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Baltimore, Md. – Eleven University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) faculty members have been recognized with Academic Nurse Educator Certification (ANEC) Awards from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) through the Nurse Support Program (NSP) II. UMSON received 11 of the 54 awards issued statewide, representing more than a fifth of all ANEC awards conferred this year. The faculty were each awarded the maximum amount of $5,000 for demonstrating excellence as an academic nurse educator through achieving the National League for Nursing’s Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential, either through initial certification or recertification. The faculty are: Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, FAAN, ANEF, associate professor, associate dean for faculty development, and director of the Institute for Educators Naomi Cross, MSN, RN, C-EFM, CNE, clinical instructor Amy L. Daniels, PhD ’18, MS ’12, BSN ’89, RN, CHSE-A, CNE, director of clinical simulation and assistant professor Malissa da Graça, DNP ’21, MS ’07, RNC, FNP-C, CNE, assistant professor Melissa McClean, MSN, ANP-BC, NP-C, ACHPN, CN, clinical instructor Sun Young “Sunny” Park, DNP ’22, MS ’17, CNE, FNP-C, CNE, assistant professor Mary Grace “Molly” Renfrow, DNP ’18, FNP, CNE, assistant professor Ciara Smith, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CNE, assistant professor Taylor Jones Swing, DNP ’18, RN, CRNP-PC, CNE, assistant professor Cory Stephens, DNP, RN, NI-BC, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, CNE, assistant professor Rebecca N. Weston, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, assistant professor  The CNE credential establishes nursing education as a specialty area of practice and creates a means for faculty to demonstrate their expertise in this role. It communicates to students, peers, and the academic and health care communities that the highest standards of excellence are being met. By becoming credentialed as a CNE, faculty serve as leaders and role models. “We are grateful for the generous support provided to nurse faculty through the Academic Nurse Educator Certification Awards and for the ongoing efforts of the Maryland Higher Education Commission to encourage nurse faculty to achieve or maintain National League of Nursing Certified Nurse Educator certification,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “The study and preparation that goes into achieving or maintaining this credential speaks to the commitment of these 11 faculty members to excellence in teaching. This year we had nine individuals receiving the CNE credential for the first time and two individuals who were renewing their certification for the second time. I congratulate each of them on their accomplishment.” Developed under the NSP II, which is funded by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by MHEC, the ANEC award program recognizes professionalism in support of ongoing faculty development requirements necessary to maintain the CNE credential. The award is intended to reinforce the use of the CNE as one measurement of excellence in nursing programs and to support the retention of outstanding academic educators. The award funds may be used to supplement the awardee’s salary; to pay for activities for professional development, including conference fees, travel, and expenses for speaking engagements; to pay professional dues, CNE examination fees, and continuing education expenses; or to assist with graduate education expenses, such as loan repayment. ### The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling more than 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.

For Kimberly Hampton, PhD, MBA, MS ’06, RN, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), stepping into a classroom for the first time to teach was once a nerve-wracking experience. But thanks to the School’s Nursing Professional Residency for Outstanding Faculty (N-PROF) pilot program, Hampton has found her footing. “As a faculty member who is not only new to UMSON but also new to academia, I was excited to have the opportunity to learn from more experienced faculty members and connect with other colleagues through N-PROF,” Hampton said. Launched in 2024, N-PROF was funded by a $145,000 Conway Innovation Challenge grant through Bill and Joanne Conway’s Bedford Falls Foundation Charitable Trust. The challenge was designed to spark scalable ideas that prepare more nurses for faculty roles and expand student enrollment. N-PROF supports nurses transitioning from clinical practice into academic positions by offering structured guidance and community. The program is built on a cohort model, helping new faculty learn to develop curricula, teach effectively, advise students, collaborate on research, balance academic and clinical practice with scholarship and service, and integrate feedback from multiple sources. N-PROF aligns with UMSON’s Institute for Educators’ mission to prepare and support nurse faculty across Maryland through education, mentorship, and professional development. The overarching goal: Improve faculty retention by increasing their confidence, competence, connectedness, and contribution, said Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, FAAN, ANEF, associate professor, associate dean for faculty development, and director of the Institute for Educators. “Every acute care hospital in Maryland has a one-year nurse residency program for new nurses,” Bindon said. “Prior to N-PROF, there was no such residency program for new faculty transitioning from practice to academia.” Last summer, Bindon asked each UMSON academic department chair to identify new or novice faculty who might benefit from the program. The chairs nominated about two dozen faculty members, and the pilot launched in August. N-PROF participants meet monthly for an hour, during which the group reflects on what has been working well for them, offers each other encouragement, shares ideas, and learns about a topic Bindon selects. Guest speakers also present to the group on topics such as work-life balance; leadership roles for faculty; decisions, wins, and regrets; finance; research; student communication skills; and building one’s own personal brand.Speakers often recommend books, so Bindon created a small N-PROF library with titles participants can borrow. She also conducts classroom observations and provides individualized feedback, helping each participant reflect on their goals and growth. During a winter retreat, outside consultants helped the group deepen reflection and camaraderie. Facilitators explored how new and novice faculty members can use reflective practice, a process of critically examining your experiences to improve your performance and decision-making in the future, to help balance some of the stress of the faculty role. “The connection in the room was palpable,” Bindon recalled. Faculty members say the program is already making a difference. “N-PROF has been invaluable for my transition into academia,” said Caitlin Donis, PhD, MS ’13, AG-ACNP, AACNS-AG, assistant professor. “It gave me space to examine academic life, understand my teaching strengths, and connect with supportive mentors and peers.” Hampton agreed. “I’ve received tips on managing time, brand-building advice, and communication strategies,” she said. “Dr. Bindon also gave me thoughtful feedback after observing my teaching. The connections I’ve made across our two UMSON locations have been incredible.” The N-PROF pilot will be evaluated for its impact in July and potentially shared with other nursing schools nationwide. “The feedback I get most often,” Bindon said, “is that the faculty love feeling like they’re not alone.”

