News
Hupcey Receives Two Research Awards
Judith Hupcey, associate dean for graduate education, recently received two awards for her contributions to nursing science and research.
The Suzanne Feetham Nurse Scientist Family Research Award is given annually to a member of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of families in health and illness, family functioning, and/or family structure. Hupcey received this award at the ENRS conference in March (see story below).
Hupcey was nominated based on her contributions to knowledge of the needs of family caregivers. Her most recent work in this area is an NIH-funded study of patients with advanced heart failure and their caregivers.
Hupcey also received the Nursing Scholarship and Research Award from the Nursing Education Alumni Association of Teachers College, Columbia University. The award was presented at the 49th annual Isabel Maitland Stewart Conference on Research in Nursing, held April 27, 2012. This award is presented annually to a Teachers College alumnus who holds an advanced degree in nursing and has influenced the nursing profession through scholarly research.
Sawyer Appointed to Committee on Sleep Research Society
Amy M. Sawyer, assistant professor of nursing, has been appointed to the Research Committee of the Sleep Research Society, an international organization that fosters scientific investigation of sleep and sleep disorders. Her appointment is effective June 2012 through June 2015.
Dr. Sawyer's research focuses on sleep and sleep disorders across the adult life span, including adherence outcomes for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in adults with obstructive sleep apnea; neurocognitive impairment and treatment response in obstructive sleep apnea; and disparate patterns of diagnosis, treatment and outcomes in sleep disorders.
The Sleep Research Society promotes research in all areas of sleep, promotes training and education in sleep research, and provides forums for the exchange of knowledge pertaining to sleep. Its Research Committee is responsible for making recommendations regarding the society's policies and activities relating to research, and oversees the junior faculty program to support the appointment of junior faculty dedicated to sleep research.
School Of Nursing Accrues Accolades At Regional Conference
Susan J. Loeb, associate professor of nursing, was inducted as president of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) at its twenty-fourth annual conference, held March 28–30, 2012, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Judith Hupcey, associate dean for graduate education, received the Suzanne Feetham Scientist Family Research Award, presented annually to an ENRS member who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of families in health and illness, family functioning, and/or family structure. Hupcey’s most recent research focuses on the palliative care needs of patients with advanced heart failure and their family caregivers.
A record number of students attended the conference, and two of them won awards for poster presentations. Brittney DiMeglio, an honors student in the B.S. degree program, won first place in the B.S./M.S. category for her poster titled “The Effects of Environmental and Orienting Devices on the Prevalence and Severity of Delirium Superimposed on Dementia in Hospitalized Older Adults.” Her adviser is Donna Fick, professor of nursing.
Erin Kitt-Lewis, instructor in nursing and a Ph.D. student at Penn State, won second place in the Doctoral Student category. Her poster was titled “Developing a Research-Based Toolkit of End-of-Life Strategies for Prisons,” co-authored by Sarah Crouse, M.S. student; Susan Loeb, associate professor; Janice Penrod, associate professor; and Carol Smith, associate professor.
More than 500 abstracts for presentation were submitted from the Northeast. Of the five chosen for Distinguished Abstract, two were from Penn State. Nikki Hill, Ph.D. student, presented “Factors Associated with Attention in Persons with Dementia during an Activity Intervention” (co-authors: Ann Kolanowski, professor of nursing and director, Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence; Ann Bossen, The University of Iowa; and Mark Litaker, The University of Alabama at Birmingham). Brenda Baney, research assistant, and Janice Penrod, associate professor, presented “Ethology: Understanding Complex Human Behavior.”
Congratulations to all for the well-deserved recognition of their hard work and achievements!
School of Nursing Jumps to Top-20 Ranking in NIH Research Funding
Penn State’s School of Nursing has achieved its highest-ever ranking in research funding received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The newly updated rankings, which are released annually, show the school ranked 17th among nursing schools nationwide in NIH funding in 2011—up from 26th the previous year.
Nursing research faculty acquired more than $2.73 million in funding for research projects in such areas as end-of-life care for terminally ill prisoners, quality-of-life issues and palliative care needs of heart failure patients and their caregivers, and oral hygiene for older adults with dementia.
“This ranking shows evidence of the Penn State School of Nursing’s significant contribution to improving health care to vulnerable populations through the advancement of nursing science,” said Paula Milone-Nuzzo, dean of the school.
