The official magazine of the School of Nursing2019 Grant funded programs bring JMU and VCU students together to support rural healthcare Page 13 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Letter from the director 15 Tackling mental healthcare 26 2018-19 JMU school of nursing By Melody Eaton, PhD, RN, FAAN in nursing faculty and alumni publications By Shannon Shevlin (‘19) 3 Health Policy Summit 27 2018-19 JMU school of nursing focuses on opioid epidemic 17 Interim director becomes faculty podium presentations By Shannon Shevlin (‘19) an AAN fellow 29 The last lecture: By Sara Banton 6 Students advocate for Celebrating meaningful careers immunization programs 18 Social media sensation Nurse and saying goodbye By Eric Gorton Blake comes to JMU 31 Alumni update By Shannon Shevlin (‘19) 7 JMU Health Policy Institute: DNP students take the lead on 19 Nurses of the year: Editorial Team critical national healthcare needs Virginia March of Dimes Victoria Martineau - Team leader By Victoria Martineau recognizes JMU Michele Dombrowski nursing students & alumna 9 Nursing faculty in the news Melody Eaton By Victoria Martineau Teresa French 10 Omega Zeta 2019 20 JMU nurses win 40 under Christine Letsky-Anderson 10 JMU NSA students recognized at 40 awards Graphic Design the state and national levels By Shannon Shevlin (‘19) Josh See 11 Nursing introduces 22 Building global relationships Photography perioperative elective By Betsy Herron JMU Creative Services team By Sara Banton 24 Nursing convocation awards JMU School of Nursing faculty 13 JMU UPCARE grant scholars and recognitions: December 2018 and students partner with VCU pioneers to and May 2019 JMU Creative Media team support rural healthcare Michele Dombrowski By Victoria Martineau Aimee George 1 SCHOOL OF NURSING MAGAZINE “I am pleased to serve as the Interim Director as we move towards a new decade and continue our mission of “Being the Change” at local, national and international levels.” – Melody Eaton, JMU Nursing professor and interim director Dear Readers, The James Madison University School of Nursing is achieving our vision to be nationally recognized for academic excellence and innovative contributions to healthcare. I am pleased to serve as the Interim Director as we move toward a new decade and continue our mission of “Being the Change” at local, national and international levels. After receipt of a $2.7 million HRSA grant last year, our UPCARE scholars are currently immersed in rural Page County primary care, focusing on mental health and opioid addiction. They recently partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University students in a collaborative Primary Care Camp exchange, which is our cover story for this issue. The Health Policy Institute (HPI), our immersive Capitol Hill experience for DNP students, continues to break ground. The HPI’s impact, along with our undergraduate level Health Policy Summit research on political astuteness, resulted in national recognition with awards including the AACN Innovation in Professional Nursing Education. These innovations, viewed as an educational curricular best practice model for civic engagement and advocacy, were published in Peer Review and the research findings were featured in Nurse Educator. In response to an incredibly complex global healthcare environment, our students continue to engage in learning opportunities that challenge and enrich their scholarship. Study abroad programs in Tanzania, Malta, Costa Rica and Spain provide students with valuable, interprofessional, sociocultural learning experiences. Members of JMU’s chapter of Nursing Students Without Borders (NSWB) were invited to attend the annual Shot@Life – a group that advocates for childhood immunizations around the world – Champion Summit in Washington, D.C. for the third year. Finally, recognizing the universal need for improvements in mental healthcare, our simulation team developed a psychiatric mental health experience that strives to prepare students to successfully navigate a high-risk healthcare setting and form therapeutic relationships with patients. The School of Nursing is truly committed to “Being the Change!” I hope that you will read more about our initiatives and the opportunities that I have just touched upon. We invite and welcome your participation as students, alumni or community partners. Best Regards, Melody Eaton, PhD, RN, FAAN Interim Director and Professor James Madison University School of Nursing 2019 2 Interim director Melody Eaton HEALTH POLICY SUMMIT directs students on their activity. FOCUSES ON OPIOID EPIDEMIC While prior HPS events have tackled By Shannon Shevlin (‘19) issues including Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act, this year’s Understanding the intersection of opioid epidemic and discussed innova- topic