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Joanne Disch Honored with 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award (April 2008)
Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, chair of the national American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) board of directors, is among seven alumni of the University of Wisconsin-Madison who will be honored next month with the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards, presented by the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA). More ...

Ward Named MNRS Distinguished Researcher for 2008 (March 2008)
For the second consecutive year, a faculty researcher from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing received the Distinguished Contribution to Research in the Midwest Award from the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS). More ...

An Archivist's Passion: "Giving Order to Our Documented Universe" (February 2008)
Meet archivist Gabriel Gabe Angulo, MS'07. While working on his master's degree in library and information studies at the UW-Madison, Angulo processed the School of Nursing's amassed historical records, which now reside in three collections (School of Nursing, Continuing Nursing Education, and Nurses' Alumni Association) within the Ebling Library. More ...

Baumann Named Global Health Research Ambassador (July 2007)
Linda Ciofu Baumann, PhD, RN, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, has been named an ambassador of Research!America’s Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research. More ...

Nursing's Public Image Not on Target (April 2007)
Nursing’s public image obscures nursing’s true identity, says Katharyn A. May, DNSc, RN, dean and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing. More ...

MNRS Honors Brennan with Distinguished Researcher Award (March 2007)
Patricia Flatley Brennan, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Lillian Moehlman-Bascom Professor of Nursing at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, was selected to receive the 2007 Distinguished Contribution to Research in the Midwest Award presented at the Midwest Nursing Research Society's (MNRS) 31st annual conference held March 23-26, 2007, in Omaha, Nebraska. More ...

Nursing Interventions Conference Targets Getting the Most from Research Dollars (October 2006)
Getting the best bang for your research buck! This was the thrust of the Nursing Interventions Conference, held September 14 and 15, 2006, at the Hilton Hotel in Madison and sponsored by the Center for Patient-Centered Interventions (CPCI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing. More ...

Seniors' Health: Focus of the 2006 Littlefield Leadership Lecture (September 2006)
Friday, September 22, 2006, marks the date for the seventh annual Littlefield Leadership Lecture, titled Innovations in Health Care for Older Persons, to be held in Alumni Hall of the Health Sciences Learning Center from 9:00 a.m. to noon. More ...

“A Historical Tea” Recaptures Tradition—with Contemporary Flair (July 2006) Afternoon tea in the Nurses’ Dormitory on the UW-Madison campus was an honored tradition in the 1940s and ’50s, but shortly thereafter, it was lost in time. On June 17, 2006, tea was again served at the UW-Madison School of Nursing—but with a contemporary flair. More...

Nurse-Researcher Guided by Principle:“If It’s Important, Then Something Should Be Happening” (June 25, 2006)
Linda Denise Oakley, PhD, RN, professor at UW-Madison School of Nursing, stood before listeners of the Bascom Hill Society and offered them a provocative perspective: “Two truisms have informed my thinking about African American health disparities,” spoke Oakley. “Number one: In the United States, health is wealth. Number two: When white America gets a cold, black America gets pneumonia.” More ...

Advising: A Nurse’s Pathway to Accomplishment (March 31, 2006)
“It takes nothing to go backwards, but it takes quite a bit to move forward”: The statement has served as a signpost over the years for Joan Ellis, BS, RN, academic advisor at UW-Madison School of Nursing. She hopes that the adage has guided many undergraduate students who have walked through her door ready to carve out their chosen paths in nursing. More...

Patient-Centered Interventions: A Custom Fit (December 15, 2005)
A one-size-fits-all approach is just as sure to cause frustration in your health care as it is in your local mall.

“What if you walked into a department store, and there was just one suit size?” asks UW-Madison School of Nursing Professor Karin Kirchhoff, PhD. “The expectation would be that everyone is supposed to fit into that size, while in reality, most of us come in different sizes. There always needs to be a bit of customized tailoring so that it fits an individual better.” And just like that suit, nursing care should be customized to fit an individual patient. It should be patient centered. More...

