Category: General
Mary Jo DeVillers Earns Doctorate
Dr. Mary Jo DeVillers of our nursing faculty was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) from the Loyola University Chicago Nursing Program in July of 2010. Dr. DeVillers instructs a number of our courses including our capstone Synthesis for Nursing Practice, Theoretical Foundations, and Global Aspects of Healthcare. Congratulations Dr. DeVillers!
Hola!! Travel Course to Mexico!
For the second consecutive year, the Professional Program in Nursing will be offering an extraordinary opportunity for RN to BSN students and alumni to participate in a travel course to Cuernavaca, Mexico. This 3 week travel course (N499) will run from December 27, 2010 – January 17, 2011 (including New Years Eve in Mexico!). Students will have the opportunity to learn about Mexican culture and healthcare and take Spanish language immersion classes (tailored to your level of language proficiency). Language class will occur each morning; Afternoons will be spent with speakers and field trips related to culture and healthcare. Cuernavaca is a beautiful city, dubbed the City of Eternal Spring, for its temperate climate. It is located about 90 minutes drive from Mexico City.
This course may be counted for either a world culture requirement, special topic in nursing elective, therapeutic nursing intervention (TNI) elective or (after consultation with Dr. Chris Vandenhouten) towards the Community Health Nursing Practicum. There is no language requirement for this program. Alumni will need to complete an application as “Special Students” for purposes of the trip. All participants need to have passports. The total cost for this experience (including airfare, lodging, tuition, etc.) will run about $3000. The exact cost and final details will be available soon. Registration will begin after September 1, 2010. Please contact Ruth Pearson (920-465-2826 or pearsonr@uwgb.edu) if you are interested in this exciting opportunity. Gracias!
YouTube Features Nursing Poverty Simulation in Second Life
How can students get a deeper understanding of the day-to-day challenges of those living in poverty? One way is through a Second Life computer simulation. Second Life is an Internet based 3D Virtual World. Nursing Professor Chris Vandenhouten, working with Instructional Designer Leif Nelson and student employees Julie Harvey and Kyle MacDonald, created a simulation program that students used to “experience” what it’s like for a family to live on the edge of poverty.
On March 3, 2010, the simulation was used in the Community Health Nursing class with 15 students participating. Each student was assigned an Avatar, a “person” in a simulated family. The activity mirrored what it is like to live in poverty for a “month” during which unforeseen events add to the daily stress of life. The simulation sensitizes individuals to the day to day reality of living in poverty. It motivates them to become aware and involved in activities and resources which help reduce the effects of poverty in the United States. The students took time to reflect and de-brief with Dr. Vandenhouten following the simulation.
Here’s a YouTube link about their project: http://www.youtube.com/ltdcepedagogy <http://www.youtube.com/ltdcepedagogy>
Nursing Student, Chad Sikora Co-Authors Article
Chad Sikora, RN and a student in the Leadership and Management course instructed by Brenda Tyczkowski, was a co-author of an article on implementing computerized medical records in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The article, titled Implementation of an Electronic Documentation System Using Microsystem and Quality Improvement Concepts, appeared in an Advances in Neonatal Care recent publication. Congratulations to Chad!
Hola! An Online Course with Faculty and Students from UN-Tumbes in Peru and UW-Green Bay
A spring 2010 course is in progress with faculty and students from UW-Green Bay Professional Program in Nursing and Universidad Nacional de Tumbes (UNT) in Peru. UNT is in a fairly remote area of Peru. Professor Susan Gallagher-Lepak and Interim Dean Derryl Block are teaching the course. Four very brave UW-Green Bay BSN completion students are taking the course for independent study credit. The course is fully online and all communications are posted into the course in both English and Spanish (thank goodness for “google translate”!). The course covers discussions of nursing, nursing interventions, and healthcare issues in both nations. Professor Block traveled to Tumbes Peru in 2009 and visited UN-Tumbes and the nursing program. Feel free to check out the UN-Tumbes website (translated in English) at:
Dr. Vandenhouten to Present at 2010 ACHNE and ASTDN Conference
Dr. Christine Vandenhouten from our faculty has been selected to present her abstract, In Living Color: Impressions & Connections resulting from a Photo-based Windshield Survey Exercise at the 2010 Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE) and Association of State & Territorial Directors of Nursing (ASTDN) Joint Meeting, June 10-12, 2010 in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Vandenhouten also is serving as the Editor of the Innovative Teaching Strategies Section of the ACHNE Website. Congratulations to Dr. Vandenhouten!
Dr. Kubsch professor for mother and daughter!
Jennifer Wilson, a campus/BSN@Home student in the NURS 317 course on campus, brought her mother (Bernadette Simon) in to class to serve as a volunteer for a health assessment class activity. Her mother is an alumni of the UW-Green Bay Professional Program in Nursing having graduated with a BSN in 1993. Hope the N317 Health Assessment test questions have changed since 1993!
Jennifer works at Bellin Hospital Maternity unit in Green Bay and has 3 children. Bernadette continues to work as a nursing supervisor at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Green Bay. Bernadette enjoys life with a BSN and her 22 grandchildren. Mimi Kubsch has taught both mother and daughter!
Moi! Finland Visitors at UW-Green Bay Nursing Program
As part of a developing collaboration, a group from Finland visited the UW-Green Bay campus and Professional Program in Nursing in October 2009. The group included Marjukka England from DKK Dipoli University in Finland and Carl and Iiris Bjornberg (Carl is Chairman of the board of Myllykoski Corp. in Finland; Iiris is a nurse interested in the study of school climate). The Finland group and nursing faculty enjoyed a very good discussion on international nursing and healthcare in Finland. It is hoped that further discussion between Finalnd nursing students and nursing students from UW-Green Bay will be part of the N492 Global Aspects of Healthcare course in the future. This visit was in follow-up to the UW-Green Bay interdisciplinary team that traveled to Finland in May 2009. Faculty members Susan Gallagher-Lepak and Janet Reilly were invited to be part of the UW-Green Bay team.
Dr. Gallagher-Lepak Named Interim Chairperson of Nursing
Dr. Susan Gallagher-Lepak was named the Interim Chairperson of the Professional Program in Nursing and Director of the BSN-LINC Program this past summer. She has been with our faculty since 2003 and served as Interim Chairperson during the 2007-2008 academic year when Dr. Block was on profesional sabbatical. Dr. Gallagher-Lepak is licensed both as a nurse and psychologist with the State of Wisconsin. We welcome her back in the role of Chairperson as she succeeds Dr. Block who is serving as Interim Dean of Professional & Graduate Studies.