Kaitlyn Scott was in her first year of college when she decided to transfer to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Nursing. Scott was inspired after watching a family friend’s six-month-old daughter battle leukemia. “The amount of hurt, care, and compassion I felt during this time confirmed my desire to serve—I knew in that moment I was destined to become a nurse,” Scott said.

Scott started her journey at UT her sophomore year. She began with a heavy course load while also working to fulfill her commitments to Air Force ROTC. She had no idea that life was about to become even more challenging.

During finals of Scott’s first semester at UT, her brother underwent serious medical testing, and her grandmother—who was the primary caregiver for Scott and her siblings—broke her hip. Scott was suddenly forced to become a mother and caregiver in addition to being a nursing student and ROTC cadet. She struggled during the following semester, and after failing two classes she was dismissed from the College of Nursing.

The months that followed were tough for Scott. She had no idea what was next for her as a nurse or as a prospective Air Force officer. Each career depended on the success of the other, and both were on the line. She did everything she could to be readmitted into the nursing program and save her scholarship and Air Force commissioning opportunity. After a lot of patience and hard work, Scott was reinstated into the nursing program and notified that her ROTC scholarship was still active.

“I was humbled to even be able to sit in a College of Nursing classroom. I worked so hard to be reinstated to the college,” Scott said. “I would write myself encouraging notes and leave them on my bathroom mirror. I clung to those words, and it made me feel like I could do anything. I knew everything would work out!”

Scott is now in her final semester of school. Although she is more than ready to graduate, she will always reflect on this journey—a journey in which she learned so much about nursing, herself, and life. A journey that forced her to hit rock bottom so she could soar.

After receiving her degree later this month and taking her National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) in January, Scott will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Air Force. In March she will travel to San Antonio, Texas, for the Air Force Nurse Transition program, and in May she’ll move on to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, where she will spend the next four years working as a medical-surgical nurse in the hospital on base.

“Everything happens for a reason, and God has a plan that is too big for me to comprehend,” said Scott. “I have learned to stop asking ‘Why me?’ because I know at the end of the day I am exactly where I am supposed to be.”

UT’s commencement ceremonies will be held in Thompson-Boling Arena November 19–22. Pandemic restrictions will be in place during each ceremony. Visit the commencement website for more details.
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Contact:

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

 

Carole R. Myers, professor at the College of Nursing received the 2020 Knoxville Association of Women Executives’ (KAWE) Lucy Gibson Notable Woman of the Year Award. Myers is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at the George Washington University and past American Association of Colleges of Nursing Policy Fellow (2017-2018). Myers has been associated with the university since 2002. Prior to this she worked in the private business sector as a health benefits consultant for two Fortune 500 companies and owned and operated a private benefits consulting company. Myers started her career as a Family Nurse Practitioner, owning and operating the only solely nurse-owned clinic rural primary care clinic in the state at the time.

Myers is a frequent speaker to professional and lay and local and international audiences. In addition, she is a prolific user of social media and writer to advance various policies and other reforms. She is a contributing editor and writes a policy column for the American Journal of Nursing. She frequently writes op-eds, other columns, commentaries, book chapters, and articles for professional and lay publications. Myers co-hosts HealthConnections, a bi-weekly, award-winning radio show on WUOT, the Knoxville NPR-affiliate.

Myers has made a strong impact on nursing and health care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.  She has held many significant roles in developing healthcare policies related to health care reforming access to the care and the development of leadership skills in nursing. Her efforts at “engage scholarship,” focused on disadvantaged populations and are an excellent example of public service and partnerships focusing on real work issues.

“As an unsung hero in health policy and advocacy for better health and healthcare for our state and nation, I strongly believe that Dr. Myers is deserving of this recognition.” Says Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing, “She has demonstrated exemplary research and creative activity in the area of health policy and advocacy and has led many initiatives that have made a significant difference in the health and well-being of our community.”

Myers stays grounded through her connection and commitment to her rural lifestyle and family. She is an avid gardener, former and future beekeeper, and outdoor enthusiast. She enjoys hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and recently has embraced kayaking.

