2020: International Year of the Nurse and Midwife the UF College of nursinG Highlights Our ALumni, Faculty, and Students
When the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse and Midwife,” it was welcomed within the nursing profession with open arms and hearts. Now, more than ever, nurses deserve the recognition this designation brings with it. While the battle continues, the UF College of Nursing wants Gator Nurses to know that we are here for you. We support you. We thank you for your sacrifices. This page highlights some of the heroic stories of our alumni, students and faculty who served and continue to serve on the front lines.
College of Nursing Founding Dean
Dorothy Smith
As founding dean in 1956, Dorothy Smith dreamed of a new form of nursing education — a school where knowledge-based clinical excellence was the norm for administrators, faculty members, staff nurses and students alike. Smith brought national recognition to the UF BSN program through the introduction of bold nursing innovations, often contrary to established practice and, therefore, highly controversial. A pioneer and visionary in the nursing field, Smith influenced nursing education’s renewed commitment to and influence in clinical nursing—a commitment that laid the foundation for many of the most important nursing advances over the past few decades.
Alumni
Carolyn Adams
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure in March, the Estella Byrd Whitman Wellness and Community Resource Center was able to reopen its doors as a medical clinic in August to once again provide services to the community. The non-profit center was established by Carolyn Adams (BSN 1972, MSN 1973) and opened in its permanent location in West Ocala in spring 2018, providing health care and resources to a community in desperate need. Adams and her late husband, Arthur, were inspired by the college’s nurse-managed clinic, Archer Family Health Care, and her former classmate Dr. Dee Williams, who helped establish the Archer clinic.
“I made numerous trips to Archer Family Health Care throughout the years,” Adams said. “Dr. Williams totally embraced my idea for a clinic in Ocala and was more than accommodating with whatever advice she could give me on clinic policies, procedures and purchasing. The Estella Byrd Whitman Wellness Center would not be here if it were not for the advice I received from my classmate.”
Linda Aiken
When Dr. Linda Aiken (BSN 1964, MSN 1966) graduated from the UF College of Nursing, her mentor and the college’s Founding Dean Dorothy Smith knew Aiken’s potential and the impact she would have on nursing and health care. As an internationally renowned researcher whose pioneering work has transformed the profession and patient outcomes, this year Aiken followed in Smith’s footsteps by being named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing, the academy’s highest honor. She credits the great education she received at the UF College of Nursing that made her an excellent clinical nurse and provided her with the foundation to excel in research and impact public policy for the greater good. To honor her, all Gator Nursing alumni and friends are asked to make a gift to the Linda Harman Aiken Professorship. All gifts made by today, Dec. 18, will be matched up to $10,000. Make your gift here now.
“All Gator Nurses that I meet have a commitment to evidence-based practice that makes them stand out in any setting. Being a UF graduate is not just a club but a shared commitment to excellence that remains a recognizable trait. I am proud to be a Gator Nurse.” – Dr. Linda Aiken
Diana Andersen Davis
Gator Nurses possess a natural ability to connect with patients and forge strong bonds. Listen carefully to references of “Diana” and “children laughing” in a recent video produced by UFHealth. The video follows Moe Ricks and his journey toward receiving a new heart and kidney. The organs he was to receive were being flown to Gainesville when the plane struck a flock of birds. Diana Andersen-Davis (ABSN 2015) is an RN at the UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital and served as a grounding presence for Moe during his time in the hospital and beyond. Throughout his healing journey, he wrote and recorded an original song, which includes references to Diana and her children. Theirs is a true story of friendship and how College of Nursing graduates Care, Lead, and Inspire. Watch the video here.
Shaila Bahl
After alumna Shaila Bahl (BSN 2011) and her husband both recovered from COVID-19, she knew she had to help others affected by this disease. Being able to provide a personal understanding of having COVID-19 helped make her a good candidate to serve on the front lines. After reaching out to a contact from college who was looking for volunteers in New York, she offered to go and was on a plane the next day. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, she was willing to do whatever was needed, and ended up caring for adult patients in the MICU at Metropolitan Hospital Center for three weeks. Since then she has returned to Florida and safely quarantined prior to returning to her full-time job in Miami.
“At Metropolitan Hospital Center I saw loss, heartache and devastation. People fighting for their lives with incredible strength and determination. It’s like nothing I could have ever imagined. I also saw complete strangers from around the country come together to perform miracles, heroic measures and lifesaving treatments. The compassion of the health care workers around me was contagious. When I felt defeated, they lifted me up and encouraged me to keep going.”
Valerie Berman
Valerie Berman (Accelerated BSN ’19) is an RN on an adult medical/surgical/telemetry unit at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, FL, that was quickly converted into a COVID-19 telemetry unit. She is also in a nurse residency program and will be starting our DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program this fall. While she knew for most of her life that she wanted to work in health care, she could have never imaged she would be starting out as a new nurse graduate in the middle of a global pandemic. But her schooling here at the College of Nursing helped prepare her to fight COVID-19 courageously and with confidence.
“Days after finishing orientation and finally working without a preceptor, our manager called us into a meeting to announce our unit was being converted into a COVID-19 telemetry floor. I was terrified at first about bringing the disease home to my family, but I gradually became more confident as I got used to wearing full PPE and working with new routines. Because the challenges presented by COVID-19 are new to everyone regardless of their level of experience, it has given us all unique opportunities to be innovative and inquisitive, both the young nurses and seasoned physicians alike. I’m so happy to help make this world better while learning so much every day! I’d like to give a special shout-out to the College of Nursing for preparing me so well for everything, even the unimaginable.”
Joseph Bertulfo
One Gator Nurse contributing to the COVID-19 response at the federal level is Joseph Bertulfo (BSN 1993). He is the director of the Occupational Health and Safety Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. OHSO is part of an agency-wide effort to support communities across the country respond to COVID-19. Bertulfo and OHSO staff have helped prepare over 1,000 CDC staff to safely deploy across the United States and abroad.
“It is an honor to work with so many dedicated safety and public health professionals who work every day to help keep our colleagues safe in the field. I can’t help but feel a sense of pride when I see my agency’s contributions actively protecting the health of local communities.”
