FA L L 2 0 1 3 MAGAZINE Lassoing the Dream Chenae Shiner, Miss Rodeo America 2013 Growing up on a ranch in Roosevelt, Utah, Chenae Shiner would imagine herself a rodeo queen. She competed for her first crown at 8. Today, she is Miss Rodeo America and a role model, in the arena and the community. Chenae’s reign will end in December. Shortly thereafter, she will work to become a radiologic technologist, specializing in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). To fulfill her newest dream, she has chosen Weber State University, home to the best radiologic technology training program in America. For more information on WSU’s radiologic sciences programs, visit weber.edu/radsci. In 2012, WSU outpaced perennial favorite Johns Hopkins University to be named the Best Radiologic Technology Training Program in America by Auntminnie.com, an honor bestowed by professional peers in the field of medical imaging. Weber State University News for Alumni & Friends Weber State University Magazine Vol. 18, No.2, Fall 2013 editor in chief Amy Hendricks Contributing writers Amy Hendricks Allison Barlow Hess Peta Owens-Liston Jennifer Philion contributing editors Nancy B. Collinwood ’94 John Kowalewski Brad Mortensen Amber Robson ’05 Contributors/ Researchers WSU Archives Staff WSU Costume Studio WSU School of Nursing Staff WSU Special Collections Staff art director Hillary Wallace ’98 designerS Emily Caraballo Amy Hajdas photographer Zac Williams ’01, ’13 Comments and questions about Weber State University Magazine may be sent to the editor at the address below or forwarded by phone: 801-626-7359, fax: 801-626-7069 or email: magazine@weber.edu postmaster: Send address changes to Weber State University Magazine, Weber State University, 4025 University Circle, Ogden UT 84408-4025. weber state university web weber.edu wsu alumni association web alumni.weber.edu weber state university board of trustees 2013-14 Alan E. Hall ’69, chair Retired Gen. Kevin Sullivan, vice chair Bonnie J. Clark ’81 Karen W. Fairbanks Nolan Karras ’70 Andre Lortz ’91 Scott Parson Steven E. Starks ’03 Jeff M. Stephens ’84, ’87 David Wilson ’15 We hope you enjoy the extra content, including videos and slideshows, only available in this digital fomat. Watch for the highlighted links. CONTENTS 5-22 Celebrating 60 Years of Innovative Nursing Education Tracing its roots back to a national pilot program in 1953, WSU’s School of Nursing has, over the years, earned a reputation of excellence and innovation. This special section commemorates the school’s 60-year milestone and highlights its dedication to providing quality care to patients across Utah, the region and nation. 24 WSUAA’s Four Tops New leaders doo-wop their way into the Alumni Association. 26 wsu magazine | Fall 2013 Travelin’ Waldo 4 Where did his summer adventures with alumni take him? Years That Were Special School of Nursing celebrates 60 years weber.edu/wsumagazine In 1953, Weber College hired Ruth Stewart — later to become Ruth Stewart Swenson — a smart, soft-spoken woman with a colossal smile, vision and aptitude for scrapbooking. The head of a revolutionary nursing program at the then-two-year college, she saved everything that crossed her desk: newspaper articles, class photos, curriculum, progress reports, striping and pinning invitations, brochures, tests, advisory board minutes, a hand-drawn cartoon poking fun at a nurse’s first day on the floor, letters to/from alumni, notes about nursing shoes, an approval notice for the addition of “a little cap” to the students’ uniforms, even students’ wedding announcements and Christmas cards. 5 Swenson passed away in 1999, but her mementos — yellowed and faded by time — preserve the early history of what is now Weber State University’s School of Nursing, a program she predicted would “be innovative and accept the challenges and responsibilities of the future.” She was precisely right. Today, programs are offered in associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree nursing. Courses are offered traditionally, online and throughout Utah’s rural communities. Today, alumni — almost 14,000 strong — men and women of all backgrounds — work across the globe in physicians’ offices, hospitals, nursing care facilities, home-health agencies, military bases, schools, correctional facilities and more. One by one, they make a difference. Together, they represent the rich legacy of the School of Nursing. The following timeline highlights years that were special.* *Years That Were Special is the title of Ruth Swenson's book of memoirs, published in 1978. Many of the facts and figures in this article were taken from that publication. In addition, Weber State University Archives, Special Collections and the School of Nursing contributed to the research. March 22, 1953: 1950: A nursing shortage plagues the U.S. health-care system. Nurses are trained in three-year hospital programs or four-year university programs. Nursing education, however, is on the verge of a sweeping change to be introduced by Mildred Montag, founder of Adelphi College’s School of Nursing in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a doctoral candidate at Columbia University Teachers College in New York City. Christmas Eve, 1951: The Sunday edition of the Ogden Standard-Examiner states, “Weber College has been named one of two centers west of the Mississippi to offer a new two-year nursing program.” The New York Times publishes an article announcing “The Cooperative Project for Nursing Education in Junior and Community Colleges.” Based at Columbia University, the project will test Montag’s hypothesis that it “might be possible to educate students in a junior or community college to perform those functions commonly associated with the registered nurse.” March 