Advancing Excellence
Accelerating Innovation
Stipends
Friends of Nursing (FON) supports four stipend programs.
FON Honoree Education Stipends
Nurses selected to receive Excellence Awards also an Education Stipend. Beginning in 2024, the stipend amount increased to $2,500. Over the past year, recent honorees have used their stipends for varied purposes, including: tuition for academic advancement; technology to support professional development; dues for professional organizations; specialty certification review courses and fees for exams/renewals; and conference registration and expenses.
Formal Nursing Education Stipends
These stipends are supported by income generated from the investment of grants from The Daniel S. Blalock, Jr. Charitable Foundation. Initially, the stipends have targeted vital patient care services staff who are studying to become Registered Nurses. Since the first stipends were awarded in spring 2023, FON has provided 42 $500 awards. To date, 10 of the recipients have completed their degrees and are now Duke Nurses!
Specialty Certification Stipends
FON Stipends for Specialty Certification are currently available to DUHS Emergency/Trauma and Oncology Nurses and to Nurses who work in Emergency Services at Duke University Hospital.
Stipends that reimburse Oncology Nurse Certification Corporation exams and renewals are funded by the Betsy Keaton Fonvielle Gant Cancer Nursing Education Endowment Fund. Since July 1, 2023, 46 Oncology Nurses have received Gant Stipends.
Over the past year, FON expanded the support for Emergency/Trauma Specialty Certifications to include proactively identifying prospects, offering an Exam Review Course for initial certification, and providing vouchers for exams/renewals. In FY2024, 20 nurses received stipends. In fall 2024, 49 nurses were notified about the support available to help them prepare for their initial certification. The goal of the expanded program is to increase the number of nurses with Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) certifications, which include: Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN), Trauma Certified Nurse (TCRN), Certified Transport RN (CTRN), Certified Flight RN (CFRN) and Certified Burn RN (CBRN).
Presentation Stipends
FON provides stipends to nurses whose abstracts have been accepted for presentation at professional conferences. In 2024, FON increased the stipend amount to $2,500 to better support conference attendance. Since July 1, 2023, 76 stipends have been awarded to Duke Nurses to support their conference presentations:
Emily Albergotti, MSN, RN, CCRN
Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society: 2024 Annual Meeting
San Diego, Calif.
Increasing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Comfort and Knowledge in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Deborah Allen, PhD, RN, CNS, FNP-BC, AOCNP
International Conference on Cancer Nursing
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Systemic Review: Impact of Cognitive Rehabilitations in Adult Cancer Survivors
Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology/Association canadienne des infirmières en oncologie
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
My Patient Says They Have Chemobrain — Now What? How Nurses Can Screen for, Assess, and Support Patients with Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment
Kimberly A. Bagley, DNP, RN, AGPCNP-BC, AGACNP-BC, CCRN
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2024 Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium
Asheville, N.C.
1) Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Neurodiversity: Exploring Concepts to Create an Autism- and ADHD-Friendly Workplace in Health Care
2) Oncology Care in the Acute Care Setting for the Non-Oncology NP/PA: Oncology Assessment & Common Conditions
Jessica L. Baker, BSN, RN, CCRN
American College of Surgeons: Trauma Quality Improvement Program
Louisville, Ky.
SBIRT: Establishing a Structured Process
Kayla Barnard, BSN, RN
Association of Pediatric/Hematology/Oncology Nurses: 2024 Annual Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah
Finding Peace in Chaos: Decreasing Stress of Parents in Pediatric Oncology
Hendi Berrios, BSN, RN, CPN, CPI
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: 2024 Annual Meeting
Seattle, Wash.
Developmental Stages of Behavioral Response in Pediatric Health Systems: From Proactive to Reactive
Benjamin Blackburn, MSN, RN, CEN
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
The Efficacy and Efficiency of Oncology Infusion Nurses Trained to Use Ultrasound Guidance for Intravenous Access
Rhonda Brown, BSN, RN
Institute for Healthcare Improvement: IHI Forum 2023
Orlando, Fla.
Time-Out! A Break Can Lead to a Breakthrough
Euniqua Bullock, MSN, RN-BC, CEN, NEA-BC
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2023 Annual Convention
Winston-Salem, N.C.
