Doctor of Nursing Practice students Rebecca Carden and Jennifer Scanlon attended the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Student Policy Summit March 23-25. The three-day conference held in Washington, D.C.  immerses students in didactic program sessions focused on the federal policy process and nursing’s role in professional advocacy. On Monday,  students  joined a delegation of nursing deans and directors from Tennessee, led by Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner, to visit the senate office staff of both Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Marsha Blackburn. Senator Alexander was able to join the group to discuss the importance of funding for nursing education and workforce initiatives.

On the weekend of March 16-17, six Belmont graduate nursing students and two faculty members participated in a free mobile clinic held in Cookeville, Tennessee. The clinic was hosted by Remote Area Medical (RAM), a major nonprofit provider of free mobile clinics.  Students and faculty provided triage, patient intake, primary care and even dental assisting. Overall, the clinic served 966 patients and provided $554,552 in services as calculated by RAM over the two days in Cookeville.

Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Erin Shankel noted, “Working with RAM was a great place for our students to practice their clinical skills, but more than that, it opened their eyes to the healthcare needs in our own state. We were all humbled by the appreciation and warmth we felt from patients who had been waiting outside since 6 p.m. the night before just for the chance to be seen. You don’t have to go overseas to participate in medical missions!”

Two Belmont graduate students were recently selected to participate in the Tennessee Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) scholars program, a two-year commitment in which health profession students learn about community health through 40-hours of didactic training (online readings, discussions, essay responses) and 40-hours of clinical training.

AHEC is a nationwide project, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Building upon a core set of guidelines and requirements, each AHEC created an AHEC Scholars Program for their state to increase the distribution and diversity of the nation’s healthcare workforce. The latest cohort marks the first group to  be held at the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, the first federally qualified health center (FQHC) in Tennessee. The AHEC training will focus on six primary topics: inter-professional education, behavioral health integration, social determinants of health, cultural competency, patient-centered practice transformation and current and emerging health issues.

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Hailey Brooks, a junior nursing student at Belmont, recently received the 2018 CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) Light of Hope Award which honors those who have been “lights of hope” to children and youth in the community through advocacy and making a difference.

Brooks grew up in East Tennessee and entered foster care at the age of 15. She serves as a member of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth where she was appointed by Governor Bill Haslam.

Involved in other foster care advocacy positions for years, Brooks has served as a Youth Villages peer advocate and as part of the Department of Children’s Services Children’s Advisory Council. She is also a Jim Casey Fellow and the youngest thus far to be given the role.

Brooks is committed to spreading light on both the good and the bad areas of foster care and making positive changes in the system, particularly by increasing foster youth college attendance.

Blake Farmer / WPLN

Nursing requires hands-on training. But research has found that university curriculum often goes light on one of life’s universal experiences — dying.  Read more on NPR website.

Hear the radio version of this story.

Dr. Sandy Murabito, undergraduate program director and assistant professor of nursing, was recently given the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA) Award for Nursing Excellence at their annual meeting in Murfreesboro. The award recognizes a member of TNA who demonstrates outstanding performance in nursing practice, nursing education, advance practice nursing, nursing research or nursing administration by promoting and maintaining excellence in professional practice, a commitment to the nursing profession and TNA, contributing to professional development of other nurses, leadership which improves the quality of nursing care and professional and community service.

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Belmont undergraduate nursing students recently served in the National Driver Appreciation Week held by Averitt Express Trucking Company in Nashville.

Assistant Nursing Professor Abbey Holthaus led a group of 28 students to provide free blood pressure screenings to participants. This service learning opportunity is the first time the nursing department has sent students out in the community early in the program to hone their nursing and communication skills.

“Safety regulations require truckers to maintain a healthy blood pressure,” said Holthaus. “Our students were able to provide a meaningful service while honing their skills as new nursing students.”