1953: An advisory board is created. Members include representatives from Weber College; Brigham Young University; the University of Utah; the Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital — later to become McKay-Dee Hospital Center; St. Benedict’s Hospital — later to become Ogden Regional Medical Center; a local physician’s office; and the Department of Public Health. wsu magazine | Fall 2013 1950s 6 1952: Letters are sent to junior and community colleges across the U.S. to determine interest. Weber College responds with “enthusiasm.” June 23, 1953: Ruth Stewart interviews for position of program director. She is hired shortly thereafter. PICTURES Additional historical photos, courtesy of WSU Archives September 1953: July 1953: Montag visits Weber College. Describing nurses’ responsibilities on a continuum, she says, “There would be assisting functions on one end, highly professional functions on the other end, with the large center area requiring the functions of the bedside nurse.” The bedside is where she envisions the associate’s degree nurse. Thirty-six women attend the first nursing class at Weber College. There are two dedicated nursing faculty members: Stewart and Marjorie Somers. Courses include fundamentals, such as care, comfort and patient safety, maternal health, child health, and the study of medical and surgical conditions, nursing techniques and the care of acutely ill patients. Clinical facilities include Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, a cerebral palsy unit, a public health agency for home visits and the Weber College nursery school. 1968: The School of 1956: Stewart coauthors a new nursing textbook, “Fundamentals of Nursing Care,” with Montag. According to a newspaper article, “Many of the illustrations in the text are by Farrell R. Collett, of the Weber College art department. Several Weber College nursing students appear in the photographs.” Nursing at St. Benedict’s Hospital, which had been in operation since 1947 and was an invaluable partner with Weber, joins forces with Weber State College’s nursing program. WSU Special Collections has gathered oral histories of graduates from St. Benedict’s School of Nursing. To read about nursing experiences from as early as 1947, click here. 1969: Weber State College continues to grow, and programs are divided into four schools. Nursing falls under the School of Arts, Letters and Science. Leola Davidson is chair of the nursing program — and would be for the next 10 years. 1960s The first male graduates from the program. weber.edu/wsumagazine 1959: 7 1971: 1998: The Utah Board of Regents designates to Weber State the role of “Associate Degree Nursing Education” in the State System of Higher Education. As a result, cooperative associate’s degree programs are offered at Utah State University, Salt Lake Community College, then-Southern Utah State College and Dixie College. USU’s partnership with Weber State exists to this day. WSU’s College of Nursing partners with the Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) in Kaysville, Utah, to offer the practical nursing to registered nursing (PN to RN) program. This gives PNs an opportunity to earn an associate’s degree and eligibility for licensure as an RN. It also qualifies them to enter a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. (See more about WSU’s partnership with ATCs on page 19.) 1973: The School of Allied Sciences — later to become the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions — is established. There are two departments: nursing and health occupations. 1997: The nursing program begins offering online courses to outreach nursing program sites. 2008: WSU begins offering a master’s degree in nursing. 1990s wsu magazine | Fall 2013 1970s 8 1980s 1974: Fall 1987: First outreach education program — the associate’s degree in nursing — is offered in Utah’s rural communities in response to community needs. The inaugural class of bachelor’s degree nursing students begins its studies. 2000s 2010: Fall 2013: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launches the Initiative on the Future of Nursing, with goals that include increasing the proportion of nurses with bachelor’s degrees from 50 to 80 percent by 2020. The fourth ATC partnership is established. Bridgerland Applied Technology College in Logan, Utah, begins offering the successful PN to RN program. 2010: 2009: The Department of Nursing is renamed the School of Nursing. “A History of American Nursing,” a textbook written in 2009 by WSU nursing faculty, is chosen as the 2009 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year. 2011: WSU’s successful PN to RN program at the DATC, as well as the national initiative to advance the level of nursing education, spurs a partnership with a second applied technology college, Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College. Fall 2013: Forty full-time faculty and 20 adjunct faculty teach approximately 1,000 students a year in the highly competitive nursing program at WSU. 2010s WSU’s School of Nursing establishes a partnership with Mountainland Applied Technology College in Lehi, Utah, to offer the PN to RN program. weber.edu/wsumagazine 2012: 9 UESP Rated a Gold 529 Plan by Morningstar “Simplicity, combined with ingenuity, makes the Utah Educational Savings Plan among the best choices for college savers.” Open a UESP account and begin saving today. Morningstar, Inc., October 2012 Saving for your loved one’s higher education is a good way to inspire their future. When you save with the Utah Educational Savings Plan, you help make that future possible. • Free to open an account • No minimum or ongoing contribution requirements • Federal and Utah state tax advantages A nonprofit 529 college savings program 