2022 Happenings

Nov. 15 — Alumna awarded funds to present at national informatics conference
Sayantani Sarkar, a 2021 graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was one of eight recipients of the 2022 Annual Symposium Travel Award to present at the 2022 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Annual Symposium in New Orleans Nov. 11-15. The award provided funding for Sayantani to present the poster, “Acceptance and Use of Mobile Yoga Application by Breast Cancer Survivors: a Brief Intervention Study,” which was also her dissertation topic. She said she is currently participating in a research project to co-design methodologies with the AMIA consumer health informatics working group. She is a postdoctoral scholar at Yale University School of Nursing.

Nov. 10 — Two alumni team up to write blog post about equity-minded nurses
Aron King and Carter Todd, two alumni of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis master’s-degree leadership program, recently wrote a blog post sharing their work to build health equity in the local Black men’s community through their Barbershop Health Talks. “Providing health education by showing up for people in trusted environments in the community is a proven and effective way to achieve health equity,” they wrote in the blog, “Achieving Health Equity for Black Men, One Barbershop Health Talk at a Time.” The article was published by the Campaign for Action, a nationwide initiative founded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and AARP, designed to harness the power of nursing to help all Americans lead longer, healthier lives. Aron is a nurse manager with UC Davis Health and a first-year student in the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program. Carter is a nurse manager at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento.

Nov. 7 — Nursing professor presents research at virtual international conference
Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, a professor emeritus at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, presented her research studying the migration of girls in South America at the 2022 Edition of the Reunion of International Networks on Migration of Nurses and Migration and Health. The virtual event included 270 nurse researchers from all of Latin America and Spain to share research and findings as well as discuss challenges, innovation and future research. The research group is part of the XVII Pan American Nursing Research Colloquium, which seeks to foster international research collaborations and support the World Health Organization’s sustainable development goal of universal health coverage. Mary Lou plans to publish her research findings about the migration of girls in South America. She is internationally recognized for her ongoing study of the impact of migration on the health and development of Hispanic migrant and immigrant children and families.

Oct. 8 — Physician assistant students represent UC Davis in conference competition
Three first-year physician assistant (P.A.) students from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis represented UC Davis in the California Academy of P.A.s (CAPA) annual Student Challenge Bowl in Carlsbad, California, at the annual CAPACon, the organization’s annual Southern California conference. Students Victoria McKinney-Brooks, Beverly Navarro and Aspen Perovich faced off against13 other P.A. California P.A. program teams to answer exam-style questions. For 2022, the questions were developed by Rosh Review, which provides Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE) preparation for graduating P.A. students. The questions focused on new material recently added to the professional licensing exam. Chapman University P.A. program was the 2022 winning team.

Sept. 23 — Doctor of Philosophy student receives award from Sacramento nursing organization
Calene Roseman, a third-year Doctor of Philosophy student at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was recognized by the Capitol City Black Nurses Association (CCBNA) with the Collaborative Nurse Excellence Award at the group’s second Scholarship and Black Excellence Gala in Sacramento. The award “exemplifies a team-oriented professional practice, where substance and service are foundational and when service to the team signifies success.” Calene is the inpatient unit director for UC Davis Medical Center. For her doctoral dissertation, she explores the use of telehealth in chronic disease management. CCBNA is the Sacramento chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. The group seeks to advocate for the needs of nurses and optimize health outcomes in communities where health disparities persist through both recruitment and retention.

Sept. 22 — Nursing school leader named UC Davis Public Scholarship Faculty Fellow
Piri Ackerman-Barger, the associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was named one of six UC Davis Public Scholarship and Engagement Faculty Fellows. The Faculty Fellows program was established to acknowledge and reward exemplary individuals who work toward a specific public scholarship goal or outcome. The cohort-based program meets monthly through March 2023 to provide participating faculty with a public scholarship peer group and structured time for advancing their projects. For her project, Piri plans to develop a book outlining the fundamentals of health equity and how nurses are uniquely poised to advance health equity. She plans to include strategies grounded in the framework of cultural humility to advance health equity.

Sept. 12 — Alumna publishes thesis research in international nursing journal
Nicole Vance, a Class of 2021 alumna of the master’s-degree leadership program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, recently published the article, “More than Just Cleaning: a Qualitative Descriptive Study of Hospital Cleaning Staff as Patient Caregivers,” in the International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances. The article is based on Nicole’s thesis study work and examines how housekeeping staff in hospitals spend time with patients as part of their work as well as the impact of those interactions on patient care. Nicole discovered that housekeeping staff see themselves as members of the health care team and recognizing these individuals as such could expand understanding of the various roles of caregivers. The article is set to publish in the December edition of the journal and is currently available in the online version. Nicole’s article was supported by School of Nursing faculty Piri Ackerman-Barger and Jann Murray-García.