NIH research rankings cover research and training grants, fellowships, contracts, and other awards. This federal funding plays a key role in helping the School of Nursing stay competitive in attracting top-notch faculty and doctoral students and contributing to the body of nursing knowledge that informs national health care practice.
Harleah Buck Recognized for Contributions to Palliative Care Literature
Harleah Buck, assistant professor of nursing, received the Outstanding Poster Award at the 2012 Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, held March 7–10 in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Buck’s poster was titled “Upstreaming Palliative Care … Why Multiple Comorbid Conditions in Heart Failure Should Trigger Referral to Palliative Care: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis Study.” Co-authors were Victoria Vaughan Dickson (New York University) and Barbara Riegel (University of Pennsylvania).
Dr. Buck was also invited to co-author an article on the implementation of palliative care into existing systems of care for a special edition of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 147–153). “Upstreaming Palliative Care for Patients With Heart Failure” was co-authored by Cheryl Hoyt Zambroski (University of South Florida).
Fick Co-chairs Panel on Safe Prescription of Medication
Donna Fick, professor of nursing, co-chaired (along with Todd Semla, clinical pharmacy specialist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) a panel of clinical experts in geriatrics and pharmacotherapy that was responsible for updating the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults.
The revised criteria were published March 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and at the AGS website.
The panel was convened in 2011 to revise and expand the criteria (last revised in 2003) based on the latest research and using the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for developing practice guidelines. The society plans to update the criteria every three years from now on.
The 2012 Beers Criteria can help clinicians more safely prescribe medications for older adults (age 65 and older) by identifying those that are potentially dangerous. The new criteria include 53 medications and classes of medications identified as potentially problematic. These medications are grouped into three categories: (1) those with high risks of side effects or limited effectiveness; (2) those that may exacerbate certain diseases, risk factors, or disorders; and (3) those to be used “with caution” because they may pose greater risks for older adults in general—a new category added to the 2012 update.
“The AGS Beers Criteria can be easily integrated into the electronic health record and should be used as a guide for both health professionals and consumers in making safer medication choices,” Fick says. “However, an older adult should never stop a drug just because it is on this list. Always discuss medications with your health provider before stopping or starting a drug.
“Many of the medications on this list have adverse effects on the central nervous system and can lead to falls and acute confusion, both of which are preventable in older adults,” Fick adds, noting that the School of Nursing is currently conducting NIH-funded research that tests nondrug approaches to delirium in persons with dementia.
The Beers Criteria are widely used in clinical practice and in national quality measures. They were first published in 1991 by the late Mark H. Beers, a geriatrician and editor of the Merck Manuals and the Merck Manual of Geriatrics.
For more information, see the Beers Criteria guidelines at the AGS website.
New Nursing Study Explores Heart Patients' Need for Supportive Care
Less than 10 percent of people with heart failure receive supportive care beyond basic medical services. A new research project, funded by a $1.7 million grant from the National Institute for Nursing Research, aims to change this.
Almost 6 million Americans live with heart failure, with half a million new cases diagnosed each year. One in five heart failure patients will die within the first year of diagnosis. Eighty percent of these patients will die within eight years.
Palliative Care Algorithms for Heart Failure Dyads (PATHS) will explore the needs of these patients and their primary family caregivers. “Our goal is to fill the gap in our knowledge about the experience of living with advanced heart failure in patient–caregiver dyads,” said Judith Hupcey, principal investigator and associate dean for graduate education.
These dyads, or pairs, will be studied using the Seattle Heart Failure Model, a calculator of projected survival for patients with heart failure. The pairs—one group with a one-year life expectancy, another with a two-year life expectancy—will be interviewed to determine their needs for specific types of medical intervention (particularly for palliative care, which is aimed at relieving pain and managing other symptoms of disease).
After identifying critical variations in care needs, the investigators will develop a process for guiding targeted interventions for a variety of situations.
Lisa Kitko, assistant professor of nursing, is Hupcey’s co-principal investigator for the study. Other investigators include John Boehmer, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery, Penn State College of Medicine and medical director of the Heart Failure Program at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center; and Margaret Kreher, M.D., associate professor of medicine and interim director of palliative medicine at the Medical Center.
The Penn State School of Nursing invites alumni to join us for Blue-White Weekend 2012!
Friday, April 20
Jean Vallance Lecture in Nursing Innovation
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Marjorie Funk, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN
Professor at the Yale School of Nursing
11:30 a.m. lunch, followed by lecture at 12:30 p.m.
