A public health nurse. A substitute school nurse. A nursing tutor for Pueblo Community College and the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence. A hospice spiritual care counselor. A community health case manager. A home health nurse. A perioperative nurse.
“I feel giddy and get chills every time I talk about it to anyone who will listen.”
“What is the significance of the White Coat Ceremony for advanced practice registered nursing students?”
Joe Martinez, BSN, MSN, had been working as a nurse for a decade providing direct patient care before he decided to change careers while still using his nursing skills. He worked in the ER, along with med-surg, home health, and telenursing, until he transitioned to a different side of the profession: healthcare technology.
Colorado has 64 counties. Of those, 24 lack access to both maternity care providers and a hospital with labor and birth services – which are also known as maternity care deserts. The state has 43 hospitals in rural areas – and fewer than half (21) provide labor and birth services.
Michael Fray is a busy BS in nursing student with classes, studying, and other parts of life. He’s also making sure to set aside time to help other nursing students.
Early recognition of stress – and ways to relieve stress and emotional trauma—can help prevent burnout in student nurses. That’s according to a study conducted by five faculty members of the University of Colorado College of Nursing: Associate Professor of Clinical Teaching, Specialty Director of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program and Psychiatric Mental Health Endowed Professorship Kerry Peterson, PhD, DNP, PMHCNS-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAANP, Senior Instructor of Clinical Teaching Laura McGladrey, PMHNP, FNP, FAWM, Senior Instructor of Research Laurra Aagaard, MA, MS, Instructor of Clinical Practice Sarah Stalder, MSN, PMHNP-BC, and Professor and Chair of the Behavioral, Family, and Population Health Division Paul Cook, PhD. William Mundo, MD, MPH from the Denver Health Medical Center is also one of the study’s authors.
University of Colorado College of Nursing PhD students visit the Anschutz Medical Campus at the start of every semester for week-long intensives. The PhD program is online, so the intensives give students an opportunity to meet in-person with their colleagues and faculty, and see campus.
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.
Nursing students begin the Fall Semester on Monday, August 28 at University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Students, both new and returning, are getting into a routine of going to classes and preparing for exams.
Adjusting to college life and course load can be a daunting task for new students. Add in nursing classes – like pharmacology or pathophysiology – and the process can be overwhelming.
“When I saw the demanding schedule of nursing school, I realized that working full time was no longer a feasible option for myself if I wanted to succeed,” said Madison Mey.
Mey, a University of Colorado College of Nursing BSN student, knew she would need financial help to pursue her nursing degree at the Anschutz Medical Campus.
AURORA, Colo. (July 27, 2023) – Every day, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says 17 veterans take their own lives. More than half of them, 60%, never reached out to VA healthcare services before they committed suicide.
Alumni Students Scholarship Hot Topic
University of Colorado College of Nursing 2023 BSN graduate Mark Domingo received a transfer scholarship when he applied and was accepted to Anschutz Medical Campus BSN program and was grateful for it. “It certainly helped defray some of the costs of college.”
Years ago, Marie Stahl saw her future during National Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. As a front desk clerk at Denver Health, Stahl’s mother introduced her to life inside a hospital, and that made a positive impression on her to this day.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As someone who has played piano since the age of 5, Ann Hefel likens part of her nursing education to mastering a musical composition.
Unexpected and unforgettable are two words that describe our graduates, their accomplishments, and activities of the past few years.
When Zhane Conner, CNA, officially earns her bachelor of science in nursing degree from the University of Colorado College of Nursing on May 22, it will mark another chapter in a life dedicated to serving others. But finding that passion didn’t necessarily come easily.
When Melissa Sanchez was 8 years old, her mother separated from her father and emigrated from Colombia, South America to Miami, FL with her four kids for a “better life, better future and better education,” says Sanchez. “The country is beautiful and lush but impoverished, crippled by corruption and guerilla warfare. And my mother did not see much of a future there for us.”
Karate and nursing school may not seem to have much in common. However, both pursuits require consistent effort, a willingness to practice (and study), master skills, continuous learning, and a significant commitment of time, energy, and resources.
Students ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
For Active-Duty Army Major, single mother of two boys, and University of Colorado College of Nursing graduate student pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Public Health degrees at Anschutz Medical Campus, Molly Bried exemplifies the US Army slogan “Be all you can be.”
