Faculty Profile

Sherry Wenger

Associate Professor of Nursing

Education

BSN, Goshen College, 1981
MN, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Nursing, 1993

Courses

Courses

N604 Community Health Nursing- (graduate)

The focus of this course is health promotion and disease prevention in the community. Content germane to this course includes a process of community assessment, program planning, implementation and evaluation. Knowledge of basic epidemiology, communicable disease surveillance, survey data and cultural assessment contribute to a thorough knowledge of the community. Attention will be given to issues of social justice for vulnerable populations.

Nurs 438 Community Health Nursing (undergraduate)
Applies a synthesis of nursing, social, and public health theories to the assessment and care of aggregates in the community. Practice is collaborative, with a focus on promoting and protecting the health of populations. Community health planning for aggregates or populations is done using a variety of agencies and resources in the ocmmunity. The public health delivery system is differentiated from the private health care delivery system in its emphasis on social justice.

NURS 408 Community Health Nursing  (undergraduate)
Applies a synthesis of nursing, social, and public health theiories to the assessment and care of aggregates in the community. Practice is collaborative with a focus on promoting and protecting the health of populations. Community health planning for aggregates or populations is done using a variety of agencies and resources in the community. The public health delivery system is differentiated from the privatre health care delivery system in its emphasis on social justice. Prerequisites: All 300-level clinical nursing courses.

Historic Courses

NURS 304 Advanced Communication Skills

Nsg 202- Skills & Assessment

Nsg 407-Enhanced Nursing Practice

FaLi 300- Human Sexuality

NURS 332 Holistic Client Assessment

Lectures & Presentations

PRESENTATIONS

Mandate for Nursing: Health Promotion and Justice in  Health care/ 39^th  Annual Mock Convention keynote address, Goshen, IN,  Feb 5, 2010.

The impact of a child with disability on the family system and the church’s response. AMBS course-Family System and Pastoral Care. Delores Friesen, faculty, Elkhart, IN, August 4, 2006

Empowering Families in Crisis: Strategies for Mission Possible (for ADNet), Mennonite Health Assembly – Orlando, Fl., March 11, 2005

Every family has it’s challenges: What our some of ours? Experiencing disability within the church  Berkey Ave Mennonite Fellowship- Adult SS –Goshen, IN, June 21, 2004.

 Disability, Acceptance and the Church-  Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship.  MYF group   Goshen, IN,  April 25, 2004

Thriving in the midst of loss (for ADNet), Mennonite Health Assembly -San Francisco,CA, March 26, 2004

Helping families with children with disabilities,  MOPS – Mothers of Preschoolers,  ClintonFrameMennoniteChurch, Goshen, IN, Jan 8, 2004

New ministry: Anabaptist Disabilities Net (ADNet),  Mennonite Nurses/Mennonite Medical convention, Laurelville, PA, June 21, 2003

A nurse’s perspective of health care: from her journey with a child with special needs, Northern Indiana Mennonite Nurses Association Annual meeting-Goshen, IN, May 15, 2002

Nursing care of the family with a child with special needs, Ohio State University Graduate School of Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner Program, Columbus, OH (1 day seminar), April 24, 2002

Dilemmas in prenatal diagnostic testing, at conference “Pastoring at the beginning of life: Health care ethics in the faith community”, Goshen College/College Mennonite Church, Goshen, IN, April 5, 2002

My journey: life, faith and a child with DS , Chapel address. Bethany Christian HS , Goshen, IN, Dec 3, 2001

Caring: The heart, the cost and the structure. Mennonite Nurses/Mennonite Medical Association summer convention. Waterloo,Ontario  CANADA,  June 16, 2001.

Changes in the nursing profession,  Goshen College BUS 345-Intro to Health Services class, Goshen, IN, October 1996.

Historical perspectives of nurse-managed clinics , Sigma Theta Tau, Nu Omicron Chapter, Elkhart, IN, November 1995.

Concepts of nurse-managed clinics/faculty practice,   Goshen College Sr. Nursing Research students, Goshen, IN, January 1994.

Homeless Health Care (graduate school research),Goshen College Sr. Community Health class, Goshen, IN, December 1993/ March 1994.

 

 

Memberships & Associations

Memberships

American Public Health Association

Indiana Public Health Assoc

Sigma Theta Tau International- Nu Omicron

Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship

 

Selected Publications

PUBLICATIONS

Wenger, S., (2003). Dilemmas in prenatal diagnostic screening: from the perspective of a nurse and mother of a child with special needs. In D. Epp-Tiessen & M.H. Schertz (Eds.), Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology, Elkhart, IN: Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Winnipeg, Manitoba: Canadian Mennonite University.

