Lynn Pelton , left, our 2008 Nursing Alumna of the Year, with Lindsey Hilbrands, right, our Nursing Alumni Scholarship winner.

Maud Adams Nursing Research Day is an annual event showcasing nursing students' use of research in practice. It is named in honor of Maud Adams, RN, MN who was a faculty member in the Department of Nursing from 1974 to 1983. Ms. Adams epitomized nursing in the eyes of her students and colleagues. Her contributions and dedication to Morningside College and to the profession of nursing will be remembered at each of the annual Maud Adams Research Days in the future.

During the event, senior nursing students will present their research utilization projects on a variety of topics, junior students will present projects on mental health issues, and sophomore students will present their nursing process papers. Registered nurses in the BSN degree completion track will present either their concept analysis poster presentations or research utilization projects.

Nominations are taken each year for Nursing Alumnus of the Year.  This award recognizes a past Morningside BSN graduate for outstanding leadership and contributions to the nursing profession and the health care community.  Criteria we use are: professional development, leadership, publications/presentations.  These criteria are a guide for the Department of Nursing to determine the recipient of the award.  The criteria are neither all inclusive, nor all required to be considered for a nomination.  The recipient will be honored at the annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day held in April.  A scholarship to an incoming nursing student will be awarded in the name of the recipient.

Requests for Nomination forms and Application for Scholarship for interested incoming nursing students may be directed to the Department of Nursing, Morningside College, 1501 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City, Iowa 51106, or phone 1-800-831-0806 ext. 5156.

Morningside College Student Nurses' Association held its 26th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day in conjunction with the Palmer Student Research Symposium on April 9, 2008.

Lynn Pelton was our 2008 Nursing Alumna of the Year and the keynote speaker for the 26th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day.  Lynn is a co-founder and current President of Greatest Goals Ministries USA (www.ggmusa.org), a Christian-based non-profit organization located in Bellevue, WA.  The mission of the organization is to provide assistance to war-affected amputees and their families in Sierra Leone, West Africa.  Her address focused on her visit to Sierra Leone, the assessment of needs, and the research conducted on how best to offer assistance in the area as well as an attempt at collaboration of services available from other missions in the area.

Pelton, class of 1980, works as a part-time elementary school nurse and infusion therapy nurse for a private rheumatology office.  Her past nursing roles include a supervisor at a Blood Center, an office nurse at an oral surgery office, a burn nurse, and an emergency/trauma and flight nurse.

The Nursing Alumni Scholarship, based on outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements and potential for achieving excellance in the nursing profession, was presented in Pelton's honor to incoming nursing major, Lindsey Hilbrands of George, Iowa.  Hilbrands attended George-Little Rock High School.

Morningside College Student Nurses' Association held its 25th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day in conjunction with the Palmer Student Research Symposium on April 11, 2007.

Capt. Michael McCarthy USAF was the keynote speaker at the 25th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day held Wednesday, April 11, 2007, in the Olsen Student Center on Morningside's campus.  McCarthy's topic for presentation was his medical mission transporting military troups from the Iraq war zone to military hospitals in the area and the special measures required inflight which prompted further research.  His research of current off-the-shelf technology to improve ways for critical care transport was approved for flight, fast-tracked for flight worthiness, and is currently being used in the field.

Capt. McCarthy is our 2007 Nursing Alumnus of the Year and a 1994 Morningside BSN graduate.  He is currently serving as the nurse manager of the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas.  Michael has practiced nursing in the areas of Surgical ICU, Cardio-Thoracic ICU, Critical Care Transport, and Flight nursing.  He has also served as an affiliate faculty at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, and as a flight nurse instructor.  Michael has received the NASA Achievement Award for recovering the only United States astronaut assigned to the International Space Station upon his return to Astana Kazakhstan.  He is a two-time winner of the Dolly Vincent Flight Nurse of the Year award, the highest award given for a flight nurse in the Air Force.  Michael was nominated for the award by his sister, a current Morningside nursing student, who states that her brother was her inspiration for becoming a nurse.

The 2007 Nursing Alumni Scholarship was presented in McCarthy's honor to incoming nursing major, Nhung Nguyen.  Nguyen attended West High School in Sioux City, Iowa, and is currently a freshman student at Morningside College.

Capt. Michael McCarthy, our 2007 Nursing

Alumnus of the Year, with Nhung Nguyen,

our Nursing Alumni Scholarship winner.

Morningside College Student Nurses Association held its 24th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day on April 20, 2006.

Lt. Eric Palmer NC USN was the keynote speaker when the Morningside College Student Nurses Association held its 24th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day on Thursday, April 20, 2006, in the Olsen Student Center on Morningside's campus.  Palmer presented his address "Nursing Diagnosis and You: Take Care of Yourself to Take Care of Others."

