Nursing News and Stories

If the first century of the University of Colorado College of Nursing is known for its growth and dedication to educate students and care for patients, CU Nursing may be remembered in the last 25 years of its history for focusing on the individual. In the last quarter of a century, faculty have innovated new programs to serve and meet the unique needs of the diverse, Indigenous, uninsured and rural patient. In the middle of this fine-tuning of accessible healthcare came a big wrench. COVID-19.

Deborah Sherman | September 05, 2023

Believe it or not students, graduates from the University of Colorado College of Nursing say you’re going to miss school. It’s the small things you don’t think about now; the friendships, comradery, access to brilliant instructors and the ability to make mistakes without big consequences. Believe it.

Deborah Sherman | June 26, 2023

One moment, 32-year-old Terry Chase was leaning over the handlebars of her road bike feeling the sun and wind caress her face while her lungs and legs pumped and burned along a 10-mile route in Grand Junction. The next moment, she was airborne.

Deborah Sherman | June 12, 2023

When Kimberly Morales-Ortiz was a child, she remembers going to a healthcare clinic with her grandmother who has diabetes. The nurses spoke Spanish with her grandmother, getting her engaged in her own treatment.

Deborah Sherman | May 15, 2023

While most kids were hanging out with friends in middle and high school, University of Colorado College of Nursing BSN candidate Mark Domingo and his two siblings were helping their mom take care of three elderly people who lived in their home. His mom Ruby was a certified caregiver. For 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, they helped her feed the patients, get them showered and dressed, and take them on walks. They treated them like family. The experience sparked Domingo’s passion for helping others.

Deborah Sherman | May 11, 2023

One foot in front of the other. That’s the mindset Taylor Santangelo used to break two cross-country running records in high school, and what she thinks now as a clinical assistant in the pediatric intensive care unit when she faces children with acute and chronic conditions.

Deborah Sherman | May 09, 2023

The enemy was relentless. In the Middle East in 2013, the Taliban fired weapons with bullets that could pierce the armored vehicles carrying Sgt. Billy Schwartz (aka “Doc”) and his fellow soldiers. The terrorists packed their vehicles with explosives and drove them at Schwartz’s US Army convoy. Tours of duty between Iraq and Afghanistan can make it challenging for soldiers’ transitioning from military to civilian life.

Deborah Sherman | May 04, 2023

Forty-eight hours after graduating from the University of Colorado School of Nursing in Denver with a bachelor of science degree in 1967, Mary Dempsey volunteered for the US Army. The new recruit was shipped to Chu Lai, Vietnam to nurse the wounded during the war's bloodiest year.

Deborah Sherman | April 11, 2023

On a cold January day, five volunteers bundled in heavy coats and boots stomped around the snow in a remote area of Aurora looking for people experiencing homelessness who may need medical care. The volunteers are part of a team called CU Street Medicine that makes old-fashioned house calls for “rough sleepers” wherever they are; in parks, under bridges, along trails, and on sidewalks.

Deborah Sherman | March 20, 2023

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 Sherman | March 14, 2023

It may take Alex Morgan years after graduation to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in college loans. The 24-year-old senior at the University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus has taken out 25 grants and loans to pursue two bachelor of science degrees. One in biology and the second in nursing. While it may be more debt than other students have, they all face rising college tuition in the next four years, according to MEFA. Tuition at a national public four-year college for in-state residents will cost an average $24,000 this year and rise to more than $26,000 per year in 2026.

Deborah Sherman | March 06, 2023

After graduating from the University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus in December of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Christopher Battelli faced the ultimate test – trying to pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). Without it, he wouldn’t be able to work as a registered nurse. He took online preparatory courses, listened to podcasts and studied for hours.

Deborah Sherman | February 08, 2023

The University of Colorado College of Nursing at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus is collaborating with the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland and making history. CU Nursing is teaching Swiss nurses advanced practice nursing skills to meet a critical shortage of healthcare professionals facing an aging, sicker population.

Deborah Sherman | February 07, 2023

You can’t complain about your commute after meeting Claire Geldhof. The dual-degree student with the University of Colorado College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice and Colorado School of Public Health, takes courses online from her home in Alaska, sometimes jumping on seaplanes, and boats; walking when the roads end to take care of patients living in the bush.

Deborah Sherman | December 21, 2022

Darcie Greuel is earning much more than a master of science degree with a concentration in Veteran and Military Health Care at the University of Colorado College of Nursing this December. The education also led her to create a quality improvement project that could ultimately change the way all employees in the Veterans Health Administration understand the veterans they serve.

Deborah Sherman | December 13, 2022

Krystal Hidalgo was born during a short and cold winter in El Paso, Texas on the Mexican border to a struggling single mother of two. A gambler might have bet against her success, but would have lost. Today, after attending two unique educational pathways at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, Hidalgo is a Registered Nurse, has earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, and is working on an advanced Master of Science degree.