Center Targets the Global Context of Health Care (November 18, 2005)
In the midst of international concern over avian influenza and its potential to become infectious—human to human—University of Wisconsin-Madison prepares to unveil its Center for Global Health—an educational initiative to advance health within the global community. More...

Roder and Schuster Retire from UW-Madison School of Nursing (June 30, 2005)
Patricia Roder, clinical associate professor of nursing, and Robert Schuster, director of technology resources, will retire from the UW-Madison School of Nursing in early summer 2005, capping off careers that have lasted a combined half-century at the school. More...

Littlefield Leadership Lecturer Marilyn P. Chow Addresses Needed Reform in Health Care Education and Delivery (September 19, 2004)
“The American health care delivery system is in need of fundamental change. … Trying harder will not work. Changing systems of care will.” Marilyn Chow, RN, DNSc, FAAN, echoed the concerns of the Institute of Medicine when speaking at the fifth annual Littlefield Leadership Lecture in the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC) on September 17, 2004, sponsored by the UW-Madison School of Nursing and named for Vivian Littlefield, dean emerita, whose vision for health professions curricula focused on interdisciplinary education. More...

Chow to Present Littlefield Lecture: The Stars Have Aligned (September 2, 2004)
On September 17, 2004, Marilyn P. Chow, RN, DNSc, FAAN, will present the fifth annual Littlefield Leadership Lecture in Alumni Hall of the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC). On this day, it would appear that the stars have aligned perfectly. Chow, a national leader in nursing and health care, will share her perspective on the need for interdisciplinary, interprofessional education—in a setting the quintessence of collaboration and teamwork. More...

Forging International Partnerships at School of Nursing (September 2, 2004)
Recently, the UW-Madison School of Nursing (SoN) community welcomed the opportunity to promote the Wisconsin Idea--internationally. During the week of August 15, 2004, the SoN hosted three Japanese visitors, whose aim was to lay the groundwork for forging an international partnership with SoN. More...

Ellen Langrehr, ’79, Clinical Associate Professor at SoN, Says Farewell (July 13, 2004)
After 19 1/2 years with the School of Nursing (SoN), Ellen Langrehr, RN, MS, ACNP, CCRN, will be leaving her role as clinical associate professor to accept a position with the UW Medical Foundation as an acute care nurse practitioner in the section of cardiovascular medicine. More...

McDonald Receives NEAT Award to Advance Online Education in Health Care (June 22, 2004)
At a time when the nation is faced with the looming nursing shortfall, Jeannette McDonald, associate faculty at the UW-Madison School of Nursing (SoN), is leading a national project to make nursing education more accessible online, especially for the working adult student, and to educate new health care professionals with greater efficiency. More...

Heideggerian Hermeneutics Institutes Will Leave Madison after 2004 (June 2, 2004)
As constant as the summer solstice in June, the Heideggerian Institutes have vitalized the UW-Madison campus in the month of the Gemini since 1992 … but, ironically, change is a constant. Due to budget cuts in continuing education, the institutes will move to a new home campus at George Mason University College of Nursing and Health Science in Fairfax, Va., after the 2004 Wisconsin sessions. More...

Associate Dean Susan Riesch Welcomes International Egyptian Nursing Scholar (May 13, 2004)
It is not a highly publicized fact that UW-Madison is a member of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) … but Associate Dean Sue Riesch and her research team are doing their part to support and expand WUN’s visibility through a learning opportunity for scholar Shewikar Farrag, MSc. More...

New Health Sciences Learning Center Dedicated (May 7, 2004)
The new Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC) was dedicated in a ceremony on Friday, May 7, 2004. The building is located at 750 Highland Ave. on the UW–Madison campus. The dedication featured comments by Gov. Jim Doyle and UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley. More...

New School of Nursing Development Director Is Chosen (April 28, 2004)
Coleen Southwell, APR, has joined the University of Wisconsin Foundation staff as director of development for the School of Nursing. Successor to former director Kathleen Wiater, Southwell is returning to her alma mater after graduating in 1982 from UW-Madison with a B.A. in journalism and public relations. With her, Southwell brings 20 years of experience in higher education and corporate/agency public relations and marketing. More...

