Her laughter, caring and ability to make people feel valued are among the things missed by those who loved and worked with Donna Westmoreland, Ph.D.
An associate professor in the UNMC College of Nursing, Dr. Westmoreland died Tuesday (Feb. 7) following a battle with cancer. She was 57.
A memorial service will be Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. at the North Side Christian Church, 5555 Larimore Ave. (2 blocks north of Ames Avenue on 56th Street).
Memorials may be sent to the North Side Christian Church, (ZIP code 68104) or to the Southern Scholarship Foundation, 322 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, Fla. 32304. The Southern Scholarship Foundation, an organization from which Dr. Westmoreland benefited, supports those who can’t afford higher education.
When Dr. Westmoreland interviewed for a faculty position more than 16 years ago, Martha Foxall, Ph.D., knew she would make significant contributions to the college and department, as well as the nursing community in Nebraska. Dr. Foxall is professor and chair of the Department of Parent/Child, Administration, Education & Science.
“I always considered her a visionary and very creative,” Dr. Foxall said. “She had a knack for seeing the big picture and a way to sell it. She was kind, thoughtful and the most sensitive person I’ve ever worked with. She’ll really be missed.”
Karen Grigsby, Ph.D., associate professor, UNMC College of Nursing, met Dr. Westmoreland while both were working on their doctoral degrees in Texas. They shared a passion for patient care, research and education.
Dr. Westmoreland’s career accomplishments included working for a program of Michael DeBakey, M.D., one of the most influential cardiac surgeons of all time, said Dr. Grisby. She also was the youngest nurse hired to work on the Hope ship, an international mission that serves needy people all over the world. She served as the head nurse of the intensive care unit.
“It was an awesome experience for her,” Dr. Grigsby said. “It changed how she viewed health care. Her vision throughout her career was how do we make health care systems better so people receive the care they need. That was the whole focus of what she was about . never forgetting the person receiving the care was of the utmost importance,” she said.
In the college, Dr. Westmoreland served as project leader of a health systems nurse specialist grant, which focused on preparing nurses in Nebraska’s rural areas for leadership roles in community-public health nursing, nursing administration or nursing informatics.
Dr. Grigsby said Dr. Westmoreland always looked for new opportunities to grow and learn and to incorporate that into nursing education to create leaders in Nebraska. “Status quo was never her thing,” Dr. Grigsby said.
Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said Dr. Westmoreland will be deeply missed.
“Donna’s magnificent spirit, infectious smile, wonderful humor and great intellect have been a gift to the UNMC College of Nursing since 1989. She was a gifted teacher, impressing students with her infectious humor and great command of community nursing. We have lost a leader in the college, and a dear friend — Donna was much loved and we will deeply miss her.”
Dr. Westmoreland accepted a position as assistant professor at UNMC in 1989, and in 1997 was appointed associate professor. She served in a faculty practice, conducted research and played a large role in spearheading the revision of the nursing administration specialty and health systems nurse specialist subspecialty.
She earned a bachelor’s in nursing degree from Florida State University in 1970, a master’s degree in nursing in 1979 from the University of Florida and a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990.
She served in a number of organizations, including the American Nurses Association and the Nebraska Nurses Association, Council for Graduate Education in Nursing Administration the Sigma Theta Tau Gamma Pi Chapter, and the National Rural Health Association