When Brittney Fuller (BSN ’22, RN) and Amanda Worley (BSN ’22, RN) graduated from the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus in May 2022, they had the knowledge they needed to be nurses. Yet, both preferred to transition into their careers gradually with more support and experience.
Complementary and integrative medicine modalities such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and clinical hypnosis are increasingly available within the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and Caitlin Hildebrand, NP, is helping to lead their roll-out.
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.
Working in the child welfare system gave Laurie Andrews, MA, BSN, RN, an affinity for the parents and children she serves.
Many things will come and go over a 30-year timespan, but friendships make an enduring impression.
When you identify as a queer while growing up in a small, socially conservative town, you are highly motivated to live where you fit in. Fortunately, Tessa Cocchiara found herself, and her people, in other parts of the world – eventually landing in Colorado.
Soccer is still fresh on the minds of fans in the aftermath of the World Cup, but it’s always close to Jordan Knickerbocker’s heart.
Join us in celebrating Taylor Santangelo and Michelle Jhong, the CU Nursing Alumni Association DAISY Awardees for 2022.
Students ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
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.
We might remember 2022 as a year when we started to rebuild from the most serious public health crisis of our time.
Weeks before she graduates with a master’s degree from the University of Colorado College of Nursing on December 17, Caitlin Hinz, BSN-RN, started participating in a fellowship that will prepare her for the next phase of her career. Hinz recently was awarded a Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) fellowship by the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence.
One can experience some profound existential moments while riding a road bike up and down the Western Slope. For Kari Weirath, who co-owns a bicycle shop in Grand Junction with her husband, such moments became more frequent after completing her PhD in Caring Science at the University of Colorado College of Nursing in August and pondering the direction of her career of serving others.
Whoever has danced up a sweat during a Zumba class knows what it’s like to work hard and play hard at the same time.
Unexpected and unforgettable are two words that describe our graduates, their accomplishments, and activities of the past few years. We know it’s been challenging, and you and your classmates have stepped up during these extraordinary times.
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.
First-generation college graduate Lori Duarte, RN, can’t seem to get enough education. With a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in liberal arts, her career and educational journey ultimately led her to nursing.
In her role as a nurse practitioner, Amy Loomis (MSN ’16, AGNP-C) has established an impressive early career caring for older people. The daughter of a nurse, you could say her calling runs in the family.
Thriving in chaos seems to be what Brooke Ingle does best. So naturally, she decided to become a nurse.
As far as her nursing passion is concerned, Margaret Buenemann’s life began in her 40s when she was commissioned as a U.S. Army Reserve nurse.
Becca Feldman earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from CU Boulder in 2016, but she found her true calling in healthcare while working as a medical assistant for an ear, nose and throat specialist. Though much of her job was administrative, she got to help with some surgical procedures and remove stitches.
Between residing in various rugged locations and earning numerous nursing-related degrees, diabetes has been a constant in Alicia Le Pard’s life.
An avid climber, Joshua Maner figuratively rappelled from managing breweries to nursing in a fairly short time span. His life’s journey traversed from a 200-acre farmhouse in Tennessee to the East Coast, and finally to Colorado.
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.
You might say that Brittan Hosner, RN, discovered nursing by accident – specifically, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident when she was only 13.
From a young age, Anne Ingalls Gillespie, MSN, RN, cared deeply about animals and sick children.
“Growing up, kids would bring me injured birds and bunnies, and I would always try to fix them,” she remembers. “Originally, I wanted to be a veterinarian; but when I went to college I volunteered with a camp for children with cystic fibrosis, and I knew then that I wanted to help kids with chronic illnesses.”
Just as Anthony Velasco’s healthcare research regarding the LGBTQ+ community is interesting, important, and unique, so is Anthony Velasco, NP.
Caring for the sick is the “calling” that nurses hear when embarking on their careers. Sam Moldo, RN, first heard that call at a young age after his mother was seriously injured in an automobile accident.
Allie Kraybill is not someone who travels on the path of least resistance. Growing up in Wilmington, N.C., she rode horses competitively through high school and college. As a junior in high school, Kraybill took the first step on a nursing path that has zigzagged from North Carolina to Minnesota to Colorado.
From a strictly geographical standpoint, Stephanie Brooks, RN, BSN, hasn’t ventured very far. But in terms of her life, education, and career, she’s explored many new and exciting places.
The first thing most people might notice about Eric Alvarez, RN, SNM, as he listens attentively to a nurse-midwifery lecture, is that he seems to be the only guy in the room.