Marianne Mathewson-Chapman
As the first female and first nurse to be named Major General in the National Guard, Gator Nurse Dr. Marianne Mathewson-Chapman (PhD ’95) is accustomed to shattering glass ceilings. She enlisted in the Navy following graduation from her nursing diploma program to fulfill her dream of travelling the world. After experience in combat deployment, medic training, foreign hospital site evaluation and also civilian nursing, Mathewson-Chapman was promoted to Major General, where she was responsible for the health and welfare health programs for all 343,000 personnel of the National Guard. .
“Following my deployment, I was enthusiastic to pursue doctoral training in nursing, with a program that had the same values and commitment to humanistic and patient-centered care: UF College of Nursing. As a doctoral student and veteran, I developed a research mind that is data-driven and identified the holistic needs of veterans, especially when returning from combat deployments. As a Gator Nurse, I was able to accomplish my goals and contribute publications to lead health care professionals in understanding returning veterans on-going health care needs.” – Dr. Marianne Mathewson-Chapman
Shari Constantini
As a renowned expert in the health care industry and CEO of Avant Healthcare Professionals, it’s no surprise that Gator Nurse Shari Costantini (BSN 1988) has received numerous awards and recognition for her contributions. Shari was named the College of Nursing’s 2020 Alumna of the Year. She is also a three-time recipient of the UF Alumni Association’s Gator 100 Award, which recognizes the top 100 Gator-owned or led businesses.
Sara Copeland
Dr. Sara Copeland (BSN ’12, DNP ’16) gave birth to her son on the third day of the Accelerated BSN program and her daughter during the DNP program. The college provided a dedicated space for Copeland to pump, and she says the faculty were always understanding and supportive. She quickly realized babies and breastfeeding were her passion. As a pediatric nurse practitioner and certified lactation consultant with UF Health Pediatrics Tioga, she aims to be an empathetic provider since she understands that life is hectic and parents are often in survival mode. Now, she looks forward to resuming hands-on, personal interactions with patients and the end of COVID-19, which has required virtual visits and keeping distance during lactation consultations.
“It is one of the most basic acts in nature, to feed your baby/to nurse, but it is sometimes surprisingly difficult, an unnatural feeling, or just a little scary at the beginning. I am honored that I get to spend time with the family helping them to learn to understand their baby better and hopefully give some confidence to the parents.”
Kelly Cynkar
Kelly S. Cynkar (BSN 1999 and MSNSG 2000), a nurse practitioner at Comprehensive Women’s Health, has faced new challenges with COVID-19, quickly evolving and adapting to better serve patients. Wanting to ensure all patients and staff were safe, Telehealth appointments became an important tool in helping Cynkar’s patients limit the spread and possible exposure to COVID-19, while also ensuring they continued receiving quality medical care and advice from the comfort of their home. While adjusting to the “new normal” of patient care in the midst of a pandemic has been a team effort, it is clear that her training within the college has come full circle in helping her provide the best possible care.
“Being a Gator Nurse has impacted my career greatly and helped me become the advanced care provider I am today by giving me a strong foundation in both nursing education and practice. I’ll never forget those hours studying pharmacology with classmates then applying that information to practice in the various rural clinics I had the opportunity to help as part of my Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner training. It is truly an honor and privilege to be able to provide care for those in need, which is something the College of Nursing instilled in me early on in my nursing career. I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunities my education has provided me.”
Chioma Echeazu
Chioma Echeazu (ABSN ‘17 and DNP ’20) is a recent DNP graduate who was part of the first graduating class of the UF College of Nursing – Jacksonville Accelerated BSN program. As part of the first graduating class, she felt like she was a part of history, helping decide what will work for future students of the program. She is currently a nurse at Winnie Palmer Hospital in Orlando and hopes to work in Women’s Health, helping to reduce the disparities in the vulnerable population in prenatal and postnatal care, now that she is a DNP! Being a Gator Nurse has impacted her in many ways, helping her feel prepared for anything and confident in her abilities as a nurse. Her name Chioma means ‘God is good’ – and her Christian values help her every day to treat her patients like family.
Angela Godwin
As a clinical assistant professor at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and recent DNP graduate from Columbia University School of Nursing, Angela Godwin (BSN 2004) most enjoys the fact that the nursing students she teaches are out making a difference, saving lives and are better clinicians because of her guidance. Dr. Godwin says she took away a proud legacy from the UF College of Nursing, which she now shares with her students.
“I have a unique outlook on nursing that makes me even more caring. The connections and lifelong friendships from nursing school are priceless. I want students to enjoy their clinicals and nursing student experience like I did.”
Amaya Hill
COVID-19 impacted our day-to-day lives on so many levels. Shelter-in-place orders coupled with schools closing required some to work from home and embrace a new way of life. Some are also now learning that being a stay-at-home parent is not for the faint of heart. Following graduation, Amaya Cadiz Hill (BSN 2000), was a NICU nurse for 14 years, six of those were spent as a traveling RN. For the past five years, however, she has dedicated her life to raising her three kids in the San Francisco Bay area.
“During this unprecedented time in our world, when everyone is staying home with their families and practicing social distancing, ironically, I find an even greater sense of community and togetherness with friends. I’m sure most people will find a new appreciation for stay-at-home moms once this whole ordeal subsides.”
Ann Lurie and Goldie Wasman
For Ann Lurie and Goldie Wasman, who were college roommates and graduated from the BSN Class of 1967, their friendship has held strong for more than 50 years. Wasman has spent the last 25 years teaching and inspiring young nurses at the University Of Miami School Of Nursing And Health Studies. Students consistently note they hope to be a nurse just like her, while also highlighting her great sense of humor.
For Lurie, her mother was a nurse and the inspiration behind her pursuit of her own career in nursing. As a philanthropist, Lurie’s mantra — “Do a good deed daily” — has driven her actions both on a large and a small scale. She established and oversaw a medical clinic and hospital in rural Kenya for 12 years. Lurie is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chair of the Friends of the Lurie Cancer Center and a donor to Human Rights Watch, among many other involvements.