800.418.2551 | uesp.org Read the Program Description for more information and consider all investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. Call 800.418.2551 for a copy of the Program Description or visit uesp.org. Investments are not guaranteed by UESP, the Utah State Board of Regents, UHEAA, or any other state or federal agency. However, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance is provided for the FDIC-insured savings account. Please read the Program Description to learn about the FDIC-insured savings account. Your investment could lose value. Non-Utah taxpayers and residents: You should determine whether the state in which you or your beneficiary pay taxes or live offers a 529 plan that provides state tax or other benefits not otherwise available to you by investing in UESP. You should consider such state tax treatment and benefits, if any, before investing in UESP. THE EVOLUTION OF NURSING EDUCATION PETA OWENS-LISTON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER Details of her first day spill out with the clarity of a week-old memory, not one from 46 years ago. “It was the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, of course,” says Cox, as all “newbies” worked the darkest hours. She was the only registered nurse on the floor, with three licensed practical nurses. There were 20-24 patients; 13 had IV lines. Two were disoriented, and despite being secured to their beds with waist straps, they still managed to extricate themselves enough to drag their beds across the room, Cox remembers. Another patient was cutting his IV tubes with a razor blade. “I was constantly calling the nurse supervisor for help,” says Cox, chuckling now, after a successful career in nursing and 33 years as a professor in Weber State’s nursing program. Despite feeling “thrown into the fire” in this transition from classroom to clinical setting in 1967, she never weber.edu/wsumagazine “After that first week, I knew if I survived, I could survive anything,” says Marilyn Cox ’67 dead serious, recalling her first week on the job — the post-surgical floor at Ogden’s then-Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital. She was fresh out of nursing school at Weber College. 11 once doubted the path she had chosen. “Helping people has always been incredibly fulfilling for me.” RISK-FREE PRACTICE Fortunately for new nurses — and their patients — transitioning into jobs from nursing school has become much more seamless. Using new technologies, case studies, guest speakers and a mandatory preceptorship — a semester in which a student is mentored within a clinical setting — Weber State University’s School of Nursing has incorporated hands-on, diverse and real-life experiences into the curriculum. Technology has driven this guineapig approach into the past for good. Today, Weber State nursing students hone their skills using life-size, computerized medical manikins programmed to cry, cough, sweat, urinate and experience drainage from the ears, nose or mouth. Hands-on learning for past generations of nurses meant practicing IVs, shots, and even nasogastric tube insertions on classmates. A nasogastric tube carries food and medicine to the stomach through the nose. “Don’t eat anything before class tomorrow” was not an uncommon directive from professors, alerting students to brace themselves for the next day’s lesson. The upside? Nurses left school primed to empathize with their patients during such procedures. They can talk: “I can’t breathe.” “I think I’m going to faint.” “Can you make the pain go away?” A pulse can be found in seven different areas, and veins emit “blood” when correct needle insertions are made. They can also be made to have diarrhea, seizures, pain and bleeding wounds, and be manipulated to react physiologically to medical intervention. (A behind-the-scenes faculty member manipulates the manikins’ responses). Thump, thumping of a heart, gurgling in the lungs, and even bowel sounds are all audible through the nurse’s stethoscope. “In my day, you learned what pneumonia sounded like based on descriptive words, you never really heard it until you actually had a patient with pneumonia,” recalls Cox. An interdisciplinary simulation lab in the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions opened in 2007, featuring two manikins. Recently, a state-of-the-art, fiveroom simulation lab with six medical manikins was added at Weber State University Davis in Layton. Aside from “simmen,” they have a laboring mom and a baby. wsu magazine | Fall 2013 “The more opportunities we can provide our students controlled situations in which to interact with patients with different symptoms and scenarios, the more prepared 12 MEN IN NURSING In the last four decades, the number of registered male nurses has nearly quadrupled, growing to 9.6 percent from 2.7 percent according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau. The rise of more men in the classroom has been slow and steady. Jason Buckway ’93, ’97, ’08 recalls only two other men in Weber State’s nursing program with him 20 years ago; now about 20 percent are men. The program also has five full-time nursing faculty who are male. “It used to be that one question I’d almost always get was ‘what do you do for a living?’ I’d tell them, and they would give me a look like ‘what did you say?’” The perception of nursing being a female-only profession is fading, however. they will be as nurses,” explains associate nursing professor Tamara Dahlkemper, who notes that as funds become available WSU will purchase more — about a $50,000+ expense for an adult-sized manikin. Buckway predicts that growth and stability of jobs within health care will only continue attracting more and more men to the nursing profession. He has never second-guessed his career choice, stating that he supports his family doing a job that positively impacts people’s lives. “It’s been a phenomenal career choice for me.” In the simulation lab, examples of contrived scenarios include premature labor, a heart attack or a patient response to medication. In the past, this response-oriented learning often didn’t happen until nurses were on the job, under incredible pressure not to make a mistake. “In here, our students have the guidance and the time to evaluate and learn from their mistakes,” adds Dahlkemper. Jason Buckway ’93, ’97, ’08 is a critical care nurse and director of the cardiovascular program at McKayDee Hospital Center. He attributes his smooth segue to nursing to Nursing student Don Downing takes a patient's blood pressure. weber.edu/wsumagazine 13 PICTURES Photos of nursing classes from 1955 to 2003, courtesy of WSU Archives appropriate drug or dosage for the patient’s condition, and the patient experienced a complication related to the drug, the physician was primarily held accountable. Huber explains that today the nurse would be equally accountable. Nurses are expected to understand a wide range of drugs, how they interact with one another, and the appropriate dosage for the patient’s condition. Weber State’s focus on integrating clinical aspects into the classroom, and providing students with a strong foundation from which to work. “I felt really prepared to take care of any type of patient when I graduated from Weber State,” he recalls. EMPOWERED NURSES, INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY Old-fashioned scenes come to mind when considering how much nursing has changed over the years: women in white caps, pinafores, stockings and shoes, and glass thermometers popped into patients’ mouths. wsu magazine | Fall 2013 Technology-driven equipment large and small has re-shaped the field, along with research, health-care policy and oversight. The pace of progress requires nurses to constantly keep up with the learning curve. 14 Today, assistant nursing professor Jamie Wankier ’12 teaches a class that would have been unheard of in the past: Communication Informatics. Whereas bedside communication has always been emphasized, the role of technology in communications — computer charting and data input — is now a key necessity in nursing. While mastering this technology heaps additional responsibilities onto a nurse’s plate, it also empowers nurses, giving them more control and input regarding patient care. “It used to be nurses were given a task and not expected to make decisions on their own; now technology allows nurses a diverse array of information at their fingertips. A nurse can make decisions based on this information, and then go to a physician and recommend types of treatment,” explains Wankier. She works at Primary Children’s Medical Center in the Neuroscience Trauma Unit and teaches in WSU’s associate’s and bachelor’s degree nursing programs. With this broader scope of knowledge and understanding comes increased accountability. “The level of accountability has increased significantly since I graduated in 1974,” points out nursing professor Debra T. Huber ’74. “Thirty years ago, the nurse’s primary role in caring for a hospitalized patient was to follow the physician’s orders.” For example, three decades ago a nurse was not expected to understand drug interactions. If the medication ordered by a physician was not the “Nurses and physicians, more than ever, need to function as a collaborative team in today’s medical environment,” says Huber. “They must work together to provide the best and safest care possible. In addition to the unique responsibilities of nurses, they must always — ethically, legally, intellectually — advocate for patients and their families. This role has only broadened over the years.” IS TECH TOUCH THREATENING SOFT TOUCH? With the increasing role that technology is playing in patient care and the time demands of increased regulatory oversight, professors are emphasizing, perhaps more than ever, the importance of the “soft touch” to counter the inundation of the “tech touch.” Bedside time with the patient and building an emotional connection and trust has been proven to expedite the healing process and provide nurses insight into a patient’s condition that otherwise might be missed. If patients feel safe — based on humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow’s research (Maslow Hierarchy of Needs) — they will experience less stress and heal faster. “There is nothing more critical than a nurse’s intuition; equipment doesn’t tell you everything,” adds Wankier, who impresses on her students that it is a skill learning how to mesh intuition and compassion with the amount of knowledge at the nurse’s fingertips. While the nursing profession tends to attract those who are innately more empathetic, this is a tenet of nursing that has remained constant throughout the profession’s history. “As we become more reliant on tech, we must make sure our students, our nurses, don’t lose the high touch that needs to go along with the high tech,” emphasizes Dahlkemper. “In the midst of it all, we must always remember that this is a warm, living, breathing human being with emotions that needs my care.” For a look into the future of nursing, click here. Peta Owens-Liston is a freelance writer, specializing in health writing and profiles. SAVEBig on Custom Apparel ... through WSU Campus Store! Call 801-626-6375 for more information shopweberstate.com < < < Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Art Services' production facility. weber.edu/wsumagazine Perfect for family reunions, sports teams, clubs and fundraisers! 