A Publication of
the University
of New Mexico
Foundation, Inc.
| The University of New Mexico |
|
A Publication of the University of New Mexico Foundation, Inc. |
 |
 |
|
By Jennifer
K. Roberts
For Dr. Mary Lipscomb, chair of the UNM School of Medicine's Department of Pathology, the needs of the nursing department have a personal appeal. As a physician and the daughter of a nurse, Lipscomb is well aware of the importance of good nurses and of what education means to good nursing. To honor her mother, in fall 2001 Lipscomb established the Evelyn Marlin Fisher Endowment to benefit students at the UNM College of Nursing. In the midst of the Great Depression, Evelyn Marlin Fisher received her nursing degree from the Charity School of Nursing in New Orleans. She was grateful that in those days nursing school was free, including her room and board, because she did not come from a wealthy family. "She had no extra spending money and was very appreciative of it when she got some from family," comments Lipscomb. After graduating, Fisher served as a public health nurse for four months before she married. She left the profession, but after raising seven children, Fisher's love for nursing endured. Lipscomb's mother heard the call again as a private duty nurse when her daughter was 15 years old and her youngest child only 4. Many of the stories Fisher told her children were from her days as a nurse. Understanding that nursing shortages are a nationwide problem, Lipscomb chose to honor her mother through an endowment. "I had been hearing about nursing shortages for probably three years," Dr. Lipscomb explains. "I didn't think of any other option but to establish the endowment here at UNM. UNM has lots of potential and students who need support." The nationwide nursing shortage is no mystery. "Nurses have to work hard and, when you add the long hours, the pay is not commensurate," says Lipscomb. "It takes a lot of hard work and training. There is an increasing sense that nurses' pay is being ratcheted down and they have less time with more patients. It is a combination of these things." Lipscomb broached the subject of the endowment with her mother and later, the rest of her family. "My mother and I want the money to go to needy students. The whole family has been supportive," says Lipscomb, who is happy to have established the endowment when she did. Her mother died on Feb. 8, 2002, at the age of 88. Because the
young endowment has not yet produced income, Lipscomb made an additional
gift to support students with scholarships for both the fall and spring
semesters of this academic year. Over time, Lipscomb intends to grow the
endowment to $100,000, which will help at least one nursing student each
year. UNM
Foundation Inc. 505-277-4503 Copyright
© 2006 The University of New Mexico. |
Spring 2002 |
|||||||
