Graduate Nursing Faculty & Staff

The Graduate Nursing faculty are committed to the values of:

  • Effective and inspirational leadership
  • Clinical relevance and excellence
  • Critical and innovative thinking
  • Academic rigor
  • Integrity
  • Engaged learning
  • Student success
  • Inclusive excellence
  • Stewardship of resources
  • Authentic and professional relationships

We have identified goals (PDF) that drive improvement and help us demonstrate these values.

Leadership

Lori Rhudy, PhD, APRN, CNS, ACNS-BC, CNRN
Interim Chief Nurse Administrator

303H Stark (Winona)
Broadway 204 (Rochester)

507.535.2585

Email Lori Rhudy
Brian Zeller, PhD, LAT, ATC
Dean, College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Stark 301A (Winona)

507.457.5122

Email Brian Zeller

Faculty & Staff

Ashley Busch, APRN, CNP, DNP
Associate Professor

Rochester on Broadway 210

507.535.2587

Email Ashley Busch
Sarah Carpenter, DNP, APRN, CNP
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 211

Email Sarah Carpenter
Jillian DeAngelis, DNP, APRN, CNP
Assistant Professor, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 224

507.535.2578

Email Jillian DeAngelis
Diane M. Forsyth, PhD, RN
Professor, Nurse Educator Program Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 212

507.535.2590

Email Diane Forsyth
Patti Gangl
Office & Administrative Assistant

Rochester on Broadway 228

507.535.2584

Email Patti Gangl
Amy E. Harter, RN, MSN, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 202

507.535.2591

Email Amy Harter
Imtithal Kisirwan, DNP, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CNEn
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 224

507.535.2572

Email Imtithal Kisirwan
Julie Langer, RN, BS
Clinical Placement Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 206

507.535.2573

Email Julie Langer
Kimberly Langer, DNP, APRN, CNP, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC
Professor

Rochester on Broadway 223

507.535.2593

Email Kimberly Langer
Sandra Paddock, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CNE
Professor

Rochester on Broadway 222

507.535.2595

Email Sandra Paddock
Julie A. Ponto, PhD, APRN, CNS, AGCNS-BC, AOCNS
Professor, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Program Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 208

507.535.2596

Email Julie Ponto
Jenny Prochnow, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
Professor, Nursing Leadership Program Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 214

507.535.2597

Email Jenny Prochnow
Jill Rasmussen
Office & Administrative Assistant

Rochester on Broadway 227

507.535.2583

Email Jill Rasmussen
Amy Reitmaier, PhD, RN, PHN, CWOCN, CFCN
Department Chair, Professor

Rochester on Broadway 213

507.535.5271

Email Amy Reitmaier
April Rowe Neal, PhD, RN
Simulation Educator, Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 318B

507.285.7583

Email April Rowe Neal
Sarah Sistek, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 209

507.535.2580

Amy Smith, PhD, RN, CNE
Associate Professor

Rochester on Broadway 220

507.535.2598

Email Amy Smith
Marilynn Helene Spencer, DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC
Assistant Professor, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 226

507.535.2574

Email Marilynn Helene Spencer
David Steele, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC, AGACN-BC, ENP-BC
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 202

507.535.2575

Email David Steele
Lauren Tarbell, DNP, APRN, CNS, ACNS-BC
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 208

507.535.2575

Email Lauren Tarbell
Mieca S. Valen, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC
Professor, Family Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator

Rochester on Broadway 210

507.535.2599

Email Mieca Valen
Alexandro Vasquez, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, ENP-C, FNP-C
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 211

507.535.2586

Email Alexandro Vasquez
Heather Voigt, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor

Rochester on Broadway 209

507.535.2588

Email Heather Voigt

Faculty Publications & Presentations

We’re proud that our department faculty are widely recognized as leaders of high-level course instruction. Many faculty members are also involved in research and are distinguished authors of published materials.

Dohm, M., & Prochnow, J. A. (2025). NCPD. Psychomotor Skills for Nurses Transitioning to Practice: A Scoping Review. MEDSURG Nursing, 34(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.62116/MSJ.2025.34.1.7

Paddock, S. (2025). “Encouraging Self-care for Nurse Practitioner Students to Decrease Stress and Prevent Burnout”

Dos Santos MR, Abbott-Anderson K, Ponto J, Silva LTP, Ferro TA, Schweiss C, Eggenberger S, Meiers S, Szylit R. Reframing care while enduring the traumatic nature of witnessing disrupted family-patient-nurses’ relationships during COVID-19. J Adv Nurs. 2024 Jan;80(1):186-199. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15791. Epub 2023 Jul 17. PMID: 37458269.

