Berryman Receives Chancellor’s Teaching Award

June 4, 2014 | College of Nursing faculty member Sandra New Berryman joked she was trembling so much when she was announced during UAMS Commencement May 17 as recipient of the 2013-14 Chancellor’s Teaching Award for Teaching Excellence in Society and Health that UAMS Provost Jeanne Heard advised her to be careful and not drop the glass award on the stage.

“I felt excited that a nurse was being selected for the award — what a tremendous honor,” said Berryman, D.N.P., R.N., A.P.R.N., a board-certified clinical nurse specialist and clinical assistant professor.

College of Nursing Dean Lorraine Frazier, Ph.D., R.N., echoed those sentiments.

“The College of Nursing faculty was delighted when Sandy was announced as recipient of the Chancellor’s Teaching Award,” Frazier said. “My mind immediately went back to all the times she enthusiastically shared that she had found her passion in teaching — interprofessional education. That passion was evident in her face and voice – she was where she belonged and she was in her element.

Berryman began an interprofessional (IPE) education simulation with her Older Adult Health faculty team a few years ago, the first IPE simulation in the UAMS Simulation Center and now has an in-press publication on simulation with the National League of Nursing. 

“I find great joy in working across disciplines and have leaned on others with more knowledge my entire career,” she said, pointing to a quote from Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

“I think that quote best describes my motivation and the importance of interprofessional teams in health care. The pleasure of learning with, about and from others has always been important to me as a nurse and I think it has grown my credibility among peers providing care,” she said.

She also works with students as an interprofessional preceptor at the 12th Street Health and Wellness Center. The 12th Street Center is student-led center with a major focus on interprofessional education, as students from all UAMS colleges and the graduate school participate in delivering interprofessional team care to patients.

“I have loved the opportunity to cross disciplines from nursing to work with pharmacy, medical and other students at the 12th Street Center,” Berryman said. “These preceptor teams have been a learning enrichment for me as well as giving me the privilege to promote students’ growth across disciplines while serving a population in need.”   

Berryman was one of five finalists for the teaching award. Joining Berryman were:

• E. Robert Burns, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Biology in the UAMS College of Medicine

• Eddie Dunn,  Pharm.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice of the College of Pharmacy

• Kristie Hadden, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine of the College of Medicine and program director for health literacy in Regional Programs

• Wendy Ward, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pediatrics of the College of Medicine