UF College of Nursing receives $3 million gift to benefit brain injury, PTSD patients

A $3 million gift from a University of Florida College of Nursing alumna will fund education and research focused on quality of life for patients and their families dealing with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions.

The estate commitment is the single largest gift in the college’s history.

Brenda Barton-Wheaton, who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing in 1971 and 1973 respectively, and her husband Richard Wheaton, a 1956 and 1968 UF agriculture graduate, wanted to give back to their alma mater in a way that would be meaningful both for the university and for patient care.

“We are deeply grateful for the generosity and vision shown by both Brenda and her husband, Richard,” said Kathleen Ann Long, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the UF College of Nursing. “It was apparent when speaking with them that they are passionate about the goals for this gift. They have entrusted us at the College of Nursing with improving the quality of care for those afflicted with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions and understand the unique role that nurses play in ensuring a good quality of life for patients and their families.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on average, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, annually, and many such injuries go undiagnosed. Care and rehabilitation for individuals with TBI and their families is complex and lengthy. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is also prevalent, and follows exposure to extreme stress. Many people who have PTSD fail to seek treatment because they have not identified their symptoms as trauma-related.

Nurses are on the frontline of the American health care system, and special efforts should be made to ensure that all nurses know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mild to moderate TBI, PTSD and related conditions, Long said. The gift will establish an endowment to fund education and research activities for faculty and students. It will provide scholarships and stipends for undergraduate and graduate students, funding for doctoral students’ research and projects, and support for faculty members.

“Our vision for this gift is to support talented individuals in their efforts to obtain an education and conduct research to discover optimal ways to provide excellent care for individuals with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder and their families,” Barton-Wheaton said. “We hope that education and research leads to better care for patients and that their families are better educated regarding these conditions and more able to advocate for optimal care.”

The College of Nursing’s affiliations with UF&Shands, the University of Florida Academic Health Center, and with the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center afford students and faculty members many opportunities to interact with patients and families dealing with TBI and PTSD.

The UF College of Nursing was one of the first four universities in the country to receive a five-year VA Nursing Academy grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This strong partnership has yielded improvements in recruitment and retention of well-educated nurses at VA facilities, ensuring high quality care for veterans. In 2012, UF and the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System also committed to educating America’s future nurses caring for veterans and their families facing TBI, PTSD and depression, as part of first lady Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces Initiative.

“The University of Florida and the College of Nursing are equipped with the talent, facilities and resources to strengthen education, conduct research and translate findings into practice so that we can better serve those with TBI, PTSD and related conditions,” Long said. “Our connections with other colleges, centers and institutes at UF and our rich clinical resources will facilitate our efforts to achieve all that the Wheatons hope this gift will accomplish.”