Meet Maria Hines, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, CNE, and Clinical Assistant Professor at the IU School of Nursing. Dr. Hines has worked for 40+ years in various roles in nursing, including critical care, burns, maternity, and quality improvement. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and the Transcultural Nursing Society. Her areas of interest include tobacco cessation, transcultural nursing, global health, health disparities/population health, health policy, and active learning strategies in nursing education.
What initially drew you to Indiana University?
In 2018, I was just about to finish my doctoral degree (DNP), and I wanted to move from Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) nursing education. I had taught for 25 years in an ASN and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program. I had very good friends and colleagues at Indiana University Fort Wayne, and they encouraged me to come and work with them. I knew that IU had an excellent reputation in nursing education and in nursing research. It was just a perfect alignment for me: Earning my DNP, an excellent school with BSN faculty openings, and great colleagues. It was a win-win situation!
What are you working on currently that you’re excited about?
One project I am currently working on with co-leaders Dr. Kristin Bassett and Professor Mandi Smith is a Global Experience Trip to the Dominican Republic during Spring Break. Students will go for one week to do mobile clinics for the underserved, as well as cultural activities. We made the trip once with 14 students in 2023 and will take a group during Spring Break 2024. We are currently working on making this a credit-bearing course. It is exciting to see the students widen their worldview about global health and other cultures while doing service learning.
What advice do you have for nursing students?
For new students:
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Most of the things we think are so important in life are not important. People are important!
2. Talk to the teacher, and ask for their help. We are your biggest cheerleaders and resource!
3. Even when you fail, you pick yourself up and do it again. The true measure of a person is not how many times they fall down, but do they get back up again.
4. Life is not always easy or fair, but you just need to get up every day and try.
For graduating students:
My prayer and hope for you is to be the best nurse you can be. Remember that you have an awesome job because you are privileged to be in people’s lives through the good, the bad, and the ugly and actually make a difference. Don’t forget to assess your patient, and assess your patient, and assess your patient. Listen to what they tell you. They really do know their own bodies. Don’t do anything you don’t know. Say you don’t know but are always willing to learn. Slow down and think. You have the information up there.
What is one of your hidden talents?
I’m not sure that I have any hidden talents, although one of my friends has told me I am a dog whisperer. I’m not sure, but I do adore dogs especially my current three-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, Tony.
One of my passions lately though has been to learn Japanese. I have been taking classes at the local university here. My daughter Joy and her husband Jared moved this summer to Tokyo, and my daughter teaches 3rd grade for the American School in Japan. My husband and I will visit Japan next June, so I thought it would be good to study the language. I like to learn about customs of other cultures and languages. Japanese is a hard language because it has three different writing systems, but it is a beautiful language and intricate like a puzzle.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I am married to my best friend, Terry. I have three daughters: Abby (34 years), Joy (31 years) and Grace (24 years), and two sons-in-law: Timothy and Jared. I only have one grandchild, Gia (4 years), who is my pride and joy. In my downtime, I read, study languages, knit, needlepoint, travel, and go out with family and friends.
