This first holiday season as the dean of Kent State University College of Nursing, I want to extend my heartfelt season’s greetings to all. It is especially important this time of year for us to pause, reflect and express our gratitude. I am grateful for the warm reception I have received at Kent State and the wonderful people I have met thus far. As a longtime Floridian, I look forward to enjoying the beauty and wonder of Ohio’s snowy weather this winter.
COLLEGE NEWS
Nursing Immersion Learning Experience in Amish Country: Finding the Truth Behind the Image
It’s no secret that Amish Country is filled with simple, private, religious folks and their unique culture whose customs seem odd to us. That’s why countless books, TV shows and movies have sought to depict their lifestyle.
So when I decided to give my students an immersion experience at an Amish birthing center, I expected shy, private, religious people having babies in whitewashed homes on perfectly manicured, solid wood floors. What I didn’t expect was an open, honest and unreserved dialogue willing to answer the most detailed and private questions with which we “yankees” struggle.
Dean Johnson-Mallard Elected to Serve Two Years on Board of Directors
The American Academy of Nursing recently announced that Versie Johnson-Mallard, Ph.D., APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, Kent State University College of Nursing dean, professor and Henderson Endowed Chair, has been elected to serve on the board of directors until 2024. In this role, Dean Johnson-Mallard will oversee the academy’s strategic planning and financial management.
RESEARCH
Dowell and Hansen Named Ph.D. Co-Directors
The newly developed state-of-the-science curriculum for the new Ph.D. program will equip students to research emerging areas of nursing science.
Jeremy Jarzembak Advances IV Insertion Curriculum
Jeremy Jarzembak, Senior Lecturer and Simulation Lab Co-Coordinator for the College, will collaborate with a team of Kent State researchers to offer students a unique opportunity to learn and practice IV Insertion through the National Science Foundation Grant Award.
AWARDS
College Named 2021 Morgan Impact Award Recipient
Peg’s Foundation, in Hudson, Ohio, recently recognized Kent State College of Nursing as the recipient of the 2021 Morgan Impact Award for Excellence in Education for its work in leading change in mental health care service delivery.
Nursing Professor Wins Excellence in Political Action Award
Kent State University at Trumbull Professor and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Coordinator Gina Severino DNP, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, recently earned the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) Excellence in Political Action Award.
RN Refresher Course
Update your skills and return to the workforce.
Are you a registered nurse who is out of practice and needs to update your skills and refresh your knowledge to return to the workforce?
A newly designed Registered Nurse Refresher course is being offered at Kent State University, Stark Campus.
College of Nursing Community Gives Support For Future Nurses
The past few years have not been the easiest for students in the College of Nursing. Our students faced challenges not seen for more than over a century. As nurses tend to do, these students adapted and worked hard to make the best of a difficult situation. Remote learning, abbreviated clinicals, virtual simulation, time and many other challenges all presented real obstacles that made the already demanding curriculum that much more difficult. This did not dissuade these bright future nursing leaders; They rallied together and faced this adversity with determination. The generosity and kindness of the supporters of the college demonstrate that when you come to Kent State to pursue a degree in nursing, you are not alone on that journey. You have thousands of alumni, friends and supporters cheering hard for your success.
Contributors
Editors: Mariah Gibbons, Paul Krouse and Kathleen Norman
Design: Ashley Leasure and Danny Porter
Writers: Bill Burgess, Mariah Gibbons, Corey Hukill and Denise Karshner
Photography: Bob Christy, Mariah Gibbons, Jeff Glidden and Kathleen Norman. Uncredited photos were submitted by the article's subjects.
