Friends

...of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing (FWWSON)

Board Member Spotlights

Gaurdia E. Banister, RN, PhD ...was awarded the title of Distinguished Alumna 2008 from our UW School of Nursing based on her exceptional contributions to the nursing profession in the areas of administration and nursing practice. Banister graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1980 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (and at that time received the "Best Bedside Nurse Award" from our school). From the University of Texas, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing in 1983 with a focus in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing/minor in Nursing Administration, and her Ph.D. in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing in 1988. Dr. Banister currently is the Executive Director of the Institute for Patient Care at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The Institute is designed to advance care through interdisciplinary research, education and practice. Among her accomplishments, she was selected for the Johnson and Johnson Wharton Fellows programs in Management for Nurse Executives in 2006. She also completed the three-year Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellows Program in 2004. Eight major grants have been awarded totaling over eight million dollars for proposals that Dr. Banister wrote. She has published and speaks nationally and internationally. Most recently Dr. Banister's focus has been advancing an agenda to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce in order to reduce health disparities. [update, 3/2012] Asked what made her decide to accept membership on the Friends of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing Board, Banister replied, "Being a member of the board is an honor and a privilege. It is because of the School of Nursing that I have been fortunate to live a life that some only dream of. The stellar faculty and comprehensive curriculum prepared me for my nursing career. The program also instilled in me the importance of nursing as a profession that advocates for the less fortunate, participates in policy decision, mentors the next generation and most importantly cares for people throughout the lifespan. I am grateful to the school and I want to give back in a meaningful way."

Mary L. Behrens, BSN, MSN, RN, FNP-BC "I have had a rich career in nursing and many doors have opened for me through this wonderful profession. I always wanted to be a Nurse Practitioner, so when the opportunity for me to go back to school later in life opened up at the University of Wyoming, a dream became a reality. Dr. Fay Whitney encouraged me not to worry that I had many gray hairs or wrinkles of life experiences. It is so important that we grow nurses to practice but also pursue teaching and research. If I can be involved in enriching the nursing program at the University of Wyoming and encouraging others also then the Friends of Nursing have done their job." Her education began with the Bachelors of Science in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1964, continued with a Masters in Nursing from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1967 with a focus on Maternal/Child Health in their Clinical Nurse Specialist track, and then finished with a post-master's certificate in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Wyoming in 1998. Within that span of 34 years she not only was being educated but also was working as a nurse in Denver, as a pediatric instructor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, as a nurse in Seattle, Washington, and then back to U. of Wisconsin in a joint appointment as a Clinical Nurse Specialist with University Hospitals and the School of Nursing, where she developed the ambulatory nursing role in the Pediatric Specialty Clinics in Madison. If that wasn't enough, she also taught for our school in the RN/BSN program, was elected to the Casper City Council, and even served as mayor of Casper for two years, managing a 48 million dollar budget. She was then elected to the Wyoming State Legislature in the House of Representatives, sponsoring the first Seat Belt Legislation among other notable activities; was president of the Wyoming Nurses Association and for five years had her own health care consulting firm, "Behrens Health Care Resources". She also served as president of the Wyoming Commission on Nursing and Nursing Education, and as director of Wyoming Health Resources Inc., a public/private partnership developed to attract health care providers to rural Wyoming. Toward the end of that 34 year time frame she took the first of what has become several trips for her to Vietnam on a humanitarian teaching project with Friendship Bridge, helping the Vietnamese nursing faculty upgrade their teaching skills.  Since 1998 she has served on the American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors and graduated up to 1st Vice President of that organization; has been enjoying her role as nurse practitioner at the Westside Woman's Clinic in Casper; was elected to the ANA Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics; has appeared as speaker for numerous health care forums including the McNeil Lehrer News Hours for the Wyoming US Senate Race; was appointed by US Secretary Leavitt as one of three private sector official delegates to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, testifying on the international nursing shortage. She has also been a contributor to publications including The American Nurse, the Nursing Standard, the American Journal of Nursing, and Chapter 24 to the 5th edition of Policy and Politics of Nursing and Health Care, "Why Nurses should run for Local Office."

