SoN_magazine_online

nursing
FALL 2017

THE KU
COMMUNITY

COLLEGE
NURSING
PARTNERSHIP

An innovative collaboration is allowing nursing
students across Kansas to earn their associates

and BSN degrees at the same time

IGNITE POTENTIAL

There is no better way to transform students into leaders
than a KU School of Nursing education. Your gift for student support

opens doors, fuels ambition and transforms lives.
www.kuendowment.org/your-gift

EDITOR MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Donna Peck
Dear colleagues and friends, driving force behind the use of simulation
KU SCHOOL OF NURSING training and interprofessional education at the
ADVISOR As dean of the University of Kansas School University of Kansas Medical Center. We ex-
Ellen Bietz of Nursing, I am proud to present this first is- plore the history of our nurse-managed safety
sue of KU Nursing magazine. It is our hope net clinic, which is providing quality care to
DESIGN that this publication will provide you with an hundreds of low-income and under-insured
Michael S. Welch inside look at just a few of the many exciting residents in Kansas City. And we profile one
things going on at our institution. of our most promising new faculty members,
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS who has taken a very non-traditional path to
Kristi Birch One of the biggest challenges facing our pro- academic nursing.
Donna Peck fession is meeting the ever-growing need for
Greg Peters BSNs, APRNs, and nurse researchers with ex- The KU School of Nursing is in the midst of
pertise in emerging areas such as data science an exhilarating time of growth and innovation.
PHOTOGRAPHY and genetics and genomics. If we are to meet I am humbled and proud to be working with
Selena Jabara the Institute of Medicine’s goal of having 80 a world-class faculty and staff that embodies
Elissa Monroe percent of nurses prepared at the BSN level, respect and caring for everyone we serve.
we need to develop more than just the tradi-
COVER ILLUSTRATION tional pathways to a BSN degree. Sally Maliski, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Heidi Younger Dean, University of Kansas School of Nursing
In the cover story of this magazine, you will
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS read about how the KU School of Nursing is
SCHOOL OF NURSING meeting that challenge through the develop-
LEADERSHIP ment, implementation and expansion of our
Sally Maliski, Ph.D., RN, FAAN innovative KU Community College Partner-
Dean ship Program.
Pamela Barnes, Ph.D., MBA
Associate Dean, Student Affairs In this issue, you will also learn more about
Marjorie J. Bott, Ph.D., RN how the KU School of Nursing has been the
Associate Dean, Research
Nelda Godfrey, Ph.D., RN,
ACNS-BC, FAAN
Associate Dean,
Innovative Partnerships & Practice
Cynthia Teel, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Assciate Dean, Academic Affairs

KU Nursing magazine is published by the
University of Kansas School of Nursing,
3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas,
66160. To view KU Nursing online, go to
nursing.kumc.edu.
The content and images in KU Nursing are
copyrighted and no part may be reproduced
without prior permission.

FALL 2017 3

nursing

_________________________________________

FEATURES

10

___________________________________________

THE KU COMMUNITY
COLLEGE NURSING
PARTNERSHIP

___________________________________________

An innovative collaboration is
helping more students in Kansas
earn their BSNs.

08 _________________________________________

THE ROAD LESS
TRAVELED

_________________________________________

Heather Nelson-Brantley took a non-traditional path
to her career as a nursing faculty member.

14 _________________________________________ ___________

A CONVERSTATION DEPTS
WITH SALLY MALISKI
03
_________________________________________
Message
The dean of the KU School of Nursing opens up from the
about her vision for the school. Dean

16 _________________________________________ 05

ORIGINAL SIM Around
the School
_________________________________________
22
The KU School of Nursing is leading the way
in promoting simulation and interprofessional By the
education at KU Medical Center. Numbers

20 _________________________________________

GROWING TO MEET
COMMUNITY NEEDS

_________________________________________

The Silver City Health Center is providing quality
care to the Argentine Neighborhood in Kansas City.

4 KU NURSING

THE SCHOOL

KU School of Nursing welcomes students to a new ulum for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is identical
campus in Salina, Kansas to the program in Kansas City and is being delivered via distance
education from Kansas City and on-site faculty in Salina. Plans
In an effort to attract and educate professional nurses in rural parts call for class sizes to expand to 18 students in 2019 and 24 students
of Kansas, the KU School of Nursing has partnered with Salina in 2020. By year five of the program, the campus will have reached
Regional Health Center to open a new campus location in Salina. its maximum capacity of 48 students.
The campus is offering students a Bachelor of Science in Nursing,
which is a program that accepts students who have already com- Lisa Larson, RN, MSN, Clinical Assistant Professor, was appoint-
pleted the first two years of their undergraduate education at any ed the assistant dean of the KU School of Nursing–Salina campus.
regionally accredited college or university. Larson has lived and worked in the Salina area since 2002. During
that time, she worked as a school nurse from 2002-2012, and as
In making the announcement on May 16, 2017, then-KU Chancel- BSN faculty at a local university from 2012-2015. She served most
lor Bernadette Gray-Little, Ph.D., said the KU School of Nursing recently as a staff nurse/unit scheduler for Lindsborg Community
location in Salina would enable the university to fulfill its mission Hospital. Larson has also worked as a staff nurse at a Salina Re-
to educate additional health care providers to better meet the needs gional Health Center-affiliated critical access hospital, in addition
of Kansans, particularly in underserved parts of the state. to working with other rural community hospitals.

Nursing shortages exist throughout Kansas, and immediate job op- KU Medical Center opens an innovative new
portunities are available within the Salina region for nurses who
Health Education Building
already have earned their baccalaureate degrees.

The School of Nursing–Salina campus is sharing existing facilities The University of Kansas Medical Center officially opened its
with the University of Kansas School of Medicine. The school en- new $82 million Health Education Building in July 2017. The
rolled a class of 12 nursing students in the fall of 2017. The curric- 171,000-square-foot building will facilitate the education of a

