The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing will host a free, live, virtual symposium, “Leading Amidst Crisis: Nursing through a Pandemic,” on June 25, from noon to 2:30 p.m. During this virtual event via Zoom, faculty and students from the College of Nursing will share stories of hope and perseverance from their service on the front lines of COVID-19.
Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN, director of the Shelby County Health Department and a faculty member and alumna of the college, will give the keynote presentation. She will share insights from her position leading the public health response to the pandemic in Memphis and Shelby County.
“Nurses play a vital role in our public health system at all times, but that has never been more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Haushalter said. “Shelby County Health Department nurses not only serve on the front lines, leading efforts to provide testing in nursing homes and other facilities, but they also play a vital leadership role in investigations, contact tracing, and monitoring of persons in isolation and quarantine. Nurses are at the center of the Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 response, and their sacrifices and contributions are absolutely indispensable to our efforts. As the Shelby County Health Department director, I am proud to be a nurse and graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing.”
College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-Bc, FAANP, who envisioned the symposium, said the college wants to showcase the ways in which the nursing profession has served with passion and compassion during the pandemic.
“In the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we find ourselves more than ever depending on the resilience of nursing,” Dr. Likes said. “We are pleased to offer this symposium to share the inspirational work of nursing during this critical time.”
In addition to the keynote, the symposium will include the following presentations:
“Leadership: What it takes to create an alternate-care facility,” by Terri Stewart, MSN, RN, a nursing instructor for the College of Nursing, who was tapped to serve as the chief nursing officer of the region’s alternate-care COVID-19 hospital.
“Service: Offering hope and help in the epicenter – New York City,” by Kristin Fitchpatric, BSN, and Amber Gordon, BSN, two UTHSC Doctor of Nursing Practice students who served at hard-hit hospitals in that city.
“Partnership: Collaborating to offer COVID-19 testing to the community,” by Diana Dedmon, DNP, FNP-BC, assistant professor and director of clinical affairs for the College of Nursing. Dr. Dedmon has led the college’s volunteer efforts during the pandemic.
The symposium is open to all viewers. Nursing Professional Development Credits will be offered. Registration and more information can be found at https://uthsc.edu/nursing/symposium/.