College of Nursing and Health Professions
Faculty Achievements

2023

Three Nursing faculty supervised students who presented posters at the USI Honors Student Symposium on November 29:

• Dr. Marilyn Ostendorf: Maternal and Infant Health Education with Mia Bruno and Hailey Kessler.
• Dr. Pamela Thomas: Challenges to Health Care Access for People with Language Barriers in the United States with Sofia Hernandez.
• Dr. Julie St. Clair: Community Health Needs Assessment: Screening for High Blood pressure in High-Risk Individuals with Sarah Jones.

April Fehlinger, Instructor in Nursing, was selected as a volunteer item writer for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Licensure Examination (NCLEX^®). She was approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing and selected by NCSBN to participate on the NCLEX item development panel of subject matter experts that was held at NCSBN headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, from October 31 through November 3, 2023. According to NCSBN, Fehlinger was selected on the basis of her clinical specialty and nursing expertise. Because she works with entry-level nurses in the education department at Deaconess Hospital, she has first-hand knowledge of new graduates’ skills and clinical judgment as they enter the workforce.

Sean Weir, Assistant Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy Assistant, was one of three facilitators of a live virtual course for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia October 20, October 27 and November 3. The title of the three-part series was Using Multisource Feedback to Support Student Performance in Fieldwork & Clinical Placement.

Jordan Thomason '13, Instructor in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, passed her abdominal sonography national certification exam on November 3, becoming one of seven people in the U.S certified in abdomen, OBGYN and pediatric sonography, as well as adult echocardiography, pediatric echocardiography and fetal cardiography. She is the only person in Indiana with those credentials. Thomason is the clinical coordinator for the USI DMS program and also teaches all the echocardiography courses.

Dr. Jennifer Evans, Assistant Dean for Nursing, and Dr. Mikel Hand, Professor of Nursing and Chair of Graduate Nursing, presented at the Sigma International 47th Biennial Convention in San Antonio, Texas, November 11-15. The title of their presentation is The Lived Experience: Insight from BSN Students During the First Three Semesters.

Ryan Williams, Assistant Professor of Radiologic and Imaging Sciences, took office as the President for the Indiana Society of Radiologic Technologists for the 2023-2024 term. Through this organization, he will oversee their professional society and advocate for professional needs at the state level.

Faculty in the Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs were presenters at the 2023 Indiana Occupational Therapy Association (IOTA) Fall Conference, held on October 21 at the University of Indianapolis Health Pavilion.

• Dr. Kristi Hape, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, and Sean Weir, Assistant Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy Assistant, presented a breakout session, Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences: What is Our Role as Occupational Therapy Practitioners?
• Dr. Stephanie Rexing, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, did a poster presentation, Does Pre-operative Education Increase Activity Participation and Decrease Perceived Arm Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients?
• Dr. Kristi Hape, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, did a poster presentation with Anthony Kluemper, student at IU School of Medicine, and Dr. Arthur Chlebowski, USI Associate Professor and Director of Freshman Engineering, titled Development of Assistive Devices for Eye Drop Administration in Patients with Cerebral Palsy.
• Dr. Jenna Thacker, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, led a breakout session, SIS Breakout Session: Rehab and Disability.
• Dr. Jessica Mason, Assistant Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy, is Vice President for the Indiana Occupational Therapy Association. In this role, she helped with conference planning, orchestration and many behind-the-scenes logistics.

Dr. Ashley N. Carter ’08 MSN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, was awarded the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Indiana League for Nursing (ILN) in October. She has been a nursing educator for 16 years, having first started her teaching career in 2007 at Ivy Tech Evansville, where she also served as Department Chair for five years before joining the USI Nursing faculty in Fall 2020. Read more.

Dr. Jennifer Evans, Assistant Dean for Nursing, and Dr. Connie Swenty, Professor Emeritus, participated in a session, Working Together for Impact: The Role of Leadership in Developing and Sustaining IPE through Workplace Well-Being, during the Nexus Summit 2023 Virtual Conference on September 27, 2023.

Dr. Mary Doerner, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Dr. Charlotte Connerton, Associate Professor of Nursing and Chair of the RN-BSN Completion Program, are the DNP advisors for Taylor Cora, a student in USI’s BSN to DNP program. They are the authors of an article, Enhancing Oncology Side Effect Management Using a Remote Monitoring System, which is the culmination of her DNP project. It was published in the October issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing (Volume 27, Number 5). Preview the article.

Dr. Dawn Worman, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Dr. Swateja Nimkar, Associate Professor of Health Services, are the authors of an article, A Hostile Environment: An Exploratory Study of Prelicensure Nursing Student Exposure to Patient Aggression, that was accepted for publication in Nurse Educator, September/October 2023 issue. Read the article.