FALL 2017 5

greater number of physicians, nurses and allied health care pro- KU School of Nursing ranked among the Top 50
fessionals and address critical health care worker shortages in Best Value Nursing Ph.D. Programs
Kansas. Of the state’s 105 counties, 90 counties are classified as
medically underserved. KU School of Nursing is ranked #32 in the Top 50 Best Value
Nursing Ph.D. Programs of 2017 by Value Colleges. The Value
The building now serves as the primary teaching facility for the Colleges rankings are designed to inform students of the real costs
KU Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions and and benefits of a college education and direct them to the colleges
includes significant simulation labs and flexible, state-of-the-art and universities that will provide the most advantageous balance
learning space to support interprofessional education and other of price, marketability and return on investment. The organization
new models of teaching. analyzes data from the U.S. News & World Report rankings, Pay-
scale.com and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Sys-
Each of the building’s five stories has a different educational fo- tem to determine the rankings. The nursing Ph.D. program at KU
cus. The ground floor includes a large 500-person classroom that is one of the oldest in the country and is the only nursing Ph.D.
can be divided in half by a skywall. From above, the roof of the program offering in the state of Kansas. KU’s nursing Ph.D. de-
classroom is designed to look like the Flint Hills, with a layer of gree has been offered online since 2006, when many schools were
soil and native vegetation surrounding three raised skylights. The just launching their doctorate programs.
ground floor features a lobby, restaurant and connecting bridge,
and the second floor features homerooms for students. The third Four KU doctoral students named Jonas Scholars
and fourth floors have 20 simulation rooms where doctors and
nurses treat standardized patients who present various ailments; Four doctoral-level students in the KU School of Nursing joined
six surgery suites; a pharmacy; a waiting room; and viewing spac- the ranks in the newly minted class of Jonas Scholars in 2016,
es for faculty to oversee and supervise training sessions. helping the Jonas Center surpass its goal of training 1,000 nurse
faculty and clinical leaders before the year 2020. The new Jonas
For future nurses, occupational therapists and physical therapists, Scholars include Doctor of Nursing Practice student Shu Wen
the fifth floor also has a replica of an apartment with all of the fur- Cheng, RN, BSN; and Ph.D. students Heather Lewis, MSN, RN;
nishings to practice in-home care situations. Marian Savage, MSN, RN; and Christine Sommers, MN, RN. The
Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare was founded
KU School of Nursing earns Center of Excellence in 2006 by Barbara and Donald Jonas with the goal of improving
in Nursing Education designation health care through advancing nursing scholarship, leadership and
education. The Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholarship Program aims to
The KU School of Nursing has earned the National League of address a dire shortage of nursing faculty nationwide. The scholars
Nursing (NLN) designation as a Center of Excellence for 2017- are chosen through a competitive reveiw process.
2022. Schools of nursing apply for Center of Excellence status
based on demonstrated and sustained excellence in faculty de- Estate gift provides funds for nursing scholarship
velopment, nursing education research, or student learning and
professional development. The prestigious NLN designation is a Part of a $100,000 estate gift from the late alumna Marynell Dyatt
voluntary process that involves preparation of material by the or- Reece will provide funds for the Nelle T. Dyatt Nursing Scholar-
ganization itself and peer review. The KU School of Nursing is ship, which is named in honor of Reece’s mother. Reece’s sup-
one of only 15 schools or organizations to have achieved NLN port for the School of Nursing grew from her mother’s career as a
Center of Excellence designation in 2017 and one of only 62 total nurse. Nelle Taylor Dyatt was part of KU’s inaugural graduating
to have attained Center of Excellence status. The KU School of class of nurses in 1909. There were four students in that first class.
Nursing has received continuing designation as a Center of Excel- Reece studied journalism at KU, graduating in 1942. She was one
lence in Creating Environments That Enhance Student Learning of the first women to serve on the KU Endowment Board of Trust-
and Professional Development. It received its first such designa- ees and served as a life trustee in until her death in July 2016.
tion in 2013.

6 KU NURSING

Peterman named as an American Academy of of twenty years or more. Domian was nominated by a committee
Nursing Fellow of faculty and students for her outstanding contribution to the uni-
versity and her students through excellence in classroom teaching.
Tammy Peterman, MS, RN, FAAN, Executive Vice President,
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at The Uni- Peltzer to receives Phyllis Keeney Lawrence
versity of Kansas Health System, was named a member of the teaching award
2016 class of American Academy of Nursing Fellows. Peterman
is one of approximately 2,400 nurses in the Academy out of near- KU School of Nursing Assistant Professor Jill Peltzer, Ph.D.,
ly 4 million nurses nationwide to receive this honor, and she was APRN-CNS, was selected to receive the 2016 Phyllis Keeney
the only nurse from Kansas honored in the 2016 class. Peterman Lawrence Teaching Award. Peltzer, who joined the KU School of
has been with The University of Kansas Hospital and The Univer- Nursing faculty in 2009, teaches several classes, including theory
sity of Kansas Health System since her graduation from the KU development and theory application in nursing science. Peltzer is
School of Nursing in 1981 and has risen up through the hospital’s the 18th recipient of the award, which recognizes a faculty mem-
ranks, having started as a staff nurse. Peterman was named chief ber who demonstrates a superior record of teaching performance,
nursing officer in 2001. She accepted executive vice president and makes significant contribution to curriculum development, and
chief operating officer responsibilities at The University of Kansas utilizes innovative approaches in teaching. The family of Phyllis
Health System in May 2007. Keeney Lawrence, a 1990 graduate of the KU School of Nursing,
established the award following her death. Her parents recalled
KU School of Nursing student presents research at their daughter saying, “Nurses will only be as good as the teachers
Society of Pediatric Nurses conference from whom they learn.”

Esteban Marquez, a senior bachelor’s of science nursing student, Clinical instructor develops tool to help nurses deal
participated in the Children’s Mercy Hospital Externship program. with workplace bullying
As part of the externship, students were required to prepare an ab-
stract for the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) annual conference. In the course of her research, KU School of Nursing Clinical In-
Marquez’ evidence-based project looked at the use of Flolan to structor Jerrihyln McGee, DNP, RN, had observed the impact bul-
treat primary pulmonary hypertension. The abstract was accepted lying can have on hospital nursing staff, so she has researched and
by the SPN and Esteban presented his poster at their conference in developed a management tool that could help nurses and nurse
April 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Children’s Mercy is plan- leaders better deal with the problem. As part of her research, Mc-
ning to implement his research as a brochure to further educate Gee surveyed nurses at a local hospital to find out what they know
medical staff and families on the use of Flolan. about workplace bullying and used her findings as a guide to de-
velop the new management tool called the I-CPR “badge buddy.”
KU rises to No. 19 in U.S. News & World Report’s rank- McGee said the tool provides nurses with ways to identify (I),
ing of online nursing master’s degree programs control (C), prevent (P) and report (R) workplace bullying. Mc-
Gee’s poster presentation of the research, “Managing Workplace
The KU School of Nursing’s online master’s degree program took Bullying: A Baseline Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge,” won the
a major leap into the top 20 in the latest Best Online Graduate first place School of Nursing Taunton Medal at a student research
Programs rankings released by U. S. News & World Report. KU’s forum at KU Medical Center.
program jumped from 31st nationally a year ago to No. 19 in this
year’s overall rankings, and it is No. 13 among the nation’s public Nelda Godfrey and Cynthia Teel accept new
universities. KU received the highest ranking of any school in the associate dean roles with the School of Nursing
metropolitan area and the state of Kansas. The KU School of Nurs-
ing began offering online graduate coursework in the late 1990s. The KU School of Nursing has named Nelda Godfrey, Ph.D., RN,
Currently, coursework for the KU master’s degree program is of- ACNS-BC, FAAN, Associate Dean for Innovative Partnerships
fered entirely online and completion requires between 37 to 39 and Practice, a new position that will identfy and facilitate
credit hours. partnership development and create sustainable program growth
for the School of Nursing. In her new role, Godfrey will also
Elaine Domian receives Chancellor’s Distinguished oversee faculty practice and the shared curriculum partnership
Teaching Award program. The KU School of Nursing also appointed Cynthia
Teel, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs,
Elaine Domian, Ph.D. APRN, BC-FNP, Clinical Associate Profes- which will bring the school’s undergraduate and graduate
sor of Nursing, was among six University of Kansas faculty mem- academic affairs operations under one umbrella. The goal is that
bers who received distinguished teaching awards at the KU Teach- this combined leadership role will enhance opportunities for
ing Summit. The award recognizes the teaching contributions graduate and undergraduate faculty to work, learn and research
made to the university by a member of the faculty over a period collaboratively, potentially resulting in innovative teaching and
learning strategies, new programs and educational research.

