College of Nursing Awarded $1.47 Million Grant to Enhance Opportunities for Nurses in Delta Region

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing was recently awarded a grant of $1.47 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The grant is specifically designated for the Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) initiative.

Executive Director of Academic Advising and Enrollment Management and Assistant Professor of Practice Jada Russell will lead the team, which also includes Kimberly Brown, clinical assistant professor, Phillip Moore, assistant dean of undergraduate programs and Clea McNeely, research professor. This grant aims to increase employment prospects for registered nurses in the Delta region of Tennessee.

Titled “Bridging to Opportunity: Good Jobs for Nurses in the Delta Region,” the project will pave the way for a career pathway, contributing to the economic advancement and long-term resilience of registered nurses in the Delta region. Current RN’s in the region will have the opportunity to apply for the online RN to BSN program. If accepted into the program the grant will cover tuition. The primary focus of the project is to foster economic stability and improve the health sector within the region.

“We are dedicated to creating a sustainable, equitable, and supportive environment for nurse trainees to thrive and progress within their careers,” said Russell. “This project isn’t just about jobs; it’s about empowering individuals and building a resilient healthcare workforce.”

Bridging to Opportunity combines the resources from the College of Nursing, Dyersburg State Community College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Baptist Memorial Hospital, United Way, Rural Health Association and American Job Center to overcome barriers that impede associate-degree nurses from developing their skills to access career advancement.

The anticipated outcomes include the enrollment of 32 trainees in the RN to BSN online program, training for nurse mentors and College of Nursing faculty members in equity-based mentoring and advising, and the establishment of workplace mentoring programs. This initiative will benefit both new nurses entering the to the workforce and incumbent workers in the nursing field.

The project will cover numerous counties in the Delta region, including Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Hardeman, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Tipton, and Weakley.

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark (865-974 9498, [email protected])

College of Nursing Faculty Part of $3.5 Million Research Grant

College of Nursing faculty member Joel G. Anderson and colleagues have been granted a research award totaling over $3.5 million from the National Institute on Aging. The grant is a testament to the team’s groundbreaking work and commitment to advancing research in the field of caregiving for people living with dementia.

Anderson, an associate professor known for his exceptional contributions to caregiver support in dementia care, has demonstrated a profound dedication to advancing knowledge in his field. This recent grant award recognizes his leadership and expertise in the pursuit of meaningful research that addresses critical challenges faced by society.

The project, titled “Enhancing Measurement and Characterization of Roles and Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority Caregivers of Persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias,” is set to span a five-year period. In collaboration with co-principal investigators Jason Flatt from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Maritza Dowling from George Washington University, Anderson and his team will embark on a comprehensive study to understand the experiences, roles, and dynamics of LGBTQIA+ caregivers of people living with dementia.

“We still don’t know a lot about the experiences of LGBTQIA+ caregivers of people living with dementia, so existing measures are unlikely to be sensitive to their unique needs and experiences,” said Anderson. “Some of the critical gaps we aim to address with this study are how current definitions of families can be broadened to better reflect changes to family structures, how different relationship types affect caregiving dynamics, how caregiving and gender roles affect the type of care provided, and how discrimination may represent a barrier for LGBTQIA+ caregivers toward seeking the help and support the need.”

The project aims to identify existing domains and develop new measures that accurately capture caregiving constructs and experiences of LGBTQIA+ caregivers. By testing and validating, the team will ensure these measures are inclusive and effective in portraying the unique challenges and experiences faced by LGBTQIA+ caregivers in the context of dementia care.

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and/or other identities remain underrepresented in dementia caregiving research. Estimates suggest that nearly 1 million LGBTQIA+ adults in the U.S. are caregivers, with nearly half providing care to someone living with dementia. Previous research conducted by the team highlighted health disparities experienced by LGBTQIA+ caregivers, such as caregiver stigma, depressive symptoms, and discrimination, necessitating an inclusive approach to caregiving research. The proposed study, guided by a community-based participatory approach, will leverage the expertise of advisory boards and caregiving experts to identify and explore domains of caregiving for LGBTQIA+ caregivers, develop and refine new measures, and test these measures among a diverse sample of caregivers.

Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under award number 1R01AG083177-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark (865-9749498, [email protected])

Newnam Selected as Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

Associate Professor of Nursing Kathy Newnam has been named an American Academy of Nursing Fellow.

Fellows represent nursing’s positive impact through representation in a variety of roles and settings from governmental positions to executive and entrepreneurial leadership in practice, nonprofits, and higher education. Through a rigorous and competitive process, the academy’s Fellow Selection Committee, which is composed of elected and appointed fellows, reviewed nearly 400 applications.

