2023
Faculty in USI's Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs were presenters at the AOTA Inspire 2023 Annual Conference & Expo in Kansas City, April 20-23, 2023.
- Sean Weir, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Assistant and Chair of Occupational Therapy Assistant; Dr. Jenna Thacker, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy; and Dr. Jessica Mason, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Chair of Occupational Therapy, did a poster presentation on Effectiveness of Gross Motor Treatment to Improve Strength & Fine Motor Function Among Clients with Parkinson's Disease.
- Sean Weir, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Assistant and Chair of Occupational Therapy Assistant; Dr. Jenna Thacker, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy; Dr. Kristi Hape, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy; Jana Pace, Instructor in Occupational Therapy Assistant; and Dr. Jessica Mason, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Chair of Occupational Therapy, did a presentation on Supporting & Strengthening the OT–OTA Relationship: Embracing Professional Roles Begins in the Classroom.
- Dr. Kristi Hape, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, did a presentation on Mental Health Innovation & Advocacy: Creating Innovative Practice Opportunities to Meet Mental Health Needs.
Amy Wilson, Clinical Associate Professor and Chair of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), and Dr. Katherine Peak, Clinical Assistant Professor, are the recipients of the 2023 Faculty Development Award for the College of Nursing and Health Professions. They used the monetary award to purchase a 3-dimensional/4-dimensional (3D/4D) transducer to use with the program's new ultrasound machine. This advanced technology has a wide range of applications in both obstetric and gynecologic imaging. The funding also included one full day of training with a Philips Applications Specialist for DMS faculty and 14 students, which helps USI's program meet accreditation standards and provides students valuable skills they will utilize in the clinical setting.
Dr. Constance Swenty, Professor of Nursing and Interim Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, and Mary Doerner, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing, are the authors of an article published in the International Journal for Human Caring (Volume 27, Issue 1) titled Nursing Students’ Perceptions Following an Ostomy Experiential Activity: A Qualitative Study. Read the article.
Several faculty members were presenters at USI's Research, Evidence-Based, Practice, Performance Improvement Conference on April 19.
- Dr. Pamela Miller, Assistant Professor of Nursing, presented a poster, Re-implementation of Family Planning at the Wabash County Health Department.
- Dr. Lori A. Phillips, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Lorinda Coan, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene, presented a poster, The Outcomes: Integrating Experiential Learning into a Nurse Practitioner Residency Oral Health Program, and a podium presentation, Implementation of EBP Guidelines into a NPR Program: Bridging the Gap Between Didactics to Practice. For both projects, they collaborated with Dr. Uditha Wijesuriya, Associate Professor of Mathematics.
- Dr. Katelyn Russell, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and April Fehlinger, Instructor in Nursing, gave a podium presentation, Implementing QPR Training Among Undergraduate Nursing Students to Improve Suicide Assessment Skills.
- Multiple faculty members worked with Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students on presentations covering a variety of topics.
- Dr. Julie McCullough, Associate Professor of Nutrition, mentored her students on two posters: A New Dietary Approach to Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: An Evidenced Based Review and Could Vitamin D be Used to Reduce PMS Symptoms in Women?
Dr. Charlotte Connerton, Associate Professor of Nursing and Chair of the RN-BSN Completion Program; Dr. Serah Theuri, Associate Professor of Food and Nutrition; Dr. Ryan Butler, Associate Professor of Nursing and Interim Chair of Undergraduate Nursing; Pamela Thomas, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing; and Dr. Jessica Mason, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Chair of Occupational Therapy, are the co-authors of an article accepted for publication in Nurse Educator titled Interprofessional Wellness Coaching: A Teaching Model for Health Professions Students. This project was funded by the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Development Award. Early access publication date was April 10, 2023. Read the article.
Dr. Jenna Thacker, ’11, OT ’12, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy (OT), received a $5,000 Early Career Faculty Grant from the University of Southern Indiana Provost’s Office. These grants are given each year to encourage early career faculty to pursue promising research, creative and engagement projects for one consecutive 10-week summer term. Thacker intends to study functional dry needling (FDN), which she says is “growing like wildfire” in the field of physical therapy (PT). FDN is a technique for muscle stimulation using a needle, and it is used as a therapeutic procedure for patients with pain, decreased flexibility or decreased muscle function. Learn More.
