College of Nursing faculty reaching out to legislators

Coffman and his assistant, Myron D. Spanier, discuss veteran activities at the college with Dean Thompson, Krause-Parello, and Assistant Dean Maureen Durkin.

​

This winter, College of Nursing faculty have had several opportunities to showcase the profession of nursing and the great things going on at the college.

Scott Harpin, PhD, MPH, RN, of the College of Nursing reached out to Rep. Paul Rosenthal and Sen. Jeanne Nicholson in a visit to the Capitol on Feb. 15. As an opportunity offered in Harpin’s undergraduate public health nursing course, students Ashley Gonzales and Hollie Gettman joined Harpin in the meeting. Student Suzy Lewis, a nurse in the Colorado School of Public Health's MPH program and Harpin’s mentee in the Colorado Public Health Association's mentoring program, was also in attendance. The group was invited to sit on both the House and Senate floors, and they were introduced in both chambers.

“This was a wonderful, exciting opportunity to meet with the CU and Public Health Association lobbyists to learn how best to advocate for health issues as nurses,” Harpin says.

On Jan. 24, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, of the 6th District, visited Anschutz Medical Campus to learn about the different colleges within the district he now represents.

“I was fortunate to visit with Congressman Coffman today as part of his visit to the Anschutz Medical Campus. We talked at length about the many exciting things that are happening in the College of Nursing and within the field of nursing as a whole,” says Dean Sarah Thompson, PhD, RN, FAAN.

Andrea Autobee-Trujillo converses with members of the College of Nursing, including Jessica Anderson, WHNP, and Erica Schwartz, DNP.

“Congressman Coffman is a military veteran and is interested in issues affecting our military. As part of his visit, he heard about Cheryl Krause-Parello’s, PhD, RN, research, which is aimed at identifying therapeutic animal assisted interventions for members and veterans of our military.”  (View the C-P.A.W.W. website)

On Dec. 17, Andrea Autobee-Trujillo, senior congressional aide for Rep. DeGette visited the College of Nursing and the nurse midwifery faculty practices at University of Colorado Hospital (Center for Midwifery and University Nurse Midwives). The purpose of the visit was to discuss and showcase the nurse midwifery faculty practices, as well as other faculty practices, like Sheridan Health Services.