Induction into the academy is a significant milestone in which past and current accomplishments are honored by colleagues within and outside the profession.

“I am incredibly honored to have been named as a Fellow in the Academy of Nursing,” said Newnam. “This accomplishment is the result of unwavering mentorship, teamwork, and nursing leadership that has paved the way to achieve both personal and professional goals. As a nurse scientist and neonatal nurse practitioner, it has been a gift to work with the smallest humans and their families as I strive to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes through my multidisciplinary program of clinical research. The Academy of Nursing supports all areas of nursing excellence to improve global health, improving healthcare for all. I am so proud to contribute to this worthy mission.”

Newnam’s current research addresses parental engagement through purposeful language to reduce biophysical markers of stress and support cognitive development in medically fragile high-risk infants.

She leads interdisciplinary studies, funded by the National Institutes of Health and other sources, that examine predictors of neonatal risk and resilience through longitudinal exploration of communication patterns and language trajectories over the first 36 months of life. Her clinical expertise, informed by experimental research, has supported practice changes in neonatal respiratory management and human milk promotion.

“Dr. Newnam’s selection as an American Academy of Nursing Fellow is a testament to her exceptional contributions in advancing the health of infants and their families and her unwavering dedication to the nursing profession,” said Dean Victoria Niederhauser. “Induction into the academy is a remarkable milestone that recognizes the remarkable achievements of individuals like Dr. Newnam, who have made a positive impact through their roles in various settings and leadership positions. We congratulate Dr. Newnam on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to her continued contributions to the field of nursing and the betterment of health care outcomes for children and families.”

Newnam’s collaboration with NEC-Zero and the University of Arizona NeoECHO team supports evidence-based interventions to improve timely recognition and reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis. The impact of her research is far-reaching, with published findings in journals of nursing, speech therapy, psychology, and early childhood development. She holds section editor and editorial board positions for Advances in Neonatal Care.

Newnam received her BSN and MSN from Old Dominion University, her post-master’s certification as a neonatal nurse practitioner from East Carolina University, and her PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Newnam will be officially inducted on October 7 during the academy’s Health Policy Conference in Washington, DC.

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark (865-9749498, [email protected])

Swift Named Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Shelia Swift has been selected as the executive associate dean of academic affairs. She previously served in an interim role in this position.

Swift joined the College of Nursing in 2009 as a graduate teaching assistant. She went on to become a clinical instructor and later a clinical assistant, and associate professor. In 2016, Swift was appointed as the assistant dean of undergraduate programs.

“It is a privilege being a part of the College of Nursing and working with students, faculty, and staff who consistently strive for excellence,” said Swift. “I frequently stress to others that it takes the entire faculty and staff team working together to accomplish our mission to educate a diverse nursing workforce to improve health for all. I am excited to continue empowering others and serving the college in this new leadership role.”

Swift will now be leading the college as its chief operating officer for academic matters. Swift will use her leadership skills to ensure that students have a positive learning experience that results in them becoming competent professionals who can meet the health care needs of the state and nation.

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Shelia Swift as the executive associate dean of academic affairs,” said Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the college. “She brings an exceptional blend of expertise, passion, and visionary leadership to this crucial role. Her dedication to advancing educational excellence, fostering innovative teaching, and learning strategies, and cultivating a collaborative environment is truly commendable. With her extensive experience in academia and her profound commitment to student success, I am confident that Dr. Swift will contribute significantly to our institution’s academic mission, elevating our programs and initiatives to new heights.”

Swift has over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse in various clinical, leadership and academic positions. Her research interests focus on the registered nurse’s work environment, nursing errors, and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes.

Swift was a 2017 AACN Leadership for Academic Nursing Programs Fellow and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She received the Faculty Excellence Award in 2017, the Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award in 2015, and the Sigma Theta Tau Outstanding Dissertation Award, Gamma Chi Chapter in 2014. She recently was honored at the college’s 50^th Anniversary Gala as an Outstanding Alumni Award winner. She was also appointed to the Chancellor’s Leadership Academy.

Swift received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Tennessee Technological University in 1992 and her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Tennessee in 2013.

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark (865-9749498, [email protected])

Research Inclusion Supports Equity

Estimates suggest at least one in five (or up to a million) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and/or another identity (LGBTQIA+) adults are currently caregivers, with nearly half providing care to someone with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, or ADRD . Yet few studies on ADRD caregiving have examined the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ people living with ADRD and their caregivers, according to Joel Anderson, associate professor in the College of Nursing.

Anderson and his colleagues at Emory University and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas are currently in the second year of their multi-site have received a $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Aging to create a national collaborative network and teams that to increase inclusion of older LGBTQIA+ adults in aging research, specifically those living with memory loss or caring for someone with memory loss.