Rodriguez Receives Award from the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, Inc. (April 27, 2004)
Assistant Professor Rachel Rodriguez, PhD, RN, can now add the title "champion" to her credentials. On May 1, 2004, she will be honored as one of the recipients of the Champions in Women's Health Award for her work in rural health with Latino/Hispanic migrant farmworker women. The award is bestowed by the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, Inc., and will be presented at the State Capitol at a special awards ceremony hosted by Sue Ann Thompson and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. More...

Karin T. Kirchhoff: Nurse Researcher, Canine’s Friend (March 22, 2004)
March 24, 2004, will be a memorable day for Karin T. Kirchhoff, Rodefer Chair and professor at the College of Nursing. On that day, she will return to her alma mater—Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Mich.—to accept the Alumni of the Year award and to present a prestigious lecture. More...

Good-bye to Ann Windsor: Teacher, Mentor, Friend (February 18, 2004)
Ann Windsor will retire iin spring 2004 after a rewarding career with the School of Nursing.
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Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse Makes List of Top 100 Integrated Health Care Networks
(February 5, 2004)
Gundersen Lutheran, the School of Nursing's Western Campus, has received another Top 100 award for its integrated healthcare system, boasting improved outcomes, better continuums of care and strong integration of disease- and case-mangement programs. More ...

American Red Cross Recognizes Three SoN Clinical Faculty (January 15, 2004)
Three Clinical 219 faculty recently were recognized by the American Red Cross for their service partnership with its Badger Chapter. Diana Girdley, Paula Jarzemsky and Jane McCarthy were commended for offering students in N219 valued training. The Red Cross, with students’ help, reaches out to hundreds of people to build safer communities and “is proud to partner with [SoN] in service” to those communities.

Here are some interesting facts about the SoN/American Red Cross partnership: Since 2001, 85 student nurses have been trained and certified as Red Cross Health and Safety Instructors in CPR/FirstAid/AED, Basic Aid Training (BAT), First Aid for Children Today (FACT) and Babysitting. Four have moved on to become instructors for Professional Rescuers—the highest level of Red Cross instructor certification.

Faculty Member Linda Baumann, PhD, RN, will become new president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. (April 17, 2003)
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Assistant Professor Rachel Rodriguez Offers Health Segment on WORT Radio Show, "En Nuestra Patio" (March, 2003)
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School of Nursing expanding to La Crosse (February 26, 2003)
The School of Nursing will offer a baccalaureate-nursing program and degree to students at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, one of the state's largest health-care networks.
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Academic Programs

Educating the Educators (May 2007)
Wisconsin’s first wealth is its health. Guided by this principle, two nurse-researchers at the UW-Madison School of Nursing are leading statewide education-based initiatives to produce a healthier Wisconsin for the patients, families, and communities. More ...

Five students Complete the UW-Madison School of Nursing’s PhD Program in December 2004 (January 10, 2005)
Since its inception in 1984, the UW-Madison School of Nursing PhD program has prepared individuals for leadership roles as nurse faculty, researchers and health care administrators. In December 2004, the School of Nursing saluted five graduates who competed the PhD program. They now share this academic distinction with approximately 60 other doctoral students over the past 20 years who have graduated from the program. More...

Innovative Proposal Seeks to Increase Number of Nurse Educators (September 30, 2004)
Sobering data about the nursing shortage compelled Nadine Nehls, associate dean for academic programs at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, to heed the call from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to apply for support for advanced nursing education. More...

Associate Dean Susan Riesch Welcomes International Egyptian Nursing Scholar through Global Network (May 12, 2004)
It is not a highly publicized fact that UW-Madison is a member of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) … but Associate Dean Sue Riesch and her research team are doing their part to support and expand WUN’s visibility through a learning opportunity for scholar Shewikar Farrag, MSc. More ...

