African American Mental Health and Wellness (AMEN) team is collaborating with KAZI FM 88.7 in producing a radio series to highlight the importance of addressing mental health and physical wellness in the African American community. The monthly series will feature AMEN team members from the School of Nursing, leaders from Mt. Zion Baptist and Rehoboth Baptist churches, and community organizations who provide mental health resources and support in Travis county.
The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing celebrates National Nurses Week by highlighting a few of our alumni, students, and instructors who have heard and responded to the call of our profession amid challenging times. Read more about these leaders below and join us in our celebration of these everyday heroes.
Meet Li-Chen Lin, PhD, RN, CNRN, and a UT Austin School of Nursing Clinical Assistant Professor of Adult Health Nursing. Dr. Lin (MSN ’03, PHD ’09) has focused her research on nurse’s work environments, resilience, role transitions, as well as quality and safety in healthcare. Her current projects aim to examine resilience among nurses working in long term care or rehabilitation settings and to investigate whether demographics, professional quality of life, and sleep quality are significant predictors of nurses’ resilience.
Meet Heather Cuevas, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FCNS. Dr. Cuevas (MSN ’03, PHD ’13) is a UT Austin School of Nursing assistant professor with a research focus on how cognitive problems interact with chronic illness, and how this interaction contributes to challenges with self-management and health in patients with type 2 diabetes. Her background as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) encompasses diagnosis, treatment and management of a variety of endocrine disorders in the outpatient setting.
Meet Danica Sumpter, PhD, RN, UT Austin School of Nursing Clinical Assistant Professor, and one of this year’s Macy Faculty Scholars. Dr. Sumpter (BSN ’01) has been recognized for her innovations in teaching and was named a University Provost’s Teaching Fellow in 2019.
Meet Stephanie Morgan, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, Director of Practice Innovation, Professor of Clinical Nursing and Director of our Wellness Centers. Amid the pandemic, Dr. Morgan (PHD ’13) has overseen a smooth transition to telemedicine and telehealth for wellness clinics, co-led UT Health Austin’s on campus vaccination clinics and served as a faculty fellow for UT’s Interprofessional Education program. Dr. Morgan coordinated these programs to provide comprehensive care to our community.
Meet Brittany Christiansen, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC, FNP-C, AE-C, CNE, Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing. Dr. Christiansen (MSN ’11, DNP ’17) was selected for the 2020 Novice Faculty Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and received the 2020 Dean’s Excellence Award for Service at The UT Austin School of Nursing.
Read about Teresa ‘Tess’ Berndt, Dr. Tracie Roseberry, Brenda Olmos, Olubukayo ‘Bukayo’ Akinyemi, Isadora Fox, Dr. Amanda J. Simonton, Lucy Parker, Kate Hanley, Sabrina Kones, and Rachel Alhanti.
AUSTIN, Texas — People with psychiatric disorders consume almost half (44.3%) of all cigarettes smoked in the U.S. and have lifespans 25 to 32 years shorter than the general population. Cigarette smoking is a major contributor to this reduced lifespan.
