Faculty Focus: Candace Stillman

Title: Adjunct Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions

Academic degrees: 

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important? 

I was involved in pioneering in Reiki for hospice patients by developing policy and procedures at Rockingham VNA in New Hampshire. This created an avenue that would encourage nurses to explore alternative options for pain and anxiety management. (Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative medicine called energy healing, which is like the energy work of Therapeutic Touch developed by Dr. Dolores Krieger.)   

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?

I believe that education should be meaningful to students. My role as an instructor is to provide information yet tie the information to life experiences that illustrate the purpose of the course content. As an educator, I have a responsibility to question and re-examine my teaching plan to fit the student’s ongoing needs. The most common phrase I find myself saying is, "All is in Divine Order." 

What is a memorable moment you had in class, and what does that reveal about your teaching style? 

The most memorable moments I have come out of conducting the Population Health clinical at a substance use disorder recovery program. When students verbalize "these people are just regular people like me" or "if I am working in an ER and someone says they are in pain and a recovering addict, I know they are not drug seeking," I know that my goals for this experience are met.  

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time? 

I enjoy the time that our family spends together and adventures exploring the country with my husband. 

What is something interesting about you that most people don't know? 

I am dyslectic, and this was an issue regarding my learning when I was younger. I developed very low self-esteem, but my drive to become a nurse pushed me through self-image issues. I learned how to compensate by using multimodal learning strategies to succeed. This has become a gift in teaching -- I can teach using multiple learning strategies and have a great deal of patience with students who struggle to learn despite the effort they exert.