Three-day Intensive Interaction with Brittingham Visiting Scholar Fulfills Honors Credits for Required Course (April 1, 2004)
For three learning-intensive days, beginning April 14, 2004, the UW-Madison School of Nursing offered baccalaureate nursing students a unique and enriching opportunity to participate in the Brittingham Visiting Scholars Project, under the direction of Assistant Professor Barbara St. Pierre Schneider. More ...

Students

Gaining a Clear Vision from a Broad Perspective (October 2007). Firefighter. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Paramedic. Nurse. Trace the career path of Jesse Kapusta and you’ll find that many career service roles do, indeed, segue into nursing. More ...

Testing the Waters … for Wisconsin’s Environmental Health (April 2007)
If water tastes good, smells good, and looks good, do I really need to test it? The question rouses concern for Dolores Severtson, PhD, RN, who tackles health information issues surrounding Wisconsin’s water quality safety and the environment. More ...

Doing So Much with So Little (February 2007)
As a pediatric nurse at the University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital, Claude Rochon, RN, is committed to serving children with life-threatening illnesses. With the help of a twelve-inch bruin named Bear, Rochon works to ease the fears of the young patients. He is enrolled in the RN to MS Program at the UW-Madison School of Nursing. More ...

Sibling Pairs Chart Common Course (November 2006)
Leaping from a burning building with no fire escape, sustaining leg injury, and later, undergoing eight surgeries motivated Uchenna Oraedu to enroll at the UW-Madison School of Nursing. More ...

School of Nursing Students Invoke Elders to “Drink to Your Health! (August 2005)
While researching problems of the elderly for a nursing gerontology class taught by Professor Susan Heidrich, PhD, at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, students Sarah Gilman, Kami Johanek, Jessica Luckason, and Rebecca Weld came upon an unsettling fact: One million older adults are admitted to the hospital because of dehydration each year. More ...

Student Researcher Finds the Human Connection within Science of Nursing (April 8, 2005)
For Kimberly Ehlers, student researcher at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, research is more than about science—it’s about the “human connection,” she says. More ...

Nursing Student Thrives on Military and Academic Challenges (March 1, 2005)
Take the type-A personality—competitive, driven—and mix in some type-T traits—loves pursuing the unknown, intrepid. The combination offers a first glimpse into the character of Elizabeth Anne Adamczyk, a junior at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, an ROTC cadet and a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Airborne School—that’s right, she jumps out of planes. More ...

Master’s Student Van Doren Promoted to Air Force Major (December 15, 2004)
Karin P. Van Doren, master’s student at the UW-Madison School of Nursing (SoN) and officer in the U.S. Air Force, stood in military dress next to the American flag—symbolic of the freedoms she honors and defends—surrounded by family, friends and cadets who had gathered on November 30, 2004, to honor her. The ceremony marked the promotion of Van Doren to the grade of major in the U.S. Air Force. More...

School of Nursing Students Host the Hunger Banquet in Health Sciences Learning Center (December 3, 2004)
On the day before Thanksgiving 2004, nursing students gathered to participate in a banquet of a different kind. Led by undergraduate nursing students Bethany Ann Welnak and Jessica Luckason, the group joined together in the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet, held in the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC), to share food—inequitably—and to raise awareness of poverty and hunger through discussion. More...

Profile: Katrina Rundhaug (November 30, 2004)
Katrina Rundhaug, a pre-nursing student at UW-Madison, is runner extraordinaire. She is one of the top runners on the UW Women’s Cross Country team and recently earned an at-large invitation to compete at the 2004 Division I NCAA Cross Country (CC) Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. on November 22, 2004. She finished 59th out of 248 runners in the 6,000 meter race and was the only Wisconsin CC athlete on the women's team to compete at this level. More...

Iron Woman Takes on Ironman Wisconsin (October 25, 2004)
“Pain is temporary; pride is forever, Beverstein!” A cry echoing from among the 40,000 observers who jockeyed to watch the 2004 Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon on September 12, 2004, spurred on Gretchen Beverstein ’02 toward the finish line—a grueling four miles away. More...

