Acknowledgements
Some people amaze you with their gifts and talents. Dawn Anderson has been a friend for many years and I knew of her work as a professional editor. When I needed an editor for this work, I turned to her. And she is amazing. She makes this history sound erudite and as interesting as the history of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Program at the University of Utah most definitely is.
Ann Hutton and I have been friends since I joined the faculty at the University of Utah in 1971. Now that is a long friendship! We shared many of the years at the University of Utah and wove our lives through the College of Nursing’s graduate program in Psychiatric Nursing. She kept so many articles, class roles, pictures, books, pamphlets, and more over the years relevant to the program. Her contribution to this history was significant, and I thank her. Her contribution goes well beyond the materials she collected. The many students she has taught over her 54-year career at the University of Utah can attest to her influence on their careers.
This project would probably not have come to fruition without the encouragement and resources provided by Dean Marla DeJong. For me it was important that others felt this was a worthwhile project. It took several years to complete and the effort to validate people, dates, local and national issues was tremendous. Dean DeJong’s vision to validate the project’s importance kept the project on track for the 75th Anniversary of the College of Nursing in September of 2023.
Mindy Francis came into my life at the right time. She was employed to develop a dynamic program for the College of Nursing as it approached its 75th Anniversary. At one time she worked with the University of Utah Library system. She really knows how to gather information. She paved the way for me to access a great deal of information through the Archive systems at the J. Willard Marriott Library and Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. She introduced me to people who became my allies in this venture to describe the history of the Graduate Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Program in the Master’s Degree, now called a track within the Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) degree program.
Sheila Bittle completed her Master of Science degree from the University of Utah College of Nursing as well as her PhD. Bittle always had a clinical practice, even when she taught at the College of Nursing. Her work with Brenda Reiss-Brennan and the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) and the Utah Legislature moved psychiatric nursing practice from delegated employment, to independent, insurance reimbursement, therapy and prescriptive practice. There were many steps in between, and it took many advanced practice nurses to move the professional role of psychiatric nurses to psychiatric nurse practitioners (APRN-PMHNP). Bittle kept good notes on the evolution of the Nurse Practice Act, and I am grateful.
Past directors Ann Hutton, ElLois Bailey, Jodi Groot Morstein, and current director Sheila Deyette provided significant information about the program’s evolution for this history. Thanks for your efforts leading this program, teaching the next generation of students, and for sharing your experiences and ideas with me.
Past directors Sumiko Fujiki and Bonnie Clayton brought vision and dedication to this graduate program and they have made that vision part of me. Thank you for your mentoring, dear friends. Without their dedication, courage, and perseverance this program would probably not be here. They endured some rough waters but gave it their all so you could be the professionals you are.
I had interviews with Alice Parkinson, Paul Olavson, and B. Lee Walker, former stalwart faculty members who contributed greatly to the development of the program, and who shared their experiences with me. My thanks to Alice, Paul, and Lee.
Kathleen (Kathie) Supiano is the Director of Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program. She has imbued this project with heart and soul. It has excelled far beyond any early expectations for the program. It is still the only program serving grieving people and families that is centered in an academic center. Her vision is founded in compassion and intelligence. Through this program many, many mental health professionals have volunteered tremendous amounts of time to serve those who are grieving and also taught other professionals how to comfort and help those who are grieving.
Lee Moss worked closely with the Sheila Bittle, ElLois Bailey, Zoe Robbins, and Julia Balk to advocate for independent, full practice authority. He has worked for decades with Sheila Bittle and others on the Nurse Practice Act. He is a gem.
This writing task provided an opportunity to reconnect with two wonderful colleagues, Pat Howard, PhD who taught at the University of Kentucky, and Catherine Kane, PhD from University of Virginia. They were strong contributors to SERPN (Society for Education, Research, in Psychiatric Nursing), later called ISPN (International Society for Psychiatric Nursing). As Psychiatric Nursing advanced to today’s professional role in mental health, SERPN leaders, members, and staff facilitated the change through their collegiate programs. With each change, they reminded us that we were there to serve people with mental illnesses and their families. All changes should improve outcomes for patients and their families: that was our goal.
Staff at the J. Willard Marriott and Mike Thelin and Elaine Thorton at the Spencer C. Eccles Health Science Library were cheerleaders and great sources of information in bringing this document to you.
Finally, I would like to thank all the students, faculty, staff, and administration at the College of Nursing over the years for supporting this program through thick and thin. With name changes and curricular changes, as well as facing stigma (especially in the early days of the program), they have supported the education of nurses to care for those with mental illnesses and their families. You are great people in my book.
