Prescott based Director brings 30 years of nursing experience to the program along with extensive experience as a community college instructor
Yavapai Community College announced in a November 21 press release that Dr. Barbara Durham was selected as Director of Nursing. Dr. Durham is Prescott based and has been an employee of the Community College since 2017 when she moved from Hartnell community college in Salinas, California where she had taught for 12 years.
Dr. Durham holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Science in Nursing Practice from California State University Dominguez Hills and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Practice from the University of Windsor (1987 – 1991).
While on the nursing faculty at Hartnell College (2005 – Jan 2017) she taught advanced adult med/surg concepts, and geriatric content in nursing theory. She has authored one article, which was written in 2013 entitled, “Medication Safety: The Role of the Nurse.” (See https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25785398/ for appropriate cite.)
The press release from Yavapai Community College, written by Tyler Rumsey, appears below.
TYLER RUMSEY 21 NOVEMBER 2022
Dr. Durham has been with Yavapai College since 2017 as a nursing faculty member and has worked in academia since 2005.
Her nursing career spans more than 30 years, from working with diverse patients and students at the bedside as a critical care nurse and clinical educator to her faculty role teaching in Associate Degree Nursing Programs.
“I am extremely excited to have Dr. Durham as the Director of Nursing at YC,” said Dr. Marylou Mercado, Dean of Health Sciences, Science, Math, ABE, Health, and Wellness. “She is passionate about high-quality nursing education, student success, and patient safety, and her impact on student training will be felt immensely in our communities.”
As Director of Nursing, Dr. Durham will oversee the nursing program at Yavapai College and will advocate for students and faculty. She will also assist Dr. Mercado in moving the nursing program toward seeking approval to offer an RN-BSN degree and work with Yavapai County community healthcare partners in advancing nursing education that benefits county residents.
The Yavapai College Nursing Program has a history of excellence in nursing education. The NLCEX pass rate for 2021 AT YC was 96.05% exceeding the 2021 National NCLEX pass rate of 82.4%. The job Placement rate for 2021 YC graduates was 94%.
Dr. Durham grew up in Ontario, Canada, and moved to California in 1992 after graduating with honors from the University of Windsor, in Ontario, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She completed her Master of Science Degree in Nursing Education from CSU Dominguez Hills in 2005 and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with an emphasis in Healthcare Systems Leadership from the University of San Francisco in 2014. Barbara enjoys golfing, hiking, and playing pickleball in her free time.