KU Bachelor of Science in Nursing program ranks in top 5% in the United States

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the University of Kansas School of Nursing ranks in the top 5% of such programs in the country, according to the Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report. KU School of Nursing’s BSN program ranked No. 26 of the 686 accredited baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States that were ranked by U.S. News, and it claimed the No. 19 spot among such programs at
public institutions.

Grant helps fund nursing leadership training in southwest Kansas

The KU School of Nursing received $2.5 million over four years to educate advanced practice nursing students specializing in primary rural care. Colleen Paramesh, DNP, NP-C, clinical assistant professor, is the principle investigator. As part of the grant, funds are also used to bring specialized training to rural hospitals and clinics. Southwest Medical Center (SWMC), located in Liberal, Kansas, strives to be the leading provider of excellent health care in the communities it serves. The not-for-profit acute care hospital recently began partnering with the KU School of Nursing to enhance its clinical practice with funds from the Advancing Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Grow and Stay program. Sandra Cain, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer at SWMC, said the partnership with the KU School of Nursing ANEW grant team has enabled her leadership team and staff to engage in the site trainings offered using the grant funds.

During the fall 2024 semester, over 115 professionals at SWMC learned through the ANEW program. The ANEW: Grow and Stay project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. See page 17 for additional information about our HRSA grants.

Scholarship Night and Symposium showcases student projects

The KU School of Nursing celebrated its second annual Scholarship Night and Symposium in November 2024, where nursing students of all levels — undergraduate to doctoral students — showcased their scholarly achievements. Over 150 students in Kansas City, Salina and online presented 58 sessions aimed at improving patient care and outcomes. Seongmin Cho, a student in the Ph.D. program, said presenting his doctoral  dissertation project at the symposium was a valuable experience, and it provided an opportunity to share his developing research ideas. He added that interacting with professors and fellow BSN and DNP students was particularly enriching. The evening ended with closing presentations from Nelda Godfrey, Ph.D., ACNS-BC, FAAN, ANEF, associate dean for undergraduate programs and department chair, and Michelle Cochran, DNP, RN, clinical assistant professor.

Two faculty awarded annual KU Teaching Awards

Two KU School of Nursing faculty were among the 16 University of Kansas faculty members who were named as recipients of KU’s annual teaching awards in late 2024.

• Nelda Godfrey, Ph.D., ACNS-BC, FAAN, ANEF, a professor at the KU School of Nursing, was awarded a Chancellor’s Club Teaching Professorship. The professorship is an accolade awarded to esteemed individuals who have exhibited consistent excellence in teaching. This recognition honors those who have demonstrated outstanding teaching competence, innovation in teaching methodologies, and dedication to education over a prolonged period.
• Ericka Sanner-Stiehr, Ph.D., RN, a clinical associate professor, was awarded a Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. The award acknowledges and honors exceptional non-volunteer faculty members at KU Medical Center for their demonstrated teaching ability of a clearly superlative nature. The recipient significantly contributes to the medical center and its students through excellence and outstanding teaching.

KU School of Nursing celebrates National Healthcare Simulation Week

Students and faculty came together in September 2024 for a variety of activities aimed at raising awareness of how simulation strengthens the KU School of Nursing’s academic programs. Healthcare Simulation Week, sponsored by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, is an annual, global effort to showcase the importance of simulation in health care education, training and patient safety. Activities for the week included an escape room contest among KU nursing faculty. Teams were challenged to “escape” by using their cue recognition and clinical judgment skills. The KU School of Nursing and the Zamierowski Institute for Experiential Learning also co-hosted a coffee break for the KU Medical Center campus community. During the break, both teams collaborated to bring visibility to the amazing simulation-based learning that occurs at the medical center daily.

Extra credit leads to bone marrow donation and potential career path for nursing student

As an undergraduate student, Ella Sics, Bachelor of Science in Nursing student from Lenexa, Kansas, initially joined the National Marrow Donation Program registry for extra credit as a college freshman. The extra credit helped, but she never expected the profound impact it would have on her life as a nursing student. Sics said she received the call that she was a match for a child with aplastic anemia. She knew that donating her bone marrow was something she wanted to do for that family, even though she was anxious about the procedure and recovery. In order to donate her bone marrow, Sics had to travel over 1,000 miles to a specialized hospital in Georgetown, Washington D.C., for the surgery. Sics said that the experience deepened her empathy and understanding of what patients go through, especially during anxiety-inducing procedures. It has possibly also sparked her personal interest in transplant and
oncology nursing.

KU School of Nursing’s 2024 Alumni Award honorees recognized

Three women were honored during KU Medical Center Alumni Weekend for their contributions to the KU School of Nursing.

• Jennifer McNiel, MSN, BSN’08, RN, CPHQ, was given the Early Career Achievement in Nursing Alumna award. McNiel is the director of nursing excellence & magnet program at The University of Kansas Health System. Under her leadership, the health system earned its fourth consecutive Magnet designation, which is given by the American Nursing Credentialing Center to hospitals that provide the highest level of care.
• Mary Beth Warren, MS, RN, was given the Honorary Nursing Alumna award. Warren was the director of KU Medical Center’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC) for eastern Kansas and was promoted to executive director of the AHEC system across Kansas in 2006. She added the position of executive director of the Office of Continuing Education/Professional Development in 2017.
• Christine Pabico, PhD’19, RN, NE-BC, FAAN, was the recipient of the Distinguished Nursing Alumna award. Pabico is the director of Pathway to Excellence® at the American Nurses Credentialing Center. What began as a state-level program in Texas now has recognized facilities in 38 states, Washington, D.C., and eight countries outside
  the U.S.

Preliminary study shows childhood trauma may increase risk for breast cancer survivors

Childhood trauma can increase a breast cancer survivor’s chance of experiencing more severe and longer-lasting treatment-related anxiety, depression and fatigue, as well as reduced cognitive function, years after cancer treatment has ended, according to a preliminary study led by Jamie Myers, Ph.D., FAAN, research associate professor at the KU School of Nursing. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) have been linked to the onset of disease, including heart disease and cancer, for decades. These experiences include abuse, neglect, violence, parental divorce or separation and living among people with mental or emotional problems. The average age of the 120 women who participated in the study was 63, and the average time since diagnosis was nearly 15 years. The study also found that breast cancer survivors with higher resilience scores reported higher cognitive function and less anxiety, depression and fatigue.

Congratulations to the class of 2024

The BSN Class of 2024 achieved a 98.4% first-time NCLEX pass rate. This achievement reflects the excellence of KU School of Nursing students and the dedication of our nursing faculty for their commitment to prepare the students for successful futures in the nursing profession.

Nursing faculty awarded grant for innovations in nursing education and practice

Laura Klenke-Borgmann, Ph.D., RN, CHSE, clinical associate professor, received the 2024 Foundation for Academic Nursing Faculty Scholars Grant from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the philanthropic arm of AACN that raises funds to support new innovations in nursing education and practice.

Dr. Klenke-Borgmann, along with her team, George Tarwater, DNP, Megan Turner, MSN, CNEn, and Nate Mattson, MSN-NE, CNEcl, CPN, will receive $25,000 for their project, Utilizing a Scaffolded, Multi-Modal Simulation Approach for Transition to Practice.