Seventeen years before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired masses in Washington with his speech, “I Have a Dream,” a young Black woman nicknamed Zippy in Denver was already living her dream. In 1946, ‘Zippy’ Zipporah Parks Hammond became the first Black woman to graduate with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Colorado School of Nursing.
AURORA, Colo. (March 2, 2021) – Pregnant patients in Colorado may be told about parenting and adoption, but not abortion. This is according to a new study led by Kate Coleman-Minahan of the University of Colorado College of Nursing published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health.
College of Nursing Marketing | 
March 03, 2021
Four students in the University of Colorado College of Nursing Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist master’s program are getting a taste of academic life by presenting research addressing commonly encountered problems in critical care settings. The students will present during the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) annual conference March 9 – 11, 2021 that is being held virtually.
Dana Brandorff | February 23, 2021
Rhonda Whitten RN, CNM, APRN, has spent the majority of her career as a Midwife and a Women’s Health Practitioner. In March of 2020, Rhonda retired from the University of Cincinnati Hospital after caring for generations of women and their families.
Katelyn Nolan | February 17, 2021
Seventeen years before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired masses in Washington with his speech, “I Have a Dream,” a young Black woman nicknamed Zippy in Denver was already living her dream. In 1946, ‘Zippy’ Zipporah Parks Hammond became the first Black woman to graduate with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Colorado School of Nursing.
Deborah Mandeville | February 10, 2021
Committed to advancing the field of palliative care, CU College of Nursing assistant professor Heather Coats joins 61 other scholars working to ensure people with serious illness and their caregivers live well.
See full press release: Sojourn 2020 Scholars PR 2021
College of Nursing Marketing | January 28, 2021
Aurora, Colo. (January 26, 2021) – A major publisher has ranked the University of Colorado College of Nursing online Master’s in nursing and leadership programs as among the top 20 best in the nation.
College of Nursing Marketing | January 26, 2021
Like many nurses pursuing an advanced degree, Rafal Mirowski set his sights on attaining a nurse practitioner degree, specifically a DNP in adult-gerontology. After all, the NP degree is one of the most pursued advanced nursing degrees in America.
Dana Brandorff | January 25, 2021
AURORA, Colo. (Jan. 19, 2021) - Many patients with chronic disease may intend to follow their doctor’s orders to diet, take their medicine and exercise, but a new study finds that everyday life often gets in the way. When that happens, the study found patients can become stressed and overwhelmed and might lie about dosing or even create their own remedies.
College of Nursing Marketing | January 19, 2021
Carol Harvey, MS Class of 1983, has spent her life surrounded by “superwomen”. Her mother was a clinical nurse specialist who didn’t particularly want to see any of her four daughters go into nursing. Harvey watched her older sisters become an attorney, a civil engineer, and a chemical engineer.
Katelyn Nolan | December 30, 2020
Leo Tyler is a University of Colorado Accelerated Nursing (UCAN) student graduating December 2020 and was recently awarded the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students. Originally from Salt Lake City, Leo moved to Colorado with his husband five years ago.
Katelyn Nolan | December 23, 2020
Simply put, Kelly Prado is a bicultural and bilingual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, but as one can guess, there was nothing simple about her journey to get there.
Katelyn Nolan | December 18, 2020
Three doctors, three different treatment plans. X-rays. MRIs. Referrals to new doctors and new examinations. Despite months of medical appointments, it will still be at least six more weeks until Alexis Koutlas knows the extent of her 83-year-old mom’s arthritis in her neck and how to treat it. And that, Alexis says, is not O.K.
Deborah Mandeville | December 11, 2020
“My grandfather was a general surgeon, so I grew up around a medical mind and hearing his incredible stories,” said Renee Andrews. “I was probably two years old when Poppa Doc had me try his stethoscope for the first time. I was amazed when I could hear his heart beat so clearly.”
Dana Brandorff | December 10, 2020
For Antoanela Findlay, nursing was not her first career choice. “I was an accountant. I love numbers, but it is very impersonal, and there’s a lack of human connection that I craved.”
Dana Brandorff | December 10, 2020
Twenty-twenty will be remembered for many years to come as a unique time. We know it’s been challenging, but you have much to be proud of, and CU College of Nursing wants to celebrate with you.
College of Nursing Marketing | December 10, 2020
Most college students spend their Friday nights socializing and winding down from a long week of studying, not in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) cuddling babies.
Dana Brandorff | December 09, 2020
While COVID-19 has hit many of us hard, Nurse Jeanne Burnkrant who works with people at the end of their lives, lost eight patients in April alone. She grieved. She missed them. But Jeanne never once questioned what she does or why she does it.
Deborah Mandeville | December 08, 2020
Sometimes you have to find your own way. When Michael Morgan graduated high school, he knew he didn’t want to follow in his parents’ footsteps. His mom is a dental hygienist, and his dad has spent 30 years in a cardiac catheterization lab.
Deborah Mandeville | December 04, 2020
Lauren Ledford’s interest in natural disaster response began with a five-week search and rescue-training course in Colorado, and a stint coordinating an international program with pre-med students to Nicaragua.
Dana Brandorff | December 02, 2020
Born in Georgia, E’Jaaz Abdulkabir moved to the Virgin Islands at the age of 9. “Living in St. Croix was like living in a small town – surrounded by water,” said Abdulkabir. Her father was a physician. In fact, he was the attending physician during her birth and delivered her at home. For Abdulkabir, nursing was familiar and comfortable; and home births normal.
Dana Brandorff | December 02, 2020
For Chris Griffin that is the question she posed during her PhD thesis presentation. A nurse at Children’s Colorado Hospital for the past 19 years, Griffin has had her share of intense heartache and joy. “We live these extremes every day. They aren’t fictional stories. They become a part of our consciousness and affect who we are,” said Griffin.