“LGBTQIA+ people more frequently help care for someone living with dementia and are at increased risk of developing dementia themselves. Yet, they remain underrepresented in aging research, which affects the creation of services and supports for this population,” Anderson said.

Called RISE for Research Inclusion Supports Equity, the project launched in 2022. In addition to the lead researchers at UT, Emory, and UNLV, the team also includes experts in aging and caregiving from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, George Washington University, the University of Kansas, and Columbia University. The goals of the ongoing project are to use community-based participatory research methods to establish a research registry of 1,000 plus LGBTQIA+ people with dementia and LGBTQIA+ dementia caregivers. This will be accomplished by developing, implementing, and evaluating tailored recruitment and engagement programs. The project includes a national network of LGBTQIA+ community members, service providers, clinicians, and researchers with expertise in working with LGBTQIA+ people living with dementia and LGBTQIA+ caregivers. This network includes a national advisory board and community advisory boards in Knoxville, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.

“Our national advisory board includes representatives from SAGE (Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders), AARP, and the Alzheimer’s Association, among others. Our community advisory boards include representatives from local service organizations, such as the Office on Aging and Knox Pride, as well as LGBTQIA+ caregivers,” said Anderson.

Through the RISE registry and the community-focused events, LGBTQIA+ people living with memory loss or caring for someone with memory loss can engage in focus groups and discussions to guide the research, as well as register to be informed of additional research opportunities. Individuals who sign up for the registry will have the opportunity to participate in ADRD research to ensure representation and inclusion in research findings. Additionally, the RISE registry provides LGBTQIA+-supportive resources for adults with memory concerns or for those who serve as caregivers.

Eventually, the team will develop replicable, regionally tailored models for engagement and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people living with dementia and LGBTQIA+ dementia caregivers in aging-related clinical research. These models will be shared with Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers, clinicians, researchers and clinical research networks, and community members to engage LGBTQIA+ people in aging research.
“As the population continues to age and diagnoses of ADRD increase, it is imperative that we understand the unique challenges and needs of vulnerable populations to ensure health equity and quality of life,” said Anderson.

More information about RISE can be found on the project website: https://www.theriseregistry.org.

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CONTACT:
Kara Clark Cardwell (865-974-9498, [email protected])

College of Nursing Establishes Collaboration with Nurses in Kenya

Nan Gaylord, Associate Dean for Practice and Global Affairs, Susan Hèbert, Director of Simulation, and Virginia Fowler, Coordinator for the Center for Nursing Practice, laid the groundwork for a partnership between the College of Nursing and nurses in central Kenya.

Supported by a generous gift from Poppy and Richard Buchanan, a partnership was established between the College of Nursing and the WAKA School of Nursing in Nyeri, Kenya. Gaylord, Hèbert, and Fowler traveled to Kenya in November to develop collaborative relationships between the college, the WAKA School of Nursing and the Samaria Health Center, a nurse-led clinic in Ndathi, Kenya.

The team shared innovative experiential learning opportunities with the WAKA students and taught the WAKA faculty how to provide content to their students using best practices in simulation and student learning.

Gaylord and Hèbert also led trainings in newborn resuscitation through the Helping Babies Breathe program. Faculty, students, nurses from 8 hospitals, and local clinical providers attended in order to learn how to improve neonatal outcomes in their community. Facilitating these educational experiences was exceptionally rewarding for Gaylord and Hèbert.

The team also spent time in the Samaria Health Center, located near the base of Mt. Kenya. “We were able to observe firsthand how care in Kenya differs from the United States to address the specific health disparities and prevalent disease states unique to this country,” said Hèbert. “We were so impressed how nurses play such an important role in the care of the rural Kenyans as their access to health care is limited.”

Fowler said she valued the opportunity to learn from other cultures during her two weeks abroad. “Technology will allow us to stay connected in many ways, but a true cultural immersion cannot be replaced,” she said. “Trips of this kind enhance our cultural competency and perspectives of global issues.”

“Health care access is an issue for the people of Kenya,” explained Gaylord. “Nurses play a vital role in positively impacting health outcomes of communities. We are looking forward to long-term relationships with the WAKA School of Nursing and Samaria Nursing Clinic in hopes of achieving an educational and service exchange program for our students and the Kenyan students.”

Fowler, Gaylord and Hèbert all agreed that the nearly 9,000-mile trip was an impactful and life-changing experience. “We are already thinking of ways to generate interest and bring innovative care ideas to Kenyan nurses as we develop our new partnerships,” said Gaylord.

To learn more details about this experience, subscribe to the Kenya Connection blog. To learn more about the Center for Nursing Practice, contact Nan Gaylord at [email protected].

Precious Prints Project Welcomes First Academic Partner

Faculty and nursing students from Union University and UT.

In eight years, the Precious Prints Project has brought comfort to more than 950 Knoxville-area families who have experienced the loss of a child. Now a new partnership will take the project beyond East Tennessee.

The Precious Prints Project comforts grieving families with a sterling silver pendant bearing the fingerprint of their child. The project was developed at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing in partnership with Precious Metal Prints, a local business. First launched at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in January 2012, it has expanded to include all major health systems in Knox County, with fundraising and project management handled by the Student Nurses Association.

In response to wide-ranging inquiries from organizations interested in establishing a similar program, Dean Victoria Niederhauser and Clinical Instructor Lynne Miller developed a plan to take the Precious Prints Project to a national level. They developed two models of delivery—one for nursing schools and one for health care facilities.

Following months of planning, the UT Student Nurses Association is excited to welcome Union University Hendersonville College of Nursing as their first academic partner. Union will expand the project to the Nashville area as nursing students from both universities work together to implement the project.

Nursing faculty and student representatives from Union University recently visited UT to learn strategies for implementation, best practices, how to conduct staff education and training, and to visit one of UT’s partnering hospitals to learn about the process first-hand.

To learn more about the Precious Prints project, contact Lynne Miller at [email protected].

College Receives HRSA & NIH Grants

Associate Professor Lisa C. Lindley has received a four-year award of $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Nursing Research for her project “Effectiveness of Concurrent Care to Improve Pediatric and Family Outcomes at End of Life.” The study will investigate the impact of concurrent hospice care compared to standard hospice care in improving continuity and quality of pediatric end of life. Lindley will be working with an interdisciplinary team of pediatric end-of-life scholars from nursing, medicine, and health care economics to conduct the first-ever concurrent care study with children and adolescents in hospice care, using nationally represented Medicaid data from 2011 and 2013. The study will compare the effectiveness, potential burdens, and cost of concurrent care compared to standard hospice care for children and adolescents. The findings will expand our understanding of pediatric concurrent care and will inform clinicians and families of the value of this intervention for children and adolescents. This line of investigation is ultimately expected to improve care and outcomes for children, adolescents, and their families at end of life.

Sandy Mixer Associate Professor Sandra Mixer has received a four-year award of $2.6 million from the US Health Resources and Services Administration for her project “Transforming RN Roles in Community-Based Integrated Primary Care through Academic Practice Partnership.” The project supports the expansion of the academic practice partnership between the College of Nursing and Cherokee Health Systems (CHS), a nonprofit organization that provides primary care, behavioral health, and addiction services to more than 70,000 people throughout Tennessee. BSN students will be recruited and trained to provide integrated services to culturally diverse rural and underserved populations at four CHS sites in East Tennessee. The program includes both an innovative undergraduate nursing curriculum change and advancement of the RN workforce through professional development in primary and preventive care. It will provide the region’s first comprehensive community-based integrated primary care (CBIPC) training for students and RNs, with a focus on primary care, population health, and interprofessional education and practice and an emphasis on chronic disease prevention and control, recovery-based mental health and substance use, and childhood obesity. Faculty and clinical partnership liaisons and clinical coaches will serve as role models, preceptors, and mentors to students through more than 300 hours of clinical experiences in CBIPC teams over two years. Nursing workforce projections for the next decade forecast an unprecedented need for nurses to expand their roles in preventive, primary, and chronic care, and CBIPC training will uniquely qualify our BSN graduates to meet those challenges.

Beebe Inducted as Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing

College of Nursing Professor Lora Humphrey Beebe was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing on October 7. The Academy serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy members, known as Fellows, are nursing’s most accomplished leaders.

Lora Beebe and her primary sponsor, Sandra Thomas.

Working with an interdisciplinary research team, Beebe developed TIPS—Telephone Intervention–Problem solving for Schizophrenia spectrum disorders. A schedule of regular phone calls from a trained provider helps people with SSDs address any problems they may be having with medication. It also assists in related areas such as scheduling and keeping medical appointments, managing their symptoms, abstaining from alcohol and other drugs, and interpersonal problems.

TIPS was developed and tested with federal funding from the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Beebe also led the development and testing of the Recovery-based Interprofessional Distance Education (RIDE) rotation—a series of web based and in-person modules for training graduate students in the provision of team-based care for persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Beebe’s research informs psychiatric nursing practice, shapes nursing education nationally and internationally, and has been published and presented in both nursing and non-nursing venues. She is a three-time recipient of the Excellence in Research Award from the American Psychiatric Nurses’ Association, and book review editor for Issues in Mental Health Nursing. She received her bachelors of science in nursing from Marshall University, and her masters of Science and doctor of philosophy from the University of Kentucky.