Hats off to the more than 70 BSN-DNP May 2023 graduates who made up the largest number of nursing students to have ever achieved a DNP from the UNCW School of Nursing. The graduates earned their doctorates in four areas: BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP); BSN-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP); Post Master's Nurse Executive Leader (NEL); and Post Master’s Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Having begun their studies in the fall of 2020, the graduates are the fifth graduating class to have earned a DNP, and by far the largest for this ever-growing program. May 2019’s inaugural class consisted of nine students.The Nu Omega chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society – whose mission is to “[develop] nurse leaders anywhere to improve health care everywhere” – welcomed their new inductees at a spring campus ceremony this past April. The second-largest global nursing society of over 100,000 decorated members in over 100 countries builds partnerships and collaborative endeavors to promote and celebrate nursing scholarship, leadership, and service around the block and around the world.
Hannah Sasser, who will be completing her prelicensure in December, said it was an “honor to be inducted into an organization that celebrates and encourages nurses and nursing students who are dedicated to the profession.” Sasser further expressed her excitement in seeing the resources and community that Sigma provides as she finishes nursing school and begins her career.
“Being inducted was a huge honor,” for student Abby Yeargan, who showed how ties to the society span across generations as her mother was inducted when she was in nursing school. Carrying on the tradition made it more impactful for Yeargan, who was drawn to membership because it “means connecting with nurses worldwide and being a part of an organization that works to improve the world's health.” Abby Yeargan will also be completing her prelicensure this semester.
Sigma Theta Tau Alumna Ruth Marescalco BSN, RN, SCRN, the assistant nurse manager of Nurse Residencies at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, was on hand to speak to the new inductees and attendees at the April ceremony. Embodying the can-do energy and the spirit of giving back so foundational to the society, Marescalco, detailed her swift rise from nurse’s aide as a student to placement on the Progressive Care Unit upon graduation. She went on to become stroke coordinator at NHRMC, before stepping in as a frontline worker assisting the ED during the pandemic. Marescalco now serves as an Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS) instructor ED, having certified over 300 pre-hospital providers in ASLS across the state in the past year alone.
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society is open to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who meet criteria. Membership is yearly and proves vastly beneficial to maintain while in nursing school and throughout one’s nursing career. For nursing students interested in opening new doors to further their careers and helping the many who will benefit as a result, contact Lindsey Paige Jones, MSN, RN (910-962-2891; joneslp@uncw.edu). More information is available at sigmanursing.org.
The UNCW School of Nursing has three on-campus intensives scheduled this school year for FNP and PMHNP students to take note.
These intensives were a combined effort of both FNP and PMHNP faculty using state-of-the-art teaching methods such as high-fidelity simulation with standardized patients and faculty-facilitated debriefings. Faculty experts have spent countless hours developing these intensives to ensure students have the latest evidence-based training and experiences in order to prepare the next generation of NPs.
Real-life scenarios faculty have witnessed firsthand in their careers (HIPPA-censored for learning purposes) have been orchestrated to play out in the simulation labs so that students will gain a richer understanding of what they may see in a real-life clinical environment. Faculty have also worked hard to provide interdisciplinary experiences for PMHNP and FNP students to interact and work together (as they will in the field).
Students will want to visit the on-campus intensive page on Canvas beforehand for pre-simulation information and readings that will help support their success during their days in the campus simulation labs. These pre-session resources will be accessible to students approximately two weeks prior to each session in the Canvas course: DNP Student.
Students can prepare for two full days of simulation for September’s Clinical Skills and November’s Clinical Bound. The final Practice Bound in April serves for only one day for those about to graduate. All intensives are held in McNeill Hall and Veterans Hall.
A two-day intensive, the Clinical Skills on-campus intensive is for FNP and PMHNP students attending their second (of three) clinical rotations. It provides knowledge and skills that are best taught face-to-face, rather than the online format used in the program. Faculty looked at gaps in knowledge described by new nurse practitioners and developed this particular intensive to supplement the curriculum.
This intensive has three foci:
The purpose of Clinical Bound is to help FNP and PMHNP students feel more comfortable and prepared to enter their first clinical rotation. After the SON held the first Clinical Bound intensive last fall, students reported feeling more confident when entering their clinicals. Based on their feedback, expect a second-generation of skills-based learning and a fine-tuning of physical assessment skills to ensure that this year’s students are well suited once clinicals begin for them the following semester.
FNP students will learn and practice important skills such as how to provide a patient report to their preceptor, how to enter patient encounters in Typhon, and what to expect during clinicals. In addition, faculty are collaborating with the simulation lab. Students will further develop their assessment skills through simulation with live, standardized patient actors. Students will work in groups to interview, examine, diagnose, and treat SPs with several common presentations seen in primary care. After interacting with the SP, students will have a faculty-facilitated debriefing to discuss their experience, and further develop their diagnostic reasoning in keeping with best practice for simulation.
PMHNP Students will learn psychotherapeutic and enhanced assessment and diagnostic skills as they prepare for their next clinical semester in the field as a PMHNP student. All PMHNP program faculty will be on board for the planned simulations. Students will also engage in group-based learning to enhance their documentation skills during their simulated experiences.
Reserved for those FNP and PMHNP students who are in their final semester, this joint intensive focuses on the business of becoming a board-certified NP ready to be launched into practice.
FNP and PMHNP students are together for the entirety of the day’s simulation to allow for an interdisciplinary approach to learning. In addition to invited guests from the North Carolina Board of Nursing and the North Carolina Nurse's Association, expert faculty will discuss issues such as interviewing tips, continuing education requirements, and malpractice. Lastly, students complete their empathy-focused MOUD training with a group simulation and debriefing.
A special thanks to Dr. Tamara Link and Dr. Anka Roberto for providing the information for this report. For questions or further information, please contact Dr. Link at linkt@uncw.edu; and Dr. Roberto at robertoa@uncw.edu.