Sept. 9 — Nursing professor provides content expertise for new health and sexuality web site
Jessica Draughon Moret, an assistant professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, served as one of more than 50 experts who curated and prepared resources for the new Our Bodies Ourselves Today website that launched Sept. 9. Jessica, whose research focuses on women’s health disparities, contributed to content related to gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is also an area of focus for Jessica’s recent research. The website builds on the book, Our Bodies, Ourselves, first published in 1970 by the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. The website, which is led by Our Bodies Ourselves Today at Suffolk University, is a digital platform featuring expert analysis, personal stories and decades of research about the health of women, girls and gender-expansive people.

Sept. 7 — Family Caregiving Institute evaluation work highlighted by national center
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) highlighted the evaluation work led by the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis in a recent report, The RAISE Act State Policy Roadmap for Family Caregivers. The publication provides a roadmap for state officials to better understand the state policy landscape for supporting family caregivers of older adults. In the section, “Using Research, Data and Evidence-Informed Practices to Support Family Caregivers,” the report showcases how California’s Caregiver Resource Centers collect data from caregivers to assess the state’s caregiver services. The Family Caregiving Institute, in partnership with the Family Caregiving Alliance, led the evaluation. According to the report, very few states measure family caregiver outcomes. The California project, along with another in Washington, were highlighted for leading this work. NASHP created the RAISE Act Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center to support the Family Caregiving Advisory Council, which was established by the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act in 2018.

Sept. 6 — Nursing professor featured on nursing podcast on equity, diversity and inclusion 
Piri Ackerman-Barger, the associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, is featured in the podcast, “RN-Mentor Podcast”, hosted by Ali R. Tayyeb, a doctorally prepared nurse and an assistant professor at the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing at California State University, Los Angeles. Piri is part of a series of interviews focused on equity, diversity and inclusion. During her interview, she discusses her work in education for workforce diversity, health and education equity and institutional sustainability. Listen to the podcast

Sept. 6 — Alumna named to nursing leadership role at UC Davis Health
Amy Doroy, a graduate of two nursing degree programs at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was named associate chief nursing officer for patient care services, critical care services at UC Davis Health. Amy, who earned a leadership master’s degree in 2012 and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in 2016, first joined UC Davis Medical Center as a nurse intern in 1998. Most recently, she was the nurse manager for the medical intensive care unit. She is currently the co-chair of the code blue committee, co-facilitator of the Critical Care New Graduate Fellowship Program and co-leader of the ICU early mobility program. Her work with the early mobility program was also her focus for her doctoral dissertation. She has been recognized over the years with numerous awards from regional nursing organizations, UC Davis Health and the School of Nursing.  

Aug. 31 — Doctor of Philosophy student receives international burn society award
Ingrid Parry, a second-year Doctor of Philosophy Degree student at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, was recognized with an award for her podium presentation at the International Society for Burn Injury Congress Aug. 28-Sept. 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico. She was one of eight presenters who received the Andre Zagame Outstanding Occupational or Physical Therapist Award for her presentation, “Associations Between Rehabilitation Services and Patient Impairment at Discharge after Burn Injury in Resource-Limited Countries.” The award recognizes the top presentations at the congress. Parry’s presentation focused on research she conducted as a student as part of her doctoral studies. She explored data from the Global Burn Registry to better understand why nonfatal burns lead to increased disability in resource-limited countries. She found that burn patients had 83% lower odds of disability at discharge if the treatment facility provided reliable rehabilitation services. A physical therapist and researcher at Shriners Children’s Northern California, Ingrid is also the 2022-23 president of the American Burn Association.

Aug. 28 — School of Nursing professor and graduate travel to Zimbabwe to offer free clinic
Janet Meda, an assistant professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, and Sandra Kamba, a Class of 2022 graduate of the school’s master’s-degree family nurse practitioner program, traveled to Harare, Zimbabwe to support a one-day free health care clinic to more than 550 people. They were part of a volunteer effort that included 13 nurses, nine physicians, five nurse aids, a pharmacist and pharmacy technician, three counselors and nine women’s health professionals. The clinic took place at the Highfield Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which is located in an area heavily impacted by poverty. Many people in the area do not have access to health care. Janet and Sandra, who both grew up in Harare, said they are driven to help their home community. They plan to host another free clinic in 2023 and seek to establish additional collaborations to increase the clinics to a quarterly basis to ensure continuity of care for the residents. Janet is a clinician educator who mentors and teaches advanced practice provider students. Sandra is a family nurse practitioner who is now a resident in the school’s nurse practitioner residency program.