1) Using a Multidisciplinary Approach to Reduce Covid-19 Emergency Room Visits with Immunocompromised Patients
2) Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Using an Interdisciplinary Approach to Improve Orientation in an Ambulatory Infusion Clinic
3) Feel the Pull: Implementing Pull System to Improve Patient Outcomes and Staff Empowerment in an Outpatient Clinic
Anisha R. Byers, BSN, RN, CNOR
American Organization for Nursing Leadership: Leadership Conference – Professional Governance
Chicago, Ill.
Keeping it PG: Empowering the Nurse’s Voice with Professional Governance
Christine Conrad, RN, CCRN, CNRN
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses: Annual Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah
Apheresis in the Neurological Patient: What Is It and Why Will Your Patient Need It?
Sara Conrad, BSN, RN
South Eastern Nurse Education Symposium (SENSES): 17th Annual
Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
Duke Raleigh New Hire Orientation
Kerri Dalton, DNP, RN, AOCNS
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Infusing Best Practices-CNS Led Rounds for New to Oncology Infusion
Margarita de la Fuente, DNP, RN-BC NE-BC, LSSBB
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Washington, D.C.
Advancing Nursing at Duke through an Academic Practice Partnership
Charmaine Duckie, DNP, MSRN-BC, NEA-BC
American Heart Association: Scientific Sessions 2023
Philadelphia, Pa.
Results of a Self-Management Intervention to Improve Hypertension in Black Patients Using the Electronic Health Record Patient Portal
Catie Dunn, BSN, RN, CCRN
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
Nursing Made Safe: Promoting De-escalation and Addressing Safety with a Behavioral Response Team
Pamela B. Edwards, EdD, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, FABC, CNE, CENP
Philippine Nurses Association of America/North Carolina: 21st Eastern Regional Conference
Asheville, N.C.
The Intersection of Courage and Health Equity: Leading for Change
Amanda Eley, BSN, RN, CNML
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Creating and Implementing an Oncology Nurse Leader Mentorship Program
Aviva Emmons, BSN, BA, RN-BC
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
A Model for Increasing Frontline Oncology Nurse Engagement in Clinical Research during Times of Staffing Shortages and Burnout
Tyler Eudy, BSN, RN, CCRN
Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society: 2024 Annual Meeting
San Diego, Calif.
Under Pressure
Mary A. Evans, BSN, RN
American Society for Apheresis: 2024 Annual Meeting
Las Vegas, Nev.
Removal of Direct Oral Anticoagulants by Red Cell Exchange
Allison Fox, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, PCCN
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists: 2024 Annual Conference
New Orleans, La.
Introducing Subcutaneous Diuretic Therapy in the Ambulatory Setting
Michael Frazier, EdD, RN
American Assembly for Men in Nursing
New Orleans, La.
Nursing Instructors Preparing Nursing Students to Cope with Distractions when Administering Medications: A Qualitative Study
Susan Freeman, MSN, RN, CDCES, BC-ADM
Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists: 2024 Annual Conference
New Orleans, La.
Innovative Strategy for Onboarding Diabetes Champions in a Large Hospital System
Anna Fritz, BSN, BS, RN, CCRN
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners: 45th National Conference on Pediatric Health Care
Denver, Colo.
Strength in Numbers: Utilization of an Innovative Electronic Audit to Enhance Completion of Central Line Maintenance Audits
Sarah Haithcock, MSN, RN, CNML
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2024 Annual Convention
Concord, N.C.
International Recruitment: A World of Opportunity
Kristin Hart, BSN, RN
Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators: 2023 Annual Conference
San Antonio, Texas
Implementation of a Standardized Assessment Flowsheet and Data Collection Plan for the Duke Oncology Nurse Navigation Program
Deja M. Haywood, BSN, RN
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
The Purple Lumen Project: Does Color Really Matter
Meg Helsley, MSN, APRN, AOCNS
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Understanding the Reasons Patients Call Telephone Triage: Designing and Utilizing Dashboard to Support Quality Improvement Efforts
Raechel Hill, BSN, RN, OCN
Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators: 2023 Annual Conference
San Antonio, Texas
Implementation of a Standardized Assessment Flowsheet and Data Collection Plan for the Duke Oncology Nurse Navigation Program
John Hillson, DNP-C, BA, RN, AGPCNP, OCN
American Society of Radiation Oncology: 2023 Annual Meeting
San Diego, Calif.
