Newberry College Nursing Department Chair to Speak at the Society of Pediatric Nurses Convention

NEWBERRY, S.C., March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Newberry College's Dr. Betsy McDowell, professor and chair of the Department of Nursing, will be presenting at the 21st annual convention of the Society of Pediatric Nurses this weekend. This will be McDowell's third year in a row presenting at the convention, set to start tomorrow in Las Vegas.

McDowell will be giving two presentations at the convention. The first, titled "Lions and Tigers and Bears -- Oh My! Children and Traumatic Stress in the ICU," analyzes the causes, definitions and differentiation of acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children in the intensive care unit. She will also deliver her signature presentation "Preparing for Certification: Validating Your Expertise in Caring for Children and Families" based on her method called the "Knowledge base, Anxiety control, Test-Taking Skills" (KATTS) framework for testing success.

Before coming to Newberry, McDowell taught nursing full-time at Lander University for 36 years. She also has worked part-time in various intensive care units and was certified as a critical care nurse (CCRN), first with adults for 15 years and then with pediatric patients for 18 years. She authored a chapter on pediatric nursing in a new edition of a leading nursing textbook published earlier this year.

This spring, the first class of nursing students will be graduating and preparing to take the national licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) to become licensed as registered nurses. Newberry's nursing program, in partnership with Lexington Medical Center, provides education and clinical instruction for students to receive a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing. In addition, all four full-time nursing faculty members at Newberry College have earned national certifications, three as academic nurse educators and one as a family nurse practitioner.

"Dr. McDowell has brought much expertise to Newberry, and now, we're proud to extend that expertise beyond just our own campus," Newberry College President Dr. V. Scott Koerwer said. "We have exceptional educators who can not only guide our students to succeed beyond the classroom, but can also offer their insight to others and further their own learning through these educational opportunities."

The Society of Pediatric Nurses is the only broad-based pediatric nursing organization founded for all nurses involved in the care of children and families. The convention takes place March 31 through April 3 at Bally's in Las Vegas.

About Newberry College

A private, residential, co-educational, college with a diverse student population, Newberry College offers baccalaureate degrees in 24 majors, 31 minors, and 27 areas of concentration. Founded in 1856 by the Lutheran Church, the college is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the National Association of Schools of Music. The college has a radio and television station, and offers 15 NCAA Division II sports. In the recent 2011 ranking of the Best Colleges in U.S. News & World Report, Newberry College placed in the top tier of regional colleges in the South. For more information, visit www.newberry.edu.

SOURCE Newberry College