Dreibelbis Auditorium
Mount Nittany Medical Center
1800 East Park Avenue
State College, PA 16803
Saturday, April 21
School of Nursing Alumni Blue-White Tailgate
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Intramural Fields at Park Avenue (near the law school; look for the large School of Nursing flag)
Both events are free and open to alumni, friends, and family, but please RSVP to Kate Slavens at kes37@psu.edu or 814-865-1063.
School of Nursing Receives $5,000 from Actuated Medical, Inc.
The Penn State School of Nursing’s Center for Nursing Research has received $5,000 in support from Actuated Medical, Inc., a Bellefonte company that designs and develops next-generation medical devices. Faculty members from the School of Nursing joined representatives from Actuated Medical at a ceremony held at the Nittany Lion Inn on October 26, 2011 to celebrate the growing relationship between the two entities.
School of Nursing faculty members Janice Penrod, an associate professor of nursing and the director of the Center for Nursing Research, and Lisa Kitko, an assistant professor of nursing, have served as private consultants to Actuated Medical since 2008. As consultants, they have provided expert advice to Actuated Medical on the design and use of varied medical devices in clinical nursing settings.
“It is a pleasure working with the faculty members from the Penn State School of Nursing,” says Maureen L. Mulvihill, President of Actuated Medical. “Their patient-focused expertise and knowledge has assisted Actuated Medical’s engineers with innovative product designs that will be desired and easy to use.”
The grant from Actuated Medical will be used to enhance the activities of the Center for Nursing Research, established in February of 2011. The Center serves as the coordinating body for all of the School’s research activity. In addition to serving as a physical location where faculty can manage their own projects and collaborate with other researchers, the Center also offers faculty resources and support in all stages of the research process, from proposal design to project completion.
School of Nursing Homecoming Brunch welcomes back alumni, honors Donna Zazworsky with Shirley Novosel Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award.
The School of Nursing Homecoming Brunch, held Sunday, October 16th, brought together alumni, friends, and current students of the School. The brunch featured tours of the Simulation Lab from current students as well as the presentation of the 2011 Shirley Novosel Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award. Established in 1996, the Novosel award is presented annually by the Penn State Nursing Alumni Society to an alumnus/alumna who exemplifies the spirit of nursing and the Penn State School of Nursing’s ideals and philosophy.
This year’s winner, Donna Zazworsky, received her BS from the School of Nursing in 1976. Ms. Zazworsky currently serves as the Vice President of Community Health and Continuum Care for the Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Arizona. In this role, Zazworsky leads the continuum efforts of multiple Carondelet programs and services related to access to health care, health promotion and disease management. These include the Southern Arizona Health Village for the Homeless, Faith Community Nursing, Diabetes Care Center, the Carondelet Diabetes Education Institute and Telemedicine programs. Carondelet Health Network is part of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest not-for-profit, Catholic hospital system.
HRSA Scholarships for Health Professions Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (SDS)
The School of Nursing received $49,154.00 from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the 2011-12 academic year to support graduate and undergraduate nursing students at Penn State’s main campus, University Park, PA, the Hershey Medical Center campus, Hershey, PA, Fayette Campus, Uniontown, PA, Altoona Campus, Altoona, PA, Mont Alto Campus, Mont Alto, PA, and Worthington Scranton Campus, Dunmore, PA.
These SDS funds will help support full-time nursing students who are determined to be from disadvantaged backgrounds based on “Low Income Levels” as determined by the formula from the Department of Health and Human Services. Funds will be distributed to full-time graduate nursing students enrolled in the Master of Science (MS) program, full-time undergraduate students enrolled in the Associate of Science (AS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) programs.
Students interested in funding were asked to complete a financial aid/scholarship form, a FAFSA form, and commit to being a full-time student for the 2011-2012 academic year. Using this information, in addition to their transcripts, the Scholarship Committee of the School of Nursing and the Principal Investigator determined which students received funding.
