OHIO Southern School of Nursing earns doctorates

Two members of the Ohio University Southern School of Nursing recently received their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees.

Mashawna Hamilton, Associate Director and Associate Professor of the Nursing Program, and Beth Delaney, Associate Professor of Nursing, both received their DNP from Northern Kentucky University.

“To become great professionals, students must first acquire knowledge from great teachers,” said Dr. Char Miller, director of the OHIO School of Nursing. “I am proud of our faculty of nursing’s commitment to further their education, stay on top of cutting-edge medical trends, and help nurture the next generation of leaders in healthcare.

Hamilton, a resident of Wurtland, Ky., Said she became a nurse because of her desire to care for those in need.

She received a BS in Nursing from Marshall University in 1996 and an MS in Nursing, Nurse Educator Tract, from Ohio University in 2009. She started at OHIO Southern as an Assistant Instructor in 2005. It became the Nursing Skills Lab. coordinator in 2006, then assistant professor in 2011. She was established and promoted to associate professor and associate director of nursing in 2017.

“Nursing requires a commitment to lifelong learning,” said Hamilton. “The evidence for healthcare is growing exponentially every day. To be a competent and effective nursing professional, it is essential that nurses continue to seek continuing education opportunities. It is wonderful to have completed a stimulating program and to have obtained the terminal diploma of my profession. However, I pursue continuing education throughout my professional nursing career.

The Hamilton diploma project aimed to increase the perception of care for adult diabetic patients in Appalachia and reduce hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. The project was based on data indicating the disparities experienced by the adult diabetic population of the Appalachians, she said.

“There is a need to improve the perception of care by patients, which the evidence shows will allow patients to become more involved in their health care and thereby improve physiological outcomes,” said Hamilton.

Delaney, a resident of Ashland, Ky., Began her healthcare career as a respiratory therapist after graduating from Shawnee State Community College, now Shawnee State University. She worked as a respiratory therapist at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital while completing an Associate’s Degree in Nursing at Shawnee.

“As a respiratory therapist, I saw in the hospital the opportunity to expand my learning and role in patient care, so I switched to nursing,” said Delaney.

She then attended Ohio University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later a Masters of Nursing from the University of Kentucky, which led to her becoming a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner in 1999.

Delaney began teaching at OHIO Southern in 2005 as an Assistant Instructor and became full-time in 2006, moving to a tenure-track position in 2007. She graduated in 2013 and became an Associate Professor of Science nurses. She was Associate Director of the Nursing Program for two years before returning to a Senior Professor position in 2015.

“All my life, I have been motivated by my parents’ role model of ambition, pursuing life’s dreams and giving back to others with love and compassion,” he said. she declared. “The advancement of my education has given me the opportunity to be the type of person I want to be and to take care of others. “

Delaney’s diploma project focused on teaching and learning.

“I love learning how the neurology of brain-based learning strategies supports innovative teaching,” she said. “My doctoral project was to use mindfulness activities to support elementary school students impacted by resilient emotional trauma in the classroom setting. “

“Mashawna Hamilton and Beth Delaney are both incredibly dedicated nursing faculty members who instill excellence in nursing in every student they meet,” said Dr. Nicole Pennington, Executive Dean of Higher Education Regional and Lifelong Learning and Dean of Campus and Community Relations at Southern Campus. . “I am extremely proud of their recent accomplishments in advancing their own nursing education. Their own professional growth will only further improve Ohio University nursing programs.

Ohio University Southern nursing programs provide classroom and clinical training that prepares graduates for the challenges of complex and changing health systems. For more information on these selective admission programs, visit ohio.edu/southern.