A Needs Assessment Exploring Radiation Oncology Nursing Confidence in Caring for Patients with Acute and Late Radiation Therapy Effects
Chantal Howard, DNP, RN, CEN, NEA-BC
Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International: 25th Conference
Phuket, Thailand
Prevention of Intimate Partner Homicide: Implementing a Lethality Assessment Program!
Timothy Howard, RN
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
The Purple Lumen Project: Does Color Really Matter
Allyn Howington, BSN, RN
North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders: 2024 Annual Conference
Greensboro, N.C.
No Weapons Allowed – Weapons Detection via Wanding
Erin Jahn, RN, OCN
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Chemotherapy Education for Non-Oncology Units
Sarah Johnson, BSN, RN, CCRN
Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative: 12th Annual Scientific Sessions 2024
St. Louis, Mo.
Mental Health Support for Cardiac Families
Kelly Kester, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CCRN-K
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
Hire, Develop, Retain: Strategies to Improve Retention
Kelly Kettler, MSN, RN, ACCNS-AG
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists: 2024 Annual Conference
New Orleans, La.
1) Live Video Monitoring: “Reel” Time Falls Management to Decrease Injury
2) Sound the Alarm: Bed Alarm Testing to Decrease Falls
Karla Lambson, MSN, RN, OCN
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Supporting the Voice on the Other End of the Line — Creating an Education Series to Meet the Unique Needs of Oncology Telephone Triage Nurses
Nancy Lelle-Michel, MSN, RN, CDCES, BC-ADM
Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists: 2024 Annual Conference
New Orleans, La.
Increasing Time in Range and Decreasing Burden for Elderly with T1D Using the Medtronic 780G
Kari Leonard, BSN, RN, BMTCN
Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy: Tandem Meeting 2024
San Antonio, Texas
Bluetooth Axillary Temperature Monitoring in Outpatient Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Patients
Mary Lindsay, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CCRN
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
Guide for Nursing Flowsheet Redesign to Optimize Workflow and Decrease Documentation Time
Rachel LoCascio, MSN, RN, NE-BC, AMB-BC
Society of Urology Nurses and Associates: 2023 uroLogic
Phoenix, Ariz.
The Impact of Single-Use Flexible Cystoscopes on Outpatient Clinical Workflow
Anna Mall, MSN, RN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, CNL
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
Healthy Work Environments in Action: Become an AACN Volunteer
Coral Mansfield, BSN, RN
American Society for Apheresis: 2024 Annual Meeting
Las Vegas, Nev.
Extending the Course of TPE for Pulmonary Transplant AMR Does Not Cause a Further Reduction in DSAs
Caitlin McArthur, DNP, RNC-MNN
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2024 Annual Convention
Concord, N.C.
Sitting with Discomfort: Facilitating an Understanding of Implicit Racial Bias
Meghann McCoy, BSN, RN, CPN
Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative: 12th Annual Scientific Sessions 2024
St. Louis, Mo.
Consolidated Feeding Management for Cardiac Infants Discharged Home with Nasogastric Feeds
Edwina McCray, DNP, RN, CNML
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2024 Annual Convention
Concord, N.C.
Increasing Professional Nurse Certification: Implementation of a Certification Achievement Program
Melissa “Missy” Moreda, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CDCES, CNRN, SCRN
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists: 2024 Annual Conference
New Orleans, La.
“Weighting” for Solutions – Dilemmas of Using Glucagon-like Peptide Receptor-Agonists (GLP-1RAs) Beyond Diabetes Mellitus
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses: 2024 Advances In Stroke Care Conference
Houston, Texas
The Challenges and Celebrations of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs) beyond Diabetes Mellitus for Stroke Reduction
Karen Osborne, BSN, RN, CCRN
Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society: 2024 Annual Meeting
San Diego, Calif.
Increasing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Comfort and Knowledge in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Breanne Payne, DNP, RN, CNML
North Carolina User Group Meeting: 2024 Annual Conference
Greensboro, N.C.
Going Face to Face: A Multidisciplinary Solution to Restraint Compliance
Heather Pena, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CPPS
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
1) Be a Beacon of Excellence: Your Successful Beacon Application
2) Hire, Develop, Retain: Strategies to Improve Retention
Gabrielle Perlewitz, BSN, RN, CCRN, CNIII
Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners: 43rd National Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Symposium
Clearwater Beach, Fla.