Clark receives Teaching Award
Dean Paula Milone-Nuzzo presents Darlene Clark with the 2011 Janet A. Williamson Excellence in Teaching Award
Brown obtains grant for expansion of Accelerated RN to BS Program
Dr. Raymonde Brown received a multi-year competing continuance grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), D11HP09763-01-00. The $943,818 grant will facilitate an expansion of the Accelerated RN to BS Program to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College and Penn State Worthington Scranton. The primary purpose of the program is to provide an accelerated track for associate degree-prepared RNs to obtain a baccalaureate degree in one year. Ultimately, the program will increase the number of baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses (BS-RNs) in Pennsylvania with a special emphasis on creating a nursing workforce better prepared to assume the direct care of this vulnerable patient population.
Donna Fick named editor of Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Donna Fick, a professor of nursing and of psychiatry and the co-director of the Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence at Penn State, has been named the editor of the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.
In her new role, Fick will be responsible for ensuring the overall quality, integrity and content of the journal, which publishes clinically relevant original articles on the practice of gerontological nursing across the continuum of care. The Journal of Gerontological Nursing includes sections focusing on geropharmacology, clinical concepts, diagnosis, dementia, legal issues, public policy, research briefs and technology innovations. Read the full story about Donna Fick being named editor of Journal of Gerontological Nursing.
Janice Penrod (L) and Mona Counts
Two faculty members, one alumna of the School of Nursing inducted into the American Academy of Nursing
Two faculty members and one alumna of the School of Nursing have been named Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). Mona Counts, an associate professor of nursing; Janice Penrod, an associate professor of nursing; and Linda Siminerio, a 1972 alumna; were inducted to the academy along with 139 other nurse leaders at the AAN's annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on October 15, 2011. Read the full story...
Fick shares expertise in the care of elderly
On October 9, 2011, Dr. Donna Fick shared her expertise in the care of the elderly on "The Caring Generation," a radio show hosted by Pamela Wilson. The goal of this program is to help patients and caregivers improve their knowledge about self care. Dr. Fick’s focus was on “Resisting Care and the Dangers of Medication and Anesthesia." Her current research on inappropriate medication use in older adults and delirium in persons with dementia was explored and self care approaches discussed. You can hear the discussion by going to the following website, thecaringgeneration.com/listen-to-past-shows/listen-to-past-shows, and selecting the October 9th show from their list of past shows.
Doctoral candidate, Clinical Nurse Educator receives scholarship
Mary Lou Kanaskie, MS, RN-BC,AOCN, School of Nursing doctoral student and Clinical Nurse Educator, Oncology/Medicine at Hershey Medical Center recently received a $3,000 doctoral scholarship for the 2011-2012 year from the Oncology Nursing Society Foundation. Her dissertation research focuses on Cognitive Changes following Chemotherapy in Women with Breast Cancer is being supervised by Dr. Susan Loeb.
Dr. Harleah Buck and Gwen McGhan receive Honorable Mention for their poster presentations at NINR Summit
Dr. Harleah Buck (R)
On August 10-12, 2011, the National Institute of Nursing Research hosted a Summit, The Science of Compassion: Future Directions in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, in Bethesda, Maryland. The Penn State School of Nursing was well-represented in the refereed poster session, presenting six research posters, two of which received Honorable Mention at the Awards Ceremony.
Dr. Harleah Buck, Assistant Professor of Nursing, was recognized for her work on "Why Multiple Comorbid Conditions in Heart Failure Should Trigger Referral to Palliative: A Qualitative Meta-analysis Study" (co-authors: V.V. Dickson; B. Riegel).
Gwen McGhan (R)
Gwen McGhan, John A. Hartford Center Scholar and Research Assistant, won for her poster entitled: "Healthcare Providers' Perception of a Good Death: Across Three Death Trajectories" (co-authors: J. Penrod; B. Baney).
Only ten posters were selected for the awards from the field of 102 presentations. An NIH trans-institute, interdisciplinary review committee made the selections based on the quality of the abstract and the significance of the work. Both Dr. Buck and Ms. McGhan were recognized at a reception by Dr. Patricia Grady, Director, NINR. Posters will be on display at the Penn State Center for Nursing Research.
The Summit's objectives were to examine the current status of end-of-life and palliative care research, practice and policy; to propose strategies to overcome barriers and ensure scientific and methodological rigor in research; to delineate new action items that galvanize progress in this vital area of science; to envision and map pathways to ensure a future rich with scientific endeavor and achievements. A new initiative at the Summit was the Dyad Program, linking senior researchers with junior researchers to stimulate cross-institutional mentoring in research careers. Dr. Janice Penrod, Director of the Penn State Center for Nursing Research, served as Senior Mentor to doctoral candidate Virginia LeBaron from the University of Utah, and Dr. Susan Loeb, Associate Professor, was Senior Mentor to Susan De Santo-Madeya, a Post-Doc from the University of Pennsylvania.
