SCHOOL OF NURSING - FACULTY
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A I am currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, School of Nursing. My Dissertation topic focused on “Social Support, Coping Methods and Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients.” My responsibilities include teaching in several courses such as clinical concepts, health assessment, adult health and obstetric nursing. My experience in undergraduate nursing education is extensive. I worked as a staff nurse with the Ministry of Health for one year. At the same time I enrolled in a new Masters Program in Public Health in the School of Medicine at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). In January 1993, I was appointed as a teaching and research assistant with the faculty of nursing at JUST. My responsibilities included teaching in several courses such as pediatrics, physical assessment, medical-surgical, obstetric nursing and administration in the Nursing program at JUST. I entered the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., School of Nursing and received a Masters of Science degree in 1998. I then returned to Jordan where I taught in the nursing program for two years. I then entered the nursing program in the University of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and shortly after transferred to the doctoral program at University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing. I received my PhD in 2001.
Dr. An joined the Masters Program at the UTMB School of Nursing in the fall of 2007 where she teaches research methods and symptom management using complementary and alternative therapies (CAM). She graduated from the Seoul National University in Korea with a Baccalaureate (1985) and Masters (1988) in Nursing Science, and received her Ph.D. (1999) at Ohio State University. She has extensive experience in both teaching and research, and has conducted a number of interdisciplinary multi-center projects in mind-body research. Dr. An has published papers on the relationship between anxiety and its physiologic consequences, symptom management, and measurement issues of anxiety among patients with acute myocardial infarction. Currently, Dr. An is conducting research on symptom management for chronic health conditions using CAM. She is interested in the bio-behavioral measurements to examine the effects and explain the mechanisms of acupuncture and other complementary and alternative therapeutic modalities. Dr. An serves on the UTMB Institutional Review Board and the SON Research Advisory Council. She also serves on a number of international academic societies and editorial boards for academic journals.
Dr. Beckworth joined the UTMB faculty in the fall 2007. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Baccalaureate Program. In 1972, she graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. She was awarded the Master of Science Degree from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas in 1976 with a major in psychiatric nursing and a minor in nursing education. She then completed the clinical courses required for a major in maternal-child health. In 1995, she received the Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Texas at Arlington with a major in Social Work Administration. Dr. Beckworth’s career in nursing includes many years of nursing education. She taught in an associate degree nursing program for 30 years and was a director for an associate degree nursing program for 5 years. In addition to nursing education, Dr. Beckworth has maintained skills in clinical practice. Her experience includes labor and delivery, intensive care, and as a nursing service supervisor. Involvement in professional organizations has been an important aspect of Dr. Beckworth’s career. As a member of the American Nurses Association, she has been active in the Texas Nurses Association and District 10. In District 10, TNA, she served as president, treasurer, board of directors, and on the nominating committee. She has also been involved with the National League for Nursing. While director of the nursing program at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, she was a member of the Texas Association of Deans and Directors of Professional Nursing Programs. Dr. Best received a B.S.N. from Baylor University in 1973. In 1976 she received a Master of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman's University (Dallas campus) with a minor focus on education (teaching) and major in Mother-Child nursing. Dr. Best received a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 where her major focus of study was Parent-Child nursing. In 1995, she completed the post-master's Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Texas at Galveston. Dr. Best is recognized as an advanced practice nurse in Texas in the specific roles of Clinical Nurse Specialist and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner by The National Certification Board of Nurse Practitioners and Nurses, Inc. (NCBPNPN) and as a NCAST (Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training) instructor by the University of Washington. Dr. Best's past clinical experience includes working as a staff nurse in a pediatric specialty hospital, establishing the first clinical nurse specialist role in the OB department of a large teaching hospital (areas of responsibility included a 100-bed newborn nursery, a 45 bed premature nursery, an 8 bed ICU, 3 postpartum units, 1 high-risk antepartum unit, and a Labor and Delivery unit where 10,000 patients delivered each year); working as a staff nurse in a newborn nursery and on a postpartum unit, and working as a pediatric nurse practitioner in a four-pediatrician private practice. Dr. Best currently works one day per week as a pediatric nurse practitioner in a school clinic. She pioneered the role of a PNP in a school based clinic in the school district in which she practices. Since that time, PNPs practice in two other schools in the district. Past experience in academia includes clinical and didactic responsibilities in both obstetrical and pediatric nursing courses at the undergraduate level. Since joining the faculty of the School of Nursing at UTMB, Dr. Best's teaching responsibilities have included participation in several different courses, across both the graduate and undergraduate programs, as a lecturer, course faculty, or course coordinator. At the undergraduate level, these courses include the Mother and Family (course faculty); Pharmacology (Co-course coordinator with a Ph.D. pharmacologist); Ways of Knowing (lecturer and facilitator); Advanced Clinical Concepts (course coordinator-Flex Op). At the graduate level, courses include Clinical Nurse Specialist-Role (course coordinator); Advanced Health Assessment (course faculty and the primary care nurse practitioner courses. She is the coordinator of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner track in the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Graduate Program and is the primary faculty for the new completely online PNP program. Dr. Best's research interests include transition to parenthood for parents of term and preterm infants. Her current research involves various aspects of the role of the school nurse. She was a former nursing editor for the Journal of Perinatology and currently serves as a manuscript reviewer for several journals. Dr. Best is a member of a number of nursing organizations and has served as the president of the local NAPNAP group. She is a member of Rotary International and is active in service projects in the Galveston community through this organization. In summary, Dr. Best's clinical and academic preparation as well as her scholarly, professional, and community involvements enhances her contributions to the school of nursing.
Sheryl Bishop, PhD Sheryl L. Bishop graduated with her B.A. in Psychology from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 1982 and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin in 1989. She joined the faculty of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1992 as Biostatistician. In 1995, she joined the School of Medicine at UTMB as a member of the departments of Health and Safety Services, Family Medicine and eventually, Preventive Medicine and Community Health where she served as Academic Coordinator for Graduate Programs. She advanced to Associate Professor in 2000 and has been instrumental in the development of the NASA/UTMB Space Medicine Fellowship, the Aerospace Medicine Residency program and the Space Life Sciences Ph.D. curriculum, where she served as Curriculum Director until 2008. In 2007, Dr. Bishop rejoined the UTMB School of Nursing as Biostatistician and Associate Professor. She is also a full faculty at the International Space University, Strasbourg, France, contributing to the Summer Session Program since 1994 and the Master’s of Space Science program since its inception. Since 1990, Dr. Bishop has investigated human performance and group dynamics in teams in extreme environments, including deep cavers, mountain climbers, desert survival groups, polar expeditioners and Antarctic winter-over groups and in numerous simulations of isolated, confined environments for space. She has participated in various television documentaries and has over 60 publications and over 50 scholarly presentations in both the medical and psychological fields on topics as diverse as psychometric assessment, research methodology, outcomes research, psychosocial group dynamics and human performance in extreme environments.M She is a Senior Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member for the Society for Human Performance in Extreme Environments and its journal, Human Performance in Extreme Environments and the International Journal of Earth Science, Life Support and Biosphere Science. She serves as review editor for Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, Astra Astronautica and grants reviewer for the Canadian Space Agency. Christine A. Boodley, R.N.,C.S., Ph.D. Dr. Boodley graduated from the University of Michigan as a master's prepared adult nurse practitioner in 1976 and with a Ph.D. in nursing research in 1986. In 1992, she completed a post-master's family nurse practitioner program at UTMB School of Nursing. She is certified as both an adult nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is recognized as both an adult and family nurse practitioner by the State of Texas . She has maintained a part-time clinical practice since 1976 and currently practices as a family nurse practitioner with the UTMB Electronic Health Network. Dr. Boodley began teaching in the nurse practitioner program at the UTMB School of Nursing in 1986 and became Director of the Primary Care NP Program in 1999. She served a term as the chair of the Board on Certification for Adult and Family Nursing Practice at the American Nurses Credentialing Center and chaired the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties' (NONPF) committee that produced the Curriculum Guidelines and Program Standards for Nurse Practitioner Education (1995). She served as NONPF President 1998-99. In 1999 she was chosen to participate in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Primary Care Health Policy Fellowship. She has served on several peer review panels for the Division of Nursing and HRSA. For thirteen of her years at UTMB she taught the undergraduate health assessment course to generic as well as registered nurse Students. She co-produced a videotape for student use within the health assessment course and acted as a specialty content consultant for an interactive videodisc and CD-ROM program titled "Health Assessment of the Older Adult" which is also utilized in the health assessment course. In 1991, Dr. Boodley spent three months in Jakarta , Indonesia , as a World Health Organization consultant working with faculty in the beginning-nursing course of the University of Indonesia 's baccalaureate nursing program. In 1997, she returned to Indonesia for 3 weeks to present workshops for faculty teaching health assessment in nursing programs across the country. Dr. Boodley has been director of the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program since 1999 and was the project director for the Web-Based Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program grant (HRSA, Grant No. 1 D09 HP 00316-01, 2002-2005). Gloria Brandburg, RN, MSN, GNP Gloria Brandburg received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Houston Baptist University in 1985. She continued her education at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree in 1988 and a Master of Science in Nursing Degree in 1997. Currently, she is pursuing a doctoral degree at Texas Woman's University Ms. Brandburg began her nursing career in critical care, specializing in cardiology. She later moved into home health care as a field nurse, case manager, and program development director. Most recently she has practiced as a geriatric nurse practitioner in long-term care and rehabilitation. As a nurse educator, Ms Brandburg has over 10 years teaching experience. She has taught in vocational and associate degree nursing programs and as an education director in the hospital and community settings. In August 2005, Ms. Brandburg joined the faculty of the School of Nursing and is teaching in the undergraduate program. Her research interests include elderly residing in nursing homes and nursing education. Virginia Brooke, R.N., Ph.D. Dr. Virginia Brooke is currently the Director of the Baccalaureate Program. She has conducted research in aging funded by a National Institute for Nursing Research grant, and published on adjustment to living in the nursing home.Her academic preparation includes a Ph.D. in nursing with an emphasis in gerontology and certification from the University of Utah Gerontology Program in 1987. She has also held a gerontological nurse practitioner credential from the American Nurses Association from 1987 to the present. Dr. Brooke has continuing professional experience in teaching, practicing nursing and conducting nursing research in nursing homes.
