This was by far one of the most emotional years for the MFP as Fellows rejoiced and shed tears to celebrate the 2006-2008 graduations of nine of our fellow colleagues. They are Lois Bolden, PhD, RN, PMHCNS,BC, University of Tennessee, Memphis; Michelle Decoux Hampton, PhD, MS. RN, CC, University of California, San Francisco; Ella M. Scott, PhD, RN, CNS,BC, Case Western Reserve University; Patsy R. Smith, PhD, RNC, Texas Women’s University; Anna Liza D. Villena, PhD, RN, MS, FNP,BC, University of California, San Francisco; Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN, University of Miami; Donna Grandbois, PhD, RN, North Dakota State University; Mayola Rowser, PhD, DNP, FNP,BC, PMHMP, University of Tennessee, Memphis; and Margaret A. Wheatley, PhD, MSN, RN, CNS, Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Hattie Bessent, former Executive Director of the MFP, was scheduled to be the guest speaker during the Graduation Ceremony, however she was unable to be with us during the ISI; our thoughts and prayers continue to be with her and her family. In her absence, Dr. May Wykle, Dean of the Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, delivered the address. Dr. Wykle motivated the recent graduates and current Fellows to always remember the importance and struggles of those who came before them, carrying their legacies into future endeavors.

Dr. Faye Gary, SAMHSA MFP Executive Program Consultant, also addressed the Fellows during the graduation ceremony. Some of her key statements include: “We are leaders in nursing research and policy. History has changed the way we work from manual labor to working with our minds. Today, we have to work with our minds and intellect. We should all work from a source of ethics. We should have empathy for individuals who are not as fortunate as we are given our educational opportunities. Our professional lives as psychiatric nurse substance abuse specialists help shape ourselves and the families we work with in the community we serve. Work is critical in our lives and shapes what we do on a daily basis. It’s essential for us in a capitalistic society and for our selves. Accountability in our profession helps to guide and shape the minds of the young. Do it with a sense of commitment. Environments that allow us to be self sufficient and supporting encourage us to be better employees and held accountable for what we do in the nursing profession. Of all the illnesses, mental health has one of the most devastating effects as it is chronic in nature. We need to create medications that have fewer side effects and improve outcomes of the lives in patients we treat. Basic necessities are being driven by politics. Without good mental health, people will continue to suffer in our communities and in the world. Lastly, by obtaining the PhD, it can provide us with the tools to make a difference in the lives of people we serve.”

Prior to the ceremony, three graduates had an opportunity to present their dissertation work to the group: Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN; Donna Grandbois, PhD, RN; and Patsy Smith, PhD, RN. The entire room looked upon their presentations with awe and admiration for the rigorous and innovative manner in which the studies were conducted—not to mention the Fellows’ articulate presentations of their findings. Dr. Martha Baker, current President of the National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA) and National MFP Advisory Committee member, also gave remarks during the opening of the ceremony. We were thrilled that she was able to clear her calendar to be with us throughout the entire institute. Other guest included Diana Morris, PhD from Case Western Reserve University and MFP Alumni Patricia McDonald, PhD, also from Case Western Reserve University.

This year Dr. Hossein Yarandi had the seemingly daunting task of covering item and factor analysis with the group. The opportunities for hands on experience as well as the patient manner in which he interacts with Fellows made the sessions enlightening. Seeing the feasibility of the analyses has also encouraged some of us to consider using the techniques to analyze research instruments in our respective studies. All Fellows also completed a performance assessment to evaluate our astuteness in measurement and analysis. Items on the assessment included defining different types and identifying appropriate measurements of reliability and validity, and distinguishing between and determining the appropriate uses of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. Though the length of the assessment intimidated many of the fellows, including myself, when we were finished we understood the value in identifying our methodological strengths and weaknesses for future activities.

