Black communities in Madison. She indicates that a community is “what we leave in and what we leave out,” encompassing the total environment of individuals who have a shared identity or experience. This clear definition helped her develop a complex sampling method: word of mouth.
“You go to a zip code, and you start on Facebook and with flyers, but the best way to know that you have tapped into a whole community is by having its members pass the message along,” said Oakley. “Those are the people that are invested in this.”
Bedford is helping recruit participants by talking about the study with people from various outreach programs. In addition to being actively involved in his community, Bedford has experienced his own health complications in his battle with prostate cancer. He understands how stress impacts health outcomes and is excited to see Nurses 4 Black Well-Being confronting these problems head-on.
“It is raising awareness. I am a Black man who is also a prostate cancer survivor; [we] all know that we are at a disadvantage as a subgroup,” said Bedford. “This [research] is vitally important; our health needs, physically or mentally, are not being met.”
With the urgency of this issue in mind, Oakley’s study is underway. Acknowledging that stress is a major complication in all medical conditions, she is measuring how members of these communities define inner “peace.” There is a heavy emphasis on the importance of peace and its meaning to marginalized communities.
“[These] communities are told that blessings are given and received. However, peace is something that I own, it’s mine. Peace means I’m free if I say I’m free,” said Oakley. “Our data suggest that high levels of peace that reduce self-directed anger may increase self-acceptance and well-being in ways that might promote cardiovascular health.”
The bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) student assistants survey all study participants to gather information on their identity and key AHA factors. From their blood pressure levels and how physically active they are, to the stressors in their lives, and their description of peace for them — they are trying to identify accurate measures of positive well-being related to blood pressure. “If you can measure it, you can change it,” said Oakley. She is hopeful that a better understanding of health may be key to decreasing stress-related hypertension in marginalized Black communities.
Nursing is Leadership
Since the days of Florence Nightingale, nurses have been taught to take care of the whole person, even when medicine focused on physical ailments. This holistic approach to health care well-being perfectly positions nurses to lead research looking for quantifiable measures of peace as a potential AHA protective factor.
Oakley explained that this research is a step forward in mental health nursing, and the student leadership team is evolving health care for all communities.
“These students are working to teach people how to take care of themselves, that would be the greatest discovery of all,” said Oakley.
Leadership comes in many forms within Nurses 4 Black Well-Being, but Oakley highlights the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) student leadership team for taking the reins on the study. Their role is to guide undergraduate researchers in data collection and to manage multiple aspects of the study’s protocol to ensure accurate results. These leaders rise to every challenge the team meets along the way.
“It is not enough to just be experts in the science, you have to be able to envision the project beyond the obvious to see the possibilities,” said Oakley. “Every day, nurses must problem-solve with not only their clinical expertise but with their ability to understand their observations and manage logistics.”
Oakley wants to continue to inspire this kind of leadership throughout the School of Nursing. Nurses 4 Black Well-Being is purposeful in having Badger nurses reach out to and prioritize mental health care in marginalized communities.
“This is what UW nurses do; if [we] can find a way we’ll hit it and run. It’s why we’re here,” said Oakley.
Nurses 4 Black Well-Being School of Nursing Team:
- Linda D. Oakley, Professor
- Wan-Chin Kuo, Assistant Professor
- Megan Miller, Assistant Professor
- Jessica LeClair, PhD Candidate
- Rick Voland, Associate Researcher
- Anne McKittrick, Aaron Blomberg, Taylor Farnsworth, and Salma Salama, DNP Students
- Dana O’Brien, Clinical Professor
- Sherell Jackson, Clinical Assistant Professor
- Undergraduate ABSN and TBSN Nursing Students
Lead Through Influence
The invisible influences that shape your health care operations
By Robert Trim ’01, MBA, RN
When my daughter was a toddler, the lower half of our refrigerator was covered with alphabet magnets. My wife wrote a few words on a sheet of paper and my daughter happily played with the letters and tried to spell the words. Magnets continued to hold an appeal for her as she grew up. She wore out several magnetic doodle boards and adored a set of super-strong magnet toys that clacked and whizzed as their invisible forces attracted and repelled one another. That’s the thing about magnets: they don’t just attract one another and metal; they repel, too.
Magnets aren’t the only things that wield invisible forces. Like magnets, our relationships with one another have the power to attract and repel. That complex network of relationships makes up our organizations’ culture. Health care operations leaders must take care to build up their organization’s culture to harness the invisible, magnetic influences and manage that force to create a high-performing culture.
In his book, Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior, Jonah Berger explains that while we recognize others’ opinions influence people’s beliefs, we rarely acknowledge that we are influenced, too. This blindness to our own susceptibility to social dynamics creates the opportunity for people in our environment to influence us. Their influence can have a positive or negative effect on the health care operations culture.
Group acceptance is a survival strategy. Isolation is dangerous and uncomfortable. We’ve developed strategies to secure our social group membership by doing something as simple as mirroring other group members’ behaviors to paying annual service club membership dues. The group reinforces social norms and encourages members’ conformity. For those concerned with health care operations, patient experience, and quality, the question is, “what behaviors are reinforced?”
Berger cited an experiment where researchers gave subjects a visual test where they were asked a question about an image and the correct answer was obvious. The first three people in the room to be asked about the image were the researchers’ accomplices who were posing as test subjects. As part of the experiment, when asked about the visual, they all gave the same incorrect answer. The fourth person in the experiment, the true test subject, was the last to be asked the question. Even when the answer the first three gave was obviously wrong, the test subject felt pressure from their invisible social cues to not be different, and they often agreed with the incorrect answer of the first three accomplices instead of saying the correct answer.
The same social cues can affect health care organization culture, too. If health care operations leaders encourage a culture that supports diverse ideas and dissenting opinions, group members are more likely to share their ideas without hesitation. Leaders must be aware of cultural influences that shape organizations, too, since these affect an organization’s direction. Does one person decide the group’s direction while other meeting participants nod and sit quietly or do multiple people offer their own ideas before the group reaches a decision? Leaders should create a climate where everyone’s voice is respected and heard.
It’s this invisible social dynamic that makes actively disengaged employees tricky for health care leaders to manage. Actively disengaged employees are not only poor performers, but they also work against the organization’s objectives. If not addressed, actively disengaged employees create a cultural influence on those around them. Their influence negatively changes others’ perspectives about acceptable behavior. By contrast, actively engaged employees do the opposite. They lead the organization’s members to improve their performance. Their positive influence makes them ideal champions for changes that improve cost containment, patient experience, and quality.
Humans are social, and we take behavioral cues from each other. Health care operations leaders must appreciate the invisible role that social influences play in their organization’s success, and cultivate those actively engaged workers who support the organization’s objectives. Developing a culture that reinforces positive behaviors supports leaders’ organizational changes and assists with operational initiatives.
Does your team’s culture reinforce the behaviors you need to succeed?
Originally published on January 24, 2018. Reprinted with permission from the author.