FALL 2017 7

Heather Nelson-Brantley took a non-traditional
path to her career as a member of the KU School
of Nursing faculty.

When University of Kansas School of Nursing Clinical Instructor Heather Nel-
son-Brantley, Ph.D., RN, CCRN-K, finished reading Frans Johansson’s book
The Medici Effect earlier this year, she knew it would help guide the rest of her
career. The best-selling book details how the most effective innovations often arise when
there are teams of people from different disciplines, cultures, and educational backgrounds
working together. Nelson-Brantley said the book reinforced her belief that interprofession-
al teams are critical for highly efficient, caring, and effective health care delivery and made
the case that innovation can come from individual people who have that kind of diversity
within them.
“This was an idea I had never even considered before, but it instantly resonated with
me, because I am that individual,” said Nelson-Brantley. “It helped me embrace the varied
path I’ve traveled.”
Nelson-Brantley’s nursing career journey began not with her first nursing class at KU,
but stretches way back to a previous career, and in a way, to her very roots.
A Kansas native, Nelson-Brantley grew up surrounded by business leaders. Her step-
father owned a radiator repair shop, and her paternal grandfather founded a manufacturing
company specializing in advertising products.
After graduating from Kansas State University with a degree in psychology and a
minor in business, she went to work at her grandfather’s company, starting in account-
ing. Nelson-Brantley later becoming the company’s North Pacific regional sales director,
where she headed a department of 25 graphic design artists. In this position, she enjoyed
leading a diverse team and fostering a healthy work environment where the employees
could do their best work.

But after several years, Nelson-Brant- After graduation, Nelson-Brantley dissertation. She searched for hospitals that
ley found herself thinking about making a started working as a staff RN in the medi- had achieved Magnet status, a prestigious
career change. Married and the mother of cal intensive care unit at The University of designation signifying excellence in nurs-
two young sons, she was feeling the urge Kansas Hospital and taking some pre-req- ing, reasoning that these hospitals had like-
to do something more meaningful with her uisites for the Ph.D. program. Then Nelda ly led their own internal change to improve
life. She thought a lot about the kind of per- Godfrey, Ph.D., RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, their care. Nelson-Brantley decided on Wa-
son she hoped her boys would see as they Associate Dean for Innovative Partner- verly Health Center, a 25-bed hospital in
became adults, and she knew she wanted to ships and Practice at the KU School of rural Iowa, the only critical access hospital
serve a greater purpose. Nursing, suggested teaching in the affiliate ever to receive Magnet status.
When she received an annual holiday faculty program, which would let her trade “I have always been influenced by
letter from her cousin, who described leav- one nursing shift a week to teach a clinical complexity science and general systems
ing a career in journalism to go to nursing group. Nelson-Brantley remembered that theory, which states that a system is more
school at the University of Kansas Med- what she had loved most about her old ca- than the sum of its parts,” she said. “This
ical Center, “a lightbulb went off,” Nel- reer was helping people learn how to do the hospital was the perfect opportunity for me
son-Brantley remembered. work, and decided to try it. And that was it. to be able to study a system in its entirety.”
“I went upstairs and told my spouse “I was driving to the medical center Nelson-Brantley found that the key
that I finally knew what I wanted to be,” one morning knowing I was going to teach, attributes identified through her concept
Nelson-Brantley said. “I realized I had been and I was so excited,” she remembered. “It analysis were present in this hospital’s jour-
missing the psychological aspect of caring was the coolest thing ever.” ney to Magnet and concluded that that there
for other people.” may be underlying effective principles
Her cousin recommended that she be- ________________ for leading change that transcend hospital
gin by taking a certified nurse’s aide course, size or health care setting. Her dissertation
so she took an evening course at Johnson “I realized I had earned several awards, including the Roma
County Community College, which al- been missing the Lee Taunton Research Medal. Her work
lowed her to work with patients with Alz- psychological is actually a continuation of the research
heimer’s and dementia at the Good Samari- aspect of caring for into nursing workforce issues begun by
tan Center. Nelson-Brantley was hooked. other people.” Taunton, points out Marjorie Bott, Ph.D.,
“I fell in love with a lady who was at ________________ RN, Nelson-Brantley’s dissertation advisor.
least 100 years old,” she said. “I was sitting “Heather is one of the top students I
there with her crying at the thought of never She also was beginning to discover have ever advised and mentored,” Bott said.
seeing her again on my last day. And she that her business background was combin- “She looks at the whole system and takes
was a KU grad, too.” ing with her love of clinical care to fuel a the time to capture the entire story.”
In 2009, Nelson-Brantley entered the deep interest in health systems leadership Last year, Nelson-Brantley received
BSN program at that elderly patient’s alma and nursing workforce issues. In 2011, the the 2016 Early Career Achievement Award
mater. She excelled in the program, main- Institute of Medicine published The Future in Nursing from the KU Medical Center
taining a 4.0 grade point average and earn- of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Alumni Association, which honors a de-
ing clinical awards while also serving in a Health, a report calling on nurses to take a serving graduate who has made an out-
number of student leadership roles. leadership role in an expanding, changing standing contribution to the field. She con-
In 2011, her senior year, she was a fi- the health care system. tinues to draw from her previous career,
nalist for the March of Dimes Nurse of the “It said that nurses were perfectly po- most recently the graphic arts aspect: she is
Year award in the Rising Star category. Also sitioned to lead the change in health care,” learning about the use of data visualization
that year, after writing an article for the Na- Nelson-Brantley said. “But how do we teach techniques to promote healthy behaviors for
tional Student Nurses’ Association maga- nurses to do this work? That’s how I got in- people with low levels of health literacy.
zine, Imprint, she was the first KU School terested in the idea of leading change.” But she says that perhaps her greatest
of Nursing undergraduate invited to speak That idea became the focus of her dis- achievement has been teaching and men-
at the group’s annual conference. sertation. Nelson-Brantley did a concept toring more than 400 nursing students.
Meanwhile, Rita Clifford, Ph.D., RN, analysis and identified five key attributes: Last year, when KU nursing student Sima
then Associate Dean for Student Affairs at individual and collective leadership, opera- Agayeva nominated Nelson-Brantley for
the KU School of Nursing, was encourag- tional support, fostering relationships, orga- a DAISY Faculty Award, she wrote: “She
ing Nelson-Brantley to pursue a doctorate nizational learning and balance. has many projects going at once, but never
in nursing and a career in academia. She wanted to find a specific health when approaching her for help have I felt as
“I was always impressed with her care organizational change to study for her if she couldn’t make time for me.”
ideas, her dedication to the projects and her Nelson Brantley was honored to re-
intelligent, measured approach,” said Clif- ceive the award.
ford. “She was curious and sought data to “I love caring for people,” she said.
support her positions. These are all charac- “The only thing better is helping other peo-
teristics of a researcher.”
▪ple who want to do the same thing.”

