The School of Nursing is excited to announce that Jennifer Doering, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Head of School, is the new President-Elect for the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)!
Dr. Doering will be the President-Elect for the next year, and then in 2025 will become the official President of MNRS for two years. The School of Nursing has attended the annual MNRS conference for many years and our faculty and students have benefited a lot from the mission of MNRS. Our school is very excited for Dr. Doering to have this leadership role with the society!
“I believe in the mission and vision of MNRS, because I have directly benefited from that mission. I joined MNRS as a new assistant professor 17 years ago and have remained an active member since. I have dedicated my efforts to providing nursing students and scholars with opportunities to be mentored and supported in the ways this organization, and its members, mentored and supported me. MNRS fills a critical need in our profession that cannot be filled elsewhere. I especially value how MNRS brings together emerging and experienced nurse scientists in a way that transcends institutional boundaries. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to strengthen MNRS鈥� capacity to mentor future generations of nurse leaders by giving back to this wonderful organization.”
PhD students receive numerous awards this semester
The School of Nursing’s PhD students received a great number of awards this spring semester for their work. See the list below, and congratulations to all!
PhD student winners from the annual Partners for Health Research Symposium Podium presentations:
Third Place: Suzanne Kreuziger, MSN, RN; Nurse educators’ perceptions of students with mental health symptoms
First Place: Kathie DeMuth, MSN, RN; Intermediary and Structural Causes of Black/White Infant Mortality Rate Inequities: A Concept Analysis
Eta Nu Chapter of the Honor Society of Nursing Awards:
PhD Student: Doris Richardson, MSN, RN received the Outstanding PhD Student Performance Award.
PhD Student: Shannon Brickner, MSN, RN received the Outstanding PhD Student Award.
MN Student: Faith Mhone, BS, RN received Outstanding MN Student Performance Award
Undergraduate student: Armonie Dotson, BS, SN received Outstanding Undergraduate Student Performance Award
Eta Nu Grant Award Winner: PhD student Wilawan Christraksa, MSN, RN
PhD Student Kathie DeMuth received the Eta Nu 2024 Excellence in Education Award
PhD Student Sherri Hanrahan, MSN, RN received the Eta Nu 2024 Excellend in Leadership Award
PhD Student Kylateia Farrar-Stern, MSN, RN, CNE received the Aaron G. Buseh Mentoring Award
51猎奇 Alumnus Florine Ndakuya-Fitzgerald, PhD, RN received the 2024 Sheryl T. Kelber Researcher Award
51猎奇 Alumnus Martin Mikell, PhD, RN, CEN received the 2024 Excellence in Practice Award
Student Poster Awards received by PhD Students:
Patchara Chotchaisthit, MSN, RN
Pornnapa Naknonehun, MSN, RN
Kathie DeMuth, MSN, RN
Wilawan Christraksa, MSN, RN
Sherri Hanrahan, MSN, RN
Dorothy Kent, MSN, RN
Suzanne Kreuziger, MSN, RN
Christopher Lartey, MSN, RN
Redson Machongo, MSN, RN
Pamela Treisman, MN, RN
2023-2024 DAISY Award Winners
The DAISY Foundation, as part of its service to the nursing profession鈥檚 role in patient care, established The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty (includes clinical teaching staff as well). The purpose of this program is to provide to colleges/schools of nursing a national recognition program they may use to demonstrate appreciation to teachers for their commitment and inspirational influence on their students. The Foundation hopes that, in some way, this program will contribute to a positive work environment for faculty in schools.
The following faculty and staff members are receiving this year’s DAISY Award.
Natalie McAndrew UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing Milwaukee, WI United States
Dr. Natalie McAndrew has been an Associate Professor at UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing for six years. As a practicing Clinical Nurse Specialist for over a decade, her doctoral students appreciate her rich clinical background she applies in her teaching to best prepare them and keep them up-to-date. She is also a Nurse Scientist, allowing her to provide proper coaching and guidance on her students鈥� projects, as well as bridging the gap between academia and practice through collaboration with community partnerships.