represents another multifaceted health and public policy can help com- tive solutions to a national crisis. case with no clear solution. munities build more affordable, effec- tive and accessible care systems. Every Opioid misuse and addiction are Prior to the summit, students researched semester, JMU’s Health Policy Collab- widespread and costly public health 15 current bills and familiarized them- orative provides a forum for students concerns. According to the Center selves with the nuances of each. Putting to engage with compelling public health for Disease Control (CDC) more than their research into action, they applied issues while exploring how legislative 400,000 Americans died from an opi- JMU’s ethical reasoning framework and advocacy can improve wellness, work oid-related overdose between 1999 and considered how it could strengthen each and quality of life for many Americans. 2017, and the crisis generated nearly bill. During the event, students used a In March 2019, more than 200 students $78.5 billion in annual economic loss. Team-Based Learning (TBL) approach and faculty – along with Virginia House The U.S. Department of Health and that allowed for inter-disciplinary col- of Delegates representatives Dawn M. Human Services (HHS) declared opioid laboration in a small-group learning Adams (‘86) and Tony Wilt – attended overdose a public health emergency environment. Students from nursing, the Health Policy Summit (HPS) where in 2017, but the crisis continues and social work, occupational therapy and they analyzed issues related to the demands comprehensive solutions. health sciences as well as students from 3 SCHOOL OF NURSING MAGAZINE business and political science contrib- from a task force to prevent illegal sale Above: A student group prepares uted to the dialogue. of narcotics, to education and addiction their proposal poster. resources for local clinics. Professor and associate director for Below: Virginia Delegate undergraduate programs, Jamie Rob- Social work professor Laura Hunt Trull Dawn M. Adams (‘86) addresses inson, is passionate about issues in reflected on the power of this event, the students on the importance public health and was excited about emphasizing how it inspired a mean- of becoming civically engaged in the opportunity to facilitate the HPS ingful discussion across diverse pro- their communities. event. She discussed how interprofes- gram lines. She expressed, “Everyone sional education events not only sup- brings unique perspectives, resources port accuracy, longevity and success in and expertise to the table which can patient-centered care, but also improve be really important and valuable.” She students’ confidence to tackle complex continued, “Necessity breeds empower- challenges. She explained, “All together ment as students are in a place to speak the HPS broadens students’ perspectives up and raise concerns others might not of advocacy regardless of their discipline. have considered.” Each discipline brings its own lens to the table but it is when we take into account Delegate Dawn M. Adams is a JMU each diverse point of view that we can Nursing alumna (’86) and represents reach innovative, feasible and sustainable Virginia’s 68th district. She attended solutions to big problems.” the HPS along with Delegate Tony Wilt who represents Harrisonburg in the 26th Students were then tasked with brain- district. Adams encouraged students to storming solutions to the crisis and lead advancement in their communities developing detailed legislative propos- through civic engagement. She said, “As The HPS concluded with a discussion als to amend current legislation. They a clinician and a policy maker, hearing and reflection about how society can designed posters to share their ideas the proposals of the participants was work together to prevent disease, pro- and took a gallery walk to observe super interesting. Students bring the long life and promote health through other teams’ recommendations. Next, voice of the next generation to Virgin- organized efforts and informed choices. students voted on the top three teams ia’s legislature and it is through civic Practitioners are both the constituents who then presented their proposals in engagement that law makers are made and experts on public health concerns full. The event generated several excel- aware of issues most important to those and they are ready to use their voice to lent policy recommendations, ranging they represent.” make a difference. 2019 4 IN THE NEWS 5 SCHOOL OF NURSING MAGAZINE STUDENTS ADVOCATE FOR “It breaks my IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMS heart that there By Eric Gorton are children both Four James Madison University nursing This is the third year members of the in the U.S. and students and their advisor were selected JMU chapter