November Highlights
Students celebrate commitment to nursing in annual ceremony, plus faculty expand and develop global collaborations to enhance student opportunities.
--More than 180 University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) sophomores and Second Career students made a public pledge to their future nursing career during the annual Commitment Ceremony. Held at Rackham Auditorium, the event was attended by family and friends, as well as UMSN faculty. The traditional ceremony is an important step in the students' education and career. They recited the modernized Florence Nightingale pledge and received a copy of her “Notes on Nursing.” The ceremony also included remarks from Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Bonnie Hagerty, PhD, RN, University of Michigan Health System Chief of Nursing Services and UMSN Adjunct Professor Margaret M. Calarco, PhD, RN, and Deborah Bach-Stante, RN, MPH, director of the Office of Nursing Policy for Michigan Department of Community Health.--“This clinical experience has been an eye-opening and challenging one for all of us, especially for those of 
us who have not had the opportunity to work in an underserved clinic in the U.S.,” says Heather Worden, one of the ten UMSN nurse practitioner students who participated in a two-week clinical immersion in Thailand. Led by Clinical Assistant Professors April Bigelow, PhD, ANP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, and Michelle Pardee, DNP, FNP-BC, the students worked at two clinical sites in rural Korat alongside Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) students and faculty. The students also participated in home health care visits, community assessments and health presentations. The students shared their insights and experiences in a blog. UMSN nurse practitioner students also participated last year in the clinical immersion in Thailand, and there are plans to bring new groups each year.
us who have not had the opportunity to work in an underserved clinic in the U.S.,” says Heather Worden, one of the ten UMSN nurse practitioner students who participated in a two-week clinical immersion in Thailand. Led by Clinical Assistant Professors April Bigelow, PhD, ANP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, and Michelle Pardee, DNP, FNP-BC, the students worked at two clinical sites in rural Korat alongside Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) students and faculty. The students also participated in home health care visits, community assessments and health presentations. The students shared their insights and experiences in a blog. UMSN nurse practitioner students also participated last year in the clinical immersion in Thailand, and there are plans to bring new groups each year.--Developing nursing and midwifery leaders in Ethiopia is the focus of a new grant awarded to three UMSN researchers: Research Fellow Michelle Munro, PhD, CNM, FNP-BC, Senior Director of Global Affairs Jody Lori, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, and Clinical Associate Professor Sue Anne Bell, PhD, FNP-BC. The EM-PACE Seed Grant from U-M’s Third Century Initiative will be used to establish a collaborative relationship between UMSN and Aksum University in Ethiopia. “In order to meet the need for more health care providers, 
nursing and midwifery education in Ethiopia has been rapidly scaled up,” says Dr. Munro. “However, indicators for quality in education and clinical practice are still being developed. With this grant we hope to establish a partnership with Aksum University in northern Ethiopia to develop the framework for a collaborative exchange of ideas related to education and research to increase the quality of nursing and midwifery education and clinical practice.”
nursing and midwifery education in Ethiopia has been rapidly scaled up,” says Dr. Munro. “However, indicators for quality in education and clinical practice are still being developed. With this grant we hope to establish a partnership with Aksum University in northern Ethiopia to develop the framework for a collaborative exchange of ideas related to education and research to increase the quality of nursing and midwifery education and clinical practice.”This grant is part of U-M’s expanding efforts in Ethiopia. Dr. Bell is also involved in efforts to increase nursing capacity at an Ethiopian hospital through developing programs, working closely with nurse managers, giving lectures, as well as evaluating patient safety through a team training intervention. The efforts of Dr. Bell, U-M colleagues and students are highlighted in the fall 2014 issue of Medicine at Michigan. Dr. Bell is also heavily involved in efforts in Ghana to educate specialists in emergency nursing.
--Cindy Darling-Fisher, PhD, FNP-BC represented UMSN on a U-M Center for Southeast Asian Studies 
sponsored trip to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia to explore collaboration and student clinical experiences with the Polytechnic Institute of Health Denpasar. She and Laura Rozek, PhD, from U-M’s School of Public Health, presented “Nursing in the USA: A Focus on Family, Community, and Global Health,” at the Institute’s first international seminar. They spoke to an audience of over 400 students and faculty from the Institute’s educational programs, which include Nursing, Midwifery, Nutrition, Public Health, Dentistry and more. The visit also included tours of a local hospital, a public health center and a nurse-managed clinic. Dr. Darling-Fisher met with the dean of the medical faculty, the dean of students, and nursing faculty at Udayana University in Denpasar to explore possible collaborative experiences with UMSN. She also spoke to the 80 Udayana nursing students preparing for their graduation ceremony and responded to their questions about nursing in the U.S.
sponsored trip to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia to explore collaboration and student clinical experiences with the Polytechnic Institute of Health Denpasar. She and Laura Rozek, PhD, from U-M’s School of Public Health, presented “Nursing in the USA: A Focus on Family, Community, and Global Health,” at the Institute’s first international seminar. They spoke to an audience of over 400 students and faculty from the Institute’s educational programs, which include Nursing, Midwifery, Nutrition, Public Health, Dentistry and more. The visit also included tours of a local hospital, a public health center and a nurse-managed clinic. Dr. Darling-Fisher met with the dean of the medical faculty, the dean of students, and nursing faculty at Udayana University in Denpasar to explore possible collaborative experiences with UMSN. She also spoke to the 80 Udayana nursing students preparing for their graduation ceremony and responded to their questions about nursing in the U.S.--The research of Hillman Scholar and PhD student Kristin Choi with her mentor, Associate Professor Julia S. Seng, PhD, CNM, FAAN, has been published in the International Journal of Childbirth (Volume 4, Issue 3). “Trauma-Informed Care With Childhood Maltreatment Survivors: What Do Maternity Professionals Want to Learn?” investigates the amount of training providers have received in caring for pregnant women with posttraumatic stress disorder and their objectives in providing improved care. “This paper was an adaptation of my undergraduate honors thesis, so I was excited to see it published in a nursing journal,” says Choi. “I learned a lot about the publication and peer-review processes, and I hope that my ideas can have a positive influence on nursing practice.”
--“We believe that digital storytelling is an effective technique that engages students with each other, fosters creativity and promotes communication skills,” says Clinical Assistant Professor Deborah M. Price, DNP, MS, RN. She recently led a study investigating how digital stories can impact understanding of advanced illness care including palliative and end-of life concepts. Senior nursing students used VoiceThread technology to create 5-minute stories using video, photos, audio tracks, and music. Dr. Price says the feedback from students was very positive and resulted in a deeper learning of palliative and end of life care. “Digital Storytelling: An Innovative Technological Approach to Nursing Education” written by Dr. Price, Assistant Professor Emerita Linda K. Strodtman, PhD, RN, Clinical Instructor Elizabeth Brough, PhD, RN, et. al is published in the Nov/Dec 2014 issue of Nurse Educator.
Accolades
UMSN Professor Debra L. Barton, RN, PhD, AOCN, FAAN, has been selected for a prestigious co-chair position with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Symptom Management and Health-related Quality of Life Steering Committee (SxQoL SC) is dedicated to identifying and promoting the “Best Science” in symptom management and quality of life research from NCI cooperative groups. The committee works to prioritize clinical trial concepts and key strategies related to cancer, cancer treatment and quality of life for patients. Dr. Barton, UMSN’s Mary Lou Willard French Professor of Nursing, will serve as a co-chair for a three-year term.