Aug. 27 — Alumni-led nursing organizations lead Breaking Down Barriers event  
Several Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing alumni who founded and now lead the Capitol City Black Nurses Association (CCBNA) hosted the Breaking Down Barriers conference in Betty Irene Moore Hall. For the second year, CCBNA led the conference for students or anyone interested in the nursing profession. The goal is to minimize the long-standing barriers that disproportionately impact students in under-represented communities. For the sold-out 2022 conference, several other nursing groups also partnered with CCBNA, including the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the Sacramento Chapter of the Hmong Nurses Association and the local Philippine Nurses Association. Many of these groups are also led by School of Nursing alumni who seek to encourage young people of color in the region to pursue the nursing profession.

Aug. 15 — Doctor of Philosophy alumna earns top health care management credential
Brenda Achelpohl-Chagolla, a Class of 2020 graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was recently named a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), a national professional society for health care leaders. According to ACHE, only 8,866 health care executives hold this distinction. To obtain fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education hours, demonstrating professional and community involvement and passing a comprehensive examination. Fellows also commit to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years. Brenda now can add FACHE to her list of credentials, which signifies board certification in health care management as an ACHE Fellow. She is currently the interim executive director for Nursing at UC Davis Medical Center.

July 31 — Nursing associate dean continues health equity presentations at national conferences
Piri Ackerman-Barger, associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, recently completed a series of presentations at several nursing conferences across the globe. After presenting “Poised for Inclusion” at the 33rd International Nursing Research Congress of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Scotland, she went on to lead two presentations at the National Black Nurses Association 50^th  Annual Conference in Chicago July 26-31. She led the session, “Advancing Inclusion in Nursing Education: Understanding Microagressions, Satisfaction and Wellness,” with master’s-leadership alumnus, and now Doctor of Philosophy student, Aron King. The session provided insights in frequency of microaggressions experienced by nursing students of color as well as their impact on program satisfaction and well-being. Piri and Aron conducted an internet-based survey during 2020 of 862 nursing students who represented 129 nursing schools across the United States. They used a survey measuring microaggression frequency, satisfaction with nursing school and risk for depression. Piri also served as a panelist for the plenary session, “Health Equity through Nursing Practice, Leadership, Research and Education.” The session explored how contributions from a diverse nursing workforce across practice, leadership, research and education are necessary to advance health equity.

July 30 — Doctor of Philosophy students present poster at national LGBTQ conference
Jacke Humphrey-Straub and Maychao “Michelle” Yang, two second-year Doctor of Philosophy students at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, presented a research poster at the National LGBTQ Health Conference in Chicago July 28-30. Their poster, “Examining LGBT Caregivers and Workplace Discrimination: a Cross-Sectional Study,” highlighted their study of LGBT caregivers and their experiences of workplace discrimination. The two discovered that their LGBT identity isn’t associated with workplace discrimination based on caregiver status. However, LGBT caregivers report both financial strain and burden of care are associated with LGBT identity. The National LGBTQ Health Conference is an interdisciplinary, translational research conference bringing together scientists, public health professionals and health care providers to discuss issues affecting the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community. The largest scientific gathering of its kind in the United States, the conference also fosters professional development and provides networking opportunities. The National LGBTQ Health Conference was founded in 2012 by the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) at Northwestern University.

July 15 — Master’s-degree nurse practitioner student awarded national scholarship by Hispanic nursing association
Eduardo Tanori, a second-year master’s-degree family nurse practitioner student at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship at the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) 47^th Annual Conference July 15 in Miami. Eduardo was awarded the Abbott NAHN Scholarship, which supports scholarships for future clinical trial leaders to support their education. The scholarship seeks to expose more minority nursing students to the research process. The initiative aims to overcome barriers to expanding diversity in clinical trials and ultimately improve health outcomes in minority communities. Of the eight awards, four scholarships go to nursing students, three to Doctor of Philosophy students and one to a nurse practitioner student, which is the award Eduardo received. He says two nursing faculty, Assistant Professor Laura Van Auker and Associate Professor Brent Luu, guided him through the application and recommendation process.