Locally founded in 1982, KAWE is dedicated to advancing its members professionally and personally through networking, mentoring, and leadership opportunities. The Lucy Gibson Notable Woman of the Year elects a donation to be made to the charity of her choice. Myers elected The Sertoma Center with a $500 donation being made by KAWE.

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CONTACT:

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

Alexia Georghiou (KAWE Marketing Chair, [email protected])

Preliminary results from a national survey reveal how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), while findings related to the temporary easing of practice restrictions show little effect on APRN practice. In states with restrictive practice requirements, barriers that impact patient care and access continued to exist despite waivers issued to help combat the pandemic.

The initial results were released this week to coincide with National Nurse Practitioner Week (Nov. 8-14). The survey was conducted by Tennessee nursing leaders from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Vanderbilt University.

Investigator Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAANP, dean and professor at the UTHSC College of Nursing, said it was important that the study identified barriers to health care during the pandemic. “In spite of the executive order, the majority of the APRNs in Tennessee, for example, were unable to realize the benefits of the additional practice flexibility because of the processes and protocols in place at their practices,” Likes said. “This finding shows that our system’s inflexibility hinders our ability to meet the needs of our community.”

Survey respondents were asked how APRN roles and practices changed during the pandemic, what they saw as ongoing APRN practice barriers, and about the impact of executive orders issued by governors in 21 states with restricted APRN practice that temporarily waived physician oversight of APRNs.

Licensing for APRNs—registered nurses with advanced master’s or doctor of nursing practice degrees—varies from state to state. In 28 states, APRNs practice autonomously without needing physician supervision or oversight.

Some APRNS in states with waivers said that less restrictive executive orders would have allowed them to better meet patients’ health needs. They cited the following barriers: inability to work in another practice area, inability to write orders for home health care or medical equipment, restricted hospital admitting privileges, and the need for physician co-signatures on prescriptions. Some respondents said despite the relaxation of physician oversight, they were still required to pay collaborating physicians.

Investigator Ruth Kleinpell, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP, FCCM, Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing Education and associate dean for clinical scholarship at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, noted that the survey revealed the ways the pandemic changed APRN roles and practices.

“In the early days of the pandemic, some APRNs said they worked in different capacities and roles. Some increased the use of telehealth or were deployed to work in other areas. Some—especially in acute care settings—had an increase in patients, while others saw a decrease in patients and some were even furloughed, especially in primary care settings,” Kleinpell said. “Many APRNS reported playing significant roles meeting the needs of patients, including caring for patients with COVID, coordinating hotlines and managing telehealth services, as well as taking the lead in screening, testing and wellness-based care.”

The investigators emphasized that the full implications of the study are not yet determined. Carole R. Myers, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, said that it is clear, however, that APRNs have gone to extraordinary lengths to address the health care needs of diverse patients during the crisis. “The foundational knowledge of APRNs and other nurses helped them to deal with problems holistically and be resourceful and creative in finding solutions in difficult and sometimes desperate situations,” she said. “How well APRNs provided services during the pandemic belie the need for outdated supervision requirements and make it hard to justify returning to unneeded practice barriers.”

Mavis Schorn, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, FNAP, senior associate dean for academics at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, pointed out that waiving physician oversight resulted in more effective patient care. “While the results are preliminary, it appears that for those APRNs who were able to implement the executive orders, it allowed them to spend more time with patients and less on administrative tasks,” she said. Other benefits included not having to postpone care, being able to follow patients through home health and direct care, and greater efficiency in ordering laboratory tests, medications and durable medical equipment.

The National APRN Practice and Pandemic Survey was conducted June 1–September 23, 2020, with 7,467 APRNs from all 50 states responding. Follow-up interviews were conducted with APRNs in Tennessee as part of a more comprehensive study. The investigators have presented their initial results to the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, the American Academy of Nursing and the Tennessee Nurses Association. They continue data analysis and will compare APRN practice in full practice states with those in restricted and reduced states. They will also analyze open-ended comments for themes.

The researchers believe that results support full practice authority for APRNs nationwide, particularly as individual state requirements for collaborative practice and supervision are restricting their ability to provide patient care and limiting patient access to care.

