Faculty member Wendy Mann Woith was introduced as the next Advocate BroMenn Endowed Professor at an installation ceremony Monday, May 9, hosted by Advocate BroMenn Medical Center and Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN).
Making remarks at the event were Colleen Kannaday, president of Advocate BroMenn Medical Center and Advocate Eureka Hospital; Laurie Round, vice president for patient services and chief nurse executive at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center; and H. Catherine Miller, interim dean at MCN. They then presented Woith with a medallion and plaque.
The Advocate BroMenn Endowed Professorship in Nursing enables MCN and Advocate BroMenn Healthcare, Normal, to:
- Provide financial support for an academic position for the general benefit and study of nursing
- Enrich the learning environment for both undergraduate and graduate nursing students
- Enhance the academic rigor by linking research and teaching
- Foster clinical research and evidence-based practice
- Foster collaboration between Advocate BroMenn and MCN
- Enrich staff nurses’ involvement in research and evidence based practice
This professorship was established in 2005 and was the first endowed professorship at Illinois State. Sandra Burke, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, was the first recipient, followed by Shelly Malin, Ph.D., RN.
Woith joined Mennonite College of Nursing in 2000. Her research extends globally. She has investigated methods to decrease tuberculosis transmission among the general population and healthcare providers of Russia, and developed an innovative photovoice intervention to promote respirator use. She has directed multidisciplinary research teams consisting of international partners, and co-coordinated a Russian nurse exchange program which has led to nursing curriculum revision and the development of evidence-based practice programs in Russia. Additionally, Woith established an exchange program between nursing students and faculty at MCN and Vladimir Medical College in Russia.
Closer to home, Woith and her colleagues examine how incivility among student and staff nurses impact both student and patient outcomes, as well as the use of rapid response teams to prevent cardiopulmonary arrest in hospitalized patients. Her work on rapid response teams is resulting in practice changes at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center.
Woith has received several awards on the national, regional, and college levels related to her research. She continues to seek out opportunities to improve the health and well-being of people locally and globally.
“Dr. Woith’s focus as the Advocate BroMenn Endowed Professor will be research and evidence-based practice,” said Miller. “She has already helped to implement a research council, aimed to assist nurses to design and apply research and EBP projects, and to prepare presentations for professional conferences. She participates on the research council at the system level and is part of the Advocate Health Care Annual Research Symposium planning committee.”
