Oct. 28, 2009 | Pamela Gouner, a doctoral student in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Graduate School and College of Nursing, feels like she was born knowing she wanted to be a nurse.

“I can't remember not wanting to be a nurse,” said Gouner, R.N., chairman of the Division of Nursing at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). “Some say it's a calling and I believe that. What I do know is that when I started caring for patients in nursing school and even before that in a summer job, it felt very natural and comfortable.”

In a varied, nearly 30-year career in nursing, she has been a pediatric nurse, an operating room nurse and a school nurse. She’s worked in four states and two countries. In recent years she has been drawn to education and helping prepare future nurses.

Earning a doctorate, she said, is the next step in advancing her knowledge in nursing education and research.

“A doctorate is the standard in the academic setting, and more and more is becoming the standard of preparation in nursing education,” Gouner said. “Also, I believe in the art and science of nursing and I believe in contributing new knowledge to my profession. I want to accomplish this through nursing research.”

Research in the area of tobacco cessation and nursing students was the result of two masters degrees, she said. Degree work toward a master’s degree in education in wellness and health promotion sparked her interest in tobacco cessation while a master’s degree in nursing increased her desire to become a researcher. She said that during her years in nursing, she has seen a lot of nurses who smoked, despite the habit being “the single most preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States.”

Gouner believes nurse educators can play a role in developing a healthier generation of nurses by promoting tobacco cessation and good health habits.

“I believe we have a responsibility to the future of our profession to nurture our own and let them know their health is important to us. They need to care for themselves if they want a long life as well as a long, healthy career in nursing,” she said. “Also, it’s very hard for a nurse who smokes to teach patients the benefits of not smoking.

“A nursing curriculum is tightly packed with a variety of courses designed to teach students how to care for others. While that is the point, I don't believe we should lose sight of the student and their health care needs,” she said. “I think it's important for students to hear the ‘self-care’ message from their nursing school faculty. Nursing school is a great time to model healthy behaviors and teach students how to be well despite the crazy demands on their time.”

She began her pursuit of a doctorate about two years ago, around the same time she was appointed chairman of UAM Division of Nursing. During this time she has successfully juggled the demands of the growing program with her studies.

The UAM program includes 80 students with some 350 nursing majors currently on campus. In the last couple years, Gouner led the program through an approval process with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing while helping the program move into a new facility on campus.

She is District II president of the Arkansas Nurses Association and serves as sponsor for the campus chapter of the Student Nursing Association.

She chaired and co-authored a course, “The Licensed Practical Nurse: Scope of Practice and Behaviors” for the Arkansas Nurses Association. She also chaired the Hospital Tax committee for the Ashley County Medical Center that promoted a quarter-cent sales tax to benefit the rural hospital that won voter approval.

“My current manuscript focuses on the appropriateness of nurses leading this type of committee to affect change in health care and the practical considerations of managing an effective campaign,” Gouner said.

That effort was a great learning experience for nursing students who also took part in the campaign, she said, which led to a national award for their participation.

At the same time, she maintained a 4.0 grade point average in her doctoral coursework and received the William Randolph Hearst Scholarship this year that goes to a doctoral student from a rural, underserved community. She also found time to attend the Southern Nursing Research Society Conference in Baltimore and review abstracts for the UAMS College of Nursing Research Day.

Recently Gouner was selected to be the consultant at large for the Arkansas Nursing Student Association.

When her doctorate is complete, Gouner said she will focus on the continued growth and success of the UAM nursing program. 

“Mostly, I hope to be a positive role model for my students as a lifelong learner, nurse educator, scholar, researcher, administrator and leader,” she said. “I hope my passions for nursing and nursing education will be captured and translated into kind, compassionate care giving and an insatiable appetite for learning.”