A. Dual Advisement Program

1. Faculty Advisor, Program Staff Advisor

Each graduate student in the College of Nursing has a faculty advisor to guide their scholarly inquiry and role development in their area of study. In addition, each graduate student is supported by an advisor in the Office of Student Services. The role of the faculty advisor is to serve as a mentor, provide career guidance, and guide the student’s program synthesis toward a successful endpoint. Advisors typically lead the capstone, project, or dissertation that serves as a culmination of the student’s graduate program. Student Services staff support the student in navigating the University processes, meeting the Graduate College requirements and important deadlines, and complying with college requirements such as licensure, HIPAA, or criminal background check.

2. Changing a Faculty Advisor

From time to time, it may be necessary to change a faculty advisor; this change is made through the Office of Student Services who will facilitate the change in consultation with the Associate Dean for Graduate Practice Programs or the Director of the PhD Program.

B. Association of Graduate Nursing Students (AGNS)

1. General Information

Graduate students can participate in the College of Nursing Association of Graduate Nursing Students (AGNS). AGNS meetings and events are held throughout the academic year to discuss issues, provide mentoring, and share ideas. AGNS nominates student representatives to serve on the College of Nursing’s Council on Curriculum, Council on Student Affairs, Diversity Committee, Technology Committee, DNP Forum, and PhD Forum as well as the University Graduate Student Senate. Students are also eligible for membership in a variety of professional and specialty nursing organizations at the state and national level.

2. Mentor Program

AGNS created a mentor program to facilitate successful completion of the University of Iowa nursing graduate programs through peer-to-peer support. The mentor program will provide guidance to mentees through in-person and/or virtual face-to-face interactions. The goals of the mentor program are to help new students navigate the learning process of academic courses, clinical rotations, and the DNP project. In addition, the mentor program will provide emotional support through positive peer-to-peer interactions and relationships, offer socialization opportunities, and cultivate belonging and acceptance of all DNP students attending the College of Nursing.

Students who have completed their first year of the DNP program are asked to consider serving as a mentor to an incoming first-year student. Mentors and mentees will be matched by program, locations, and interests as much as possible.

Mentors will be asked to:

1. Determine the mentee’s personal goals and provide suggestions if needed
2. Identify the learning style of the mentee to offer individualized support or make recommendations
3. Provide guidance, encouragement, and support to the assigned mentee
4. Serve as a positive role model following University of Iowa College of Nursing guidelines
5. Provide emotional support and assist by offering suggestions to help reduce the stressors the mentee may exhibit
6. Meet with the mentee at least three times throughout each semester in whatever capacity works best for the pair (in person, via Zoom, etc.) to check in, and more often if the pair desires

Mentees may:

1. Reach out to their mentor as needed

If the mentor feels that the mentee needs support in any capacity beyond what the mentor feels comfortable providing, the mentor will contact a designated faculty support liaison who has been trained to offer support to students in crisis.

C. Communication

1. E-Mail

Every student at the University of Iowa is provided with an email account. This UIOWA account must be activated through MyUI. Students are required to activate the UIOWA account and to check this account regularly. You are assigned an “alias” address, which is typically your first and last names, separated by a hyphen, and followed by “@uiowa.edu” – for example, jane-doe@uiowa.edu for a student named Jane Doe. The alias address is much easier to remember and is the address you should share with others. All university-wide and departmental mass mailings are sent to your alias address, so you must have a valid routing address in order to receive e-mails. Also, if you change your routing address for some reason, you do not need to notify your e-mail correspondents because your alias address remains the same. If you already have a non-university e-mail account and would like to continue to use your Gmail, Yahoo, or another account, then you should register your existing account as your “routing” address in MyUI. Give your e-mail correspondents your alias address.

2. Graduate Student listserv – agnsnet

College of Nursing Graduate Students have a listserv where announcements and discussions of various issues relating to graduate education, employment, speakers, and courses of interest take place. All students are added to this listserv by the College of Nursing Felton Student Success Center staff prior to their first semester of coursework.

D. Electronic Based Resources

1. College of Nursing Instructional Technology Center

The College of Nursing and ITS (Instructional Technology Services) maintain an ITC (Instructional Technology Center) in room 32 CNB. The Nursing ITC is typically open Monday through Friday. Students who require additional access can go to any of the other campus wide ITCs. The ITS webpage provides access to ITC locations as well as information related to the services they offer.

E. Resource Labs, and Libraries

1. Nursing Clinical Education Center (NCEC)

The Nursing Clinical Education Center is located on the fourth level of the General Hospital in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). The Center, a joint effort between the Department of Nursing Services and Patient Care at UIHC and the UI College of Nursing, provides a learning environment of the highest quality to enrich nursing clinical educational experiences and to improve patient care now and in the future.

2. Iowa Geriatric Education Center (IGEC)

The IGEC is located at 2153 Westlawn. Visit the Iowa Geriatric Education Center webpage for more information.

3. The Laboratory for Advanced Computing in Nursing

The Laboratory is designed to support specific research needs in bioinformatics and genetics, as well as the intersection of clinical specialties and informatics. It is specifically designed to support qualitative and quantitative methods, large database research, knowledge representation, and knowledge discovery. The Laboratory has full access to all College of Nursing and University of Iowa network computer resources, including large data storage resources. Access includes, but is not limited to, a Microsoft SQL database server, University licensed software, email, and web servers. A magnetic ID card reader controls access to the Laboratory. To request access, please contact Linda Hand at linda-hand@uiowa.edu.

4. The Center for Nursing Classification and Clinical Effectiveness

The Center for Nursing Classification and Clinical Effectiveness facilitates the continued development and refinement of Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) to enhance nursing’s visibility and contributions to health care. Such classification research is crucial to the documentation and study of nursing care and to the articulation of nursing care with that of other health care providers. The Center’s purposes are to:

1. Conduct the review processes and procedures for expanding and updating Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) to reflect current nursing practices
2. Produce and disseminate materials related to the Classifications
3. Provide office support to assist faculty investigators to obtain funding
4. Provide research and educational opportunities for students, fellows, and visiting professors
5. Assist with implementation and use of the Classifications in clinical practice and educational settings. The Center for Nursing Classification and Clinical Effectiveness is located in room 407 CNB. For more information, see Noriko Abe in 407 CNB or contact 319-335-7051 or noriko-abe@uiowa.edu.

5. Csomay Center

The mission of the Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence is to advance innovations in research, education, and practice to promote optimal aging and quality of life in all older adults and their caregivers.

F. Sigma Theta Tau International – Honor Society of Nursing

Sigma Theta Tau International provides leadership and scholarship in practice, education, and research to enhance the professional development of our members, who strive to improve nursing care worldwide.

More than 300,000 nurse scholars have been inducted into Sigma Theta Tau. With 120,000 active members, it is the second largest nursing organization in the world. Members are active in more than 90 countries and territories, and the 424 chapters are located on 523 college and university campuses in the U.S. and countries including Canada, Hong Kong, Pakistan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, The Netherlands, and Brazil.

Membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing.

The Sigma Theta Tau chapter at the University of Iowa is Gamma. We induct new members into our organization annually during the spring semester. Criteria for membership as a graduate student are:

1. enrollment in programs of graduate study in nursing (master, post-master, doctoral, and post-doctoral)
2. achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
3. complete a minimum of one-quarter of the required graduate curriculum
4. demonstrate superior academic achievement, academic integrity, and professional leadership potential

Gamma Chapter provides scholarships, grants, and awards to recognize academic and clinical excellence as well as innovative research.