Winners honoroed at The Science of Compassion: Future Directions in End-of-Life and Palliative Care Award Ceremony
First Place
- James Tulsky, Duke University
Second Place
- Sharon Hewner, State University of New York
Third Place
- Debra Parker Oliver, University of Missouri
Top Junior Investigator Award
- Cynthia Keeney, University of Louisville
Honorable Mentions
- Amy Abernethy, Duke University
- Harleah Buck, The Pennsylvania State University
- Barbara Daniel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Jean Kutner, University of Colorado
- Gwen McGahn, The Pennsylvania State University
- Kathleen Mooney, University of Utah
Through the 2 1/2 days of meetings it was clear: research being conducted at the Penn State School of Nursing is on the cutting edge of science in end-of-life care.
School of Nursing Alumni Homecoming Brunch
Reconnect with your fellow alumni, enjoy a delicious brunch, and celebrate Homecoming Weekend with the winner of the Shirley Novosel Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award! Current Nursing students will also be on hand to guide tours of our state-of-the-art Simulation Lab.
See details of the School of Nursing Alumni Homecoming Brunch.
Relief on the Way for Delirium Patients
Adults with dementia and delirium may soon have a way to combat their delirium, thanks to a $2.4 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.
"Delirium is prevalent in people with dementia," said Ann Kolanowski, Elouise Ross Eberly Professor of Nursing, Penn State. "We found in our pilot study that many older adults who have dementia and experience a medical problem often develop delirium, and it doesn't necessarily resolve by the time they are discharged from the hospital."
Delirium, defined as a state of mental confusion, occurs in over half of all hospitalized older adults with dementia. If delirium continues, it can interfere with patient rehabilitation and there is a very high risk of permanent institutionalization, said Kolanowski. Read the full story at live.psu.edu/story/53571.
Penn State researchers to help brush-up oral hygiene in nursing homes
People with dementia may soon have improved oral hygiene because of a five-year, $1.4 million National Institutes of Health grant to Rita A. Jablonski, assistant professor of nursing at Penn State. Cardiovascular disease, pneumonia and periodontal disease all have been linked to poor oral hygiene. Patients with dementia can be especially hard to care for because they often are no longer able to distinguish low or non-threatening situations from highly threatening situations — leading to their resisting care by pushing the nurse away or fighting with their caretaker. Read the full story at live.psu.edu/story/53237.
Jean Vallance Lecture in Nursing Innovation, April 14, 2011
Keynote Speaker: Mary Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN
2011 Jean Vallance Lecture in Nursing Innovation
Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, Marian S. Ware Profesor in Gerontology and Director of the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Dr. Naylor, Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and Director of the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, provided the Jean Vallance Lecture in Nursing Innovations to a full audience on April 14, 2011 in the Dreibelbus Auditorium at Mount Nittany Medical Center.
Her presentation was on The Transitional Care Model: Translating Research Into Practice and Policy. The Transitional Care Model has become a national exemplar for team based care to that has improved patient outcomes while reducing overall cost of care.
Dr. Naylor was among the first inductees in the Sigma Theta Tau International Hall of Fame and the 2009 recipient of the Sigma Theta Tau Episteme Award. She is also the first recipient of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing’s Frances Payne Bolton Award. Dr Naylor is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and of the American Heart Association as well as a member of the Institute of Medicine. She is the 2010 winner of the AACN Policy Luminary Award.
[Posted 5/4/11]
Dirty mouths lead to broken hearts
Nurses who care for patients with dementia now have a tailored approach to dental hygiene for their charges, thanks to a pilot study by a team of nurses. "Poor oral health can lead to pneumonia and cardiovascular disease as well as periodontal disease," said Rita A. Jablonski, even though these illnesses are not usually associated with the mouth. According to Jablonski, assistant professor of nursing, Penn State, persons with dementia resist care when they feel threatened. In general, these patients cannot care for themselves and need help. Jablonski and her team introduced an oral hygiene approach called Managing Oral Hygiene Using Threat Reduction (MOUTh) specifically for dementia patients. Many of their strategies focus on making the patient feel more comfortable before and while care is provided, the researchers report in the current issue of Special Care in Dentistry. Read the full story at live.psu.edu/story/53095.
