TODAY news - June 10, 2004

School of Nursing names Alumni of the Year; presents other awards at banquet

During the School of Nursing alumni banquet "2004: Nursing is Around the World," the Alumni of the Year and other awards were presented. The banquet was held April 3, in Wong Kerlee International Conference Center.

The awards were presented by Ellen D'Errico, MS, RN, assistant professor, School of Nursing; Katty Joy Fenton French, PhD, RN, associate professor, School of Nursing; Marilyn Herrmann, PhD, RN, associate dean of the undergraduate program, School of Nursing; and Eva Goodlett Miller, MS, RN, associate professor, School of Nursing.

Presented with the School of Nursing Alumna of the Year award was Sylvia Stewart, PhD, RN. Sylvia Stewart graduated from Rio Lindo Academy and went on to Walla Walla College, Walla Walla, Washington, completing a BSN in 1976. She then moved to Loma Linda and completed an MS degree in medical/surgical nursing in 1979. By the time she had completed her MS she was already teaching at LLUSN. For the next eight years she was responsible for helping hundreds of young students learn the fundamental skills of nursing. From 1985 to 1990 she took a welldeserved break from teaching but kept her medial/surgical nursing skills polished. By 1990, she returned to her ordained calling--teaching beginning nursing students.

In 1992, after completing her dissertation, "Ego Identity Status of Nurses," the Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California, conferred a doctor of philosophy degree in education. Her interest in the development of college students has continued and at present she is examining the factors associated with success on the National Certification and License Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEXRN) and graduation.

Dr. Stewart is revered for her devotion to the education of fledgling nurses. Students frequently seek her out for advice and council as they progress through the program. Upon completing the program many often specifically credit her as a significant influence in their personal and professional lives. Her students remember her and often inform her of life changes after graduation. Dr. Stewart continues to be a wholesome part of all the lives of those she touches.

Her excellent skills for teaching beginners are further manifest in guiding novice nursing faculty and mentoring them in their career paths. During the 20 years of teaching she has mentored many new faculty. With care, advice, and support she helps young faculty mature and grow. Even after they leave LLU many continue to contact her for counsel and support. In her life and her scholarship of teaching, Dr. Stewart lives her faith and reflects the caring attitude of God to all whose lives she touches. Because of her outstanding committed contributions to the School and her ministry to students, alumni, and all who know her, Loma Linda University School of Nursing is pleased to honor Sylvia Stewart with the Alumna of the Year Award for 2004.

Also presented with the Alumna of the Year Award was Betty Jane Luke Taylor, RN. Ms. Taylor graduated from the College of Medical Evangelists (now LLUSN) with the class of 1954B. In 1955, she married L. Dwight Taylor. In 1957, they accepted a call to mission service. Ms. Taylor served in several clinic positions as nurse and administrator.

Sites of their mission service included Nevati Mission, Anna Stahl Clinic, Iquitos, Peru, and, in addition, home-schooled her four children. She later held health-care administrative positions in Topeka, Kansas, and South Lancaster, Massachusetts.

In 1982 the Taylors returned to foreign mission service so Ms. Taylor could serve as director of nursing in Lima, Peru, and office manager in Maputo, Mozambique. They retired to Alvarado, Texas, in 1995.

She writes that "once you've been in the mission field you still have that longing to do more." This longing has led the Taylors to travel the world assisting in many projects with ADRA and Maranatha since retirement. They are still active in Sabbath School, music, and visitation for their local church when they are not on some of their many worldwide service trips.

Ms. Taylor is enjoying her home in Texas and is happy to be near her children and several of their 21 grandchildren. Loma Linda University School of Continued from page 1 Loma Linda University Medical Center celebrates Cinco De Mayo The mariachi band performed for Medical Center patients, visitors, and staff members on Cinco de Mayo to help create a festive mood in the Medical Center cafeteria. The band played requests and wowed the crowd with a wide range of Mexican music.

Nursing Alumni Association is pleased to honor Betty Jane Luke Taylor with the Alumna of the Year Award for 2004.

Alumna of the Year Also presented with the Alumna of the Year Award was Evelyn Louise Morse Wasli, DNS, MSN, RN.

Dr. Wasli graduated from the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University School of Nursing) in 1954. After graduation she began her professional career at White Memorial Hospital on a medical/surgical unit. Five months later she was promoted to supervisor of central services there.

