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Nursing recognizes its first doctoral graduate by Cindy Abole Public Relations It has been 120 years since the College of Nursing admitted its first students as a training school for nurses in the Southeast. In 1976, the college expanded to offer a Master of Science in Nursing program. Years later, the college is poised at surpassing another milestone by recognizing its first doctoral graduate, Jennifer Shearer, Ph.D., R.N. “This is an exciting time for nursing in South Carolina,” said Gail Stuart, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the College of Nursing. “We’ve had our nursing doctoral program for the past three years, and to see our first graduate is a culminating experience not just for Jennifer and our faculty, but for all of our nursing students. It's a high point for the college that shows we’ve achieved our academic goal by offering a full complement of professional nursing degrees. “ Despite the attention and celebration afforded to her, Shearer offers a modest, practical view of  her remarkable accomplishment. Joining Dr. Jennifer Shearer are husband, Ron, son Matt, and daughter Mary. “I felt that I arrived at a time in my life when I still wanted to learn and explore more things,” Shearer said of her decision to pursue her doctorate degree. “I’ll always be a person who never stops learning.” A native of Columbia, Shearer is among four sisters who entered nursing and practice in various clinical areas.  In the mid-1980s, Shearer returned to her native Palmetto state from Mississippi and was anxious to fulfill her desire to work at a big medical center.  For more than a decade, she  worked in patient care areas such as cardiology and pediatrics within the MUSC Medical Center and Children’s Hospital while earning her masters degree in community health nursing in 1989.  Described as soft-spoken, kind, and focused, Shearer joined the nursing staff at the Derry Patterson Wingo School of Nursing at Charleston Southern University (CSU) in 1997. She was among the first doctoral students of a dual program  between MUSC and the University of South Carolina in 1999. When the program dynamics changed, students were given a choice to stay or transfer to the newly established program at MUSC. In 2001, Shearer joined advanced-level doctoral students Winnie Hennessy and Beverly Bradley in Charleston, giving today’s program some depth in its wide range of student experiences.  Being a lifelong learner and possessing an inquisitive nature is synonymous to a doctorally prepared nursing professional. After completing several years of course work, passing comprehensive exams, and learning how to create and defend her dissertation, Shearer is able to apply a process that helps her prepare and answer questions, challenge and explore methodologies, and test theories within clinical settings—skills she’s learned and experienced while completing the nursing doctoral program. “Nurses and students should realize that there are many ways to answer questions,” Shearer said. “In nursing, we’re taught the values of evidence-based practice. This challenges us to turn to research if something’s shown to be effective and use it. But if there are lots of questions, it's still okay to explore things on your own. More often, it’s about applying a process and trying something new.” Shearer’s dissertation topic, Prevention and Lead Poisoning, examined the role of parents as it relates to environmental health. In 2000, she completed a nursing collaborative learning experience with the Charleston County Lead Prevention Program and participated in an educational intervention research study mentored by MUSC pediatrician and childhood lead poisoning expert Jimmy Roberts, M.D.  For her dissertation research, she returned to Roberts and enlisted the help of other experts in the health science community to explore her questions. She conducted 22 interviews with participants and compiled their responses to questions about lead poisoning protection and treatment. To interpret her data, she worked with Susan Kools, Ph.D., a methods expert at the University of California, San Francisco. Lead poisoning has been in the environmental health spotlight for decades. Older houses, particularly those built before 1950, were painted with lead-based paint. Experts later reported that lead poisoning in children can severely affect their mental capacity, especially between the ages of 6 months and 10 years.  Shearer’s interest in lead poisoning prevention focused on its success as a model program due to the natural decline in prevalence and helped by awareness. What she learned was that parents instinctively practice protection and blame themselves for their children's health risks. But the outcomes of protection are best explained by the controllability of the exposure source. Parents need help from their communities to protect their children when exposure is extensive. “Jennifer can develop and test a predictive model based on her efforts to evaluate how children are protected by parents,” Roberts said. “She’s reached a first step in her milestone as a practitioner. Now it’s up to her to take what she’s learned and to strive to take the next one towards her next goal. I look forward to seeing what she does.” Shearer spent five years working, editing, and preparing her dissertation. Throughout the process, she was guided by her nursing advisor, Carolyn Jenkins, Dr.PH., and mentor Marilyn King, Ph.D., R.N.  As a mentor, King assists and advises students in mapping out their doctoral program years. The curriculum also prepares students as educators with specific courses in curriculum development, teaching methodologies, and student oversight. King already shared advice with Shearer on her post-graduation research goals—preparing her dissertation for publication, coordinating an interventional study that will lay the foundation of her work and conducting further assessments of lead poisoning prevention in high-risk areas around the Lowcountry.  “I never imagined that I would arrive at this point in my life—completing my doctorate in nursing,” Shearer said. “The most meaningful part of the program was the process of discovery rather than the culmination of graduating. But the day I defended my dissertation was the most important highlight for me. I was defending something that I truly worked hard at. It was the one thing that I understood better than anyone else that I could share and explain to others. There’s nothing more satisfying.” Following graduation, she will return to CSU with renewed enthusiasm and regard for completing her academic journey. She sees her role as liaison at both institutions and the community inspiring more doctorally prepared nurses in the state. Within the classroom, she hopes to instill her knowledge and experience by challenging students to ask bold questions and find answers. “At CSU, a doctorally prepared nurse can challenge others to think differently,” Stuart said. “That’s what every educational experience should provide. If you think about a diamond, every educational experience would be equal to polishing a different facet. When you get to the point of achieving a doctoral degree, you can look at that diamond in so many different ways. Your understanding changes based upon your perspective. When you have faculty who are prepared that way, they continue to push the envelope.” To commemorate Shearer’s achievement as nursing’s first doctoral graduate, the College of Nursing presented her nursing hood as a gift during Thursday’s hooding ceremony at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church.        Friday, May 21, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.