FALL 2017 9



The KU
Community
PCaorlltengeersNhiuprsing

An innovative collaboration is allowing nursing students across
Kansas to earn their associates and BSN degrees at the same time.

Long before they were co-workers, or classmates, or aca- Campanile Hill on the Lawrence campus as part of the University
demic pioneers blazing a new trail together toward their of Kansas commencement.
degrees in nursing, Nichole Armintrout and Makayla Dunn “While walking down the Hill, I was taken aback, realizing
were just friends. how much I had accomplished,” Armintrout said. “Graduating
During the past two decades, the women have been class- with a degree from KU was something I never could have imag-
mates in elementary, middle and high school in the Turner School ined doing. It’s such an honor to be part of an amazing tradition.”
District in Kansas City, Kansas. They remained by each other’s “Nichole’s aunt told me that she would have crawled to the
side while attending nursing school at Kansas City Kansas Com- ceremony if she had to. She wasn’t going to miss her graduation,”
munity College. When the opportunity presented itself in 2015 to said Nelda Godfrey, Ph.D., RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, Associate
become part a first-of-its-kind academic endeavor that allowed Dean for Innovative Partnerships and Practice, a driving force be-
community college students to earn their Associate’s Degree in hind the program at KU.
Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science (BSN) degrees simul- Since May 2016, the partnership program has continued to
taneously, Armintrout and Dunn made sure they had each other’s grow. Four other Kansas City Kansas Community College stu-
backs once again. dents have completed the program, and four other schools in the
The University of Kansas Community College Nursing Part- state with accredited nursing programs have joined the affiliation,
nership program was born out of an industry demand to have including Butler Community College, Hutchinson Community
more nurses on the job who have BSN degrees. Armed with data College, Johnson County Community College and Neosho Coun-
showing better patient outcomes and faced with the aging out of ty Community College.
baby boomer generation nurses, the nursing profession set a goal
of having 80 percent of its nurses BSN-trained by 2020. A GROWING NEED FOR NURSES
So when the chance arose to be part of this new wave of nurs- Health care industry research strongly suggests that patient
es entering the workforce, Armintrout and Dunn leaned on each mortality is significantly improved when a nurse with a BSN cares
other a little more and became the first graduates of the KU’s for the patients. As a result, a 2010 report from the Institute of Med-
partnership program. In May 2016, they not only took part in the icine recommended that by 2020, 80 percent of nurses should hold
Kansas City Kansas Community College nursing graduation, they at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Because of the 80/20 rec-
also were part of the KU School of Nursing Student Recogni- ommendation, many hospitals and health care providers require, or
tion Ceremony and most importantly, together they walked down soon will require, nurses to have a BSN.

FALL 2017 11

The looming nursing gap is further exacerbated by a one-two closest to the KU Medical Center campus, but as Anita Krondak,
punch of a large group of nurses retiring in the next few years, com- former director of the RN program at Kansas City Kansas Com-
bined with the aging of the general population, which will require munity College explained, her school had just completed its new
more well-trained health professionals than ever before to take care curriculum and had received its Accreditation Commission for
of people who are living longer. Education in Nursing accreditation for a full eight years, and the
This is where KU and its community college partners hope to school’s leaders were looking for programs to share. The college
play a key role not only within the state, but also by helping oth- reported more than 25 percent of its nursing class in the fall of
er states adopt similar programs, which should help more nurses 2016 had signed on to be part of the KU Community College
with BSNs reach the job market. Thus far, all four graduates of the Nursing Partnership program.
program who have sat for the national licensure test have passed “This program in nursing education will benefit not only our
and have been hired by The University of Kansas Health System to students and the community, but it will potentially affect nursing
work at The University of Kansas Hospital. education in general,” Krondak said.
“The partnership program will increase the number of BSN For many, the creation of the program allows them to fulfill a
nurses being produced, and thereby the pool of qualified nurses lifelong goal without having to leave their home communities.
available to be hired should increase as well,”
said Godfrey.

THE HISTORY OF THE KU-NURSING Makayla Dunn Nichole Armintrout
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
The origins of the KU Community College
Partnership Program can be traced to earlier
this decade. In 2013, KU School of Nursing “Nursing has always been my dream,” said Nicole Smith, who
officials met with leaders from community
colleges in the state with accredited nursing was in the second wave of partnership program graduates from
programs to discuss a combined curriculum.
In 2014, KU and the community colleges re- Kansas City Kansas Community College, and who was also been
ceived approval of the pre-licensure partner-
ship model from the Kansas Board of Nursing hired by The University of Kansas Health System after she gradu-
and the Kansas Board of Regents, paving the
way for the program to take flight. ated. “I never thought I would actually accomplish this dream, let
In order to be admitted into the KU part-
nership program, students must meet specific alone get a degree from KU.”
criteria. First, they must have completed the re-
quired prerequisite coursework for admittance “When I was little, my dad had a bad accident and ended up
into the KU School of Nursing. Next they must
be accepted into the nursing program at their at KU Hospital,” said Raquel Roethler, a December 2016 grad-
community college. Finally, they must success-
fully apply to KU School of Nursing. uate of the program who started work in February 2017 on the
The bachelor’s degree coursework at KU
is done online using Blackboard and other online technologies. surgical ICU unit at KU Hospital. “I fell in love with the hospital
Students in the program pay for the credit hours and fees through
whichever school is offering the course. As KU students, the BSN and the profession. I love helping people.”
candidates are eligible for nearly all the same benefits enjoyed
by students who take their classes on campus, including walking “Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a doctor or a nurse,”
with their class at graduation in Lawrence.
“The partnership makes the transition much smoother for the Dunn said. “I love being able to make a connection with my pa-
student, while building relationships and capacity between the
university and community college nursing efforts,” said Godfrey. tients. Doctors help patients, but nurses give hands-on care to the
“Ultimately, students can move easily through the pathway and
achieve both degrees. Simply said, it’s a better, more efficient patient and are able to make a connection with them.”
pipeline for educating nurses.”
“The most challenging part of the program was time man- PROGRAM TAKING FLIGHT
agement,” Armintrout said. “I had to write out monthly calendars In August 2016, Butler Community College, Hutchinson
with all my due dates, and then I would write out weekly lists of
what I needed to do. It was the only way I could stay focused.”
Kansas City Kansas Community College was selected as the
pilot school to test the program. Not only is the school located

