DIRECTOR S MESSAGE. KU Nurse Anesthesia Alumni Newsletter. Spring 2014

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1 DIRECTOR S MESSAGE Greetings from the KU Nurse Anesthesia Program! Our seniors are enrolled in their last semester and will graduate on May 18 th. This group of 24 has zero attrition and will be the last graduates with a Master of Science, Nurse Anesthesia. Congratulations to our seniors! Inside this issue: Directors Message 1 The DNP curriculum is well underway for the first and second year SRNAs. Both groups are taking didactic courses new to the nurse anesthesia curriculum to satisfy COA Essentials and CCNE Standards. These new courses include: Applied Statistics and Analysis in Health Care Introduction to Theory, Research Methods, & EBP The Social Context for Health Care Policy Information Systems & Data Management in Anesthesia Evaluation & Application of EBP in Anesthesia Epidemiology Leadership in Nurse Anesthesia In addition, the SRNAs will enroll in the School of Nursing s Capstone courses and each student will be required to develop and write an individual Capstone paper with a dissemination component, such as submission for publication. The program has received COA approval for a new clinical affiliate site in Falls City, Nebraska. One of our 2004 graduates, Holly Lashmet, is a solo CRNA practitioner in this rural setting and has graciously taken on the KU SRNAs in addition to the SRNA s from the Bryan Program in Lincoln. The 2015 SRNAs scheduled for Falls City are looking forward to this experience in addition to the required rural assignment in either Clinton or Winfield. Faculty Spotlight 2 Alumni Fundraiser 3 Lobby Day News from graduates 4 Affiliate Spotlight 5 Welcome Faculty 5 Upcoming Events 6 Contact Information 6 Alissa Blau joined the faculty in December Alissa is a 2013 graduate of our program and she is teaching didactic on line courses this semester as well as working with the SRNAs in the OR, primarily with the novice SRNAs since they began that phase of training in early January. Alissa and Lauryn Rametta have begun their post masters DNP program and plan to finish in three years or less. Paul Hertel is the current KANA President and we are very proud of his service to Kansas CRNAs! Paul and two senior SRNAs, Kevin Deao and Jonathan Sperry, successfully planned and implemented Lobby Day during National Nurse Anesthesia week: please read their article in the newsletter. Karri Arndt and I attended the Assembly of School Faculty meeting in San Diego in February and it was nice to have a break from the cold Kansas winter! Karri and I stayed an extra day in San Diego to attend the COA workshop and train to become national on site accreditors for nurse anesthesia education programs. We both have assignments for accreditation visits in fall I hope to see many of you at the KU Symposium: please join us for the annual KU Nurse Anesthesia Program Alumni lunch on Saturday, April 12 th! Finally, I would like to thank Kerri Helm and Jamie Lewis for putting together the newsletter as part of their senior Leadership Project. Donna Nyght, CRNA, DNP 1

2 Faculty in the Spotlight Paul Bennetts, CRNA, PhD, is a clinical assistant professor and director of research for the Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education. He has over twenty years experience in nurse anesthesia, having worked nine years for the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., and nine years in private practice. Dr. Bennetts received a diploma in nursing from Research Medical Center School of Nursing in 1979, a bachelors degree in nursing from Saint Mary University in 1986, and is a 1989 graduate of KU's nurse anesthesia program. He served as a nurse anesthetist on active duty in the U.S. Army Reserves in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. In addition, he worked extensively in solo and all-crna group practices in rural hospitals and has also provided locum tenens services to a number of hospitals and surgery centers in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Arkansas. During his training, he has been recognized with outstanding student awards in both nursing programs and the nurse anesthesia program and received the 1990 AANA Research in Action award for his master s thesis work. Dr. Bennetts entered academic nurse anesthesia practice at KU Medical Center in He was appointed director of research of the department in He completed his doctorate in 2013, also from KU. Dr. Bennetts has been a speaker for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists national meeting. Dr. Bennetts is an instructor of didactic courses in advanced physiology, theory and research, regional anesthesia and pain management, evidence-based practice, and senior-level nurse anesthesia theory. His primary clinical responsibility is in teaching cardiothoracic anesthesia in the Center for Advanced Heart Care at The University of Kansas Hospital. Dr. Bennetts dissertation research involved using intravenous Coenzyme Q-10 as part of a resuscitation protocol to reduce the production of oxygen radicals and cellular apoptosis following hemorrhagic shock. He defended his dissertation in May of 2013 and graduated with his PhD in August His long-term goal is the development of a departmental focus to prepare students as specialists in the evidence-based practice of nurse anesthesia. Paul is married to Nadine Zahniser Bennetts, who is a middle school teacher of gifted students. Together they have three daughters and a son. His oldest daughter is a family practice physician, his son is a musician and audio engineer, and two youngest daughters are both college students. Paul s hobbies include fly fishing, mountain biking, and golfing. During the cold war, he was a Russian linguist in the Air Force. 2

3 Alumni Fundraiser October 4th, 2014 The University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education is hosting its first annual fundraising event for alumni and students. We will be holding a silent auction during the event to benefit the KUMC SRNA s. The proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction will go toward the program s endowment to help students fund travel to events such as the AANA Mid-Year Assembly or the Guatemala Medical Mission trip, along with other expenses throughout the program. Club th & Broadway Kansas City, MO Time-6:30-10:30 To purchase tickets contact the following SRNAs: Paige ([email protected]) or Vanessa ([email protected]). Tickets are $60.00 and includes food and drinks. We are looking forward to making this an anticipated annual event for alumni and students. If anyone is interested in donating items for the silent auction, please contact the Paige, Vanessa, or the department office at Your attendance or donations will be greatly appreciated! Update your information: As we lead our busy lives, some may forget to pass along changes in mailing addresses or addresses. Many of our newsletters and s are returned. If you are receiving this newsletter, then we have your current address. However, many never get this newsletter. Please pass along the following web site to update information to any alumni who you keep in touch with: Click Membership then click Update Your Info. You may update addresses, current occupation, family information, etc., at this site as well. Keep in touch! 3

