School Notes: School of Nursing
September/October 2019

Nursing Hall of Fame

Yale School of Nursing Associate Dean for Research David Vlahovand YSN alumna Cheryl TatanoBeck ’72MSN were inducted into the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in July. Throughout his career, Vlahovhas conducted research on advancing health in urban settings, and he is the founding president of the International Society for Urban Health. Beck is a Distinguished Professor of Nursing at the University of Connecticut, and her research focuses on postpartum depression and PTSD due to childbirth. Vlahov and Beck are being honored as nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession and the people it serves.

Disaster simulation teaches resourcefulness

YSN hosted its largest disaster simulation (“sim”) of the year at the end of June. This form of pedagogy allows students to learn and make mistakes within a safe environment, and then take that informed experience into their clinical practices. A total of 116 students were assessed during eight sessions over two days, and the school partnered with local police and EMT services, adding authenticity to the event. The sim also involved props, special effects, makeup, low-fidelity mannequins, and live actors exhibiting a variety of behaviors. The annual scenario is kept under wraps until students begin the exercise: this year, students walked into a coffee shop after a building collapse. They practiced teamwork, communication, and triage skills, as well as how to be resourceful and operate under uncertainty and pressure, all skills required in the current health-care environment.

Dean meets Botswana president

Dean Ann Kurth’90MSN and Associate Dean for Global Health & Equity LaRon Nelson met with President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana during his summer visit to Yale. During their discussion, Masisi observed that “Nurses serve a critical function in our health delivery system, often as the first point of contact for a patient.” The meeting also covered the importance of considering individual health, environmental quality, and growth through the perspective of planetary health.