Dr. Karen A. Brykczynski joined the UTMB School of Nursing faculty in 1986. She earned her BSN at Adelphi University , School of Nursing in New York . She practiced in medical-surgical nursing for 8 years prior to returning to Adelphi University , School of Nursing for her MSN. Her master's program prepared her as a cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist with a minor in teaching. She has been teaching since 1975 and has had experience teaching baccalaureate, masters and doctoral nursing students, dental students, and medical students at a variety of institutions including: Adelphi University in New York, the University of South Florida in Tampa , the University of Colorado in Denver, and the University of California San Francisco . Dr. Brykczynski's doctorate in family health care nursing from the University of California San Francisco, School of Nursing, her postmaster's preparation as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) from the University of Colorado Health Science Center, School of Nursing, her certification as a family nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and her clinical practice in a variety of primary health care settings qualify her for: 1) coordinating the third primary care concepts course in the graduate nurse practitioner program; 2) advising FNP students; and 3) serving as a faculty member throughout the graduate nurse practitioner program. Her preparation and certification as an FNP, her dissertation on the clinical judgment of nurse practitioners, her publications on advanced practice nursing role development and nurse practitioner roles in particular, her years of teaching nurse practitioner students and practicing as an FNP qualify her for teaching in the nurse practitioner role course. In addition to her teaching role, she has served as a curriculum consultant for numerous nurse practitioner programs around the USA . Dr. Brykczynski's doctoral dissertation completed under the sponsorship of Dr. Patricia Benner at the University of California San Francisco in 1985 produced domains and competencies of nurse practitioner practice that served as the framework for the development of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) curriculum guidelines in 1990 . Dr. Brykczynski's research expertise is in interpretive phenomenology. In addition to her dissertation other studies she has completed using this methodology include: a project describing the clinical nursing expertise of staff nurses in Nursing Service at UTMB; a pilot study of the healing and health promotion practices of low-income African American mothers; a qualitative evaluation of Texas Tech University FNP students' experiences with distance education; and a cross cultural study of family violence in the US and Japan . She has served as an exemplar consultant to UTMB staff nurses seeking advancement on the clinical ladder, which was adapted from Benner's domains and competencies of nursing practice. Dr. Brykczynski's doctoral study of philosophy of science at the University of Colorado Health Sciences , the University of California San Francisco , and the University of California Berkeley and experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods qualify her for teaching philosophy of science in nursing, qualitative research methods, and functioning as a master's thesis and doctoral dissertation advisor. Dr. Brykczynski received a Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Fellow in Primary Care Award in 1980-81. Her dissertation research was supported by a National Research Service Award from 1984-1985. She was a Marie Hall Scholar at UTMB, School of Nursing in 1987-88. She was honored with the Nurse Practitioner Educator of the Year Award from NONPF in 1990. Her speaking engagements have included delivering the Keynote address "Nursing Knowledge Development and Decision Making in Primary Care" at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties annual meeting in Minneapolis in 1988 and the Marie Hart Distinguished Visitor presentation "Nursing Roles in Primary Health Care: Historical Ruminations, Current Conundrums, and Future Visions" at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1995. She was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2004. Dr. Brykczynski has served as an editorial reviewer for the Journal of Nursing Education, the Journal of Family Nursing, and the Journal of Ambulatory Child Health. Her many publications include refereed research articles on her interpretive phenomenological research studies, chapters on advanced practice nursing role development, and chapters on Benner's interpretive phenomenological research and philosophy of clinical nursing practice. C
Leigh Ann Cates, RNC, MSN, NNP, RRT-NPS Instructor Mrs. Cates' academic qualifications include a Master of Science in Nursing (Medical University of South Carolina) - with preparation to function as an NNP, an Associates in Applied Science- Nursing (Odessa College) and an Associates in Applied Science- Respiratory Care (Odessa College). She maintains national certification as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and is recognized by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners as an Advanced Practice Nurse. In addition, she maintains certification as a registered respiratory therapist, and is recognized by the Texas Department of Health to practice respiratory care in the state of Texas. Additionally, she holds a sub specialty certification in pediatric and neonatal respiratory care. She has 13 years of total bedside experience as an RN and respiratory therapist in home health, general and critical care adult, pediatric and neonatal nursing. Of those, 2 years have been as a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, TX. Her job responsibilities include patient management in the delivery room, neonatal ICU, intermediate care ICU, and team leader in ground and air transport services. Additionally, she is certified as an instructor in PALS, NRP, STABLE, and BLS. Mrs. Cates is also the co-founder/owner of Above All Medical Staffing - a medical staffing agency that supplies nurses and respiratory therapists to acute care facilities. She serves as the current secretary of the APN committee at Texas Children's Hospital, and the Texas Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (TxANNP). She also serves on the conference planning committee for the TxANNP annual conference. Mrs. Cates' research interests include respiratory techniques used in the neonatal population and pigtail catheter use in neonates.
Patricia A. Crane,, PhD, MSN, RNC, WHNP
E (Tina) Cuellar, R.N., Ph.D., CNS, BC, WHCNP , BC Ms. Cuellar is currently an Assistant Professor in the UTMB School of Nursing. She earned her doctorate from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch. At Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia she earned an Associates Degree in Nursing, and her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner certified by the National Certification Center, and an Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Dr.Cuellar has been in numerous administrative roles in mental health and maternity nursing in Florida, Virginia, and Texas. Dr. Cuellar is a Major in the United States Air Force Reserves where she is Program Direction for Suicide and Violence Prevention training program for over 3500 military and civilian personnel and the squadron Program Director for Mental health. She serves as course coordinator and subject matter expert for the Air Force Reserve Mental Health Department and is an active member of the Reserves Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Dr. Cuellar has participated in nursing organizations at the local, state, and national levels through service as an officer in component organizations of the American Nurses Association, Texas Nurses Association, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing. Currently, Dr. Cuellar is a fellow of the UTMB SON World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery Development in Primary Care, and serves as a faculty member in the UTMB SON Center for Ethics, Health Law, and Policy. Her research and scholarship interests include promoting emotional resiliency in mothers of hospitalized preterm infants. That research was supported by a grant from the National Institute for Nursing Research. In addition, Dr. Cuellar is interested in ethical issues related to military nursing that includes nurses as targets of enemy combatants and nursing care provided to refugees and enemy combatants. D
Yolanda R. Davila, PhD, RN In 2004, Dr. Davila successfully applied for a postdoctoral fellowship position at the Center for Health Promotion and Risk Reduction at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. In June 2006, she completed a two-year fellowship during which she served as co-investigator of the CDC funded grant, Raíces Nuevas : Intimate Partner Violence for Latino Men. As a postdoctoral fellow, she also received university funding to support development of Entre Amigas , a cultural and gender specific HIV-IPV prevention intervention for Latina women. Dr. Davila's IPV past clinical and research efforts have been provided within community settings such as the Family Violence Prevention Services in San Antonio , Texas and the Community Health and Social Services in southwest Detroit , Michigan . Her teaching experience includes the teaching of community health and psychiatric mental health nursing as well as nursing care of vulnerable populations. Dr. Davila's teaching experience also includes the teaching of nursing research.