Historically, there are far fewer men in the nursing profession than women. According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 12% of working nurses are men. Percentage-wise, just 6% percent of nurse-midwives are men.
Jessica Dean, BSN, was long intrigued by the field of nurse-midwifery, but the birth of her daughter made her a true believer.
Helen Duff Reagan passed away in 1992, but her spirit lives – thanks to a scholarship established by her daughter, retired healthcare executive Kate Paul.
Kate Redlinger fondly remembers the time when her mother was called away from a family gathering to take care of another family’s emergency.
“One Christmas Eve she got called in because there was an ectopic pregnancy and she had to save a woman’s life,” Redlinger recalls. “Despite the interruption of the holiday plans, I thought that was very cool.”
Students Global health nursing
“Any global health experience helps you realize the commonalities and differences in healthcare throughout the world,” says Shannon Pirrie, DNP, CNM, Specialty Director of the Nurse-Midwife program at CU College of Nursing. “It’s pretty eye-opening to see the work folks do in other countries with much less resources and education than we have.”
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.
All-expense-paid trips aren’t generally listed among the many benefits of pursuing an advanced degree at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. However, there are exceptions -- as Nylah Bass, RN, BSN and Charlotte Weiss, MSN, RN, ACNP, recently learned.
Growing up as a Filipino American in Milpitas, Calif., Capt. Raiza Deyto RN, BSN, wanted to walk a different path than her predecessors who gravitated to the nursing field.
When University of Colorado College of Nursing student Rebecca Feldman was delivering hydromorphone through an intravenous drip to an injured patient, the new medical device she was using started flashing “Occluded! Occluded!” For a moment, she didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, it was just a test. Feldman was taking part in an exercise with other nursing and bioengineering students at the University of Colorado to test medical devices and improve healthcare.
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.
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.
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.
Unexpected and unforgettable are two words that describe the past two years. 2021 and 2022 will be remembered as unique. We know it’s been challenging, and you and your classmates have stepped up during these extraordinary times.
Corrie Secord is the first to admit that her path to midwifery was a rambling one. “I was a senior in high school when 9/11 occurred and was already set up to enlist when it happened,” said Secord.
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.
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.
“On my first day of training, I couldn’t do a single push-up,” says Major Caroline Hill who at age 18 joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Her introduction to the Corps was pure luck.
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.
Join us in celebrating Megan Champion and Chantal Dengah, the CU Nursing Alumni Association DAISY Awardees for 2021.
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.
Unexpected and unforgettable are two words that describe this past year. 2021 will be remembered as unique. We know it’s been challenging, and you and your classmates have stepped up during these extraordinary times.
Patient care doesn’t always happen within four walls or in buildings with controlled climates and cupboards full of supplies. Sometimes it happens in a parking lot, on the sidewalk, by a trail – wherever a person with need happens to be.
When Jasmin Valdez Eastman was five years old, she told her family she wanted to be a “baby doc.” As a first grader, she checked out all the birthing books at her school library. For her high school senior project, she compared midwifery versus obstetric care. “I guess you could say, I’ve always been obsessed with pregnancy and birth,” says Eastman. You think?
When RN to BS student Christina Messer first graduated with her associate degree in nursing in 2013 it was the tail end of the recession. At the time, Messer was a full-time student and mother, and like many people she was struggling financially. “I was applying everywhere.
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.
As a native Coloradan and first-generation college student, Gilbert was encouraged by her mother to pursue higher education, but it was her eldest sister who was the reason she wanted to become a nurse.
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher H. Stucky, PhD, RN, CNOR, CSSM, CNAMB, RN-BC, NEA-BC discusses CU, his career, and his nursing inspirations.
Whether it’s learning to drive, graduating high school, or moving out, there’s a lot of freedom that comes with young adulthood. For Christopher Battelli, the transition from child to young adult meant the ability to make his own medical decisions.
For Chantal Dengah (BSN ’19), her master’s degree specializing in Nurse-Midwifery came with some “Indiana Jones moments.” Unexpected stressors arose for the University of Colorado College of Nursing student and single mother of three, especially as COVID crashed her entire graduate school experience, at times, turning her into “a ball of stress.”
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.
This two-part video showcases how University of Colorado College of Nursing student Gabriel Toepel’s life has been a series of unfortunate/fortunate events. But despite setback and “what ifs”, Gabriel’s positivity shines through.
