Pauline Hwang
DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC
Assistant Teaching Professor
90 Hope Drive, Suite 1300, Penn State Hershey
Phone: 419-787-2379
Email: pjh232@psu.edu
Hwang is an Assistant Teaching Professor and PhD candidate at the Penn State College of Nursing, with a specialized background in neurology and stroke care. She holds both MSN and DNP degrees from Penn State and is board-certified as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. With over a decade of clinical experience in neurology, primarily focused on stroke survivors, and five years of teaching undergraduate nursing students, Pauline is deeply committed to advancing evidence-based practice, nursing education, and post-stroke recovery. As a nurse scientist and educator, her research aims to improve cognitive screening and long-term outcomes for stroke survivors.
Education
- PhD(c), The Pennsylvania State University
- DNP, The Pennsylvania State University
- MSN, The Pennsylvania State University
- BSN, University of Toledo
Awards and Honors
- NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Scholarship Awards, National League for Nursing (NLN) (July 2024)
Teaching
Courses Taught
- NURS302: Clinical Judgement in Nursing
- NURS310: Therapeutic Nursing Care of the Older Adult Client in a Variety of Settings
- NURS405A/B: Nursing Care Adult
- NURS230: Fundamental Nursing
Clinical Expertise and Areas of Specialization
PRIMARY:
- Neuro ICU
- Med-Surg ICU
- Vascular
- Cardiac
CERTIFICATIONS:
- AGACNP-BC
- ACLS
Mentorship
- Mentorship of GN residency program at Penn state Hershey hospital
Research
Research Interests and Areas of Expertise
PRIMARY:
- Stroke
- Post stroke cognitive impairment
SECONDARY:
- Post stroke delirium
- Post stroke dementia
- Post stroke depression
Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement Projects
- Project led: Impact of Adding Nurse Practitioner in Follow-Up Call Program on Reducing 30-day Readmissions in Stroke Population
Presentations and Conference Involvement
- AL Harrasi, A., Hwang, P., Rubio, O. C., & Boltz, M. (November 13, 2024 – November 16, 2024). “Nurse-led Interventions for Adults with Post Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Scoping Review,” GSA 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting, Gerontological Society of America (GSA), Seattle, WA, USA.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS:
- Hwang, P. & Boltz, M. (April 4th 2024). Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Concept Analysis. Eastern Nursing Research Society. 36th Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston, MA
- Hwang, P. & Fick, D. (April 4th 2024). Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Narrative Review of Current Screening In Practice. Eastern Nursing Research Society. 36th Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston, MA
- Argudo J., Hwang, P., Reichwein, R., & Hwang, D. (May 1, 2023). Cryptogenic Stroke Patterns and Atypical Mechanisms in Stroke Recurrence. A Retrospective Analysis and Proposed Algorithm. 2023 Penn State Translating Research to Innovations in Practice
- Evans, M., George, D., Stuckey, H., Kowalchik, K., Cunningham, K., Hwang, P., Albert, L., Costigan, H., & Hupcey, J. (March 23, 2023). Moments of clarity: From despair to hope in persons recovering from addiction. at Eastern Nursing Research Society, 35th Annual Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia, PA
- Cunningham, K., George, D., Stuckey, H., Kowalchik, K., Evans, M., Hwang, P., Albert, L., Costigan, H., & Hupcey, J. (May 1, 2023). Moments of clarity: From despair to hope in persons recovering from addiction. 2023 Penn State Translating Research to Innovations in Practice
Research Funding and Grants
- NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Scholarship Awards, National League for Nursing (NLN) (July 2024)
- Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE). (June 3, 2024 – July 8, 2024): 6-week webinar course for the Ideal Qualitative with a Quantitative Component education.
- ENRS Conference, Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE). (April 4-5, 2024)
- Summer Research Project with the Nese CON and CTSI (July 2022- Feb 2023) Investigate “the moment of clarity” with substance use disorder and identify a better healthcare support system for their journey. Participated in formulating qualitative research questions and qualitative data analyzation using software.
- PA DOH grant project to Improve Long-Term Care Resiliency related to COVID-19 (Jan 2022- May 2024). Participate as a CON nurse educator to provide counsel for fall prevention and dementia training in long-term care facilities.
