In the Health Sciences I category, Chelsea Hughes won first place for her research, “Dosing Accuracy While Administering Oral Medications,” which focused on the major problem of inaccurate dosing of children’s liquid medication that causes adverse effects for children every year.

Second place was earned by Shannon Hassett for her research, “Technologies to Enhance Optimal Glycemic Control in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes.”

Her thesis was based on exploring how the use of technology like glucose monitors could lead to better control of Type 1 Diabetes in adults ages 18 to 30. This was a topic of personal interest for her since she was diagnosed with this condition at the young age of 11 and since then has struggled to manage it.

“I knew there was a difference between those who were able to stay on top of glycemic control, and those who were trying so desperately and just weren’t quite hitting their goals,” said Hassett. “It has been my mission to narrow down those differences and put into words what truly managing with optimal glycemic control looks like so others may have that example and have a better chance at battling diabetes.”

Additionally, in the Health Sciences II category, Samantha Sermarini won first place for her research, “Black Caregiver Responses to and Perceptions of Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments at the End of Life.” The purpose of her thesis was to determine how black caregivers interpreted signs, symptoms, and treatments for symptom relief during the last months of their loved one’s life.

In second place was Stephanie Levine for her research, “Music Therapy as an Intervention to Reduce Anxiety in Mechanically-Ventilated Patients.”

“Music has certainly alleviated my anxiety in countless situations, so I wanted to closely examine any effects it might have on vulnerable patients in the ICU,” said Levine. “I think it is beneficial to analyze interventions that minimize discomfort and adverse side effects. In this scenario, music seemed like a good focus.”

SURE is an annual poster forum for �鶹ӳ����ý undergraduates to present their research and creative projects to the broader university community. Fourteen College of Nursing students participated this year, including four students from the �鶹ӳ����ý Daytona Beach campus.

“Our students across all campuses make us very proud and have earned top awards at SURE for the past several years,” says Victoria Loerzel, associate professor and coordinator of the Honors in the Major program at the College of Nursing. “They put so much time, effort and enthusiasm into their projects. It is wonderful to see their hard work rewarded with these scholarships.”

“Consistently achieving this high mark of excellence speaks to the quality of education offered through our program,” says Dr. Mary Lou Sole, interim dean at the �鶹ӳ����ý College of Nursing. “I am extremely proud of our faculty members, who are committed to our students’ success, and of our Knight nurses whose dedication to their education and profession is unmatched.”

Dr. Kelly Allred, coordinator of Traditional and Second Degree BSN programs at the college, says, “Passing the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse is the goal of nursing school. Our program gives students the knowledge and clinical experiences to not only take on the NCLEX-RN but to excel in their careers. Prospective students should look for programs with high pass rates for their best chance of success.”

The college’s high pass rate for was one of the reasons that recent BSN graduate Leah Morissette selected �鶹ӳ����ý. “It is an accomplishment and an honor to have graduated from a school that is considered one of the top in the state,” says Morissette who is currently preparing to take the NCLEX-RN. “I feel more than prepared to pass the licensure exam. I feel prepared to be the best nurse I can be. �鶹ӳ����ý goes above and beyond teaching ‘minimum competency’ and prepared me for my career as an RN.”

Morissette has accepted a position on the Cardiovascular Unit at in Orlando, pending her passing the NCLEX and obtaining her RN license. She is not the only �鶹ӳ����ý graduate staying in the state to make a difference in the community. According to the report, 99 percent of the 234 new nurses from the college applied for licensure in Florida.

The NCLEX-RN report is issued by the and analyzed graduate performance on state license exams from April 2014 – March 2015. Graduates of the �鶹ӳ����ý Traditional BSN and Second Degree BSN programs are eligible to sit for the national licensure exam. The Traditional BSN program is offered at �鶹ӳ����ý campuses in Cocoa and Daytona Beach, in addition to the main campus in Orlando.

Student Profile: Kelli Lipscomb is a true leader at �鶹ӳ����ý’s Daytona Beach campus. She served as vice president for the Student Nurses Association in her junior year and then president during her senior year. She created, organized and implemented community outreach projects, including an orientation and mentorship program for the incoming class of nursing students. She has exquisitely represented �鶹ӳ����ý Nursing at the Florida Nursing Student Association State Convention and at the national meeting. Lipscomb is not only a full-time student. She is the mother of two children, a Sunday school teacher and a volunteer at local public schools and with the Girl Scouts. Lipscomb wants to work in a large hospital system focusing on adult health.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) at the �鶹ӳ����ý, Kathleen ultimately moved on to work for VITAS, a company specializing in Hospice care. Now, in order to enable more �鶹ӳ����ý nursing students to effectively serve in the growing program, VITAS has partnered with �鶹ӳ����ý to create the Innovative Hospice Care Endowed Scholarship.

“One of the things that VITAS is committed to is giving back, and we recognize that �鶹ӳ����ý has been a strong presence in three communities,” LaPorte said, noting that the scholarship will equally go to �鶹ӳ����ý students at the Daytona, Cocoa and Orlando campuses—something she says is truly unique. “We really feel it’s important as health care professionals to ensure that we help to grow good, strong nurses and �鶹ӳ����ý has a great reputation for that.”

VITAS has committed over $100,000 to be distributed to multiple recipients over the next five years—a gift the College of Nursing feels exceptionally grateful for. With this kind of incentive, LaPorte hopes that it will encourage students to further consider Hospice as a possible path in their nursing careers.

“We hope the students utilize this scholarship to certainly support them in their growth in this career, but we also hope for them to use Hospice as an avenue,” LaPorte said. “We hope to put that knowledge in the forefront of their minds and let them know what’s out there for their patients and their families.”