Palmer, a 1996 Morningside BSN graduate, is the 2006 Nursing Alumnus of the Year. He is a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.  Currently, he is the officer program manager for the central region of Navy recruiting.  He has served at the "Flagship of Navy Medicine" in San Diego, CA, as a staff nurse in the medical-surgical intensive care unit and as the nurse manager of the interventional radiology suites.  He served for three years at the largest overseas Navy hospital in Okinawa, Japan.  He has received training as a legal nurse consultant.  Palmer was awarded the military outstanding servicemen's medal for his work with the Boy Scouts of America.

The 2006 Nursing Alumni Scholarship was presented in Palmer's honor to incoming nursing major, Jenna Mansker.  Mansker attended East High School in Sioux City, Iowa, and is currently a sophomore student at Morningside College enrolled in the nursing major.

Nursing Alumni Scholarship award winner, Jenna Mansker with

Eric Palmer, 2006 Nursing Alumnus of the Year.

Maud Adams Nursing Research Day, April 15, 2004
Jeanne Schwab, RN, BSN, was the keynote speaker when the Morningside College Student Nurses Association held its 22nd annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 15, in the Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Avenue.

Schwab, a 1980 Morningside graduate, is the 2004 Nursing Alumna of the Year.  She is the administrator of Audubon County Public Health Nursing Service.  She has served in leadership roles in practice and education and utilizes nursing research in her daily practice by managing data to improve nursing care in public health.  Maud Adams taught Jeanne in public health nursing and would be proud of her accomplishments.

Schwab has worked in a post-surgical area in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and was an operating room nurse in Sioux City, Iowa.  She taught nursing at St. Joseph School of Nursing in Sioux City.  She has been with the Audubon County Public Health Nusing Service since 1986, beginning as a staff nurse.  Jeanne earned a CNOR, certification in operating room nursing, and served as a delegate to the National Convention for the Association of Operating Room Nurses.  She is a current member of the Region 4 Steering Committee for Bioterrorism.  She directs her agency as a member of the Iowa Association of Local Public Health Agencies and the Iowa Association for Home Care.  She is currently enrolled in a pilot course for New Public Health Nurse Administrators sponsored by I-ALPHA and the University of Iowa.

The Nursing Alumni Scholarship, based on outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements and potential for achieving excellance in the nursing profession, was presented in Schwab's honor to Sara Schrank of Mapleton, Iowa.  Schrank is currently a senior at Morningside College enrolled in our nursing program.

Maud Adams Nursing Research Day, April 3, 2003
Major Paula Ralston, B.S.N., M.A., R.N.C.B., a 1982 Morningside graduate, was the 2003 Morningside Nursing Alumna of the Year. She is the nurse manager of the gynecology clinic at MacDill United States Air Force Base located near Tampa, Fla. Ralston presented her address “How Nursing Research Utilization has Influenced Nursing Practice.”

Ralston has been a nurse in the United States Air Force since 1984. She has been stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota and has served overseas at Misawa Air Base in Japan, Hahn Air Base in Germany, and RAF Upwood in the United Kingdom. While in Germany, Ralston was deployed to an air base in Turkey during the Gulf War.

The Nursing Alumni Scholarship was presented in Ralston’s honor to Christy Anema of Sanborn, Iowa. Anema attended Western Christian High School of Hull, Iowa.

  Nursing students present mental health issues with poster

  presentations.

Maud Adams Nursing Research Day awards its first Nursing Alumna of the Year,

April 5, 2002.

Dr. Kohlenberg graduated Magna Cum Laude from Morningside College in 1977, with Double Majors in Nursing and Psychology. She earned a Master in Nursing (Medical-Surgical) in 1982 from The University of Texas at Austin and PhD in /nursing (Education Administration) in 1989 from The University of Texas at Austin. She is Board Certificated in nursing Administration Advanced by ANCC. Currently, Dr. Kohlenberg is the Assistant Dean and Director of Academic Programs and Graduate Study from The University of North Carolina, Greensboro School of Nursing.

Dr. Kohlenberg was chosen as our first Nursing Alumna of the Year in 2002 because of her outstanding history in nursing leadership and commitment to the profession. She is a noted speaker and has been published in numerous journals. Eileen was a faculty member at Morningside College from 1979-1985 and led the department in establishing the First Maud Adams Nursing Research Day, recognizing the important role of nursing research in professional practice. Her academic and professional achievements are an inspiration to the nursing student and faculty of Morningside College.

The 2002 Nursing Alumni Scholarship was awarded in honor of Dr. Kohlenberg to incoming nursing major Stephanie Kay Hilgenberg of Bayard, Iowa.  Stephanie graduated in May 2006 from our nursing program.