Dr. Martha Buckner, associate professor and chair of the undergraduate nursing department at Belmont University, has been accepted as a fellow in the Leadership for Academic Nursing program with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. About 50 leadership fellows are selected each year through a competitive application process from nurse educators in more than 640 member schools nationwide.
The fellowship was designed to prepare a more diverse and younger pool of leaders for nursing programs in the United States. The year-long program provides participants with a focused assessment experience, a range of content and case studies related to successful leadership, and the opportunity to establish networks with mentors and peers. It focuses on key leadership competencies needed in complex nursing education and healthcare environments.
Buckner practiced as a staff nurse after receiving her B.S.N. from Western Kentucky University. She earned her M.S.N. from Vanderbilt University in adult health and practiced as a clinical nurse specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on a nutrition support team before becoming a nurse educator. Buckner began teaching at Belmont in 1992 as a part-time clinical instructor. In 2006, she completed a Ph.D. in educational leadership with a focus on higher education. Dr. Buckner was selected to chair the undergraduate nursing department at Belmont in 2009.
Buckner Selected for Leadership Fellowship
New Partnership with Laerdal Provides Basic Life Support Training
Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing recently announced a new partnership with Laerdal Medical to provide American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) training and certification through the innovative HeartCode BLS program. HeartCode BLS is delivered by HealthStream, the Nashville company that is a leading provider of learning solutions to the healthcare industry. The College is among the first organizations in middle Tennessee to offer the web-based program to the public.
HeartCode BLS is the official, self-directed, comprehensive e-learning program from the AHA that has been designed to improve the quality of CPR training. The program provides students and healthcare professionals with a much more efficient way to gain BLS certification, often saving time and money compared to traditional CPR classes.
Those seeking initial or renewal certification through HeartCode BLS start with a convenient online component that teaches the BLS algorithm and provides realistic adult and infant patient cases that test knowledge of the correct sequence of patient care activities. The online component then gives the student a detailed debriefing of performance and administers a multiple choice exam. Then, program participants arrange an individual appointment at Belmont to demonstrate their CPR skills by using the voice-assisted manikin system that connects to the HeartCode program.
The course is now available. Click here for more information.
House Named to NABC Honors Court
Belmont men’s basketball rising senior Jon House (Guelph, Ont., Canada) has been named to the 2009-10 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court. The NABC Honors Court recognizes college basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics and were significant contributors to their respective teams.
To be named to the NABC Honors Court, student-athletes must be a junior or senior with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher at the end of the 2009-10 academic year. Students must also have at least one year of full-time standing at their current institution.
House, one of two returning seniors for the Bruins in 2010-11, has appeared in 98 career games, averaging 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 49 percent shooting. House was one of eight student-athletes from the Atlantic Sun Conference honored by the NABC.
Coach Byrd Offers Opinion on New NCAA Tournament Format
Belmont men’s basketball head coach Rick Byrd was a popular man Monday afternoon, as he fielded numerous media requests in regards to the new NCAA Tournament format. Coach Byrd offered his opinion on the expanded 68-team field, how play-in games will become part of the ‘First Four’ and the overall impact on Belmont, the Atlantic Sun Conference, and mid major schools. Click here for more on this story.
Physical Therapy Students Receive Grant
Earlier this year four students wrote a proposal to the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) asking for $990 to fund their research. Lauren Clark, Laura Green, Carrie Rorick and Ashley Vidrine requested this money for their research on the comparative advantages of the Manu Brace versus “a standard wrist split in the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.”
Thanks to a great idea, sound research and a well written proposal Clark, Green, Rorick and Vidrine received a check for $1,000 and a letter of acceptance from the TPTA granting them a chance to prove their theory. Clark said that receiving the grant was “a very great feeling… because it meant we would be able to conduct our research the way we had intended and planned for. We are very thankful to the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association for awarding us the funding.” The group’s final presentation is to be submitted in 2011.
The 2010 Statewide Debate Wins Local Ratings
On Monday night, Belmont University and WSMV-TV co-hosted The 2010 Statewide Debate, a live broadcast across Tennessee with gubernatorial candidates Mike McWherter, Ron Ramsey, Zach Wamp and Bill Haslam participating. The debate was a ratings and community service success, and landed as the No. 1 program in its time period and the most watched program in prime time that night. The measure of the audience comes from The Nielsen Company and is based on Nielsen Household overnights for Monday, July 12, 2010.
In Nashville, the debate achieved a 9.47 rating and a 14 share. This means that 9.47 percent of all TVs in middle Tennessee, whether turned on or not, watched the debate. Of those homes watching television from 7-8 p.m., 14 percent were watching the Belmont/Channel 4 debate. Those numbers break down to well over 112,000 homes and about a quarter of a million people watching. In both Memphis and Knoxville, the debate was the number two program in the time period and the number two program in all of prime time Monday night.
In addition, Belmont University partnered with East Tennessee State University and the University of Memphis to enable debate watch parties on those campuses. Political science students from each of the universities gathered to view and discuss the debate. Click here to view more photos from Monday night’s event.
Ames’ Piece Featured on Publisher’s Web Site
“Gloria Fanfare,” a piece written by Director of Choral Activities Dr. Jeffery Ames and performed by Belmont’s ensembles, is now being featured on Ames’ publisher’s Web site. The piece was written as the opening work for last year’s “Christmas at Belmont.” Click here to see the site and listen to the song.
Two Belmont Men’s Golfers Names All-American Scholars
Two Belmont golfers, Scott O’Brien and Dan Smith were named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholars as the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced its 2010 honorees on Thursday. O’Brien and Smith were among 119 Division I golfers to earn the honor. Click here for more on this story.
Belmont Partners with ETSU, Memphis for Debate Watch Parties
In anticipation of The 2010 Statewide Debate being held in the Curb Event Center July 12, Belmont University is partnering with East Tennessee State University and the University of Memphis to enable debate watch parties on those campuses. Political science students from each of the universities will gather to view and discuss the debate.
The 2010 Statewide Debate is being co-hosted by Belmont University and Nashville’s WSMV-TV and being aired by affiliates across the state. Belmont and WSMV-TV have joined forces to present two debates preceding the election of Tennessee’s next governor. The primary debate will occur on Mon., July 12 from 7-8 p.m., four days prior to early voting. Jackson businessman Mike McWherter, U.S. Representative Zach Wamp, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey have all agreed to participate in the primary debate. Click here for more information on the debate.
Belmont Students Featured in Malta Press
The Times of Malta Web site recently did a story on Belmont’s annual sports evangelism mission trip, which was on the island of Malta in May. Click here to see the story.