12 KU NURSING

Community College, Johnson County Community College and meet with the directors and leaders of all the schools in Kansas
Neosho County Community College joined the fold, and by the with accredited nursing programs to gauge if they would like to
spring 2017 semester, four of the five schools affiliated with the join KU’s partnership program.
partnership program reported having at least one student enrolled, Nationally, the nursing industry has been keeping a watchful
with the fifth having students enrolled in fall 2017. eye on the outcome of KU’s program, and so far the early success
Beverly Roush, who oversees the partnership program in of the first students in the program have provided a viable proof
Chanute for Neosho County Community College, said the bene- of concept that organizers hope to grow to a much larger scale. As
fits to the area community colleges are multifold. things continue to progress, Godfey said they would like to bring
First, she said, it allows students a chance to earn their bach- the partnership model program to the attention of the nearly 2,000
elor’s degrees without leaving their home communities. That lets associate degree nursing programs and universities throughout
students remain in their existing jobs, and they can continue to the country.
rely on other support networks. Students also save money by tak- “The ‘Kansas Model’ has brought the University of Kansas
ing their general education classes through their community col- to the forefront of the story supporting academic progression in
lege, where they often get more individualized attention. nursing,” Godfrey said. “Approximately, 60 percent of RNs in the

United States have associate’s degrees, so a lot
of effort will be needed to increase the number
of BSN-prepared nurses caring for the people
of our country.”
Employers and practice partners in the
health care industry across the country have
reached out to KU to see whether the model
could be packaged so it can be used elsewhere
to meet industry demand for more and bet-
ter-qualified nurses.
“I’ve been at a number of nursing edu-
cation conferences and had people specifically
ask me about our community college partner-
ship when they see I’m from Kansas,” said Co-
vault. “The partnership program is definitely
being recognized nationally.”

JUST GETTING STARTED

Although their graduations were in the

spring of 2016, that certainly wasn’t the end

of the road for the first graduates of the pro-

gram, Armintrout and Dunn. After receiving

their degrees from Kansas City Kansas Com-

Nicole Smith Raquel Roethler munity College and the University of Kansas,
Armintrout and Dunn passed their national cer-


“I believe this will make the nursing workforce education level tification exams and are both working at The University of Kan-

higher in southeast Kansas,” said Roush. “We had three students sas Health System as nurses on the pre-post operation unit at The

interested last fall, but that number has jumped to between 17 and University of Kansas Hospital.

20 for next fall.” Both women admit that getting two nursing degrees simulta-

“I believe one of the major benefits is that it allows the neously was a challenge – but one they don’t regret.

non-traditional student, who has a family and work responsibil- “When we were in school, we definitely went through hard

ities along with their school responsibilities, the opportunity to times and good times,” Armintrout said. “We’ve always been

pursue further education while staying near their home,” added there to push each other to go outside our comfort zones and do

Pam Covault, director of nursing at Neosho County Community our best. I think that’s why we are where we are today.”

College, who oversees the program at the school’s Ottawa branch. “With everything we’ve been through, I’m glad I had some-

“I believe it could potentially bring in more traditional students one who was going through the same thing,” Dunn said. “Nichole

because it makes earning a BSN degree from KU a bit more af- is the only person that I could talk to about my career and how I

fordable and allows them to stay closer to home.” got here without having that ‘deer in the headlights’ look. We both

support each other.”

NEXT STEPS Thanks to the opportunities offered through the KU Commu-

At the KU School of Nursing, organizers are doubling down nity College Nursing Partnership program, it looks like these two

on their efforts to get more community colleges on board. With longtime friends will continue to share their experiences as they

▪positive results in hand, Godfrey said they are reaching out to work side by side as professional nurses.

FALL 2017 13

The Dean for the KU School of Nursing opens up about her
vision for the school

Sally Maliski, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, KU NURSING If you had to use one word to describe your first year as dean of the
became dean of the University KU School of Nursing, what would it be?
of Kansas School of Nursing on
Jan. 1, 2016. Before coming to KU, MALISKI Mind-boggling. And I mean mind-boggling in the most positive way.
Maliski served as an associate dean I knew the KU School of Nursing had a great reputation, but I have been over-
for academic and student affairs at whelmed at how talented and creative our faculty, staff and students are. I love the
the University of California at Los way they work together and how open they are to exploring new ways of thinking
Angeles School of Nursing. Prior to about our profession.
her role as associate dean at UCLA,
Maliski was an associate professor in KU NURSING What do you think is your biggest accomplishment so far as dean?
the UCLA School of Nursing and an
assistant researcher for the UCLA MALISKI I think seeing the KU Community College Nursing Partnership program
Department of Urology at the David continue to grow and thrive. The idea that we could help more nursing students earn
Geffen School of Medicine. Maliski also their BSN online while studying for their associate’s degree at their local commu-
worked as an educator and researcher nity college was developed by our faculty long before I came onboard. We’re all
for the University of Pennsylvania, so motivated to keep the partnership thriving and growing, because expanding the
Rutgers University, the University of number of nursing students in Kansas who can earn a BSN is going to help improve
North Carolina at Greensboro School the quality of health care for all Kansans.
of Nursing, and Columbia Memorial
Hospital School of Nursing in Hudson, KU NURSING How much time do you get to spend interacting with School of
New York. Nursing students?
We recently sat down and talked
to Maliski about her hectic first year as MALISKI Not as much as I would like to, and it’s certainly something I am work-
dean of the KU School of Nursing, her ing on as I continue to settle into the job. One barrier to more student interaction
mission for the school, her hopes and is that more and more of our students are enrolled in our online programs, so we
dreams for the school’s future, and don’t have as many opportunities to see them in person. But our students and faculty
what she does for fun. know that my door is always open if they have any concerns or questions.

KU NURSING What does the opening of
KU Medical Center’s new Health Educa-
tion Building this academic year mean for
the School of Nursing?

MALISKI It will provide a tremendous
opportunity for more interprofessional
collaboration with nursing, medical and
health professions students on our cam-
pus. Interdisciplinary education is a pas-
sion of mine, and KU Medical Center’s
commitment to that was one of the prima-
ry reasons I came here.

KU NURSING You were recently ap-
pointed to serve as associate director for
health equity for The University of Kansas
Cancer Center. What are your responsibil-
ities there?

MALISKI It’s a new position at the Can-
cer Center, and we’re in the process of
defining that role. My primary task is go-
ing to be increasing awareness among di-
verse and underserved populations on the
advantages of enrolling in cancer clinical
trials. For example, we are working with
the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of
Greater Kansas City on an educational
series that counters misconceptions that
many people have about participating in
clinical trials.

KU NURSING You have a significant
body of research in the area of symptom
management in low-income populations,
particularly with men who have prostate
cancer. Have you had much time to devote
to your research since coming to Kansas?