“End-of-life care is extremely important for our current and future College of Nursing students. The population of the United States is aging, and the odds of living longer are greater,” said Dr. Jean D’Meza Leuner, dean of �鶹ӳ����ý’s College of Nursing. She also stated that as U.S. demographics shift and longevity increases, the need for nurses in programs like Hospice becomes greater. Dean Leuner added, the VITAS scholarship “helps underscore this importance and recognizes the college’s current and future commitment to end-of-life care.”

All �鶹ӳ����ý students will be admitted with a valid �鶹ӳ����ý ID. Visit KnightTickets.com and register your �鶹ӳ����ý ID for the game. You must sign up to activate your student ID for the game. In addition to the standard general admission student section in the south end zone, overflow student seating will be allocated in other sections of the stadium based on availability. Overflow seating will be assigned when the student end zone reaches capacity.

Local College Students

�鶹ӳ����ý Athletics and the �鶹ӳ����ý Student Government Association will be attempting to establish a student attendance record by inviting all college students to attend the crucial Conference USA East Division showdown with UAB. �鶹ӳ����ý will also be welcoming all of its college neighbors in the area, extending the game invitation to students from surrounding regional colleges including Rollins College, Valencia Community College, Seminole State College of Florida, Daytona State College and Full Sail University amongst others.

�鶹ӳ����ý Faculty & Staff

All faculty and staff are eligible to receive a free ticket to the game. Visit the stadium’s ticket office and show your faculty/staff ID to pick up your ticket. Additional tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate of $20. You can also reserve your ticket by calling the Athletics Ticket Office at 407-823-1000.

Pre-Game Festivities in IOA Plaza

Get to Bright House Networks Stadium early before the game, and catch Remove Before Flight in concert from 6-7 p.m. The band will be performing their fan-favorite, �鶹ӳ����ý football-themed hit “Knightmare,” along with songs from their self-titled studio release. Starting at 5 p.m., �鶹ӳ����ý students will be competing in the Hooters Chicken Wing Eating Contest, pitting several campus organizations against each other.

Tickets for this key C-USA matchup and first-ever mid-week game on the �鶹ӳ����ý campus can still be purchased by calling the �鶹ӳ����ý Athletics Ticket Office at 407-�鶹ӳ����ý-1000 or by ogging on to �鶹ӳ����ýAthletics.com.

Levene’s true passion as a student and as a professional is promoting literacy–and she continues to do so throughout the Central Florida community. But she’s still not done. Next up? A doctorate.

Thanks to a three-year grant from the Promise of Nursing, more than 170 registered nurses from 10 hospitals in Brevard, Flagler and Volusia counties completed a new online preceptor education program developed by Judith Ruland, an associate professor in �鶹ӳ����ý’s College of Nursing.

Ruland, who is a certified nurse educator and has a Ph.D. in education, curriculum and instruction, developed the program in consultation with the college’s clinical agency partners at Bert Fish Memorial Center, Cape Canaveral Hospital, Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, Florida Hospital Flagler, Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial, Florida Hospital Oceanside, Halifax Medical Center, Holmes Regional Medical Center, Palm Bay Hospital and Parrish Medical Center.

The 10-week course teaches participants how to assess individual learning needs, how to evaluate a student’s performance, best practices for nurse-to-nurse or nurse-to-physician communication, and teaching and learning theories and strategies, to name just a few. The online lessons, including 15 videos, are available to the participants for up to two years.

According to the Florida Center for Nursing, the existing shortage of nurse preceptors at clinical sites affects the overall nursing shortage. “Our program is helping to address this shortage by expanding the preceptor pool available to nursing programs throughout the region,” said Jean Leuner, dean of �鶹ӳ����ý’s College of Nursing. “Our hope is that we spark their interest in teaching. We would love it if the preceptors decided to go back to school for their master’s degree or doctorate and became our next generation of nurse educators,” Ruland added.

“Most nursing schools utilize preceptors to deliver interactive learning experiences at clinical sites. It’s a vital component of an accredited nursing program,” explains Leuner, who secured the funding for the development and initial implementation of the preceptor education program. The student nurse works the same hours as their preceptor, receiving important hands-on experience and valuable mentoring. As the semester progresses, the student gradually takes on more patient care responsibility, transitioning them from student nurse to professional nurse.

The next class of 120 participants will complete the preceptor education program this fall. “We’d like to expand the program to our clinical partners in Orange and Seminole counties, and eventually to hospitals across the state and nation should additional funding be secured,” Leuner said. “The program can be tailored for any health care facility in any market,” she added.

The Promise of Nursing for Central Florida Nursing School Grant Program is administered by the Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association. Funding for the grant program was contributed by several hospitals and health care agencies in the Central Florida area, by Johnson & Johnson, and by national companies with an interest in supporting nursing education. The funds were raised at a gala fundraising event sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

�鶹ӳ����ý is providing a qualified workforce through its part-time and advance-standing Master of Social Work programs in Daytona Beach. Graduates will practice community-based clinical social work in areas such as schools, addictions and substance abuse, health care, children and families, and gerontology.

Students will take two courses a semester (including summer) and attend an evening class once weekly through �鶹ӳ����ý’s Learning on Demand program, which lets students take courses online, in a classroom or a combination of both.

An information session for the Master of Social Work program will be held on Wednesday, June 3 at noon at �鶹ӳ����ý Daytona Beach located on 1200 W. International Speedway Boulevard.

For more information, contact Ruth Ann Griggers at rgrigger@mail.ucf.edu or 386.506.4043.