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Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON)’s Bridgitte Gourley, DNP ’08, FNP-BC, FACU, associate professor; director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty; and co-director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Center for Interprofessional Education, has been inducted as an inaugural fellow of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU). The ACU is a multidisciplinary organization that strives to establish a robust and diverse workforce to help transform communities to achieve health equity for all. Its mission is to lead advocacy, clinical, operational, and equity excellence to develop and support clinicians and the health care workforce caring for America’s underserved communities. “What I really love about ACU is its enduring focus on health care equity and justice for patients who have been marginalized and its support of the team of professionals that make the care happen every day in communities of need,” Gourley said. “As clinicians we can sometimes forget that it’s not just about what happens in the exam room; there are so many people who help make that visit possible.” The ACU Fellowship was established  to honor individuals who specialize in community-based care for underserved populations. It recognizes those who demonstrate dedication to addressing barriers to health care access, a deep understanding of systemic inequities, and active engagement with the ACU’s mission and community. Gourley’s dedication to caring for underserved populations began over two decades ago when she became a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholar. The NHSC, part of the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, supports training for primary health care providers through scholarships and loan repayment programs. NHSC Scholars receive support for tuition, fees, and stipends to cover educational and living expenses in exchange for a commitment to providing primary care health services in Health Professional Shortage Areas. Gourley fulfilled her service obligation in her role as an FNP clinical faculty member on UMSON’s Governor’s Wellmobile in partnership with Choptank Community Health System and continued her work with underserved populations through various UMSON professional service agreements through 2013. Since 2013, Gourley has provided care at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC)/Luminis Health Community Clinics, serving uninsured and underserved patients, including at Arundel Lodge, a psychiatric rehabilitation program serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Gourley provides primary care as part of an interprofessional team of psychiatric providers, counselors, and nurses in a Behavioral Health Home Model.  In addition to her work with AAMC Community Clinics, Gourley has been conducting physical exams and developmental screenings with nurse practitioner students through a grant-funded initiative at Head Start centers statewide. ACU was founded by several NHSC Scholar alumni to provide resources, support, and advocacy for the underserved and the clinicians and staff in health centers. ACU Fellows are selected based on their commitment to caring for marginalized populations, their insight into the social and systemic factors that disrupt health care access, and their active contributions to ACU’s initiatives.  Gourley joined UMSON in 2000 as a clinical instructor after earning a Master of Science in Nursing with an FNP specialization from the Johns Hopkins University. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Community Health from Johns Hopkins. In 2006, she became a member of the first class of the newly launched DNP program at UMSON, and upon completion of her doctoral degree in 2008, she was promoted to assistant professor. A year later, she began serving as the FNP specialty director. ### 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.

Baltimore, Md. - One year ago this month, LyAvia Patterson, BSN ’24, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.  It was a shock for the then 40-year-old mother of two, especially as she was deeply engaged in completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), something she’d quit her job to do.  Finding out there was a mass in her colon, and that the cancer had spread to her liver, was shocking. But for Patterson, there was only one path forward.  “I've been pushing through — just persevering. It’s all I can do. I have children, I have a husband, I have family that I have to live for,” she said, later adding, “I don’t want sympathy. I want people to recognize that there are going to be challenges in life, you know? There will be adversity that you have to get through, that you just have to push. You have to push through for your goals, for your family, for your own self.” This week, Patterson celebrated her success at pushing through as she strode across the stage of the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, officially a graduate of the BSN program.  On Dec. 18, more than 250 graduates and their family and friends celebrated success during UMSON’s Graduation ceremony, during which 194 BSN degrees, 59 master’s degrees, three Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees, four Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and four certificates were conferred. Just shy of 200 entry-into-nursing students graduated, ready to enter the workforce. “We offer our very sincere congratulations to those of you who are receiving your first degree in nursing. You will begin your career at a time when nursing presents unparalleled possibilities,” 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. “No other profession offers such a diverse range of career paths and opportunities for professional development. Moreover, very few professions afford you the privilege of having a significant impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities. On behalf of the School of Nursing, I hope you will be as happy and as fulfilled in your nursing career as I have been for the past 37 years.”    During the ceremony, Renz Mae Carbo, BSN graduate, and Brandi Nicole Ridenour, Master of Science in Nursing Clinical Nurse Leader graduate, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students. DAISY awards are given each fall and spring to two graduating entry-into-nursing students who demonstrate outstanding compassion and care to patients and their families. Kristin Bussell, PhD ’19, MS ’98, BSN ’84, CRPN-PMH, assistant professor, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty, which is given to nursing faculty in recognition of their commitment to education and for their inspirational influence on students.  Marc Salmo Llacuna, BSN ’24, gave the student remarks during Wednesday’s ceremony. He highlighted the unique path he took to get to nursing school, including a degree in engineering and more than a decade of U.S. military service. But after his time in the Army, Llacuna said he didn’t know what his purpose in life was anymore.  Nursing changed that. “You see, nursing is not only a profession, it is a commitment to compassion, to healing and to patient advocacy, and that’s why I’m so honored to stand in front of all of these brave men and women who have decided to join me on the front lines of health care and fight against disease and suffering,” he said in his address.  “I used the word brave because remember three to five years ago, everyone here began their journey, and three to five years ago, we were at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and droves of health care workers were leaving the field because they were worried about their health and well-being. They were overworked. But everybody in front of you stood up, rose their hand and said, ‘Take me. I'm ready to serve the American people.’ So, thank you. Thank you for your commitment. If that’s not brave, then I don’t know what brave is.” That theme of bravery, perseverance, and pushing through — especially when life gets hard — underscored the entire ceremony, including during the keynote address from Capt. Aisha K. Brooks, DNP, MPH, RN, FADLN, FAAN.  Brooks, a senior health policy administrator in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, has spent nearly three decades as a nurse. But it wasn’t easy getting there.  “I became a mother in high school at the age of 15, and with all the knowledge skills maturity of a 15-year-old, I became a mom again at the age of 16,” she said during her speech. “So, you can imagine that there were a number of people who did not believe that my life would amount to much. There were many people who created obstacles for me academically because they were certain that I did not have what it took to complete my education. What held me down, though, is not only a supportive family, but a sense of self and the fortitude to believe that my circumstances absolutely did not define who I was at that moment, nor who I would become.” For Patterson, if it weren’t for her diagnosis and this experience, she would not have known what area of nursing she wanted to go into.  Now, she’s sure.  “I knew I wanted to go back to school to be a nurse practitioner and treat patients in the outpatient setting, but after school, I didn’t have an idea of what I want to do,” Patterson said. “It’s the silver lining that I figured out what I wanted to do — I want to focus on oncology. That’s the specialty that I would like to go into.” She now has a deeper appreciation for what oncology patients are dealing with because of her own experience, Patterson said. She can empathize because she has been there herself.  “It’s going to really change how I treat my patients,” she said, adding, “I just want to be that person that they can rely on, be that person they can talk to, be that person that is going to advocate for them.” photo: LyAvia Patterson, BSN '24, waves to the audience as she crosses the stage in front of Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD '11, MS '05, BSN '05, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, immediately to Patterson's left. Patterson's husband, her invited pinner, is pictured at right. # # # 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.

