Ongoing Faculty Research
Dr. Lisa Burkhart was co-PI for the “Consensus Conference on Spiritual Leadership,” funded by SC Ministry, which yielded a conceptual framework for spiritual leadership in Catholic health care. Dr. Burkhart then conducted a grounded theory study, funded through the Palmer Foundation, entitled Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice. Based on data from the grounded theory study, an instrument called “Spiritual Care Inventory” was developed. A research study is currently underway to test the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Care Inventory.
Dr. Holli DeVon is conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial of an intervention to improve knowledge and outcomes in patients at risk for acute coronary syndromes on the Interventional Unit at LUMC. The study, funded by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the SON Palmer Endowment aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention, delivered by a touchscreen computer program, presented to patients hospitalized for percutaneous coronary interventions. Further aims are to assess participants’ weight, blood pressure, oxyhemoglobin saturation, and functional status from baseline to three months; and to describe patients acceptability of the computer technology.
Dr. Meg Gulanick is conducting a national suvey study of self-reported risk factors for cardiovascular disease among cardiovascular nurses. Their risk profile will be compared to age-matched data from national data bases such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance (BRFSS) and to the published report on American Cardiologists risk profiles. It can be expected that nurses who know their risk factors and who follow healthy lifestyle behaviors will be more effective in their counseling roles. This study will also provide information for future health education and interventions directed at nurses’ health. This study is funded by the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.
Dr. Nancy Hogan is directing a longitudinal study examining her theory of grief with family members of tissue and organ donors. Participants complete a battery of measures at 6 months, 13 months, and 25 months post loss. The MusculoSkeletal Tissue Foundation is sponsoring the study. Three hundred participants will be enrolled. Dr. Lee Schmidt is a co-investigator on the project. Many of the instruments used to measure variables were designed by the investigators including, the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist, the Inventory of Social Support (Hogan & Schmidt), the Impact of Event Scale and the Continuing Bonds Inventory (Hogan and Schmidt).
Dr. Gloria Jacobson, co-principal investigator, and Dr. Sue Riesch, PI (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and have been awarded an NINR RO1 grant to conduct a trial of communication techniques to reduce health risk behaviors in children. This study seeks to identify individual, family, and community factors and components of parent child communication that predispose or protect later elementary school age children from risky health behaviors.
Dr. Linda Janusek is currently conducting a study, “Psychoneuroimmunology and Decision Making in Ductal Carcinoma in Situ” funded by NINR. This study uses a psychoneuroimmunology framework to investigate the dynamics of the psychological and immunlogical response of women newly diagnosed with DCIS. In addition, the role of treatment decision-making on the psycho-endocrine-immune response of these women is being evaluated. Dr. Janusek is also a co-PI with Dr. Herbert Mathews on the study “Mechanisms of Psychosocial Stress.” This study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is investigating the epigenetic mechanisms of psychosocial distress in women diagnosed with and undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Dr. Vicki Keough (Co-PI) and Dr. Paula Tanabe (PI) from Northwestern have recently received funding from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for the “Nurse Practitioner Credentialing and Practice Setting (NP CAPS)” study. The purpose of the study is to determine if nurse practitioners (NPs) are actually practicing in the area for which they are certified. This information is vital to patients, nurse practitioners, employers, certification bodies, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The ultimate goal of this research study is to help ensure safe care of patients, promote the most efficient use of NPs and maximize their ability to function in their role as a NP.
Dr. Joanne Kouba is researching “The Nutrition Revolution” at Proviso East High School. The goal of this project is to study the health of Proviso East High School students and their families through examination of dietary patterns. A program is being developed which will include Cooking with Heart and Soul, Lunch Bunch, individual nutrition assessment and counseling, classroom presentation and collaboration with school administration to improve the school food environment and adolescent nutrition. The study is funded by the Westlake Health Foundation.
Dr. Linda Paskiewicz is conducting a study exploring “Contextual Understanding of Obese Women’s Weight Loss Experience Post Laparoscopic Gastric Banding.” Specific aims are to understand how obes women manage their weight loss; identify contextual variables that facilitate or hinder weight loss; and to identify adherence to the treatment plan in the early post op period. The SON Palmer Grant is supporting the study.
Dr. Sue Penckofer has a K-23 award (Mentored Patient Oriented Outcomes Award), funded by NINR. The award provides funds for training as well as research support to develop and test an intervention for the treatment of dysphoric symptoms in women with Type 2 diabetes, and its effect on self-management and overall quality of life.
Dr. Karen Saban is completing a post-doc at Hines VA hospital and is comparing three health related quality of life measures used in a multi-site, longitudinal study of veterans with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis.
Dr. Lee Schmidt is conducting a grounded theory study of “Registered Nurses’ Watching over Patients”, which will serve as preliminary data for a planned grant submission to AHRQ. He is also collaborating on a study with the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives examining the shift level work environment for Registered Nurses and is a co-PI with Dr. Nancy Hogan on a longitudinal study of the grief to personal growth theory in a sample of tissue donor families.
Dr. Barbara Velsor-Friedrich has received an RO1 award from NINR for her study “Promoting Self-Care in Urban African-American Teens with Asthma.” The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the school-based program TEAM (Teen Educational Asthma Management) on the self-care and quality of life of urban African-American teens with asthma. The intervention should improve care to the underserved population of urban African-American teens with asthma and will have significant implications for health care providers, researchers, and policy makers
