A tribute to both their ongoing scholarship and service to the College of Nursing, Loretta Aller, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CHSE, and Taryn Burhanna, MSN, APRN, NP-C, received competitive fellowship awards by the internationally recognized International Nursing Association for Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL) and the nationally recognized SOURCE Service-Learning Academy, respectively. These prestigious fellowships offer Dr. Aller and Ms. Burhanna unique opportunities for continued professional development, including new insights and perspectives and exposure to cutting-edge thinking within their chosen specializations. Both faculty members will also receive guidance and knowledge sharing by well-known experts in their fields, as well as the chance to gain valuable leadership experience.
Dr. Loretta Aller, Assistant Professor for the College of Nursing, was named a Research Fellow by the International Nursing Association for Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL), an association dedicated to advancing the science of healthcare simulation. Designed as a twelve-month program, the INACSL Research Fellowship includes monthly webinars with notable leaders, broad exposure to the field through extensive reading and writing, and guidance by experts in simulation research. Working under an experienced research mentor, Research Fellows work to complete a research project, grant application, or manuscript for publication. Serving as a Research Fellow for INACSL provides an ideal platform for Dr. Aller to further her current research using multi-platform virtual simulation to measure the experience of two concurrent processes for undergraduate nursing students: the movement from self-doubt and anxiety to self-efficacy and the development of safe patient care based on sound clinical judgment and decision-making. As a relatively new but enthusiastic researcher committed to student success, Dr. Aller has taken full advantage of the many benefits offered through her fellowship, including information shared in monthly webinars, networking with simulation experts and leaders, and the opportunity to improve nursing education through well-designed simulations. As part of her experience as a Research Fellow, she recently participated as an invited speaker for both the Quality & Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) International Forum in Denver, CO and the INACSL Annual Conference in Milwaukee, WI. She also plans to use lessons learned from her fellowship experience to publish a manuscript and prepare grant submissions for research funding.
Dr. Aller received Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing degrees from Kent State University. Before her current position, she served as an Associate Lecturer at Kent State University at Stark for over a decade. Her work experience includes academic, clinical, and administrative positions, as well as curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation for Kaplan North America, Inc. and Elsevier Publishing. Dr. Aller currently serves as Chair of the Patient Safety Special Interest Group at the International Nurses Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and is certified as a Clinical Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE). Dr. Aller’s study findings were published in Nurse Educator, and she has authored several book chapters for Elsevier’s Fundamentals of Nursing. She has also embraced unique methods of knowledge dissemination through invitational podcasts and webinars, including participation in a recent podcast series by Nurse Educator.
Taryn Burhanna, Lecturer, Clinical Instructor and Course Coordinator for Community Health Nursing for Kent State University College of Nursing, was selected as a SOURCE Service-Learning Academy Faculty Fellow by the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Public Health, Nursing, and Medicine. Designed to assist faculty new to service learning or who currently teach service-learning courses, the SOURCE Service-Learning Academy provides Fellows the opportunity to develop service-learning partnerships and courses through a comprehensive one-year program. Faculty Fellows learn from a community of graduate and health education faculty, community organizers, and non-profit leaders to design critical service-learning courses and projects. Fellows benefit from individual advising sessions with faculty mentors, as well as monthly webinars and a virtual summer seminar presenting information on topics of interest such as best practices for community engagement and the integration of social justice with education.
With more than five years serving as lecturer and clinical instructor for the College of Nursing, as well as more than 10 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner for underserved persons in Portage and Summit Counties in northeastern Ohio, Ms. Burhanna is an ideal match for this fellowship program. Her varied clinical and teaching experiences inspired Ms. Burhanna to become an advanced practice nurse to better serve her community and support her focus of assisting nursing students with understanding the context of the communities they serve and how to advocate for vulnerable populations.
Ms. Burhanna earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees from Kent State University. She teaches a variety of undergraduate courses for the College of Nursing, including Community Health Nursing, Pharmacology II, and Integration of Leadership and Management. Her clinical nursing experience includes positions at the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and AxessPointe Community Health Centers, institutions serving patients in medically underserved areas as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). She is currently working part-time as an internal medicine nurse practitioner for Primary Care and Preventive Services at AxessPointe Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides medical, behavioral, and women’s health care to medically underserved areas in northeast Ohio. In recognition of her achievements and impact as a nurse educator, Ms. Burhanna was honored with the national 2021 DAISY Faculty Award.