15 f ts o lty, u Fac ess ter isas d dn pare en stud e ours ask … c pre WHAT WHAT IF? Allison Barlow Hess University Communications S canning her surroundings wherever she goes, associate nursing professor London Draper Lowe is constantly asking, “What if?” “What if a wildfire or a bridge collapse blocks the main road between Weber State and my home in Huntsville? How far could I get by vehicle? By foot? What would the next safest path be? How would I cross the river in each season?” Lowe said, ticking off questions that run rapid-fire through her head. “Or what if a chemical spill releases toxic gas that blows over the university? Or an earthquake shakes the Wasatch Front — during a snow storm?” “Nurses must have decided ethically if they would respond in a disaster event, even though something like a bioterrorism incident (the deliberate release of bacteria, germs or viruses) would put their lives in jeopardy,” Lowe said. “They have to have had those talks with their families and have supplies and plans in place; otherwise, they would be distracted and could not be effective responders.” Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the American Nurses Association launched a national nurse preparedness initiative to train as many of the three million nurses in the country as possible to become first responders for their communities. It’s not that Lowe is “The result of that particularly worrisome, or ... preparation is multifacete d and initiative is that many local fearful; it’s that she wants begins with some difficult personal neighborhoods now have a to be prepared. She stores nurse who is much better decisions and conversations. winter jackets, sturdy boots prepared for disasters — and food in her car. She for directing people to safe places, for helping bought a solar-powered battery charger for her cell emergency response teams organize, for setting up phone. She keeps handy a “grab-and-go” kit with triage areas or command centers until cities are able medical supplies, and she has established a place for to organize and respond,” Dahlkemper said. “This her family to meet following an emergency. training provides resources that would not have been When Lowe and associate nursing professors in place in the past.” Tamara Dahlkemper and Valerie Gooder teach The national initiative prompted many nursing “Nursing 4070: Threats and Crises,” they remind schools to offer some disaster training, but Weber nursing students that preparation is multifaceted and State University has the only stand-alone course in begins with some difficult personal decisions and Utah. First offered in 2006, the elective is a student conversations. favorite, filling all 60 seats each semester, with waiting lists for both spring and fall. " wsu magazine | Fall 2013 " 16 Be Prepared Associate nursing professor London Draper Lowe offers tips for being disaster-ready 1. Remember the “Rule of Threes.” You can survive: • • • • Three Three Three Three minutes without air hours without shelter days without water weeks without food 2. Keep your gas tank above half full. 3. Prepare a “grab-and-go” 72-hour emergency vehicle kit. 4. Begin a “family preparedness plan.” • Where will you meet? Students participate in a mock disaster as part of a nursing course. • How will you communicate? • Do you have an out-of-state contact? • What obstacles might you encounter on your drive home? The culmination of the course has been a mock disaster that tests students’ responses against various emergencies. Lowe can get pretty inventive with scenarios; she has a 20-page manuscript ready for publication based on a zombie apocalypse. She took her cue from a popular media campaign created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.” The CDC proclaims, “If you’re ready for a zombie If you’re ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you’re ready apocalypse, then you’re ready for any for any emergency! emergency!” " " Lowe said it doesn’t matter the emergency, even in training the nursing students’ hearts pound and hands shake as they take charge and triage victims who are scattered about, acting out multiple injuries, often covered in fake blood. “I used to think if there was an emergency, I would just go home,” Paul said. “Now I think, ‘OK, if I were in an emergency 5. Don’t leave the house without clothes to protect you from seasonal weather. 6. Get a solar charging pad for your mobile devices. 7. Consider solar flashlights and/or chemical light sticks for your vehicle. 8. Test your equipment and food. Make sure the food you store is something you’ll eat. 9. Consider becoming CPR-certified or taking a first aid course. 10. Join your local Community Emergency Response Team, a.k.a. CERT. This will be essential for networking with your neighbors and knowing where neighborhood emergency supplies are located. Check with the fire department nearest your home to find out when and where CERT training is offered. weber.edu/wsumagazine Nursing alumna Michelle Paul ’13 said the course opened her eyes to the number of disasters occurring regularly, both globally and locally. For example, her class watched and analyzed the disaster response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, a textbook example of all they had learned during the semester. • Does your family have enough supplies to survive for one to two weeks without support? 17 WHAT WHAT IF? situation — with my training — I would probably be an incident commander, so what would I do?’ I know how I can help, and I have started planning specific actions.” During the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009, trained WSU nursing students and faculty, including Lowe, Gooder and Dahlkemper, followed specific national disaster protocols to help organize the largest one-day immunization in the state. In conjunction with the WSU Emergency Get a kit. Make a plan. Planning Be informe d. Get involve d. Committee and the WeberMorgan Health Department, they administered nearly 8,000 flu shots to students and other campus community members. " " Lowe credits the swift response for preventing an outbreak that could have been much more widespread and deadly. “Weber State has that focus of wanting to make our university and community stronger,” Lowe said. “This is one of the ways we lead out. We want to set the example and encourage everyone to follow CDC recommendations: ‘Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed. Get involved.’” EDUCATING THE 21ST-CENTURY communication professional The Master of Professional Communication program at Weber State University “I could not have applied for the job I have now without being in the master's program. Having this degree has propelled me forward and given me the credentials I need to be successful in my career.” Monica Schwenk wsu magazine | Fall 2013 Master of Professional Communication ’13 Development Director, Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College 18 To hear more from Monica and others about the MPC program, visit weber.edu/mpc. ATC CLIMBING the LADDER Partnerships help advance education of nurses Jennifer Philion, University Communications Tammy Buckway ’08, ’12 was a newly single mother of seven when a friend suggested she go back to college. “Yeah, right,” she said. “That’s hilarious.” But her friend was persistent, and knowledgeable. At the time, Susan Thornock was a faculty member with Weber State University’s School of Nursing. She now leads the school. Thornock made points that hit home for Buckway. “Susan said to me, ‘You’re working four jobs now. Why keep doing what you’re doing, living for today? Why not build a career, a future?’” VIDEO Tammy Buckway Hear more of Tammy Buckway's story weber.edu/wsumagazine Several years later — years that would’ve passed no matter what, as Thornock had pointed out — Buckway has earned her practical nursing (PN) and registered nursing (RN) licensure, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and she is closing in on her master’s degree from WSU. She works as a hospice nurse. 19 Buckway didn’t start this journey at WSU. Instead, she began with her PN program at the Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) in Kaysville, Utah. She has been working straight through each successive program, semester after semester. And thanks to a close partnership between the WSU School of Nursing and several ATC campuses across the state, Buckway’s transition to higher levels of nursing education was virtually seamless. The School of Nursing has had a successful relationship with DATC for more than 15 years. That success, combined with a national initiative to advance the level of nursing education, has driven WSU to establish new partnerships at three other ATCs: Ogden-Weber’s program began in 2011, Mountainland’s in 2012, and Bridgerland's in fall 2013. In total, nearly 100 nursing students per year are entering these programs. 20 Step by Step wsu magazine | Fall 2013 “This alignment with the ATCs makes it easier for us to advance the education of our nurses,” said Thornock, chair of the School of Nursing. “We are able to use our curriculum, and our educators, on their campuses.” The ATCs teach their own programs to educate licensed practical nurses. WSU’s offering on the ATC campuses allows those nursing students to take a crucial next step in furthering their education. Called a “PN to RN,” or RN completion, program, it gives practical nurses an opportunity to earn an associate’s degree and eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse, and also qualifies them to enter a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The WSU School of Nursing organizes its curriculum to serve the different levels of nursing professionals, from practical nurse to registered nurse and beyond. This “career ladder” approach allows nurses to move up the educational rungs while also working in the field. For Buckway, beginning at DATC took away some of the pressure of going back to school. “It’s a smaller campus, so initially it felt less intimidating,” she said. “There were only 40 students in our class, so we knew everybody. It was very learning-friendly, very student-friendly … more of a little family atmosphere.” Right after completing her PN, Buckway entered the RN completion program — still at DATC, but now as an official WSU student following School of Nursing curriculum. “There is not a nursing shortage right now, but there is a shortage at the higher levels of education within the profession,” Thornock said. This is why the Robert “We look at the national initiatives Wood Johnson Foundation in 2010 launched the and goals, and say, ‘How can we help Initiative on the Future of advance that level of education?’” Nursing, with goals that —Susan Thornock, chair, WSU School of Nursing include increasing the proportion of nurses with bachelor’s degrees from 50 to 80 “I didn’t change where I was, my percent by 2020. instructors didn’t change … it was a very comfortable environment Awareness of and planning for to transition into being a Weber these issues keeps WSU at the student,” she said. “I thought that forefront of nursing education, was a great bonus. I knew I would Thornock said. “We look at the come away with a degree from national initiatives and goals, Weber State, a very noted nursing and say, ‘How can we help school — and at the same time advance that level of education?’ keep my small, intimate learning “It is very difficult for nurses to get environment. It was the best of into a bachelor’s degree program both worlds.” unless they have that bridge from the PN to RN level — so that’s precisely what we offer at the ATCs.” Nursing Education Levels PN A Seamless Transition AVAILABLE THROUGH ATCS: PN: Practical nurse AVAILABLE THROUGH WSU: RN: Registered nurse (includes associate’s degree) BSN: Bachelor of Science in Nursing MSN: Master of Science in Nursing In Demand According to Katherine Dreyer, nursing coordinator at DATC, the path Buckway took beyond her PN to higher levels of nursing education is becoming the norm at that college. “Our PN students appreciate this opportunity they have to advance their degrees,” she said. “Most come to our program with that in mind and fully intend to go on to the WSU RN program.” At the two newest locations, students are excited to discover this option. In Logan, Utah, where the first Bridgerland ATC PN to RN cohort began this fall, nursing and health sciences director Lisa Moon said there has been pent-up demand. “Every week I field numerous student phone calls asking, ‘When will you have the ability for me to complete the RN program on your campus?’” She’s happy to tell students that a program is now available. “The community response to this new venture has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said. RN To the south, Melanie Livingston ’13 of Lehi, Utah, was among the first group of PN to RN graduates at Mountainland ATC in spring of 2013. Like Buckway, Livingston spent years away from school before deciding to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a nurse. She was a stay-athome mother of four until her children grew up and began leaving home — in fact, her son taking an EMT class at Mountainland ATC helped prompt her into action. “He had such a positive experience that I found myself wondering if I should go back to school and take a CNA course through MATC,” Livingston said. weber.edu/wsumagazine “At this same time, my father was diagnosed with liposarcoma and spent several weeks at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. I was able to watch the nursing staff as they cared for my dad, and I realized that a good nurse could have a significant positive impact on not only the patient, but the patient's family as well. Melanie Livingston 21 “My dream of becoming a nurse began to re-awaken. It took a few months to summon the courage, but I signed up for the class and had a great experience.” Livingston took some pre-requisite classes, then applied to the PN program. From there, the WSU/MATC partnership allowed Livingston to keep advancing. “The WSU partnership with MATC is essential because there are many LPNs who want to complete their RN degrees and very few schools in this area that offer that option,” she said. “My goal was not just to become a registered nurse, but also to earn a bachelor's degree. I want to set an example for my children who have not yet graduated from college, but are working toward that goal.” After completing the PN to RN program, Livingston was accepted to WSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program beginning this fall. Buckway, who is on track to earn her master’s degree in spring of 2014, hopes to become a nursing educator — so she has paid close attention to her instructors’ teaching tactics, as well as the organization of the programs she’s been through. In her opinion, WSU gets high marks on both counts. ATC “The instructors are very studentoriented,” she said. “They want you to succeed. Whether it’s been at the DATC campus or at the Ogden campus, I’ve never had an instructor who wasn’t pulling for me, wasn’t doing everything they could to help me achieve my goals. “And the partnership between the ATCs and WSU is phenomenal. It’s not DATC Nursing/OWATC Nursing/Weber Nursing — it’s Weber State University Nursing, just at various campuses.” wsu magazine | Fall 2013 | class notes ! E N I L N O E E NoW R G E 22 D S ’ R E E T C I S T A S M U J L A N I M I R C IN ips scholarsh in 0 0 ,0 0 than $3 • More orld annually ith real-w w available s r o s s e by prof s taught e s s la C • ce experien onths 2 to 16 m 1 in d e t s comple 's degree e can be r e lo r e g h e c D a • with b s students r o f other field d e s a n ll ig s e e w D • , as al justice in crimin J.com C s r e t s a UM Visit WS o learn more. t Things will be great, great, great when you’re DOWNTOWN! A renovated building on Washington Boulevard, Weber State Downtown will house a Campus Store branch, classroom space for Continuing Education and WSU’s new App Center — a business incubator for mobile app development. 13, 2314 Washington Blvd., Ogden Opening fall 20 Four Tops wsu magazine | Fall 2013 | class notes The 24 Meet your Weber State University Alumni Association 2013-14 leaders Andre Lortz ’91 Adam Stonehocker ’07 President, WSU Alumni Association President, WSU Young Alumni Council Named Weber State’s “Outstanding Accounting Graduate” his senior year, Andre Lortz earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1991. Never one to rest on his laurels, Lortz completed a master’s program the following year. He is a certified public accountant licensed in Utah and California, and was appointed chief financial officer for FJ Management Inc. in 2008. When he’s not busy safeguarding the fiscal well-being of his company or conducting official Alumni Association business, Lortz is a bit of a thrill-seeker, compulsively searching for his next gut-hurling, brain-scrambling, gravity-defying spin on the nearest roller coaster. When not brushing up on Russian — a language he picked up during an extended stay in Yekaterinburg — Adam Stonehocker can usually be found doing one of three things: leading his team at AdRoll, an online advertising and retargeting platform; romping with his beloved golden retriever, Chloé; or trying to decide where he and his wife, Jodi ’09, should eat dinner (generally a toss up between Tona, Sonora