School of Nursing faculty, students and alumni cheer the Lady Lions basketball team
Alumni enjoy the reception prior to the Pink Zone game
School of Nursing faculty, students and alumni donned their pink shirts to support the Pink Zone
and cheer the Lady Lions basketball team on to a 70-66 victory over Illinois. This is the fourth
annual Pink Zone game, which increases breast cancer awareness, honors survivors and raises
money for the Pink Zone charities. A record 285 cancer survivors attended the game at the
Bryce Jordan center on February 27th. The event raised over $66, 500 for breast cancer research.
[Posted 4/5/11]
"The End of the Sentence" - Based in Six PA Prisons, Investigators Study Conditions of End-of-Life Care in Complex Organizations
Living with terminal illness is complicated in any situation. New research has shown how, in the context of the difficulties within the prison system, the complexities in the care and treatment of these diseases are magnified.
Dr. Susan J. Loeb, Dr. Janice Penrod and Dr. Christopher S. Hollenbeak are currently involved in a study to examine strategies that would improve the formal End-of-Life care currently on offer in prisons across the U.S. Along with her team members, Dr. Loeb wants to develop a workable strategy to improve EOL care, which can be used by staff in prisons across the country. The initiative is funded by a $1.27 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. The team's initiative was discussed at length in the International Innovation Magazine. Read full article.
[Posted 3/28/11]
School of Nursing Students Have Their Fingers on the Pulse of THON
THON is the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the world and has raised more than $69 million since its inception in 1973.
Penn State students across the Commonwealth work together
year round to prepare for this 46 hour dance marathon that raises money and awareness for pediatric
cancer and The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. The School of Nursing
SNAP students along with their fraternity partner Phi Kappa Tau contributed $65,360.66 of the total
$9,563,026.09 raised for the Four Diamonds fund this year.
Read Full Article
[Posted 3/21/11]
Center for Nursing Research
The Penn State School of Nursing is pleased to announce the founding of its new Center for Nursing Research.
The Center will unify the School of Nursing research functions and will work to extend the impact of nursing research in the university and the community. The Center's director, Dr. Janice Penrod, will provide oversight of the research enterprise at the School of Nursing, including mentoring junior faculty and helping to facilitate research among the faculty. Dr. Penrod has contributed extensively to the evolution of qualitative methodologies in nursing research and is currently PI or Co-PI on two large research studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Penrod will also represent nursing research at the university level. The Center is located in the new research space on the first floor of Health and Human Development East.
[Posted 2/24/11]
School of Nursing’s Interprofessional Efforts Described in Macy Foundation Report
Penn State’s School of Nursing and Penn State College of Medicine have been collaborating over the last several months on multiple efforts to combine nursing and medical student education. The two units represented Penn State at an interprofessional medical education conference hosted by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The purpose of the conference was to enhance interdisciplinary education among future medical professions, which is expected to improve the quality of future health care delivery.
As a result of the conference, the School of Nursing and the College of Medicine have combined two curricula centered on end-of-life health care, previously taught to medical and nursing students separately. This initiative was led by Dr. Paul Haidet from the College of Medicine and Dr. Mary Beth Clark from the School of Nursing.
This effort, as well as the efforts of the other six universities that attended the conference, was highlighted in a recent report released by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. Read the full report, Educating Nurses and Physicians: Toward New Horizons.
The Penn State School of Nursing was granted full 10 year accreditation
We are pleased to announce that we have received a letter from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) that the Penn State School of Nursing was granted the full 10 year accreditation at the recent CCNE Board of Commissioners meeting.
"Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public's health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing." More information can be found at the CCNE website.
[Posted 11/30/10]
Master’s degree in Nursing to be offered at Mont Alto and Worthington Scranton campuses
Beginning fall 2011, the Penn State School of Nursing will expand its master’s-level Nurse Practitioner (NP) program to Penn State Mont Alto and Penn State Worthington Scranton. The program is currently offered at four other Penn State campuses. Read more about the expansion of the Nursing master's degree program.
Cara Bicking, first year doctoral student, was recently awarded two prestigious scholarships.