July 15 — Doctor of Philosophy student awarded national scholarship by Hispanic nursing association
Sandra Calderon, a second-year Doctor of Philosophy student at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded a $5,000 scholarship at the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) 47^th Annual Conference July 15 in Miami. Sandra is also an alumna of the school’s family nurse practitioner master’s-degree program. She was awarded the Suncrest Cares Foundation NAHN Scholarship which recognizes nursing students who exemplify a dedication to service within their community and a desire to expand that service through nursing. Sandra led efforts in the Sacramento region to launch a local chapter of NAHN and currently leads that chapter as its president. NAHN is dedicated to exploring and seeking solutions to health care issues impacting the Hispanic population.

July 5 — Nursing professor collaborates with nursing experts to examine nurse well-being
Deb Bakerjian, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, worked with a team of nursing experts to write the article, “Nurse Well-Being: A Concept Analysis,” which was published in the online journal for Nursing Outlook, the journal of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). As a member of the academy’s Expert Panel on Quality of Health Care, Deb and the team of experts studied the concept of well-being in nurses for more than a year. She said the study was the result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers. “There is a lot of talk about moral injury, stress and burnout along with the need to improve well-being,” Deb said. The panel found varying levels of nurse well-being that range from an individual level to the community level. These definitions, the experts reported, can guide future research and policy development to build capacity for nurses’ well-being. In addition to the online publication, the article is set to be printed in its next print publication.

June 30 — Doctoral alumna appointed to research faculty position at Tufts University
Ronit Ridberg, a 2018 graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was appointed research assistant professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Her appointment begins Aug. 1. She will continue there her research focus on food as medicine, nutrition security and nutrition equity. For the past four years, she was a postdoctoral scholar at the school. She was mentored by Associate Dean for Research Janice Bell as well as Fred Meyers, director for the UC Davis Health Center for Precision Medicine and Data Sciences, where Ridberg managed the center’s Precision Nutrition Program. Her research includes evaluation of programs in and outside the clinical setting which aim to address food insecurity, improve dietary consumption and manage chronic disease. This body of work builds on her doctoral dissertation, which she completed at the School of Nursing in 2018. She published several journal articles as a postdoctoral scholar. Her most recent publications include “A Case for Using Electronic Health Record Data in the Evaluation of Produce Prescription Programs” in the Journal for Primary Care and Community Health, “Additional Fruit and Vegetable Vouchers for Pregnant WIC Clients: An Equity-Focused Strategy to Improve Food Security and Diet Quality” in the journal, Nutrients, and “Food Sovereignty, Health and Produce Prescription Programs: A Case Study in Two Rural Tribal Communities” in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development.

June 23 – Inaugural fellow discusses sexual assault telehealth forensic examinations
Sheridan Miyamoto, an inaugural 2014 graduate of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program, presented at the 24th Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International Conference June 21-23 in Durham, North Carolina. Sheridan’s presentation, “Patient Experience with Sexual Assault Telehealth Forensic Examinations” was part of the virtual session, Strengthening the Provision of Forensic and Sexual Assault Services. Sheridan, who is an associate professor at the Penn State College of Nursing, is an inaugural fellow in the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators.

June 14 — Nursing faculty co-author study findings in national medial journal
Jessica Draughon Moret, an assistant professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, co-authored the article, “NIH Funding of Violence Research by Institute, 2011 to 2020,” that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Jessica partnered with three other nursing faculty to publish the article, including Jessica Williams of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, Candace Burton of the Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing at UC Irvine, and Jocelyn Anderson of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Pennsylvania State University. The group conducted a study examining trends in violence research. They found an overall decrease in National Institutes of Health research funding from 2011 to 2022, both in absolute dollars and the percentage of funding dedicated to violence research. The group said the study’s findings may suggest areas of improvement for the NIH to better coordinate violence research.

June 9 — Associate dean selected as plenary speaker for national nursing conference
Piri Ackerman-Barger, the associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, served as the plenary speaker at the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) 2022 Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Piri presented, “The Intersection of Cultural Humility and Health Equity.” Piri combines her expertise in nursing and education to advance a program of instruction on workforce diversity, education equity and institutional sustainability that she presents nationally to thousands of participants. Her research identifies strategies to cultivate the skills and knowledge that health care providers, educators and leaders need to diversify the health care workforce. AHNA is a specialty nursing association serving more than 5,500 nurses and holistic health care professionals. The association seeks to illuminate holism in nursing practice, community, advocacy, research and education.