Claudine Dufrene, M.S.N., R.N., C., APRN , BC Assistant Professor
Claudine Dufrene graduated with an ASN in 1991 from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux , Louisiana . She obtained her BSN and MSN from University of Phoenix in New Orleans , Louisiana . She completed the Post-Master's Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Program at University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing. She has extensive acute care experience on Med/Surg as a staff nurse, charge nurse, and nurse manager. Ms. Dufrene also has experience in rehabilitation nursing and chronic dialysis. She currently holds certifications from the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a certified medical/surgical nurse and as a gerontological nurse practitioner. She is currently enrolled in the Nursing PhD program at Texas Woman's University in Houston , Texas . Ms. Dufrene served as baccalaureate faculty for four years at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing in New Orleans , Louisiana before accepting a faculty position at UTMB. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, American Nurses Association, and Galveston Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses. She is currently the secretary of Alpha Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau at UTMB SON. F
Kathryn Fiandt, DNS, FAANP Dr. Fiandt received her BSN from the University of Maryland, Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing in 1971. She finished her MSN in Pediatric Nursing at Indiana University in 1976, at the same time completing a post-MSN program as a family nurse practitioner. She completed her DNS from Indiana University in 1993 with a major in Nursing Synthesis. Dr. Fiandt served on active duty in the US Army Nurse Corps from 1971-1974 and retired from the Army Reserves in 1992 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She has maintained an active practice as a family nurse practitioner since 1976, including serving as the clinical director of two nurse-managed health centers, the Wellness CARE Center in Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1990-1993) and the Family Health Care Center in Omaha, NE (1993-2007). Under her leadership both nurse-managed health centers saw substantial growth in number of patients seen, services provided and revenue. Dr. Fiandt has taught at Indiana University, the University of Indianapolis, and most recently (1993-2007) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center where she coordinated the Family Nurse Practitioner Area and was the Director of the Morehead Center for Clinical Practice. As the first Director of the Morehead Center she was responsible for supporting faculty practices and leading the faculty in the development of new and innovative academic nursing practices across the state. She has been the Project Director of four HRSA training grants for a total of over $3.5 million dollars in funding to support nursing education and practice Her clinical expertise is in the areas of chronic disease management and practice improvement. She recently published a Quality Improvement Manual for the Institute of Nursing Centers. Her research is in care of vulnerable people and she has done extensive work on standardizing a process for assessing vulnerability and risk in nursing center populations. In addition to being active in several nursing organizations, Dr. Fiandt is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow (2004 Cohort), one of 20 nurses nationwide chosen annually for this program in leadership development. Dr. Fiandt recently accepted an appointment at UTMB as Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs; in this position she is charged with growing the practice enterprise of the School of Nursing and increasing community and campus practice partnerships.
Robin Fleschler, Ph.D., R.N.C., C.N.S., N.P. Robin Fleschler has been a nurse for over 30 years, spending most of the her time as an OB nurse, educator, high risk OB clinical nurse specialist, and women's services outcomes manager. She is an assistant professor on the faculty at UTMB SON. She is devoted to her students and takes particular interest in promoting evidence-based practice. The focus of her program of research is health promotion behaviors during pregnancy and explicating the impact of protective factors on pregnancy outcomes. She is particularly interested in advancing the study of perinatal outcomes from a health behaviors perspective and the study of activities in pregnancy is designed to form the foundation for future research on health behaviors as a predictive and intervention focus. The basis of her program of research was the development of a measure, the Prenatal Health Inventory of Behaviors (PHI-B), validated with intermediate pregnancy outcomes. The measure has been studied in relation to birth outcomes and in a pilot group of African American pregnant women. The PHI-B was recently translated into Spanish and evaluated for cultural sensitivity in pregnant Mexican immigrants women. She is currently funded with a complementary and alternative medicine pilot grant to look at the protective factors for stress in pregnant women. G
Assistant Professor
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Susan Grinslade, PhD, RN, APRN, BC Assistant Professor Baccalaureate Program Director
Dr. Grinslade received her Diploma in Nursing from Barnes Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis , MO. , her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, Master of Science in Education, and Master of Science in Nursing from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville , IL . Dr. Grinslade obtained her PhD in Nursing with a concentration in public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago , IL . While a doctoral student, Dr. Grinslade served as a teaching assistant in the masters' and doctoral program teaching research and measurement theory. In addition, Dr. Grinslade was a research assistant / project director for regional and statewide studies which examined health service delivery and program evaluation for persons with HIV and AIDS. Dr. Grinslade's program of research involves the exploration of conceptual and contextual factors which contribute to self-care behavior in women with Type 2 diabetes. She has developed two research instruments to assess self-efficacy and social support for women with diabetes. Dr. Grinslade has research publications in the Journal of Nursing Measurement and Research in Nursing and Health.
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Karen Hand, R.N., M.S.N., C.N.S. Karen Hand has been a registered nurse for the past twenty years. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 1976 from the University of Texas School of Nursing at Galveston, and a Master's in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 1989. Ms. Hand practiced nursing as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department at the University of Texas Medical Branch from 1977-1994 where she established an Emergency Nursing Internship/Fellowship for Trauma Services in 1991. She is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the state of Texas and has been certified as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Medical-Surgical Nursing since July 1993. She has continued to practice emergency nursing in a collaborative effort with staff in the emergency department. Ms. Hand has served as an Assistant Professor in the Adult Health Department of the UTMB School of Nursing for the past six years. Her teaching responsibilities include the Adult Health courses in the undergraduate program and lectures for the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Concepts course. She has been a certified Emergency Nurse, and BLS- and ACLS-certified. Ms. Hand was the Co- Director of the Public Health Outreach Demonstrations Project - Rural Emergency Education Network Telecommunications (REENT), a $605,705 grant funded for three years that focused on interdisciplinary continuing education for nurses, physicians and EMS personnel in a sixty-county area of rural Texas. Her interests are in the practice arena, particularly in helping emergency educators to promote prevention and public awareness through health maintenance measures.
Marilyn is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with UTMB Behavioral Nursing and a Teaching Associate with the UTMB School of Nursing. She is also a doctoral nursing student due to graduate in May of 2008. Her area of research is substance abuse and addiction and drug prevention. Marilyn is a member of the UTMB Center for Addiction Research and a member of the Community Health Access Program in Galveston. Marilyn also serves as president of the Galveston Independent School District Educational Foundation. She is married and has three children.