“The pandemic revealed persistent health disparities and major gaps in health care delivery and emergency preparedness,” Myers said. “It is imperative that proven solutions, such as allowing APRNs to practice in all states commensurate with their education and experiences, be deployed to advance equitable access to care for all people. It makes no sense to impose unnecessary barriers when people do not have access to needed care and services.”

For more information:

Kara Clark
Coordinator of Community Relations
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Nursing
1200 Volunteer Blvd, Suite 301A
Knoxville, TN 37996
[email protected]
t: 865.974.9498

Leigh Ann Roman
communications, marketing and events coordinator
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing
920 Madison, Suite 1004
Memphis, TN 38103
[email protected]
t: 901.448.1561

Nancy Wise, APR
Director, Communications
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
461 21st Ave. S., Rm 117
Nashville, TN 37240
[email protected]
t: 615.504.6903

The College of Nursing Academic Service Learning (ASL) program currently collaborates with 54 community partners in Knoxville and surrounding areas. It is projected that students will contribute 16,000 hours of service this year through our ASL program.

Guy B. Love Towers is one of the newest partners for the ASL program. Love Towers is a high-rise property with two seven-story apartment buildings housing disabled and near-elderly individuals. The building provides a safe, comfortable community for seniors and disabled, and features social activities and special events for a vibrant lifestyle.

“The College of Nursing is excited to partner with Love Towers residents, directors, and KCDC to provide health screenings and activities for the community,” said Nan Gaylord, associate dean of practice and global affairs for the college. “We are excited to provide a masked and socially distanced touchpoint for residents to talk with student nurses and participate in activities outdoors. We hope this program will help to advance future partnerships.”

The ASL program is course-based experiential learning that engages students in meaningful and relevant service with a community partner while using ongoing reflection to draw connections between the service and course content. The goal of the service-learning requirement is for students to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to care for others and learn a variety of behaviors—such as communication, leadership, professionalism, safe practice, and critical reasoning—that are critical to a career in nursing. It also provides opportunities for some vital hands-on experience.

“I am very excited that UT College of Nursing has chosen to partnership with Guy B. Love Towers. This is a long term commitment that will prove to be beneficial to our elderly and disabled residents at Love Towers” said Steve Ellis, senior asset manager for Love Towers. “The student nurses have gotten off to a great start and our residents are enjoying the attention.”

The students will be on the Love Towers campus on each Wednesday. Students will take time out of their day to participate in socially distanced group activities, blood pressure checks, and other community building activities with the residents.

“The College of Nursing is pleased to see the positive impact our students are having on our neighbors at Love Towers.  During such a challenging time due to COVID, our students are utilizing Academic Service-Learning to make a critical difference in the Knoxville community by demonstrating caring and professional behaviors,” said Karen Messing, director of undergraduate programs.  “We look forward to a long future relationship with our friends at Guy B. Love Towers.”

 

Contact:

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

The 12 annual NightinGala will bring together alumni, donors, students, parents, and friends of the College of Nursing to participate in a virtual fundraising event. The event will take place November 13-20, ending with a virtual live stream event. The event will feature a silent auction with over 200 items, live auction, fund-a-cause, and presentation of the Dr. Sylvia E. Hart Distinguished Alumni Award and the Volunteer Nurse Champion Award. The virtual live stream event will also feature a surprise guest performance you don’t want to miss.

“Now, more than ever, when nurses are so desperately needed to provide care on the front lines of the COVID pandemic, we need to support our students to be best prepared for the future workforce,” said Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing. “In raising money to support student scholarships, we will ease the stress associated with the financial burden and allow students to focus more directly on their studies.”

Last year, more than 300 alumni and friends who gathered at the NightinGala fundraiser to show their appreciation and support for the college and helped raise more than $90,000. The college was able to distribute over 20 scholarships with funds raised at last year’s event.

“The NightinGala Scholarship has helped allow me to continue attendance at my beloved alma matter, receive an excellent education, and pursue my dream of becoming a nurse practitioner. This scholarship has helped alleviate a heavy financial burden and allowed me to give greater focus to my education and future practice,” said Savannah Clay, DNP student and recipient of the NightinGala scholarship. “The generosity I have received from donors and this event will help make this possible!”

Sponsors for the NightinGala include BarberMcMurry Architects, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, UT Medical Center, The Phillip’s Family, Partners Development, Food City, Johnson Architecture and SLAM Collaborative.

The Silent Auction will open at 8:00am on Friday, November 13 and run through Friday, November 20. The Live Stream Event will begin at 7pm on Friday, November 20. The event is free to attend, and is open to the public.

The NightinGala will be powered by HandBid. HandBid is a mobile-bidding platform that allows you to bid from your smartphone or from iPads. Just download the Handbid app to your iPhone or Android, complete your profile information, select NightinGala from the list of auctions, tap Register, then swipe from right to left to enter the auction. Registration can also be completed online at http://events.handbid.com/auctions/2020-nightingala.

 

Contact:

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

News and Information from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Contact: Beth Hall Davis, UTIA Marketing and Communications, 865-974-7141, [email protected]

For Release
October 23, 2020

New Research Effort Aims to Improve Health Outcomes for Rural Patients
Conversations Between Patients and Health Care Providers Focus of USDA Grant Awarded to UTIA

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – How much will it cost? For many, this question is the most critical determining factor in receiving quality medical care but can be difficult to broach with a health care provider. A new research effort led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture aims to better facilitate these conversations, leading to improved health outcomes, especially for rural patients.

“Access to care and following treatment recommendations from a health care provider is often impacted by other expenses, like childcare, transportation, housing or regular bills,” states Christopher T. Sneed, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and lead investigator for the project. “Discussing these competing priorities while discussing treatment options is a critical part of the health care process. These ‘cost of care’ conversations have the potential to change outcomes for rural patients as they discuss options that are financially feasible with their provider,” adds the expert.

Over the next two years, the research team will develop and test materials for older adults and health care providers that help cost of care conversations take place. Then, training and webinars will be offered for both patients and health care providers to reinforce the materials and provide practice for conducting these conversations in productive and helpful ways.

“For patients living in poverty, especially in rural areas, out-of-pocket costs can mean the difference between following treatment recommendations and ignoring them completely,” continues Sneed. “When health care providers know and understand that these costs are a factor, they are better equipped to offer alternative treatment options or connect patients to available resources. But they won’t know unless their patients tell them. That’s where this effort comes in. Facilitating cost of care convesrations fills a simple but critical gap in communication between patients and health care providers.”

“Bringing together researchers from the College of Nursing and the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and working in collaboration with UT Extension, this unique project will ultimately improve health outcomes, especially in rural areas,” states Victoria Niederhauser, dean and professor of the College of Nursing, UT, Knoxville, and a member of the research team.

This effort is supported by a new grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. More than $3.8 million was recently awarded to teams across the country who are working to impact the health and safety of rural Americans through education and outreach. In addition to Sneed and Niederhauser, the research team is comprised of Department of Family and Consumer Sciences team members Ann Berry, Lisa Washburn, Karen Franck, Barbara Metzger, Karen Sergent and Cris Miramontes.

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.

 

Knoxville, TN (2020) Changes in Medicaid/CHIP regulations under section 2302 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have required all state Medicaid plans to finance curative and hospice services for children since 2010. A new NIH/NINR-funded study by a team of researchers in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, shows that implementation of Concurrent Care for Children varied significantly at the state-level. Researchers found that state guidelines focused on definitions of curative care, payment information, staffing guidelines, care coordination between providers, eligibility criteria, and clinical guidance were different among the fifty states and Washington, D.C.

Nineteen states in the study offered no state-specific guidelines on Concurrent Care for Children. Those states that did provide guidelines frequently offered definitions (35%), followed by payment information (29%) and care coordination requirements (27%). The findings suggest that state implementation of Concurrent Care for Children may have created barriers in the implementation and utilization among hospices, clinicians, and families. This research sets the stage for the team’s evaluation of the effectiveness of pediatric concurrent hospice care to improve outcomes for children and their families.