June 8 — Professor kicks off new caregiving webinar series
Heather M. Young, professor and dean emerita at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and also national program director for the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, was an expert speaker to kick off the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing year-long webinar series exploring innovative solutions to the nation’s caregiving crisis. Young, who is also the associate director for strategic partnerships for the Family Caregiving Institute at the UC Davis School of Nursing, was joined by Susan Reinhard, who leads family caregiving initiatives with AARP, to discuss how to enhance the well-being of caregivers. The session was moderated by Melissa O’Connor, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick Endowed Professor in Community and Home Health Nursing at Villanova University and also an inaugural Betty Irene Moore Fellow. Read and watch more about the webinar event

May 27 — Physician assistant student receives future health care professional scholarship
Soledad Contreras Barrera, a first-year physician assistant (P.A.) student at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded a $500 Future Healthcare Workers Serving the Underserved scholarship at a ceremony May 27. She was one of five students at UC Davis Health to receive the scholarship this year. This is the second year for the scholarship that was created by the UC Davis School of Medicine Office of Student and Resident Diversity. The scholarship amount is based on annual donations to the scholarship fund. The scholarship supports students interested in serving underserved populations as a health professional. This includes students who face economic or social barriers, including being considered undocumented, DACA, AB-540 or California Dream Act students. Eligible students are enrolled at the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, or the UC Davis postbaccalaureate program. Soledad, who was born in Mexico, is especially interested in serving rural and underserved communities.

May 25 — Postdoctoral fellow publishes article highlighting her dissertation research
Everlyne G. Ogugu, a Heather M. Young Postdoctoral Fellow at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the article, “The Association Between Habitual Sleep Duration and Blood Pressure Control in United States (US) Adults with Hypertension,” in the online journal, Integrated Blood Pressure Control. The article outlines Everlyne’s dissertation research examining the relationship between sleep and blood pressure control. Everlyne is a 2021 gradute of the Doctor of Philosophy program at the School of Nursing. Through her study of sleep data of 5,163 adults, she found that less than six hours of sleep is associated with reduced ability to manage hypertension, or high blood pressure. She concludes that interventions to support adequate sleep may be a promising addition to better managing high blood pressure. Article co-authors include School of Nursing faculty Janie Bell, Sheryl Catz and Julie Bidwell. Everlyne’s current research is on various factors that influence sleep in older adults and their caregivers as well as interventions for improving sleep health.

May 19 — Nursing educator and leader present to statewide organization
Two Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis team members presented at the Directors of Public Health Nursing (DPHN) Spring Conference, a virtual conference conducted throughout the month. Cindy Wilson, a clinical nurse educator with the school, presented “The Benefits of Simulation Learning in Nursing Education for Current and Future Public Health Nurses” as an educational session May 17. The presentation highlighted the benefits of simulations in the preparation and enhancement of the public health nursing workforce’s capacity, competencies and skills. Piri Ackerman-Barger, the school’s associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, presented the keynote presentation May 19, “The Role of Nurses in Advancing Health Equity: The Future of Nursing 2020-2030.” DPHN is an affiliate group for California public health nursing directors from various county and city health departments. The group advocates for and advances public health nursing practice throughout California.

May 18 — UC Davis, UCLA nursing researchers partner to study nurse migration
Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, a professor emeritus at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, collaborated with UCLA School of Nursing Professor Robert Lucero to present “International Nurse Migration in Latin America and the United States” to an international nurse migration network. The 15-minute online presentation was conducted in Spanish and included network members from South and North America. The duo presented their findings on the migration of nurses in the U.S. from 2010 through 2018. Their report was part of the network’s larger research exploring the migration of nurses throughout the Americas. Mary Lou was instrumental in launching the network through a partnership with the American Nurses Association and the Pan American Health Organization in 1996. Mary Lou is nationally recognized for her interdisciplinary efforts to prepare health and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in leadership and policy, as well as internationally respected for her research in migrant population health.

May 17 — UC Davis graduate nursing students inducted into international honor society
More than three dozen Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis graduate nursing students were inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma), at a joint ceremony led by the Zeta Eta Chapter in Sacramento. The Zeta Eta Chapter is a joint chapter of both UC Davis and California State University, Sacramento. The 37 UC Davis students inducted included doctoral, family nurse practitioner and entry-level nursing students. Sigma is one of the largest international nursing organizations and works to foster, develop and connect nurses worldwide to improve health care. The group promotes nursing excellence through its initiatives in research, leadership, an electronic library, programming and publications, as well as its work to develop and distribute nursing knowledge for use in practice. Membership in Sigma is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship as well as nurse leaders who demonstrate exceptional achievement in nursing.

