Message from Dean Woods
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The end of the academic year approaches, and we are all focused on convocation and commencement – events that celebrate both endings and beginnings. For me, this year represents both. We have some firsts ahead of us, including celebrating the graduating members of our first class to earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree! Soon, they will begin the next phase of careers destined to transform health care and nursing education.

At the same time, we are marking endings. For me, the end of Campaign UW: Creating Futures will mark a time to celebrate all the generous people who have contributed to supporting nursing during the past eight years. The endowed scholarships and fellowships for students, and the endowed professorships, chair, and deanship for faculty, are significant gifts that will support our school in perpetuity. This is really worth celebrating!

As Marla Salmon and I work together to ensure our transition preserves all that is wonderful about our school, we all will begin a new era – one that can only bring us to new firsts!

--Nancy Woods

Editor’s Note: Watch for the spring issue of the school’s Connections magazine, which will begin arriving in mailboxes by the end of this week. This issue includes a special tribute to Dean Nancy Woods and a look at the impact of the school’s fund-raising campaign.

Campaign UW: Creating Futures Update
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June 30 marks the end of the UW’s eight-year fund-raising campaign, with more than $2.6 billion raised through April. But the UW’s Faculty/Staff/Retiree Campaign for Students still has seven months to go. To date, nursing faculty, staff and retirees have endowed five scholarships and 17 fellowships to support students. For about $41 per paycheck, you can create an endowed scholarship in your own name or in honor of someone else. Your minimum donation of $5,000 can be paid over five years and qualifies for a 1:1 match by the university up to $10,000.

For more information, contact Chris Miller in the nursing development office: chrismil@u.washington.edu or 206-221-7674.

SoN in the News
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“Sleep troubles vary between Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers,” KING-5 TV, May 2, 2008:
Features SUSAN MCCURRY, research prof., PCH.
http://www.k5thehometeam.com/Global/story.asp?S=8265406&nav=menu177_7_2_10

“Saving marriages can save tax dollars, advocates argue,” Seattle P-I, May 7, 2008:
Features PAMELA L. JORDAN, assoc. prof., FCN.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362168_marriage08.html

“School of Nursing honors profession’s leaders,” UWeek, May 8, 2008:
http://uwnews.org/uweek/uweekarticle.asp?Search=Nursing&articleid=41569

“Fund state nursing programs or face critical shortage,” The (Tacoma) News Tribune, May 27, 2008:
Commentary co-authored by JUDY HUNTINGTON, executive director of the Washington State Nurses Association and 2008 winner of the SoN’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/353149.html

Nursing was featured during May on the front page of HealthLinks, the UW health sciences online library:
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/

“A bed for every child who needs one,” The Seattle Times, May 29, 2008:
Commentary by SUSAN HEATH, assistant dean for clinical-nursing practice and chief nursing officer at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004444415_heathop29.html

Honors and Awards
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NANCY WOODS, the Robert G. & Jean A. Reid Endowed Dean, was honored with the Shining Star Award by the King County Nurses Association at its annual meeting and banquet in May. The award honors nurses nominated by their peers for excellence in clinical, educational, research or administrative practice. The professional organization of 2,500 registered nurses also awarded $1,500 scholarships to three SoN nursing students: BSN students CARLY CONWAY and CHRISTINA ESCOTO, and DNP student JANE BALTIMORE.

DORIS BOUTAIN, assoc. prof., PCH, and BRENDA ZIERLER, assoc. dean, TIER, were selected to receive the 2008 Sandy Eyres Faculty Appreciation Award. The award recognizes faculty members for their professional collaboration and courtesy and was presented at the May Staff Advisory Council meeting. All 2008 nominees were: Doris Boutain, Cathryn Booth-LaForce, Marie Annette Brown, Susan Flagler, Terri Simpson, Joie Whitney and Brenda Zierler.

Doris Boutain, Sandy Eyres and Brenda Zierler

Photo by: Carolyn Chow

Faculty
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NOEL CHRISMAN, prof., PCH, traveled to Taiwan for two weeks in May to present a lecture on “Milestones in the Development of Cultural Competence in Nursing” to faculty and students of National Taipei College of Nursing and at the International Conference of Cultural Competence in Education and Practice at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan. In addition, he gave lectures in the two classes on transcultural nursing at NCKU and met with the students who plan to visit the UW this summer.

SANDY MOTZER, prof., BNHS and Vice Associate Dean for Academic Programs, is retiring June 15. She first was appointed in BNHS in 1976. Sandy plans to spend time with her husband, Tim, developing their Westport property, spending time in Hawaii, traveling, and enjoying Seattle.

New Grant Awards

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GEORGE DEMIRIS, assoc. prof., BNHS
Title: Technology Enhanced Nursing Interventions for Hospice Care
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Abstract: http://www.son.washington.edu/research/Grants/ShowAbstract.asp?ProjectID=1294

TERRI SIMPSON, assoc. prof., BNHS
Title: Nurse Educator Preparation for Academic and Clinical Settings
Sponsor: Health Resources and Services Administration
Abstract: http://www.son.washington.edu/research/Grants/ShowAbstract.asp?ProjectID=1215

Staff
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Staff Fellowship & Award
SoN staff members enrolled in a Washington State-funded higher education program at the UW may apply for financial assistance through a new endowment for SoN staff.

http://www.son.washington.edu/internal/sac/Staff%20Fellowship.asp.