Dr. McAndrew鈥檚 commitment to her students is continuously recognized. She creates a learning environment that is respectful, encouraging, and is a safe space where they feel they have autonomy in their decisions and can practice their leadership skills. Students and colleagues are inspired by her passion and dedication to families and palliative care through her research, workshops, symposiums and more. The entire 2024 graduating DNP class felt that Dr. McAndrew embodies the values of this award and is a deserving candidate.
Lisa Brennan UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing Milwaukee, WI United States
Dr. Lisa Brennan, Clinical Assistant Professor, Curriculum Coordinator, and Health and Illness Coordinator, has been teaching in the School of Nursing for five years. She is recognized by her students and colleagues as a dedicated and engaged teacher who is known for her versatility, innovation, and adaptability. She has taught variable undergraduate courses that are known to be challenging with excellence, only showing her level of expertise in nursing care continuum.
Dr. Brennan鈥檚 dedication to her students and the nursing program as a whole does not go unnoticed. As a professor, she is adamant on providing students with the most current, hands-on education practices to best prepare our future nurses. In her coordinator roles, she is a School of Nursing team player, mentor, and role model through her contributions to the nursing program and beyond. Multiple School of Nursing colleagues feel Dr. Brennan is an asset to the school and its students. They are consistently inspired by her commitment and engagement with our future nurses.
MSP students host event to foster collaboration between law enforcement and the community
Students in the Sustainable Peacebuilding program work in a variety of ways to help communities thrive. They accelerate at transforming conflict through empathy, reflective practice, and resilient thinking. Their fieldwork ranges from student to student, and it is always inspirational to see them develop into future change-makers.
One group of current Master of Sustainable Peacebuilding (MSP) students (Cynthia Chirinda, Segun Daniel Okeowo, Sabaa Abdulrazzaq) recently held a police-community dialogue event in collaboration with . They provided an overview and a reflection of this event in their own words.
Event Overview
The Police-Community Dialogue event, held in collaboration with Nia Imani Family, served as a pivotal platform for fostering understanding, empathy, and collaboration between law enforcement and the community. As graduate students enrolled in the Master in Sustainable Peacebuilding (MSP) program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, our involvement in this dialogue event aligns seamlessly with the core principles and objectives of our program. The facilitation event was a partial fulfilment of our course requirements for Course MSP 771: Holistic Peacebuilding Practice: Foundations of Facilitation, instructed by Dr. Sarah E. McDonald.
At its essence, the dialogue aimed to address the systemic barriers and challenges within police-community relations, particularly in the context of Milwaukee. By creating a safe and inclusive space for open discourse and exchange, we sought to facilitate constructive conversations that would lead to actionable steps for trust-building and addressing underlying issues.
As MSP students, we recognize the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders in the peacebuilding process, including law enforcement, community members, and advocacy groups. Through this dialogue, we aimed to promote dialogue, mutual respect, and collaboration among these stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of building sustainable peace and social cohesion within our communities.
Furthermore, our partnership with Nia Imani Family underscores our commitment to community-based peacebuilding initiatives. Nia Imani Family’s mission to empower individuals impacted by generational poverty, domestic violence, and early childhood trauma resonates deeply with our program’s emphasis on addressing root causes of conflict and promoting social justice. The event was held at Nia Imani Family’s Umoja Community Center to reflect the commitment to the organization’s goals of unity, engagement, and courageous conversations.
By bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community, we believe that we can contribute to building a more just, equitable, and peaceful society. Through dialogue, empathy, and collective action, we can work towards transforming police-community relations and creating safer, healthier communities for all. This event exemplifies our dedication to applying theory into practice and making a tangible impact on the ground.
Reflection
Reflecting on the Police-Community Dialogue event hosted in collaboration with Nia Imani Family, it was truly a transformative experience for all involved. The dialogue provided a vital platform for fostering understanding, empathy, and collaboration between law enforcement and the community. Through open and honest conversations, we explored the complexities of police-community relations and identified actionable steps for building trust and addressing systemic issues. As graduate students in the Master in Sustainable Peacebuilding (MSP) program, this event exemplified our commitment to community-based peacebuilding initiatives and our dedication to creating positive social change. We are grateful for the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and look forward to continuing our efforts to promote peace and justice within our communities.