“Goldie and I are each intensely curious and have continued to grow and learn over the years,” Lurie said. “I have found that I can make positive changes by being tenacious, asking questions and, to some extent, challenging authority. Being curious is a valued trait that keeps your mind sharp and your skills ‘competitive.’ Goldie remains my oldest and closest friend and finding her was life-changing for me.”
“I always wanted to be a nurse and help people,” Wasman said. “For the last 25 years, I’ve been able to teach nursing and inspire future nurses to love our profession as much as I do. I’m happy to have the memory of meeting my lifelong friend, Ann Lurie, at the College of Nursing 55 years ago. We always teamed up in clinicals because we share the same focus and love for nursing.”
Lisa Magary and Della Tuten
Lisa Magary (ABSN 2005, MSNSG 2006, DNP 2010) and Della Tuten (ABSN 2005 and MSNSG 2006) have known each other for over 25 years and together started their own practice in Gainesville, Celebrate Primary Care. When it came to pursuing a career in nursing, the College of Nursing’s ABSN program allowed both Margary and Tuten the opportunity to achieve their newfound dreams and goals. After working as a respiratory therapist for 12 years, Magary decided she was ready to do more and went to nursing school with the intention of becoming a nurse practitioner. After Tuten’s first undergraduate degree from UF, she considered going into law, but realized she desired to have more of an impact and make a difference in the lives of individuals on a daily basis. The ABSN program was like a little voice that called to her and she is thankful that she listened.
“I’m most proud of starting Celebrate and helping so many patients save money and improve their health when I think about my nursing career. We’ve provided jobs for other practitioners where they can feel they have a great place to work. With COVID-19, our practice was already set up to do telemedicine and we transitioned to that type of care as soon as everything closed down. Our patients had no lapse in access or care from our clinic. For them it was seamless and that means a lot to us.” – Lisa Magary
“When thinking about my nursing career, I am so proud of the people that I have been able to serve. I am so proud of Lisa and myself for taking the risk and starting this practice that has such a massive impact on the individuals/families we get to take care of. I love that we help other people practice medicine in the way they intended when they originally went to school.” – Della Tuten
Jade McBroom
Jade McBroom (BSN 2015) is currently pursuing her PhD and post-master’s certificate from Emory University. Jade is passionate about women’s health and health disparities. Her interest in research was piqued at UF as the research representative for the student nursing association and while attending the Southern Nursing Research Symposium. She was also the recipient of the 2015 Research Excellence Award. Her advice to current College of Nursing students: “As long as you never give up, you really are unstoppable.”
Evelyn Moore Mickle
As the first African American graduate from the College of Nursing in 1967, Evelyn Moore Mickle endured and overcame many obstacles to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse and helping others. Throughout the program, she often felt alone and unsupported, but she persevered with encouragement from her mother, who was a strong advocate for education, and Professor Emeritus Jodi Irving. A long-time leader in the Greater Gainesville Black Nurses Association, Mickle’s professional nursing career was diverse and distinguished.
“I believe that facing the adversities as I did and my struggles helped to make me who I am today. It has made me a stronger person and has allowed me to rely on my faith to see me through.” – Evelyn Mickle
David Penoyer
For David Penoyer (BSN ’73), being a member of Founding Dean Dorothy Smith’s final class was instrumental in many aspects of his nursing practice and foundation of patient care. Looking back at almost 50 years of being a nursing professional, Penoyer has used his education, skills and empathy taught at the UF College of Nursing in caring for each patient. He was a member of the U.S. Army Student Nurse Corps with two classmates, and remembers that Dr. Jo Snider administered their Oath of Allegiance as U.S. Army 1st Lieutenants at the conclusion of their pinning ceremony. Penoyer was later accepted into the U.S. Army Nurse Anesthesia Program after navigating different roles while serving, and he eventually joined two fellow Gator Nursing graduates to practice as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, or CRNA, in Venice, FL until retirement.
“As a Gator Nurse, I thoroughly enjoyed and cherished being a CRNA in the military and civilian setting. As nursing students, our faculty imparted their knowledge and constantly challenged us to question and always strive to improve through advancing our knowledge to improve patient care. I utilized these lessons throughout my career as a Gator Nurse.”
James Quinlan
In March, Dr. Jim Quinlan (DNP 2010) celebrated 20 years of having his own pediatric practice, following a career in the Air Force. He is passionate about providing primary care in underserved areas and opened Williston Pediatrics to help fill that need in a rural town. Dr. Quinlan attributes the skills and knowledge he gained from the College of Nursing DNP program for improving the financial footing of his clinic, helping keep his practice open.
Mary Rockwood Lane
While this year has been filled with a lot of uncertainty, Mary Rockwood Lane (BSN ’77 and PhD ’99) is working hard to continue inspiring, empowering and connecting nurses all around the world. After discovering the power of art as a transformative force in her life, she decided to combine her two passions of nursing and art so she could make an impact on the world. What has come since is a successful and rewarding career, becoming a visionary leader for nurses to integrate creative healing arts in practice, which was solidified when she won the Dorothy M. Smith Nursing Leadership Award for Excellence in Creativity this year.
“Being a Gator Nurse brings me great joy. My education here ignited my passion to be the best I could be. To our students, this is the best time to become a nurse. Nurses are on the forefront of providing health care. This world is changing, and our students will be the change makers. Open your heart and know that nursing is your calling. And remember that you belong to this sacred and noble profession which is based on caring, love and compassion. You are the ones we have been waiting for.”
Gemma Rosello
Gemma Rosello (BSN ’79) has always been interested in the field of nursing, recognizing that nurses can relish the opportunity to discover the perfect specialty where an individual can utilize their own strengths and interests. In the beginning of her nursing career, Rosello was looking for the next step that would provide her more challenges and responsibility. Curious about becoming a Director of Nursing, she was offered the position at a community hospital and was able to put her nursing experience, skills and leadership to the test. There she was able to see the impact of health care to patients in the community. She was able to help the nursing department work more efficiently, which in turn, improved patient care and clinical outcomes. The time spent in this role provided her opportunities in advocating health care policy, better health care access and improvement in the hospital’s health care delivery. Now, she continues to utilize her strengths and interests as the VP of Clinical Support for Conviva Care Solutions, which represents physician practices, clinicians and patients across Texas and Florida.