Baltimore, Md. - The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) is launching a new Real-World Data and Pragmatic Research (RWD-PR) Certificate in fall 2025. The 12-credit, fully online program is designed to equip nurses and health care leaders with the tools to drive meaningful, evidence-based improvements in care. Health care is facing urgent challenges: rising costs, workforce shortages, and the growing demand for high-quality, efficient care delivery. Nurses — often at the forefront of patient care — need advanced skills to evaluate and improve systems using real-world evidence. Traditional research methods, while foundational, can fall short in fast-paced clinical settings. That’s where pragmatic research and real-world data come in. Real-world data refers to data collected from routine health care practices and patient interactions, rather than from traditional clinical trials. This data comes from various sources like electronic health records (EHRs), insurance claims, patient-reported outcomes, and wearable devices. RWD provides insights into how therapies perform in real-world settings and can be used to complement clinical trials. “Generating nursing knowledge is only the beginning,” said Eun-Shim Nahm, PhD ’03, RN, FAAN, FGSA, professor and associate dean for the PhD program. “Today’s nurse scientists and leaders must also be able to implement evidence and scale its impact. This certificate program empowers nurses to harness real-world data to drive meaningful, evidence-based change in individual and population health.” In an ongoing Nurse Support Program II implementation project, funded by the Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, UMSON identified a need to increase student expertise in managing RWD from different sources and foster interprofessional student collaboration to understand the data and ensure plausibility and feasibility. “Nurses are the most trusted professionals, and our patients count on us to be stewards of their data,” said Shannon Idzik, DNP '10, MS '03, CRNP, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, professor and associate dean for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. “Every day, we generate real-world data through electronic medical records. Unlike controlled research settings, this data reflects the complexity of actual patient care. This certificate equips nurses with the skills to harness and apply this information to improve outcomes, advance equity, and lead in evidence-based practice.” Open to BSN-prepared nurses, current Doctor of Nursing Practice and PhD students, and those considering a doctoral degree, the RWD-PR Certificate provides an innovative curriculum grounded in practical application. Participants will learn to distill and analyze real-world data to address real-time issues in patient care, safety, and system efficiency. Through interactive online modules, biweekly virtual meetings, and a tailored, data-driven practicum, students will: identify real-world health care challenges and design pragmatic research or large-scale performance improvement/quality improvement projects extract, curate, and analyze RWD, such as those from electronic health records, using cutting-edge health care analytics tools apply design principles to visualize the data and use visualization techniques to support informed decision-making translate classroom knowledge into real-world practice through mentored, hands-on experience in the field. Graduates of the RWD-PR Certificate program will leave with in-demand skills applicable in a wide range of health care roles — from bedside care to executive leadership.  The RWD-PR Certificate offers a flexible path to clinical excellence and research innovation, ideal for nurse leaders aiming to improve organizational outcomes or students preparing for a doctoral program. Students in the program will have the ability to: apply their learning in practice — especially valuable for senior practice nurses and health care administrators, including managers, directors, and executives enhance their job performance by leveraging data analysis, patient safety, and quality improvement skills to their fullest potential integrate the RWD-PR Certificate into a doctoral program — complete it through PhD elective courses or apply up to two certificate courses to DNP requirements, allowing one to graduate with both a doctoral degree and the RWD-PR Certificate. Students in the program are eligible to apply for federal financial aid. For additional information, visit nursing.umaryland.edu/realworlddata ### The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.