Dr. Lori Phillips, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Lorinda Coan, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene, are the co-authors of a manuscript, Dental and Primary Care Professionals Learning and Collaborating to Improve Oral Health, that was published in the Journal of Dental Education on March 27, 2023. Their colleague, Uditha Wijesuriya, is listed as the article's third author.
Emily Holt, Clinical Professor of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting, received recognition in the inaugural Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Outstanding Faculty-Commitment to Student Success Awards. She was named to the list for her contributions to her department and the University, as well as her impact on students. Award details.
Dr. Charlotte Connerton, Associate Professor of Nursing and Chair of the RN-BSN Completion Program, Dr. Jessica Mason, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Chair of Occupational Therapy Program, and Susan Bonhotal, Nursing Adjunct, wrote a "Teaching Tip" that was published online in Nurse Educator on March 7, 2023. The title is Peer-Led Functional Mobility and Transfer Training, and it explains how USI nursing and occupational therapy students teamed up for an interprofessional mobility and transfer skills lab. The OT students were responsible for teaching and demonstrating the assigned mobility and transfer topic, allowing the nursing students time to practice the skill, and then the OT students provided feedback on the nursing students' performance. Read the article.
Dr. Zachary Ward, JD Weagley, Dr. Erin Reynolds, Dr. Swateja Nimkar, Karla Diekemper and Dr. Kevin Valadares are the authors of a manuscript, Graduate Degree Program Redesign for Academic Success, Differentiation, and Access, that was published in the Journal of Health Administration Education on December 1, 2023 (Volume 39, Number 2). Read the article.
Several faculty members from the College of Nursing and Health Professions will be presenters at the 7th Annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium on February 16 at USI.
- Dr. Zachary Ward Assistant Professor of Health Administraton, was a co-presenter with JD Weagley, Instructional Designer with USI Online Learning. Their presentation was titled, Hands-on is Best: PBL Online.
- Dr. Joy Cook, Dr. Heather Schmuck and Ryan Williams of the Radiologic and Imaging Sciences Program presented two posters: Programmatic Improvement Using Clinical Video Refreshers and Radiography Student Communication and Patient Care Assessment: Simulated Patient Feedback.
- Jennifer Fehrenbacher and Alyshia Hanks, both Assistant Professors in the Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs, gave a presentation, Enhancing Calibration Among Lab Faculty.
Three Nursing faculty members collaborated for an article on effective communication that was published online in Nurse Educator on February 6, 2023. Dr. Susan Seibert, Shelley Davis and Dr. Ashley Carter are the authors of Communication Role-Play Take 2! Read the article.
Dr. Susan Seibert and Dr. Ashley Carter are co-authors of a manuscript, Applications of Ethics: Discussion Prompts, that was published in Nurse Educator, January/February 2023. Read the article.
Dr. Susan Seibert, Instructor in Nursing, and Dr. Ashley Carter, Assistant Professor of Nursing, were invited to participate in the Nurse Educator Tips for Teaching Podcast. Their article, Application of Ethics: Discussion Prompts, was featured on January 25, 2023, and was also published in Nurse Educator in the January/February 2023 issue, 48(1):p 6. Listen to the podcast | Read the article
Emily Holt, Clinical Professor of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting and Interim Chair of both programs, had two-part series of articles published in the Dimensions of Dental Hygiene Journal: The Hallmarks of Alzheimer Disease on September 16, 2022, and Support the Oral Health of Your Patients with Alzheimer Disease on January 18, 2023. Read the articles.
Dr. Susan Seibert, Instructor in Nursing, wrote an article that was published in Nurse Educator on January 18, 2023. The title is "Review- Do- Document: Structured Health Assessment Labs." Read the article.