May 16 — Associate dean serves as a panelist at National Academies caregiving workshop
Janice Bell, the associate dean for research at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was one of 10 panelists who discussed “Providing Effective Support for Family Caregivers” at a family caregiving workshop in Washington, D.C. May 16-17. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine led the two-day Family Caregiving for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses Workshop. The workshop focused on research gaps and opportunities to improve caregiving, potential policy and practice opportunities, health equity across family caregiving and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of caregiving. Janice, a co-founder and faculty member in the Family Caregiving Institute at the School of Nursing, focuses much of her research on advancing system supports for family caregiving. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine provide independent, objective advice to spark progress and advance science for the benefit of society.

May 4 — Professor publishes article outlining role of advanced practice nurses in nursing homes
Deb Bakerjian, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the online article, "The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Leadership Role in Nursing Homes: Leading Efforts Toward High Quality and Safe Care," for the journal, Nursing Clinics of North America. The article outlines the leadership role of advanced practice registered nurses in the care of older adults who live in nursing homes. However, Deb said the information also applies to advanced practice registered nursing more broadly. She described it as an excellent resource for new advanced practice nurses who are learning to be leaders as well as a refresher for leaders with experience. The quarterly journal is considered a consulting source for nurses in hospitals, private practice, clinics and other settings. The article is scheduled to be published in a future print version.

April 27 — School of Nursing faculty publish article exploring microagressions and depression among nursing students
Piri Ackerman-Barger, associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the article, “Microaggressions, school satisfaction and depression: a national survey of nursing students,” in the journal, Nursing Outlook. Piri wrote the article with School of Nursing Professor Philippe Goldin and Assistant Professor Jessica Draughon Moret. The article highlights the national study the team did of microagressions among nursing students to determine if microagressions predict lower satisfaction with nursing training and if they are associated with higher rates of depression. The authors found that compared to white nursing students, underrepresented nursing students reported more microagressions, lower training satisfaction and higher potential depression rates. They concluded that strategic action to mitigate microagressions and promote inclusion is needed. An online version of the article was published April 27 and is set to appear in an upcoming print edition of Nursing Outlook. The publication is a peer-reviewed, bimonthly journal exploring issues, research and more in the nursing profession.

April 19 — School of Nursing diversity leader speaks at health equity consortium
Piri Ackerman-Barger, the associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was an expert panelist for the Together We  Can: Solutions to Address Health Equity consortium in Anaheim, California, April 19.  Piri was one of four experts discussing “Eliminating Structural Barriers to Accessing Health Care.” The consortium, presented by the Illumination Foundation, offered several sessions focused on solutions, trends and best practices for serving vulnerable groups to promote health equity. The Illumination Foundation is a Southern California non-profit agency that provides targeted, interdisciplinary services for the most vulnerable homeless adults and children in an effort to disrupt homelessness.

April 18 — School of Nursing doctoral student accepted into UC Davis public scholars program
Amelia Lawless, a licensed clinical social worker and doctoral candidate at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, is one of 11 UC Davis Doctor of Philosophy students accepted into the 2021 Public Scholars for the Future program. The program seeks to integrate community-centered theories, methods and techniques into the practice of the next generation of public scholars. The program includes a 10-week seminar along with one-on-one mentoring by UC Davis faculty. Students who successfully complete the program receive $750 for research support. To apply, students must be doctorial students whose research includes a community-engaged component. Amelia’s research focuses on understanding and improving the conditions that clinicians work in and inmates experience in incarceration settings. She is a member of the school’s Class of 2022 and set to graduate this spring.

April 15 — Nursing journal recognizes nursing professor with award for 2021 article
Piri Ackerman-Barger, associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, received the Dare to Share Writing Award from the peer-reviewed journal, Nurse Educator. The award is for her article, “Promoting a Culture of Civility in Nursing Learning Environments,” which was published in the journal’s July 2021 edition. The article explores strategies for promoting a culture of civility in nursing learning environments. She wrote the article with co-authors Jane K. Dickinson, a lecturer at Columbia University, and Louisa D. Martin, an adjunct faculty member at Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia. The Dare to Share Writing Award was established in memory of Kathleen T. Henrich, a nurse educator and journal editor who was passionate about creating a positive work environment and culture of collegiality in nursing programs. The award recognizes nurse authors who published an article in Nurse Educator that reflects excellence and writing along with Heinrich’s values, beliefs and philosophy.

