News Releases

University of Maryland School of Nursing Kicks Off 2019-20 Dean’s Lecture Series on Violence

October 16, 2019

Presentations focus on Scope, Impact, and Consequences

Baltimore, Md.–The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s (UMSON) 2019-20 Dean’s Lecture Series will feature five diverse presentations focused on “Violence: Scope, Impact, and Consequences.” The annual lecture series kicks off this fall with the Virginia Lee Franklin Lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 16, and the Millicent Geare Edmunds Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 21. The series continues in spring 2020 with the Inaugural Dr. Barbara R. Heller Lecture in Health Policy, the Anne Ottney Cain Lecture on Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, and the Commander Lura Jane Emery Lecture.

Although the scope and genesis of violence continues to be studied, violence is increasingly recognized as a significant public health issue. Research indicates that targets and perpetrators of violence, along with their communities, experience short- and long-term adverse health effects. These lectures approach this topic through varying lenses, including youth and community violence, workplace violence, violence in the context psychiatric mental health, violence related to military service, and the implications of violence for the healthcare delivery system and health policy.

The Virginia Lee Franklin Lecture, “S.E.L.F. Community Conversations: A Resilience Framework for Youth and Young Adults in Communities Vulnerable to Violence,” will explore the intersection of trauma, violence, and community resilience. Speakers will discuss how youth voices, when integrated into leading conversations through a trauma-informed methodology, address the effects of toxic stress and complex trauma and will describe S.E.L.F. Community Conversations, a strength-based, trauma-informed, resilience approach that supports agency and emotional regulation in youth and young adults.

Speakers:

• Stacey Jefferson, MBA
  Associate Director, Policy and Community Engagement
  Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore

• Richard L. Norman, LCSW-C
  Chief Executive Office
  The Martin Pollak Project

• Michael M. Sinclair, PhD, MSSW
  Associate Professor and Chair, Urban Children, Youth and Families Specialization
  Morgan State University School of Social Work

The Millicent Geare Edmunds Lecture, “Civility Matters! Best Practices to Foster Healthy Work Environments,” will examine the harm resulting from incivility in health care, which has been identified as the next frontier in patient safety efforts, especially since uncivil acts may lead to life-threatening mistakes, preventable complications, or injury to a patient. This engaging and thought-provoking session provides a deepened and empirical understanding of workplace incivility and its impact on individuals, teams, organizations, and patient care — emphasizing the need to cultivate and sustain healthy workplaces.

Speaker:

• Cynthia Clark, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
  Strategic Nursing Advisor, ATI Nursing Education
  Professor Emeritus, Boise State University
  Author, Creating and Sustaining Civility in Nursing Education

“These two lectures speak to the insidious violence in our communities and in our workplaces,” said Dean Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. “At a time when we all recoil at the violence in our society, our speakers offer strategies for reducing its occurrence and impact. They hold out hope that through better understanding and tested techniques, we can each help make a difference. We look forward their insights and their recommendations for action.”

Upcoming spring 2020 Lectures will include:

• The Inaugural Dr. Barbara R. Heller Lecture in Health Policy
• The Ann Ottney Cain Lecture in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
• The Commander Lura Jane Emery Lecture

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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.