Nursing

B.S.N., Madonna College
M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University
Dr. Scoble has had more than three decades of experience as a nurse leader in managerial, nurse executive, academic, and consultant roles. Her areas of expertise include nursing services and health administration, organizational assessment, professional practice models for nursing, professional nursing practice behaviors, and management and leadership development for nurses. Her research has focused on the educational preparation, skills, and knowledge considered important for nurse leaders in managerial positions. Dr. Scoble is very active in professional nursing both nationally and abroad. She serves as senior associate for the Institute for Nursing Healthcare Leadership in Boston, which is the Consortium of Harvard-Affiliated Nursing Services.

B.S., Fitchburg State College
M.S., University of Massachusetts
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Dr. Thielen is a nurse educator and nurse researcher. She is as an advanced practice nurse in gerontology, and co-teaches certification review courses in western Massachusetts. Her clinical expertise involves care of the acutely ill client. Research interests include cognitive impairment, care for those with memory problems, and instrument development. Dr. Thielen’s doctoral dissertation, entitled “Women’s Experiences While Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer,” has been presented at research conferences in several locations in the Northeast.

R.N. (diploma), St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing
B.S., M.S., Russell Sage College
Professor Barenski has nursing experience in acute care and management, and her clinical area of expertise is family nursing with a focus on the young developing family. Her academic interest includes the teaching-learning process for the adult learner. She has been active in program development for the RN-BS completion program, and serves as coordinator of the RN-BS program.

B.S., College of Our Lady of the Elms
A.B., Vassar College
A.S., Greenfield Community College
M.A., Ph.D., New School for Social Research
M.S., University of Massachusetts
Dr. Childers became a nurse after many years of teaching sociology and women’s studies. Her practice has been in adult and adolescent mental health nursing. She served as interim director of nursing at Elms from 2000 to 2003.

B.S.N., University of Bridgeport
M.S.N., University of Miami
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Dr. Dakin has many years experience in nursing education and nursing care delivery. She is an active participant in the Emergency Nurses Association and a member of the National Institute for Emergency Nursing Research. She    participated in the development of the new master of science in nursing (M.S.N.) program at Elms College that was launched January 2008. Dr. Dakin has presented her research on emergency department patient and staff issues, smoking, and patients admitted to an acute care psychiatric hospital at regional, national, and international conferences. Dr. Dakin’s teaching interests include medical-surgical nursing, nursing research, and role development of the advanced practice nurse.

B.S.N., Fitchburg State College
M.S.N., University of Massachusetts
Professor Diggins has many years experience as a professional nurse in neuro/trauma unit in acute care nursing, home care nursing, and as an   administrator and school nurse for a school district. She completed her M.S. in nursing education and gerontology. She has taught at the associate’s and baccalaureate level for the past 10 years. She volunteers in her community, teaches CPR and first aid courses, and is a member of the MA/RI Emergency Cardiac Care committee for the American Heart Association.

B.S.N., University of Connecticut
M.S.N., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Downes has extensive experience in nursing education and has taught in a variety of settings. Her areas of expertise and teaching are women’s health and the childbearing family. She has also taught across many other nursing specialties. Her areas of interest are curriculum development, program evaluation, and the use of technology in teaching. Dr. Downes has conducted research on innovative teaching methodologies in nursing education. She is an accomplished presenter in the area of women’s health and teaching methods for nursing education.

R.N. (diploma), Catherine Laboure School of Nursing
B.S., College of Our Lady of the Elms
M.S., University of Massachusetts
Professor Drummond has many years experience as a professional nurse. Her experiences and accomplishments in mental health and psychiatric nursing are numerous. Her primary specialty is alcoholism and drug services, and she holds certification as an advanced practice nurse in addictions. Elizabeth has many years of teaching experience across many nursing specialties in addition to mental health. She frequently presents in nursing ethics, women’s issues, teen parenting, drug and alcohol treatment, and a variety of mental health issues.

R.N. (diploma), Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing

A.A., Green Mountain College

B.S.N., American International College

M.S., Ph.D., University of Massachusetts

Dr. Moore has practiced nursing for many years in staff, staff development, and administrative positions with a primary focus in gerontology. She is certified as a clinical specialist in gerontology, and has published in that field. Dr. Moore recently completed a doctorate program at the University of Massachusetts in nursing. Her dissertation is titled "Familiar Physical Activity to Familiar Music: The Effects on Apathy, Agitation, Eating Ability and Dietary Intake In Institutionalized Older Adults With Dementia." Students from the Class of 2009 received training as research assistants and participated in the project at two of Elms College's long term care clinical partners.

B.S., Elms College

M.S., University of Connecticut

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Dr. Pelski is credentialed as a board certified neonatal nurse practitioner, nurse educator, and researcher. Her clinical expertise includes care and management of critically ill newborns and their families with special attention to the very premature infant. Her areas of expertise in teaching include women's health and the childbearing family with particular attention focused on pediatric nursing. Professional memberships include Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. Her research interests include prenatal maternal attachment, postnatal infant attachment, depression in pregnancy, and newborn developmental behavior.