April 14 — Postdoctoral scholar recognized for ‘high impact’ article in nutrition journal
Ronit Ridberg, a postdoctoral scholar at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis and an alumna of the school’s Doctor of Philosophy Class of 2018, was awarded a 2022 High-Impact Award from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior for her 2019 article, “A Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program Increases Food Security in Low-Income Households.” According to the journal editor, Karen Chapman-Novakofski, the 2022 awards were given to authors of papers published in 2019 that were highly cited since publication. Ronit’s article is one of five articles recognized and reflects her dissertation research. She analyzed the impact of clinic-based fruit and vegetable prescription programs for 578 low-income families and discovered 72% of the participating households improved their food security scores. Food security scores are used to measure consistent, dependable access to food. Ronit’s co-authors include Janice Bell, associate dean for research; Heather M. Young, professor and associate director for Strategic Partnerships at the Family Caregiving Institute; and Daniel Tancredi, a researcher with the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research. In addition to her postdoctoral scholar role at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, she also manages the Precision Nutrition Program that’s part of the UC Davis Health Center for Precision Medicine and Data Sciences.

April 3 — Nurse practitioner faculty present at statewide association conference
Several faculty from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis presented at the 44^th Annual California Association for Nurse Practitioners (CANP) Educational Conference March 31 through April 3 in Pasadena, California. Mary Gallagher, a clinician educator, and Elizabeth Rice, associate dean for student and faculty success, gave the podium presentation, “Trauma-informed Care, ACES and Resilience: An Educational Approach for Nurse Practitioners.” The presentation focused on the need for advanced practice providers to educate themselves on the impact of trauma in combination with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Another team of faculty including family nurse practitioner program director Kathryn Sexson, along with clinician educators Amber Ramage and Jill Saberman, also provided a podium presentation. In “An Overview of Key Takeaways from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2021 Sexually Transmitted Infection Treatment Guidelines Update,” the trio addressed changes issued by the CDC regarding evidence-based prevention, diagnostics and treatment recommendations for sexually transmitted infections. The CANP annual conference brings together nurse practitioners and health care leaders from across the state to collaborate, educate and advocate for the advance practice nursing profession.

April 1 — Nursing professor, physician team launch updated nursing home quality website
Deb Bakerjian, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, partnered with UC Davis Health physician and health care quality expert, Patrick Romano, to launch the Cal Long-Term Care Compare, a website that compares California nursing homes and other long-term care organizations on quality of care. Information provided includes staff, organizational characteristics, deficiencies and fines. The website was funded by Cal Healthcare Compare (CHC), previously known as Cal Hospital Compare. Deb and Patrick developed the website to be used by consumers so the materials are easy to understand and navigate. They modeled it after a similar website, CalQualityCare, that was closed in 2016 due to lack of funding. Deb is recognized as a national expert in long-term care and former president of California Association of Long-Term Care Medicine (CALTC). Deb and Patrick are also the co-editors-in-chief of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) online journal, Patient Safety Network, or PSNet.

March 1 — School of Nursing magazine, advertising win awards
The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis was recognized with three awards in the 37^th Annual Educational Advertising Awards announced March 1. The school was recognized with a merit award in the external publications category for its 2021 magazine, Charting Our Course, a silver award in the online publication category for the online version of the 2021 magazine and a gold award for its Go Beyond advertising campaign that promotes the school’s educational programs. The Educational Advertising Awards is the largest, oldest and most respected educational advertising awards competition in the country. This year, more than 2,000 entries were received from over 1,000 colleges, universities and secondary schools from all 50 states and several foreign countries. In addition to the School of Nursing, UC Davis Health Public Affairs and Marketing also garnered three awards and UC Davis Strategic Communications collected 17 awards.

Feb. 27 — Alumna presented Black History Month Legacy Award of Excellence
Sheree Criner, a 2018 graduate of the master’s-degree leadership program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was presented the Black History Month Legacy Award of Excellence at the 34^th Annual Sacramento Black Expo. Sheree was recognized for her achievements in building equity in health care opportunities “so our families can have access to a better life of fulfillment, which transcends into a more sustainable Black community.” For the past 34 years, the two-day Sacramento Black Expo has provided workshops, exhibits, seminars and more in recognition of February as Black History Month. The expo concluded with the awards dinner where Sheree received her award. Sheree is director of Surgical Specialties at Kaiser Permanent South Sacramento. She is also vide president of the Capital City Black Nurses Association, which she helped establish with several other School of Nursing alumni.

