Greetings to all Kappa Theta members:
Recent Activities
The 24th Research Day and Annual Meeting was held via zoom on May 18th with 25 members in attendance. The keynote speaker, Dr. Melinda Joyce, FAPhA, FACHE, provided an informative session on COVID-19: Year One. She emphasized and shared the role of research in the local response to the pandemic. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to learn about research findings of four other scholars:
- Kimberly Link, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC: A Web-Based Educational Intervention to Increase Perinatal Nurses and pre-Licensure Student Knowledge and Self-Efficacy in Providing Postpartum Depression Care
- Tracy Jenkins, DNP, RN, CNE: The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Nurse’s Knowledge of Peripheral Intravenous Infections.
- Jessica A. Kelley, BSN, RN, DNP (Student): Caffeine Intake in Registered Nurses: An Online Survey
- Elijah Carter, BSN, RN, DNP (Student): Obesity Across the Lifespan: Methods and Perceptions of Nurse Practitioners.
At the conclusion of the annual meeting, Dr. Liz Sturgeon, Chair of the Awards Committee, recognized the following award recipients.
- Beverly Phelps – Donna Blackburn Service Award
- Cathy Abell - Excellence in Leadership Award
- Kirby Flora - Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
- Breanna Fuhrman - Outstanding Graduate Student Award
- Jessica Riley - Outstanding Graduate Student Award
- Austin Griffiths-Friend of Nursing Award
Upcoming Activity
Mark your calendars for July 10th, 10am to 2 pm, and participate in a Kappa Theta service project at The Foundry located on the West End of Bowling Green. They will be hosting a “Fit and Fun” event to prepare children and their families for the upcoming school year. Several volunteers will be needed to assist with school measuring and recording height, weight, BMI and more. To volunteer please contact Kim Vickous at kim.vickous@wku.edu
Spotlight on Research: Dr. Mary Bennett, RN, PhD
This month we spotlight Dr. Mary Bennett for her involvement in research. Dr. Bennett is currently the Director of the WKU School of Nursing and Allied Health, which has programs in both Nursing and Dental Hygiene. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS) from Rush University in Chicago, and MSN, BSN and ASN from Indiana State University School of Nursing. Since beginning her nursing career, she has held several clinical positions, from working as RN in ICU to serving as a nurse practitioner for the Indiana Air National Guard. In 2007 she came to Western Kentucky University to serve as the first Director of the newly formed School of Nursing. The programs have expanded, and the medical center campus building was added in Aug 2013. Currently the School of Nursing and Allied Health has over 1500 students and over 50 full-time faculty and staff.
Dr. Bennett’s current research interests are nursing care of end-of-life patients and improving nursing student success. She will be starting an intervention program this fall for select pre-nursing freshman students who will be part of a Living, Learning Community (LLC) at WKU. Students in this program will enroll in the same classes together and receive social support from advisors and nursing faulty. In addition, they will have opportunities to meet and talk with current nursing students and nurses from local hospitals. The goal of this project is to increase freshman retention and success for high-risk pre-nursing students. A sample of Dr. Bennett’s publications from the last 5 years include:
Bennett, M., Lovan, S., Smith, M., Vickous, K., Bormann, L., & Ellis-Griffith, C. (2021). Nursing’s leaky pipeline: Barriers to a diverse nursing workforce. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(2), 441-450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.05.002
Watwood, C., Bennett, M. & Bormann, L. (2018). I can do this: Collaboration on a global nursing assignment to increase the self-efficacy of pre-nursing students research skills. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 1-6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15424065.2018.1481481
Bennett, M., & Wilson D. (2018). Humor and Health Care (3rd ed.). West Bridgewater, MA: Western Schools Publications.
Bennett, M., Lovan, S., Hager, K., Canonica, L., & Taylor, B. (2018). A one-hour teaching intervention can improve end-of-life care. Nurse Education Today, 67, 93-99.
