Patti McCarver, center, gives a thumbs up as she prepares to receive her School of Nursing academic hood from Donna McArthur, Ph.D., M.S.N., left, and Linda Norman, D.S.N., R.N. (photo by Susan Urmy)
Graduation 2010: Year of firsts for School of Nursing and its graduates
Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., dean of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, told graduates during commencement ceremonies last week, “you are the glue that does, and will, hold our health care delivery system together.”
This year marked the first graduating class of VUSN Doctor of Nursing Practice students, 308 master's-prepared graduates and two who earned their Ph.D. degree.
This year, the School of Nursing graduated its first class of Doctor of Nursing Practice students. (photo by Susan Urmy)
“You are joining an important group of Vanderbilt-educated advance practice nurses who are redefining the roles of health care providers,” said Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, who addressed the graduates, families and friends during the academic hooding ceremony on Branscomb Quadrangle.
Most of the school's master's students officially completed their advanced practice nursing education last August and are already working in health care in a variety of different areas. Even so, more than 100 returned for the graduation and investiture of the academic hood ceremonies, including VUSN's 2010 Founder's Medalist, Jennifer Roemer.
The School of Nursing’s Queendoline Ekpo and her classmates get ready for Commencement. (photo by Susan Urmy)
Roemer, an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner, started life at 32-weeks gestation in the neonatal intensive care unit with her twin sister. There, her family met Pam Wilson, R.N., who was a source of support for her parents in those early days and became a mentor to Roemer as she pursued her education and career in nursing.
“I just always knew that I wanted to be a pediatric nurse,” said Roemer.
Roemer was a VUSN “blended distance learning” student. As such, she was able to keep her position as a Hematology-Oncology registered nurse at East Tennessee Children's Hospital (ETCH), while attending VUSN through a mixture of on-campus block classes, online conferencing and digital video. The program allowed Roemer to complete her acute care clinicals at ETCH and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Dean Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., talks with VUSN Founder’s Medalist Jennifer Roemer. (photo by Susan Urmy)
“I am truly passionate about treating children with cancer,” said Roemer. “As an oncology nurse practitioner, I am able to focus on the holistic care of my patients and serve as a vital liaison. My job is emotionally and intellectually challenging, but also so rewarding with the deep relationships that develop with patients and their families.”
Alane O'Connor, D.N.P. graduate, started her professional career as an environmental economist working for the U.S. Department of Justice on the cleanup of superfund sites. She switched to nursing to have a more personal impact on individuals, earning her M.S.N. from Boston College.
Kathy Perry beams as she receives her School of Nursing academic hood. (photo by Susan Urmy)
She spent several years in clinical practice at a rural family health clinic, and was ready to focus on systematic ways to improve patient outcomes.
D.N.P. students learn via a mixture of classes held during week-long blocks and online course delivery during the two-year program.
“I never thought I would be able to develop such personal relationships with my professors and fellow students, but, even in the largely online format, there was a richness and depth to our learning. The opportunity to share our unique and diverse clinical experiences really resonated with me,” she said.
O'Connor, who lives in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, with a population of 1,000, had a natural interest in rural health for her scholarly project. Specifically, she compared urban-rural differences in the prevalence of diabetes and coronary heart disease and determined that rural populations are significantly more likely to suffer from these diseases.
Lauren King is all smiles at VUSN’s ceremony. (photo by Susan Urmy)
She plans to take her newfound skills and put them to work in teaching residents and medical students at the rural family practice where she works.
“I am proud of the enthusiasm and intellectual capacity of my D.N.P. cohort. The way we are going to improve health care over the next decades is truly phenomenal,” she said.
VUSN also awarded Doctor of Philosophy degrees to Donna Kenerson from Nashville, whose dissertation work focused on prostate cancer screening intent among African-American men, and Cara Calloway, from Austin, Texas, who studied cognitive vulnerabilities and depressive symptoms in young adolescents.
VUSN’s Kyla Stripling gets a hug from Joan King, Ph.D., M.S.N., after receiving her academic hood. (photo by Susan Urmy)
The school awarded diplomas to: 51 students in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program; 45 in the Adult Nurse Practitioner Specialty; nine in Clinical Management; five in Clinical Research Management; 44 in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program; 19 in Health Systems Management; 29 in the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program; five in the Nurse-Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty; 12 in the Nurse-Midwifery Program; four in Nursing Informatics; 19 in the Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program; 41 in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Specialty; 21 in the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Program; and four in the Women's Health/Adult Nurse Practitioner Specialty.