Mia Roberts, PhD, CPNP-PC, stood in front of a crowd of about 60 University of Colorado College of Nursing PhD students and faculty prepared to present her doctoral dissertation for only the second time.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing and Campus Community Health are holding flu shot clinics in September and October on the Anschutz Medical Campus for students, faculty, staff, and other members of the campus community and their families.
Education Community Faculty Veteran and Military Health
“It’s really important that we come together as a community to support our veterans, and it’s really important that our community understands how to care for them.”
Education Faculty Student and Alumni
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.
A new editorial co-authored by a faculty member at the University of Colorado College of Nursing asserts the severe and growing shortage of nursing educators nationwide may be partially addressed with reflective practice, or taking the time to look back and assess results in order to consider alternative actions for the future. It’s a lesson in history. In 1973, author Robert Heinlein wrote “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”
AURORA, Colo. (July 19, 2023) – As the American population grows older and life-extending technologies improve, the number of people taking care of their family members has increased. Nearly 17% of the adult population or 53 million people today provide unpaid care to a relative or other loved one with a chronic disease, according to Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 report.
This fall, more students than ever at the University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus will have access to state-of-the-art technology including AI, virtual reality, patient actors and high-fidelity medical manikins to practice their nursing skills and ultimately, improve health care.
Research Press Releases Faculty
AURORA, Colo. (June 20, 2023) – Hospital-acquired pressure injuries hurt approximately 2.5 million hospital patients every year, leading to 60,000 deaths and cost an estimated $27 billion, according to a column co-authored by a professor and a student at the University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Research Press Releases Faculty
AURORA, Colo. (June 5, 2023) – The University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Christina Sun, PhD, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in LGBT health research in Botswana and Taiwan for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
As an advanced-practice nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Neuroscience Institute, Jill Marks, DNP ’19, MSN, BSN, gets tremendous satisfaction in caring for children with acute and chronic neurologic illness or injury.
One of the most-anticipated veterans and military healthcare conferences in the Western Region will return to the Anschutz Medical Campus, April 21-23, 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.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus is celebrating a major milestone this year, and we invite you to celebrate with us! Throughout much of 2023, we will observe our “quasquicentennial” – also known as our 125th anniversary.
The values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are fundamentally, inextricably, and integrally linked to the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus’s present and future. CU College of Nursing’s DEI goal is to prepare nurses to be culturally responsive, and to demonstrate cultural humility while providing compassionate, person-centered care.
Mental health is having a moment right now for a lot of the wrong reasons.
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.
Cassie Fishbein leads the program that’s regarded as the birthplace of nurse practitioners. Founded by Loretta “Lee” Ford and Henry Silver in 1965, the University of Colorado’s Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care program was the first of its kind.
Two former English lit majors turned nurse-midwives will be awarded the Bedside Manner Award from the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.
At this point, those who resolved to lose weight in 2023 are either trending in the right direction, discouraged, or they’ve given up.
If midwifery is one of the oldest professions in the world, why aren’t there more midwives? What do midwives do in addition to helping families give birth? How could midwifery solve problems we’re seeing in high maternal mortality rates and the healthcare labor shortage?
Nurse-midwifery encourages patients to tap into their strengths before, during and after childbirth. In a sense, Jessica Anderson, DNP ‘17, CNM, channels that special kind of energy by competing in statewide bodybuilding competitions.
Join us in celebrating Taylor Santangelo and Michelle Jhong, the CU Nursing Alumni Association DAISY Awardees for 2022.
Headlines about mass shootings – such as the recent massacre at the Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs – trigger difficult memories for Mary Beth Flynn Makic, PhD ‘07, CNS.
Between gatherings with friends and family – and the “expectation” of joyfulness – the holiday season can be fraught with stress, even in the happiest of times. For those grieving the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship or a career setback, the season can be especially challenging.
We might remember 2022 as a year when we started to rebuild from the most serious public health crisis of our time.
Nurses, facing challenges to providing high-quality care to their patients, will now have the opportunity to improve outcomes by using data to inform decisions. The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado College of Nursing on the Anschutz Medical Campus have come together to offer a Master’s Degree in Business Analytics (MSBA), with a specialized track in healthcare.
Shelly Fischer, PhD, RN, CNE may be a newcomer to her role, but she’s no stranger to the Front Range, healthcare leadership, and the University of Colorado College of Nursing.
Empathy is often helpful – particularly in healthcare and education. It is also a characteristic that University of Colorado College of Nursing Associate Professor Deborah Kenny, PhD, RN, tries to model in her classroom.
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.
Dating back to the 18th century, academic textbooks are still an essential part of the educational experience. Contributing to that vast canon of knowledge, several faculty members at University of Colorado College of Nursing authored and/or edited textbooks that are read and studied worldwide.
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.
In the 33 years she’s taught at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, Tammy Spencer, DNP, RN, earned numerous awards. Spencer was the recipient of the CU President’s Teaching Award 14 times and two-time winner of the Chancellor’s Teaching Award. She also received the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award early in her career in 1991.
A month ago, I got an invitation from The White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE) to tour the East Wing while meeting with a small and exclusive group of individuals who are helping to change healthcare in the United States.
Curiosity led Sean M. Reed, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC, ACHPN, FCNS, SGAHN, through a unique labyrinth of careers and interests -- including business, massage therapy, nursing, research and education.
Faculty Veteran and Military Health
Serving in the military and being deployed twice (once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan) profoundly influenced (Retired) Col. Lori Trego’s perspective and her life’s work.
The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) selected University of Colorado College of Nursing faculty Rosario Medina and Heather Coats and alumnus Lt. Col. Christopher Stucky among 250 distinguished nurse leaders to be inducted into the 2022 Class of Fellows.
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.
Long before “burnout” became an occupational epidemic, its precursor “fatigue” held a grip on healthcare professionals struggling to maintain their energy during lengthy and difficult shifts.
Between two coasts, four universities, five employers and 7-year-old twins, CU College of Nursing Assistant Professor Dr. Angela Pal, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, certainly packed several lifetimes of learning and experience into the last 30 years.
When you go to the hospital today, your nurse will most likely be female and white despite a growing multiracial population in the United States. The most recent National Nursing Workforce survey shows nearly 90% of registered nurses (RN) are female and 81% are Caucasian. The largest minority in the RN workforce is Asian at 7.2%.
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.
In a recent NurseJournal article: the nursing landscape has significantly changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
The March 2022 University of Colorado College of Nursing Grand Rounds presentation by Associate Professor Scott Harpin, PhD, MPH, RN, FNAP, tackled the topic of the Value of Evidence During the Time of a Global Pandemic. Dr. Harpin took the audience on a journey that made us question some of our beliefs about the science we have learned and lived during the last two years of the pandemic.
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.
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.
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.
CU Nursing leadership presented a videotaped State of the College Address during today’s All College monthly meeting -- providing an update as to where we currently are and plans for the future.
Join us in celebrating Megan Champion and Chantal Dengah, the CU Nursing Alumni Association DAISY Awardees for 2021.
AURORA, Colo. (December 17, 2021) – A new study indicates 40% of midwives in the United States are burned out or stressed and exhausted, putting them at risk for making medical errors and missing necessary patient care.
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.
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.
AURORA, Colo. (October 6, 2021) – A notable study compared nitrous oxide use for pain relief during labor at institutions located at sea level versus high altitude. To date, no other publication has evaluated the impact of altitude when administering nitrous oxide for pain relief during labor. The study published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, with obstetric anesthesiologist, Cristina Wood, MD as lead author, found the gas is safe to use for pain and relaxation for women in labor whether they live in Florida or Colorado.
Aurora, CO (September 10, 2021) — A published study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has been selected by Mather Institute as a Silver Award recipient of the 2021 Innovative Research on Aging Awards.
Coloradans take care of our neighbors in times of crisis. With Texas’ new abortion ban, Colorado needs to support the Texans who have been abandoned by their state. This is a crisis. We can help. And we should.
Aurora, CO (September 2, 2021) — A new supplement to the peer-reviewed journal Women’s Health Issues provides overviews of existing research on topics important to military women's health—ranging from sleep to sexual and reproductive health concerns—and identifies places where additional research and policy changes can improve health for this important population.
Patient Care Community Faculty
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.
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.
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.
Press Releases Faculty Students
AURORA, CO, 6/14/2021– The University of Colorado College of Nursing is proud to announce it has been awarded a new grant of $45,000 from Jonas Philanthropies, a leading national philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education. Matched by $45,000 of its own monies, the grant will fund the scholarship of three University of Colorado College of Nursing doctoral nursing students in 2021.
AURORA, Colo. (June 14, 2021) – Even before patients overwhelmed emergency rooms with the novel coronavirus, nurses reported high levels of stress and depression, leading them to make more medical errors. In fact, a JAMA study reveals one-third of nurses who quit their jobs in 2018 cited burnout and a lack of good management and leadership as their reasons for leaving.
Patient Care Faculty Public Health
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.
Aurora, Colo. (May 13, 2021) -- While news headlines report a lack of oxygen worldwide is affecting our ability to help critically ill COVID-19 patients, historically respiratory disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (CDC).
Press Releases COVID-19 Faculty
AURORA, Colo. (May 12, 2021) – Researchers at the University of Colorado College of Nursing found that many of its graduate students suffered from increased stress after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
AURORA, Colo. (April 19, 2021) – When COVID-19 swept across the world and wreaked havoc, students everywhere faced missing classes and graduation. But not in one program at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. Kim Paxton, DNP, APRN, developed a high-fidelity virtual simulation so nursing students could continue to learn reasoning skills, earn clinical hours, and attend their commencement ceremony.
DENVER - A recent article by Susan Bonini, Ed.D., MSN, RN at the University of Colorado College of Nursing and published in the Journal of Professional Nursing, discusses the manifestations of whiteness and its effect on the profession of nursing.
The first-ever Partnerships for Veteran & Military Health virtual conference is scheduled for April 23 – 24, 2021. With an emphasis on Inspiring a Community of Care and Connections, the conference includes nationally known speakers, panel discussions on topics ranging from PTSD to suicide awareness/prevention, and poster presentations.
AURORA, Colo. (March 30, 2021 – Researchers at the University of Colorado College of Nursing have found that nearly one-quarter of graduate nursing students have reported elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depression, compounded in the past year by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The nursing student connected so well with my mother that I requested she continue working with her even though a new cohort of students was supposed to take over,” said Natascha Palmer whose mother and father-in-law are both enrolled in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus program that matches health care students with seniors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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!
“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.
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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Ask students what made University of Colorado College of Nursing Professor Paula Meek, PhD, stand out, and the memories flow with striking intensity:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Amanda Repsher vividly recalls watching flight nurses load her husband on board a helicopter. Less than two hours earlier, his own crew’s helicopter had crashed during a failed takeoff, erupting into a ball of flames and scorching nearly all of Dave Repsher’s body.
As a wife, Amanda found the irony chilling. As a critical care nurse, she knew it could mean the difference between life and death.
Issues challenging today’s nurse practitioners were unheard of when pioneer Loretta Ford co-founded the first-ever nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado in 1965.
University of Colorado College of Nursing students displayed a slate of promising research at this year’s Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Conference in San Diego in April, with topics ranging from halting the spread of HIV to easing the minds of kids with cancer.
A surprise guest showed up to June’s CU Nursing Grand Rounds, following an announcement that the featured speaker — Assistant Professor JoAnn Crownover, DNP, — was running late.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing honored 38 of its own faculty and staff for their years of service on May 20, including one professor who reached a major milestone: the half-century mark.
Community Faculty Alumni Students
The University of Colorado College of Nursing and student nurses are encouraging the community to celebrate the nurse in your life during the month of May. Nurses Week runs from May 6 – May 12, which was the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. CU Nursing students appeared on CBS 4 Saturday morning to showcase the profession of nursing and some of the activities they have planned for the week including a 5K fun run at the Anschutz Medical Campus Sunday, May 5, and community blanket making for patients at Children’s Hospital on May 9th.
A study conducted by Assistant Professor Blaine Reeder, PhD, and co-authored by Catherine Jankowski, PhD, on older women's perceptions of technology found that more active older adult women prefer wearable sensors for themselves and smart home sensors for their older parents.
Textbooks are no longer the primary source of education in the classroom. CU Nursing includes traditional lectures, simulations, practical clinical experiences, and physical transformations of faculty into patients.
For burn survivors, Wayne Winkler and Shannon Bennett, participating in Dr. Teresa Connolly’s Nursing Care of the Adult Patient with Complex Care Needs class is a way for nursing students to become better nurses while giving back to those who helped them during recovery. For the students, understanding the physical and mental pain, anguish, and guilt associated with their condition is key to treating patients with compassion and empathy – essential elements in helping patients heal.
Recent research by CU Nursing faculty Noreen Nicol, PhD, and National Jewish Health colleagues raises the bar for successful management of atopic dermatitis, which affects 18% of children. From conventional wet-wrap therapy to targeted therapies and new drugs, there have been major breakthroughs in improving the symptoms and quality of life of patients. Researchers emphasize utilizing conventional steps before initiating biologics.
As the top nursing school in Colorado, maintaining our standards through the process of accreditation helps us to improve our programs, prepare more high-quality future nurses, and provide the best nursing education. Every 10 years, CU Nursing must undergo the accreditation process that is conducted by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) to maintain our programs and status as a nursing school. Preparing for an accreditation involves faculty and staff comprehensively in institutional evaluation and planning review, and creates a culture of continuous improvement and quality improvement
CBS4 Denver
September 15, 2023
The Denver Post
September 11, 2023
CPR
August 17, 2023
Denver 7
August 08, 2023
Molly Smerika
