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GRIEF-STRICKEN AND SHOCKED students and faculty are
grappling with the loss of three professors after last
week's shootings at the University of Arizona College
of Nursing in Tucson.
A 41-year-old student fatally shot Robin Rogers in
her office and Cheryl McGaffic and Barbara Monroe as
they conducted a midterm exam. The student, Robert Stewart
Flores, then turned the gun on himself.
Flores reportedly had failed his pediatric nursing
class and was struggling in a critical care class.
McGaffic, Ph.D., RN, a clinical associate professor
in the nursing college, taught courses in ethics, critical
care nursing and death and dying. She was a nurse for
21 years in the fields of critical care and holistic
nursing. She was also a volunteer chaplain at University
Medical Center in Tucson.
The 44-year-old professor had completed research projects
on topics such as the relationship between spirituality,
health and the meaning of life and death for elders
and adults who are chronically or terminally ill.
"Cheryl helped me a lot," said Mary Koithan,
Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor in the nursing school.
"She was an extremely giving person. She helped
a lot of us without telling us she was doing it. When
I was diagnosed with cancer, she gave me a huge hug
and said she was there for me."
Koithan said one of McGaffic's greatest gifts was honoring
people, even when they disagreed with her. "Cheryl
and I could be on opposite sides of the table on issues,
and we could argue with the best of them, but at the
end of the argument, Cheryl would always reach out and
hug me. It was never a personal thing."
Monroe, 45, MS, CCRN, RN, was an assistant professor
in clinical nursing who worked at University Medical
Center as a clinical nurse educator in critical care.
Before joining the University of Arizona last year,
she taught at the University of Phoenix. She also worked
as a nurse in Casa Grande from the late '80s through
1992.
Rogers, 50, MSN, CPNP, RN, was a clinical assistant
professor of nursing. She retired from the Air Force
in 1996 as a lieutenant colonel, and was active at Faith
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Phoenix. She led the
singing at the praise services Saturday nights.
Rogers earned her bachelor's degree in nursing at Loma
Linda University in 1973 and a neonatal nurse practitioner
certificate from the University of Arizona in 1979.
She was a pediatric nurse practitioner while in the
Air Force.
In 1992, she earned a master's degree from the University
of Texas at San Antonio. Four years later, she joined
the University of Arizona College of Nursing, where
she taught graduate courses such as evaluating assessment
skills for nurse practitioners.
"She touched so many patients and so many lives
in her career," said James Ronan, MN, PNP, RN,
who knew Rogers in the Air Force. "She was an excellent
clinician. She was driven to do the very best and would
go way beyond what was necessary."
Contact Heather Stringer at heathers@nurseweek.com
For additional information on the nursing professors
read
the press release from the University of Arizona
College of Nursing Web site.
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