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN, assistant professor, Bachelor of Science in Nursing program co-director, and director of Restorative Justice (RJ), has been awarded the Maryland Nurses Association’s (MNA) Outstanding Pathfinder Award for her work in restorative justice. She also has been named one of 30 recipients of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF). MNA’s Outstanding Pathfinder Award is presented to an MNA member who has demonstrated excellence and creative leadership that fosters the development of the nursing profession. Award recipients have been pioneers in nursing innovation or have developed creative approaches to further nursing’s agenda.  Murphy Buc was nominated for the Pathfinder Award by Veronica Gutchell, DNP ’13, RN, CNS, CRNP, assistant professor; chair of the Department of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice; and director of the Governor’s Wellmobile Program. “This individual has devoted her nursing career to issues of health equity, diversity, and inclusion,” Gutchell wrote in her nomination. “Her nursing career has spanned working on social justice for those unhoused, experiencing poverty, as well as those in the prison justice system. In academia, as an expert in palliative care, she developed a palliative care nursing curriculum for vulnerable populations.” Murphy Buc’s more recent efforts have focused on bringing the principles of restorative justice — relationship building, respect for all, responsibility for one’s actions, and repair of harms — to UMSON, Gutchell wrote. “She began by participating in RJ facilitator training in 2020 with several faculty and staff colleagues and immediately organized community-building circles and restorative conversations,” the nomination read. Community-building circles take place in diverse settings such as student classrooms, faculty and staff development programs, and department meetings to create an inclusive, welcoming working environment. Restorative conversations address interpersonal conflict or social concerns through compassionate communication that is curious and collaborative. Murphy Buc has trained RJ facilitators at UMSON, Gutchell continued; while faculty and staff facilitators have been offering RJ services at UMSON since 2020, a first cohort of 12 faculty and staff facilitators completed a facilitator training curriculum this past August that Murphy Buc created. This has increased the School’s capacity to resolve harms by building facilitator skills in RJ harm circles, which seek to repair relationships. RJ harm circles address the needs of the individual and provide the person who did the harm the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions.  A 2023 - 24 Gold Humanism Scholar, Murphy Buc received funding to develop a student RJ leadership program, which she implemented at UMSON this fall. HPNF 2025 Emerging Leader Award Recipients of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award are exceptional hospice and palliative care nurses who represent the future of the field, having demonstrated remarkable leadership, innovation, and dedication early in their careers.  Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FPCN, assistant professor, nominated Murphy Buc for the prestigious honor, explaining the ways in which Murphy Buc has demonstrated significant leadership in palliative care nursing over the past five years.  “She completed her PhD in 2023, which focused on highlighting the experiences of people with serious illness experiencing homelessness — a population frequently underserved by hospice and palliative care agencies,” Carpenter wrote. “Her important research was supported by a competitive grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, enabling her to contribute this much needed research to the field. “In January 2023, Murphy Buc helped launch a required undergraduate primary palliative care course at UMSON, shaping the curriculum, teaching the content, and advising students. She is now leading the faculty in the design and conduct of a longitudinal study examining the effectiveness of introducing palliative competencies early in nurses’ education.” Murphy Buc is also a member UMSON’s Serious Illness Scholars scholarship group, assisting PhD students and faculty colleagues with their scholarly endeavors. “Her leadership in research, education, and mentorship is critical to the future of palliative nursing,” Carpenter stated. As HPNF Emerging Leaders, recipients receive an annual Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association membership, a personalized plaque and pin, and special recognition during a dedicated virtual celebration showcasing their achievements and highlighting the bright future they bring to hospice and palliative nursing care. Murphy Buc joined UMSON in 2018 and initially served as a course coordinator in the BSN program. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing as an adult health clinical nurse specialist (with a palliative care specialty) and a post-master’s Certificate in Nursing Education from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Clayton State University in Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies from Guilford College in North Carolina. Murphy Buc also holds a Trainer Certification from the End-of-life Nursing Education Consortium. ### 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.