“Gator Nurses have always been leaders in every part of health care. My time spent at the College of Nursing and my degree are of great value to me and was an important chapter in my life. Being a Gator has allowed me to have a successful professional career in health care. I was able to develop great relationships with a few of my fellow nursing students and are still close friends with them today. My memories are many, some funny, stressful and most of all wonderful.”
Rose Sherman
Gator Nurses are known for their abilities to Care, Lead, and Inspire, and the wide range of opportunities they encounter throughout their careers. Dr. Rose Sherman (BSN 1976) is no exception. As the recipient of the 2020 AACN American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Pioneer Spirit Award, Dr. Sherman was recognized for her contributions to innovative nurse leader development activities. Her career spans over 40 years and includes VA nursing, serving as a professor at the FAU Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, serving as the editor in chief of “Nurse Leader,” the American Organization of Nurse Leaders’ official journal, owning her own business hosting leadership development workshops and publishing the 2019 leadership book called “The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave.” Having first completed a bachelor’s degree in political science and attending law school at UF, she quickly realized her heart was actually in nursing. After graduating, it turned out being a Gator Nurse was instrumental in landing her first job at the Miami VA Medical Center.
“Getting employed by the VA as a new graduate was very difficult at that time. My supervisors told me that the reason they hired me was because I was a UF grad. What is so remarkable about nursing is the diversity of opportunities. I have been a staff nurse, a nurse leader, a nursing professor, a journalist and a business owner. Nursing made it all possible.”
Nancy Shirey
Nancy Shirey (MSNSG ’98) is a licensed advanced practice nurse in the state of Kentucky, as well as a certified nurse midwife by the American College of Nurse Midwives. Born and raised in Hong Kong above a mission hospital clinic, Shirey had a unique childhood. She was exposed to the field of nursing at a young age and almost immediately developed an interest in the profession. When she was little she told her mom she wanted to be a nurse and wanted to “take care of mothers and babies.” And that she did. After completing her primary education in Hong Kong, she relocated to California to receive her BSN. Upon graduation, Shirey enlisted in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and eventually went on to earn her MSNSG here at the College of Nursing. Now, after more than 20 years in the profession, she is starting up the CHI Saint Joseph Midwife Clinic.
For Denise Daly-Stennis, it’s never too late to make a difference. With 36 years of nursing experience, she returned to school to earn her DNP degree after Florida passed HB 607 earlier this year, which gave nurse practitioners autonomy to practice to the full extent of their license. Daly-Stennis also jumped at the opportunity to serve on the College of Nursing’s Social Justice Steering Committee as a student representative because the death of George Floyd motivated her to take a closer look at systemic racism in America, more specifically systemic racism in mental health services and the effect it has on persons of color. She plans on opening a tele-psychiatry private practice upon graduation in 2022, with the main purpose of serving persons of color and helping them to get access to mental services.
“When I started the DNP program, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Social Justice Steering Committee was being organized and would help to educate UF nurses about the impact of racism on their colleagues and the patients of color they serve. It will also help nursing professionals to be aware of their own implicit bias and to gain insight as to how to work through these biases before serving patients of color. This, in turn, will help to alleviate systemic racism in health care services.” –Denise Daly-Stennis
Stephanie Weinsier
Stephanie Weinsier (BSN 1993, DNP 2011) wears many hats in the world of nursing. She works full time as an occupational health nurse practitioner and wellness center manager at American Express in Sunrise, Florida. She also works per diem in two of her local emergency departments as an advanced practice nurse. When not at work, she serves as the chair for the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Clinical Practice Committee and president for the Florida chapter. Now, more than ever, life and work are on full speed while battling COVID-19. She is working tirelessly to ensure her employees, community and those across the U.S. are safe and protected right now.
“This pandemic is something to experience. It is a true test of our physical and mental resilience as health care workers, as well as parents, community members and friends. It is not something I’ve witnessed in my 27 years of nursing practice. It is trying for nurses, especially new nurses, because there is uncertainty and it challenges you individually. It can be lonely — family may not support your ethical duty to step up and do the job because they love us and may not want us in harm’s way. As they say, nurses run toward the fire/accident/pandemic, not away from it! I am concerned for my colleagues, my patients, my family and my friends. But I know we must be smart, stick with the protocols and emerging scientific data, remain calm, sleep well and stay resilient to make an impact.”
Nursing Alumni Council
For more than 30 years, the Nursing Alumni Council has provided leadership, support and advisement to strengthen the link between alumni and the college’s administration, faculty, staff and students. In May, this amazing group convened virtually for their spring meeting and discussed student mentorship opportunities and the upcoming annual application for the Alumni Council Book Awards. Since 2005, the Book Awards have provided $57,000 in scholarships to 210 BSN students to help offset the cost of nursing textbooks.
Faculty
Sharon Adams
As a Certified Nurse Midwife, Dr. Sharon Adams has delivered over 1,000 babies into the world. Now as a clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing, she shares her love of midwifery with students. She tells her students to remain open-minded about where they may end up in their nursing career because she started out wanting to be a nurse anesthetist before falling in love with labor and delivery. For many years, Adams made home visits, providing care to the rural and Mennonite communities in Kentucky who were stricken with poverty and lack of providers, access and transportation.
“My favorite part of delivering babies is getting to know the whole family and being able and privileged to welcome the new member into their family. I get the first hug! I enjoy just being with the mother and significant other during their birth journey. No birth is ever the same, so you can never be bored.”
Karen Aul and David Derrico
This spring, students and colleagues nominated two very influential faculty members, Dr. Karen Aul and Professor David Derrico, for the college’s inaugural DAISY Foundation Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty. This award honors and celebrates nursing faculty for their inspirational influence on student nurses. As a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy, Derrico loved the opportunity to care for people, and it was then that he decided to pursue a career in nursing. Being a Gator Nurse since 1987 has truly been the opportunity of his lifetime. For Aul, she wanted to work in a profession where she was committed to caring for people with fortitude and compassion. She considers nursing as much more than a career.