MALISKI It took a bit of time, but I was keting the idea to other schools of nurs- enjoying the four seasons again, and the
finally able to get my RO1 grant from the ing around the country. To facilitate this warmth and depth of the people here is so
National Institutes of Health moved to KU and other initiatives, Nelda Godfrey, our refreshing.
and have hired an experienced research new Associate Dean for Innovative Part-
manager. We’ve assembled an amazing nerships and Practice, will be identifying KU NURSING What do you like to do in
interdisciplinary team from all three of and facilitating partnership development your off time?
our schools, so I will be able to continue and helping to create sustainable program
my work on how Latino men with prostate growth for the School of Nursing. MALISKI My husband and I enjoy go-
cancer can stay healthy and strong while ing to KU basketball games to root for the
undergoing androgen deprivation therapy. KU NURSING What has been the biggest Jayhawks and Kansas City Chiefs games.
difference between living in California We’re also remodeling our house, so I’ve
KU NURSING What goals would you and living in Kansas? been spending a lot of time mulling over
like the School of Nursing to achieve over paint colors and fabric swatches. And, of
the next five years or so? MALISKI Well, I definitely have a much course, we love spending time with our
shorter commute! I just love Kansas. I am
MALISKI We would like to continue to ▪kids and grandchildren.
expand the KU Community College Nurs-
ing Partnership program and begin mar-

FALL 2017 15



ORIGINAL SIM
The KU School of Nursing has led the way in promoting simulation
and interprofessional education at KU Medical Center

In the world of health care education, simulation and collabo- THE BEGINNING OF SIMULATION EDUCATION
ration often go hand in hand, like form and function do in the In the early days of the KU School of Nursing, students used
world of architecture. their fellow classmates to practice procedures such as placing IVs
Recent trends in health education suggest that multidisci- in a patient’s arm, drawing blood or inserting a naso-gastric tube.
plinary teams of health care professionals – whether they are doc- As far back as the 1960s, the School of Nursing began using med-
tors, nurses, physical therapists, audiologists or dietitians – gain ical mannequins to train students in clinical procedures, although
a better understanding of each other’s abilities when they train those early models were very primitive compared to today’s au-
side by side. With the rapidly expanding trend of interprofessional tomated high-fidelity simulation mannequins that can move, talk
education (IPE), collaboration and simulation are utilized with the and respond to treatments.
ultimate goal of achieving better patient outcomes. Eventually, the school created a skills lab to train students.
At the University of Kansas Medical Center, the use of hands- That facility became more state-of-the-art when the Clinical Skills
on simulation for education has been around for years, growing Learning Lab was incorporated into the School of Nursing’s new
from simple medical situations to complex collaborative scenarios building that opened in 2001. It was at about this same time that
featuring multidisciplinary teams, employing high-fidelity teach- faculty and students started using more interactive mannequins,
ing mannequins. Today’s simulations offer scenarios ranging from such as the life-size patient simulator known as SimMan, and
complete operating rooms to birthing suites where students from things have progressed from there.
all health care disciplines can work together in controlled environ- “We were using the SimMan mannequin to play a man named
ments before facing the actual pressure and perils of treating real Mr. Robinson in a simulation involving a post-operative patient,”
human patients. recalled Kathy Fletcher, Ph.D., RN, a long-time faculty member.
Throughout the evolution of simulation and collaboration at “We had been to a workshop on how to put a simulation together
KU Medical Center, students and faculty from the University of and were inspired by that workshop to do our own simulation, so
Kansas School of Nursing have proven to be innovators and early that’s how our Mr. Robinson simulation got started.
adopters in improving the way medical professionals are trained, “Not long after we started doing the Robinson simulation, we
whether it’s through simulation, collaboration or a combination. did a study to see if simulation training reduced the anxiety of our
The pivitol role the KU Schol of Nursing plays in interprofession- students. Because of those results, we still use the same post-oper-
al health care education at KU Medical Center is expected to ex- ative simulation called ‘Mr. Robinson’ to this day.”
pand as students from the KU Schools of Medicine, Nursing and The current Clinical Skills Learning Lab was designed so stu-
Health Professions join forces in the new state-of-the-art Health dents could practice a variety of technical nursing skills within the
Education Building. The building opened in August 2017, just in framework of a specific clinical environment. The lab features 10
time for the 2017-2018 academic year. acute care beds and a birthing bay complete with a high-fidelity
“Because of the cutting-edge facilities in the Health Educa- birthing manikin, so students can train for everything from critical
tion Building, along with the will and skill of faculty who believe care to child birth.
in collaborative and experiential learning, doctors, nurses and All 114 students in each Bachelor of Science in Nursing class
health professionals will learn – from the very start of their train- at the School of Nursing take part in 10 sets of simulations during
ing – to trust and rely on each other in health care situations,” said their two years at KU Medical Center. The simulations, which are
Nelda Godfrey, Ph.D., RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, Associate Dean built around the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
for Innovative Partnerships and Practice at the School of Nursing. competencies, are compatible with the school’s curriculum to

FALL 2017 17

help students make the connection between what they learn in the The capstone of KU Medical Center’s IPE program came in
classroom and what they practice in the clinic. March 2017 when more than 450 students from the three schools
on the medical center campus, plus students from the KU School
SIMULATION NURTURES COLLABORATION of Pharmacy and the KU School of Medicine campuses in Wichita
Simulation training has evolved over time, and learning by and Salina, worked together during a two-week span on a high-fi-
doing has grown increasingly popular among many of the health delity simulation in the Zamierowski Institute for Experiential
care disciplines educated at KU Medical Center. One of the natu- Learning (ZIEL), a combined initiative between KU Medical Cen-
ral offshoots of simulation training seems to be the growth of the ter and The University of Kansas Health System.
interprofessional approach to health care education. A ZIEL FOR SIMULATION
The KU School of Nursing was an early entrant into the world The Zamierowski Institute for Experiential Learning became
of collaboration, and an argument can be made that the Clinical the most sophisticated iteration of simulation education when
Skills Learning Lab is one of the incubators that has helped IPE it opened on the KU Medical Center campus in 2015. The KU
grow at KU Medical Center. The Clinical Skills Learning Lab was School of Nursing played a key role in moving the state-of-the-
originally designed with interprofessional education in mind. The art medical training facility from concept to reality. When retired
lab was built with an apartment setup, so physical and occupation- physician and philanthropist David Zamierowski decided to bring
al therapy students would have a place to learn how to work with his simulation education expertise and funding to KU Medical
patients in a home setting.
Since its opening in the early Center, he found members of the KU School of Nursing faculty to
2000s, the lab has served as the set- be among the most avid supporters of his concept for a multidis-
ting for a variety of multidisciplinary ciplinary training center that would serve both the university and
training exercises, including pedi- The University of Kansas Health System.
atric simulations involving nursing “To my delight, I found people who been working in this field
students working with their peers at KU for years, and I found a very receptive group at the KU
from the KU Schools of Medicine School of Nursing,” Zamierowski said. “I discovered that I didn’t
and Pharmacy (located on main KU need to really start anything. We only needed to gather like-mind-
campus in Lawrence). Other IPE sim- ed people and work toward a vision combining interprofessional
ulations have involved students from education, world-class simulation and experiential education. I am
the Departments of Respiratory Care thrilled by the leadership role shown by the School of Nursing.”
Education and the Department of Di- “The School of Nursing offered its simulation space from
etetics and Nutrition.
Between 2010 and 2015, the KU
School of Nursing was heavily in-
volved in the interprofessional Geri-
atrics Champions Program on cam-
pus, including two tracks of the nurse
practitioner program that has incorpo-
rated it as a requirement. During the
program’s five-year run, 200 students
from the Schools of Health Profes-
sions, Nursing, Pharmacy and Social
Welfare participated in this Health
Resources and Services Administra-
tion-funded program led by Shelley
Bhattacharya, DO, MPH, who prac-
tices at the Landon Center on Aging at
KU Medical Center.
In 2013, the connection between IPE and the KU School of
Nursing became more tangible when Heather Nelson-Brantley,
Ph.D., RN, CCRN-K, and Delois Laverentz, MN, RN, CCRN-K,
created an interprofessional education event that connected stu-
dents from the KU School of Nursing with the schools of health
professions, medicine and pharmacy at KU as part of a course
they were teaching, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration. It
was through this collaboration that Laverentz became aware of an
IPE group that was forming on campus, and she joined the Center
for Interprofessional Education and Simulation Curriculum Com-
mittee where she has helped develop a campus-wide multi-level
program for IPE training.