Grill and Aroy-D). Stonehocker served as the WSU Student Alumni Association’s marketing director before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing. WEBER STATE HERO: I actually have several: accounting professors Rick Crosser, Ron Mano and Richard McDermott. Patten and the men’s basketball team win the 2007 Big Sky Conference championship to go to the NCAA tournament. It was so fun to rush the court and celebrate with the players. FAVORITE QUOTE: “Do, or do not. There is no try.” WEBER STATE HERO: Damian Lillard. He’s an outstanding — Yoda basketball player and an even better person. I admire his work ethic. FAVORITE MOVIE: The Lord of the Rings LAST BOOK READ: The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World, by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATION: Almost any amusement park. (See? We told you he really likes roller coasters!) MOST MEMORABLE WILDCAT MOMENT: Watching Dave FAVORITE QUOTE: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” — Henry Ford FAVORITE AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE: “Tatsu” at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. That ride has you face the ground like you’re flying, then spins you at high speeds. Your body doesn’t know what to do! MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT: I was born in La Crosse, Wis. David Olsen ’71 Nicholas DeYoung ’14 President, WSU Emeriti Alumni Council President, WSU Student Alumni Association Born and raised in Brigham City, Utah, David Olsen enrolled at Weber State College in 1965 with every intention of majoring in political science. By accident he wound up in a police science class and enjoyed it so much, he changed his major. Putting himself through college with the help of scholarships, law enforcement grants and a part-time job at a grocery store, Olsen was among the first to graduate from Weber State’s newly created police science program, now known as the Department of Criminal Justice. Lured by the offer of gainful employment as a criminal investigator with the U.S. Treasury Department, Olsen moved to San Francisco, where he met his wife, Melinda. The couple moved to Ogden in 1998 after Olsen retired. In 2010, WSU student Nicholas DeYoung, fresh from a twoyear stint in Honduras, was just minding his own business, putting his nose to the academic grindstone, when friends convinced him to co-chair the student committee that coordinates the Winter Games for Utah Special Olympics. Unable to stop volunteering for things, DeYoung moved on to the WSU Student Alumni Association, where he eventually worked his way to the top. DeYoung is now a senior, majoring in zoology, and hopes to attend medical school after he graduates in the spring of 2014. He is Weber State’s reigning Homecoming King, marking a return to the tradition of electing student royalty that had been on hiatus since 2002. MOST MEMORABLE WILDCAT MOMENT: Celebrating in a leadership conference in Nashville WSU’s 50th anniversary of Division I men’s basketball. Hearing stories from former players and coaches during the “Evening With the Legends” event brought back many memories of my days on campus. FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT: The Lucky Slice WEBER STATE HERO: Former WSU president Ann Millner WHAT’S ON MY IPOD: Lots of country music because she did so very much to advance the cause of Weber State here in Utah and throughout the country. MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT: I’ve aways wanted I’m a dinosaur. FAVORITE AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE: The “Matterhorn Bobsleds” at Disneyland LAST BOOK READ: John Adams by David McCullough FAVORITE QUOTE: “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just illusions.” — Michael Jordan to ride a bull in a rodeo! alumni.weber.edu WHAT’S ON MY IPOD: Nothing! I don’t have one; MOST MEMORABLE WILDCAT MOMENT: So far, participating 25 Travelin’ WALDO Traveling the globe — and sometimes sticking close to home to help friends celebrate the births of babies or recuperate from knee replacement surgeries — Waldo the (paperdoll) Wildcat made appearances far and wide this summer in the WSU Alumni Association’s popular photo contest. "From Zimbabwe to Australia, from Washington, D.C., to our own historic 25th Street, it has been so much fun to see all the great places Waldo has traveled,” said Nancy Collinwood, executive director of Alumni Relations. “This is an awesome example of the great places and the great people that make up our alumni family. Thanks for letting Waldo travel with you, and if your travels permit, stop by campus to say hello!" JULY Steve Jones - 1st PLACE Traci Jacobson - 2nd PLACE Brian Wortman - 3rd PLACE AUGUST Melissa Cragun Cowan - 1st PLACE Brooke Montgomery - 2nd PLACE Erika Montgomery - 3rd PLACE For a full slideshow of everywhere Waldo went this summer, visit: alumni.weber.edu/travelinwaldo 26 27 Non-profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 151 SLC, UT Department of University Communications 4025 University Circle Ogden, UT 84408-4025 Celebrate the inauguration of Weber State University PRESIDENT CHARLES A. WIGHT with an exciting week of inaugural activities Oct. 19-25, 2013 OCTOBER 24 Davis Chamber of Commerce BUSINESS AFTER HOURS 5-7 p.m. OCTOBER 19 WSU campus to Ogden Municipal Gardens, 8 a.m. OCTOBER 22 PRESIDENT’S INAUGURATION: “Sharing the Dream,” Val A. Browning Center, Austad Auditorium, 2 p.m. OCTOBER 25 Dee Events Center, 7 p.m. RIBBON CUTTING at the Weber County Sports Complex, 6 p.m. OCTOBER 19 Wildcat Football, WSU vs. Montana State, 3:30 p.m. weber.edu/inauguration Proceeds benefit WSU's DREAM WEBER program! OCTOBER 26 MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY 8:30 a.m. weber.edu/ccel · 801-626-7737