Melissa Moore, a 2006 nursing graduate from Belmont, was recently featured in an article for her work with cardiac services as an Outreach Coordinator for Advanced Cardiac Therapies at UCLA Health. In the article, Moore details the work her team is doing to expand their services to additional communities throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding area to ensure specialized care is convenient and accessible.

“We’re partnering with local cardiologists and primary care physicians to provide comprehensive services to patients closer to where they live and work,” she says.

The article goes on to detail Moore’s team’s work on heart failure treatment as more and more Americans continue to battle these diagnoses. According to the American Heart Association, the number of Americans who suffer from heart failure, an estimated 6.5 million, is expected to rise by 46 percent by 2030.

Belmont University recently announced the inaugural group of the Lettie Pate Whitehead scholarship recipients, a gift given to six students from the College of Health Sciences and Nursing. These six nursing students will participate in 32 hours of community service and will participate in high-impact leadership development in both curricular and co-curricular spaces through the University’s new Office of Leadership Development.

Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans was a generous philanthropist and accomplished businesswoman. She was the wife of Joseph B. Whitehead, one of the original bottlers of Coca-Cola. At his death, she assumed management of his business affairs, establishing the Whitehead Holding Company and the Whitehead Realty Company and leading the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Atlanta. She also became one of the first female directors of any major U.S. corporation when she was appointed to the board of The Coca-Cola Company in 1934, a position she held for nearly 20 years. To those who knew her well, Mrs. Whitehead’s greatest legacy was her genuine concern for others. Continue reading →

Dr. Jennifer Hicks, a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Belmont alumna, recently received the Excellence in Public Health Nurse Award at the Tennessee Public Health Association’s annual meeting held in Nashville last week.

This highly competitive award recognizes a nurse who is respected by co-workers and peers in the community and demonstrates clinical excellence in supporting public health goals and objectives.

Hicks is a May 2016 graduate of Belmont’s DNP program and currently works as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the Rutherford County Health Department.

To kick off Healthcare Simulation week, Belmont University and The Tennessee Simulation Alliance hosted the documentary “To Err is Human” on Monday, September 17. Created to bring patient safety back into the national discussion through the power of documentary storytelling, the film aims to showcase solutions that are easy to implement and would dramatically improve the quality of health care. Continue reading →

Graduate students from Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing have been volunteering throughout the community to provide well child exams and sports physicals to Nashvillians. A recent purchase of portable equipment has allowed students and faculty to travel throughout the city, providing essential care while ensuring students have access to meaningful clinical experiences.

Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said, “This is a beautiful example of innovative service-learning and the spirit of giving we see in our faculty and staff. Opportunities for clinical placements for FNP students are difficult to secure, especially in pediatrics. Our faculty found a way to use their own community engagement to provide much-needed services while also giving our students high quality learning experiences. We see this as an ongoing opportunity for our students to see how their passions can meet the world’s needs.” Continue reading →

Nashville Mayor David Briley recently appointed Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Loretta Bond to the Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Board of Directors for a 5-yr term. The Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County was formed by City Charter in 1999 and is the governing body that oversees Nashville General Hospital at Meharry. Bond’s rich experience in practice and education, as well as her professional focus on health care disparities, made her an ideal candidate for this position.

Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said, “Dr. Bond has a heart for improving access to care for all. She teaches health care policy to our graduate nursing students and chairs the Government Affairs committee for the Tennessee Nurses Association. She has a deep understanding of the social determinants of health and I know she will serve our city beautifully. We are proud of her work.” Continue reading →

For the past seven weeks, four Belmont University nursing students participated in the Behavioral Health Internship Program (BHIP) 2018, a partnership between Tristar Centennial Medical Center-Parthenon Pavilion, Skyline Madison Hospital and Belmont. A $16,000 grant, awarded to Belmont by The Promise of Nursing for Tennessee Nursing School Grant Program & administered by the Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association, enabled the students to receive a stipend. Funding for the grant program was contributed by several hospitals and health care agencies in the Tennessee area, Johnson and Johnson and other national companies with an interest in supporting nursing education. Continue reading →