First-generation nursing student Adriana’s experience at 51猎奇
Meet UW-Milwaukee BS in Nursing student Adriana. As a first-generation nursing student, Adriana had a positive, supportive and impactful experience in the School of Nursing. She appreciates how the nursing program set her up for the real world, and now has a nursing job set up after graduation.
Learn more about the BS in Nursing program at聽.
Nursing graduate programs ranked top 100 in U.S. News graduate school rankings
The School of Nursing is proud is see two nursing graduate programs ranked in the top 100 programs in the.
The Master of Nursing program is ranked at No. 82 out of almost 600 universities ranked, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program ranked at No. 85 out of 389 universities. These rankings look at hundreds of universities, but when you break it down to just within the state of Wisconsin, our Master of Nursing program is the top program at a public university in Wisconsin, and our Doctor of Nursing Practice program is ranked second for public universities in the state.
The rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school鈥檚 faculty, research and students, and students鈥� post-graduate outcomes.
UW-Milwaukee was ranked No. 1 for the Fastest Online RN to BSN program by , No. 1 for the cheapest RN to BSN program, and No. 4 for overall best RN to BSN program.
鈥�51猎奇鈥檚 100% is short and sweet if you choose the UW Flex pathway. In this self-paced , you鈥檙e allowed to take as many courses as you鈥檇 like within a subscription period (as long as you take 2 or more),鈥� RNtoMSN.org notes.
The rankings methodology used by RNtoMSN.org factors in real-world pricing (including any added fees typically charged by nursing programs), fastest time to completion, prerequisites and transfers, accreditation, reputation, and student success, among other things.
The online UW-Milwaukee RN-to-BSN program offered through the UW Flexible Option was also as one of the Top 25 in the U.S. by .
It鈥檚 accredited by the and approved by the State of Wisconsin Board of Nursing.
For more information about this program and whether it鈥檚 a good fit for you, contact an enrollment adviser or visit the UW Flex for more information.
Celebrating National Siblings Day
April 10 is considered to be “National Siblings Day” in the United States. What better way to celebrate this by shining the spotlight on our own students? We talked with Kaylen and Maren who are both pursuing a graduate-level degree in the School of Nursing. Not only are they siblings, but they are also twins! We asked them both the same questions and they sent us answers without the other knowing what they said. Check out their answers below.
Kaylen
What degree program are you in and why are you pursuing it?
I am currently a dissertator in the PhD program. My first experience with conducting research was with Dr. Natalie McAndrew while I was a Staff RN in the Medical ICU. I quickly learned that research is only loved by some. While practicing as a Forensic Nurse Examiner, survivors of violence shared their frustrations in seeking and receiving help from formal support systems such as healthcare and law enforcement. My interest in research, love for teaching, and practice grounded in advocacy best positioned me to pursue a PhD in Nursing.
What is your favorite part about the School of Nursing’s PhD program?
In addition to meeting supportive faculty and colleagues, my favorite part about the PhD program is that I have been able to use my skills and expertise to advance nursing education, practice, and science. At UW-Milwaukee, I have contributed to the Successful Training and Retention of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (STARS) HRSA grant. Also, I have had opportunities to collaborate with scholars from other universities, such as the University of Minnesota and UW-Madison, to provide mentorship and improve forensic nursing practice and how professionals care for survivors of violence.
What is your favorite part about being in the School of Nursing with your sibling?
It is unique that a set of twins have decided to pursue the terminal degrees offered in nursing. It’s great that we can impact other’s health through our practice and doctoral degrees.
Maren
What degree program are you in and why are you pursuing it?
I’m currently in the DNP Adult Gerontology Acute Care Program. I never really thought I would go back to school, but I really felt strongly that I could do more for my patients as a provider armed with a doctoral degree. I wanted to have the opportunity to be involved in research and teaching, but still provide bedside nursing care.
What is your favorite part about the School of Nursing’s DNP program?
