UH Hilo nursing lab coordinator Janice Tatum receives tenure
Janice Tatum specializes in “nursing theater,” realistic hands-on clinical simulations in the laboratory where students develop nursing skills and sound clinical judgment for the real world.
By Susan Enright.
This story is part of an ongoing series on faculty who have recently received tenure.
Janice Tatum, laboratory coordinator at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo’s School of Nursing, has received tenure. The milestone was announced by the UH System on June 20.
Tatum’s primary work with students at UH Hilo is as a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, working collaboratively with faculty and students in the nursing program—both the baccalaureate and doctoral degree programs—facilitating the growth of critical thinking skills students will need as professional nurses. This teaching happens primarily through nursing “theater,” realistic hands-on clinical simulations in the laboratory where students can develop their nursing skills and sound clinical judgment for the real world.
“Simply put, I write and implement the theater of real-life healthcare in an environment that is safe and enjoyable,” Tatum explains. “Applied active learning that bridges conceptual knowledge with technical skills is what healthcare simulation is about. This theater prepares the nursing students for the real-life challenges that follow nursing licensure.”
Transcultural nursing
Tatum came to UH Hilo in 2017 with 40 years experience in medical-surgical and public health nursing within the U.S. and abroad. She started as a Peace Corps volunteer and United Nations Volunteer in the late 1970-80s. Her Peace Corp training was in Micronesia, Kosrae, Guam, and Saipan; her United Nations volunteer work was in Java, Indonesia, with training in Sri Lanka. “I carry that experience into my professional as well as personal life,” she says.
She used those experiences as the foundation for more than 20 years of work in university and community college transcultural nursing programs. She received her master of science in nursing education from Sonoma State University in 2001. She is a registered nurse and family nurse practitioner—just this year updated both licensures in California and Hawai‘i.
Tatum started at UH Hilo six years ago as an in-hospital acute care clinical instructor for a group of seniors in the university’s bachelor of science in nursing program. The work entailed assisting with simulation activity in the lab and curriculum development for that fall semester. In 2018 she became the temporary and then permanent coordinator for the Skills Laboratory where she continues to advise on use of the lab, curriculum development, and myriad simulation activity.
Tatum is currently working collaboratively with a senior doctoral nurse educator, some doctoral nursing students, and a registered dietician in the development of a series of nutrition-based healthcare simulation scenarios.
“The scenarios take into consideration not only common pathophysiology—diabetes, anemia, heart disease—but also multi-cultural interface with dietary practices,” Tatum explains. “The scenarios will be across the age span from infants to elders. Hopefully, this project will be piloted with a group of senior [registered nurse] students in mid-July 2023.” The project will also incorporate some volunteer surrogate patients associated with the UH performing arts department.
Much of Tatum’s work focuses on diversity, inclusion, and equity.
“In current summer projects, I work collaboratively with persons both from the local healthcare community and from various other areas on the U.S. mainland,” she says. “For the past few years, I have worked with a committee of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning aimed at issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Those values are applied in decisions made here in the UH Hilo nursing resource/simulation lab and also as I work with the local healthcare community.”
Tatum says healthcare needs a solid, dependable, well-educated workforce.
“Nurses and nurse educators are currently in short supply in the U.S.,” she says. “I plan to stay healthy as long as I can and contribute to building new nurses by implementing the theater of healthcare.”
Susan Enright is a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
