Alumnus Returns for Master's
Degree and Earns Thesis Award
Nurse wins award for her research and
dedication to end-of-life care.
May 24, 2005 :: No. 216
A nurse whose personal goal was to
earn a master’s degree not only fulfilled that desire,
she has won the Giles T. Brown Outstanding Thesis Award. She
will be honored at Cal State Fullerton’s Honors Convocation
Friday, May 27, on the eve of the university’s annual
commencement ceremonies.
Elizabeth Wessel of Orange returned to her
alma mater 21 years after earning her bachelor of science
degree in nursing. Working as an educator in end-of-life care,
Wessel wanted to focus her research in this area when she
set out on her thesis effort. The end result is “Palliative
Care Education and Reflective Narratives in Orientation: A
Strategy to Increase Self-Awareness of Nurses’ Attitudes
Toward Death and Dying.”
Her thesis was characterized as “a masterful
example of dealing with sensitivities in the field of hospice
care,” by Ray Young, associate vice president for academic
programs.
Award selection is based on nominations submitted
by faculty members. The award is named for Giles T. Brown,
emeritus associate vice president for academic affairs, dean
of graduate studies and professor of history.
“I believe that end-of-life care is my
calling,” noted Wessel, director of education/mission
services with St. Joseph Health System Home Health Network
in Orange. While attending classes for her undergraduate degree,
she took care of a family friend, and her first nursing position
was as a staff nurse in the oncology unit of St. Joseph Hospital.
“I was very attracted to coming back
to Cal State Fullerton. I got a great education the first
time I attended, and it’s been wonderful this second
time,” she said, noting that the master’s program
allowed her to continue working full time while attending
courses in the evening. “My instructors were very encouraging
and supportive. They allowed me to focus my studies and research
in an area that was meaningful to my work.
“With lengthening life spans and increased
use of medical technology for life-threatening illnesses,
the ability for nurses to provide compassionate and effective
end-of-life care is increasingly important,” noted Maryanne
Garon, assistant professor of nursing, in her nomination of
Wessel.
“Ms. Wessel, as a hospice nurse, has
recognized its importance and developed an intervention aimed
at helping nurses learn to be more comfortable with their
own attitudes about death and dying and more able to care
compassionately for their dying patients,” Garon noted.
“Ms. Wessel has been able to capture
the essence of the work of the nurse in the care of the dying
by using their own words. There are few human experiences
that equal the emotional journey of working through the end
of life with a patient and family.”
Wessel earned her master’s degree in
2004, and her thesis was selected this spring for the 2005
honor.
Media Contact: |
Pamela McLaren of Public Affairs at
657-278-4852 or pmclaren@fullerton.edu |
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