Feb. 22 — Alumnus authors journal article on burnout in the nursing profession
Perry Gee, a Class of 2014 graduate of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program, recently published the article, “Beyond Burnout and Resilience: The Disillusionment Phase of COVID-19,” in the journal  AACN Advanced Critical Care, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The article explores burnout in the nursing workforce and how the COVID-19 pandemic led to additional trauma to health care workers due to the repeated surges of critically ill patients. The article describes psychological responses to the pandemic so that nurse leaders can better identify resources and interventions to support nurses. Perry is a nurse scientist for Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah. The primary author of the paper, Perry collaborated with a team of three other leaders to prepare the article.

Feb. 10 — Doctoral alumnus leads session at health care summit
Perry Gee, a Class of 2014 alumnus of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, led a discussion on nurse burnout amid the COVID-19 pandemic at the virtual Healing Healthcare Summit Feb. 8-10. Perry, along with three other nurse scientists, discussed nurse well-being and their concerns that the pandemic has led to issues for nurses beyond burnout that is often seen in health care professionals. Their research found many nurses suffer from secondary trauma, moral distress, PTSD, cumulative grief and compassion fatigue. The free summit, which is available to view through Feb. 20, included top experts in organizational and trauma-informed mindfulness, along with health care executives, neuroscientists and frontline health care professionals. Perry is currently a nurse scientist with Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah. He’s also an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing. Last fall, he was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Feb. 9 — Professor’s reference guide awarded third place in Book of the Year program
Brent Luu, a pharmacist and an associate professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded third place in the American Journal of Nursing 2021 Book of the Year Program for the book he published with two former School of Nursing faculty last year. The reference guide, “Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers” serves as a unique tool for advanced practice students and clinicians. Brent teamed up with Gerald Kayingo, a physician assistant and former associate professor, along with Virginia Hass, a nurse practitioner and retired associate professor, to write the book. Brent said they developed the guide to serve as “a bridge between standard, lengthy pharmacology texts and quick pocket references that lack information regarding key pharmacotherapy principles.” The book was awarded third place in the advanced practice nursing category. The journal has published an annual list of the best in nursing publishing since 1969. Experts serve as judges in 20 categories and select up to three winners for each category. The 2021 awards include 48 books.

Feb. 8 — Nursing faculty, doctoral alumna publish article exploring violence prevention apps
Jessica Draughon Moret, an assistant professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, and Angela Todd, a 2021 graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program, published the article, “Mobile Phone Apps for Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Prevention and Response: Systematic Search on App Stores,” in the February edition of JMIR Formative Research, a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on research of the design of health-related research and technology innovations. Jessica, Angela and three other nurse researchers examined and evaluated 132 mobile apps that provide resources and support for intimate partner and sexual violence prevention and response. The study revealed that not only do the apps vary widely in quality, they are challenging to find for users. The authors suggested health providers be aware of the available resources in order to recommend appropriate apps to patients. Jessica and Angela previously worked together when Jessica served as Angela’s dissertation chair for her doctoral research.

Jan. 26, 2022 — Nursing professor collaborates to publish article in nursing leadership journal
Deb Bakerjian, a professor and director for multiple education programs at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, collaborated with a team of nursing leaders at HealthImpact, the California nursing workforce center, to publish the article, “The Importance and Impact of Nurse Leader Engagement With State Nursing Workforce Centers: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic,” in the December special issue of the journal, Nurse Leader. The article explores the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nursing workforce and outlines strategies and interventions, such as state workforce centers, to improve the health and supply of a strong nursing workforce. Deb collaborated on the article with HealthImpact CEO Garrett K. Chan and other members of the HealthImpact Board of Directors. She serves as board chair. HealthImpact seeks to shape health care through workforce strategy, stakeholder convening and policy advocacy. The board of directors works to advance these efforts through a variety of initiatives, including publication of their efforts in various leadership and nursing journals. At the School of Nursing, Deb is the principal investigator and director for three grant projects focused on interprofessional, team-based primary care education for family nurse practitioner, physician assistant and medical students as well as nurse practitioner and medical residents. She is the chair of the education committee for the UC Davis Health Healthy Aging Initiative. She is also the co-primary investigator and co-editor-in-chief for Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Network website.