Bennett, M. (2016). Nursing care of the end-of-life patient twenty-five years after passage of the Patient Self-Determination Act. The Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 18(6), 550-555.
Bennett, M., Bormann, L., Lovan, S., & Cobb R. (2016) Pre-admission Predictors of Student Success in a Traditional BSN Program. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 7(3), 11-18.
Spotlight on Service: Janice Elder, MSN, RN, CNE, CNOR(E)
It is indeed a pleasure to recognize Janice Elder for her contribution in service and her involvement in the formation of the Kappa Theta chapter. Janice was a student at WKU in the early 1980’s and in 1982 was tapped to serve on the steering committee that culminated in the establishment of the Kappa Theta charter chapter of Sigma in 1988. Janice became a charter member of Kappa Theta and has maintained an active membership throughout her nursing career. Janice’s career path consists of 32 years of leading/managing /directing a team of healthcare professionals and current educators. She spent 36 years in the acute care hospital setting, where she was the Director of Nursing for three years followed by the Director of Perioperative Services for the last 25 years of her acute care setting career. She started her career in academia as adjunct faculty for the KY Community and Technical College System in 2010 after earning her MSN in Education. She later transferred to a full-time faculty role at Western Governors University in 2016 where she continues to be a part of the education of nurses in the graduate nursing program. Her service record includes a member of the ECTC Nursing Program Advisory Board, eight years as an officer in the Kentucky Nurses Association District 4, now called Heartland Chapter, where she served as the secretary for four years, vice president for two years, and president for two years. She currently resides on the Corporate Board of Breckinridge Health, Inc., where she serves as the Vice-Chairperson. She is currently serving her last year of a three-year term on the Hardinsburg Baptist Church Board of Trustees. She continues to volunteer her time teaching CPR at the local hospital and for the community. She recently volunteered her services for the LouVax COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinic at Broadbent Arena in Louisville, Ky., and has offered her services to help administer COVID-19 vaccinations for the local Health Department and Hospital. Congratulations Janice for your numerous contributions to nursing and for your support of Kappa Theta throughout your career.
Spotlight on Leadership: Kim Vickous, Ed.D., MSN, RN
Our Kappa Theta leader this month is Dr. Kim Vickous. Her nursing education began at WKU with an Associate of Science in Nursing (1980), Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (2005), Master of Science with emphasis in Nursing Education (2008), and Doctorate in Educational Leadership with emphasis in organizational leadership (2015). Her research interests include incivility in nursing education, ATV safety in adolescents, nursing leadership, and community health and safety.
Kim’s nursing practice includes the emergency department, post-anesthesia care unit, same day surgical services, medical-surgical units, patient education, and staff development. In 2007, Kim began her nursing educator career at WKU in the ASN program and in 2009 transitioned to the BSN program. Her teaching experience includes Fundamentals of Nursing, Transcultural Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing I and II (didactic and clinical), Community Health and Senior Practicum clinical courses. Kim has also served as a preceptor for the WKU MSN nurse educator program. In the BSN program, Kim has served as a chair of Academics Standards and Continuing Education committees, and a member of the ASN Curriculum committee.
Current community activities include teaching BLS, ACLS, and PALS and TNCC courses. She’s been an active board member of Hospice of Southern Kentucky since 2006 serving as vice president and currently serving as secretary. Other professional memberships include Emergency Nurses Association, Kentucky Nurses Association and American Nurses Association. Kim has been an active member of Kappa Theta since her induction in 2005. She has served Kappa Theta as treasurer, chair of the governance and strategic planning committees, and President Elect of Kappa Theta.
Closing Remarks
It has been an honor to serve as President of Kappa Theta for the past two years. I sincerely appreciate the collaborative spirit and teamwork of the leadership team. Please lend Dr. Kim Vickous, the incoming President of Kappa Theta, your support and become an engaged member in the Kappa Theta’s activities. Together, we can make a positive contribution to the nursing profession and the community we serve. May you continue to spread joy in all you do!
Respectfully,
Susan Jones, President of Kappa Theta Chapter