She met and married the love of her life, Arne Wasli, and moved to the East Coast. Together they raised two sons. While raising their children she earned a master of science degree in nursing in 1960 and in 1976 a doctor of nursing science degree from Catholic University of America. Both degrees provided majors in psychiatric-mental health nursing and a minor in sociology. In 1971, Dr. Wasli taught psychiatric- mental health nursing at Columbia Union College (CUC),

Takoma Park, Maryland. While teaching at CUC she wrote and implemented a mental health nursing grant, and was a coinvestigator on research projects for the division of education and research facilities. Her career path also included staff nursing in an intensive care unit; supervision in a long-term care facility at night; and teaching student practical nurses mental health nursing skills at Washington Adventist Hospital.

Before retiring she was chief nurse in the emergency psychiatric response division within the commission of mental health of the District of Columbia, nursing facilities branch.

She preferred clinical practice to teaching and was committed to scholarly endeavors in the clinical setting during the next 20 years.

These activities included supervising an admission unit that served as an orientation unit for new nurses at St. Elizabeth's Hospital at Washington, D.C. She coauthored Nursing Diagnosis in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (three editions plus a foreign language version).

Dr. Wasli remains an active practitioner. Since 2001 she has been working one or two days a week as a resource nurse for Brooke Grove Foundation, Assisted Living Program in Aston, Maryland. She enjoys meeting new challenges in the care of the elderly every day.

The School of Nursing commends Dr. Wasli for her exemplary service to students, patients, families, and the mentally ill and her dedication to the development of psychiatric-mental health nursing science. Loma Linda University School of Nursing Alumni Association is pleased to honor Evelyn Louise Morse Wasli with the Alumna of the Year Award for 2004.

Distinguished Nurse Scientist Award Lois Van Cleve, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and associate dean, graduate program in nursing at Loma Linda University School of Nursing and Graduate School, was the recipient of the Distinguished Nurse Scientist Award.

Dr. Van Cleve graduated from the School of Nursing graduate program in 1964 with a major in maternal/child nursing. She began her professional career as a staff pediatric nurse in 1964 and began teaching pediatric nursing at the undergraduate level. In 1976, she was lead teacher for the undergraduate parent/child nursing course and became advisor for the growing family major for the graduate program in nursing in 1985. She holds a PhD degree from Claremont Graduate School in education granted in 1985 and completed post-doctoral preparation in pain in children at the University of California, San Francisco in 1992. She was tenured in 1988.

In 1993, she was appointed associate dean of the graduate program in nursing and received a secondary appointment as associate faculty for Loma Linda University's Center for Christian Bioethics. Currently, she leads out in the initiation and development of the newly established doctoral program in nursing as well as continuing the master in science in nursing program. The doctoral program admitted the first class in the fall of 2002.

In addition to undergraduate teaching Dr. Van Cleve has taught human life span development, growing family nursing, and family systems theories at the graduate and doctoral levels. She has also been sought out as a reviewer for refereed professional journals; curriculum consultant for advanced practice nursing in the international nursing communities in Mongolia, China, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, Korea, and India; presenter for professional meetings; and writer for refereed professional journals and chapters in books, as well as book reviews and commentaries.

She is also active in various leadership roles in professional and community organizations that include president of LLUSN Alumni Association in 1975–76, president of the Inland Empire Society of Pediatric Nurses in 1995–96, and president of the Gamma Alpha Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing in 1996–97. In 2002, she was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Sparked by her graduate thesis that examined play responses of hospitalized pre-school children, her research skills were nurtured and matured during her doctoral studies and post-doctoral fellowship.

Her research has spanned relationships between women's career choices and attachment and individuation; parental coping; teen parenting; nurses' response to caring for anencephalic infants and children slated for organ donation; and pain responses of hospitalized children and chronically ill children and their families. A very active, committed researcher and grant proposal writer, she, as primary investigator, with her team of colleagues, received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) award in 1997 for a multiple site study of pain in children with leukemia.

Other awards were received from Oncology Nursing Society and the American Cancer Society for further study of critical issues related to the comfort of chronically ill children and their families.

Dr. Van Cleve has two grown children and three grandchildren. The School of Nursing commends Dr. Van Cleve, a nurse scientist, for actively committing to the development of nursing science and modeling nursing scholarship at LLU School of Nursing.

Merit scholarships For many years the alumni association has had as one of its goals to recognize excellence in students and alumni through awards. Alumni of the Year awards have been presented to deserving alumni since 1967, but the alumni board was concerned that the organization's goal was not being fully met, as students achieving excellence were not being recognized. A committee was formed and the description, criteria, eligibility, nature of the award, and procedures for application were created in 1995. The first merit scholarships were given in 1996. The School of Nursing Alumni Association merit scholarship is conferred annually to one undergraduate student and one graduate student who best demonstrates excellence in their respective programs. The award criteria are based on the purposes of Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing. Undergraduate nominees for the award must have completed 20 units in residence of their respective programs, have achieved a grade point average of 3.7 or higher, be committed to completing their respective programs, and be able to meet the award criteria.