Deborah Sherman | November 22, 2022

Accreditation matters. Whether you want to transfer to another school, take the state NCLEX licensing exam or get a great job in nursing, choosing an accredited nursing program is critically important for students. It can be the difference between success and failure.

Deborah Sherman | October 31, 2022

In March 2020, COVID-19 forced university students around the country to quarantine at home and learn online. That was a disaster for healthcare students who could no longer practice in clinics and earn the hours required to graduate. Faculty at the University of Colorado College of Nursing had to pivot. They expanded simulation training for students to practice with lifelike mannequins, virtual reality, task trainers, and other methods to complete their clinical rotations and earn their degrees.

Deborah Sherman | September 26, 2022

The pandemic left nurses across the country physically worn out, emotionally exhausted, and asking themselves if it’s worth it. In a survey by the American Organization for Nursing leadership, 36% of nurse managers admitted they are not emotionally healthy. One out of every two nurses has thought about quitting. That’s why the University of Colorado College of Nursing has made mental health and wellness a top priority.

Deborah Sherman | July 18, 2022

“It was the most exhaustive, exhilarating, creative, awful, collaborative work I’ve ever done.” So says the lead nurse consultant in Aurora Public Schools Health Services after two years of a global pandemic in one of the largest school districts in the state.

Deborah Sherman | June 13, 2022

She’s a little bit caring and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Jessi Ridinger, a former lead singer and classic rock radio disc jockey, is graduating from the University of Colorado College of Nursing in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. As a nurse, she will raise her voice to advocate for preventive health and mental health care.

Deborah Sherman | May 27, 2022

While most middle school students watch movies like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Incredibles, 12-year-old Celine Lumowa watched the TV drama Grey’s Anatomy and YouTube videos of surgeries. So, it was no surprise to anyone in her family that the University of Colorado College of Nursing student who is graduating this month with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is going to be a surgical nurse in operating rooms.

Deborah Sherman | May 26, 2022

Some people will bleed from gunshots. Others won’t be able to breathe. Still more will be rushed into emergency rooms with broken bones, heart attacks, and infections. Elizabeth Phelps, about to graduate from the University of Colorado College of Nursing with a bachelor of science degree in nursing, understands working in trauma care will be intense, thrilling, and exhausting.

Deborah Sherman | May 25, 2022

Sometimes, the path to success isn’t so clear. At least not for April Gosling. The 41-year-old is about to walk across the stage at the University of Colorado College of Nursing and grab hold of a hard-fought degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). She’s graduating with the college’s highest distinction Summa Cum Laude.

Deborah Sherman | May 21, 2022

From foster child to doctor of philosophy. Dawn Taylor is about to earn the highest academic degree despite the lowest possible start in life. Even as she graduates this month from the University of Colorado College of Nursing with a PhD in Caring Science, she’s remembering where she began and how far she still wants to go.

Deborah Sherman | May 20, 2022

In the middle of an uprising in 2011, Upasana Nepal and her family fled their homeland; one of the poorest countries in the world that’s their namesake, Nepal. Under a United Nation’s program, the family landed in Aurora where they made a new life. But she’s never forgotten her past.

Deborah Sherman | May 18, 2022

A faceless angel with long dark hair glides toward heaven in a sky of blue and green leaving sparks of light in her wake. Hundreds of folded paper cranes in the shape of a flower, poetry, time capsules and musical compositions – comprise an exhibit of the human spirit. The exhibition, Seen and Heard – The Sacred Stories of Pediatric Nurses During the Pandemic, is part of a study that examined what 30 pediatric nurses experienced during 15 of the worst months of COVID-19.

Deborah Sherman | April 25, 2022

They're exhausted. They dread going to work. Others are retiring early and quitting. Nurses all over the country are burned out. Three years into the pandemic, the toll of working short-staffed, without enough supplies and in crowded hospitals is overwhelming. Many nurses are simply not OK.

Deborah Sherman | April 18, 2022

Colorado could become a safe haven for women around the country if new legislation in the House makes it to the governor for a legal signature. House Bill 1279 will ensure every individual has the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception; every individual who becomes pregnant has a fundamental right to choose to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of Colorado.

Deborah Sherman | March 14, 2022

The emergency room was overflowing with sick patients. The graduate nursing student had 15 minutes to figure out what was wrong with the deathly ill woman, consult with his colleagues, and get her help. With the clock ticking, he asked questions about her medical history and examined her.

Deborah Sherman | March 04, 2022

When Marilyn Krajicek, EdD, RN, FAAN, was a young college student in Omaha, NE in the 1960s, a worldwide movement was underway to change the perception and treatment of people with intellectual disabilities. The movement, led by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, took a “bold new approach” to addressing the needs of the neglected population.