My favorite part of the Acute Care program is that I feel constantly challenged as a student and nurse. I have had amazing professors who have spent a lot of time investing in my education, clinical experiences, and growth as a person.
What is your favorite part about being in the School of Nursing with your sibling?
Kaylen is in the PhD program, so it’s been amazing to see her body of work grow and to watch her development as a leader, educator, and patient advocate in the fields of forensic nursing and intimate partner violence.
4 Reasons to Earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree
Earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a significant accomplishment that requires hard work and dedication. However, the benefits of obtaining this advanced degree are numerous. Here are four reasons why you should consider earning your DNP:
1. Increased Career Opportunities
With a DNP degree, you open up a whole new realm of career opportunities. You can pursue leadership positions, in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations. Additionally, you may be qualified for positions in academia, research, and consulting.
2. Improved Patient Care
As a DNP-prepared nurse, you will have advanced knowledge and skills to provide the highest level of patient care and make important improvements in care delivery. You will be able to evaluate and implement evidence-based practices to improve patient outcomes. You will also be equipped to develop and manage healthcare programs that address the complex needs of patients and communities.
3. Enhanced Leadership Skills
DNP programs prepare nurses for leadership roles in healthcare organizations. You will learn how to manage and lead teams, develop and implement healthcare policies, and navigate the complex healthcare system. These skills will enable you to make a significant impact on the delivery of healthcare and improve the health of communities.
4. Professional Fulfillment
Finally, earning a DNP degree can be a source of personal and professional fulfillment. As a DNP-prepared nurse with a terminal degree, you will be making a difference in the lives of patients and communities. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to the advancement of the nursing profession and improving the quality of healthcare.
Earning a DNP degree is a rewarding experience that can open up numerous career opportunities, enhance your leadership skills, improve patient care, and provide professional fulfillment. If you are considering pursuing a career in nursing, a DNP degree may be the right choice for you.
The DAISY Foundation, as part of its service to the nursing profession鈥檚 role in patient care, established The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty (includes clinical teaching staff as well). The purpose of this program is to provide to colleges/schools of nursing a national recognition program they may use to demonstrate appreciation to teachers for their commitment and inspirational influence on their students. The Foundation hopes that, in some way, this program will contribute to a positive work environment for faculty in schools.
About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died of complications of the auto-immune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) at the age of 33. (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system.) During Pat鈥檚 8-week hospitalization, his family was awestruck by the care and compassion his nurses provided not only to Pat but to everyone in his family. So, one of the goals they set in creating a Foundation in Pat鈥檚 memory was to recognize extraordinary nurses everywhere who make an enormous difference in the lives of so many people by the super-human work they do every day.
Specific Criteria used to select nominees:
Excellence in Teaching
Demonstrates expertise in content area (e.g., fosters evidence-based practice in classroom or clinical/community environment)
Sets high standards for student achievement
Fosters the development of critical thinking skills and evidence-based practice in classroom or clinical/community environment(s) through pedagogically sound, innovative, and engaging teaching methods.
Quality Relationships with Learners
Engages in caring and sensitive interactions with students, while facilitating learning in the classroom and clinical/community environment(s).
Fosters an environment in which transparent and respectful communication is expected of all, role-modeled by the faculty member, and rewarded (i.e., when students do the same).
Treats all students fairly and in an unbiased fashion.
Leadership and Collaboration
When issues arise, addresses them effectively, fairly, and in accordance with existing policies and procedures
Collaborates effectively with other professionals to facilitate student learning.
Specific Materials Needed to Nominate a Teacher:
A letter that includes details of your relationship to the nominee and your credentials if a member of the community or academe, a statement about the context in which you know the nominee, and details as to how he/she meets the criteria listed above with information that substantiates 鈥榚xtraordinary鈥� accomplishments.
How to Nominatean Extraordinary Faculty Instructor
Students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners may nominate a deserving UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing teaching faculty or staff member by emailing a letter of recommendation. Please put “Daisy Nomination” in the subject line of your email and send it to the attention of Susan Wolff at wolff3@uwm.edu. You must submit an actual letter of recommendation to be considered a nomination.
The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, April 15, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. CST.
