Radford DNP students and faculty earn statewide acclaim

Bierman accepts VCNP award
Assistant Professor of Nursing Victoria Bierman, right), was recognized as the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP) 2017 Education Award winner.

Three Radford University Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) candidates and two nursing faculty members were honored at the 2017 Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP) conference in Williamsburg March 8-11.

Assistant Professor of Nursing Victoria Bierman was recognized as the organization’s 2017 Education Award winner. The award recognized Bierman for outstanding contributions in teaching and scholarship, student preceptorship, patient teaching or community involvement.

“You have enhanced the education for students with your focus on providing mental health care to patients in Virginia,” said Becky Compton, VCNP nominations and awards committee chair, in an email notifying Bierman of the award.

Bierman was one of five statewide nominees for the award, including Gini Weisz, assistant professor of nursing and a School of Nursing colleague.

The conference also included a poster session featuring 15 DNP student research presentations.  Radford DNP students Diane Campbell, Jennifer Dale and Gwen Spangler swept the conference’s three awards for research presentations.

Dale’s poster presentation, titled "Health literacy: a growing provider need," focused on training providers, especially nurse practitioners, on the importance of meeting each individual on their level of needs and educating them based on that need.

“It is wonderful to be recognized by peers who appreciate our work and dedication to both our patients education and our education,” said Dale.

Spangler, presented a research poster titled “Evidence-based practice in palliative care education.” Her research was seeking evidence about the most effective modality for palliative care education. The research results, according to Spangler, will lead to development of a palliative care educational tool for use in local hospitals.

RU DNP students who won VCNP student research awards.
Jennifer Dale, Gwen Spangler and Diane Campbell (from left) swept the VCNP conference’s three awards for research presentations.

“Through this research, I have learned best practices to improve my bedside nursing care and my education/teaching skills,” Spangler said. “A professor from another university came up to us while we were still on stage, complimented us and told us we should look into continuing our research while earning our Ph. D’s. It was a very empowering moment.”

Campbell is both a Radford DNP candidate and a nursing instructor at the Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke. She presented a poster titled “Provider education to improve HPV compliance rates.” 

“The research and presentation process has been exciting because something as fundamental as educating providers can help eradicate a type of cancer,” said Campbell.

Mar 15, 2017
Don Bowman
(540) 831-5182
dbowman@radford.edu