This criterion is intended to identify students who demonstrate excellence in their academic professional preparation.

The two merit scholarship awards were presented during the alumni banquet to graduate student Fang Fang Jiang and undergraduate student Jane Rosete.

School of Nursing honors Centennial Fellows at Kathryn Jensen Nelson Society annual recognition brunch

During the Kathryn Jensen Nelson (KJN) Society brunch held Sunday, April 4, in Wong Kerlee International Conference Center, Helen King, PhD, RN, dean of the School of Nursing, paid special tribute to special major donors and the Centennial Fellows. Each year the KJN brunch is held during homecoming weekend to honor those who give $250 or more to the School of Nursing during the previous year.

"The honor classes were incredible with their support of the School of Nursing," says Diana Fisher, MA, director of development, School of Nursing.

"Each year, honor classes get together to celebrate the time spent with their alma mater. We are so grateful for their generous gifts."

The 25-year class of 1979 provided $400 for the Dean's Scholarship Fund. These funds were given in honor of their classmates who have passed away--Karen (Lewis) Ennett, RN; Carol (Thurngren) Mann, RN; Pam (Smith) McDermott, RN; Rhoda Wan, RN; and Mildred Akamine, RN (their class sponsor).

The 50-year class of 1954 gave more than $9,000 toward the Centennial Fellows program.

The Centennial Fellows program is a special financial giving campaign through which Centennial Fellows help to celebrate the School's first centennial (in 2005–2006) and enable future nursing education. This program represents individual partnerships between friends and alumni of the School of Nursing and the University to create a $1 million endowment fund. This fund will support all the educational and scholarship programs within the School. Individuals and/or groups will be named as Centennial Fellows with a gift of $20,000 or more.

To date, 43 fellowships are sponsored. For more information on becoming involved in this program, please contact the director of development, School of Nursing, at (909) 558-7093 or on the web at <www.llu.edu/ llu/nursing>. You can also send email directly to the Centennial Fellows program at <centen nial@univ.llu.edu>.

The 60-year class of 1944 provided more than $2,000 for various projects within the School of Nursing including: the School of Nursing Clarice Woodward Endowment Fund, School of Nursing Mothers in Nursing Fund, Dean's Scholarship Fund, and the Operation Jessica Foundation.

Also at the brunch, Dr. King presented information and statistics about the School of Nursing to the members.

For information on how to become a member of the Kathryn Jensen Nelson Society, please contact the office of advancement at (909) 558-4513.

The School of Nursing celebrated its 99th year with an alumni weekend held April 4 on the Loma Linda campus.

The honoree vespers program was held Sabbath afternoon in the multi-purpose room of University Church.

During the vespers program, each honored class was invited to share stories with the rest of the vespers attendees. The class of 1954B had several stories to share, and class members Lorraine Thompson Johanson, Eunice Liston Hedrick, and Carol Shafer Thomas also shared a song with the attendees.

"I want to thank all of the participants for making vespers such a special moment for us," says Zelne Zamora, MSN, RN, instructor of nursing, School of Nursing, and president of the School of Nursing Alumni Association.

Ms. Zamora received several pictures from the class of 1954 and put together a comprehensive slideshow for the class.

As in previous years, Ms. Zamora also included events that had happened around the world during their graduation year.

Following the vespers program, a short reception was held in the foyer of Wong Kerlee International Conference Center prior to the alumni banquet.

The alumni banquet, titled "2004: Nursing Around the World," began with a welcome, devotional, and invocation from Ms. Zamora.

Banquet attendees were treated to a lavish dinner featuring a spinach conchigli with pomadora sauce and a savory patty. One of the highlights of the evening was the dessert menu, which featured mango sorbet in a mango shell, coconut sorbet in a coconut shell, and citrus sorbet in an orange shell. School of Nursing students were also available to help usher alumni and their family members.

Dr. King presented an update of the School of Nursing, including current faculty research, outreach in foreign countries, and student enrollment.

After Dr. King's update, Ms. Zamora offered the House of Thrift (HOT) volunteer report. According to Ms. Zamora, the Alumni Association received $6,900 from HOT sales during the past fiscal year. In addition, clothing, bedding, and other items exceeding $550,000 were donated to several organization including: ADRA, Banning and Romania Church community services, and victims of the recent San Bernardino mountain fires.

The School of Nursing offered its thanks to House of Thrift volunteers and employees for their continued support of the program, particularly Anabelle Hills, Mignon Moseley, Lloyd and Helen Mickelsen, Shirley Plata, Rose Anjejo, and Joni Jones, manager.

