Courses taught: See SIRS table- Teaching Evaluation
2021-2024: Key contributions
Student Success Program
My most significant achievement has been the development and leadership of a holistic Student Success Program. Key accomplishments include:
- Development of the Nursing Success Coach job description
- Advancement of the Nursing Success Program yearly in collaboration with the Success coach, faculty, and Campus leaders.
- Creation of policies with fellow faculty surrounding standardized benchmarking assessments (ATI testing) to facilitate student achievement of content mastery through the program.
- Leadership of faculty initiatives to develop mandatory remediation policies for students who are unsuccessful in courses. As a result of these policies, students develop study skills and content mastery before progressing into additional nursing courses.
- Implementation of the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) testing in pre-freshman cohorts to identify at-risk students prior to freshman year.
- Development of the course assistant program to provide course-level nurse tutoring.
As part of the Student Success program, I developed and implemented a Bridge to Success summer program to decrease attrition in the junior year and address equity gaps for underrepresented minority students. Outcomes: A total of 129 rising juniors participated in the summer Bridge to Junior Success program in 2022 and 2023. (50% of rising juniors). The rate of unsuccessful students was reduced by 50% in Bridge participants compared to non-bridge participants in both Health and Illness and Pharmacology in 2022 (Unsuccessful Health and Illness Bridge 7.8% compared to 16.7% unsuccessful in non-bridge students; Unsuccessful Pharmacology Bridge 9% compared to 17.9% non-bridge). Data analysis is in progress for 2023 cohort with plans for publication of results. Overview: Avallone BRIDGE to success Addressing Equity gaps through a summer enrichment program
Curriculum Development: Baccalaureate Program
Co-led Baccalaureate program curricular revisions related to implementation of the 2021 AACN Essentials in Nursing Education, including
- Revised Baccalaureate end of program outcomes
- Revised course student learning outcomes
- Course mapping to new Essentials (ongoing)
NJ GWEP and geriatric interprofessional education: My work in geriatric interprofessional education spans teaching, scholarship, and clinical categories. I am the subrecipient PI for the NJ-Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program HRSA grant with the NJ Institute for Successful Aging, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. In partnership with Fairshare Support Services, I have redesigned a community clinical experience, imbedding nursing students within an interprofessional educational setting to improve health outcomes for older adults in a low-income housing community. Using the IHI Age-Friendly 4Ms Framework, undergraduate student nurses develop key geriatric competencies. The description of this project has been published. Outcomes from the project are described in an invited manuscript submitted for publication. This work has been disseminated at national conferences, including NLN, AACN, Geriatric Society of America, and the Bureau of Healthcare Workforce All Grantee and Stakeholder HRSA-DHHS meeting.
In addition to the main GWEP award, I have also received a subaward to support geriatric education during COVID. As a result of the grant, all graduating undergraduate students have basic competencies in community fall screening and fall prevention, as well as dementia screening. I have also received an additional award to develop curricular materials for certified nursing assistants in nursing homes in partnership with Camden County College.
Standardized School 57 syllabus template for the baccalaureate program. Responsible to update the syllabus and disseminate to faculty every semester.
Capstone Course
Link to theory and clinical syllabi:
Major revisions since 2021:
- Integrated U world testing platform into the Capstone and ABS Capstone courses. Student feedback highly positive.
- Developed didactic case studies built on the NCSBN Clinical Judgment measurement model. (CJMM). Students work on case studies within teams, then reflect on learning following the case study.
- Revised clinical evaluation tool to meet the 2021 AACN Essentials and revised course learning outcomes.
- Revised clinical reflection to incorporate the NCSBN Clinical judgment measurement model to help develop clinical judgment.
- Handoffs : Handoffs are challenging for novice nurses to master and create a latent safety risk. This classroom exercise provides students opportunity to create a “shared mental model” and develop safe communication skills.
- Opportunity reports: After taking the first ATI Comprehensive practice assessment, students complete an initial Opportunity Report. At the end of the semester, students complete a second Opportunity report to evaluate improvement and plan for post-graduation NCLEX study.
Mentoring activity:
Faculty mentorship:
2023-ongoing Arcilia Ortiz: – new faculty mentoring, Onboarding to Northgate II and GWEP grant.
2023-ongoing Sharon Andress new faculty mentoring: Advised in course development, assessment construction and evaluation, classroom management,
2023-ongoing Kimberly McGuiness fnew faculty mentoring: Advised in revision of Community didactic and clinical courses, incorporation of active learning activities into the classroom.
2022-2023 Martin Manno Faculty mentoring: Assessment construction, evaluation and revision of testing items, revision of course, development of active learning strategies.
2021-ongoing Clinical Faculty education: Provide education to clinical faculty every semester on relevant topics in educational best practice, including
- Providing constructive feedback to students.
- Strategies to build clinical judgment in clinicals.
- Use of reflection to build clinical judgement.
- Providing constructive feedback to students.
DNP student mentorship
Doctoral – Chair
Jennifer Williams- Effectiveness of a Diabetes Educational Intervention in an underserved population. Expected graduation 5/26
Doctoral – Committee
Paul Donohue- Effectiveness of interventions for Dementia- expected graduation 5/26
Maria Molina: Improving Knowledge of Genomics in a Cardiology Practice: Program Evaluation (INSPIRE) expected graduation 5/25
Risha Patel: Routine Depression Screening Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Risha Patel expected graduation 5/25
Anestasia Wharton- Improving Antibiotic Overuse in Primary Care: A Multimodal Quality Improvement Project expected graduation 5/25
Lauren Laino- Fall Risk prevention in a Primary Care Setting. graduation 5/24
2018-2020: Key Contributions
New course developed
Based on Mountain Measurement data documenting systemic curricular deficits in Adult Health content, I developed an advanced Adult Health theory and corresponding clinical course entitled “Complex Health and Illness” for Traditional students. (57:705:416/417) and Accelerated BS students (57:705:350/351).
I developed and implemented a new theory and clinical course for Traditional students- Capstone (57:705:418/420). The purpose of the Capstone course is to provide students an opportunity to synthesize key concepts, build clinical reasoning skills, and review for the NCLEX examination in preparation for transition to professional practice.
- CAPSTONE Spring 2020 57-705-418
- I developed a significant revision to the existing ABS Capstone theory and clinical courses (57:705:468/469) to improve NCLEX and programmatic outcomes.
- Since initiating these and other curricular improvements, the NCLEX-RN pass rate has improved from 75% (2018) to 94% (2020).
Assignments to build Clinical Judgment:
Clinical reasoning and clinical judgment is necessary to prevent “failure to rescue” (FTR). Graduate nurses must recognize and prevent fatal complications from occurring while providing nursing care. The Clinical Analysis assignment was integrated into Complex health and illness clinical experience to help build clinical judgment.
- Clinical Analysis Clinical Assignment
- The Mobility case study was implemented in Capstone to help students develop clinical reasoning skills.
- Socrative quizzes- I utilize a cloud-based student response system to engage learners and formatively evaluate student understanding. In one quiz, I used movie clips to illustrate Leadership styles. Students viewed the clip and then selected the leadership style most exhibited.
- Class lecture exemplar: Shock case study- Using a flipped classroom strategy, students review the basic information and nursing care regarding shock prior to lecture. In lecture, students participate in a shock case study, providing learners opportunity to apply patient centered care concepts and clarify difficult topics. The AACN Synergy model is used as a framework to facilitate patient and nursing characteristics. A think-pair-share strategy is used in the case study.
- Shock case study
- Capstone case studies