“When I think about my nursing career, I am most proud of my years teaching at the UF College of Nursing and the past students who are leading nursing’s future. It is a true honor and privilege to be recognized as an inaugural winner of The DAISY award. For current and future Gator Nursing students, my advice is to enjoy every opportunity you have caring for patients and families. It is a privilege to make a difference in people’s lives.” – Prof. David Derrico
“I am most proud of being able to contribute to the nursing profession by educating and inspiring nursing students who are committed to providing the best clinical care. It warms my heart when nursing students learn that nursing is much more than tasks and technology. Nursing is about treating human beings with sensitivity, compassion and impacting patients and families with human spirit and kindness.” – Dr. Karen Aul
Jane Carrington
Dr. Jane M. Carrington has been named a 2021 fellow of AMIA, which recognizes health informatics leaders. Carrington is the College of Nursing’s Dorothy M. Smith Endowed Chair, the co-director for the Florida Blue Center for Health Care Quality and is internationally known for her areas of expertise in informatics and the electronic health record. She joined the college in January and has quickly enjoyed getting to know what it means to be a Gator Nurse. Drawn to health care at an early age, she took a winding path to get to where she is today — from being a physical education teacher, to working on an ambulance, to eventually pursuing nursing and academia. Carrington says she is most proud of her students for their accomplishments and the mark they will leave on nursing.
“With this honor, I stand on the shoulders of those who have come before me and paved the way for my research, teaching and service, so that I can contribute to informatics science and improving patient outcomes. As a Gator Nurse, I accept the challenge of helping to build our profession and continue moving nursing forward. I accept the challenge of serving as a leader to foster the development of young leaders. As a Gator Nurse, it’s not just thinking of today; it’s thinking of tomorrow.”
Read more about Dr. Carrington being named a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association here.
Jane Gannon
As a midwife, Dr. Jane Gannon, DNP, CNM, CHSE delivered 1,062 babies during the 11 years she worked at the Claire M. Lintilhac Nurse-Midwifery Service in Vermont. Now, as the assistant dean of simulation-based learning at the College of Nursing, Dr. Gannon is in charge of improving the learning experience of our ABSN students in Jacksonville and enhancing the opportunity for simulation and interprofessional education across both campuses. Dr. Gannon is dedicated to strengthening the college’s programs of teaching, research and patient care.
Universities and colleges across the country have had to replace face-to-face courses and clinical’s with virtual instruction in the wake of COVID-19. As leaders in delivering quality online instruction, the College of Nursing was able to quickly enhance virtual simulations to ensure we keep our students on track for degree progression and graduation. Dr. Gannon was instrumental in the success of our clinical simulation endeavors for the spring and summer 2020 semesters. She worked closely with our faculty to ensure our students learned the same critical thinking skills they would learn face-to-face with patients, but in a safe and virtual format.
“Once we moved to completely online clinical’s, we enhanced them by adding in activities like creating a care plan, providing patient education about treatment and care management based on the disease process the client in the video was experiencing. Students also had to identify interventions, the expected outcomes of those interventions and how they would evaluate the impact of those interventions. For instance, our graduating seniors were exposed to a challenging series of simulations focused on patients with COVID-19 or related respiratory illnesses. I think through these virtual simulations, clinical reasoning skills are enhanced, as students generally must contemplate what they would do in the real environment. The activities this spring, particularly the construction of care plans and patient teaching, reflect activities students would perform in the actual setting with actual patients. For the summer semester, the virtual simulations we will use will reflect even greater alignment with the actual clinical setting.”
Lisa Ferguson
College of Nursing Clinical Assistant Professor Lisa L. Ferguson, DNP, MSN, BSN, answered the call to help UF Health with COVID-19 testing in The Villages®, which began offering large-scale testing to residents of the region at the end of March. In this coordinated response to the coronavirus public health emergency, the initial efforts involved a team of about 25 volunteer UF Health medical professionals together with The Villages Health personnel to evaluate 400 to 500 people a day for a week who preregistered for evaluations and testing. They were assessed for symptoms, travel and exposure history and tested if they met clinical criteria. Depending on the severity of their illness, they were potentially further evaluated on-site or at a UF Health facility or sent home to self-quarantine while awaiting test results. Volunteering has provided new opportunities for her professionally, opened up new interactions with medical and physician assistant students and has given her an outlook on how important it is to keep pushing forward through these unprecedented times.
“Just seeing the participants who came out, who either were sick or weren’t, and were willing to undergo an uncomfortable procedure to help us understand this virus and its transmission better was enough to continue through the small discomforts we dealt with. Volunteering has also allowed me to demonstrate to students how medicine and nursing can work side by side as professionals without any ‘turf’ barriers present. I hope that they take that experience with them into their professional practices and help eliminate practice barriers currently facing nurse practitioners in our nation. Personally, it was quite a satisfying experience!”
Kathleen Ann Long
Dean Emeritus Dr. Kathleen Ann Long retired in 2013 with a strong Gator nursing legacy. Under her leadership, which lasted 18 years, the college achieved many firsts, including the implementation of the Accelerated BSN and BSN-to-PhD programs; the establishment of the college’s nurse-managed practice, Archer Family Health Care, to provide care to an underserved community; and the move into a new 173,133-square-foot building. Dean Emeritus Long was one of just two nurses selected to serve on the VA National Academic Affiliations Council. She also served as president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and as an associate provost at UF. Retirement, however, has brought new opportunities for her, both personally and professionally. Travelling to Africa was a favorite adventure, and she also enjoys consulting on nursing education and volunteering in a program to improve adult literacy.
