Gifts at Work: Doctoral Candidates Take Part in the 60 for SIXTY Challenge

The first cohort of doctoral students from Grand Rapids is advancing the science of nursing at Michigan State University. In honor of the 60 for SIXTY Challenge, they have joined together and made a $10,000 group pledge to fund a research pod in THE BOTT BUILDING for Nursing Education and Research.

Karen Burritt, Lori Houghton-Rahrig, Sandra Spoelstra and Melodee Vanden Bosch are actively contributing to nursing research through academics and financial investments.

• Prior to becoming a Nurse Corp Scholar at Michigan State University, Karen Burritt worked at Saint Mary's Healthcare as a nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in Orthopedic and Neuroscience. She was also an assistant professor in the McAuley School of Nursing at University of Detroit Mercy. Her doctoral research investigates the predictors of disability and physical functioning outcomes in degenerative spine conditions.
• Houghton-Rahrig, on leave from her faculty position at Grand Valley State University to complete her PhD, previously authored a chapter about Risk Management Tracking Systems in the book titled, "Starting Your Practice; A Survival Guide for Nurse Practitioners.” Her doctoral research is the study of Symptoms, Genetics and Health-Related Quality of Life in persons with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
• Spoelstra is the former owner of Northern Home Nursing in Marquette, Mich. Her doctoral research investigates Falls in Community-Dwelling Elderly Cancer Survivors.
• Vanden Bosch's doctoral research focuses on the demographic, clinical and social cognitive factors that are associated with moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity in middle-aged women with and without diabetes. She is currently on leave of absence from an affiliate faculty position at Grand Valley State University.

For these four students, the opportunity to enroll in the MSU Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program in Grand Rapids made the pursuit of their degree more convenient. They all agreed that their experience at MSU has been exceptional.

"My personal experience thus far at MSU has been to receive the "best” nurse scientist training in the country. Course work, practicum's, and the opportunity to interact with scholars, attend seminars and work with ‘cutting edge' scientists has left to a well-grounded education as an emerging nurse scientist,” Spoelstra said.

The 60 for SIXTY Challenge provides an opportunity for groups to play an integral role in helping to facilitate advanced nursing excellence at Michigan State University. The key motivation that inspired them to give is their belief that innovation is an underlying success factor contributing to nursing research that improves quality of life. Also, the graduating class felt it was a solid opportunity to give back to the College that has provided so much both educationally and professionally.

"The group talked about giving something back to MSU for all of the financial support we have received from the College of Nursing and the Graduate School during the Doctoral program in nursing. We thought that by giving something as a group, it would remind us of the support we had received, and the accomplishments that we had attained by team work and groupencouragement,” Vanden Bosch said.

The first doctoral cohort of students from Grand Rapids continues to make a difference by investing in nursing research. They hope their commitment will inspire others to join together and donate to the 60 for SIXTY Challenge.