Mary Burman, Dean & Professor Mary E. Burman, Professor of Nursing, is currently Dean of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing. After receiving her doctoral degree in nursing science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Burman joined the faculty of the SON in 1992. She brings a wealth of administrative experience to her her position as dean, having served as coordinator of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program from 1998-2006, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Health Sciences from 2001-July 2007, and acting dean of the college for the 2006 fall semester. Burman was instrumental in founding Laramie's Downtown Clinic, currently serves on the board of directors, and is one of the facility's volunteer family nurse practitioners. She has written scores of articles focusing principally on chronic illness and advanced practice nursing, and has published in national journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner, Public Health Nursing, and the Journal of Nursing Education. She serves on the editorial boards of several publications and was named one of only 20 Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows for 2007-2010, a prestigious advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles aspiring to lead and shape the future of the US health care system. For more information about Dr. Burman, please visit her faculty page for more information: Mary Burman, Faculty Page

Marcia Dale, EdD, RN, FAAN Marcia Dale passed away in August of 2012. Marcia L. Dale, EdD, RN, FAAN retired in 2003 after serving as dean of our School of Nursing since 1993, and after rendering 42 total years of service to the University of Wyoming. Dale's association with the University began with her undergraduate studies. She graduated with her BSN in 1960. Following the completion of her master's degree from the University of Washington, she returned to UW as a nursing instructor. She was made a full professor in 1975 before completing her EdD from the University of Northern Colorado in 1981. Dale served as associate nursing dean from 1983 to 1993, when she became dean of the nursing school. During that time, she was named the 1985 School of Nursing Distinguished Alumna, and continued receiving laurels from the University, having been named College of Health Sciences Alumna of the Year in 2007, and then Distinguished Alumna from the University of Wyoming in 2009. Outside of University service, Dale also served as president of several nursing organizations in Wyoming, including the Wyoming Nurses Association, the Wyoming State Board of Nursing, and the Wyoming League for Nursing. Nationally, Dale was among the first three nurses from Wyoming to be accepted as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. She established a national peer group of 10 school of nursing deans to serve as a forum for sharing ideas in regards to improving nursing education. Dale also served as the first site visitor chairman for the national Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accrediting organization. Being involved in the broad picture never lessened Dale's empathy and concern for the individual. In 2000 she and her husband Bill established a scholarship fund for UW nursing students. Dale noted, "My admiration for students who were struggling to improve their lives led Bill and me to establish a scholarship that would ease the burden of paying tuition, buying books, and in some cases, paying for daycare. Seeing the recipients succeed and become professionals is very rewarding." The Dales have also funded a graduation award for the accelerated BRAND program students. Dale said, "I accepted the offer to be a Friends of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing board member because the efforts of the Board will help graduates realize that it is a professional responsibility to support the program that educated them to reach their own professional status." Please also check out Dr. Dale's faculty page:  Marcia Dale, Professor Emeritus

Danielle Gifford, RN, BSN Danielle Gifford graduated from the University of Wyoming Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing in 2011. While in her BSN program, Ms. Gifford demonstrated passion for nursing and for the UW School of Nursing through stepping up and volunteering for everything that came along. She approached faculty and staff to ask for opportunities to talk about nursing. The various activities she was involved in included Discovery Days, visitor appointments, CSC tours, LHS career fair, and advising of incoming freshman students during the summer. She was a spokesperson for nursing on the Wyoming Center for Nursing and Healthcare Partnerships web site as well. In the summer prior to her senior year, she took a medical mission to the volatile Uganda, and built upon that international healthcare experience by joining the UW nursing brigade to Honduras that fall. Upon graduation, she received The UW School of Nursing Spirit Award for the student with exceptional spirit and enthusiasm. Gifford is employed as a registered nurse in Banner Health Community Hospital in Torrington, Wyoming.