Dr. Diane Heliker is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Heliker received a Diploma in Nursing from Central Islip School of Nursing, New York (1965); a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Texas Women's University (1981); and a PhD in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago (1995). Her primary foci include gerontology, mixed methodology and qualitative research, and teaching. Dr. Heliker has been a registered nurse for over 35 years and has extensive experience across a variety of settings including medical-surgical nursing, orthopedic nursing, psychiatric nursing, and community and home health nursing. Her clinical practice has involved roles as staff nurse, head nurse, supervisor, and regional director. Dr. Heliker's dissertation focus was understanding personal and common meanings in the elderly in the long-term care setting using a Heideggerian hermeneutical phenomenological approach. Her interest in modified life review and personal meaning remains evident in her most recent research endeavors which have involved improving the quality of care of nursing home residents by involving the nurse aides in an innovative narrative approach to individualizing care. Utilizing a story-sharing format, it is hoped residents and nurse aides will form mutual and empathic relationships and lead to incorporation of resident input in the plan of care and greater nurse aide job satisfaction. Dr.Heliker has just completed a funded Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological study exploring the experiences of newly admitted residents in long-term care. The conclusions of that study are currently being used to inform a new model of consumer-driven care that includes the voice of the resident. Dr. Heliker has also studied the meaning of gardening in diverse elderly populations. Publications include "The Meaning of Gardening and the Effects on Perceived Well-Being of a Gardening Project on Diverse Elderly Populations" Activities, Adaptation & Aging 24(3), 1999, "Transformation of Story to Practice: An Innovative Approach to Long Term Care" Issues in Mental Health Nursing 20, 1999 and "A Narrative Approach to Quality Care in Long-Term Care Facilities" Journal of Holistic Nursing 15(1), 1997. Dr. Heliker has presented her research both locally and nationally. Dr. Heliker was recently awarded an NINR RO1 (2003-2006) grant supporting a mixed methodological (quasi-experimental-phenomenological) study comparing the effects of a Story Sharing intervention with a Communication Skills intervention among a population of nurse aides in six nursing home facilities. Dr. Heliker's practice includes the development, testing, and evaluation of an evidence-based nursing practice model that is being utilized initially in the perioperative arena prior to transition into the medical and surgical nursing units ( Sanares, D. & Heliker, D. 2002. Implementation of an evidence-based nursing practice model: Disciplined Clinical Inquiry. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development.)
Lisa Hill’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1992, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 1995, and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 2000. Ms. Hill began her nursing career as a staff nurse in the neonatal intensive care at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Later, she became a staff nurse, nursing supervisor and nursing educator at Medical Clinic of Houston, L.L.P., an internal medicine clinic in Houston, Texas. While working at Medical Clinic of Houston, she returned to The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston to receive her Master of Science Degree in Nursing in 2000. She is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and is recognized as an Advanced Practice Nurse by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners. As a Nurse Practitioner, she worked for 6 years in the Department of OBGyn at UTMB on studies related to women’s health. She currently practices as a Family Nurse Practitioner one day a week in the Rapid Treatment Area of the Emergency Department at UTMB. She joined the School of Nursing as a part time faculty member in 2005, working in the graduate program as a clinical instructor. In the Fall of 2007, she joined the School as a full time faculty member, working in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. She is a member of Galveston Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau International.
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Jeri L Jaquis graduated in 1980 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. She moved to Galveston, Texas to work on her Master's degree. Helen Manning Jordan obtained both her BSN (1981) and MSN (1983) from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Her focus in the master's program was nursing administration with a minor in medical-surgical nursing. In 1992 she completed a Doctor of Education - Higher Education from the University of Houston . Her doctoral education focused on curriculum, instruction and program evaluation. Additionally she completed certification of the Summer Seminar on Academic Administration, July 1997 at the Texas A & M University Department of Educational Administration. Since joining UTMB School of Nursing in 2001, Dr. Jordan has taught in the baccalaureate program and master's program . She also has a joint appointment with John Sealy Hospital as Co-Coordinator of the Nurse Residency Program which is recognized by AACN. Dr. Jordan is Chair- elect of the Faculty Assembly 2004 and was elected in 2003 as a School of Nursing Faculty Senate Representative for a two year term. Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Board for the American Heart Association - Galveston . Dr. Jordan was honored to be the Commencement Speaker - 2003 for the baccalaureate students and also received the Faculty Excellence Award - 2003. She was again honored to be the Commencement Speaker for 2004 and was recognized as the Outstanding BSN Faculty Member by the Student Nurses Association 2004. L Instructor Linda Lacy is an experienced psychiatric nurse and educator at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing. Her interests include inpatient and outpatient nursing management of psychiatric clients, total/holistic care for psychiatric clients and other vulnerable populations, developmental aspects of care, and the process of clinical evaluations for undergraduate nursing students. She received a President's Cabinet Award in 2006 to continue the development of service based learning experiences for undergraduate students as they work with populations at risk. Ms. Lacy received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Texas Woman's University in 1971. After graduation, while working in the emergency room, it became quite clear that many of the clients were there as a result of underlying psychiatric mental health issues, thus an interest was kindled in the psychiatric nursing arena. She continued her education receiving a Master of Science degree, with the focus on community mental health, from the Ohio State University in 1973, and a Master's in Education from the University of Houston in 1980. Ms. Lacy has had a blended clinical background in medical - surgical, pediatric, obstetric and psychiatric nursing. Various positions include staff nurse, charge nurse, unit director, assistant director, administrator on site, and Chief Nurse of an Air National Guard Medical Squadron. Even though many of the faces and places have changed, her core has always been in the area of mental health. Her career is balanced between service and education, with extensive teaching experience in staff development and a past history in undergraduate education at The University of Arizona, Texas Woman's University, and Galveston College (tenured status). Ms. Lacy is retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air National Guard.
Pat Lea’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Houston Baptist University in 1973 and a Master of Science Degree in Education from Baylor University in Waco, Texas in 1996. Ms. Lea began her nursing career in critical care as a staff nurse in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at the The Methodist Hospital in Houston. She later developed, implemented and facilitated the opening of two acute renal dialysis centers at Plaza Del Oro Hospital and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston. From 1991-1999, Ms. Lea was a critical care nurse educator for the surgical and medical ICU’s and the emergency room at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas. During this time, Ms. Lea developed and taught Basic and 12 lead EKG courses, developed a Critical Care Course for new RN graduates, developed a Critical Care Certification Study Course and a Preceptor Course. Her primary interest in education was adult learning principles as it relates to new RN graduates and new preceptors. In 1999, she was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic, the first of its kind in Central Texas. Her responsibilities included outpatient and telephone management including the development of educational programs not only for outpatient but the inpatient population. Ms. Lea continued to serve as Manager until 2002 when she was offered the position of Cardiovascular Clinical Coordinator of the cardiology department. In this role, Ms. Lea developed educational programs for all facets of the cardiology division and assisted in the development and implementation of the Lipid Clinic, Coumadin Clinic and Pacemaker Clinic. In 2004, Ms. Lea moved back to Houston. In 2005, she joined the staff at the Texas Heart Institute Stem Cell Research Center as a Senior Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator. Ms. Lea was the primary coordinator for 3 clinical trials involving stem cell research for patients with end stage heart failure and several cardiac stent studies. In 2007, she joined the faculty of UTMB School of Nursing with her primary interest in critical care and a subspecialty in cardiology. She currently has her certification as a critical care nurse and is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Ms. Lea has written 3 CEU articles for publication for CME Resource, Sacramento, California: “Sepsis: Still a Killer”, “Pericarditis” and “The Latest Advances in the Treatment of Heart Failure”.
Active involvement in research has permeated Dr. Lederman's teaching career, and her academic preparation focused on teaching and on research. This combination of preparation supports the mission of the School of Nursing in its research program.
Shelly Leitch, long ago adopted Texas as her 'true' home, having transplanted herself from herself from Michigan to Galveston in 1980. She has practiced professional nursing for 30 years, and has over 25 years of pediatric nursing experience. She began her career with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northern Michigan University , and subsequently worked in a variety of clinical settings and roles. In 1997, she completed her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston ; fulfilling her lifetime goal of becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board and is recognized as an Advance Practice Nurse by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas . Ms. Leitch has had active clinical practices in both acute care and primary care pediatric settings, and currently maintains a clinical practice in an elementary school- health clinic. She joined the UTMB School of Nursing Faculty in the Spring of 2003 and teaches full time in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program.
Jane Leonard is from Muskogee , Oklahoma . She moved to Galveston in 1985 to complete her Masters in Nursing. Since joining the faculty in 1990, Jane Leonard has taught in both the Undergraduate and Graduate Programs. Her responsibilities now are mainly with the Master's Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program. She primarily teaches the courses Advanced Health Assessment and the Primary Care Concepts sequence to Nurse Practitioner students. She has a Master's Degree in Nursing and is certified as both an Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner. Since 1986, she has had an active clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in both Acute Care and Primary Care settings including: The Teen Health Clinic, Private Practice with local Family Practice Physicians, The Galveston County Health Department, and UTMB's Emergency Room. She is currently, 2006, a Doctoral Student at the University of Houston , College of Education, pursuing the Ed.D Ms. Leonard received The Sigma Theta Tau Excellence in Clinical Practice Award in 1994 and the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award in 1998. She was inducted into the School of Nursing - Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 1999. In 1998, she was elected as a School of Nursing Faculty Senate Representative for a two-year term. And again in 2002- 2004 is serving her second Senate term. From 2000 to 2005 she has been included in Who's Who's Among American College Teachers. In 2000 the Student Nurses Association awarded Ms. Leonard the Faculty Excellence Award. She has been asked to give several commencement speeches. She is an invited speaker for Advanced Practice Nurses and has also been asked to give numerous clinical commentary's for the Advanced Practice Nurse (APNSCAN) journal.
Julie Lindsay MSN, RN received her ADN from St. Mary's College of O'Fallon , MO. and her MSN from Vanderbilt University in Nashville . She has over 25 years of nursing experience primarily with children who have acute and chronic disease. She has also owned a home health company in Austin that dealt with pediatrics. Her primary interest is in emergency care and palliative care for children.
Vincent Loffredo,
Ed.D., M.Ed. B.S.
Dr Vincent Loffredo was recently appointed Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions in the UTMB School of Nursing. Previously, he served as the Academic Counselor (2004-2005) in the School of Nursing . His educational experiences include a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Syracuse University in 1991. He received his Masters in Education from the University of Houston in Athletic Administration in 1994. He went on to receive his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Houston with research in the area of Curriculum and Instruction in Physical Education in 2001. In addition, Dr. Loffredo was certified in 1997 by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America as a Fitness Counselor. Dr. Loffredo's career path started in the field of exercise science. He started his career in Dallas, Texas as a fitness consultant for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, and a Personal Trainer for various fitness facilities in Dallas . He later became the staff Exercise Physiologist for DRCA Medical Corporation in Houston . He then spent three years as training specialist for the City of Houston 's Police Academy . During this time, he was also awarded a Doctoral Teaching Fellowship at the University of Houston , and worked as an adjunct for North Harris Community College in Physical Education. Dr. Loffredo became a founding faculty member and the Director of Wellness for Montgomery College in The Woodlands Texas. While there, he served on the Board of Directors for the Conroe YMCA. Dr. Loffredo joined Texas A&M - Galveston Kinesiology Department faculty and also worked as a Senior Academic Advisor for three years. He then became the first Vice President of Academic Affairs at American Intercontinental University in Houston . Most recently, Dr Loffredo joined the UTMB School of Nursing in March 2004 as the Academic Counselor. In September 2005, he became the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions for the UTMB School of Nursing. Dr Loffredo's primary interests at UTMB SON is working with students and improving the retention and success of students as they work towards graduation. Dr. Loffredo has completed research in the area of adult learning and adult teaching styles. He has also authored textbooks in Health and Wellness.
Ann Lovric, R.N, MSN
Ann Lovric’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas in 1974 and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing Education from Texas Woman’s University in Houston, Texas in 2006. Ms. Lovric has a broad and varied background in nursing and healthcare. Ms. Lovric began her nursing career as a staff nurse in labor and delivery, post partum and newborn nursery in Huntington Beach, California. She also worked as a psychiatric staff nurse in both an adult psychiatric unit as well as a children’s behavioral unit. She was a weekend house supervisor in an acute care hospital. Later she became a nursing educator and clinical instructor for the OB and Psychiatric units. This experience led to her becoming a Utilization and DRG Coordinator for another hospital in Santa Ana, California. Ms. Lovric then worked for a risk management company as a claims investigator/analyst investigating hospital incident reports before transferring back to Houston with her husband. She then worked as a school nurse for thirteen years in Cypress Fairbanks I.S.D. She was involved in many community activities including National Charity League, The American Heart Association, and was a volunteer breast health educator for The American Cancer Society. Ms. Lovric returned to school and obtained a Master of Science Degree in Nursing Education in 2001. Teaching experience prior to UTMB includes working for North Montgomery Community College District and teaching positions at both Tomball and Cy-Fair College. She joined the School of Nursing in August of 2007 working in the undergraduate program as an instructor. She is a member of ANA and Sigma Theta Tau International.
Kathy Lucke, Ph.D., R.N. Associate Dean for Academic Programs Dr. Kathleen Lucke recently joined the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing in Galveston as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Administration and was also appointed to the Florence Thelma Hall Distinguished Professorship in Nursing. She was an Assistant Professor at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing, where she taught in the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. Her areas of expertise include neuroscience nursing, health care ethics, and qualitative research. Dr. Lucke received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Dominican College in Houston , TX , and master's degree in Adult Nursing as a Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist. She worked as an Advanced Practice Nurse in Georgia and Pennsylvania . Dr. Lucke obtained her PhD in nursing and ethics from the University of Maryland at Baltimore . She taught at the University of Pittsburgh , where she also served as Director or the RN-BSN and RN-MSN Programs and the Assistant Dean for Student Services. Dr. Lucke's program of research involves interventions to improve health status and quality of life in persons with disability. Her research provides a cognitive-behavioral intervention delivered via the internet to people with a new spinal cord injury. Previous research explored the experiences of family caregivers of people with disability. A study conducted with a rehabilitation center examined the effect of a sports program on the health and psychological well-being of children with disability. M Darlene "Cheyenne" Martin, R.N., Ph.D. is a member of the
Center for Nursing Ethics, Law and Policy and Associate Professor,
Department of Community Health, at the University of Texas School of
Nursing, Galveston. Dr. Martin received her Ph.D. in bio-medical ethics
and public policy from the University of Texas School of Public Health
in Houston and was a Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Fellow in bioethics at
the Kennedy Center for Bioethics, Washington, D.C. and Rice University,
Houston, Texas. Dr. Martin currently teaches a series of graduate and
undergraduate medical ethics and policy courses for nursing students
which emphasize ethical-legal issues in health care as well as human
rights issues within the United States and globally. She has also had
extensive experience in teaching community health at both graduate
and undergraduate levels. Dr. Martin has received several teaching
excellence awards from student and faculty organizations at the University
of Texas at Austin and from the American Association of University
Women. Dr. Martin has conducted a series of research studies during
the past two decades which have concentrated on ethical decision-making
among nurses and physicians regarding treatment of vulnerable populations
including critically ill neonates, children with mental retardation
and other disabilities, persons with HIV/AIDS, and elderly persons
who are terminally ill. She is currently directing a study to identify
and chronicle the experiences of nurse and physician survivors of the
Holocaust. These projects have been funded by a variety of federal
agencies and private foundations including the American Nurses Foundation,
the US Public Health Service, the AIDS Education Training Center, and
the Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund. Dr. Martin was an American Nurses
Foundation Scholar in 1989. Dr. Martin has presented numerous papers
related to ethical, legal and policy issues in health care at national
and state nursing and medical conferences across the US. She has served
as an ethics consultant to numerous health care organizations including
the Texas Nurses’ Association, Advocacy, Inc. (the federal protection
and advocacy program for disabled citizens in Texas), California Perinatal
Association, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the National Association
of Case Managers. Dr. Martin has also participated in the production
of an award-winning film, "Born Dying" which addresses the
ethical-legal issues in treatment of severely disabled newborns and
has served as an ethics consultant to Baxley Media Inc. in the production
of several video programs on ethical and legal issues in care of persons
who are terminally ill. She received the Outstanding Creative Achievement
Award from the American Public Health Association in 1989 for her work
in medical ethics and health care of disabled infants and children.
Jeff Mellenthin began working at the UTMB SON in Dec 2006 as an Assistant Professor. He received his associate degree in nursing (ADN) from Lewis and Clark Community College in Illinois in 1995. He continued on to receive his Bachelors degree in nursing from UTMB in 1999 and then his masters' degree in nursing as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in 2003. Mr. Mellenthin started his nursing career in medical surgical nursing then advanced into critical care nursing. He continued his career with further training in cardiology and in Flight Nursing with the United States Air Force. His most recent practice has been as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in cardiology. He has also participated as a sub-investigator on many cardiology research studies.
Dr. Nonie Mendias has a BS in nursing (Texas Woman's University, Denton & Houston, 1971), an MS in community health nursing with a specialty as a family nurse clinician (Texas Woman's University, Houston, 1975), and a PhD in psychiatric-mental health nursing (The University of Texas School of Nursing, Austin, 1995). Dr. Mendias has been a faculty member at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing in Galveston since 1992, teaching undergraduate community health, graduate advanced practice and research courses , and doctoral courses. Dr. Mendias has been nationally certified as a family nurse practitioner since 1977 and is recognized as an advanced practice nurse (family nurse practitioner) by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas. She has experience in public/community health as practitioner, administrator, educator, and researcher, and has worked as a family nurse practitioner in numerous settings (emergency room, ambulatory care, outpatient psychiatry, public health, primary care, occupational health, student health, outpatient HIV/AIDS, and the community). Dr. Mendias' research interests include health promotion and self-care for communities and vulnerable populations, including persons with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Mendias and Dr. David Paar received General Clinical Research Center funding to study health promotion and self care in persons with HIV/AIDS (2003-2004). Dr. Mendias is the UTMB site Project Director for a multi-institutional group, led by Dr. Scott Lillibridge of UT Health Science Center-Houston, that has received two federal (HRSA) grant s to provide continuing education for bioterrorism and other public health emergency content to health professionals across the state of Texas (2003-2005, 2005-2007). She has been Principal Investigator in a project to establish a two hour web-based bioterrorism and other public health emergency preparedness course for nurses (2004), as well as for course provision and maintenance (2004-2007). Dr. Mendias has been honored with several teaching excellence awards and has presented her work at numerous professional conferences and in professional publications. O
Mary is lawyer (JD) who is also a registered nurse (RN) with a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in nursing and a licensed professional counselor (LPC). She uniquely combines her licenses as a registered nurse, lawyer and licensed professional counselor to provide arbitration, mediation and consultation as a nurse-attorney to focus on therapeutic jurisprudence. Through therapeutic jurisprudence, the focus is placed on the emotional and psychiatric impact of the legal process and development of a mutually satisfactory, cooperative resolution of any legal dispute for the benefit of all parties. Mary also has a certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Mary combines her extensive experience in nursing, psychiatry, medicine and law to provide expert consultation in civil and personal injury litigation ; for example, health care issues involved in medical malpractice, personal injury, toxic exposure, worker's compensation, wrongful death and insurance defense. She also provides consultation on psychiatric issues ; for example, related to civil rights litigation, such as sexual harassment; wrongful discharge; revocation of licensure and resulting damages. Mary also has extensive training in alternate dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.
Jessica Peck, RN, MSN
Sandra Petersen earned her Bachelor’s degree in business and biology from East Texas Baptist University and also received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. She has a masters of science in nursing from the University of Texas, a post-masters Geriatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Rush University School of Nursing in Chicago, IL. She has authored numerous articles relating to assisted living and healthcare that have appeared in key related trade journals and throughout various educational documents. She professionally lectures throughout the country at seminars and before professional organizations; she has also served as an adjunct professor in the nursing education programs at the University of Texas at Tyler and East Texas Baptist University. Petersen is a member of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) Nurse Action Committee, the National Conference of Geriatric Nurse Practitioners, NHPCO, and the American Geriatrics Society. She is the recipient of the 2007 Heart of Hospice Award from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. The Heart of Hospice National award recognizes efforts of NCHPP (National Council of Hospice & Palliative Professionals) members who have attained repeated outstanding achievements in hospice and made contributions with impact beyond hospice. Enhancing the delivery of health care has been Dr. Petersen’s mission since choosing a career in healthcare over 20 years ago. Since that time, she has served as a true activist for senior health care – always championing the cause and finding ways to improve the delivery and quality of patient care while ensuring compliance with rapidly changing regulations. During the past two decades, Petersen established clinical compliance programs that have changed the way in which senior care is viewed and administered at the many assisted living, home care, long term care, hospitals, and hospice companies where she has worked. In July 2004, Dr. Petersen joined Trinity Hospice, the nation’s seventh largest national hospice provider as chief nursing officer. Until joining UTMB she served as a consultant for the company, providing guidance to the company's 26 centers and 10 new start-up operations. Before joining Trinity Hospice, she spent about 25 years serving in a range of operations, quality assurance, and clinical compliance roles nationwide. Dr. Petersen is involved in public policy relating to consumer advocacy and legislative issues concerning hospice.
Dr. Phillips's academic qualifications include a Master's degree (Wayne State University) in Maternity nursing with a functional major in nursing education; Master's degree (University of Pittsburgh) in Maternity nursing, functional major as a clinical specialist; and a Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh) in Nursing. She also completed the Parish Nurse Training Institute (Wisconsin Model) at Marquette University . Dr. Phillips has worked as a staff nurse in medical-surgical, maternity and psychiatric settings, and functioned as a certified Co-Group counselor in psychiatry. She has been certified in Inpatient OB and Critical Care OB and had a four-year faculty practice as a CNS in the maternity units at UTMB. She has served as a consultant to maternity units at UTMB dealing with complicated patient/family situations such as perinatal bereavement, maternity patients or families with psychiatric disorders and patient-staff communication difficulties. She has been involved in nursing staff development activities pertaining to expanding skills and competencies of nurses and other staff in dealing with the bereaved family and adoptive mothers. Dr. Phillips has taught and participated in curriculum development and implementation in schools of nursing at all levels: A.D.N, B.S.N., M.S.N., and Ph.D. In addition to her specialty, maternity nursing, Dr. Phillips has taught pediatrics, community health, pharmacology, fundamentals of nursing, nutrition, psychiatry, nursing management, health assessment, CNS role courses, Issues in Nursing, Nursing Theory, Pedagogy, Family theory and research. She participated in development, implementation and teaching of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track. Currently, her primary assignment is teaching in the PhD program in Nursing. Dr. Phillips's research interests focus on maternal identity development and maternal role change. She has been involved in a series of qualitative (grounded theory) research projects examining Maternal Identity Development in adoptive mothers. She has presented her research locally, nationally and internationally. Dr. Phillips's rich and varied background in her specialty, in nursing and at all levels of professional nursing education combined with her dedication and enthusiasm for her teaching role make her a valuable member of the faculty and a strong positive role model for students. Q R Ms. Anna Pearl Rains' teaching responsibilities have more recently been primarily in the areas of Professional Role for the web-based BSN accelerated second degree program, Clinical Concepts in the RN-BSN program, Community Health, Home Health, Older Adult, and Legal/Ethical issues courses for generic students; the Professional Role course for flex-op students; and the GNRS 5358 course for graduate students in the Administration major. Her major focus has been in the areas of legal/regulatory issues in nursing, social policy issues and processes, health care reform issues, professional nursing peer review processes, nursing practice trends and issues, and nurse case management roles in today's managed care environment, with a special focus on legal/ethical issues. Her preparation and experience includes: 1) a MSN with a maternal/infant clinical focus, a functional major in education and a certificate in Nurse-Midwifery (inactive); 2) two years post-master's study in public health with a focus in comprehensive health planning and administration; 3) twelve plus years as chief nurse for UTMB hospitals; 4) five years as Administrator for the UTMB Hospitals Home Health Agency and Executive Director for Extramural Programs for the hospitals; 5) President of the Texas Nurses Association for two terms (four years); membership in the ANA House of Delegates and Chair of the Texas Delegation for four years as president of TNA; 6) co-author of the Manpower Report for the RN and LVN licensing boards in Texas (included major research/analysis of social, health care industry and nursing practice trends having implications for the regulatory activity of the Boards); 7) served on the RN licensing Board's Advisory Committees for Practice and Advanced Practice; 8) Chair and/or member of the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Professional Nurses - Advisory Committee for the past fourteen years; 9) teaching experience in community nursing, and maternal/infant care nursing (graduate and undergraduate. In 1994-95, Ms. Rains conducted a major analysis of "nursing centers" for the School of Nursing faculty. In 1996, a lectureship was established in her name by the Texas Nurses Foundation to promote awareness of future trends in the nursing profession. She currently serves the School as the Director for Strategic Planning and Evaluation for Practice and serves as a core faculty member in the School's Center for Nursing Ethics, Law and Policy. Recently, she served as Project Director for a federally funded research project on Barriers to Care in Older Women with Breast Cancer. Director responsibilities extended through the start-up phase of the study which focuses on using a nurse case manager intervention. Ms. Rains has on going interest in nurse workforce development , having served on several nurse workforce reports over the years. More recently she served as a nurse consultant to the "Texas Nurse Workforce Data System" located at the Center for Health Economics and Policy (CHEP) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio - in Partnership with the Texas Nurses Foundation. In 2000, she conducted a study with a faculty colleague, Dr. Poldi Tschirch, for CHEP on "Nursing Education: Assessment of Education System Capacity to meet Workforce Demands." She and Dr. Tschirch received the Texas Nurses' Association Presidents Award for their contribution to nurses in Texas for the report. The report was prepared at the request of the Texas Nurses Foundation for submission to the Texas Legislature in support of Nursing Shortage legislative initiatives. She currently serves on the Advisory Council and as a nurse "scientist on call" for CHEP's Regional HRSA Center for Health Workforce Studies. She currently holds appointment on two Texas Nurses Association Task Forces focused on "safety": 1) The Regulatory Task Force focused on d eveloping a nursing regulatory environment promoting a culture of safety and 2) The Competency Task Force focused on patient and nurse safety. Ms. Rains, a graduate of the school, is a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the School of Nursing and an Inductee into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
Ms. Rappaport graduated from the University of Texas School of Nursing at Galveston in 1980 with a BSN. She began practice as a staff nurse in the areas of medical-surgical and post-anesthesia nursing at a local hospital in the Clear Lake Area. In 1990, Ms. Rappaport received her MSN with a focus in education from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UTMB, Galveston, Texas. Following one semester as a teaching assistant, Ms. Rappaport accepted a faculty position at the School of Nursing in the Adult Health Department. From 1991 to present, Ms. Rappaport has served as clinical faculty in the following courses: The Older Adult, The Adult, Health Assessment, Intraoperative Nursing and Clinical Concepts. She has also served in the role of course co-ordinator for Clinical Concepts and Intraoperative Nursing. Ms. Rappaport has taught both generic and flex-op students. In December of 1995, Ms. Rappaport completed the Nurse Practitioner Program at the post-master’s level and became certified as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner. She also practiced at the UTMB Geriatric Clinic as a gerontological nurse practitioner. This setting not only offered her the opportunity for regular practice, but also was an excellent site for precepting both undergraduate and graduate students. Currently, Ms. Rappaport is Lead Faculty for the online Post-Master's Gerontological Nurse Practitioner program. In this capacity she serves as faculty for both content development and supervision of students' clinical practice.
Dr. Rath's academic qualifications include a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (University of Texas Medical Branch), a Master of Science in Nursing (Vanderbilt University) with a functional major in Maternal/Infant nursing, with preparation to function as either a NNP or a CNS, a Bachelor of Science degree (Lynchburg College) and a diploma in Nursing (Virginia Baptist Hospital, Lynchburg, Virginia). She maintains national certification as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and is recognized by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners as an Advanced Practice Nurse. She has 32 years of experience as a RN in general and critical care pediatric and neonatal nursing. Of those, 23 years have been as a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) in major medical centers, where her job responsibilities included patient management in the delivery room, neonatal ICU, intermediate care ICU, and an infant follow-up clinic as well as administrative responsibilities. Additionally, she developed a neonatal/pediatric air & ground transport service and participated in pre- and interhospital transport of neonates and children. She has served on local, state and national committees for maternal/child care. Dr. Rath's research interests include salivary cortisol as a measurement of neonatal stress, and the use of prayer as a clinical management adjunct. Publications have included a book chapter, journal article, national Neonatal Transport Standards and Guidelines, and Education Guidelines and Curriculum Standard for Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Programs.
Associate Dean for Research Dr. Elizabeth Reifsnider is Associate Dean for Research and Constance Brewer Koomey Professor in Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing in Galveston . She has previously taught at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing, where her research focused on maternal and child nutrition and growth, breastfeeding, the WIC Program, and diabetes , and at University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, where her research focused on nonorganic failure to thrive in WIC children. She has a strong interest in research with vulnerable and underserved populations. Dr. Reifsnider received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Avila College in Kansas City , Missouri and began her career in public health nursing in Oklahoma. She obtained a certificate as an ob/gyn nurse practitioner and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma. While practicing public health nursing, she served the Oklahoma State Health Department as a public health nurse, a nurse practitioner, a nurse consultant , and a district nursing supervisor. She then obtained her PhD in nursing from The University of Texas at Austin in family and community health nursing. Dr. Reifsnider is a certified women's health care nurse practitioner and a certified clinical specialist in community health nursing. Dr. Reifsnider's research examines maternal child issues-especially growth and nutrition, including breastfeeding-among low-income, vulnerable populations. All of her funded studies have been conducted with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). She has obtained federal funding on nutritional and parenting outcomes of WIC mothers and children and for the education of nursing students in public health nursing ; state funding on research into the causes of obesity in children, and local and national foundation funding on promotion of breastfeeding, and growth of children. Dr Trish Richard is the Associate Dean for Education Technology in the UTMB School of Nursing. Previously, she served as the Interim Associate Dean for Academic Programs (2004-2005) and Assistant Dean of Informatics and Distance Education (2004-2005). Dr. Richard received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1976 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master's of Science in Nursing in 1978 with an adult specialty. In 1992, she earned a Ph.D. in Nursing from Texas Woman's University. Dr. Richard began her teaching career at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 1978; from 1980-1981 she taught in the nursing program at the University of Alabama , Birmingham ; and then returned to the Tuscaloosa campus in 1981. In 1985, she joined the faculty at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing (SON) at Galveston . Dr. Richard's research interests include creative thinking ability and its use by nurses, technology, and evaluation. Currently, she is involved in research associated with web-based courses and information technology. She received funding from the RGK Foundation of Austin, Texas to develop the "Nursing Web-Based Distance Education Program" which provided much of the foundation for the web-based programs at the SON. Another funded project was "Improving Student Retention in a BSN Program Using Information Technology." This study was designed to investigate the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in an undergraduate program for information retrieval and the effect of technology, organizational and time management skills on the retention rate of students. Dr. Richard is currently funded to study "Regional Innovations in Nursing Education." This study is designed to investigate the feasibility of regionalizing certain functions performed by all schools of nursing in the region to determine if productivity and cost savings to the faculty and school can be achieved by sharing of resources. In addition to her nursing preparation, Dr. Richard has experience in computer functions, applications, and information management as well. She has oversight for the School of Nursing Multimedia Lab which facilitates the integrated testing and scoring programs for all courses in the SON; develops the SON website and intranet; facilitates the faculty/staff to students electronic mail communication; coordinates the computer literacy activities of the faculty and staff; manages the integrated database. Additionally, she has oversight of the Nursing Simulation Center that supports student learning through virtual and mechanical simulation. Dr. Richard has been involved with and consulted on other projects with regard to information technology across campus. She serves on several university committees and taskforces involving information and web-based technology affecting employees and students, and works with the Greater Houston Partnership to promote nursing education regionally. Professor Dr. Rounds has been active in professional nursing for over 34 years. She has a bachelor's degree from Alfred University , Alfred , NY ; a master's degree with a specialty in medical-surgical nursing from the University of Rochester ; a doctoral degree in adult health nursing from the University of Texas at Austin ; and a post-master's certificate as a family nurse practitioner from the State University of New York at Binghamton . As part of both graduate degrees, she took courses in educational psychology, curriculum development, and instructional design. She is recognized by the state of Texas as a family nurse practitioner. After serving for 13 years as the Director of the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program, she now has assumed the role of Coordinator of the Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Program. Throughout her nursing career Dr. Rounds has been involved in practice and teaching. She has had experience teaching in LVN, diploma, baccalaureate, and master's degree programs. She has been involved in teaching nurse practitioners for the past 20 years. In 1993, she was recognized for her contributions to nurse practitioner education when she received the "Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Educator of the Year" award given by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. She is a recognized expert in primary care curriculum development and has served as a consultant to many programs nationally and internationally. As a nurse practitioner, she has practiced in both gerontology and family practice. These have been collaborative practices with local and UTMB physicians in either nursing homes or private practice settings. Dr. Rounds' research interest is in the area of outcomes of web-based education and other innovative teaching methodologies. She is currently project director for a comprehensive geriatric education program grant. This program is designed to offer online continuing education in geriatrics to nurses working with older adults. Dr. Rounds has been active in the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, serving as board member and president. She also served for a number of years as the associate editor for clinical practice for the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and also on the editorial board of Nurse Practitioner Forum. In addition, she currently serves as President and Advanced Practice Nursing representative to the Texas State Board of Nurse Examiners. Roberta "Jeanne" Ruiz, PhD, WHCNP, RNC S Dr. Sandor is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch , School of Nursing at Galveston , with clinical and course responsibilities the baccalaureate and graduate nursing program. She is also one of the course directors for an interdisciplinary Spirituality and Clinical Care course, which she assisted in developing and teaches to medical and nursing students. Her academic preparation for these responsibilities includes a Master of Science in nursing in community health with a minor in adult education, and a Doctorate in Parent Child Nursing with a research emphasis on community mental health interventions. Dr. Sandor is a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapist and is a certified advanced practice holistic nurse. She has completed the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) training, a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to train faculty and practitioners in Palliative Care. Her specialty as a nurse psychotherapist is grief and loss. Kay is also a Veriditas T (The Voice of the Labyrinth Movement) labyrinth facilitator; training with Dr. Lauren Artress of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. She is the Chair of the Veriditas Labyrinth Research Interest Group, and she has facilitated over a hundred labyrinth walks for hospital staff, students, and community members. Dr. Sandor recently completed a Fulbright Award teaching community and transcultural nursing in Hungary . Her recent publications include: Sandor, M. K., & Froman, R. D. (2006). Exploring the effects of walking the labyrinth. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 24 (2), 103-110. Sandor, M. K., Sierpina, V. S., Vanderpool, H. V., & Owen, S. V. (2006). Spirituality and clinical care: Exploring developmental changes in nursing and medical students. EXPLORE : The Journal of Science and Healing, 2 (1), 37-42. Olson, M. M, Sandor, M. K, Sierpina, V. S, Vanderpool, H. Y., & Dayao, P. (2006). Mind, body, and spirit: Family physicians' beliefs, attitudes, and practices regarding the integration of patient spirituality into medical care. Journal of Religion and Health, Available online .
Ms. Tholcken's baccalaureate teaching experience began 15 years ago in pediatrics and has expanded to include community based care of the chronically ill. She now also serves as the program coordinator for the online RN-BSN program in which she has taught since its inception. Her extensive continuing education activities support teaching responsibilities in these areas. Ms. Tholcken's master's degree provided a base for specialization in maternal-child nursing as well as education, and her clinical competence is maintained through clinical practice, teaching and publications. U V
Pamela G. Watson, R.N., Sc.D., Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) since 2001 and UTMB Chief Academic Officer since 2006, has been a dedicated and dynamic leader throughout her professional career. She earned a Diploma in Nursing from the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, then, a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree from Boston University School of Nursing. In 1982, she was awarded a Doctor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling/Psychology from Boston University. Prior to her appointment at UTMB, Dr. Watson’s administrative experience includes the position of Chair of the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs for the College of Health Professions at Thomas Jefferson University from 1987 to 2001. Dr. Watson’s primary effort is service in The University of Texas Medical Branch administration and School of Nursing leadership roles. Since coming to Texas, Dr. Watson has engaged to advocate nursing education legislative activities nationally and at the state level through meetings with legislators and legislative hearing testimony as well as activities in various organizations including the Texas Organization of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education (TOBGNE) in which she is currently serving a second term as their President through 2008 and the Texas Association of Deans and Directors of Professional Nursing Programs. She has been active in the Texas Nurses’ Association by serving on the District 6 Board of Directors and is a representative to the Nursing Legislative Action Coalition and Nursing Education and Policy Coalition of the Texas Nurses’ Association. At the state level, Dr. Watson also serves the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners as a member of the Licensure Eligibility and Disciplinary Rules and Policies Task Force. Dr. Watson maintained an aggressive program of investigative study for many years including continuous federal funding (such as NIH-NIDDK; up to $3.4M) from 1985-2002. From her research, she has widely published in peer-reviewed professional journals and authored several book chapters. Additionally, Dr. Watson has presented her work for numerous professional organizations and participated as a consultant and on many editorial and review boards. Dr. Watson has many years service in numerous national professional organizations, recently as head of the Nominating Committee (2006-2007) for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and as a Board of Directors member of the Southern Regional Education Board Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing. She has been the recipient of many awards during her career, including induction at University of Texas Medical Branch in 2007 into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the Excellence in Leadership Award, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing in 2006. Dr. Watson has also been active in community organizations including service on the Board of Directors of the Resource and Crisis Center of Galveston County, Texas. Bonnie Webster, M.S., R.N., B.C. Bonnie K. Webster, MS, RN, BC graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from the College of Nursing at the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1978. She worked 5 years in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics' Department of Urology as staff nurse, assistant head nurse, and special procedure's nurse. In 1983, Ms. Webster moved to Dallas , Texas to work at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman's University in Denton , Texas in 1988 with a major in pediatrics and a minor in administration, which included course work in education and clinical practice. Ms. Webster worked for 10 years as staff nurse, assistant director, and as nursing director of the Inpatient/Outpatient Hematology/Oncology Department at Children's Medical Center in Dallas . In 1992, Ms. Webster transferred to Information Services as the nursing liaison for clinical system implementation and has been certified in nursing informatics since 1997. In 1999, Ms. Webster moved to Galveston , Texas and began her formal teaching career in the Associate Degree Nursing program at Galveston College as the Charles Eric and Octavia Hall Professor. There she taught general nursing including pediatrics and informatics courses. In August 2004, Ms. Webster moved to the position of instructor at University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing where she teaches pediatrics, informatics, and general nursing courses.
Ms. Wiggs graduated from Idaho State University with a B.S. in nursing in 197. She received her M.S. in 1974 from the University of Utah with a major in Maternal-Newborn Nursing and Nurse Midwifery. She is a Certified Nurse Midwife. After graduation she worked for the Southeastern District Health Department in Idaho as a practitioner in their Maternal-Child Health programs. She also served as Perinatal Nurse Educator for Idaho on a March of Dimes Grant. After moving to Texas she was the Women's Services Director for the Agape Clinics of Texas in Arlington. Her Teaching experience is extensive. She taught at Idaho State University, Baylor University in Dallas, San Jacinto College South in Houston and Galveston College before joining the faculty at UTMB in the fall of 2004. She is currently a doctoral student at Texas Women's University in Houston. Her major research interests include life transition issues in women and use of art to explore life experiences.
Ms. Wilder received a BSN from St. John College, Cleveland, Ohio in 1975. She received a MSN with emphasis on the educator role and a clinical specialization in Adult Health Nursing in 1981 from Case Western Reserve University. At the post-master's level, she completed the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1986. Ms. Wilder is certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and recognized as an Advanced Practice Nurse by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the state of Texas. Ms. Wilder has been a faculty member at UTMB since 1981. During that
time, she has taught in a variety of courses at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels. She has taught in undergraduate pathophysiology,
health assessment, leadership and management and a variety of adult
health courses, including a critical care nursing elective. In the
graduate program, she has taught advanced health assessment and the
clinical courses in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner major. Ms. Wilder
practices as an Adult Nurse Practitioner in the UTMB Student Wellness
Center. Prior to joining the faculty at UTMB, she worked in a variety
of acute and critical care nursing positions. Dr. Charlotte Wisnewski has been a registered nurse since 1968 and a nursing faculty member since 1983. She received a nursing diploma in 1968 in Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1976 from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston . In 1978, |
(
Al-Arabi
Marilyn Haupt,
Diane Heliker
Lisa Hill, RN, MSN, FNP
Jeri Jaquis, 
Karen O'Brien
Mary O'Keefe