18 KU NURSING

the very beginning to help support the early efforts of expanding TRAVELING TO ISRAEL TO LEARN THE LATEST
simulation with both hospital educators and university simulation IN SIMULATION EDUCATION
pilots,” said Kristy Johnston, Program Director for the Center for Vicki Hicks, RN, MS, APRN, Clinical Associate Profes-
Interprofessional Education and Simulation. “They offered their sor at the KU School of Nursing, was part of an interpro-
expertise, their space, and in some cases, their educators to help fessional team from the University of Kansas and Johnson
them grow.” County Community College that traveled to Tel Aviv in the
2016 to learn about medical simulations at the world-re-
IPE BAKED IN nowned Israel Center for Medical Simulation.
KU Medical Center’s Health Education Building, which The center is considered a global leader in simula-
opened in Augeust 2017, provides countless new IPE opportuni- tion-based medical education and patient safety training.
ties. The 171,000-square-foot is now the primary teaching facility Since its inception in 2001, Israel Center for Medical Simula-
for the KU Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions tion has trained more than 180,000 health care professionals.
and includes significant simulation space and flexible, state-of- During their time in Israel, Hicks and her 10-member group
the-art learning space to support interprofessional education and focused on learning about how the center’s staff uses simula-
other new models of teaching. tion for assessment purposes, how simulation can be integrat-
The project was funded with $26 million from the state of ed into a clinical curriculum, and how it can be used by health
Kansas, $21 million from KU Medical Center and the remainder care providers to improve the quality of patient care.
with private gifts raised through KU Endowment, including a $25 “The group of us that traveled to Israel gained so much
million lead gift from the Hall Family Foundation. valuable experience from the team at the center,” Hicks said.
Because of the new opportunities provided by the Health “We learned a lot about group work with a focus on the roles
Education Building, faculty members from medicine and nursing the different members of the interprofessional teams play.”
have incorporated IPE into their curriculums for the fall, ensuring The group spent three days working alongside the Israel
that the two disciplines will learn from each other. By working Center for Medical Simulation staff learning not only about
together on the design of the building, faculty from the schools the importance of simulation, but the teamwork and attention
learned a great deal about how to put together a new experien- to detail that is required to maximize the learning potential of
tial learning curriculum that ensures the educational standards for simulation in training and high-stakes patient assessments.
both professions are met. They were also able to train in a pediatric intensive care unit,
During the 2017-2018 academic year, incoming nursing and which has a dedicated situation simulation room next to all
medical students will have the opportunity to practice skills to- the patient rooms.
gether during interprofessional simulations created through a col- The traveling group included representatives from the
laboration of Shelley Bhattacharya, Pam Shaw, M.D., and ZIEL KU Schools of Health Professions, Medicine and Nursing, all
director Emily Diederich, M.D., from the KU School of Medicine of whom have been involved with advanced simulation train-
and Breah Chambers, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Associate Director ing at KU Medical Center. Representatives from the Zam-
for Procedural Training, from the KU School of Nursing. ierowski Institute for Experiential Learning (ZIEL) at KU
“By embedding the simulations in both the medicine and Medical Center, and nursing educators from Johnson County
nursing curricula, we have overcome one of the biggest obstacles Community College also joined the group.
to creating consistent, standardized, interprofessional education “They don’t just dabble in simulation,” said Carla Sabus,
for our students,” Chambers said. PT, Ph.D., who was on the trip and has since become Direc-
All 211 incoming medical students alongside the 114 newly tor of Curriculum and Professional Development for ZIEL.
arriving nursing students are scheduled to take part in training “They really recognize that simulation is a resource-intensive
exercises as many as five times during the upcoming academic approach that requires that it be done with the highest atten-
year. By training together in the ZIEL Simulation Hospital on the
fourth floor of Health Education Building, students can provide ▪tion to quality outcomes.”
better patient care by learning from each other and seeing mis-
takes not as failures but as teachable moments. FALL 2017 19
“As it turns out, a great number of the procedural skills, com-
munication techniques and overall knowledge of patient condi-
tions are common to both nursing and medical students,” Godfrey
said, “So why not teach these skills to both groups at the same
time and reinforce interprofessional collaboration and learning in
a safe supervised environment?”
Never satisfied to rest on its laurels, the KU School of Nurs-
ing is continually searching for ways to improve simulaton train-
ing for its students, whether it’s creating new scenarios in its own
clinical skills lab, participating in interprofessional opportunities
at ZIEL or taking advantage of the dazzling new opportunities in

▪the new Health Education Building.

Carol Buller
(right),
examines
Chak Gurung,
a refugee
from Nepal,
at the Silver
City Clinic.

OGRFOITWSICNOGMTMOUMNEIETTYTHE NEEDS

The Silver City Health Center is providing quality care and health
education to low-income residents in the Argentine neighborhood.