“During my time at the College of Nursing, I found the students, faculty and alumni to be inspirational. They demonstrated commitment, creativity and compassion. I learned from them. ‘Care, Lead, Inspire’ is not just a tag line; it is accurate and meaningful.” – Dean Emeritus Kathleen Ann Long
Anna McDaniel
As the College of Nursing’s fifth dean, Dr. Anna McDaniel has transformed both the college’s research and educational missions. Under her leadership, the college has increased undergraduate enrollment through the addition of an Accelerated BSN program at the Jacksonville campus and the initiation of the RN-to-BSN program through University of Florida Online. The BSN curriculum was entirely transformed to align with current national recommendations and prepare graduates to practice nursing with knowledge-based clinical excellence. The college also now ranks in the top 15 of public universities for NIH research funding and has the top-rated DNP program in the state of Florida. When COVID-19 turned the world upside-down, Dean McDaniel led the college in transitioning course delivery fully online. At the same time, she also oversaw the renovation of the Kirbo Innovation and Learning Lab, a leading-edge simulation and learning center. For our final #GatoRNursing feature for the #YearOfTheNurseAndMidwife, we recognize and thank Dean McDaniel for her leadership, vision and innovation.
“I find being the dean of the UF College of Nursing during COVID-19 and the Year of the Nurse and Midwife to be both challenging and very rewarding. Although our faculty, staff and students may look to me for leadership and inspiration, I am the one who is grateful for and inspired by their resilience and fortitude.” – Anna M. McDaniel, Dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Professor
Leslie Parker
With more than $4.5 million in funding for research in the area of breastmilk and 35 years of clinical experience, it is safe to say UF College of Nursing Associate Professor Dr. Leslie Parker (BSN ’85, MSN ’92) is passionate about infant nutrition. She is a triple-threat scientist/practitioner/educator. Parker’s research focuses on assisting mothers in providing breastmilk to their critically ill or very premature infant. Her recent groundbreaking discovery led to nationwide practice changes in routine feeding procedures for pre-term infants, and it is her hope that infants in the NICU will have fewer complications and improved health. Read more.
“Since Florence Nightingale, nurses have cared for patients using a holistic approach. We not only care for their physical ailments, but promote their spiritual and emotional health, as well as that of their family. I believe nursing is the foundation of health care, and to have our profession honored with the 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife designation is both humbling, exhilarating but also so well-deserved.”
Denise Schentrup
When it came to applying to college and selecting a major, Denise Schentrup (BSN ’93 and MNSG ’96) was initially interested in accounting, but she could not see herself crunching numbers all day. Eventually she was drawn to nursing and to this day she considers it the best decision she has ever made. Being part of the UF College of Nursing gave Schentrup the step up to become a great nurse, thanks to the many resources available to students and the excellent faculty who opened her eyes to what nurses can do. Getting her BSN from UFCON and now having the opportunity to work here has been a great experience. Serving as the associate dean for clinical affairs and clinical director for Archer Family Health Care, she loves what she does and never thought her nursing degree would have taken her where she is today.
“Often with nursing, our responsibilities are not as visible as we would like. It is our responsibility to educate others as to what we can do to improve care delivery. Part of my responsibilities include providing administrative oversight of AFHC and continuing to provide care to patients. This practice is nurse-led and our mission is to provide quality care to individuals. I am most proud of being a part of the team at Archer Family Health Care. In this role, I believe I represent what nurses can do to improve care delivery. I enjoy having students and explaining to them our practice and what we have accomplished over the last 19 years.”
Jo Snider and Jodi Irving
One cannot speak of Gator Nursing without mentioning Professors Emeriti Dr. Jo Snider and Jodi Irving. The impact Snider and Irving have had on the College of Nursing cannot be measured simply by the number of nursing students they have taught (thousands), the number of dollars they have helped raised for key college initiatives (millions) or the number of years they have remained loyal to the college (over 60). After being hired by Founding Dean Dorothy Smith and working with every subsequent dean at the college, Irving and Snider retired in 2011 and 2014, respectively, but maintain a courtesy faculty appointment teaching in the psychiatric mental health DNP track and as active members of the college’s Alumni Council and Dean’s Campaign Council.
“I leave it to my former students to say how or even if I have given most of them something positive in the years during and since school. I do hear from many of our alumni and this is important to me. I take great pride in their professional and personal accomplishments. I hope, in retrospect, that most of them learned how to speak Southern and engage positively with the recipients of their efforts.” – Dr. Jo Snider
“I believe being a Gator Nurse faculty member helped to create some of the best parts of me as a person. It is my hope that I have influenced my students to maintain integrity with their patients, to empathize with them and to be tolerant of the myriad issues with which their patients will be dealing. This is a special college that will continue its excellence in educational, practice and research opportunities. Gator Nurses have a strong legacy of leadership and make contributions wherever they go.” – Jodi Irving
Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini
College of Nursing Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Global Affairs, Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini, PhD, RN, FAAN, is passionate about doing research with and for underserved minorities and underserved populations. Currently, she has research underway regarding the mental well-being of Migrant Farmworkers and rural LGBT+ adolescents. She serves as the EMBRACE program coordinator, which stands for Engaging Multiple-communities of BSN students in Research and Academic Curricular Experiences, which was created to help foster and encourage an environment of diversity and inclusion at the College of Nursing. The central pillar of the program is mentorship, and each participating student is paired with a nursing faculty member who best matches the student’s research interest. With the faculty mentors, the students are expected to complete a research, leadership, educational or quality improvement project and participate in monthly meetings. The framework of this program is now serving as a national model for other colleges that seek to create opportunities to advance diversity and inclusion of underrepresented students. Additionally, she serves as a board member for the Southern Nursing Research Society. She is always striving to be an excellent faculty member and researcher, as well as a great mentor. She believes that her students’ success is the most meaningful outcome in her career. Working towards promoting diversity is challenging, but she works intentionally to disrupt structures that uphold injustices in nursing, towards advancing underrepresented professionals and for supporting populations’ health equity.
Ellen Terry
During her deployment to Iraq with the U.S. Army, Gator Nurse Assistant Professor Dr. Ellen Terry earned a Purple Heart due to an injury sustained when a roadside bomb exploded and caused shrapnel to enter her vehicle. Serving in the military helped Terry realize that she is capable of doing a lot more than she could ever imagine, and that shines through the inspirational work she does for our college and the community through her research, which focuses on developing behavioral interventions to reduce pain catastrophizing.
