Linda Sweigart has been a faculty member since 2004 and she completed her adult NP education in 2006. Her nursing background is varied including obstetrics, critical care including neonatal intensive care.  She spent several years in nursing management before entering the area of patient education.  There she coordinated and taught childbirth education programs creating new courses including breastfeeding classes, teen classes and ABC, After Baby Comes – infant care and CPR, classes.  Linda worked with multiple community agencies to assist in the founding of Safe Kids of Delaware County.  Working with Prevent Child Abuse of Delaware County, which represented numerous community agencies, she coordinated the Friends of the Family Child Developmental Series, an annual conference provided free to the community on child rearing.  The conference included self-esteem building sessions for children as well and served over 400 participants.

Work in the area of  Breast Cancer included education of families at the time of diagnosis and treatment; coordination of two support groups, teaching classes and working with local agencies on Breast Cancer Education programs for the community.  She also coordinated community health education and wellness promotion programs including Women’s Health Focus, Men’s Health Focus, Senior Health Focus and Pediatric Mental Health programs and Safe Sitter courses. Opportunities also included the coordination of distance learning programs for schools, continuing medical education programs related to Pediatric topics, community asthma education and selection of programming for the patient education TV channel. She also formerly served on Open Door/BMH Health Center Program and Right Start Clinic Advisory Committees.

Education:

Publications / Creative Endeavors:

• Genetics Educator Program, University of Cincinnati 2005 & Genetics Short Course, 2004, funded by the NCI; to become ‘train the trainers’ in oncology genetics.
• AWHONN, Indiana Section, Award of Excellence in Education, 2000.
• Safe Sitter International, Board Member, 2002-present, currently secretary, BMH was in top ten sites for 2002.
• Quality of Life Volunteer of the Year, 2000-2001, Delaware County American Cancer Society for work with women with breast cancer and trainer for the Reach to Recovery program.
• ‘Interdisciplinary Patient and Family Education Assessment and Record’ Poster presentation, Patient Education:  Practical Approaches to Self Care, St Luke’s National Patient Education Conference, Kansas City, Kansas 1996.
• Patient Education of Breast Cancer Patients, Annual Cancer Conference, Continuing Education Conference of Delaware County Cancer Society and Ball State School of Nursing, 1995.

Professional Organizations / Memberships / Certifications:

• Oncology Nurses Society
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses
• Sigma Theta Tau International
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
• Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses of Indiana
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), Oncology Nursing Society, 1996 - present
• ICCE, International Childbirth Education Association Certified Childbirth Educator, 1993 - 1998
• CS, Certified Specialist in Medical/Surgical Nursing, ANCC, 1990 - 1995       
• CNA, Certification in Nursing Administration, ANCC, 1987 - 1996

Courses Taught:

• NUR 404 Community Nursing
• NUR 406 Childbearing Family
• NUR 230 Health Assessment across the life span
• NUR 101 Medical Terminology