R.N.(diploma), St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing

B.S., American International College

M.S., University of Connecticut

Ed.D., University of Massachusetts

Dr. Sheils holds a master's degree in nursing administration and a doctorate in educational policy, research, and administration. Her teaching experience includes diploma, baccalaureate, and continuing education level courses. Her current practice is serving those who are underinsured in an adult ambulatory care setting, and her areas of special interest include curriculum development and preparation of nursing students and graduates for the R.N. licensure examination. Dr. Sheils serves on the board of directors and is nurse coordinator of Pioneer Valley Free Health Services, where she works with uninsured clients and families. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled "Latinas in the Pipeline to Baccalaureate-Prepared Nursing: Challenges and Supports in Persistence to Degree and Professional Licensure."

B.S.,M.S., University of Massachusetts
M.B.A., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at the Hartford Graduate Center
Ph.D., Yale University

Dr. Schrauf has many years experience as a medical nurse, with clinical, education, and administrative roles in the specialty of hemodialysis care. She has held nursing faculty positions during her early career and recent doctoral education. Areas of knowledge and interest also include health policy and ethical dimensions of end-of-life care, topics of focus in recent presentations and publications. Her research addresses state support systems for informal family caregivers caring for loved ones at home. Professional memberships include Sigma Theta Tau, the American Nephrology Nurses Association, the American Nurses Associations, and the Connecticut Coalition for End-of-Life Care.

B.S., M.S., Elms College

Professor Stetson worked as a medical/surgical nurse before becoming a staff development educator, working as a preceptor for new nurses. She also worked as a clinical educator in the acute care setting. Professor Stetson’s graduate work has focused on the use of simulation as a teaching methodology, and she has used her expertise in this area to implement its use in lab courses. She is also a CPR instructor and member of Sigma Theta Tau.

B.S., Elms College
M.S., University of Massachusetts
Professor Wynne has many years experience as a professional nurse in acute care, long-term care, school nursing, and home care, where she continues to practice. She volunteers in the community teaching CPR. Her area of interest is in developing simulation techniques in teaching nursing.

A.D.N., Springfield Technical Community College
B.S., Elms College
M.S.N., University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing, Worcester

Professor Cieboter is currently the coordinator of nursing staff development and education at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, and holds a joint faculty appointment with Elms College and Mercy Medical Center. She has worked at Mercy Medical Center for most of her career, in telemetry, ICU, medical/surgical, home care, long-term care, and rehabilitation. She supervises Elms nursing students on orthopedic, neurology, and telemetry units.

B.S., M.S., University of Massachusetts

Professor Kowal has practiced nursing since 1994. Her experience includes many years in emergency nursing, community nursing, and working as a sexual assault nurse examiner. She is a DNP student in the family nurse   practitioner track at the University of Massachusetts, where she is completing her final year and capstone. Her special interests lie in women’s health, the impact of psychiatric illness on physical health, and forensic nursing.  Professional memberships include Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing, the International Association of Forensic Nursing, and the Emergency Nurses Association. 

B.S., M.S.(c), Elms College

Professor Ostrander has nursing experience in the acute care setting focusing on telemetry and intermediate care. Currently she is focusing on process flow, throughput, and coordinating care for the Heart and Vascular Program at Baystate Medical Center. In addition, she is a co-investigator for the research study entitled, “Early Ambulation Study For The Post Interventional Patient.”  She is currently finishing her master’s degree at Elms College.

A.D.N., Holyoke Community College
B.S., Elms College
M.S.N., University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Professor Pont’s background includes the areas of medical/surgical, critical care, hospice, and occupational health nursing. She supervises Elms nursing students in home care, and in the foundation of nursing courses.

R.N., (diploma), Cooley Dickinson Hospital School of Nursing
A.A., Holyoke Commubnity College
B.S.N, American International College
M.S.N., Anna Maria College

Professor Provencher has many years of nursing experience in a wide variety of clinical arenas. Her areas of expertise are in the fields of critical care nursing, nursing education, curriculum development, and clinical research. Her most recent accomplishments have been in the field of E-charting, where she spear-headed the development of electronic versions of various paper-based clinical documentation forms utilized  by Transfusion and Apheresis Medicine Services for the recording of clinical details in the patient’s electronic medical record in real-time when receiving hemotherapy. She also co-authored a paper with Transfusion Medicine Services relating to safe transfusion practices for the patient at risk for fluid overload.

B.S., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
M.S.N., Saint Joseph College, West Hartford

Professor Scanlon is currently a nurse educator and instructor at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, and holds a joint faculty appointment with the Elms and Cooley Dickinson. As a clinical nurse specialist, she     supervises students in adult acute care areas.

B.S., S.U.N.Y. at Stoneybrook
M.A., New York University

Professor Steiner’s area of expertise is in community nursing and mental health nursing. She has extensive experience teaching students in both theory and clinical settings. She currently supervises Elms nursing students in mental health, and in the foundations of nursing courses.

Diploma, Newton-Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing
B.S., Elms College
M.P.H., University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Professor Taugher is currently a regional immunization nurse for western Massachusetts with the state Department of Public Heath. She has diverse clinical experience in public health school nursing and various staff positions. She currently teaches critical care nursing to the R.N. to B.S. students at the Elms, and community health nursing to students in the traditional nursing program.