Cara Bicking received the Elizabeth Powers Carlino Nursing Excellence Scholarship Award from the Penn State Hershey Medical Center at their Fall Nursing Award Ceremony. This scholarship was established by Peter Carlino, a Penn State alum, in honor of his late mother, who had been a registered nurse and is presented to outstanding nurses who are advancing their professional careers by furthering their nursing education. In addition to this award, Cara was also presented with the Foundation for Neonatal Research and Education (FNRE) Scholarship Award to support her continuing education in our School of Nursing PhD program.
Colloquium by Professor Thembisile Khanyile, Wed, October 6, 2010
Professor Thembisile Khanyile, Dean of the University of the Western Cape School of Nursing Cape Town, South Africa gave a Colloquium on "The changing landscape of nurse education in South Africa". Reception followed
Kolanowski and Fick receive funding for research on Reserve For Delirium Superimposed on Dementia
Drs. Ann Kolanowski and Donna Fick (MPI), were funded by the National Institue of Nursing Resesarch under their grant, RESERVE For Delirium Superimposed on Dementia (DSD), R01 NR012242. Information on the project can be found at the NIH RePorter web site.
The purpose of this RCT is to test the efficacy of cognitive stimulation, in the form of recreational activities, for resolving DSD. This is a 5-year $2,405,344 grant (9/09/10- 6/30/15) that will be conducted in rehabilitation sites across Pennsylvania. Other investigators include: Dr. Doug Leslie, College of Medicine, Penn State University; Dr. Mark Litaker, University of Alabama; Dr. Linda Clare, Bangor University, UK; Dr. Malaz Boustani, Indiana University; and Dr. Keith Whitfield, Duke University.
[Posted Sept. 28, 2010]
Dr. Donna Fick and her research team were highlighted in the Alzheimer's Weekly for their work on Delirium Superimposed on Dementia
The Alzheimer's Weekly article entitled, "40% of Dementia Patients Develop DSD", was based on a Penn State news release on August 4, 2010, entitled, "Research nurses will test method for determining if it's dementia or delirium. The project, led by Dr. Donna Fick, seeks to improve nurses' assessment skills and reduce the use of drugs to treat delirium and dementia.
Read the full article.
[Posted Aug 12, 2010]
Shared Nursing, Medical Education Can Improve Health Care Delivery
Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State’s School of Nursing have undertaken a new project to improve health care delivery. The units are collaborating to educate nursing and medical students together, in both clinical and classroom settings, with the goal of improving communication between the future health care professionals.
"The ability to communicate effectively is a key variable for providing high-quality care to patients," says Dr. Paula Milone-Nuzzo, dean of the School of Nursing. “We know that, especially during crucial moments in health care settings, communication has a big impact on patient outcomes.” Read the full story.
Drs. Susan Loeb and Janice Penrod were highlighted in Advance for Nursing for their recent NIH grant
Dr. Susan Loeb and Dr. Janice Penrod, Associate Professors of Nursing were highlighted in the July 14, 2010 issue of Advance for Nursing for their recent NIH grant to study End of Life Care in the Prison Setting. This study focuses on the complexity of providing end of life care in the highly complicated environment of a prison. Drs. Loeb and Penrod are joined by Dr. Christopher S. Hollenbeak, PhD, associate professor of surgery & public health science as a Co-Principal Investigator on this study. Read the full article
Penn State Improving Treatment of Delirium, Dementia
Penn State researchers are helping nurses more accurately detect and alleviate symptoms of delirium in persons with dementia, which will improve health outcomes in patients. The project seeks to improve assessment skills and reduce the use of drugs to treat delirium and dementia. The five-year study, a collaboration between several universities being led by Dr. Donna Fick, professor of nursing, received a $2.7-million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Read more about Fick's research.
Nursing Amidst the Rubble
Megan Garrity, 2009 Penn State School of Nursing alum, traveled to Haiti on January 12, 2010 to provide aid through the University of Maryland's R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in conjuction with the Catholic Relief Service. She worked with a medical team which consisted of a general surgeon from Johns Hopkins Medical Center, two orthopedic surgeons from New York, four registered nurses, one physician's asistant from the University of Maryland, and a surgical scrub team from St. John's Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read Megan's full story in her own words
End-of-Life Care Strategies Examined in Pennsylvania Prisons
Penn State researchers are working with employees from six Pennsylvania prisons and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to refine the delivery of end-of-life (EOL) care in a new study. The researchers are developing an intervention toolkit to improve EOL care that can be used by staff at any prison across the country. The project is funded by a $1.27-million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Read the full story.