Dana Brandorff | December 01, 2020
Two CU Nursing faculty – Jessica Anderson and Brie Thumm – are members of the Colorado Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which was put into statute in May 2019 through the Maternal Mortality Prevention Act. The committee’s goals are to review causes of maternal deaths in Colorado and recommend ways to prevent such deaths in the future.
Dana Brandorff | November 30, 2020
Infection with HIV is a chronic condition, requiring daily medication to suppress viral replication. Maintaining and adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is extremely important in obtaining the best outcomes for person’s living with HIV (PLWH). Today, those living with HIV who adhere to a daily medication regimen have close to a normal life expectancy.
Dana Brandorff | November 21, 2020
Mary McMahon received her Master's in Nursing from the CU College of Nursing in 1984 and spent the majority of her nursing career in women's and infants' health. She was a director of perinatal care for more than 12 years, most recently at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. McMahon then served as a consultant in transformation services for three years. She graduated with the College of Nursing's Healthcare Informatics certificate in 2011.
Katelyn Nolan | November 20, 2020
Not long before his accidental death in an airplane crash, Karen Padrick’s husband (Kevin) came to her and asked if she wanted to give a significant donation to the University of Colorado School of Nursing. It took Padrick by surprise. “I didn’t have to think long, but it hadn’t really occurred to me,” she said.
Dana Brandorff | November 17, 2020
Given all the work that deans do, it is unusual for one to take it upon himself to provide clinical oversight and precept a student. The University of Colorado College of Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez tends to do the unexpected. “We were thrilled when Dean Eli offered to precept a student during our flu clinic,” said Director of the Campus Health Center Emily Cheshire, DNP.
Dana Brandorff | October 30, 2020
As a child, Ashley Chacon Percival became her family’s interpreter; helping her Spanish speaking parents navigate the health care system. At 8 years old, she was accompanying them to medical appointments, interpreting and translating for them, and when her father suffered a stroke she attended his specialty appointments with him.
Dana Brandorff | October 26, 2020
AURORA,Colo. (Oct. 9, 2020) – The University of Colorado College of Nursing faculty, in celebration of the Year of the Nurse-Midwife and National Midwifery Week, recently established the CU Nursing Midwifery Diversity Scholarship, specifically to provide support to diverse students who are from geographic areas and socioeconomic backgrounds that are historically underrepresented.
Dana Brandorff | October 14, 2020
Alumnus author of "The America that I Didn't Know Existed: Immigrant Experience in American Education."
Katelyn Nolan | October 13, 2020
“I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floatin’ around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it’s both.” -- Forrest Gump, 1994
At 10 years old, Crystal (Constantine) Masterson was described as determined. A child of the ‘70s and ‘80s, she was influenced by the Cold War. Suffering from recurring nightmares about nuclear war since the age of five, Masterson begged her mother to let her walk across the U.S. in 1986 in the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament (GPM).
Dana Brandorff | October 09, 2020
Jessica Cumley’s journey to midwifery began 12 years ago with the birth of her son. “It was the most empowering experience I have ever had. I loved my care so much that I wanted to become a midwife and share that with others,” she said. Now enrolled in the University of Colorado College of Nursing Midwifery program and 32 weeks pregnant, Cumley wonders why it took her so long.
Dana Brandorff | October 07, 2020
“I love being pregnant. When I say that to most women, they look at me as if I’m crazy,” said expectant mother Abby Zamora. For Zamora who is on her fifth pregnancy, having babies is the “most wonderful experience.” And that’s why she decided to become a surrogate. “I wanted to do this for another family,” said Zamora.
Dana Brandorff | October 02, 2020
Press Releases Community Faculty
AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 17, 2020) – Knowing where to turn for help is challenging for anyone. For military veterans it can be even more difficult than for the general public. A new resource guide compiled with the help of the Veteran and Military Healthcare Area of Excellence at the University of Colorado College of Nursing will help.
Dana Brandorff | September 17, 2020
Katie was born in Chelsea, Alabama July 8, 1933, and graduated from Vincent High School Class of 1953. She was loved throughout life for her goodwill and kindness toward others and was always willing to help friends and neighbors alike. To her three brothers and two sisters, Katie was the sister that went out from the family farm and made things happen.
Katelyn Nolan | September 15, 2020
AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 9, 2020) – Researchers at the University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus found that a unique set of factors of the emergency department (ED) makes standard Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems not as effective in helping to reduce antibiotic overprescribing in that environment.
Dana Brandorff | September 09, 2020
AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 2, 2020) – The University of Colorado College of Nursing and its nurse practitioner-led clinic at Belleview Point will be offering drive-up flu clinics Sept. 23 and Oct. 7.
Dana Brandorff | September 04, 2020
This is an Op-Ed about Proposition 115. Kate Coleman-Minahan, an assistant professor and adolescent family planning nurse practitioner at the University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus, breaks down some of the reasons it could be harmful. The views expressed here are her own and not those of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Colorado Newsline | August 28, 2020
“In May and June I felt my whole world tumbling,” said CU Nursing master’s student and nurse manager Stephanie Lee. An iLEAD (Innovation in Leadership and Administration in Nursing Health Care Systems) master’s student, Lee was entering her final course in the specialized track, when coronavirus hit.
Dana Brandorff | August 18, 2020
CU Nursing alumna Ruby Martinez, PhD, RN, was recently awarded the 2020 Latino Legacy Award from the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). Each year at the national conference, NAHN recognizes one member who has contributed to the nursing profession with commitment to advancing the health in Hispanic communities and to lead, promote and advocate the educational, professional, and leadership opportunities for Hispanic nurses. Like many national conferences, this year’s NAHN conference was held virtually in July due to coronavirus.