“Welcome Back, Nursing Students!” (September 14, 2004)
A “Welcome Back, Nursing Students!” sign graces the entryway to the School of Nursing (SoN), as students enter its space from the connecting corridor to the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC). The sign represents the SoN community’s eagerness to welcome those students already in the nursing major and those newcomers to the major—a group whose vitality and potential lie in its exceptionally diverse character. More...

Lisa Brown Defends Dissertation in August (August 1, 2004)
Autumn beckons … and this September--if all goes as planned--Lisa Brown will leave Badger country and head south to where a Tar Heel is the logo of choice. By the end of August, Brown hopes to have completed her requirements for her doctoral degree in nursing, to be conferred in December 2004, and will be starting postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. More...

Nursing Student-Athletes Share Unique Classification (March 12, 2004)
That Ashraf Fadel and Ryan Tremelling are male students in a traditionally female program might be statistically interesting, in itself ... More...

Research

Nursing Interventions Conference Targets Getting the Most from Research Dollars (October 2006)
Getting the best bang for your research buck! This was the thrust of the Nursing Interventions Conference, held September 14 and 15, 2006, at the Hilton Hotel in Madison and sponsored by the Center for Patient-Centered Interventions (CPCI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing. More ...

HealthSystems Lab: A Unique Environment for Learning (April 11, 2006)
Professor Patricia Brennan’s research team and lab, housed at the UW-Madison Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is a coalition of nurses, engineers, and a pragmatic urban and regional planner. Drawing upon diverse perspectives, skills, and knowledge, the group focuses on improving health care and its system of delivery. (More...)

Nurse-Engineer Constructs Health Care’s Future ( February 17, 2006)
“A patient’s right to trust the health care system to act in his or her own accord really is no longer valid. We have not held the patient’s trust well,” says Patricia Flatley Brennan, PhD, RN, professor of nursing at UW-Madison School of Nursing. (More...)

School of Nursing Investigator Explores New Approaches to Curbing Cancer Pain (March 15, 2005)
The American Cancer Society publicized a haunting statistic that keeps Kris Kwekkeboom, PhD, RN, assistant professor at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, highly motivated to pursue her research: Men have a one in two risk and women a one in three risk of developing cancer at some point in their lifetime. (More...)

Professor Susan Riesch: Researching Ways toStrengthen Families through Communication (December 15, 2004)
When Professor Susan Riesch, DNSc, RN, FAAN, finished her tenure as associate dean for research at the School of Nursing (SoN), Dean Katharyn May asked her how she would like to celebrate 12 years of invaluable service as administrative head of research. Riesch’s response was characteristic of someone immersed in research right from the start of an academic career—present a research symposium. More...

Donna McCarthy Returns to the School of Nursing after Two-year Stint at NINR (November 1, 2004)
Professor Donna McCarthy, PhD, RN, is among a cadre of passionate researchers found at the UW-Madison School of Nursing. As a nurse scientist, she burrows down into the world of cells and the substances (cytokines) they secrete in search of understanding and perhaps treating cachexia, a human response to cancer marked by loss of appetite, weight loss and muscle wasting. More...

A Road Less Traveled in Nursing (August 12, 2004)
UW-Madison School of Nursing has a tradition of having a cadre of nurse scientists who are psychosocial researchers or physiological researchers. Walking through the K6/3 module, one clearly can see that Assistant Professor Barbara St. Pierre Schneider is a physiological nurse scientist. More...

