UA’s Nursing Lectureship Focuses on ‘Healthy Caregivers, Healthy Patients’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing will host the 2016 Donna Cox Bridger Endowed Lectureship in Nursing and Health Care on Friday, March 4, at the college. “Healthy Caregivers, Healthy Patients” will be the topic explored this year.

The Donna Cox Bridger Lectureship was established by Joseph C. Bridger to honor the memory of his wife and to promote awareness of current topics in the fields of nursing and health care from an interdisciplinary perspective. Lecture attendance is open to faculty, students, health care professionals and the community. The cost of admission is $50 and a discounted student rate of $25 is offered. The registration deadline is Feb. 19.

The keynote address, “Fostering Healthy Work Environments: Powered by Civility, Professionalism and Ethical Practice,” will be delivered by Dr. Cynthia Clark. Clark is a nurse consultant for ATI Nursing Education, professor emeritus at Boise State University and a licensed registered nurse with more than 30 years experience in health care practice and academic settings. She is known for groundbreaking work on fostering civility in academic and work environments. Her theory-driven interventions, empirical measurements, theoretical models and reflective assessments provide best practices to prevent, measure and address uncivil behavior and to create healthy workplaces.

Other talks include “Breaking Away from Burnout” by Dr. Pat Pilkinton from the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, and “Spirituality and Health” by Dr. Linda Dunn, a member of Capstone College of Nursing faculty.

Two afternoon breakout sessions are offered. Dr. Harriet Myers, assistant dean for Medical Education at UA’s College of Community Health Sciences and School of Medicine, will lead mindfulness sessions; Melissa James, dietitian and certified diabetes educator at DCH Regional Medical Center, will talk about nutrition; and John Butler, vice president of Client Services for Family Private Care, will close the day-long event with a presentation on humor.

Participants will earn continuing education credits while learning about how to take care of themselves and their patients. Pre-registration is required. For more information, please call the Capstone College of Nursing at 205/348-7429.