Faculty Spotlights

Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Associate Professor, Donna Perry, PhD, RN recently had a case study published from her Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing SEED grant study on wildlife rehabilitation titled, Caring for the circle of life: wildlife rehabilitation and sanctuary care.  Read more here: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol14/iss2/18/

Jill M. Terrien PhD, ANP-BC, Associate Dean, Interprofessional and Community Partnerships, Associate Professor of Nursing and Medicine; Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC, Director, Adult-Gerontology, Family & Psych Mental Health NP Tracks, Assistant Professor of Nursing
E-cigarettes are rapidly increasing in use across all populations, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Smoking cessation is important for patients with cancer; however, evidence supporting e-cigarettes as an effective cessation strategy is lacking and not currently recommended. Information on risks, safety, and recommendations regarding vaping will be discussed. Oncology nursing considerations for e-cigarettes include communicating known and potential risks while using smoking cessation strategies for people at risk for cancer or who have cancer and are currently vaping. Oncology Nursing Society | CJON (ons.org)

Nancy Morris, N. S., Nnaji, C., & Sarkis, M. (2021). “Was test designed for Africans?” Health literacy and African Immigrants. Journal of Racial and      Ethnic Health Disparities . http://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00959-5   
Link: https://rdcu.be/cdoQW
With acknowledgement of funding through the UMass Chan Medical School Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing Seed Grant Program

AAP Announces Finalists For 2021 Prose Awards Honoring Scholarly Works! We are overjoyed and proud that Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing’s Associate Dean for Advanced Practice Programs, Karen Dick PhD, GNP-BC, FAANP on the selection of her book “Geriatric Primary Care and Multimorbidity Management” 1e as a Prose Award Finalist for 2021. https://bit.ly/2MwqjzE
This book was written to provide a case-based approach to the care of older adults. Several Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing faculty contributed chapters including Jean Boucher, Dawn Carpenter, Susan Feeney, Nancy Morris, Ken Peterson, Mary Sullivan, and Patricia White. The book  received two Book of the Year awards from American Journal of Nursing in the categories of geriatric nursing (first place) and advanced practice nursing (second place). 

Gayle Gravlin Ed.D., RN, NEA-BC; Mary Fortunato-Habib DNP, MS, RN; and Donna Gemme DNP, MS, RN presented at the AACN Doctoral Education Conference in January 2021.  Their presentation “Organizational and Systems Leadership: Using a “Shark Tank” Approach to Apply Business Principles for Practice Change” purpose was to describe an innovative approach for teaching DNP learners to apply healthcare finance concepts to clinically impactful organizational change projects.  Watch the whole presentation here: https://youtu.be/9tcu5Ejk9Z0

Congratulations! Shari Harding, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, CPRP, Assistant Professor on her article “Supporting the Oral Health Needs of Individuals with Mental Illness” in the January/February 2021 Oral Health issue of Worcester Medicine.  Read the article (page 11) here: https://bit.ly/3aI2LSe

Shari Harding article publication: Harding, S. L.  (2021).  Intermittent fasting: Clinical considerations.  The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, [e-pub 2/21/21] Intermittent Fasting: Clinical Considerations - ScienceDirect

Shari Harding contributed the "OCD and Related Disorders" chapter to a recently published textbook:  I Rhoads & P. J. M. Murphy (Eds.), Clinical consult to psychiatric nursing for advanced practice.  New York, Springer Publishing.