Several faculty members in the USI Nursing program have been researching ways for students to build resilience from the start of their nursing education. The results of their study were recently published in the journal Teaching and Learning in Nursing (online July 13, 2023). Dr Ashley Carter, Assistant Professor of Nursing; Dr. Susan Seibert, Instructor in Nursing; Shellye Davis, Instructor in Nursing; Amy Pierce, Instructor in Nursing; and April Fehlinger, Instructor in Nursing, are the authors of Preferred Resiliency-Building Strategies of Nursing Students, which they hope will inspire other nursing programs to incorporate similar tactics.

Amy Wilson, Clinical Associate Professor and Chair of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, was elected secretary of the board of directors for the international Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS). Dr. Katherine Peak, Clinical Assistant Professor and Vascular Clinical Coordinator, was elected to serve on the SDMS nominating committee.

The Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is hosted in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. One of AHEC's initiatives is the Indiana SANE Training Project which expands professional development opportunities for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners practicing in rural and/or underserved communities in Indiana. Jane Friona, Southwest Indiana Executive Director; Angie Morris, Indiana SANE Training Coordinator; and Ashli Smiley, SANE Coordinator for the Indiana Department of Health, gave a presentation, Increasing Access to Medical Forensic Examinations for Hoosiers, at the Indiana Rural Health Association Annual Conference in French Lick, Indiana, on June 14. Friona and Morris also presented at the National AHEC Organization Biennial Conference, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 27-30. The title of their presentation was When Small Initiatives Have a Statewide Impact: Maximizing Potential to Expand Care.

Dr. Charlotte Connerton, Associate Professor of Nursing and Chair of the RN-BSN Completion Program, and Dr. Serah Theuri, Associate Professor of Food and Nutrition, wrote an article, NEWSTART: An 8-Week Faith-Based Health Promotion Program to Reduce Chronic Disease Risk Factors in the US, that was published in the Journal of Religion and Health on June 16, 2023. Their study examined the effectiveness of a health promotion program among adults in an Adventist Faith Community.

Several faculty members collaborated on a poster that was accepted for the Annual Meeting of Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), held June 29-July 1 in National Harbor, Maryland. Authors of the project, titled Innovate and Captivate: Modernizing the MHA Degree for Working Professionals, are Zachary Ward, EdD, Assistant Professor of Health Administration; JD Weagley, MA, Instructional Designer with USI Online Learning; Erin Reynolds, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor and Chair of Health Administration and Health Services programs; Swateja Nimkar, EdD, MPH, Associate Professor of Health Services; and Kevin Valadares, PhD, Professor of Health Services and Chair of Health Administration and Health Informatics and Information Management programs. Their poster describes the redesign of USI's Master of Health Administration program to address barriers adults encounter as they attempt to further their education and introduce a more user-friendly and applicable curriculum for working adults.

Zack Ward, EdD, Assistant Professor of Health Administration, gave a presentation, Telemedicine in the Community Public Library: Development of a Needs Assessment, on June 13 at the Indiana Rural Health Association Conference in French Lick, Indiana. In his research, he identified infrastructure issues related to telehealth programming and the importance of telehealth resources in rural communities.

Dr. Joy Cook ’03 M’09 D’22, Associate Professor and Chair of the Radiologic and Imaging Sciences, has joined the board of directors for the Southwest Indiana Red Cross Chapter. Cook has been a professional in the field of radiology for the past 28 years, and 18 of those years have been in education. She holds five degrees from USI, with her most recent degree a Doctorate of Education. She has several national and international publications focusing on radiology education and the improvement of practice within radiology, is an international speaker on the topic of MRI burns and has chaired national and state committees in her profession.

Amy Wilson MS '09, Chair of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, will be promoted from Clinical Associate Professor to Clinical Professor, effective August 15, 2023. She has been a sonography educator at USI for nearly 20 years. She earned her bachelor's degree in Medical Imaging Technology from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1994.

Four faculty earned new degrees and certifications:

• Dr. Jennifer Fehrenbacher, Assistant Professor in Dental Hygiene/Assisting, earned a Doctorate in Education from Liberty University.
• Dr. Keri Montgomery, Instructor in Nursing, earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama.
• Dr. Amanda Orr, Instructor in Nursing, earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Indiana University.
• Dr. Katelyn Russell, Assistant Professor in Nursing, earned the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate from the University of Southern Indiana.

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 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. Jennifer Evans, Assistant Dean for Nursing, is the author of a Teaching Tip, Working Smarter with ChatGPT, which was published in Nurse Educator on April 10, 2023. Read the article.

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 (March 2023, 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.

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 the second article of a two-part series of articles published in the Dimensions of Dental Hygiene Journal: Support the Oral Health of Your Patients with Alzheimer Disease on January 18, 2023. Read the article.

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.