NEWS
School of Nurse Anesthesia grads achieve unanimous pass rate
TCU's Nurse Anesthesia program is beaming with pride after 100 percent of the December 2007 graduating class passed their certification exams on the first try, which exceeds the national average by seven percent.
"Our students receive a quality experience both academically and clinically," Kay Sanders, director of the School of nurse Anesthesia explained. "It also means that our selection standards are appropriate, and that our program produces competent beginning-level CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists)."
Fifty-five students took and passed the National Certification Examination given by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists after graduating from the 28-month program, which is a requirement in order to become a CRNA. Currently, all of the students are working both locally and across the nation in states including Oklahoma, California, Louisiana and North Carolina. For more information on the School of Nurse Anesthesia, visit www.crna.tcu.edu.
Dr. Christopher Watts named chair of Department of Communication, Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Christopher Watts has been named chair of Harris College’s Department of Communication, Sciences and Disorders (COSD). In addition to overseeing the academic arm of the COSD, Dr. Watts will also be responsible for the Miller Speech and Hearing Clinic.
“Dr. Watts is a great match for TCU and an exceptional asset to our academic and clinical programs,” said Dr. Paulette Burns, dean of the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences. “Both faculty and students heartily welcome him and look forward to his leadership.”
He joins TCU in the upcoming academic year from James Madison University in Virginia, where he was a tenured associate professor in communication sciences and disorders since 2004. He held previous academic posts at University of South Alabama, where he earned his both his B.S. and Ph.D., and University of Central Florida.
Dr. Watts is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a lifetime member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. He is a frequent published contributor to peer-reviewed journals and presenter to scientific and professional organizations. Dr. Watts has expertise in vocal physiology, voice disorders and motor speech disorders.
Dr. Kathy Baker named director of Doctor of Nursing Practice program
Dr. Kathy Baker has been named director of Harris College’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She joined TCU’s Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences as an associate professor in 2007. Previously she was a nurse researcher at Arlington Memorial Hospital, where she still serves as a consultant. Prior to Arlington Memorial Hospital, she held positions at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Parkland Memorial Hospital and University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Baker has been active in the nursing field since 1981.
Dr. Baker, editor of Gastroenterology Nursing, is an active researcher, author and presenter on internal medicine and nursing issues and trends. She also serves on the regional editorial advisory board for Advance for Nurses and is the past editorial assistant for the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing.
She is a current member of the World Association of Medical Editors, Council of Science Editors, Oncology Nursing Society, International Transplant Nurses Society, Southern Nursing Research Society, Sigma Delta Tau, Society of International Gastroenterological Nurses and Endoscopy Associates (SIGNEA), and Society of Gastroenterology Nurses & Associates (SGNA). Along with being recognized with many honors and awards, Dr. Baker has also held leadership positions and been active in numerous other nursing and professional organizations. (more)
Harriet Cohen and David Jenkins study very different populations but have similar goal
One hundred thousand dollars — now there’s a good, round, serious-sounding sum. Double it, and you’ll see why professors Harriet Cohen and David Jenkins are smiling.
For the second year in a row, a TCU social work faculty member has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation. The grant, disbursed over two years by the Gerontological Society of America, encourages scholars to improve the well-being of older adults.
One way to do this is by engaging in groundbreaking research that will help practitioners to better serve this age group. Cohen’s examination of forgiveness in older Holocaust survivors and Jenkins’ investigation of the difficulties encountered by gay grandparents may seem very different on the surface. But both aim to understand the repercussions of intolerance and oppression and how people have learned to overcome them.
Harriet Cohen, assistant professor, had wondered for years how people survived the grievous atrocities of the concentration camps and then went on to become productive citizens. “They left family, country and language behind and arrived in a new country, learned a new language, had a family and lived seemingly normal lives. What sort of spiritual and moral equipment allowed this group to live through adversity?”
She believes that it may revolve around the concept of forgiveness. A Jew herself, Cohen is quick to point out that the Jewish concept of forgiveness is different from the Christian concept of turning the other cheek. It derives from the idea of reconciliation, literally returning to God. (more)
New center focuses on oncology nursing
Oncology patients have specific nursing needs, and now TCU has a center for research and training in the speciality, thanks to a $1 million grant from the University of Texas Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Foundation.
The goal of the new Center for Oncology Education and Research (COER) is to change the view of oncology nursing through learning opportunities that focus on cancer care and end-of-life issues.
The center will establish TCU as a premiere site for collaborative, interdisciplinary research and education in adult and pediatric oncology care. According to Suzy Lockwood ’83, assistant professor of nursing, it is the first such center in the country.
Lockwood, who served as an oncology nurse for 25 years before coming to TCU in 1997, has always wanted to teach a course in her specialty. She even developed one during her first year at TCU, though a lack of resources forced her to set the course aside. The undergraduate course is merely the beginning. The overarching goal is to promote oncology nursing as a career, as well as bolster cancer care knowledge and skills. (more)
Fort Worth Business Press names Kay Sanders Heatlh Care Hero
Kay Sanders, who is director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia, joined the TCU faculty in 2002 with the charge of developing this program. Under Sander's direction, the school achieved 10 years of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia on its first application and TCU graduates continue to score higher than the mean on the national certification exam and have a 100 percent pass rate on the exam
"Professor Sander's faculty and students applaud her leadership that has resulted in such accomplishments for the School of Nurse Anesthesia," said Paulette Burns (dean, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences). "Her achievements and dedication to students and faculty over the course of her career make her a health care hero."
Sanders earned a B.A. from Tulane University, a B.S. from Texas Woman's University, and a M.H.S. from Texas Wesleyan University. She served her clinical residency in anesthesia at Harris Hospital - Methodist Graduate School of Nurse Anesthesia and is currently in TCU's Doctor of Nursing Practice program.