Adopted at the age of two from a Japanese orphanage by American parents, Gabriel Toepel (born Tateshi Sakurai) was part of a military airlift in the 1990s. His adoptive parents were serving in the United States Navy and living in Japan at the time. Half Japanese and half Kenyan, Toepel was dropped off at Aikeikai Baby Home in Tokyo and subsequently adopted by the Toepels.
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.
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.
The American Revolution. World War II. The War on Terror. While millions of soldiers have been killed over the years, most casualties happen off the battlefield years later, quietly, without recognition or ceremony. Injuries, sickness, suicides, and homicides kill military members at a higher rate than combat – taking four out of five lives, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center.
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.
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.
For most college students, the summer between their junior and senior years is filled with part-time jobs and a break from school. But for three University of Colorado College of Nursing students — Dustin Bell, Jakob Nelsen, and Gabriel Toepel — their summer will be spent creating valuable working relationships, building a resume, and increasing clinical skills, clinical judgment, and critical thinking while caring for our nation’s veterans.
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.
Extraordinary and memorable are two words that come to mind to describe this past year. 2020 – 2021 will be remembered as unique. We know it’s been challenging, and you and your classmates have stepped up during these extraordinary times. Your resilience will serve you well in the years to come.
From a young age, Colleen Waggoner, RN, BSN, has been fascinated with the complexities of our bodies, as well as our mind’s influence on our physical being. “For me, nursing is about using compassion, health expertise, and advocacy to promote wellness.”
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.
Brandie Galicia’s love of nursing began at age 11 when her mother was diagnosed with a rare congenital disease in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal.
Kerith Earlix spent more than 20 years as a music teacher and eventually owned her own music school. She took a few years off to raise her kids who are now 13, 14, 15 and 17. And then decided to do “something completely different.”
A 10-year-old girl smiles for the camera as she holds her artwork — a picture of a dangerous-looking creature — in front of her chest. Plastic tubes poke out from behind the masterpiece, covering her lap. Peach fuzz tops the little girl’s head as she beams up from her hospital chair.
Seiloni Sanft moved to Colorado with her family from Tonga fifteen years ago. The move from the Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 South Pacific islands was a bit of a culture shock for the seven-year-old.
Coming from a military family, it’s no surprise that Andre Pacho, MS, RN, AGCNS-BC, CEN, TCRN, joined up as soon as he graduated from high school. The surprise is that he chose the Army, while his father, uncles, and brother are career Navy men.
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.
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.
Danielle Perley decided to pursue nursing after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. “During her treatment, I got to know the nurses pretty well and appreciated the care she received.” Perley originally received a B.S. in Biology with a focus on genetics benchwork. “But after I got my degree, I couldn’t get a job due to the recession.” So, she pursued nursing and earned her second bachelor’s degree.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Struggling with depression as a teenager, Rachel Johnson came to a pivotal moment in her young life.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
She cannot quite put her finger on why, but Claire Donovan always knew she wanted to help the underserved.
Air Force scholarship recipient leaves mental health program behind
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vowing to serve with honor, CU Nursing’s newest group of 188 students was ceremonially launched down the path to becoming part of a “sacred practice” at the May 31 Nightingale Ceremony.
After graduating from CSU Pueblo’s accelerated nursing program in June 2013, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) student Terra Share worked as a psych mental health nurse. “The experience really set the stage for me to pursue a graduate degree,” said Share.
After working with a medical team in the secluded villages of Guatemala, Rebecca Harmon finally listened to her mother. Seeing the sick, poverty-stricken people in such dire need of health care, she made the decision to follow in her mom’s footsteps and become a nurse.
Honors student, rollerblader, snowboarder, and soon-to-be nurse, Marvin Mendez recently presented research at the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Conference.
According to Grubaugh, obtaining her PhD was a lesson in endurance. “Life happens and you need to go with the flow.” And “go with the flow” is what Grubaugh did during the nearly five years it took to earn her PhD.
Ian Overton decided to become a nurse after a decade of adventuring and one escapade that brought him close to losing his foot.
An expert mountaineer, explorer, rock and ice climber, Overton said, “Through climbing, everything makes sense in the world. The chaotic environment slows down.”
No one can predict who will make a great nurse, but when it comes to Chantal Dengah, the cards are in her favor.
As with any medical professional, skill and accuracy are required for nursing success, two characteristics engrained in Dengah, set to graduate from the University of Colorado College of Nursing during the May 24 Spring Commencement.
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.
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.
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Molly Smerika
