SONvitals

Peer-to-Peer Nominee (May)

Congratulations to Rebecca Brimer, May 2026's Peer-to-Peer nominee and winner of a half-day of paid time off!

Nominations for June are now open.

Promoted to Associate Professor

SON faculty members Melissa Hladek, Tamar Rodney, Tammy Slater, and Rebecca Wright have been promoted to associate professor. “This is a momentous achievement, and we are so grateful and proud to have them as part of our SON community,” says Dean Sarah Szanton.

Melissa Hladek, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, FAAN, is a nationally recognized expert in behavior change, aging, and health equity. Her work focuses on how physical resilience, self-efficacy, and sociocultural factors shape aging trajectories and the management of multiple chronic conditions, with particular emphasis on advanced kidney disease and frailty.

Tamar Rodney, PhD, MSN, BSN, BS, RN, APRN, CNE, PMHNP-BC, FAAN, is a national expert in trauma-informed mental health care and psychiatric nursing science, whose work advances health equity for trauma-exposed and underserved populations. Her program of research integrates biological, psychosocial, and educational frameworks to improve the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of trauma-related psychiatric conditions, with a particular focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Tammy Slater, DNP, MS, CNE, ACNP-BC, is a leader in acute and critical care nursing with sustained national contributions to advanced practice education and clinical scholarship. With more than 25 years as an acute care nurse practitioner, caring for adults and older adults with complex cardiovascular and comorbid conditions, her work focuses on advancing evidence-based approaches to cardiovascular assessment and management. Her extensive clinical experience in cardiothoracic surgery strongly informs her scholarship and educational leadership.

Rebecca Wright, PhD, BSc (Hons), RN, is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in palliative care, qualitative research, and Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD). She brings together interprofessional and transdisciplinary teams to advance participatory, co-design approaches that improve experiences of care for individuals with palliative, end-of-life, and disability needs across diverse settings. Her work emphasizes person-centered care and meaningful engagement of patients, families, and care teams in shaping health care delivery.

Keynote: Why Invest in Nursing?

Professor Olga Yakusheva, PhD, MSPE, FAAN, recently delivered a keynote speech titled “The Human Capital Value of Nursing in the Age of Big Tech” at the International Learning Collaborative Annual Summit at the Oxford Saiid Business School in Oxford, UK. The presentation discussed how an investment in nurses pays off: “Better care leads to better patient outcomes and business results, which in turn fuel further investment and re-investment in the nursing workforce. The model highlights that healthcare technology can augment nursing care but cannot replace it. On the contrary, underinvestment in nursing risks burnout, turnover, and long term financial instability, while strategic investment strengthens both clinical excellence and financial health.”

RN Licensure Application Drop-In Session

MSN Entry Summer 2026 cohort: Need help unpacking the RN licensure application process? Please drop into our Zoom session noon-1 pm Wednesday, July 15 with your questions. We are here to lend a hand! Audience: Students Date/Time: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (12:00 pm - 01:00 pm)

Research Is a Team Game: Fundamentals of Research Coordination Course Preps Key Players

Getachew Kassa, PhD, RN, is a successful nurse researcher, scholar, teacher, and mentor—and a research associate at JHSON—with over a decade of experience working as a lecturer and assistant professor and author of 88 peer-reviewed publications and counting. Yet Kassa felt he still had much to learn to maximize his research, which focuses on designing and scaling behavioral health interventions for families of young children from low-income backgrounds; leveraging digital health tools to support children’s social and behavioral health outcomes; and advancing maternal and child health, psychiatry and mental health, and global health. So he registered for Fundamentals of Research Coordination, a JHSON Executive Education course. Kassa left the course impressed at how much there was to learn and how the information was presented. “What surprised me most was how practical the program was and how much of it I could use right away.”

Grants to Humanize the Patient Experience

The Center for Humanizing Medicine (CHM) Impact Grants invites submissions until June 30 for funds to Humanize the Patient Experience. Impact grants will be awarded to support creative projects led by multidisciplinary teams that improve connectedness and collaboration among healthcare teams. Funds may support a range of initiatives that enhance relationships, communication, or overall work experience in clinical settings. These initiatives may include food and promote social connection but are intended to include programmatic activities or elements that go beyond this. We’ll also consider especially innovative or impactful patient-oriented projects that enhance humanized care. To learn more about the IHM vision and mission, click here. Submission Deadline: June 30, 2026 Funding: Awards up to $3,000 Faculty contacts: Drs. Mary Catherine Beach, Scott Wright, and Martha Abshire Saylor Email: [email protected] Application and Submission details here. Audience: All JHSON

Introduction to Living with Disabilities in the Field of Nursing

The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is committed to highlighting the experiences, research, and practice of various identities belonging to our nursing community. It is a priority for us to amplify the voices belonging to underrepresented communities while providing equitable and accessible opportunities for education and healthcare within our Nursing programs.

This month we will discuss Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion in Nursing Education and Health Care. This session will focus on disability, accessibility, and inclusion across nursing education and clinical practice, with an emphasis on lived experience, advocacy, and research that advances equity for people with disabilities.

Registration is required.

Audience:
Public, Staff

Date/Time:
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 (03:00 pm - 04:00 pm)