“My service in the Army has taught me important values in being disciplined, having integrity and persevering despite how challenging the mission may appear, while treating others with respect, and these values play an important role in my approach as a researcher and a mentor. Additionally, Veteran’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on and recognize those who have served in the U.S. military with appreciation and gratitude for the sacrifices they have made for our country and our freedoms.” – Dr. Ellen Terry
Watch her story here.
Students
Peihung ‘Peter’ Chen
As a West Point graduate and former Army captain who served for 26 years, Peihung ‘Peter’ Chen felt lucky to return unscathed from combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning home, he knew he wanted to help fellow veterans, which is what inspired him to pursue nursing. UF made the most sense for him both personally and professionally because of the Accelerated BSN program and because his wife, Candyce, works at UF Health in the Admission Discharge Transition Unit. Now, in his second semester of the Accelerated BSN program, Peter couldn’t be prouder or happier with his decision.
“I imagine every nurse has an affinity for a special patient population. It is this concern for all these different patients that nurses make their greatest contribution to society by making the health care system work. While a relatable and empathetic connection to the patients is an important foundation, there are three qualities that I hold as core-beliefs that will also serve me well as a nurse: caring, excellence and teamwork. While a nurse who is caring and who attains technical excellence will do much for the patients, a nurse who readily integrates as part of the care team will be truly effective by synergistically multiplying everyone’s efforts and expertise.”
Beryl and Moses Ekatitie
Beryl and Moses Ekatitie believe in the American Dream. Making a life together and raising children are aspirations for many, but most would never consider working with a significant other — let alone attending the same academic program. But the Ekatities, who are DNP students and work together at North Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center, have always worked side-by-side starting with how they met in Nigeria taking care of the same patient and continuing on to running a general practice together for 20 years. When they met, Beryl was a registered nurse and Moses was completing his internship as a medical doctor at the University of Lagos. They eventually immigrated to the United States to provide better educational opportunities for their four children and continue in their own pursuit of higher education. Knowing there was no better nursing program in Florida, they chose the UF College of Nursing psychiatric mental health DNP program, and while their journey has not always been easy, they believe focus and persistence have paid off for them.
“We believe that America is the land of opportunity. It is open to the individual who can apply themselves appropriately. One thing that doesn’t change irrespective of your work or career line when you are coming to the United States is that it’s always good to go back to school, no matter your age. Once you have a degree or license from here, the sky is the limit.” – Moses Ekakitie
“The most important thing is to remain focused. There were a lot of things I wanted to do but couldn’t because of my accent and color of my skin. It was glaring. I couldn’t help these barriers in as much as I couldn’t change the color of my skin or my accent. I just remained focused and knew the barrier would be there for a while but not forever.” – Beryl Ekakitie
Kayla Elliott
Kayla Elliott, rising BSN senior, proved that when faced with a challenge, one can still persevere and make the most out of any learning situation. As an international student from the Cayman Islands, she quickly returned home in the middle of the spring semester after UF transitioned to online learning in the face of COVID-19. Having interned at the George Town Hospital during her college breaks, Elliott reached out to see if there were any volunteer or employment opportunities available at the hospital. Since then, she has been working with a mobile swabbing team in an administrative capacity, directing traffic, verifying patient identification and organizing test kits at the community sites.
“I am very grateful to the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority for allowing me the opportunity to help out during this time. I am learning so much every day in the community and in the office from all of the amazing health care professionals. Nursing school has helped me gain confidence in interacting and communicating within a clinical setting. Some people arrive at the swabbing site so nervous they momentarily forget their names. I have been able to pick up on that and help to explain what the procedure entails and alleviate some of their nerves before they get their tests done. This has also been important as I have learned in school to ask questions in the clinical setting in order to learn more about a situation.”
Anna Fabry
Despite the uncertainty Gator Nursing students faced with classes moving online and students being asked to return home for the remainder of the semester, Anna Fabry (BSN 2020), proved she was not letting COVID-19 stop her from moving forward in her educational pursuit right before her graduation this spring. When UF Health put a call out for volunteers to help with COVID-19 testing in The Villages®, she stepped right up to the challenge.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, many students, including myself, have felt somewhat helpless and as though much of our future is out of our control. By going to The Villages®, I felt that I am not only able to put my education to use, but that I am making a difference by being a part of something bigger. Instead of sitting at home and feeling sad about the situation, I wanted to go out and do something about it! It was exciting to be gaining this unique experience that I will carry with me the rest of my life.”
Kelli Garner
The year, the Dance Marathon at UF teams participated in the annual fundraising event in a very different way. For Kelli Garner, College of Nursing BSN senior, the virtual marathon will be her fourth year participating. Kelli has served as a Dance Marathon ambassador every year, advancing her role to Family Relations Captain this year. She has raised $7,000 for the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital through Dance Marathon and originally became involved as a way to give back to the hospital that didn’t give up on her uncle after he was diagnosed with a rare genetic blood disorder as a child. After graduating this May, Kelli hopes to work in the UF Health Children’s Hospital in the PCICU, PICU, or the NICU before pursuing her DNP degree.
“I participate in Dance Marathon to help give other families what Shands Hospital gave my family, hope. Hope is a truly powerful thing and sometimes it’s all our patients and their families have.”
LeeAnn Hewitt
Junior BSN student LeeAnn Hewitt, is a four-time International Powerlifting Federation World Champion and member of Team U.S.A’s Powerlifting team. During the 2020 Dorothy M. Smith Nursing Leadership Conference in February, closing keynote presenter Rear Admiral Trent-Adams, asked students in the audience what they think the future of nursing looks like. In front of 500 people, LeeAnn rose to the challenge and her response encompassed her passion and focus on increasing health care in rural or underserved communities, as well as predicting a vast expansion in primary care. In honor of her response, LeeAnn was presented a golden challenge coin, only one of three Rear Admiral Trent-Adams has given in her entire career.
“Some of the best opportunities come from taking a chance that no one else would take, and going where no one else would go.” – LeeAnn Hewitt
If you missed the closing keynote presentation, you can view the recording here.