Publications and Scholarly Work
- Hwang, P. & Fick, D. M. (2025) Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Narrative Review of the Comprehensive Screening and Detecting Process. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 51(3):19–27 https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20250212-03
- Hwang, P., (2022). Impact of NP follow-up calls on reducing 30-day readmissions in patients with stroke, The Nurse Practitioner, 47 (5), 39-46 doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000827056.81217.5b
- Lee, C. C., Langdo, J., Hwang, D., Marques, V., & Hwang, P. (2022). Impacts of distributors and group purchasing organizations on hospital efficiency and profitability: A bilateral data envelopment analysis model. International Transactions in Operational Research, 30(1), 476-502. https://doi.org/10.1111/itor.12957
Editorial and Peer Review Roles
- Journal of Gerontological Nursing (JGN): served as a reviewer, 9 review(s). I have reviewed 9 articles (Qualitative, Quantitative, and review articles) over the course of the year in 2024.
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research: served as a reviewer, 1 review(s) in 2024
Service
Community and Policy Engagement
- Service to Society as a representative of the University
- Journal of Gerontological Nursing (JGN): External Reviewer. (November 2023 – December 2024).Reviewed 9 manuscripts over the year
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research: External Reviewer. (January 2024 – December 2024).
Professional Organization Involvement and Fellowships
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- Pennsylvania State Nurse Association (PSNA)
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP)
- American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
- National League Nursing (NLN)
- American Associate of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
COMMITTEE WORK
- CON Ballot for the Award Scholarship Committee, Committee Member. (August 2024 – December 2024).
- Equity & Inclusion committee, Committee Member. (August 2024 – December 2024).
- Undergraduate Affair (GNUR Faculty representative, HY campus). (August 2024 – December 2024).
- Global Program Focus group, Committee Member. (August 2024 – December 2024).
- HY sub council, Committee Member. (January 2024 – December 2024).
- Faculty search committee, Committee Member. (January 2024 – December 2024). Reviewed candidates’ resumes and participated in each faculty interview.
- Academic Rigor sub-committee, Committee Member. (August 2024 – December 2024). Participated in a meeting with faculty members and discussed the alignment of academic rigor for the same courses across campuses
- BSN Faculty Member at large, Committee Member. (August 2024-December 2024).
Clinically-oriented Conference Presentations and Clinical Publications
- ENRS Conference. Poster presentation. (April 4, 2024).
- Conference Attendance, 2024 NHCGNE Annual Conference, National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE). (October 22, 2024 – October 24, 2024). Virtual conference.
- Gero Rig research meeting. (January 2024 – December 2024). Meeting with PhD students and faculty to discuss gerontology-related research topics and exchange information. monthly meetingSEMINARS
- Fall 2024 CGNE Seminar Series, Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing & Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. (September 2024 – December 2024). This seminar occurs once or twice a month during the fall semester. I volunteered to introduce speakers in December.WEB-BASED SEMINARS
- TriNetX webinar session. (January 2024 – December 2024). Attended TriNetX webinar courses
- The Ideal Qualitative with a Quantitative Component, Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (CGNE). (June 3, 2024 – July 8, 2024). This webinar is a six-week course on how to apply qualitative methods, along with a quantitative component (i.e., statistical analysis) to produce an exemplary research study.
- Utilizing Real-World Data to Support Your Research and Clinical Trials, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute . (June 13, 2024 – June 20, 2024). These training webinars help to learn how to utilize the TriNetX platform to conduct research and support clinical trials utilizing real-world data.
- Cognitive aging from NIH. (March 20, 2024 – March 21, 2024). Attended NIH Neuroscience events about cognitive aging via zoom.
Interprofessional Collaboration, Community Engagement, and Global Health
- Voluntary Consultation and/or Advising: Mentor. (January 1, 2024 – December 30, 2024).
- Over the past year, I had the opportunity to meet with several PhD students to answer their questions about research and academics. These discussions focused on helping them navigate their studies, address specific research challenges, and adjust to the demands of their PhD journey.
- Voluntary Consultation and/or Advising: EBP mentor for Penn State Nursing residency program, Mentor. (January 2024 – December 2024). Met with Liz at Hershey Medical Center to discuss the role and responsibilities. Additionally, provided multiple rounds of feedback via email to nurse residency students for their poster projects.
Languages Spoken
- Korean
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Last updated 8/24/2025