Two Meritorious Scholarship Awards were then presented. The undergraduate award was given to Jane Rosete, who was unable to attend. The graduate award was given to Fang Fang Jiang.

Awards were presented by Ellen D'Errico, MS, RN, assistant professor, School of Nursing; Katty Joy Fenton French, PhD, RN, associate professor, School of Nursing; Marilyn Herrmann, PhD, RN, associate dean of the undergraduate program, School of Nursing; and Eva Goodlett Miller, MS, RN, associate professor, School of Nursing, to Sylvia Stewart, PhD, RN, class of 1979; Betty Jane Luke Taylor, RN, class of 1954B; and Evelyn Louise Morse Wasli, DNS, MSN, RN, class of 1954B.

Lois Van Cleve, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and associate dean of the graduate program in nursing at Loma Linda University School of Nursing and Graduate School, received the Distinguished Nurse Scientist Award.

(For more information on these award winners, see "School of Nursing names Alumni of the Year and other awards during banquet" story in this issue of TODAY).

The School of Nursing was established in the fall of 1905, graduating its first class in 1907. Three years ago the School graduated its 6,000th student.

In April, 2005, the School will celebrate its 100th anniversary. All alumni members of the School of Nursing are encouraged to attend. E-mail <hwood@sn.llu.edu>, write Loma Linda University SN Alumni Association, West Hall, Loma Linda, California 92350, or call Hazel Wood at (909) 558- 1000 extension 45437 for more information.

Learning to work effectively with patients of a diverse background was the topic for the School of Nursing diversity workshop held April 14 in Gentry Gymnasium.

The workshop, titled "Embracing Diversity” featured Joan Goldsmith and Ken Cloke. Ms. Goldsmith and Mr. Cloke have collaborated on numerous books on how to resolve differences, including Resolving Personal & Organizational Conflict: Stories of Transformation & Forgiveness.

The workshop began with a welcome from Marilyn Herrmann, PhD, RN, associate dean of the undergraduate program, School of Nursing. Several faculty and students were on hand representing various countries and cultures in their dress. Each student and faculty member welcomed the audience in their native tongue.

Around 350 students, faculty, and staff of the School of Nursing were in attendance.

Also included in the workshop were diversity inclusive activities, prayers in different languages, and an interactive lecture by Ms. Goldsmith and Mr. Cloke.

According to Ramona Perez Greek, PhD, RN, assistant professor of nursing, School of Nursing, and chair of the diversity committee for the School of Nursing, today’s nurses often work in communities and with families whose ethnic background may be different than their own. Having an understanding and appreciation of other ethnic backgrounds is very important to providing appropriate care to patients.

"We continue to plan activities to help our students become culturally competent as nurses," states Dr. Perez Greek.

To develop a diversity workshop that would truly be helpful for the students, two nursing students were added to the School of Nursing diversity committee.

Several students stated very specific ways in which they learned new things regarding diversity.

"This wasn't the first time that we have presented a diversity workshop, but it was the first time we received feedback from students that our objectives were met in that the activities and exercises in the workshop were very useful to them in understanding cultural relevancy to health care," says Dr. Perez Greek.

According to Dr. Perez Greek, "the last interactive activity of the day was the most eye-opening. All students and staff in attendance were divided into culture groups: Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and others. Each group tried to answer the question what needs does my culture have that the rest of the student nursing ethnic groups should know about so they can provide culturally relevant health care?"

"We learned that diversity is not affirmative action, it's integration—embracing and valuing how different we are," adds Dr. Perez Greek.

Goals of the workshop were to foster construction of a knowledgeable, confident selfidentity, meaning to like who you are without needing to feel superior to anyone else because of who you are; to foster comfortable, empathetic interaction with diversity among people, meaning to have the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills to respectfully and effectively ask and learn about differences, comfortably negotiate and adapt to differences, and emotionally feel the common humanity all people share through their differences; to foster development of critical thinking skills about prejudice, meaning to have the cognitive skills to identify "unfair" and "untrue" images (stereotypes), comments (teasing, name-calling), and behaviors (discrimination) directed at one's own or other’s identity (be it gender, race, ethnicity, disability, class, age, weight, etc.) and having the emotional empathy to know that bias hurts; and to foster the ability to stand up for yourself and others in the face of prejudice, meaning to help learn and practice a variety of ways to speak up: (a) when someone acts in a biased manner toward you, (b) when someone acts in a biased manner toward another.

"Diversity to me really entails the model of transformation—as we begin to understand God’s design for us as human people," says Dr. Perez Greek, and we are open to that design, we begin to be transformed, in our hearts and in our minds."

"A true transformation of our hearts and minds, valuing people for who they are," she continues. "This can only happen as we come to know the One who created us and our great diversity as people.

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