Janet Lopez
Current PhD student Janet Lopez received her BSN from the College of Nursing in 2016 and also recently earned her Master’s in Public Health degree from the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions. Her research focuses on understanding racial and cultural variation of family caregivers’ problem-solving abilities and caregiver outcomes. She is the recipient of several scholarships and awards, including the Thomas H. Maren Scholarship for Doctoral Nursing Students, the North Florida Doctoral Consortium and the Jonas Scholar Award.
Tunde Madandola
Olatunde “Tunde” Madandola was born, raised and received most of his education in Nigeria. After earning his BSN from Obafemi Awolowo University and serving as a registered nurse for two years, he made the move to the U.S. to further his education in 2016. Tunde is now a PhD student at the College of Nursing working with Dr. Gail Keenan on the usability of the electronic health record and how it impacts data quality. He became attracted to the virtue of the nursing profession when his grandmother required care. Tunde values thinking outside the box and hopes to work in an environment focused on highly innovative research.
Marina Magalhães
As an American Public Health Association (APHA) Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section Fellow, PhD student Marina Magalhães (BSN 2017) is one of only a handful nationwide selected for this program that supports engagement in maternal and child health policy, programs and research, as well as leadership development. Marina is passionate about reducing inequities in maternal and child health, and her dissertation research uses an mHealth approach to determine whether text messaging breast milk sodium levels (a biomarker of pumping frequency) to mothers of critically ill infants during the early postpartum period improves long-term lactation outcomes. Post-graduation, she hopes to expand her work on pressing issues in women’s health, such as the increasing incidence of cesarean delivery and the maternal mortality epidemic.
“I am honored to be selected for this year’s cohort and view it as an affirmation of the necessary role of nurses in maternal and child public health. As the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world, being selected as an MCH fellow allows me the opportunity to engage with researchers and other professionals who have similar goals for the health of women and children.”
Anais McKinney
The COVID-19 pandemic changed how education was delivered across the university and the nation. At the College of Nursing, our students and faculty quickly and adeptly adapted to an online format for classes, simulations and even clinicals.
Jacksonville Accelerated BSN student Anais McKinney describes the transition to online learning: “It is amazing to live in a day and age when we can be so flexible, adaptable and fully transition to online instruction. I miss my classmates and in-person instruction, but making sure we all stay healthy and complete the program is the priority.”
Rossana Morice
BSN junior Rossana Morice admits that beginning the nursing program in the middle of a pandemic has been stressful and hectic, but she finds strength from the support and encouragement she receives from her family. Morice’s parents are migrant farm workers from Nicaragua and are proud of her decision to become a Gator Nurse. As a member of the college’s EMBRACE program for underrepresented BSN students, Morice is excited to learn more about the various opportunities available to her as a nurse. She plans to pursue her DNP degree following completion of the BSN program.
“My parents are proud that I have achieved my goal of getting into the nursing program and are even more excited that my next goal is to get into the DNP program. I wanted to be a nurse because I love helping people and getting to know individuals’ unique life situations. Nurses are in the position to care for people in a very personalized way in order to help make a difference.”
Amelia Avala Nicols
Amelia Nichols Alava (RN-BSN 2016 & DNP 2020) is not only a full-time nurse, but she’s also a wife, mother and lifelong learner. With a passion for learning, Amelia decided to continue her education through the University of Florida Online RN to BSN program. As one of the first nursing students to graduate from this online pathway to a University of Florida BSN degree in 2016, Amelia continues to persevere and inspire others. For someone who juggles several roles throughout her typical day, there was no end in sight when it came to continuing her education, having then graduated spring 2020 with her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree through our DNP program.
Amelia serves as another example of a determined Gator following their dreams and making those dreams a reality. Not only is she a hero to her patients, but she is also a hero to her family. “I like to say I’m not your traditional student since I came into this at an older age, but if I can do it, you can too,” Amelia stated. “You just have to make sure you set your goals and go for it.”
Shayna Rabess
In June Shayna Rabess learned that she was a finalist in the 2020 Florida Blue Health Innovation Challenge for her DNP graduate project — Implementation of a Transitional Care Model in the Heart Failure Population — where her team focused on reducing hospital readmission rates with an NP-Led Specialty Transitional Care program. As a rounding nurse in the FHV Health cardiology department, she works one-on-one with the practice’s cardiologist in the hospital setting. Wanting to positively impact the reliability of health care practice and outcomes, Rabess decided to pursue her DNP to better prepare herself for tomorrow’s health care challenges. With an interest in NP-led initiatives, she hopes to take her education and experience in cardiology to one day operate an NP-led heart failure clinic. While the DNP program and the people she has met have forever shaped her as a nurse, health care provider and as a person, her family has been her main source of purpose and why she does what she does.
“I got to where I am now because of my faith, determination, and most of all, my family, starting with my daughter Alexis. I had her when I was 16 years old in my sophomore year of high school. She turned my life around. I have always wanted to give her the best possible life and for her to never fall short. I also could not do it without the help and support of my husband, Jerome. He is my biggest fan and has always supported me and my dreams. He has always steered me forward, never backwards.”
Read more about her involvement in the 2020 Florida Blue Health Innovation Challenge here.
Denise Daly-Stennis
For Denise Daly-Stennis, it’s never too late to make a difference. With 36 years of nursing experience, she returned to school to earn her Gator Nursing DNP degree after Florida passed HB 607 earlier this year, which gave nurse practitioners autonomy to practice to the full extent of their license. Daly-Stennis also jumped at the opportunity to serve on the College of Nursing’s Social Justice Steering Committee as a student representative because the death of George Floyd motivated her to take a closer look at systemic racism in America, more specifically systemic racism in mental health services and the effect it has on persons of color. She plans on opening a tele-psychiatry private practice upon graduation in 2022, with the main purpose of serving persons of color and helping them to get access to mental services.
“When I started the DNP program, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Social Justice Steering Committee was being organized and would help to educate UF nurses about the impact of racism on their colleagues and the patients of color they serve. It will also help nursing professionals to be aware of their own implicit bias and to gain insight as to how to work through these biases before serving patients of color. This, in turn, will help to alleviate systemic racism in health care services.” –Denise Daly-Stennis