Dana Brandorff | August 13, 2020
Volunteering is in Carrie Brouillette’s nature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursing student has marshaled her neighbors to donate fabric and created a mini assembly line to make cloth masks. “My mother is an incredible seamstress. So I measured and cut, and she sewed,” said Brouillette. The two churned out about 600 cloth masks in their makeshift in-home manufacturing facility! And that’s not all. Brouillette also volunteered at a homeless shelter with the intent of learning how to be a better nurse.
Dana Brandorff | August 10, 2020
After graduating from CU Nursing with a BS in 2012, Cat Golden worked at Children’s Hospital Colorado and then Children’s Hospital of Michigan. “I was on the peds path and worked nights,” said Golden.
Dana Brandorff | July 30, 2020
AURORA, Colo. (July 29, 2020) – The University of Colorado College of Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez was recently appointed to a four-year term to the National Advisory Council on Nursing Research, a federal advisory council to the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Provencio-Vasquez is one of 15 members on the Council to advise, assist, and consult with the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
College of Nursing Marketing | July 29, 2020
CU Nursing’s July Grand Rounds presentation was a joint effort between Drs. Figaro Loresto and Scott Harpin and highlighted different ways the two harnessed their backgrounds and skills to make a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, Loresto and Harpin asked themselves what they could do to help in the pandemic – one from a research perspective and the other from a “bedside” and public health perspective. Their unique skill sets have helped and continue to help fight the epidemic in myriad ways.
Dana Brandorff | July 20, 2020
In 2015, Josh Simpson’s world stopped. Soon after the birth of his youngest daughter, his 33-year-old wife received an earth-shattering diagnosis -- breast cancer. Originally misdiagnosed as clogged milk ducts, the diagnosis came after she switched doctors, and a subsequent biopsy. “I can’t tell you how many times people have said that you don’t typically get breast cancer while breastfeeding. One thing I discovered is that there is no normal with breast cancer,” said Simpson.
Dana Brandorff | July 16, 2020
AURORA, Colo. June 18, 2020) Children's Hospital - In the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves throughout the nation's healthcare facilities. Like many other hospital systems, Children's Hospital Colorado was left grappling with a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. Because COVID-19 initially impacted adult populations and organizations caring for adults, pediatric hospitals have been left out of the broader conversation. Lindsey Tarasenko, PhD, RN, Magnet Program Director & Nurse Scientist, wants to change that.
College of Nursing Marketing | July 06, 2020
Kerry Peterson (PhD, DNP, MSN, BSN) was appointed to CU Nursing’s Psychiatric Mental Health Endowed Professorship. Previously held by Dr. Mary Weber, the appointment was reviewed by a group of faculty who made the recommendation and approved by Dean Provencio-Vasquez.
Dana Brandorff | July 02, 2020
Since George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police on May 25, and the senseless deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and others, the country has been struggling with how to support the Black community while demanding change. One thing is clear – something seems different than all the other protests and events that have preceded it. The protests are larger, more vocal, more frequent, diverse, and persistent.
Dana Brandorff | June 25, 2020
Innovation Campus Life Faculty
Many academic institutions – especially those in the healthcare field – were caught off guard during the coronavirus pandemic. The challenge for the University of Colorado College of Nursing wasn’t just a matter of social distancing and moving classes to remote learning. It was ensuring our students also obtained the clinical hours required by the State Board of Nursing to graduate.
Dana Brandorff | June 22, 2020
We ask 3 Questions with CU College of Nursing MSN Alumna, December 2018 Kelly Fisher, RN, BSN, MSN, WHNP.
Katelyn Nolan | June 18, 2020
As Liz Phelps opened her book bundle from CU College of Nursing, she began to cry. An unexpected gift from the College and the Alumni Association was included with her books – a stethoscope. “When I opened the stethoscope and saw the note I, to be honest, immediately started to cry. The fact that nurses who once stood in my shoes would be willing to lend a hand to their future colleagues made me proud of this profession that I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to enter into,” said Phelps.
Dana Brandorff | June 17, 2020
Two students in the University of Colorado College of Nursing Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist master’s program, Cailly Haning and Cassie Lang, recently published articles about their experiences addressing commonly encountered problems in critical care settings – from oral hygiene with stroke patients to controlling postoperative pain. Haning, MSN, RN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, and a critical care nurse at Swedish Hospital analyzed hospital-acquired infections due to poor oral hygiene after a stroke. Lang, MSN, CNS, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, a critical care clinical nurse specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center looked at harnessing a variety of pain management therapies after surgery (acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cold and music therapy) to reduce overall opioid consumption.
Dana Brandorff | June 11, 2020
Research Press Releases Faculty
AURORA, Colo. (May 29, 2020) – Researchers at the University of Colorado College of Nursing and the School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology at the Anschutz Medical Campus found that the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) as a pain relief option for individuals in labor is safe for newborn children and laboring individual, and converting to a different form of pain relief such as an epidural or opioid is influenced by a woman’s prior birth history and other factors.
College of Nursing Marketing | June 01, 2020
The impact of coronavirus on our students has been far reaching. Clinics and inpatient facilities where our students typically complete their clinical hours shifted their focus to caring for coronavirus patients and suspended training.
Dana Brandorff | May 28, 2020
Searching for stability, Pat Hess found the nursing profession at a time when “women didn’t have much choice”. For Hess and many other women in the 1950s and 1960s, nursing offered a rare opportunity: choice. “Nursing opened up a lot of avenues – there are so many ways to be a nurse.” During Hess’s career, she was able to practice, teach, research, and innovate new programs.