We were extremely grateful to have Dr. Brian Smedley, Research Director and co-founder of a new communications, research, and policy organization, spend an entire day dialoging with fellows about health and health care inequalities. Dr. Smedley is well known as the Study Director for IOM reports, In the Nation’s Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce and Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, among other reports on health disparities, social and behavioral influences on health, diversity in the health professions, and minority health research policy. Dr. Smedley repeatedly stated how impressed he was with the caliber and breadth of knowledge possessed by the group, and we were equally in awe of his knowledge and expertise. Specifically, Dr. Smedley honed in on objectives 2, 3, and 4 for the ISI, encouraging fellows to use their research to impact education, policy, and practice. Dr. Gary hopes to maintain a sustained relationship between the MFP and Dr. Smedley…who knows, maybe a publication will stem from it!

Over the course of the ISI Fellows broke off into small groups to begin working on collaborative manuscripts, and with the range of ideas that were presented, we are preparing to make a major impact on science around the globe. Topics range from the importance of spirituality among Native Americans, to intimate partner violence among Hispanic women, to mental health and substance abuse concerns among African Americans. I am constantly amazed by my colleagues and look forward to reading the upcoming publications.

As a token of our appreciation, the MFP Fellows, staff, and members of the advisory committee presented Dr. Gary with tickets to see the well acclaimed performance KA by Cirque de Soleil. She was speechless and shocked that we were able to actually surprise her for a change! Dr. Gary is not only a fearless leader that we respect and seek to emulate, but she is also a strong, courageous woman who fellows truly love and admire. As “Dr. Nurse Dr.” Mayola Rowser stated, “Dr. Gary is our Florence Nightingale”. During our intensive institutes, personal phone conversations, and other chance meetings, Dr. Gary’s words of wisdom resonate within our souls. She constantly encourages everyone she comes in contact with to strive for greatness, not allowing anything to get in their way.

Fellows presenting their research during the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Mental Health Institute included: Lois Bolden, PhD, APRN, BC who spoke on “Depression, Anxiety, Hazardous Drinking, in Family Caregivers of Patients with Chronic Liver Disease”; Mayola Rowser, PhD, DNP, CNS, FNP,BC, PMHNP, whose topic was “Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: African American Women and Depressive Symptoms”; Anna L. Villena, PhD, RN, MSN, FNP-C, spoke on “It’s A Struggle, It’s A Challenge: Coping with Co-occurring Disorders”; Ella M. Scott, PhD, APRN,BC, CNS discussed her dissertation on the “Lived Mental Health Experiences of Adolescents of Color in Foster Care”; and Margaret A. Wheatley, PhD, MSN spoke on the “Personal Characteristics, Chronic Stress, American Women in Midlife.” MFP Fellows and faculty who presented during the NBNA Women’s Health Institute include Cheryl Woods-Giscombe who spoke on “Superwoman Schema and Emotional Suppression: Implications for Physical and Mental Well-Being of African American Women”; Faye A. Gary, EdD, RN, FAAN and Hossein Yarandi, PhD presented on “The Efficacy of the Theory of the Social Determinants of Health for Understanding the Health Beliefs and Practices of Rural and Urban African American Women.”

Fellows and Alumni receiving awards during the NBNA Conference include Dr. Margaret Wheatley, a professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, was awarded “Nurse Educator of the Year” which recognizes outstanding contributions to professional and/or patient education. MFP Alumni inducted into the NBNA Institute of Excellence (IOE) include Ruth P. Caggins, PhD, RN, a tenured associate professor at the Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing and Ora L. Strickland, PhD, DSc (hon.), RN, FAAN, a professor at Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. The IOE recognizes nurses of African descent who are making phenomenal contributions to science and service in the health care system.

This fellowship is unlike any other funding opportunity. I have been recruited for several other “prestigious” national pre-doctoral training programs, however I have declined them because I know the mentorship and potential for growth in this program is unsurpassed by any other. We have one of the highest pre-doctoral training completion rates, and our fellows graduate from the program to become leaders and trailblazers in their areas of interest. The sense of pride of being affiliated with the MFP is indescribable. Fellows and alumni are so grateful to SAMHSA, the ANA, and the MFP staff for providing us with a personal and professional growth experience of a lifetime!

Respectfully Submitted,

Bridgette M. Brawner, PhD(c), APRN

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