Deborah Sherman | February 14, 2022

A nursing student at the University of Colorado College of Nursing has been named the 2021 Woman Veteran of the Year in Wisconsin for her dedication to helping post-9/11 service members leave the military and make the transition to civilian life, her volunteer work and serving her country with the U.S. Army Reserve.

Deborah Sherman | December 22, 2021

War, terror, pain, death. It will change someone. It changed the course of Salwa Mourtada Bamba’s life when she was a child living with her family in Liberia, West Africa, and led her to study medicine in Colorado.

Deborah Sherman | December 08, 2021

Whether it’s taking a class, helping the disadvantaged or planning her future, Kiera Connelly likes to dive in deep. Before she started school at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, she worked  with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless on the COVID Response Medical team.

Deborah Sherman | November 04, 2021

Just in time for winter when dry, cracked skin and eczema flare up most often, a new article by the University of Colorado College of Nursing helps consumers and providers by listing the most effective therapeutic moisturizers, their cost, and medication adherence levels. The article is expected to be used by nurses and doctors to better treat people with atopic dermatitis (AD), a common, chronic inflammatory skin disease that requires frequent moisturization to manage. 

Deborah Sherman | October 29, 2021

While any new job can be stressful, Dr. Kelly Stamp has taken on the challenge of leading academic programs at the University of Colorado College of Nursing during an ongoing pandemic, a nursing shortage and a changing profession. And the new associate professor with tenure and associate dean of academic programs is up for the challenge.

Deborah Sherman | October 22, 2021

When Natalie Newton was a dental student on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, she worried about damaging her hearing as she and other students operated high-pitched handpieces (often referred to as drills) while they practiced fixing teeth.

Deborah Sherman | August 31, 2021

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded the VA Patient Safety Center for Inquiry Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-SPC) and their community partners, including the University of Colorado College of Nursing, for implementing programs to reduce suicide among thousands of Colorado military veterans, their families and survivors.

Deborah Sherman | August 18, 2021

Three miles up and three miles down. Dr. Kathleen Flarity has skydived more than 2,500 times out of balloons, Russian helicopters and even two Boeing 727 airliners. She’s inspired her children to free fall. But perhaps the biggest thrill Flarity’s experiencing right now is getting selected to become a fellow at the American Academy of Nursing in October.

Deborah Sherman | August 05, 2021

A student at the University of Colorado College of Nursing has been awarded a scholarship from the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) to study and eventually treat an epidemic of mental illness and suicide in Colorado. Julie Bremer was one of 30 student scholars chosen nationwide by APNA.

Deborah Sherman | July 22, 2021

It was a promise between a mom and son that would prove to be much harder to keep than either could ever imagine. In the fall of 2017, Emily Barr made a deal with her son Maren (who goes by Michael), that’d they’d graduate together in the spring of 2021 and celebrate with a party.

Deborah Sherman | July 09, 2021

While on duty in Syria in 2017, insurgents routinely shot at U.S. Air Force nurse Damon Toczylowski and other military troops as they transported patients to safety in helicopters or fixed-wing airplanes. Now, years later as a first-year student at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, he remembers the chaos, the stress, the fear - and wants to help other military veterans.

Deborah Sherman | June 30, 2021

Across the country, more than 30,000 soldiers fight an internal battle against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that turns their cells into factories that seize other cells and weaken their immune systems. If the veterans aren’t treated quickly, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), for which there is no cure.

Deborah Sherman | June 28, 2021

When John was in the hospital last month getting ready to have open heart surgery, he felt exhausted. It wasn’t just from his damaged heart. John couldn’t get enough sleep. As soon as he dozed off in the evenings, at least three medical professionals woke him up to take blood, deliver medicine and ask questions. John wondered why they couldn’t all come at once and let him get some rest. As it turns out, he’s not alone in that idea.

Deborah Sherman | May 20, 2021

When Omarah Macias was in middle school, kids made fun of the way she spoke. She had learned most of her English and Spanish from her father, who had moved from Ecuador to New York when he was 14 without knowing the language. So, her voice had a unique sound with a Spanish and Bronx, New York accent.

Deborah Sherman | May 15, 2021

Parents usually sit in the audience rooting on their sons and daughters as they walk the graduation stage and accept their diplomas. But this May, Julia Plotke will be right next to her daughter Abigael during the University of Colorado College of Nursing commencement ceremony and also graduate.

Deborah Sherman | May 09, 2021

When Joe went to the hospital with congestive heart failure, a nurse didn’t just ask him how he was. She also asked him who he was. Joe says that personal connection helped him cope with his mortality and terminal diagnosis.

Deborah Sherman | March 29, 2021

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 Sherman | December 11, 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 Sherman | 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 Sherman | December 04, 2020