MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) nursing professors and students laced up their sneakers and hit the pavement for a cause close to home. The Cooper Davis Memorial 5K, held June 14, is a community event organized by Libby Davis, MNU adjunct clinical instructor, and her family. The race, in its fourth year, honors the memory of Libby’s late son, Cooper, and raises awareness of the dangers of counterfeit pills containing illicit fentanyl.
Davis, a 25-year veteran of nursing, began her advocacy after Cooper died from a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl at age 16. Since then, the Davis family has launched the Cooper Davis Memorial Foundation and presented to more than 37,000 students, parents, and professionals in schools and organizations across the region.
“Teenagers make impulsive decisions. They’re wired for experimentation,” Davis says. “But experimentation today can be deadly. Unless a pill is prescribed to you and purchased from a pharmacy, it must be considered potentially lethal.”
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin, is now commonly found in counterfeit pills that look like legitimate prescriptions. It’s a deadly deception that continues to claim lives, especially among teenagers and young adults who may take just one pill without knowing the risk.
MNU nursing faculty Mackenzie Holzrichter, Danielle Traudt, Ashley Hurt, Libby Davis, and Amanda Addis.
MNU nursing students and faculty joined Davis in the 5K to support her mission and expand their understanding of how the opioid epidemic intersects with the nursing profession. According to Amanda Addis, MSN, RN, associate professor, the event is a natural extension of MNU’s broader community health goals.
“By participating in events like the Fighting Fentanyl 5K, we help bring awareness not just to our students and faculty, but to the broader community,” Addis said. “Nurses play a key role in identifying public health threats and responding with compassion, knowledge, and the resources needed to make a difference.”
This commitment to holistic, community-centered care is embedded in the School of Nursing (SON) curriculum. Students learn about opioid use disorder through courses like Pharmacology, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mental Health, and Community Health. The SON faculty also provides Narcan (naloxone) training in every CPR class it teaches and plans to incorporate it into all-student events, such as MNU’s on-campus Connections Fair.
SON students also gain real-world public health experience through community outreach activities. In recent years, they have taught hand hygiene to children at local elementary schools, participated in medical mission trips to underserved areas in Guatemala, Ecuador, and Africa, and conducted CPR training on campus.
Danielle Traudt, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, assistant professor, emphasized, “We’re equipping future nurses to be both skilled clinicians and proactive community advocates. The fentanyl crisis is a national problem, and our graduates must be prepared to address it with both medical expertise and a heart for service.”
MNU’s School of Nursing is proud to help bring greater awareness of the dangers of fentanyl through education and community action. To learn more about the foundation, request a presentation, or get involved, visit the Cooper Davis Memorial Foundation. MNU’s School of Nursing offers programs ranging from pre-licensure to post-licensure, in-person and online. Visit mnu.edu/pgs-nursing for more information.