Rupp, P.A., Mellinger, S., Kohler, J.,  Dorsey, J.K.,  Furst, D.E.  (1987).  Nicardipine for the treatment of Raynaud’s Phenomena: a double-blind crossover trial of a new calcium entry blocker.  Journal of Rheumatology,  14(4),  745-50.

 

Other scholarship

Data collection for National Homeless Health Care grant,  Northwest Human Services,  Salem, OR   1992

Protocol Development/Implementation, Clinical Research Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA  1984-86

 

Personal Information

Current GC and professional committees:

Goshen College Nursing Curriculum Committee

Goshen College Nursing Faculty Business Committee

Goshen College MSN Sub Committee

Sigma Theta Tau International (STT) Leadership and Nominations Committee

 

Current committees & appointments in the community:

Center for Healing and Hope Medical Advisory Board (Goshen, IN)

Coordinated School Health committee (for Goshen Community Schools  Goshen, IN)

ADNet Advisory Council (Anabaptist Disabilities Network)  Goshen, IN

Maple City Walk planning committee- 1/2 walking marathon in Goshen, IN

MDC Goldenrod respresentative for my home congregation- Berkey Ave Mennonite Fellowship (BAMF)  Goshen, IN

Home visitor for the local Down syndrome support group in Elkhart Co (ecdssg)

Fellowship and Caring commission member at BAMF  Goshen, IN

Volunteer camp nurse at Camp Amigo Sturgis, MI

 

 

 

Hobbies & Interests

Bicycling- especially long distance road biking. I have done  6 or so trips in my adult life – Fl panhandle, Outer Banks of NC, Europe- the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, Oregon coast and most recently Willamette Valley/Cascades in Oregon with MCC in  August 2010- a 250 mile route in 4.5 days.  I enjoy riding in local fundraiser bike rides on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and other rails to trails bike paths and  for MCC Bike Michiana at Camp Amigo, Sturgis, MI each Sept.

Silent retreat- one of my passions is spending time in quiet retreat whenever I can at The Hermitage community in Three Rivers, MI. I find this spiritual discipline to be a crucial one for me to hear God’s continuing call for my life.

Ten Thousand Villages store- I volunteer a few hours a month working at Ten Thousand Villages in Goshen, IN which is a fair trade store for artisans around the world who are often impoverished and lack health care resources and education.  In this way, I believe I can support others to have improved overall health by impacting some of the social determinants of health which fits with the social justice theme I teach about in my community health courses.  I believe through this act of volunteerism, I am supporting these projects around the world which are giving many vulnerable populations a chance to better their life and therefore their overall general health.  My husband spent 4 years in MCC in Bangladesh and I am particularly interested in selling and purchasing crafts that come from that part of the world.

MCC (Mennonite Central Committee)- Since my husband was in MCC in Bangladesh, we have continued to meet with former MCC’ers every 3 years over the 4th of July weekend through this regular MCC  B’desh reunion which alternates between Canada and the US.   We hosted the last event in 2010 at Camp Friedenswald in MI.  This time of renewal of former friendships and following country developments has become a favorite ritual for our family.

Disability advocacy- I continue  service to both the Elkhart County Down syndrome support group and ADNet (Anabaptist Disabilities Network) which is a ministry of the Mennonite Church USA.  I helped start and develop both of these groups. Current interests include working with partners in the local vicinity to develop services for children with special needs.

I enjoy spending time with family- husband Curt and daughters Olivia and Elise

Employment

EMPLOYMENT

 2007-present

Associate Professor of Nursing, Goshen College,  Goshen,IN

2005-2007

School Nurse -Goshen Community Schools, Goshen, IN

 1998

Adjunct faculty/Asst. Prof of Nursing,  Goshen College, Goshen, IN

1997  

Assistant Prof. of Nursing / BSN Completion Program, Goshen College, Goshen, IN

1993-1997    

Asst. Dir. of BSN Completion Program/Asst. Prof. of Nursing  Goshen College, Goshen, IN

1992-1993

Pediatric home health nurse, Care Management, Portland, OR

1989-1991

Clinical Nursing Instructor (Adult Medical -Surgical), Chemeketa Community College, Salem,OR

1986-1989

Assistant Professor of Nursing (Adult Medical-Surgical),Kirkwood Community College,Cedar Rapids, IA

1984-1986    

Research Nurse, University of Iowa, College of Medicine/Clinical Research Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics,Iowa City, IA

1981-1984  

Staff nurse, General Surgical and Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgical units, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics,Iowa City, IA