News at a Glance (May 2016): Next UMSN Dean, Student Global Work Supported

Please join the U-M community in welcoming Patricia D. Hurn as the next dean of the University of Michigan School of Nursing, effective Aug. 1. Her five-year appointment was approved May 19 by the U-M Board of Regents. Dr. Hurn currently is vice chancellor for research and innovation and executive officer of the University of Texas System.

 

A group of twelve UMSN faculty, staff and PhD students travelled to the University of San Paulo Ribeirao Preto (USP-RP) in Brazil for the annual Global Ambassadors PhD Summer Research Institute. The five-day conference included colleagues from peer nursing schools in Brazil, Thailand, and Canada. The participants shared research and developed new collaborations to further scientific progress in areas including chronic disease management, health promotion, vulnerable populations and psychiatric nursing. The UMSN students showcased their work through posters and presentations, and were able to receive constructive feedback from the international group. They also visited local clinical sites and toured USP’s labs and simulation center.

 

“Health issues rapidly jump time zones and continents, and our increasingly multicultural neighborhoods mean that nurse scientists need to possess a deep understanding of the cultural contexts and practices of people different from ourselves,” says Associate Professor Patricia Abbott, PhD, RN, FACMI. “Our students and faculty learn from varying approaches to scientific inquiry. Traveling with these students and sharing research is enriching, and helps all of us to extend our thinking and diversify our partnerships to extend outside of our own backyards.” This is the third year of the program funded by a U-M Rackham Graduate School Grant for the Global Engagement of Doctoral Education.

 

Two PhD nursing students received funding from U-M’s African Studies Center for global research opportunities. Nicholas Metheny will work in South Africa and Namibia on “Understanding the HIV Prevention Needs of MSM (men who have sex with men) and Their Partners in Southern Africa.” Julie Buser will travel to Zambia for research related to “Neonatal Outcomes and Maternity Waiting Homes.” Buser also received funding from U-M’s International Institute.

 

Nursing faculty and five students recently traveled to Ethiopia to continue an interdisciplinary research project to provide comprehensive services to human trafficking survivors. Led by UMSN Assistant Professor Michelle Munro-Kramer, PhD, CNM, FNP-BC, and Clinical Associate Professor Sue Anne Bell, PhD, FNP-BC, the graduate students assisted the faculty by participating in interviews with survivors, health care workers, and advocates. The focus is assessing survivor needs for rehabilitation, reintegration, and recovery. The undergraduates completed community assessments in the towns of Aksum and Shire to help the research team understand the health care needs of individuals in northern Ethiopia.

 

Dr. Munro-Kramer is also beginning a new research project focused on decreasing sexual assault on campus and providing resources for victims. She believes it is important to recognize how college students learning how to function as independent young adults could benefit from a life skills approach aimed at changing social factors that perpetuate sexual violence. Dr. Munro-Kramer will adapt iCON, a U-M created health services and life skills app for sexual and gender minority youth, to address the underlying factors associated with sexual violence within the university environment. To support this research, Dr. Munro-Kramer received a Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) K Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award.

 

Assistant Professor Deena Kelly Costa, PhD, RN, was an invited presenter at the American Thoracic Society’s annual conference. Her research focuses on the organization and management of critical care services including how to optimize the intensive care unit (ICU) team’s ability to deliver high quality care. Dr. Costa was one of three researchers asked to present findings and answer questions from the press. Dr. Kelly shared her recent research focused on critical care nurse work environment, physician staffing, and risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

 

UMSN invited more than 150 U-M Health System mentors for an appreciation event to honor their efforts in the education of UMSN students. Mentors were treated to lunch and given goodie bags which included a pin with key charms as a visible symbol of their contributions. Additional charms will be given to the mentors for each year of mentorship. Faculty also shared stories of the impact the mentors can have on the success of the students.