Edward Henry, MS, FNP-C "I consider it an honor to be asked to be a member of the Friends of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing Board. The school has done so much for me in providing a life changing education. Fay Whitney is a dear friend and continues to be a mentor for me as she was during my education. I hope in some way to help the school, as they have helped me so much." Ed Henry took an unusual path to becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner in rural Wyoming. He was born and raised in Virginia but has become a Wyomingite through-and-through, taking full advantage of the wonderful Wyoming outdoors by horseback riding, fishing, hunting, Whitewater boating, and downhill skiing. His enjoyment of the outdoors led him to first start college in Virginia as a Forestry major. Finding that line of work uninteresting, he then picked himself up and came to Wyoming as an oilfield worker for Loffland Bros., Drilling Co., continuing in that job for 15 years. In 1992 he started taking courses through the University of Wyoming in preparation for entry into nursing. He graduated with his BSN in 1995 and completed the MS FNP program in 2003. Henry worked for Star Valley Medical Center for several years, ran a small primary care clinic in Thayne, WY, and then joined Independent Family Practice, a private primary care practice in 2006 where he remains today. Henry says that his favorite aspects of nursing are providing primary care to a wide spectrum of patients, interacting with them, and helping them to achieve the best health they could possibly attain.

Tonya MacDonald, RN, FNP MacDonald pursued nursing, first in the United States Air Force, where she found not only the funding, but the training that laid down the ground work for a nursing career. While in the military as a journeyman medic, she took one class a semester until she was able to apply to the University of Wyoming nursing program. Upon graduation from the BSN program at UW, her first nursing job right out of college was in California in correctional or forensic nursing, or as she states it, "a jail nurse or Registered Nurse Sheriff" - and she loved it. After five years in that career, she began working on her master's in nursing and at the same time accepted a job as an ER/Trauma nurse in the 70-bed emergency room department at the world-renowned Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, California. Two and one-half years later, Tonya graduated--with honors--with a master's degree in nursing and with her advanced degree - Family Nurse Practitioner.  MacDonald just recently took a position of Clinic Manager and the only family nurse practitioner for Lake Almanor Clinic in rural Chester, California. She notes, "I want to make an indelible imprint on the profession that I have loved since the beginning of my time.” Read the full story about MacDonald's nursing career by downloading this pdf file:  Tonya MacDonald & Nursing

Brett Skattum, RN, BSN Brett Skattum graduated from the University of Wyoming Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing in 2008. While in his BSN program, Skattum was heavily involved in the leadership of the Student Nurses' Association. In recognition for his spirit and enthusiasm for nursing, the school, and life in general, faculty and staff began a new award at nursing convocation ceremonies, the "Spirit of Nursing" award, of which he was the first recipient. Brett was invited back to be the first alumni speaker at our fall Nightingale Honor Ceremony, where he encouraged newly admitted nursing students in the pursuit of their new career. Skattum presently works as a registered nurse in Colorado Springs.