Linda D. Oakley Leads African American Cardiovascular Disparities Study (August 1, 2004)
“Follow your heart” … “Speak from the heart” … ”Believe with all your heart” … “Have a heart”—all reference that large organic muscle that pumps blood through the body and houses the human spirit and soul. It is the last phrase, however, that bears special significance for Dr. Oakley, associate professor at the UW-Madison School of Nursing. “Have a Heart” is the name of the first health disparities community research project of the African American Health Network (AAHN) of Dane County. Denise Carty, Wisconsin minority health officer, is the founding chair of the network, and Dr. Oakley is the lead investigator of the research project. The project’s aim is to use screening and educational methods to more effectively describe cardiovascular disease health risks and health disparities in African American children and adults living in Dane County. More...

Margaret Sebern honored as Hartford Institute Geriatric Nursing Research Scholar. (April 17, 2003)
The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, part of the New York University Division of Nursing, has named Margaret Sebern, PhD, RN, as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, to be a Scholar in its 2003 Geriatric Nursing Research Scholars and Fellows Program.
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Continuing Education

School of Nursing Joins Wisconsin Office of Rural Health to Offer Online Farm Safety Course (November 28, 2004)
"If a man can't be happy on a little farm in Wisconsin, he doesn't have the makings of happiness in his soul." -Nick Engelbert (1881-1962).
Words displayed beneath the painting of a red barn, green pastures, romping children and contented cows by artist and Hollandale, Wis., farmer Nick Engelbert (1881-1962) convey the idyllic, agricultural roots of The Dairy State. The harmonious setting, however, does have its dark side. The truth of the matter is that farming is a dangerous business. More...

School of Nursing’s Online Pharmacotherapy Course Simplifies Process for APN Prescriber Certification (October 25, 2004)
In an age where the thrust of education is accessibility to learning—anytime, anywhere—experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing have been working with campus colleagues to offer an online continuing nursing education (CNE) course that prepares advanced practice nurses (APNs) to prescribe drugs. More...

Alumni

Orphanage Benefits from Alum’s “Just Do It” Philosophy (December 2006)
In January 2007, UW-Madison School of Nursing alum Susan Gold will leave for Kenya to help the young occupants of the Nyumbani Children's Home. All its children are HIV-positive. "My hope," says Gold, "is that my project paves the way for a different outcome in the lives of the children I serve." More ...

Rommelfanger Strives to Close Access-to-Care Gap for Children (July 29, 2005)
The stonecutter hammers away at the rock and splits it in two after the hundredth blow, knowing that it was not the last blow of the hammer, but all the blows before that split the rock. Teresa Rommelfanger, MS ’04, PNP, with the determination of a stonecutter, challenges the disparities that block access to children’s health care. More...

Injured in war, School of Nursing Alum Retains Love of Profession (March 15, 2005) “Some people are just meant to be nurses, and I just love it.” Words spoken by Christopher Justice ’99, MS ’03, over two years ago as an intensive care nurse at UW Hospital and Clinics are words that he stands by today—even after sustaining injury as a nurse in Iraq. More ...

SoN Alum Erinn Foster Shares Peace Corps Experiences (August 12, 2004)
“Life is calling. How far will you go?” is the resonating mantra of today's Peace Corps. Not so long ago, Erinn Foster, '01, heard a similar corps message—“The toughest job you'll ever love”—and the words stuck. More...

SoN Student and Alumna Honored by NBNA for Achievements (August 4, 2004)
When the National Black Nurses Association, Inc., (NBNA) holds its 32 nd Annual Institute and Conference this year, two UW-Madison School of Nursing (SoN) alumnae will be present to accept the institute's prestigious nursing awards. The NBNA will extend its highest praise at the President's Gala the evening of August 7, 2004, to Tamaria Parks '04 for academic accomplishments as a nursing student and Brenda Dockery '77, MSN, CFNP, APNP, for demonstrating excellence in advanced practice nursing. (More...)

Two School of Nursing Alumnae Receive Honors (May 25, 2004)
UW-Madison School of Nursing alumnae Jane E. Nelson-Worel (BS ’81; MS ‘85) and Maureen C. Van Dinter (MS ’81) recently were bestowed distinguished honors for their accomplishments in the field of nursing. The School of Nursing would like to congratulate them as well for their dedication to health care and leadership in nursing. More...