2022
Dr. Susan Seibert, Instructor in Nursing, had an article published in the Journal of Teaching and Learning in Nursing titled Scaffolding Questions to Foster Higher-Order Thinking. In press 2022. Read the article.
The Indiana State Nurses Association recognizes Indiana's top nurses through the Pillar Award Recognition. Ann White, RN, PhD, MBA, NE-BC, Dean Emerita of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, received the Pillar of Leadership Award in 2022. Read more.
Dr. Mikel Hand, Professor of Nursing, Dr. Constance Swenty, Professor of Nursing and Interim Dean of the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions, and Dr. Laura Ogle of the University of Rochester Medical Center had a manuscript published in Nursing Forum titled Pressure Injury Screening in the Emergency Department: A Concept Analysis. October 10, 2022. Read the article.
Dr. Katie Ehlman, Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Bronstein Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, received the Faculty Recognition Award at the 2022 USI Founders' Day celebration. Ehlman's efforts played a critical role in the $1 million gift received from the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Foundation, and she directs the USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), a federally-funded project. Her anonymous nominator says, "Ehlman is an outstanding role model for students and is constantly creating experiential learning opportunities for them. Her work elevates the visibility of the University on a local, state, national and global platform."
Dr. Jessica Mason, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, was selected as the 2022 recipient of the prestigious USI Foundation Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, which includes a stipend and Faculty Development Grant.
Dr. Michelle Pitcher, Adjunct in Nursing, was awarded the 2022 USI Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award by Adjunct Faculty for her ability to teach adult learning principles which emphasize self-directed learning. She embraces technology in her courses and demonstrates agility between writing-centered courses versus clinically centered courses.
Dr. Lori Phillips, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Lorinda Coan, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene, presented with Dr. Uditha Wijesuriya, Associate Professor of Mathematics, at USI's 26th Annual Research, Evidence-Based Practice and Performance Improvement Conference. The title of their presentation was Knowledge and Confidence Through Integration of Oral Health Modules in a Nurse Practitioner Residency.
Dr. Lori Phillips, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Lorinda Coan, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene, are co-authors with Dr. Uditha Wijesuriya, Associate Professor of Mathematics, of a manuscript published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, April 2022, Volume 34, Issue 4. The title of article is Oral Health in Primary Care: Integration of Enhanced Oral Health Education in a Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. Read the article.
Dr. Kevin Valadares, Dr. Suzanne Leahy and Dr. Katie Ehlman are co-authors of an article, Adapting Primary Care Workflows to Promote Advance Care Planning, that was published in the Annals of Family Medicine, July/August 2022 issue (Vol. 20, No. 4). They collaborated with Dr. William Smith and Robin Arnold, both of Deaconess Health System, and Joanne Artz, USI retiree, to disseminate the work of the USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP).
Dr. Susan Seibert, Instructor in Nursing, had an article published in the Journal of Teaching and Learning in Nursing titled Validated Instructional Resource to Engage Nursing Students in Critical Thinking. July 2022. Read the article.
Dr. Joy Cook, Chair and Radiologic and Imaging Sciences, and Dr. Heather Schmuck, Clinical Associate Professor of Radiologic and Imaging Sciences, were co-authors of an article, Analysis of Manufacturers' Recommendations of the Care and Use of Lead Apparel, that was published in Radiology Management, the Journal of AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management (May/June 2022, Volume 44, Number 3).
Dr. Ashley Carter, Shellye Davis and Amy Pierce, Nursing faculty, presented "Cultivating Cultural Humility" at USI's 6th Annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium’s Lightning Presentation about Teaching Practice on February 10, 2022.
Dr. Ashley Carter, Shellye Davis, Amy Pierce, Dr. Susan Seibert and Dr. Ryan Butler, Nursing faculty, are the authors of a manuscript, Developing Cultural Humility Among Prelicensure Nursing Students, that was published in the January/February 2022 issue of Nurse Educator. Read the article.
Dr. M. Jane Swartz and Jennifer Palmer, both of the Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning, had an article published online in the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis in January 2022. The title was Barriers and Motivators to National Board Certification as a Certified Anticoagulation Care Provider.
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