To learn more about the study, please visit https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01192

Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute Of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01-NR017848 (Lindley, PI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

October 5, 2020

Vol Nurses and UT Athletics Partner to Provide Health Screenings for Game Day Staff

It’s the World Health Organization’s Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and nursing faculty and students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are exemplifying the Volunteer spirit by giving their time to conduct health screenings for all Neyland Stadium staff, employees, and volunteer workers at each home game during the 2020 football season.

UT’s College of Nursing and Athletics Department have entered into a partnership to ensure that in-stadium personnel pass a health screening before being permitted inside.

Dubbed health referees, these volunteers ensure that ushers, first responders, and food and beverage service workers, pass a health check that includes a temperature screen and questions.

“This collaboration represents all that is great about the University of Tennessee—

partnerships,” said Sadie Hutson, executive associate dean of academic affairs for the college. “We are thrilled to have our students and faculty at the forefront of this unique opportunity to promote the health and safety of employees, athletes, and fans.”

Shelia Swift, assistant dean of undergraduate programs, said the partnership is an excellent way for UT’s undergraduate nursing students to get involved during the COVID-19 pandemic to help provide a safe game day environment.

“Our exceptional students are excited about the opportunity to provide health screening services at all the home games this season, and to show what it means to be a true Volunteer,” she said.

David Elliott, associate athletics director for event management, said this particular level of screening provides an added layer of integrity to the overall plan for hosting events on campus.

“We couldn’t think of a better group to partner with than our own nursing faculty and students,” he said. “This university has a proud history of volunteering, and that same spirit is alive and well and being demonstrated by the College of Nursing.”

Phillip Moore, chair of the college’s traditional BSN and RN to BSN programs, said the effort shows how nurses can positively impact the health of their community in a variety of ways.

“I think this new partnership will allow the nursing students to see one of the many opportunities in which they can have a positive influence in their community,” he said.

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CONTACT:

Tyra Haag (865-974-5460, [email protected])

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

 

 

For the eighth year in a row, UT’s Student Nurses Association will host its annual Sprint for the Prints 5K Run and Walk.

This virtual event will support the Precious Prints Project, which provides free fingerprint charms to families who have lost a child. The project aims at helping families channel their grief in a healthy, compassionate way.

UT nursing students manage the project in its entirety. They collect funds year-round to buy materials to produce the charms, and train nurses in area hospitals on obtaining fingerprints and caring for the families during their devastating loss.

Lynne Miller, an instructor in the College of Nursing and director of the Precious Prints Project, said that this race, while exciting and fun, is a way to ensure that funding will be available to continue providing this gift to families who experience the loss of a child.

“Sprint for the Prints is a time when participants remember the life of a precious child. Even though we cannot safely come together as an event on campus this year, the opportunity to honor these families and remember the children still remains our focus. Registration is very much appreciated by our students and the families we help, as we rely heavily on our community’s support,” Miller added.

The success of the program shows in its growth. Over 1090 pendants have been gifted to families.

Registration for the run is open online now. You can complete your 3.1 miles any time from October 18–25 anywhere you feel safe.

Click here for a flyer with more information: 2020 Sprint for the Prints Flyer

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CONTACT:

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

Save the date and register for the 2020 Pharmacology Update! This event will be held as an online- live event on October 9, 2020 beginning at 8:30am Eastern. Registration includes all digital material and attendance certificate upon completion of event evaluation.

This event will offer 5 ACPE and CNE contact hours, including 2 hours of opiate education and 1 hour of recent advancements related to pediatric pharmacotherapy.

Registration is $110.00 by September 30 or $125.00 after September 30. The student rate is $95.00 with a valid student ID. If you register as a student, I will request a photo of your ID. The last day to register for the live event is October 6.

This year we welcome back our speaker, Dr. James Wheeler, Interim Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science on the Knoxville campus of University of Tennessee Health Science.

We also welcome Dr. Tracy Hagemann, Associate Dean and Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science on the Nashville campus of University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

You may fill out the registration here:  TINY.UTK.EDU/PHARM2020. Once you are registered and we have received your payment, you will receive the link to the event within ten business days of your registration.

Read more about the event and our speakers HERE