Over the last 10 years, Silver City Health Clinic has become Kansas City, Kansas. In an average year, Silver City’s health care
a fixture on the health and wellness landscape of Wyan- professionals see between 1,200 and 1,400 patients during about
dotte and Johnson counties in northeast Kansas. A med- 4,000 office visits. At the clinic, patients receive comprehensive
ical safety-net clinic run by faculty from the University of Kan- primary care, health education, pharmacy assistance and commu-
sas School of Nursing, Silver City Health Clinic provides quality nity outreach. Silver City is an affiliate of KU HealthPartners Inc.,
health care to area residents, many of whom lack insurance or a a clinical enterprise operated by the KU School of Nursing and
have limited or no access to quality medical treatment. the KU School of Health Professions. KU HealthPartners also op-
“Our goal is to be a patient-centered home for many of the erates nutrition and hearing and speech clinics.
residents in our community,” said clinic director JoAnn Peterson, Silver City serves as a primary practice care facility for the
DNP, APRN, FNP-BC. KU School of Nursing. For patients, this means a wide variety
Established in 2006, Silver City Health Center is located in services delivered by highly skilled and specialized nurse practi-
the heart of the diverse Argentine neighborhood in the heart of tioners, as well as other health care professionals.

20 KU NURSING

All of the KU faculty who work at Sil- can affect healthy aging and longevity. CALL THE MIDWIFE
ver City are preceptors for graduate nurs- Regardless of their age, Buller’s goal is The KU Nurse-Midwifery Clinic of-
ing students. Some faculty also serve as to help her patients maintain the highest ficially opened its doors as part of Silver
preceptors for students in the KU Schools quality of life possible. City in October 2016.
of Medicine and Pharmacy. For students, “I like to focus not only on the man- “We saw an opportunity to expand
volunteering at Silver City Health Clinic agement of chronic conditions but also on the nursing services at Silver City Health
can provide valuable clinical experience helping patients maintain a functional lev- Center and a way to broaden the offerings
with a diverse clientele. el that contributes to their quality of life,” for midwifery care in our area,” said Cara
In the past year, the clinic has expand-
ed its geriatric and nurse-midwife services said Buller .
as well as added medical services to care
for refugees who are resettling in North- “Our goal is to be a patient-
east Kansas. By expanding its services to centered home for many in
better meet the needs of its patrons, Silver our community.”
City now offers services catering to clients
all throughout the lifetime spectrum, from
prenatal care to those dealing with end-of- SUPPORTING REFUGEE Busenhart, Ph.D., CNM, APRN, director
life issues. WELLNESS of KU’s nurse-midwifery program. Bu-
An important new service provided senhart is leading the effort at Silver City
EXPANDING CARE FOR THE by Silver City is the Refugee Primary Care along with Barbara Parker, MS, CNM,
ELDERLY Clinic. Patricia Fitzgibbons, M.D., a Clin- FNP, a Clinical Associate Professor in the
In the spring of 2016, Carol Buller, ical Assistant Professor in the KU School KU School of Nursing.
DNP, APRN, FNP-C, GNP-C, decided to of Medicine’s Department of Family An important goal for the Nurse-Mid-
become a part of the geriatric practice car- Medicine, and the clinic staff have treat- wifery Clinic is to provide low-cost pre-
ing for the elderly served by Silver City ed patients from dierse group of countries natal care to underserved populations in
Health Clinic, so she said goodbye to the such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Congo, Burma, Wyandotte County. Busenhart said many
practice she’d been involved with for 18 Malaysia, Somalia and Afghanistan. undocumented women have difficulty ac-
years and began seeing patients at Silver The Refugee Primary Care Clinic cessing traditional prenatal care.
City on Tuesdays and Thursdays. treats patients of all ages, including pro- Parker and Busenhart, working along-
For Buller, a change in venue has also viding pre- and post-natal care for expect- side nurse-midwifery students from KU,
meant a change in her approach to clini- ant mothers. Peterson and Buller devote provide women with primary health ser-
cal care. Many of her patients come to her about eight hours of practice time each vices that include well-woman exams,
speaking little or no English, so the veter- week at Silver City to provide comprehen- minor gynecologic treatments, family
an nurse has had to expand and refine her sive health care screenings. planning services, and tests for sexually
skill set to meet the needs of her clientele. Bachelor of Science in Nursing stu- transmitted diseases and infections.
Many times, the adjustments don’t just in- dents who are taking population health “Certified nurse-midwives are pre-
volve language accommodations. coursework have been involved in several pared to care not only for women in preg-
“At least half my clients do not speak activities at Silver City Health Center, in- nancy, but for women’s health throughout
English, so I am learning how to quickly cluding assisting with the refugee resettle- their lifetimes,” said Parker. “We expect-
develop a rapport, using interpreters more ment medical checks, making home visits ed to see a mix of women for all types of
efficiently and devising ways to provide with elderly patients, and supporting fam- health concerns, and that is what we have
educational information that is culturally ily nurse practitioners been seeing thus far.”
appropriate and proper for the literacy lev- “Silver City allows our nursing stu- The nurse-midwives at Silver City
el of the patient,” Buller said. dents to experience medical care among care for mothers before and after they give
Buller’s plans for the future of her people of a variety of ages, nationalities birth, and the women’s babies are deliv-
geriatric practice include expansion of and backgrounds, which helps them be ered by obstetrics residents at The Univer-
Medicare preventive wellness visits, better prepared for whatever type of health sity of Kansas Hospital.
chronic care management, transitional care setting they might encounter in their “We have maternal fetal medicine
care for patients following hospitaliza- professional lives,” Peterson said. “This specialists we consult with as well,” said
tions, and home visits for patients who hands-on training gives them insights into Parker. “That gives us a great opportunity
cannot leave their residences. She would better patient-centered care.”
also like to expand acute visits for patients ▪to provide seamless care.
with urgent conditions and patients who
are suffering from serious illnesses.
Most of Buller’s Silver City patients
are in their 60s and 70s, many of whom
are suffering from chronic conditions that

FALL 2017 21

BY THE NUMBERS

KU School of Nursing graduates
WHERE ARE THEY TODAY?

_______________________

7,994

GRADUATES WORKING IN
ALL 50 STATES

Currently, University of Kansas School
of Nursing graduates have chosen to
serve their calling in a vast array of
communities, hospitals, clinics and
centers throughout all 50 states. More
than 4,400 gradutes have chosen to stay
in Kansas to continue their rewarding
journey in the nursing profession.

NORWAY BANGLADESH PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
JORDAN OF CHINA
__________ CANADA
UNITED STATES ZAMBIA JAPAN
13 OF AMERICA
BAHAMAS TAIWAN
COUNTRIES WHERE PUERTO RICO MALAYSIA
KU NURSING
GRADUATES ARE AUSTRALIA
WORKING

Graduates have traveled all over
the globe – making a difference in
13 different countries.

22 KU NURSING

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
MEDICAL CENTER

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND
October 6-7, 2017

Highlighting classes ending in 2 and 7,
but all classes are welcome.

Reconnect with your classmates, celebrate
the annual Alumni Awards and join us
for campus tours.
More information is available at
www.kumc.edu/alumni/reunion

3901 Rainbow Blvd., Mailstop 4043
Kansas City, KS 66160

nursing.kumc.edu