4 Kansas Nurse Anesthesia Lobby Day The 6th annual Kansas Nurse Anesthesia Lobby Day was January 21, 2014, in Topeka, Kansas. This annual event coincides with National Nurse Anesthesia week and is celebrated every January. There were 23 anesthesia providers in attendance, spending the day networking and lobbying for the profession of Nurse Anesthesia at the State Capital. Eight practicing CRNAs from Kansas in addition to 17 graduate nurse anesthesia students made the day a success. Each Kansas nurse anesthesia program sent student representatives, including 14 from the University of Kansas, 2 from Texas Wesleyan, and 1 from Newman University. The day started with a briefing and planning session at the Hein s Law office in Topeka, and the group travelled to the Capital Building and had a photo taken with Governor Brownback in his office. After the photo opportunity with the Governor, the nurse anesthetists met with individual legislators. There were 20 meetings with legislators throughout the day. We were able to meet with Paul Davis, who is running for governor. It was a good opportunity to meet with a potential future governor and let him know how he can impact our profession in the future. The participants enjoyed getting to know their representatives, and the legislators were interested in hearing more about the nurse anesthesia profession. KANA graciously sponsored lunch at the Celtic Fox, where participants had the honor of listening to Deborah Stern, RN, JD of the Kansas Hospital Association. She spoke to us about current and future healthcare changes. All Lobby Day participants returned to the Capital building after lunch for additional meetings. Speaker of the House Ray Merrick spoke to the group in the afternoon. Group members were pleased at the positive reception and the genuine interest that was taken in the profession. Thanks to all who participated and made Kansas Lobby Day a great success. KANA and the KU Nurse Anesthesia Program looks forward to another. Submitted by Kevin Deao and Jonathan Sperry News from our graduates! Briana Meseroll (Briana Exley) a 2002 graduate, received the AANA's Foundation Doctoral Fellowship award for $10,000: her research is titled "The Non-compete Clause and the CRNA: An Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, and Experience". She looks forward to presenting her results at the 2014 Nurse Anesthesia Annual Congress in Orlando, Florida. Babies: Patrick ( 08) and Laura Donnelly ( 12) welcomed Maeve Genevieve Donnelly on December 5, 2013 Paige ( 13) and Joshua Kenney welcomed Clara Josephine Kenney on October 8,

5 Centerpoint Medical Center Center Point Medical Center in Independence, MO is currently one of our affiliate sites for seniors. This site provides opportunities for our students in the management of patients presenting for a wide variety of procedures. These include: general, ENT, pediatrics, OB-GYN, orthopedic, plastic, neurology, and cardiothoracic cases. Our students also are able to gain experience with central line placement. Center Point Medical Center is currently home to three KU Alumni: Rick Downey, Chief CRNA, Phillip Knowles, CRNA, and Charles Herring, CRNA. Welcome Alissa Blau, Clinical and Didactic Instructor Alissa Blau, CRNA, is a recent graduate of the KU Nurse Anesthesia program and is returning as a clinical assistant professor. Clinically, she will be working with students in all phases of the program in the main OR, GI, IR, and KU Med West. Alissa is also co-teaching Regional Anesthesia/Pain Management and Advanced Theory in Anesthesia this spring semester. Alissa graduated with her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. She proceeded to earn her Master's of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Kansas. Following graduation she was a staff CRNA at KU Medical Center. Originally from Iowa, she now lives in Overland Park with her husband and dog Stella. She loves spending time with her husband, playing golf, taking Stella to the dog park, traveling, and being with family and friends. 5 Alumni News: We want to have a regular column in the newsletter featuring alumni accomplishments, but we need your help in collecting those accomplishments. Please send us any professional achievements such as articles published, awards received, new degrees earned, involvement in professional organizations, job promotions such as chief CRNA, participation on mission trips, etc. We also welcome personal news, such as weddings and babies! Please send your information to [email protected] or post it on Facebook on the KU Nurse Anesthesia page.

6 UPCOMING EVENTS 64th Annual KU Postgraduate Symposium on Anesthesiology KU Nurse Anesthesia Program sponsors a lunch at the Symposium each year for Program alumni April 11-13th, 2014, InterContinental Hotel Kansas City at the Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri Kansas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Spring Meeting April 26th and 27th, 2014 at Doubletree Hotel, Overland Park, Kansas Alumni/Program Tailgate: KU vs. SE Missouri State September 6th, 2014 on the hill in Lawrence, Kansas Tailgate/Game Time TBA Alumni Scholarship Visit us at OR Find us on Facebook on the KU Nurse Anesthesia page Thank you for all of your support to get the Alumni Scholarship endowed. We have reached the required $30,000! A scholarship committee will decide the specifics of the award. Your continued donations are crucial to student and program success, so please donate to the endowed scholarship fund or the general program endowment fund to support student travel and other expenses. You can donate on our alumni page, Click on Make a Gift and indicate that the donation is for the scholarship fund or the general fund. Or you can contact Peggy Person with KU Endowment at or [email protected]. Thank you for your donations! KU Nurse Anesthesia Education Mail Stop Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS