10/14/16  Portland, Ore.

In February OHSU School of Nursing announced that with a new matching grant of $70,000 from the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, it will fund the scholarship of 7 doctoral nursing students for 2016 - 2018. As a recipient of the Jonas Center grant, OHSU School of Nursing is part of a national effort to stem the faculty shortage and prepare the next generation of nurses.

The OHSU School of Nursing introduces our 2016 - 2018 Jonas Scholars:

Noël M. Arring, D.N.P., R.N., O.C.N., is the Manager of Nursing Research, Department of Nursing at Mayo Clinic, Arizona. She received her DNP from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Public Health Nurse Leadership. She has over 10 years of experience working in the field of Oncology. She is currently a PhD student at Oregon Health &Science University where she is studying cancer-related fatigue in post-treatment cancer survivors. Her research and clinical interests include: Enculturating Evidence-based practice, Cancer Survivorship, Population Health Management, and Falls.

Jonathan Auld, R.N., M.S., M.A.T., C.N.L. began pursuing his doctoral education at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing in September of 2014. Prior to his matriculation into the Ph.D. program, he received a Master's in Science degree and clinical nurse leader certification from the University of Portland. Prior to becoming a nurse, he was a master's prepared elementary education teacher. Additionally, he received honors in biology for my bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College.

He says, "My career goal is to become an influential nurse scientist with an innovative and productive interdisciplinary program of research dedicated to understanding the interaction between heart failure symptom biology, patient behaviors and patient outcomes. I have over 10 years of clinical practice in caring for patients with cardiovascular disorders as well as my experiences participating in complex large multi-center research trials and observational research. My clinical experiences as a ventricular assist device coordinator caring for patients with advanced stage heart failure (HF) facilitated my identification of important questions regarding the heterogeneous nature of HF symptoms and the role of patient behaviors in managing their HF to minimize or prevent symptoms. Through my role as a ventricular assist device coordinator and member of the OHSU HF/Transplant team, I had the opportunity to develop strong interprofessional relationships that, in conjunction with my unanswered clinical questions, influenced me to pursue my Ph.D. In 2014, I was fortunate to have my doctoral education supported by the Dean's Award from OHSU and a Hearst PhD Scholar Award. In June 2016, I received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship from the National institute of Nursing Research. I am thrilled to be selected as a Jonas Scholar. The Jonas Scholars award provides the opportunity to advance my learning in collaboration with nursing researchers and leaders across the country."

Basilia Basin, B.S., R.N.-B.C. is a clinical nurse, educator, and leader with experience caring for older adults with chronic disease. She tells us about receiving the Jonas scholarship.

"As a clinical nurse I noticed that patients in the hospital had a special relationship with their pets, which led them to make decisions about their hospitalization based on concerns for their pet. These experiences influenced my dissertation study about the relationship between older adults and their pets and how that relationship influences decision-making. I am honored to be awarded a Jonas Scholarship from the National Hartford Center for Nursing Excellence at OHSU. I am excited to be a Jonas Scholar supporting their three strategic priorities in scholarship, leadership and innovation. This scholarship will prepare me for a future to influence health care and nursing about the importance of pets as family members that need to be included when considering a patient's plan of care. Overall, I am dedicated to the lives of older adults, elevating the nursing profession and leading the way in Human-Animal Interaction research of older adults," she says.

Kalisha Bonds , P.M.H.N.P.-B.C. is a 2nd year PhD student at Oregon Health &Science University. Her research focus is on African American persons with dementia and health equity to formal healthcare resources. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2007, and Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University in 2012.

She says, "Soon after graduation, I started working with older adults in long-term care facilities providing medication management and therapy. This experience influenced my research topic. I am humbled to be awarded the Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholarship for 2016-2018 and looks forward to the leadership development and networking that will occur in this program, and is grateful for the financial contribution to my learning."

Elise N. Erickson, M.S., C.N.M. was drawn to research, particularly in women's health and midwifery, from her time as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. During this period, she had the opportunity to explore research questions and methods with a number of wonderful research mentors at the School of Nursing. Through these experiences she decided to become a Certified Nurse Midwife and pursued a master's degree at the University of Illinois-Chicago while working as a research assistant and labor and delivery nurse.

"For the last 11 years I have cared for women in outpatient settings providing well-woman gynecologic services, prenatal and postpartum care in addition to attending birth for women with high and low risk pregnancies. I developed an interest in the behavioral neuroscience of oxytocin early in my career, and decided to attend a graduate program in neuroscience in Chicago working with an animal model of oxytocin use during birth," she says.

After moving to Oregon, she resumed both her clinical practice at OHSU as an adjunct clinical instructor and research emphasis in the PhD program. Now in my dissertation phase, she is exploring the bio-behavioral effects of oxytocin on lactation and breastfeeding. This study examines oxytocin both naturally released by birthing women/ lactating mothers as well as that given as a pharmaceutical treatment during childbirth. 

"I am honored to be Jonas Scholar, this opportunity provides access to an extensive community of emerging researchers and the structure to build leadership in a program of ongoing scholarship. I am looking forward to learning and growing professionally through this program," she says.

 

Maret Pfohman, M.S.N., B.S.N, C.C.R.N is enrolled in her second year in the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner/doctorate nurse practitioner program at OHSU's School of Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing in community health care specialties and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from OHSU.

Pfohman comes from a military family and her clinical practice interests include the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide prevention. She is particularly interested in the relationship between a PTSD diagnosis and physical health morbidity and outcomes. 

At OHSU, Pfohman served as the nurse manager of the trauma/neurosurgery intensive care unit for five years and currently works as a critical care nurse in the neuroscience intensive care unit.  

"My experiences working in trauma and neuroscience have influenced my decision to work in mental health," Pfohman said. Pfohman's other work experience includes serving as the executive secretary on the board of directors for a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a social center for people with mental health diagnoses. "My volunteer work in combination with my professional and personal experiences with the mental health community cemented my desire to work in the mental health profession," she said.

 

Jennifer Weprin, M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C., A.O.C.N.P. is honored to have been awarded the JONAS Nurse Leader Scholarship for 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Weprin speaks to how the scholarship will help her.

"This scholarship will enable me to pursue my goal of becoming a nurse scientist and a leader in the field of nursing research. My prior experience as an oncology nurse and family nurse practitioner gave me insight into the lives of people living with cancer. With this clinical knowledge, I hope to contribute to the field of adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology. My interest is in the examination of functional outcomes in the AYA population, both during and after their treatment for cancer, with a plan to develop interventions to improve outcomes, and thereby enhance the quality of life for these individuals. As I continue into my second year as a doctoral student at the Oregon Health &Science University (OHSU), there surely will be ups and downs and I welcome all of it as part of this intellectual, knowledge gathering process. This is a journey, one made possible by the generosity of the JONAS Nurse Leader Scholarship," she says.

Maret Pfohman (bio to come)