Hess (left) during her time teaching in Japan
Katelyn Nolan | May 26, 2020
Seventeen years ago, Eaba Dechasa arrived in America from Ethiopia with his family. His father was a geologist. His mother a teacher. The Dechasas came to America through the Diversity Immigrant Visa program (also known as the visa lottery), which provides up to 50,000 immigrant visas each year. Drawn from random selection among all entries, the visas are awarded to individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Distributed among six geographic regions, no single country can receive more than 7% of the available DVs in any one year.
Dana Brandorff | May 18, 2020
Born into a service-oriented family with strong roots in pediatric cardiology, China Opland knew from a young age that her path would focus on giving. Her maternal grandmother Francine Leca, the first female cardiac surgeon in France, founded Mécénat Chirurgerie Cardiaque in 1996 – an organization well known throughout the world for providing free heart surgery to children in need.
Dana Brandorff | May 15, 2020
Sara Schwartz had a bumpy start to her nursing degree. Notified 14 days prior to the start of orientation that she was accepted into CU Nursing, she drove to Colorado from California. “I was homeless for a week and planned to live in my car,” she said. Fortunately, she met a girl during orientation whose family allowed her to live in their basement.
Dana Brandorff | May 13, 2020
All he wanted was a plastic toy car. At 4 years old, that was what Josh Harrington wanted and he was going to get it.
Dana Brandorff | May 13, 2020
For 15 years, Bill Martchenke was a high school and middle school teacher. A devoted teacher, he regularly worked 12-14 hour days. When his wife became pregnant with their first son, he couldn’t justify it any longer and got a job working for Kaiser Permanente in their electronic medical record (EMR) department training nurses on the system. After supporting the hospital for five months, “I recognized nurses had the greatest job in the world and why wasn’t I doing this?”
Dana Brandorff | May 12, 2020
Eleven years ago, Erika Vaske was on a two-year waitlist to get into a nursing program. “A lot of my inspiration came from my mom, who has been a nurse’s aid for over 35 years,” she said. For Vaske, the wait was “interminable.” So she chose another path -- changed majors and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Dana Brandorff | May 12, 2020
Originally trained as a physical therapist in her homeland of Germany, Sabs Sheppard chose nursing after moving to the U.S. 12 years ago. After working with nurses for years, she realized that the profession more closely aligned with her goals and ambitions to work in critical care.
Dana Brandorff | May 12, 2020
Pam: So, uh, Greg. How’s your job?
Greg: Um, good, Pam. Thanks for asking. I recently got transferred to triage.
Dina: Oh, is that better than a nurse?
Pam: No, Mom, triage is a unit of the E.R. It’s where all the top nurses work.
Greg: Well—
Pam: No, they do.
Jack: Not many men in your profession, though, are there, Greg?
Greg: No, Jack, not traditionally.
Jack: Mm-hmm.
Dana Brandorff | May 12, 2020
Arriving in the U.S. at age 4 from Colombia, South America, Kay Maldonado knew when she graduated from high school that challenges would lie ahead.
Dana Brandorff | May 12, 2020
Struggling with depression as a teenager, Rachel Johnson came to a pivotal moment in her young life.
Dana Brandorff | May 11, 2020
The second installment of CU Nursing’s Virtual Film Festival showcased a giant in nursing – Loretta Ford, (EdD ’61, MS ’51, BSN ’49) – with the documentary titled Loretta Ford: A Disruptive Innovator. Soon to be 100 years old, Dr. Ford proves that age is just a number.
Dana Brandorff | April 23, 2020
AURORA, Colo. (April 22, 2020) – Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that interest in abortion care among advance practice clinicians (APCs) in Colorado is substantial, though barriers must be addressed in order to increase access with APCs (nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, physician’s assistants).
College of Nursing Marketing | April 22, 2020
When Captain Taylor Allen, BSN, RN, arrived in Denver in March for an internship with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) before entering CU Nursing’s Master’s program, she never thought her army experience would be in demand. Boy was she wrong.
Dana Brandorff | April 20, 2020
Community COVID-19 Faculty Clinics
Our College of Nursing Faculty has been helping local news departments with information regarding the Covid-19 virus. From graduation requirements to cloth masks to federal funding of our nurse-led clinics -- here’s a wrap up of recent news coverage.
College of Nursing Marketing | April 17, 2020
With the help of University of Colorado leadership, CU Nursing faculty, lobbyists, and State Representatives and Senators, Governor Jared Polis signed Executive Order D 2020 038 on April 15, 2020 to temporarily suspend State Board of Nursing statutes in order to expand the health care workforce. The Order temporarily suspends some State Board of Nursing rules for nursing programs. This allows our students to complete their programs in a timely fashion to help fight the Covid-19 outbreak, and also addresses the current nursing workforce needs in the state of Colorado.
College of Nursing Marketing | April 16, 2020
Combining my passion for nursing with the unreal setting of Nepal -- a place that I have wanted to visit for so many years -- was a dream come true!
Guest Contributor | April 16, 2020
Press Releases COVID-19 Clinics
AURORA Colo. (April 9, 2020) – Sheridan Health Services, a University of Colorado College of Nursing nurse-led clinic in the Denver metro area, recently received $584,045 from the federal government as part of its Health Center Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Funds, administered by the Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA).
Please see full press release: Dana Brandorff | April 15, 2020
The nationwide novel Coronavirus pandemic was the impetus for CU Nursing’s Virtual Film Festival and “Fireside chat”. Consisting of four documentaries/videos over five weeks, the Festival was the brainchild of alumna and former faculty member Sue Hagedorn (PhD ‘95).
Dana Brandorff | April 14, 2020
When CU Nursing PhD student Brittni Goodwin, MSN, RN, realized there weren’t enough N95 masks for her colleagues at area hospitals, she went to work to get the needed supplies. Like many health care professionals, Goodwin felt the need to help co-workers who were being stretched so intensely during the Covid-19 outbreak. “It’s a bit like survivor’s guilt. I felt I wasn’t doing enough,” said Goodwin.
Dana Brandorff | April 13, 2020
For Oriana Cruz, CU Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner alumna (FNP ’18), she is one of those rare breeds who run toward danger. And run she did --- all the way to ground zero in New York City. “When I heard about the need in New York, I signed up with Krucial Staffing, a traveling nurse company based out of Kansas,” said Cruz. She was deployed almost immediately to Elmhurst Hospital.
Dana Brandorff | April 10, 2020
Dear CU Anschutz Students,
As the Chancellor’s communication outlined yesterday, the Parking Department will be refunding all students on the Anschutz Medical Campus for any parking permit fees that were paid in advance from March 16, 2020 forward. This process will begin immediately, but will take time to complete as we must review each student account individually to determine the refund amount that is due. All refunds will be mailed to students in the form of a check to the current address on file. In order to ensure the most timely and accurate return of funds, we ask you to review your parking account online and provide the most current mailing address. We know that this pandemic has caused a great deal of change in your world and we are committed to returning funds as quickly as we can. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. It is our goal to have all refunds issued by the end of April. If you have an questions regarding this communique and your specific situation, please contact the parking office at (303)724-2555 or by email to CUParking@cuanschutz.edu.
College of Nursing Marketing | April 10, 2020
Shannon Vogel Perry has dedicated her life to serving, whether through scholarship, in the classroom, or abroad. She graduated with her master's from the University of Colorado College of Nursing in 1971.
Katelyn Nolan | April 09, 2020
An addiction recovery pilot program sees an increase of patients during Covid-19 outbreak. The Mountain Medical Road to Recovery clinic is funded through Senate Bill 19-001, which is a pilot program to deliver medication-assisted treatment to victims of the opioid epidemic. In the program, CU Nursing faculty train local nurse practitioners and physician assistants to deliver treatment at three clinical sites in Pueblo and Routt counties. The treatment is an effective approach to treating opioid addiction, combining medication with long-term behavioral therapy.
College of Nursing Marketing | April 08, 2020
Please join us for a virtual film festival, presented by CU Nursing and Seedworks Films.
Similar to a book club, participants are encouraged to watch one of the following documentaries and then join us via Zoom Sundays at 3 p.m. (MST) for a lively chat hosted by Sue Hagedorn, PhD, RN, FAANP, FAAN. These "fireside" chats will include special guests Drs. Loretta Ford, Ginny Pepper, Jean Watson, Ms. Karen Zink and Dixie Melton, and Daniel Weinschenker. You're not going to want to miss it!
Dana Brandorff | April 03, 2020
We asked our current student workers at CU Nursing how they are handling the new normal. See how a few of our students are making their new normal work for them.
College of Nursing Marketing | March 31, 2020
“I’ve been in nursing for 37 years and this was by far the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Debbie Roditski, NP, about earning her Palliative Care Certificate from CU Nursing in 2017.
Dana Brandorff | March 25, 2020
Aurora, Colo. (March 19, 2020) -- The University of Colorado College of Nursing has received a #8 placement for its Nurse-Midwifery program, and a top 10% ranking for its Master’s in Nursing program, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Master’s program was ranked against 578 programs, while the Nurse-Midwifery program was compared 36 programs throughout the country. In addition, the Doctor of Nurse Practitioner program ranked #48 out of 319 programs, placing it in the top 15% of DNP programs. The 2021 rankings were released on March 18.
Dana Brandorff | March 19, 2020
Nancy Niles Frost’s career has been driven by her nursing inspiration and her passion for providing exemplary care.
Frost’s journey with the nursing profession started long before she stepped into the classroom. From a young age, she was inspired by her aunt, Mary Margaret Miller, who practiced nursing in many different settings. Remembering her aunt, Frost recounts the various stories she heard growing up. Mary Margaret served as a nurse in World War II, provided care on a Native American Reservation, and was an OR nurse – all while traveling with her husband who was a Marine. Later she became the nursing director at St. Anthony Hospital. Frost notes that three of her first cousins including Mary Margaret’s own daughter, Marilyn Miller (BSN, Class of 67) became nurses, following in the family footsteps.
Katelyn Nolan | March 16, 2020
From typhoid to smallpox to the Spanish Flu, we’ve had no shortage of epidemics in the US in the last 100 years and no shortage of nurses to help care for the ill. Now, it’s the coronavirus. Precautions were simple 100 years ago – isolation, bloodletting, inhaling steam and ice baths. But not very effective. In some ways, we’ve come a lot farther and in others, we are resorting to the same tried and true methods of containment. Digging deep into the CU Nursing archives at the Anschutz Medical Campus uncovered a real-life account of a nurse who helped battle the Spanish Flu of 1918 and survived one of the most devastating pandemics in history.
Dana Brandorff | March 11, 2020
“As an oncology nurse who grew up to be a palliative care nurse provider,” Heather Coats had her feet firmly planted in two worlds – oncology and hospice. Flitting back and forth between the two for years, “Nothing truly fit until I discovered palliative care,” said CU Nursing’s Assistant Professor Coats, PhD, MS, APRN-BC.
Dana Brandorff | March 06, 2020
Kristen Wessel (BSN, ’19) was 4 years old when her grandmother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She couldn’t spell the word, let alone understand the gravity of the disease.
Debra Melani | March 03, 2020
Research Press Releases Faculty
AUSTIN, Texas—(January 16, 2020) New research shows that pregnant teens who seek a judicial bypass for parental consent for abortion demonstrate reason and thoughtful decision-making and involve others, all while managing abortion stigma. This study, based on in-depth interviews of 20 teens who had sought judicial bypass in Texas between 2015 and 2016, was recently published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. The lead authors, from the University of Colorado, conducted the research as part of Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP).
College of Nursing Marketing | March 02, 2020
Jillian Williams graduated from the UCAN Accelerated BSN Program in 2015 from the University of Colorado College of Nursing. Jillian is a pediatric relief charge nurse and outpatient infusion nurse at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado as well as a home care nurse for Tender Care Pediatric Services in Loveland, Colorado.
Katelyn Nolan | February 25, 2020
With one of the largest academic nurse-midwifery practices in the U.S., CU Nursing’s midwifery enterprise leads the nation in midwifery education, patient care, and research. From a 100% first-time AMCB licensing pass rate of our latest cohort of students to helping birth more than 1,500 babies annually, the program has many achievements to be proud of in its 40-plus year history.
Dana Brandorff | February 21, 2020
Research Press Releases Faculty
AURORA, Colo. (Februrary 19, 2020) – Many teens lost access to confidential family planning services in Texas due to family planning budget cuts and loss of Title X funds, says a new study led by the University of Colorado College of Nursing just published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Lack of clarity around parental consent laws, confusion among staff, and funding uncertainty made it more difficult for organizations to provide confidential, low-cost, and quality services to teens. This research suggests that contraception access for teens throughout the nation could worsen as new changes to Title X are implemented.
College of Nursing Marketing | February 19, 2020
“At 13, I dropped out of school to take care of my siblings because my mother was extremely ill and my father left us,” said Yolande Ngounou, BSN ’19. A native of Cameroon (a Central African country), Ngounou recalled her childhood. “It was my job to help my family. I loved school so much, but I had to give it up.”
Dana Brandorff | February 13, 2020
Press Releases Community Clinics
LONGMONT, Colo. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The University of Colorado College of Nursing’s Center for Midwifery – Longmont (CFM-Longmont) practice is partnering with Mother’s Milk Bank (MMB) as one of the milk bank’s newest human milk donation locations in the Denver metro area, and the first in the city of Longmont. To celebrate, CFM-Longmont will be hosting a kick-off reception at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14 at 2030 Mountain View Avenue, Suite 400, which is open to the public. “This new site allows families in the Longmont and surrounding communities to donate human milk at a convenient location,” said Jessica Anderson, director of midwifery services with CU Nursing.
College of Nursing Marketing | February 10, 2020
Note: A kickoff reception for the new donation site will be held at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14 at the Center for Midwifery Longmont, 2030 Mountain View Ave., Suite 400, Longmont. Press Release 2/10/2020
Debra Melani | February 10, 2020
Like most of her classmates, Emma Bielfeldt struggled to finish her thought as she answered her fellow student’s question. She faltered, tried again and finally gave up, laughing at her inability to speak coherently. It’s hard to think straight when someone is whispering orders in your ear.
Debra Melani | January 31, 2020
When a child is dealt too many ACEs, it is not a winning hand. Not for the child. Not for society. Not for the healthcare system.
Debra Melani | January 28, 2020
Many abortion-seeking minors braving judicial bypass of parental consent face concrete roadblocks: The judges say no. Read more about the findings of an 18-year study co-written by CU Nursing’s Kate Coleman-Minahan and just published in the American Journal of Public Health.
College of Nursing Marketing | January 16, 2020
She hails from Denver, not Atlantica. She swims in an encased pool, not an ocean. And although she maybe thinks he is, her dad is not a king.
Debra Melani | January 15, 2020
Growing up in a rough Denver neighborhood, Crystal Santos chose forensics as her future profession early on. She wanted to help people find closure after losing loved ones, especially to violence.
Debra Melani | January 15, 2020
The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association announce the appointment of Dr. Heather Coats as Director of Research for HPNA through a collaboration with the University of Colorado.
College of Nursing Marketing | January 09, 2020
From the Challenger explosion that shook the nation to an earthquake that rocked Denver, some of Jan Sanko’s (BSN, ‘86) most memorable moments during her time with CU Nursing are tied to notable events.
Katelyn Nolan | January 06, 2020
“I grew up racing mountain bikes and cross country Nordic skiing in Eagle,” said Clare Baker. The two sports took their toll on Baker’s body.
Dana Brandorff | January 02, 2020
Ask students what made University of Colorado College of Nursing Professor Paula Meek, PhD, stand out, and the memories flow with striking intensity:
Debra Melani | December 31, 2019
Patients with substance-use or other mental health disorders at CU Nursing’s Sheridan Health Services clinics are bucking a national trend: They’re getting professional help.
While mental health issues strike one out of five U.S. adults each year, only half of those who seek treatment ever follow through on psychiatric referrals.
Debra Melani | December 16, 2019
When College of Nursing student Elizabeth DePalma, (MSN, ’18), graduates with her DNP and takes off into the wild, blue yonder, she will leave behind a potentially life-saving legacy.
Debra Melani | December 13, 2019
On Dec. 14, when Gurpreet Cheema accepts his nursing diploma on the stage in the Colorado Convention Center, it will be his second major life-changing ceremony this year.
Debra Melani | December 13, 2019
Teacher. Waiter. Insurance Agent. Yoga Instructor. Massage Therapist. CNA. And, soon-to-be nurse. If it seems as if Alex Wilson has led an interesting life, you’d be right.