Staff Advisory Council (SAC)
Thank you to JAIME PALMER and LAURA MASON for their two years of service. Welcome to DAGMAR SCHMIDT, new SAC member, and CYNDIE FOX, incoming SAC chair as of June 30.

Nominations will be accepted for the Indrani de Saram Award Staff Recognition Award later this month. For more information:

http://www.son.washington.edu/internal/sac/recognition/aandb.asp

Recommendations for SoN climate changes that stemmed from surveys of staff have been shared with administrators and staff members.

TIER
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NURSKIT2 provides advanced work-from-home features, including Mac support, easier remote access to K, O, and V drives (for Windows users), and additional security enhancements. To access NURSKIT2, visit https://intranet.son.washington.edu/nurskit/

Microsoft Office 2007 will be installed on all SONNET computers by July 4th. TIER is organizing training sessions; specific information about topics and dates will be announced soon. For information on the new features and changes in Office 2007, visit http://tinyurl.com/65olvy

Students
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Congratulations to ELIZABETH KANG, current MN-APCHSN student, and DELONNA ZARELLI, current PhD student, on winning the Promise of Nursing for Washington Regional Faculty Fellowship, which provides funding for RNs pursing graduate education to prepare them for careers as nurse educators. These awards are part of Johnson & Johnson’s national campaign to enhance nursing education across the country.

Academic Services
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The SoN will be recruiting on the following dates:

June 6: Neuropsych drug CNE
June 17: Nurse Educator CNE
June 19-20: CCRN review at Madigan Army Medical Center

June 25: Gear-Up project

June 25-28: Pediatric Nutrition CNE

Mark Your Calendars
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Convocation
The 2008 School of Nursing Convocation will take place at Meany Theater on Friday, June 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. This year, we will once again honor student and faculty award winners as well as more than 200 nursing graduates from six degree and certificate programs. This year’s Convocation also marks endings and beginnings, as Nancy Woods presides for the last time as Dean, and we recognize our first two DNP program graduates. More information about Convocation 2008 may be found at: http://www.son.washington.edu/students/graduation/default.asp As always, Academic Services welcomes the help of any staff member who wishes to volunteer. Please contact Erica Winberry, keridwen@u.washington.edu, if you’d like to help.

Alzheimer’s Care in the 21st Century
The UW Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) will host its annual Alzheimer’s disease forum on June 18 on the UW campus. “Alzheimer’s Care in the 21st Century” will include presentations by ADRC faculty LINDA TERI, prof., PCH, who will present “Enhancing Care for People with Dementia: Advances in Non-pharmacological Treatments,” and Murray A. Raskind, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who will present “Medication Treatment of Disruptive Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.” Refreshments will be available at 6:30 p.m., and the program will begin at 7 p.m. in Kane Hall 220. Admission is free. For additional information, call 206-221-6563 or visit the ADRC website: http://www.uwadrc.org.

Donna Berry Celebration
Please join us as we say goodbye to DONNA BERRY, the Myrene C. McAninch Term Professor in Nursing, BNHS, as she moves to her new role at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass. The celebration will be June 20 at 7 p.m. at the Graham Visitor Center in the Washington Park Arboretum. Please RSVP to Judith Kelson by June 15:
jkelson@u.washington.edu.

CWHGR Summer Institute 2008
The Center for Women’s Health and Gender Research (CWHGR) Summer Institute 2008, “Navigating the Road from Descriptive Studies to Interventions,” will be held June 19-20, T661 Health Sciences Bldg. Faculty, pre- and postdoctoral scholars are welcome to attend. To download a brochure, please visit: http://www.uw-cwhr.org/news.html. Contact Kendra Hayward (khayward@u.washington.edu) for more information.

Continuing Nursing Education

June 6: Neuropsychtropic Drug Therapy
http://www.son.washington.edu/cne/secure/display3.asp?SKU=08122-C

June 9- Aug 15: Medical-Surgical Nursing 2008: Review Course for Practice and Certification (Online Course) http://www.son.washington.edu/cne/secure/display3.asp?SKU=08134-A-SP

June 17: Annual Nurse Educator Conference 2008: Cultivating a Culture of Civility & Respect in Nursing Education & Practice http://www.son.washington.edu/cne/secure/display3.asp?SKU=08136-C

June 25-27: Assuring Pediatric Nutrition in the Hospital and Community http://www.son.washington.edu/cne/secure/display3.asp?SKU=08135-A-C

JULY

July 10: Advancing Gerontological Nursing—Innovative Approaches in Practice & Academic Settings http://www.son.washington.edu/cne/secure/display3.asp?SKU=08121-C

For more information, go to http://www.uwcne.org or call 206-543-1047.