Veronica Taylor, RN, MS ...earned her BSN from the UW School of Nursing in 1975, and her MS in "Nursing Education Systems" with a Community Health clinical focus in 1990. Taylor has greatly contributed to the nursing profession through avenues and activities almost too numerous to mention. Currently she is a hospital supervisor at Campbell County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) in Gillette in addition to being an infection preventionist trainee there. She is also co-chair of the advisory group for the Nursing Workforce Project of Wyoming, a Robert Wood Johnson and Wyoming Community Foundation project partnered with the University of Wyoming Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing and the Wyoming Nurses Association (WNA). At the same time Taylor also serves as coordinator of the WNA Wyoming Nursing Leadership Institute pilot project. Briefly touching on the highlights of her career, we would find noteworthy her clinical practice and leadership mentioned above as hospital supervisor at CCMH, where she also wrote a $500,000 HRSA grant for that institution, and would also note her community activities in Gillette, Wyoming, where she has been a member of the Gillette Area Leadership Institute, has served on the Campbell County Planning Commission, the Hospice of Campbell County Memorial Hospital Advisory Board and the Campbell County Health Care Foundation Board. She has served on faculty at her alma mater, the University of Wyoming Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing (1997-2006), and also at Western Wyoming Community College (1987-1991). However, Taylor's most significant contributions come from her leadership in professional nursing organizations, most notably the Wyoming Nurse Association (WNA). She is past president of WNA, but has held numerous other positions over the years, including being a Wyoming delegate to the American Nurses Association (ANA). Because of her long-term involvement in WNA, she is well known across the state in nursing. In fact, says School of Nursing Dean Mary Burman, "It is difficult to find a nurse who hasn't heard of her!" One of Taylor's passions has been legislative and regulatory issues for nursing, even while she was in school as a student. Her master's thesis was entitled, "Opinions of Legislators on Issues Related to Standardization of Nursing Education." Because of her involvement over the years, her impact on legislation and regulation affecting nurses has been significant. She has been actively involved in the legislative committee of WNA, working closely with state and national legislators. She has been an ongoing participant in the Wyoming Legislative Days sponsored by WNA and her knowledge of Wyoming's legislative process and positive working relationship with many elected officials is very evident. As a delegate to ANA, she has also gained a national perspective on legislative and regulatory issues affecting nursing. She has shared this knowledge and expertise with the state through her involvement in WNA. Taylor has also served on the Wyoming Board of Nursing, the primary regulatory body for nursing in the state. Taylor has actively participated in the Center for American Nurses on the national level as a Wyoming delegate and on their Policy Workgroup, addressing position statements on nursing assistive personnel, violence in the workplace, delegation, staffing, economic value of nursing and leadership in nursing. She has been instrumental, through lobbying efforts, in the development of legislation and funding for the Wyoming Investment in Nurses Funding to pay for nursing students and faculty to obtain higher education. Taylor said she agreed to be on the "friends" advisory group so that she can give back to the school. "I can never repay the many gifts that the school has given to me. My commitment to and success in nursing is largely attributed to the UW School of Nursing. In 1975 when I graduated from UW with a BSN I would never have thought that I would have accomplished so many goals in nursing as I have to date. The solid background in nursing theory, practice, and the art of nursing that the school provided for me has helped in so many ways over the past thirty-four years. I believe that my career in nursing and my volunteerism in nursing has grown and thrived as a result of the background I received at UW. So to be a member of the 'friends' and to give back to the school is my way of thanking Marcia Dale, Beverly McDermott, Dot Tupper and the faculty who helped me to succeed in my baccalaureate program and my masters at UW." Taylor continued, "I would like to see the 'friends' advisory group assist the school to continue to provide quality nursing education through creative problem solving and financial support. The many graduates of the school should be asked to financially support the school in any way they can through gifts of financial support or time. Graduates are the best ambassadors that a program can have and should be asked to contribute.

Fay W. Whitney, PhD, RN, FAAN Fay Whitney's journey to Wyoming began in 1992 when her husband decided that life on a ranch would be an adventure. The stipulation that Fay placed on this dream was that the ranch had to be close enough to a university so she could continue her career. Her nursing career started in 1961 when she graduated from the University of Rochester with her Bachelor of Science Degree. A master's degree in nursing was earned from Syracuse University in 1974, a certificate as a nurse practitioner from Brigham Young University in 1974, a master's degree in public health from Syracuse University in 1982,and a PhD from Syracuse University in 1983 in public administration. Whitney was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Nurse Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania from 1983-85. Her career has centered around clinical practice and teaching. In these roles she has received numerous awards for excellence in nursing and leadership. Whitney has held many offices in national organizations and started the Whitney Wellness Center in Laramie. She likes to see progress for the profession and tries to make that happen through her service on statewide committees, such as the Wyoming Governor's Steering Committee on Telemedicine, the Wyoming Governor's Advisory Council on Aging, and the Wyoming Higher Education Assistance Authority. She has been an active researcher, having received more than one million dollars in research grants, edited two books, co-authored one book, published 42 refereed articles, and presented internationally and nationally at 72 meetings. The School of Nursing was renamed to "Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing" in 2003 as a result of Roy Whitney's three million dollar gift to the university, made as a birthday gift to Fay from her husband. The funds were used to help in the renovation of the Old Biochemistry Building for the College of Health Sciences. The renovated building, now named "Health Sciences Center" is home to nursing and other college programs and divisions except the Division of Kinesiology and Health, which remains in the expanded and remodeled Corbett Building. Fay Whitney is a Professor Emeritus of the School of Nursing. Please see her faculty page for more information: Fay Whitney, Professor Emeritus.