Dana Brandorff | December 12, 2019
“Nursing kept calling me and I finally answered,” said Christopher Heftka. After 13 years as a professional ski patroller and a stint as a firefighter, Heftka made the tough decision to switch to a nursing career.
Dana Brandorff | December 11, 2019
She cannot quite put her finger on why, but Claire Donovan always knew she wanted to help the underserved.
Debra Melani | December 11, 2019
Air Force scholarship recipient leaves mental health program behind
Debra Melani | December 06, 2019
After 27 years with the University of Colorado working on all four campuses, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff Leonard Dinegar told a group gathered for the College of Nursing Scholarship Luncheon on Nov. 22 that CU Nursing held a special place in his heart.
Debra Melani | December 02, 2019
On April 22, David “Scott” Ferguson died after battling melanoma. Ferguson was 49 and loved life. For him, that revolved largely around skiing, hiking, his gym clients, his dogs, his wife, his son and Jerry Garcia. Ferguson grew so touched by his nursing care before he died that he left behind the Scott Ferguson Memorial Fund. More than $60,000 has been raised so far to support scholarships for University of Colorado College of Nursing students. Ferguson’s goal: to help ensure compassionate care for future patients. The first scholarship will be awarded this spring.
Debra Melani | November 26, 2019
For Rocco Miele, RN, nursing wasn’t always the career he held in his sights.
Initially, Miele worked as a construction consultant having attended the University of Colorado Boulder College of Engineering & Applied Science and University of Texas – San Antonio. His change in profession came under unfortunate circumstances.
Katelyn Nolan | November 25, 2019
Attacking the opioid epidemic tops the priority list for tomorrow’s medical professionals. Now, thanks to a $450,000 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant, our nurse practitioners can help make a difference as soon as they graduate. Read more, and see what our own Scott Harpin has to say about it.
Dana Brandorff | November 21, 2019
For Kim Paxton, it was the young father shot in the back of the head after opening the store safe for two masked men. The robbers left with $100.
Debra Melani | November 21, 2019
Recent DAISY Award winner Anastacia Marks, BSN, found her love of nursing while on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus working as a pathology researcher.
Katelyn Nolan | November 19, 2019
Bonnie Gance-Cleveland, PhD, prolific researcher, child health advocate and champion of the underserved, recently received the eighth biennial Elisabeth H. Boeker Award for Faculty Excellence in Research.
Debra Melani | November 18, 2019
Jennifer Franklin (BSN, ’07) knew a master’s degree would make her a better nurse. She just never thought it would happen so fast.
Only weeks into her College of Nursing Veteran and Military Health Care (VMHC) program, Franklin wrote a note thanking its creator, Professor Mona Pearl Treyball, PhD.
Debra Melani | November 11, 2019
With new chapters focused on today’s changing healthcare issues, a recently released fifth edition of “Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers” boasts strong ties to CU Nursing.
Debra Melani | November 06, 2019
Patient Care Community Faculty Clinics
Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) have infiltrated the market, including lotions, creams, smoothies, coffee and alcohol. CBD has been touted as a sleep aid, pain remedy and effective treatment for cancer-related side effects. What is CBD and how does it affect you? Is it really a miracle drug or is that just hype?
Guest Contributor | November 01, 2019
Allowing a boy’s dream of playing Friday night football, keeping an asthmatic preschooler out of the ER, and guiding a young woman back on track to graduation are all in a day’s work for the Sheridan Health Services staff.
Debra Melani | October 30, 2019
Exquisite chocolate, stunning views and comprehensive reproductive health services colored a clinical experience in the lush lands of Ecuador, according to students who took part in the Global Health Nursing program last May. Combined with the intensive work, the cultural immersion made for a life-changing experience, they said.
Debra Melani | October 28, 2019
Palliative care eases suffering in patients battling serious diseases, a population on the rise as Americans age and medical treatments advance. Yet despite the increased need, palliative care programs are dwindling — and it all circles back to money.
Debra Melani | October 22, 2019
In a robust call for change, College of Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez rallied his team on Oct. 14 in his first State of the College address with the University of Colorado.
Debra Melani | October 15, 2019
Much like a mother’s belly in the ninth month of pregnancy, the use of nitrous oxide has ballooned since the University of Colorado Hospital joined a small number of U.S. hospitals offering “laughing gas” to its laboring patients in 2014.
Debra Melani | October 10, 2019
For the next 10 months, University of Colorado College of Nursing alumna Heather Mena (MSN, ’18) will roam the jungles and traverse the hills of Ecuador, learning the tricks of her trade from native women intent on saving their ancestral tradition.
Debra Melani | October 04, 2019
Most pregnancies are 40 weeks of weight gain, mood swings, body changes, and fatigue. In rare cases, expectant mothers develop a potentially fatal complication of high blood pressure called HELLP syndrome. It happens in about 1 to 2 of 1,000 pregnancies. Often emerging during the later stages of pregnancy, the condition can also occur shortly after delivery.
Guest Contributor | September 26, 2019
Child Advocacy through Clinical Nursing
When asked how she sees herself, Dr. Lynn Howe Gilbert, PhD, CPNP, RNC, FAAN, has said that, even before nurse or teacher, her identity is primarily as a child advocate. She maintains that an important formative experience was a trip to visit many African countries emerging from colonialism with several other students from across the U.S. between her junior and senior years of high school in 1959.
Guest Contributor | September 17, 2019
“This is the hardest thing I’ve done in years.”
Those were the words of one of four judges who had the task of perusing, paring and picking just three winners from two dozen posters lining the Education 2 North-South Bridge on Sept. 5.