Gallery of Leadership - Addressing Racism and Inequality
AACN is proud to announce this new section of our Gallery of Leadership focused on addressing racism and inequality and fostering inclusive learning environments.
To recognize academic nursing's work to address structural racism and advance equitable change, AACN has developed a Gallery of Leadership, which features insights and inspirations from member deans. A new introductory video has been created to highlight specific ways academic nursing leaders are moving to redesign systems and foster more inclusive learning environments.  
Our Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing video has made it to the AACN Gallery of Leadership.  With contributions from Joan Vitello, Dean of the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing; Max Quinn, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management; Ken Peterson, Assistant Professor; and Ricardo Poza, Assistant Dean of Curriculum Innovation.  Click on the images to view videos https://bit.ly/2NwmSKl

Annual NONPF Conference April 2021, podium presentation acceptance
Jill Terrien, Associate Dean for Interprofessional and Community Partnerships; Janet Hale, Professor; Jennifer Tjia and Janice Sabin.  Title: “Collaborating with vulnerable communities for authentic simulation experiences to increase NP provider awareness of the impact of social determinants of health, implicit bias and racism on health outcomes”
Susan Feeney, Director, Adult-Gerontology, Family & Psych Mental Health NP Tracks; Alexander Menard, Assistant Professor; Coordinator, Acute Care Track; Rachel Richards, Assistant Professor; Coordinator, AG-PCNP track. Title: “Innovation and Adaptation During a Pandemic to preserve program integrity and student progress”
Alaina Valcourt, BSN, RN, Heather Lovelace, MS, FNP-BC, RN, Jean Boucher, PhD, ANP-BC, Michele Pugnaire, MD Title: “Innovative Strategies for Nurse Practitioner Education: Virtual Interprofessional Global Health Initiative During a Worldwide Pandemic”
Rachel Richards, DNP, ANP-BC, Coordinator, Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program Track; Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC, Coordinator, Family Nurse Practitioner Program Track; Alexander Menard, DNP, AGACNP-BC, Coordinator, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program Track Title: Innovation and Adaptation During a Pandemic

ENRS Conference Presentation: Alexandra Young MS, AGACNP-BC; Dawn Carpenter, DNP, ACNP-BC, CCRN, Alexander Menard DNP, AGACNP-BC, Michelle O’Rourke, DNP, RN, CCRN, Erin Guyette MSN, RN, Johnny Isenberger MS, ACNP-BC, Ulysses Torres, MD.  “Pedal to the Metal: Nurse-Led Early Mobility Protocol Using Cycle Ergometry for Adult Surgical ICU Patients”

Women’s Health Concentration
We’ve had many students over the years express an interest in practicing in women's health.  The Contemporary Issues in Women's Health elective (N 691) was developed & has been offered since 2006.  In 2018 we developed a new advanced course in women's health (N 693).  As part of the new Concentration in Women’s Health students take both courses (N691 & N693) the summer before the clinical practice year. So far 20 students have completed this new Concentration. Three Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing Alumni teach the courses. N691 course is taught by Rosemary Theroux (PhD) & Cathy Violette (DNP) and N693 course is taught by Mary Fischer (PhD). All three are certified women's health nurse practitioners (WHNP-BC) with many years of clinical practice, including UMass Memorial Medical Center Women's health Services.

Dr. Mechelle Plasse, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner track
Published in Massachusetts Report on Nursing.  Read her article “Running towards the fire: recognizing and managing traumatic distress among acute care health providers amid a pandemic” https://www.nursingald.com/publications/2199 
Journal article: Psychosocial support for providers working high-risk exposure units during a pandemic: A critical discussion, Nursing Inquiry  Published Jan 2021   http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nin.12399
Podium conference presentation (virtual) titled: "Incorporating allyship and social justice into a competency-based graduate nursing curriculum: A parallel process of critical consciousness and skill acquisition" @ International Society for Psychiatric Nursing (ISPN) 23rd annual conference:  Resiliency in Action: Advocating for Healthy Communities on March 25, 2021.
Mechelle Plasse, PhD, APRN-BC Psychosocial support for providers working high risk exposure settings during a pandemic: A critical discussion
Psychological first aid is a form of support designed to lessen disaster related distress. In a pandemic, providers may need such support but with the high risk of exposure, such a program is offered. 

Mechelle J. Plasse, PhD, APRN-BC, Assistant Professor presented her abstract at International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses 23rd Annual Conference. Abstract Title: Incorporating allyship and social justice into a competency-based graduate nursing curriculum: A parallel process of critical consciousness and skill acquisition