Neurodevelopmental Implications Related to Racial Disparities in Human Milk Administration in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Khadira Peterson, BSN, PMHBC-RN
North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders: 2024 Annual Conference
Greensboro, N.C.
Feel the Pull: Implementing Pull System to Improve Patient Outcomes and Staff Empowerment in an Outpatient Clinic
Mary Ann Plambeck, MSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
The Benefits of Having a Service Access Nurse
Pamela Rayan, MSN, RN, NI-BC
American Nursing Informatics Association: 2024 Annual Conference
Chicago, Ill.
Walking the Miracle Mile, Achieving Innovative Education Options for the Southeast ANIA Chapters
Stephen Rayne, BSN, RN, CNOR
North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders: 2024 Annual Conference
Greensboro, N.C.
Cultivating Positivity: Implementing the L.O.V.E. Notes Program in the Duke University Hospital Operating Rooms
Tara Robisch, BSN, RN, CAPA
Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy: Tandem Meeting 2024
San Antonio, Texas
Making Living Donation Accessible to All
Amanda Rooney, BSN, MA, RN, PCCN, CNML
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
LVAD Patient/Caregiver Education Tool that is Budget Friendly
T. Caleb Rutan, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CEN, CPEN
Emergency Nurses Association: 2024 Conference
Las Vegas, Nev.
Traumatic Amputation: Initial Treatment and Management
Komal Sharma, BSN, RN
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2023 Annual Convention
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Using an Interdisciplinary Approach to Improve Orientation in an Ambulatory Infusion Clinic
Dorothy Stevens, MSN, RN, CNOR
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses: Global Surgical Conference & Expo
Nashville, Tenn.
Engaging Preceptors and Preceptees to Decrease Fatigue and Increase Retention
Dustin Tart, BSN, RN, CNML, CCRN-CMC
American Association of Critical Care Nurses: 2024 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition
Denver, Colo.
Nursing Made Safe: Promoting De-escalation and Addressing Safety with a Behavioral Response Team
April Thigpen, MSN, RN, CMSRN, OCN, NE-BC
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Improving Work Culture and Staff Wellbeing with Primary Nursing and Transformational/Servant Leadership
Cynthia Trail-Michowski, DNP, RN, AFN-C, CEN, TCRN
Emergency Nurses Association: 2024 Conference
Las Vegas, Nev.
Human Trafficking Education Intervention in Urgent Care Setting
Jennifer Trueheart, MSN, RN, CPHQ
American College of Surgeons: Quality and Safety Conference
Minneapolis, Minn.
Improving Patient Communication and Access to Care for Weight Loss Surgery Patients Using My Chart Messaging
Francis Turcotte, BSN, RN, ACHRN
Duke University School of Nursing: Social Mission Alliance Conference – Equity Amplified: Uniting Toward Social Mission Transformation
Durham, N.C.
The Carbon Monoxide Initiative: Health Equity in the Latino Community
Laurie Van Camp, MSN, RN
American College of Cardiology: Quality Summit
Orlando, Fla.
1) Challenging the Norm: A Multidisciplinary Journey to Reduce Acute Kidney Injury (in collaboration with Duke affiliate Frye Regional Medical Center)
2) When Humans and Technology Collide: Improving Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral (in collaboration with Duke affiliate Conway Regional Medical Center)
Kelli Van Wagner, MN, RN, OCN, CENP
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Oncology Ambulatory Clinic Nursing: Development of a Standard Model and Acuity Tool
Melanie Watson, DNP, RN, ANP-C
Association of Community Cancer Centers: 40th National Oncology Conference – Reimagining Innovation
Austin, Texas
Reducing Healthcare Worker Burnout through Improved Resilience
Tracie Watson, BSN, RN, OCN
Oncology Nursing Society: 2024 Congress
Washington, D.C.
Leukapheresis: Why or Why not?
Hope Williams, MSN, RN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, PCCN, CDCES
North Carolina Nurses Association: 2023 Annual Convention
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Query to HW: Caring for Critical Patients When the ICU is Full
Liane Wong, BSN, RN, CCRN
NATCO (The National Organization for Donation and Transplant Professionals): 49th Annual Meeting
San Antonio, Texas
Making a List and Checking It Twice: Improving Communication among Multidisciplinary Teams of Living Donor Pairs