Bachelor’s, master’s, DNP and PhD students were all represented at the event, which kicked off the first-ever College of Nursing’s Research and Scholarship Symposium on Sept. 6 and highlighted the level of scholarship among its students. CU Data Science to Patient Value (D2V) co-sponsored the symposium.
Debra Melani | September 12, 2019
Did you skip your flu shot last year? You are not alone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that about 30% of people 65 and older chose not to get a flu shot last year. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial vaccination iceberg. Flu is not the only vaccination that older adults are neglecting. According to the CDC, 43% of those 65 and older are not current on tetanus shots, and two-thirds didn’t receive the recommended shingles vaccine.
Guest Contributor | September 11, 2019
Aurora Public Schools’ Lead School Nurse Consultant Marnie McKercher (aka Margaret McKercher) graduated in May 2018 with a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a master’s in Public Health from CU. As a nurse in one of the most diverse school districts in Colorado, McKercher wanted to enhance her role while forwarding the mission of improving student health.
Dana Brandorff | September 10, 2019
This summer, while two Lakota native high school women scoured research papers and roamed the lands of their Pine Ridge Reservation, two University of Colorado College of Nursing faculty members guided them from their offices on the Anschutz Medical Campus more than 350 miles away.
Debra Melani | September 09, 2019
New and returning doctoral students were welcomed back Tuesday morning with a table of gold sunglasses, a buffet of steaming food and a playlist of eclectic songs, from Pharrell Williams to Kool & the Gang.
Hosted each year by the College of Nursing’s Office of Admissions and Student Affairs team, the breakfast kicks off a week of events focused on connecting new PhD students with returning students. This year, the Health Systems Leadership DNP students were also invited.
Debra Melani | September 04, 2019
Two years ago this October, a mass murderer firing military-grade weapons showered a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas with bullets, striking hundreds of victims from 32 floors above. His act of terror created scenes of mayhem few people in this country have ever seen.
Debra Melani | September 03, 2019
Growing up with two heroes — a firefighter dad and a nurse mom — Lindsey Tarasenko knew early on that she wanted a job focused on giving back.
For Martha Grubaugh, there were some early signs, including being the go-to girl in the neighborhood when the area kids got hurt.
Debra Melani | August 26, 2019
Erin Blau (’17 DNP/MPH) was first exposed to the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program with the CDC while she was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing degree at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.
“I studied overseas and received a tremendous amount of rural nursing training. I fell in love with the role of the public health nurse, and that was it for me,” said Blau, who solidified her career choice by interacting with EIS officers during the dual degree DNP/MPH program at CU.
Dana Brandorff | August 26, 2019
Press Releases Community Clinics
AURORA, Colo. Aug. 22, 2019) – CU Center for Midwifery Longmont with Centura Health – Longmont United Hospital , a move aimed at ensuring that its families — who span Larimer, Weld and Boulder counties — continue receiving the patient -centered care they expect.
Dana Brandorff | August 22, 2019
During her 22 years as associate dean of Clinical and Community Affairs, Professor Amy Barton spearheaded the creation of the University of Colorado College of Nursing’s clinical enterprise. The string of health centers target everyone from Anschutz Medical Campus students to the Denver area’s most at-risk populations.
Barton also earned numerous prestigious appointments and awards, wrote a long list of scholarly articles and books and netted the university $8.5 million in grants during that time.
It appears she listened to her parents.
Debra Melani | August 20, 2019
After explaining how economics drive their now value-based work industry, Assistant Professor Peggy Jenkins, PhD, RN, stumped her audience.
“So how do we measure the value of nurses?” she asked a classroom of College of Nursing faculty and staff at the Aug. 12 Grand Rounds.
Silence.
Debra Melani | August 16, 2019
For Iris Heidenfelder, nursing is in her blood. Her maternal grandmother, Katherine Peterson (now known as Katherine Enloe-Miller), was a diploma nurse and graduated from the Mercy Hospital Program in the 1960s. Encouraged by a physician, Enloe-Miller applied twice to the University of Colorado School of Nursing’s Nurse Practitioner program and graduated in 1971.
Dana Brandorff | August 08, 2019
With an armed police officer and grocery cart stuffed with backpacks and suitcases behind him, Scott Harpin snapped on his latex gloves and fished out his supplies from a six-pack cooler.
“Which side?” Harpin asked, as he de-capped a needle. His patient tapped his left arm in response and rolled up his sleeve.
Debra Melani | August 05, 2019
University of Colorado College of Nursing professors joined a 1,200-plus gathering of experts from across the country at the 2019 National Nurse Practitioner Symposium in Keystone this weekend, sharing their innovations and clinical knowledge in our Rocky Mountain backyard.
Debra Melani | July 25, 2019
Mona Pearl Treyball, PhD, hoists a 20-plus-pound trophy up in the air for a guest to see. For the nursing professor, the bronze statue of a kneeling Florence Nightingale cradling a patient in her arms represents more than her recent win. It affirms her life’s work.
Debra Melani | July 18, 2019
Millions of parents entrust the care of their most treasured possessions to other people, often near-strangers, almost every day. These infants and children — 11 million under age 5, according to Child Care Aware of America — spend an average of 35 hours a week in care outside of the home.
Debra Melani | July 18, 2019
Groundbreaking. A “must-read.” Written to change the way the DNP thinks. Those are descriptions of a new book created by CU Nursing faculty. Students, clinicians and instructors: Look for “Leadership and Systems Improvement for the DNP,” which releases on Aug. 1.
Dana Brandorff | July 15, 2019
Center for Midwifery - Longmont
February 24, 2021