Hall, K., Manyang, C., Ponto, J., Vanhoudt, N., Renneke, C., Multidisciplinary afternoon dis-charge huddle to optimize hospital flow, MEDSURG Nursing. September/October, 2024

Mangaonkar, A. A., Langer, K. J., Lasho, T. L., Finke, C., Litzow, M. R., Hogan, W. J., Shah, M. V., Go, R. S., Bartoo, G., Kutzke, J., McCullough, K. B., Koster, M., Samec, M., Warrington, K. J., Reichard, K. K., Olteanu, H., Riwes, M., Patnaik, M. M., & Alkhateeb, H. B. (2023). Reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in VEXAS syndrome: Data from a prospective series of patients. American journal of hematology, 98(2), E28–E31. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.26786

Paddock, S., Hayden, A. & Ruud, M. Preparing Nurse Practitioner Graduates for the Transition to Practice. Journal of Nursing Education. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20240320-01

Rhudy, L.M., Johnson, M.R., Krecke, C.A., Keigley, D.S., Kraft, S.J., Maxson, P.M., McGill, S.M., & Warfield, K.T. (in press). Standardized change of shift handoff: Stakeholder perspectives and implications for evidence-based practice. American Journal of Critical Care, 31(3), 181-188.

Ashley Busch and Kristi Wintheiser: abstract A day in the clinic: Intraprofessional simulation experience for BSN and FNP students ­­­poster presentation at the Healthcare Simulation Conference: Elements, Essentials & Excellence in Healthcare Simulation, at Hilton Mayo Clinic Area, Rochester, Minnesota (March 9-10, 2023)

Ann M. Hayden, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Maria Ruud, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC; School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN & Sandra Paddock, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, Winona State University poster presentation, “Transition from DNP student to practicing APRN” at the AACN Doctoral Pre-Conference January 18, 2023 in Coronado, CA.

Hines, E. A., Farr, E. M., Rhudy, L. M., Chesak, S. S., Kinzelman Vesely, E. A., & Esterov, D. (2023). Efficacy of resilience interventions for dyads of individuals with brain injury and their caregivers: A systematic review of prospective studies. NeuroRehabilitation, 52(1), 29–46. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-220125

Kim Langer podium presentation at American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy: Surrogates of endothelial injury predict non-relapse mortality among patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic steam cell transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide-based GVHD prophylaxis

Pires AMT, Ponto JA, Teraoka EC, Kerbauy FR, De Domenico EBL. Outcome measures reported by cancer patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A methodological study. Rev Bras Enferm. 2023;76(0):00-00.

Rhudy, L. M., Hines, E. A., Farr, E. M., Esterov, D., & Chesak, S. S. (2023). Feasibility and acceptability of the Resilient Living program among persons with stroke or brain tumor and their family caregivers. NeuroRehabilitation, 52(1), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-220127

Amy Smith – U of M Research Day Poster Presentation

Amy Smith – Creative Achievement Day/Research Day at WSU

Abbott-Anderson, K., Rodrigues dos Santos, M., Schweiss, C., Meiers, S., Eggenberger, S., Ponto, J., Szylit, R., (2022). Living in COVID’s Disbeliefs, Media, and Fear: Nurses in Brazil and the United States Share Their Experiences. Creative Nursing, 28(4).

Foote, J. M., Grimsley, A. T., & Forsyth, D. M. (2022). Impact of a Pandemic as a Forced Disruption in Nursing Education. Journal for nurses in professional development, 10.1097/NND.0000000000000930. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000930

Forsyth, D.M. (2022). Developing Oneself as an Innovator (Chapter 17). In Nola A. Schmidt and Janet M. Brown (Eds.). Evidence-based Practice for Nurses: Appraisal and Application of Research (5th ed.). Burlington, ME: Jones and Bartlett

Heusinkvelt, SE, Nelson, DM, Langer KJ. Preparing Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Students for Role Transition through Hospital Immersion. Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 2022; 18(6):645-648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2022.02.003

Madeline M. Christensen, M.M., Friesen, M.J., Ponto, J.A., Di Tommaso, M.J. (2022). Addressing Social Isolation for Individuals with Cancer. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 26(5).

Nelson, D. M., Madsen, B. E., Kopecky, S. L., Jenson, C. E., Loth, A. R., Mullan, A. F., Clements, C. M., & Lin, G. (2022). Retrospective validation of acute heart failure risk stratification in the emergency department. Heart & lung : the journal of critical care, 57, 31–40. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.08.005

Paine, K., & Prochnow, J. A. (2022). Leadership strategies to support resilience. Nursing management, 53(4), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000824024.53750.66

Rhudy, L., Slazinski, T., & Littlejohns, L. (2022) Anatomy of the nervous system In AANN Core Curriculum for Neuroscience Nursing Seventh edition. American Association of  Neuroscience Nurses.

Rhudy, L. M, (2022). Data Is a Gift. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing 10.1097/JNN.0000000000000669. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnn.0000000000000669

Meiers, S. J., Dyce, E., Wieland, M. L., Patten, C., Clark, M. M., Hanza, M., Bronars, C., Nigon, J. A., & Sia, I. G. (2021). Lay health worker as interventionist training: Reflective writing in US family health promotion practice. Health Promotion International, daaa143. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaa143