Category: Fall 2020

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Dean’s Welcome: Fall 2020

Dean Jeffries in front of DC Mall
Fall 2020 Magazine Dean’s Welcome Message

As we reflect on the last six months, we are astonished by what has unfolded. We see communities across the globe grappling to subdue a viral pandemic. A reckoning over structural racism playing out in our streets and in our organizations. And nurses, in the middle of a world turned upside down, focused as always on delivering safe and efficient care, sometimes at great personal sacrifice to themselves and their families.  

In the fall issue of GW Nursing magazine, we shine a spotlight on the leadership, adaptability and resilience of nurses in the face of these challenges. You’ll read about GW Nursing faculty who quickly adapted their pediatric clinical course so students could do the entire clinical component virtually. You’ll learn about students, alumni, faculty and staff who rolled up their sleeves to battle COVID-19 on the front lines, as well as confront structural racism through open, respectful dialogue in our Continuing the Conversation series. And you’ll have a chance to interact with our stories in a deeper way than ever before, with links to photo albums; student-produced PSAs; and faculty podcasts, webinars and bios. It’s a virtual celebration of nurses, honoring them for the blood, sweat and tears they put into caring for our communities, especially during these unprecedented times. 

Who could have imagined how this year would unfold when the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife,” in honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth? If ever there was a year that justified why nurses should be valued and revered as the most trusted profession, 2020 is it. Stories of nurses providing expert care, compassion and leadership under unprecedented circumstances are now being told in the news and on social media…and signs that herald our heroism adorn highways, neighborhoods and office buildings around the country. It seems the World Health Organization was a bit prescient in choosing this year, of all years, to recognize us! 

This pandemic has also reminded us of the importance and critical nature of our shared work as health care providers and leaders. COVID-19 has impacted our communities, our health care workforce, and the substance and delivery of nursing education itself. As our country and the world continue to battle this public health crisis, our commitment remains strong to preparing a workforce that will advance the health of all people.  

To be clear…there are more difficult days ahead – for our students, for our communities, and for the world. But we can turn to our priorities of safety, care and efficiency to inform our decision making. In fact, I would argue that those three tenets would describe the ethos of every organizational leader right now. How do we manage operations in a safe, caring and efficient manner? In all that we do, these core values should form a compass and guide our approach to finding the new normal, because it may be a long time, if ever, before we go back to the way things were. 

In the meantime, I invite you to scroll through the digital pages of our fall magazine and read the stories of leadership, adaptability and resilience that reflect the remarkable work of the GW Nursing community. I hope they bring you as much pride as they do me. Enjoy, stay safe and be well. 

Pamela Jeffries Signature1
Pamela R. Jeffries
Ph.D., RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH
Dean | School of Nursing
The George Washington University

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Faculty Awards & Honors: July 2019 – June 2020

Professors' Gate

GW Nursing is teaming with accomplished, well-respected faculty who are experts in their fields, and each year the awards and honors roll in, rewarding them for their excellent work.

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Dr. Erin Athey was accepted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. March 2020. 

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Dr. Melissa Batchelor was selected to participate in the 2019 Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (TIDIRH) supported by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  

Dr. Melissa Batchelor had a project receive funding project on: Towards Age-Friendly: Improving Lives for All 2.0 has been selected for University Seminars Funding Program 2020-21. 

Dr. Melissa Batchelor was awarded funding from the University Seminars Funding Program 2019-20 for Towards Age-Friendly: Improving Lives for All.  

Dr. Sabrina Beroz was inducted as Fellow into the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education. 

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Dr. Catherine Cox is inducted as Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. 

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Dr. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney was selected as the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence.  

Dr. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney was a visiting professor in the School of Health Sciences in Spring 2019. Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.  

Dr. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney received invited distinguished scholar position at the University of Chicago Department of Economics. Griffin Applied Economics Incubator. https://voices.uchicago.edu/griffinincubator/visitors/ 

Dr. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney received funding from the NIH for the project, Hablame Bebe: Improving health information access for low-income Hispanic children’s early language environments. The project seeks to develop, disseminate, and evaluate health information pertaining to early developmental milestones and language environments for low-income Hispanic families using the Hablame Bebe application. 

Dr. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney received funding from the NIH Center for Advancing Translational Sciences CTSI-CN Discovery Pilot Award Program as a co-investigator for the project, Early Detection of Autism with Automated Social Cognition & Imitation Screener (AScIS). She proposed adapting existing technology to develop a novel automated social cognition and imitation screener (AScIS) that identifies robust developmental benchmarks in infants (ages 6-12 months) associated with a heightened risk of ASD.  

Dr. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney was awarded funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for her project, Social Mission and the Culture of Health: Nursing Schools Educating for Health Equity. This project will work to define further discussions and potential initiatives to advance social mission within nursing education really call for a better understanding of the social mission of nursing schools in the context of current educational possibilities and realities 

Drs. Sandra Davis, Anne-Marie O’Brien, Adriana Glenn, Sharon Lambert (GW CCAS) and Loren Kajikawa (Corcoran School of the Arts and Design) were awarded funding from the University Seminars Funding Program 2019-20 for “The Power of Music to Heal, Inspire and Unite.”  

Dr. Maritza Dowling was awarded funding from the fiscal year 20s21 COVID-19 Research Fund competition through the GW Office of the Vice Provost for Research for her submission, Usability and Acceptability of Telehealth Technologies During COVID-19 Among a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sample of Medicaid and Medicare Beneficiaries.  

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Dr. Majeda El-Banna was appointed to serve on the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) Program Review Committee. This committee is to deliberate and recommend accreditation status for programs that have submitted a self-study and hosted an on-site program evaluation visit.  

Dr. Majeda El-Banna was inducted as Fellow into the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education. 

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Dr. Asefeh Faraz’s project, Psychometric Testing and Evaluation of the Novice Nurse Practitioner Role Transition (NNPRT) Scale, was selected for the 2019 GW Nursing Pilot Proposal.  

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Dr. Kathleen Griffith was inducted as Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. 

Dr. Kathleen Griffith was appointed to co-lead the Geriatric and Functional Assessments in Non-AIDS Defining Cancers project with other external colleagues. The goal of this research is to document relative differences in accelerated aging indicators between patients with NADCS and those with cancer who do not have a history of HIV disease. The P30 umbrella grant is held by Kevin Cullen, who is the cancer center director (P30CA134274). 

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Dr. Pamela Jeffries received the 2019 Virginia Nurses Foundation (VNF) Leadership Excellence Award for a Nursing School Dean/Director.  

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Dr. David Keepnews was appointed to a three-year term on the National Board of Directors of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).  

Dr. David Keepnews was inducted as a Fellow into the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education. 

Dr. Karen Kesten was awarded the STTI Phi Epsilon Faculty Grant Award for her Practice Scholarship Study, “Outcomes of Practice Scholarship as Reported by Nurses Holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree.” 

Dr. Karen Kesten received the 2019 Nursing Outlook Excellence in Education Award. From the American Academy of Nursing.  

Dr. Joyce Knestrick was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

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Dr. Daisy Le was awarded funds by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN), for her project, “The My SHARE (Self-sampling HPV Awareness, Results, and Empowerment) Study: A pilot trial of HPV self-sampling as a remote intervention to promote cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV,” under the CTSI-CN Community Engagement Pilot Award Program.  

Dr. Daisy Le is selected to receive an AACR Scholar-in-Training Award to support her attendance at the AACR Virtual Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved. 

Dr. Daisy Le was awarded funding for the 2019 GW Cancer Center Intra-Program Pilot Cancer Grant for the grant entitled “Promoting HPV Self-Sampling Test Kits to Increase Cervical Cancer Screening among Women Living with HIV.”  

Dr. Daisy Le was selected as 2020 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. 

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Dr. Anne-Marie O’Brien received funding from the GW University Seminar Series for her project, Addressing Income Inequality and Its Growing Threat to Our Nation and The World. 

Drs. Anne-Marie O’Brien and Sandra Davis received funding from the GW Nashman Center Faculty Development for Community-Engaged Scholarship 2020-2021 for their project, Optimizing Health in an Urban Community: Bringing Together Community, Nursing, Nutrition and Mindfulness in DC’s Ward 8. 

Dr. Anne-Marie O’Brien received funding for her project, A simulation-based peer intervention training Program to increase active bystandership among a sample of police officers. Drexel University – Rapid Response to Racial Injustices Grant Program 2020. 

Dr. Jeanne Murphy was awarded funds by Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN), for her project, “Mindfulness-Based Pregnancy Eating Awareness Promoting Optimal Development (MB-PEAPOD)-DC: Tailoring and testing a place-based intervention for excessive gestational weight gain for African-American women in Washington D.C,” under the CTSI-CN Community Engagement Pilot Award Program. 

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Dr. Cara Padovano is selected to participate in the second cohort of GW Academic Leadership Academy. 

Dr. Laurie Posey is awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant to assist the Child Nurse Practice Development Initiative within the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Cape Town with transitioning their post-graduate diploma programs in child nursing and critical care child nursing to a blended learning format.  

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Dr. Rhonda Schwindt received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. 

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Dr. Sherrie Wallington was selected to participate in the second cohort of GW Academic Leadership Academy. 

Drs. Sherrie Wallington and Tony Yang are selected as fellows for 2020 RWJF Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program. They received funding for their project, “It’s a Dad Thing: Fathers as Powerful Agents of Change in Reducing Disparities in Maternal Mortality in the District of Columbia,” a mixed-methods study examining the role of fathers in reducing maternal mortality in the District of Columbia. 

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Dr. Tony Yang received funding from the George Washington Cancer Center as co-investigator for his project, A secondary analysis of state cancer registries to understand the epidemiology of liver cancer in the Washington D.C. area. 

Drs. Tony Yang, Sherrie Wallington and Daisy Le received funding from the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the project, Academic-Community-Government Partnership to Reduce Liver Diseases Attributable to Hepatitis B Virus in the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area. 

Dr. Tony Yang received funding from Merck & Co as principle investigator for his project, A Multimethod Examination of Conditionally Admitted Kindergartners and School Entry Vaccination Requirements. 

Dr. Tony Yang was awarded a two-year grant as principal investigator by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for his project, A Community-based Patient Navigation Model for Hepatitis C Screening and Linkage to Care in People with Substance Use Disorders and Other High-Risk Populations in the District of Columbia. 

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Local and Global Presentations: July 2019 – June 2020

illustration of world map

Our faculty have presented at conferences, meetings and webinars throughout the world and online on topics ranging from COVID-19 to early literacy to nursing leadership and more.

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BATCHELOR, M. (July 2020). 3 Things to Know if You Get Sick During COVID. Podcast. July 14, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=101m0sIyOA8  

BATCHELOR, M. (2020). Use of social media in building your professional brand and branding your science. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Nursing, Chapel Hill, NC. [Invited, Webinar] 

BATCHELOR, M. (April 2020). HealthCetera. COVID19 and older adults in nursing homes. Interview with Dr. Diana Mason, April 22, 2020. 

BATCHELOR, M. (May 2020). How to talk to your older relatives about the COVID-19 pandemic – and actually have them listen! Webinar presentation at Nasdaq Employee Assistance Program. May 7, 2020. 

BATCHELOR, M. & Delva, J. (2019). Social Determinants of Mental Health: Issues Touching Older Adults. Presentation at the 2019 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC. 

BATCHELOR, M. (2019). Rx4Policy: Policy, Process, Politics & The Press. Presentation at the 2019 Gerontological Nurses Association (GAPNA) Annual Conference. Las Vegas, NV. 

BATCHELOR, M. (2019). Professional Brand: Using the Nuts and Bolts of Social Media. Presentation at the 2019 Gerontological Nurses Association (GAPNA) Annual Conference. Las Vegas, NV. 

BATCHELOR, M., & Simpson, D. (2019). Grandfamilies. Presentation at the 2019 Gerontological Nurses Association (GAPNA) Annual Conference. Las Vegas, NV. 

Yap, T., Kennerly, S., BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M., Horn, S., Barrett, R., Boss, L., & Bergstrom, N. (July 2019). Influence of Asian and Non-Asian Nursing Home Residents’ Nutritional Intake Patterns on Pressure Ulcer/ Injury Outcomes. Presentation, 29thInternational Research Congress, sponsored by Sigma Theta Tau International, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 25-29, 2019. https://bit.ly/2KlgIaj 

BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. (August 2019). Presented three breakout sessions at the 2019 Quality in Long-Term Care Conference. The title of the sessions was Supporting Nutritional Outcomes in Dementia through the Interdisciplinary Team and aimed to teach caregivers handfeeding strategies for improving meal intake in older adults with dementia. Georgetown, TX. August 12-13th, 2019 

Ward, D. & BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. (October 2019). From Training to Competency: Creating Efficiencies to Ensure Excellence Achieve Business Goals. Presentation, American Health Care Association, Orlando, FL, October 13-16, 2019. 

BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. (2019). Bettering Clinical Care for Alzheimer’s Disease. Keynote Address at Maine Alzheimer’s Summit. Point Lookout Resort, Northport, ME 

BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. (2019). Supporting Nutritional Outcomes in Dementia Through the Interdisciplinary Team. Presentation at the 2019 Texas Geriatric Symposium: Taking the Next Steps. Advancing Nursing in Long-Term Care. Austin, TX. 

Carmody, J., & BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. (2019). Age-Friendly Health Systems. Presentation at the 2019 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Alumni Network Meeting. Washington, DC. 

BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. (2019). Optimizing Intake in Alzheimer’s Disease: Supportive Handfeeding Strategies that Work. National webinar for NICHE Webinar: Nurses Improving Care for Health systems Elders. 

BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M.., Shattell, M., & Darmoc, R. (2019). Influencing the Conversation, One Tweet at the Time. Presentation at the 2019 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Annual Communications Workshop. Washington, DC. 

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COX, C.W. (November 2019). Undergraduate Military Nursing Students in the Civilian Classroom: An Integrative Review. Poster Presentation. Sigma Theta Tau International’s 45th Biennial Convention, National Harbor, MD. 

COX, C.W. (November 2019). Facilitating the Success of Nursing Faculty via the Onboarding Process. Poster Presentation. Sigma Theta Tau International’s 45th Biennial Convention, National Harbor, MD. 

COX, C.W., WIERSMA, G., PEARCE, M., & Spatola, A. (September 2019). Creating a Culture of Success: Transitioning Military Bachelor of Science in Nursing Students to the Civilian Classroom and Beyond. Panel Presentation. NLN Education Summit, National Harbor, MD. 

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DARCY-MAHONEY, A. (January 2020). Presented her research: Improving Hispanic children’s early language environments through nurse home visiting at the Home Visiting Applied Research Collaborative Meeting. January 29, 2020. Washington, DC. 

Baralt, M., Darcy–Mahoney, A ., Thota, A., Myland, C., Dargam, V., Rincon, L., Leon, V., Jung, R. (October 2019). Bilingualism enhances preterm-born children’s executive function: an fNIRS study. 5th Annual Florida Psycholinguistics Meeting. Oct. 5, 2019. University of Miami, Miami, FL. 

DARCY-MAHONEY, A., Baralt, M., Thora, A., Myland, C., Dargam, V., Rincon, L., Leon, V., Jung, R. (October 2019). The Neural Recruitment of Executive Function in Monolingual versus Bilingual Preterm-Born Children: An fNIRS Study. Council on Advancement in Nursing Science Advanced Methods Conference: The Expanding Science of Sensor Technology in Research. Poster. October 2019. Washington, DC.  

Faunda, M., Austin, E., DARCY-MAHONEY, A. (October 2019). Enhancing Early Literacy & Language coaching with Nurse Family Partnership. Council on Advancement in Nursing Science Advanced Methods Conference: The Expanding Science of Sensor Technology in Research. Poster. October 2019. Washington, DC. 

DAVIS, S. (October 2019). The social determinants of a heart healthy community: A participatory action research project. The American Academy of Nursing, October 24th – 25th, Washington, D.C. 

DAVIS, S.  (September 2019). Understanding implicit bias. The 2019 National League of Nursing Education Summit. September 26 – 28, Fort Washington, MD. 

DAWN, K. and PULCINI, P. (November 2019). Becoming a Community Engaged Department in an Academic University. Presentation at the Biannual Sigma Theta Tau Convention. National Habor, Washington, DC. 

DAWN, K. (November 2019). A Nurse-led Community Partnership Initiative to Identify and Reduce Hypertension in the Mukono district, Uganda. Presentation at the Biannual Sigma Theta Tau Convention. National Habor, Washington, DC. 

DOWLING, N.M. et al. (November 2019). Measuring Literacy of Dementia Prevention and Treatment Among Older LGBT Adults. 2019 Gerontological Society of America: Annual Scientific Meeting. Austin, Texas.  

DRENKARD, K. (October 2019). Creating a Culture of Patient and Family Engagement. Central Connecticut State University, Hartford, CT. 

DRENKARD, K. (October 2019). Caring Science Health Care Organization Accreditation Standards: Become an Accredited Caring Science Organization. Watson Caring Science Consortium, San Francisco, CA. 

DRENKARD, K. (November 2019). Every Nurse is a Leader. University of Missouri Nursing Symposium, Columbia, MO. 

DRENKARD, K. (November 2019). Show me the money: The Return on Investment for Professional Development in Action. Kaiser Permanente Southern California Nurse Educators Conference, Pasadena, CA. 

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EL-BANNA, M. & KESTEN, K (March 2020). Nurse Practitioner (NP) Residency/Fellowship Programs: Innovation in Nursing Education. Presentation at the 32nd Annual Eastern Nursing Research Society Scientific Sessions, Boston, MA. 

EL-BANNA, M., Whitlow, M., & MCNELIS, A.M. (November 2019). Connecting Pharmacology Concepts through Team Based Collaborative Learning. Sigma 45th Biennial Convention. Washington, DC. November 16-20, 2019. 

EL-BANNA, M., Whitlow, M., & MCNELIS, A.M. (September 2019). Team-Based Learning: A Strategy to Foster Active Learning and Improve Exam Scores. The 2019 George Washington University Teaching Day, The George Washington University, Washington, DC. September 27, 2019. 

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Daniels, A., FARINA, C.L., and Sittner, B (January 2020) Podium presentation at the International Meeting for Simulation In Healthcare, “Enhance Security and Confidentiality of Simulation Experiences: Safeguarding Our Learners, January 20, 2020, San Diego, CA 

Schneidereith, T., Cowperthwait, A., and FARINA, C.L. (January 2020) Podium Presentation at the International Meeting for Simulation In Healthcare, “Start A Business: Lessons Learned from Simulation Entrepreneurs, January 22, 2020, San Diego, CA 

FARINA, C.L., and Schneidereith, T., (November 2019). Podium presentation at the Biennial Sigma Theta Tau Convention, “Ways to Maximize Simulations: Outsourcing.” National Harbor, November 18, 2019. Washington, DC. 

FARINA, C.L., (July 2019) Podium Presentation at Virginia State Simulation Alliance Conference, “Concept-Based Debriefing: Making Connections. July 30, 2019. Williamsburg, VA 

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GLENN, A. (March 2020). Instruction and Empowerment of Nursing Students in Participatory Action Research: The Heart Healthy Photovoice Project, Sigma Theta Tau, National Education and Research Conference 2020, Washington DC, (accepted for podium presentation) https://www.sigmarepository.org/nerc-2020/ [conference canceled due to COVID 19] 

GLENN, A. (November 2019) Podium presentation at the Sigma Theta Tau, 45th Biennial Convention. Becoming a Community Engaged Department in an Academic University. Washington, DC 

GLENN, A. (August 2019) Podium presentation at the 14th Annual International Family Nurses Association. The Social Determinants of a Heart Healthy Community: A Participatory Action Project with Middle School Students. Washington, DC. 

GRIFFITH, K., Crandall, K. (December 2019). Responsible Conduct of Research Monthly Series:  Collaborative Research. Office of the Vice President for Research, The George Washington University. December 17, 2019. Washington, DC. 

GRIFFITH, K. (July, 2019). Incorporating non-pharmacological therapies into pain care for older Veterans. Veterans Administration Geriatric Research and Education Clinical Centers National Webinar, Baltimore, MD. 

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JEFFRIES, P. (October 2019). Panelist, Simulation in an Academic Setting. Columbia Innovation Summit, October 2019. New York City, NY. 

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KESTEN, K. & EL-BANNA, M. (August 2019). Current Best Evidence about Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Programs. The 12th National Doctors of Nursing Practice Conference August 7-9, 2019. Washington, DC. 

Willett, T., & KESTEN, K. (March 2020). Nurse’s Perception of Safety Culture and Patient Safety with the Handoff Communication Process between Pre-op and Operating Room Nurses Post Intervention. Presentation at the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2020, March 28 – April 1, 2020. Anaheim, CA 

Junker, C., KESTEN, K., & Lay, C. (March 2020). Time for Quiet: Reducing Nighttime Interruptions in the ICU (TURN IN-ICU). Presentation at the 32nd Annual Eastern Nursing Research Society Scientific Sessions, Boston, MA. 

Taft, S., KESTEN, K., & EL-BANNA, M. (November 2019). One Size Does Not Fit All: Structuring High Quality Learning Experiences: Differentiating Class Enrollment Sizes in Online Nursing Courses. Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Faculty Development Conference, Orlando,FL. November 20-21, 2019. 

KESTEN, K., & Anderson, K., White, K., & Fall-Dickson, J. (August 2019). Mentoring Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects, 12th Annual National Doctor of Nursing Practice Conference, Washington, DC 

Conrad, D., Burson, R., Moran, K., KESTEN, K., Corrigan, C. & Pohl, E. (July 2019). A Global Team Approach to Advancing the Practice Doctorate in Nursing, The International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing, Calgary, Canada. 

KNESTRICK, J.M. & Edwards-Tuttle, C. (October 2019). Ethics for leaders in Healthcare.  Podium Presentation, AANP Fall Conference. October 10-13, 2019. LasVegas NV. 

KNESTRICK, J.M. & Wilbur, V. (October 2019). Interdisciplinary Care Conference from a Primary Care Perspective. Poduim Presentation, AANP Fall Conference. October 10-13, 2019. Las Vegas, NV. 

Pitts, C, Begley, MN, Padden, D & KNESTRICK, J.M. (2019). A relationship and communication checklist for faculty and preceptor to enhance the nurse practitioner student clinical experience, NONPF webinar. 

KURTZMAN, E.T. (October 2019). Transforming health, driving policy: Confessions of an RWJF Health Policy Fellow.  Podium presentation at AAN Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference, Quality Expert Panel, October 26, 2016. Washington, DC. 

KURTZMAN, E.T. (July 2020). Bridging the Gap: From Research to Policy. National Library of Medicine (NLM) monthly blog: Musings from the Mezzanine. July 7, 2020. 

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LANG, C. and MURPHY, J. (August 2019). International Community Engagement as a Construct for Teaching Social Determinants of Health. Oral/Podium Presentation at the 14th International Family Nursing Conference. Washington, DC. August 13 – 16, 2019. 

LE, D., Juon, H.S., Park, V.M., & Hong, A.Y. (April 2020). Liver cancer prevention among Asian Americans: What we’ve known and what else we can do? Society of Behavioral Medicine 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions (Accelerating Our Science: Finding Innovative Solutions for Tomorrow’s Health Challenges), San Francisco, CA. 

LE, D. (September 2019). You can’t escape tobacco; you have to change your environment: Perceived barriers to and recommendations for cessation among polytobacco using urban young adults in Baltimore, Maryland. Poster presentation at the 12th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities. San Francisco, CA. 

Lee, A., Aldous, A., Anderson, E, & LUPU, D. (March 2020). Provider Perceptions of the MY WAY Intervention: Implementing Advanced Care Planning in CKD Clinics. Poster presentation at the National Kidney Foundation. March 25-28, 2020. New Orleans, LA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

Aldous, A., Anderson, E., Schell, J., Sherman, M., Groninger, H., Aiello, J., & LUPU, D.  (March 2020). Impact of Advance Care Planning Coaching for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the My Way Randomized Clinical Trial. Poster presentation at the National Kidney Foundation. March 25-28, 2020. New Orleans, LA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

Bursic, A., LUPU, D. , Aldous, A., & Schell, J. (March 2020). A Retrospective Analysis of Advance Care Planning Outcomes among Older Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. Poster presentation at the National Kidney Foundation. March 25-28, 2020. New Orleans, LA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

LUPU, D. , Aldous, A., Anderson, E., Schell, J., & Groninger, H. (March 2020). Impact of Advance Care Planning Coaching for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the MY WAY Randomized Clinical Trial. Poster presentation at the AAHPM State of the Science. March 21, 2020. San Diego, CA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

Aldous, A., Klawson, E., Loughlin, S., & LUPU, D. (March 2020). Measuring Engagement in Advance Care Planning: Comparison of a Validated Survey with Chart Review in Kidney Patients. Poster presentation at the AAHPM State of the Science. March 21, 2020. San Diego, CA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

Moss, A., LUPU, D. , & Harbert, G. (March 2020). Closing the Gap on the Palliative Care Needs of Patients with Kidney Disease: Innovations from the Pathways Project. Oral presentation at the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care. March 19, 2020. San Diego, CA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

Aldous, A., Klawson, E., Loughlin, S., & LUPU, D. (March 2020). Measuring Engagement in Advance Care Planning: Comparison of a Validated Survey with Chart Review in Kidney Patients. Poster presentation at the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care. March 19, 2020. San Diego, CA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

LUPU, D. , Aldous, A., Anderson, E., Schell, J., & Groninger, H. (March 2020). Impact of Advance Care Planning Coaching for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the MY WAY Randomized Clinical Trial. Presentation at the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care. March 19, 2020. San Diego, CA. Conference cancelled due to pandemic. 

Anderson, E., LUPU, D., Kelemen, A., Lee, A., Aldous, A., & Loughlin, S. (March 2020). Implications of the MY WAY Randomized Clinical Trial for building bridges between palliative care and nephrology. Poster presentation at the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN). March 15-17, 2020. San Diego, CA. Conference canceled due to pandemic. 

LUPU, D.  & Harbert, G. (October 2019).  Presented at the 2019 National Renal Administrators Association Conference. “Expanding the Menu Choices:Person-Centered care for seriously ill patients on dialysis.” Huntington Beach, CA. 

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MARCHI, N., WAVELET, J., DAVIS, S. (September 2019). Developing Patient Safety teamwork To Address Lateral Violence Using Clifton Strengths Finder Tool and Cognitive Rehearsal. The 2019 National League of Nursing Education Summit. September 26 – 28, Fort Washington, MD. 

MULLINS, B. (May 2020) presented live webinar for Assessment Technologies Institute titled “Nursing at the Front Line during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”  

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PULCINI, J., LANG, C., DAWN, K., LESLIE, M., DAVIS, S., PERICAK, A. (November 2019). Becoming a Community Engaged Department in an academic university. Presentation at the Biennial Sigma Theta Tau Convention. November 17, 2019. National Harbor, MD. 

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RICCIARDI, R. (July 2020). Infusing joy during a global pandemic. Presentation at the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) 41st Annual & 1st Virtual Convention. July 3, 2020. 

RICCIARDI, R. (June 2020). Nursing: A pathway to empowerment of women. Strengthening and focusing health systems around primary health care. Presentation at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. June 23, 2020. Virtual presentation due to COVID-19. 

RICCIARDI, R. (May 2020). President-Elect STT, delivered keynote address at the Sigma 5th European Regional Conference in Coimbra, Portugal. “Influencing Global Health: Reflections on the past and plans for the future.” May 28, 2020. 

RICCIARDI, R., (March 2020). STT President, delivered keynote address at the Tau Alpha Meeting. The title of the presentation is: Sigma President’s Biennial Call to Action: Infuse Joy. 2020 Tau Alpha Meeting on March 4, 2020. Mexico. 

RICCIARDI, R. (January 2020). Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Growth and Impact in Europe. Presentation at the 2020 European Academy of Nursing Science (EANS) Meeting. University of Milan, Italy. January 28 – February 2, 2020. 

RICCIARDI, R. (December 2019). Evaluating new and established strategies for implementing large-scale, system level interventions. Presentation at the 12th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health. Washington, DC. 

RICCIARDI, R. (November 2019). Keynote Speaker Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma) Presidential Call to Action: Infuse Joy. Sigma Theta Tau International 45th Biennial Convention, November 16-20, 2019. Washington, DC. 

RICCIARDI, R. (November 2019). Development, Integration and Implementation of the Advanced Practice Nurse in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Panel presentation at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. November 3, 2019. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

RICCIARDI, R. (October 2019). President-Elect STT, presented at the Iota Alpha Chapter Chartering at William Paterson University. The Role and Value of Professional Organizations in Lifelong Professional Development. October 26, 2019. Wayne, NJ. 

RICCIARDI, R. (October 2019). President-Elect STT, presented at the Omega Nu Chapter Chartering at Long Island University. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing: Supporting the Work of Nurses. October 15, 2019. Brooklyn, NY. 

RICCIARDI, R. (October 2019). Keynote Speaker at the Tristate Consortium meeting. “Driving Change: Rethinking the APRN’s Role in Reshaping Healthcare.” University of Delaware. 

RICCIARDI, R. (October 2019). Presented at the Nurse-Led Care Conference. “Value-based Care in Ambulatory Setting.” Nashville, TN. 

RICCIARDI, R. (September 2019). Cost benefit analysis. Webinar presentation for the Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Fellows.  

RICCIARDI, R. (August 2019). Opportunity Awaits: Are We Ready to be Disruptive Innovators in Healthcare? Presentation at the DNP National Conference. Washington, DC. 

RILKO, L., & VENZKE, M. (April 2020). Managing Nursing Assessment Remotely: NLN Webinar Series “Taking Aim: Remote Teaching Challenges. Webinar presentation for National League of Nursing. April 9, 2020. 

RILKO, L., & Venzke, M. (April 2020). A Glimpse of the Future: NP Student’s Attitudes on Virtual Reality as a Tool for Learning. Poster presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) 46th meeting. Virtual due to COVID-19 

Washington, C., ROBERSON, A.J., Mitrani, V (March 2020). Living with a Mother with a Mental Disorder: Self-Management of Adolescents as a Protective Factor. Podium presentation at the Southern Nurses Research Society Annual Conference. March 18 – 20, 2020. New Orleans, LA. 

Giorgianni, S.J., Brott, A., ROBERSON, A.J. (2019). Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Conference Summer: Behavioral Health Aspects of Depression and Anxiety in the American Male – An Expert Panel Report from Men’s Health Network. https://www.pcori.org/sites/default/files/Mens-Health-Network-Conference-Summary.pdf 

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SCHWINDT, R., Alaniz, J., & Law, S., (March 2020) Culture, Competency and Compassion for LGBTQ Patients presentation at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting & Exposition. National Harbor, MD. 

SCHWINDT, R. (December 2019). Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Gender Affirmative Care. Annual Midwestern University Health Sciences Conference. Downers Grove, IL. 

SCHWINDT, R. (August 2019). Caring for LGBTQ Patients: Methods for Improving Cultural Competence. American Pharmacists Association. Webinar. 

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TOULOUSE, C., & Fine, P. (July 2019) Making the Connection: Enhancing Connectedness within the Learning Triad of Student, Course Content, and Faculty. Poster presentation at the Virginia Association of Doctors of Nursing Practice Podium Presentation, Winchester, VA.   

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WALLINGTON, S.F., Kelly, K. (June 2020). Assessing HPV Knowledge and Attitudes Among Black Adolescent Males in the District of Columbia, Session 5A: Health Literacy & Health Equity, Academy of Healthcare Communication, Virtual Research Forum, Zoom poster presentation, June 27. 2020, Washington, D.C. 

WALLINGTON, S.F., Lindsay, A.C., Greaney, M.L., Rabello, L.M., and Kim, Y.Y. (March 2020). Brazilian Immigrant Parents’ Awareness of HPV and the HPV Vaccine and Interest in Participating in Future HPV-Related Cancer Prevention Study: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in the USA, 33rd International Papillomavirus Conference, March 23-27, 2020, Barcelona, Spain. (adapted to Zoom to due to COVID pandemic). 

WALLINGTON, S.F. and Felder, T. (November 2019). Cervical Screening and Prevention. Session: Black Women, Cervical Cancer and What You Need to Know. 6th Annual Healthy Churches 2020 National Conference. Balm in Gilead, INC.: Healing through Prayer, Education, Advocacy, and Service. November 19 – 22, 2019. Charlotte, NC.  

WALLINGTON, S.F. (October 2019). The Wicked Problem of Health Disparities, Human Rights Forum at Augsburg University, Session: Equity, Climate Change, and the Human Right to Healthcare. October 29, 2019. Minneapolis, MN 

WALLINGTON, S.F. (September 2019).  HPV and Cervivor Cancer. Cervivor School 2019: Survivor Advocacy Training. September 26-28, 2019. Chicago, IL. 

Whitlow, M., EL-BANNA, M., & MCNELIS, A.M. (September 2019). Active Engagement in the Classroom: Using Team-Based Learning (TBL) to Improve Student Learning of Pharmacology. The 2019 National League of Nursing Education Summit. Washington, DC. September 26-28, 2019. 

WHITT, K. & Ray, G. (March 2020). Do family health history interviews influence college student’s perceived risk for disease and intent to engage in preventive behaviors? 2020 American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, Digital Edition. March 25, 2020. https://www.acmgeducation.net/Users/Catalog.aspx 

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YANG, Y.T. (November 2019). Empirical evidence of nonmedical exemptions’ contagiousness. Podium presentation at the APHA’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo. Philadelphia, PA. November 2-6, 2019. 

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ZHOU, Q., GRIFFITH, K., & WALLINGTON, S. (November 2019). Body weight and general health among female breast cancer survivors. Podium Presentation, Sigma Theta Tau International 45th Biennial Convention, November 16-20, 2019. Washington, DC. 

Strockbine, V.L., Gehrie, E., ZHOU, Q., & Guzzetta (November 2019).  Reducing Unnecessary Phlebotomy Testing Using a Clinical Decision Support System. Poster, the 2019 Architecture of High Value Health Care National Conference (HVPAA). Baltimore, MD. 

Jeffries, C., Guzzetta, C., & ZHOU, Q. (July, 2019). A Study of Bonding and Bridging Among Nurse Teleworkers. Poster presentation, Sigma’s 30th International Nursing Research Congress. Calgary, Canada.

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Faculty Publications: July 2019 – June 2020

illustration of nursing book and stethoscope

Take a look at the latest scholarly publications from GW Nursing faculty. From articles to books to peer-reviewed journals, our faculty are sharing their expertise.

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BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. K., Steinberg, F. M., & Young, H. M. (2019, Dec). Dietary and feeding modifications for older adults. Am J Nurs, 119(12)49-57. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000615796.40279.9c 

Liu, W., BATCHELOR, M. K., Williams, K.N. (2020). Development and Psychometric Testing of the Mealtime Engagement Scale (MES) in Direct Care Providers of Nursing Home Residents with Dementia. The Gerontologist. doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa097 

Steinberg, F. M., BATCHELOR-MURPHY, M. K., & Young, H. M. (2019, Nov). Eating for healthy aging. Am J Nurs, 119(11), 43-51.  https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000605360.22194.1f 

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COX, C.W. (2019). Military students’ strengths and challenges based on their military experiences: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Education. 58(7), 392-400. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20190614-03 

COX, C.W. (2019). Best practice tips for the assessment of learning of undergraduate nursing students via multiple-choice questions. Nursing Education Perspectives, 40(4), 228-230. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000456 

COX, C.W. (2019). Remembering the sacrifices of veterans and their loved ones. Nursing, 49(5), 49-50. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NURSE.0000554626.07132.f8 

COX, C.W. (2019). Mind matters fall conference: Five top takeaways. Virginia Nurses Today, 27(4), 17.  https://d3ms3kxrsap50t.cloudfront.net/uploads/publication/pdf/1942/VNT_12_19.pdf 

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DARCY-MAHONEY, A., Westphaln, K., COVELLI, A., and Mullan, F. (2020). Advancing Social Mission in Nursing Education: Recommendations from and expert advisory board. Journal of Nursing Education. doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20200723-03 

Baralt, M. & DARCY-MAHONEY, A., (July 2020). Bilingualism and the executive function advantage in preterm-born children. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100931  

DAVIS, S., & O’BRIEN, A.-M. (2020). Let’s talk about racism: Strategies for building structural competency in nursing. Academic Medicine. Published Ahead-of-Print. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003688 

Hasegawa, Y., Ryherd, E., Ryan, C.S., & DARCY-MAHONEY, A., (2020). Examining the utility of perceptual noise categorization in pediatric and neonatal hospital units. Health Environment Research & Design Journal. doi.org/10.1177/1937586720911216 

Becklenberg, A., Tanner, T., Csaky, W., Reyes, I., Jeon, M.J., and DARCY-MAHONEY, A., (2020). Screening for and addressing food insecurity in the management of childhood obesity. Advances in Family Practice Nursing. doi.org/10.1016/j.yfpn.2020.01.013 

DARCY-MAHONEY, A., (2020). Looking backwards to move forward: Using a social mission lens in nursing education. Journal of Professional Nursing. doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.03.005 

Baralt, M., DARCY-MAHONEY, A., & Brito, N. (2020). Háblame Bebé: A phone application intervention to support Hispanic children’s early language environments and bilingualism. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 026565902090377. 10.1177/0265659020903779. 

DRENKARD, K. & O’Connor. M. (2019). Working toward healthy work environments. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 43(2), 99-100. 

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ECHEVARRIA, M. (2020). Identifying Problems and Project Topics, In: Bradshaw, M.F., and Vitale, T.R. The DNP Project Workbook, A Step-by-Step Process for Success, 1st Edition; Springer Publications. 

ECHEVARRIA, M. (2020). Framing the DNP Project: Taking Aim and Being SMART. In: Bradshaw, M.F., and Vitale, T.R. The DNP Project Workbook, A Step-by-Step Process for Success, 1st Edition; Springer Publications. 

Gnilka, B., ECHEVARRIA, M., & Morgan, M. (2020) Focused professional development improves nurses’ self confidence during peer review self-efficacy. ViewPoint: The official publication of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing. Vol.42(2), pp.3-6. 

Rochon, T., & EMARD, E. (2019). End-of-Life Care: Redesigning access through leveraging the institute of medicine future of nursing recommendations. Home Healthcare Now, 37(4), 208–212. https://doi.org/10.1097/NHH.0000000000000788 

EMARD, E. (2019) Quality, safety and financial alignment: Nursing leadership needed to create value. The Voice of Nursing Leadership, AONL, Chicago, Illinois

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FARAZ COVELLI, A.; BenMaimon, S.; Falusi, O. and DARCY-MAHONEY, A. (2020). Assessing nurse practitioner and medical student experience and self-efficacy caring for patients and families living in poverty. Education in Health Professions. doi: 10.4103/EHP.EHP_24_19 

FARAZ, A. & Salsberg, E. (2019). From education to practice: What we can learn about the workforce from a survey of new nurse practitioners. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 454-461. doi:10.1097/jxx.0000000000000226

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GRIFFITH, K.A. & Ryan, A.S. (2020). IL-6 and soluble receptors in overweight and obese African American women with and without breast cancer. Biological Research for Nursing 

Van Vulpen, J.K., Sweegers, M.G., Peeters, P.H., Courneya, K.S., Newton, R.U……GRIFFITH, K. et al (2019). Moderators of exercise effects on cancer-related fatigue: A meta-analysis of individual patient data. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002154 

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HAHN, J.A. (2019). The Perceptions and Experiences of National Regulatory Nurse Leaders in Advancing the APRN Compact Policy Agenda. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 31(4), 255-262. doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000135 

HAHN, J.A. (2019) Five steps to follow: Board Service. Virginia Nurses Today 27/(3), 10. 

HAHN, J.A. (2019). Women’s healthcare in the United States: A policy update. Virginia Nurses Today, 27(1), 11. 

HAHN, J.A. (2019). Nurses on Boards Coalition: Spotlight on a Virginia nurse leader. Virginia Nurses Today, 26(4), 15-16 

HOGG, C. (2020) What influences work engagement among Registered Nurses: Implications for Evidence-based Action, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing. 

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JOHNSON, J.E., EMARD, E., & Sakallaris, B. (2020) Chapter titled Quality and Safety in Health Care in Mason, D.J., Dickson, E., McLemore, M.R. & Perez, G.A., editors (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 8th Edition. Elsevier. 

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KEEPNEWS, D.M. & Betts. V.T. Nursing and the Courts. Ch. 45 in Mason, D.J., Dickson, E., McLemore, M.R. & Perez, G.A., editors (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 8th Edition. Elsevier. 

Zollweg, S.S.F., Tobin, V., Goldstein, Z.G., KEEPNEWS, D.M. & Chinn, P.L. Improving LGBTQ+ Health: Nursing Policy Can Make a Difference. Ch. 26 in Mason, D.J., Dickson, E., McLemore, M.R. & Perez, G.A., editors (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 8th Edition. Elsevier. 

KESTEN, K., & EL-BANNA, M. (2020) Facilitators, Barriers, Benefits, and Funding to Implement Postgraduate Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Programs. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP) doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000412 

KESTEN, K., EL-BANNA, M., & Blakely, J. (2019). Educational characteristics and content of postgraduate nurse practitioner residency/fellowship programs. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP). doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000341 

Taft, S.H., KESTEN, K., & EL-BANNA, M. (2019, September). One size does not fit all: Toward an evidence-based framework for determining online course enrollment size in higher education. Online Learning Journal, 23(3), 188-233. doi: 10.24059/olj.v23i3.1534 URL: https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/1534 

Anderson, K., McLaughlin, M., Crowell, N., Fall-Dickson, J., White, K., Heitzler, E., KESTEN, K., & Yearwood, E. (2019). Mentoring students engaging in scholarly projects and dissertations in doctoral nursing programs. Nursing Outlook, 67(6) 775-788. . https://doi.org/10.1016/j. outlook.2019.06.021. 

Pitts, C, Padden, D & KNESTRICK, J.M., Bigley, M.B. (2019). A relationship and communication checklist for faculty and preceptor to enhance the nurse practitioner student clinical experience. JAANP. 2019 Oct;31(10):591-597. doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000310. 

Anderson, B. & KNESTRICK, J.M., (2019).  Mending the maternal health safety net: Community-based strategies.  In Anderson, B. & Roberts, L. (eds). The Crisis Of Maternal Health In America: Nursing Implications For Advocacy And Practice (Ch. 8).  New York: Springer Publishing Co

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LESLIE, M.S., PARK, J., BRIGGS, L.A., EL-BANNA, M., Greene, J. (2020). Is anemia in low income pregnant women related to their infants’ having anemia? A cohort study of pregnant women-infant pairs in the United States. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 

Anderson, E., Charles, N.S. & LUPU, D. (2019). Barriers and facilitators to supportive care for esrd dialysis patients— A Social Worker’s Role. J Nephrol Soc Work. 2019;43(2):6. 

Schell, J. O., & LUPU, D.  (2020). A Step in the Right Direction: The Promise of PROMs in Routine Hemodialysis Care. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 15(9), 1228–1230. https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.12350720 

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Heselden, M., MALLIARAKIS, K.D., Lunsford, B., Linton, A., Sullo, E., Cardenas, D., Legal, M., & Guzzetta, C. (2019). Establishing an open access repository for Doctor of Nursing Practice projects. Journal of Professional Nursing (35) 6. 467-472. 

MARCHI, N., Hypertension chapter in Alfes, C.M. & Zimmermann, E. (Eds). (2020). Clinical Simulations for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: A Comprehensive Guide for Faculty, Students, and Simulation Staff. New York: Springer Publishing Company. ISBN 13 9780826140258. 

Jackson, M. & MARCHI, N. (2019).  Graduate Entry Education for Non-Nurses: Preparation, Pathways and Progress.  Nursing Education Perspectives. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000510 

MARCHI, N., Zimmerman, E., Kellling, C., Wong, S., Juniper, K., (2019). A medication dosage simulation strategy to improve patient safety. American Nurse Today. 

MARCHI, N., WAVELET, J.; DAVIS, S. and Condict, M. (2020) Patient Safety Teamwork Using the Clifton® Strengths Finder Tool and Cognitive Rehearsal.  Nurse Educator: September 5, 2020 – Volume Publish Ahead of Print – Issue – doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000919 

MCNELIS, A. (2019). NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators: Are they present in the course descriptions of academic nurse educator programs? Nursing Education Perspectives. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000530 

MCNELIS, A. , Dreifuerst, K.T., & SCHWINDT, R.  (2019). Doctoral education and preparation for nursing faculty roles. Nurse Educator, 44(4), 202-206. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000597 

Perkins, B., Guido, R., Castle, P., Chelmow, D., Einstein, M., Garcia, F., Huh, W., Kim, J., Moscicki, AB., Nayar, R., Saraiya, M., Sawaya, G., Wentzensen, N., and Schiffman, M. for the 2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines Conference (MURPHY J., member). 2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines for Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Tests and Cancer Precursors. Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease. 24(2):102-131, April 2020. doi: 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000525 

MURPHY J., Shanis, D., Debiec, K., Hamilton, B., Boyle, S., Stratton, P. (2020) Post-Transplant Considerations in Gender, Reproductive, and Sexual Health. Chapter in Savani B and Tichelli A, editors. Blood and Marrow Transplantation Long-Term Management: Prevention and Complications, Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 

Tharpe, Nell, ed. (Anderson J, MURPHY J., Vaughn-Deneen T., contributing editors). (2020) The Midwife as Surgical First Assistant. Digital Edition. Silver Spring, MD: American College of Nurse-Midwives; 2020. 

Davis Lynn, B.C.; Bodelon, C.; Pfeiffer, R.; Yang, H.; Yang, H.; Lee, M.; Laird, P.; Campan, M.; Daniel, J.; Weisenberger, D.J.; MURPHY J.; Sampson, J.; Browne, E.; Anderton, D.; Sherman, M.; Arcaro, K.; Gierach, G. (2019). Differences in genome-wide DNA methylation levels in breast milk by race and lactation duration. Cancer Prevention Research, 2019. 

MURPHY J., Mckenna, M., Abdelazim, S., Battiwalla, M., & Stratton, P. (2019). A practical guide to gynecologic and reproductive health in women undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2019.07.038 

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POSEY, L., PINTZ, C., ZHOU, P., Lewis, K. & SLAVEN-LEE, P. (2020). Nurse practitioner student perceptions of face-to-face and telehealth standardized patient simulations. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 10(4), 37 – 44. https://www.journalofnursingregulation.com/article/S2155-8256(20)30012-0/pdf 

Hassmiller, S.B., and PULCINI, J. (2020). Advanced Practice Nursing Leadership: A Global Perspective. New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC. 

PULCINI, J. & Rambur, B. (2020, Feb 2). Financing Health Care in the United States. In D. Mason, D. Gardner, F. Hopkins Outlaw, & E. O’Grady, (ch 18). Policy and politics for nursing and health care, (8th Ed.) (). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. 

PULCINI, J., Hanson, C., JOHNSON, J. (2019). National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. A 40 Year history of preparing nurse practitioners for practice. JAANP, 31 (11), 633-639. 

Giorgianni, S.J., Brott, A., ROBERSON, A.J. (2019). Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Conference Summer: Behavioral Health Aspects of Depression and Anxiety in the American Male – An Expert Panel Report from Men’s Health Network.  https://www.pcori.org/sites/default/files/Mens-Health-Network-Conference-Summary.pdf 

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SCHUMANN, M.J. (2020) Chapter 39, An Overview of Legislative and Regulatory Processes, in Mason, D.J., Dickson, E., McLemore, M.R. & Perez, G.A., editors (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 8th Edition. Elsevier 

SCHUMANN, M.J. (2019).  Leadership and Management Competence in Nursing Practice: Competencies, Skills, Decision-Making. Springer Publishing Company. New York, NY.  

Oruche, U., SCHWINDT, R. (2019). Call for special issue on opioid epidemic: Response. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 5(33) 1-2. 

STEVENS, K., Price, J., Marko, J., & Kaler, S. (2020). Neck masses due to internal jugular vein phlebectasia: Frequency in Menkes disease and literature review of 85 pediatric subjects. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 182(6), 1364–1377. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.61572 

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TOULOUSE, C. (2020). Screen capture recordings enhance connectedness among students, course content, and faculty. Journal of Nursing Education. 59, 531-535. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20200817-11 

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Greaney, M.L., WALLINGTON, S.F., Rampa, S. et al. Assessing health professionals’ perception of health literacy in Rhode Island community health centers: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 20, 1289 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09382-1 

Lindsay, A.C., WALLINGTON, S.F., Rabello, L.M., et al. (2020). Faith, family, and social networks: Effective strategies for recruiting Brazilian immigrants in maternal and child health research. Journal of Racial Ethnic Health Disparities. doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00753-3 

Lindsay, A.C., Greaney, M.L., Rabello, L.M., Kim, Y.Y. and WALLINGTON, S.F. (2020). Brazilian Immigrant Parents’ Awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine and interest in participating in future HPV-related cancer prevention study: An exploratory cross-sectional study conducted in the USA. Journal of Racial Ethnic Health Disparities. doi:10.1007/s40615-020-00704-y. 

Lindsay, A.C, Machado, M.M.T, WALLINGTON, S.F., Greaney, M.L. (2019). Sociocultural and interpersonal influences on Latina women’s beliefs, attitudes, and experiences with gestational weight gain. PLoS One. 2019 Jul 24; 14(7). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219371.  

Muthra, S., Hamilton, R., Leopold, K., Dodson, E., Mooney, D., WALLINGTON, S.F., Dash, C., Adams-Campbell, L.L. (2019). A qualitative study of oral health knowledge among African Americans. PLoS One. 2019 Jul 10;14(7). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219426.  

Suárez, P., WALLINGTON, S.F., Greaney, M.L, & Lindsay, A.C. (2019). Exploring HPV knowledge, awareness, beliefs, attitudes, and vaccine acceptability of latino fathers living in the United States: An integrative review. J Community Health. 2019 Aug; 44(4):844-856. doi: 10.1007/s10900-019-00636-7 

WIERSMA, G., COX, C.W., SCHUMANN, M.J., MCNELIS, A., & Maring, J. (2020). Faculty perceptions in facilitating success for accelerated BSN student veterans. Nursing Education Perspectives. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000673 

WIERSMA, G., PINTZ, C., WYCHE K.F. (2020) Transition to practice experiences of new graduate nurses from an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program: Implications for academic clinical partners. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 2020;51(9):433-440 https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20200812-09 

Maradiegue, A., Seibert, D., & WHITT, K.J. (2020). Genetic considerations in primary care. In T. M. Buttaro, P. Polgar-Bailey, J. Sandberg-Cook, & J. Trybulski (Eds.), Primary care: Interprofessional collaborative practice (6th ed.). Elsevier. 

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YANG, Y.T. and Rubinstein, D. (July 2020). A federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate: Dubious legality, faulty policy. The Hill. July 23, 2020. 

Reiss, D.R. and YANG, Y.T. (2020) How Congress Can Help Raise Vaccine Rates. Notre Dame Law Review 2020;96. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3581393 

Khubchandani, J., Jordan, T.R., & YANG, Y.T. (2020). Ebola, zika, corona…what is next for our world? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020. doi:10.3390/ijerph17093171 

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Meier, B.M., Habibi, R., and YANG, Y.T. (2020). Travel restrictions violate international law. Science;367(6485):1436. doi:10.1126/science.abb6950 

YANG, Y.T., Pendo, E. and Reiss, D.R. (2020). The Americans with disabilities act and healthcare employer-mandated vaccinations. Vaccine 2020. doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.012 

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Nursing Resilience Amid Disruptive Times

GW Nursing volunteer at COVID testing site

The year 2020 was supposed to be special at the George Washington University School of Nursing. The World Health Organization had designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, and the school was to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Dean Pamela Jeffries was planning an April gala at the Army and Navy Club, and programming would, Janus-like, look retrospectively on the past decade and ahead to the next 10 promising years.  

“That was a big deal for us,” said Dr. Jeffries. “We were ecstatic.” 

Then the pandemic hit, postponing the gala first a few months to August, and then subsequently a year to April 2021. With students and families needing support more than ever, GW Nursing brought new urgency to scholarship campaigns already underway, and the school continued to plan a health summit—albeit in digital form—addressing educational gaps in health professions.  

“We have to stay current with timely topics and needs within our health care profession,” Dr. Jeffries said. 

Helming a school amid a pandemic isn’t easy, but adapting and even shining under pressure in uncertain, stressful circumstances is muscle memory for nurses, whose patients’ conditions may fluctuate by the minute. “We deal with uncertainty all the time,” Dr. Jeffries said. “If I’m in patient care, my Tuesday looks different from my Wednesday. The practice environment changes by the day. So does the academic one.” 

As a nurse with a background in critical care, Jeffries was familiar with the need to be ready for change. “I could have a pretty stable patient come in the unit at 10, but by 11, he could be in respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest,” she said. “I always had to be prepared to deal with emergencies, because I never knew what emergency might be in front of me.” 

The past few months have been exceedingly difficult for almost everyone, and these have been particularly trying times for nurses on the front lines of the public health crisis, as well as for their colleagues in the nursing academic setting. As the pandemic rages amid a period of social unrest and protests demanding social justice, it’s more important than ever for nurses and nurse faculty to prioritize self-care and their own mental health in addition to aiding their patients and students. 

Stories of GW Nursing faculty, staff, students and alumni could fill many tomes, but here is a sketch of several important happenings in and around the school’s community.  

GW Nursing COVID Testing helpers

A Drastic Change 

When COVID-19 hit, Dr. Jeffries drew upon her nursing experience to think critically and to prioritize what to do first, second and third. “We just take command,” she said of nurses broadly. “We’re operational. We just lock in.” 

On March 13, the school moved to a fully remote workforce, with faculty, staff and student safety being the paramount concern. At the time, people weren’t wearing masks, but Dr. Jeffries instructed everyone to go home and mitigate risk by doing things like washing hands extra carefully. After addressing safety, she said she turned her attention to what her faculty and staff needed “to maintain structural continuity and to make sure that our students can progress.” For those slated to graduate in May, there was concern over how to ensure they met vital competencies.  

Concerned about staff morale, Jeffries set up weekly meetings with managers and directors to ask what they needed and to talk about how best to support a remote workforce. The meetings helped them calibrate. “That’s what we do as nurses,” she said. “We look at human responses. We look at whether they are stressed, anxious or sad.” 

Jeffries also set up weekly town hall meetings with faculty and staff, which continue to draw more than 100 participants. “We’re here together. We’re a community,” she told the group. “Nurses build community, because when you’re caring for a patient, you include the family. Do they have the resources they need? I don’t want to give someone a prescription for a medication they can’t fill.”  

After reassuring the GW Nursing community, Jeffries emphasized the importance of discussion. “As nurses, we communicate well. We are the most trusted profession,” she said. She placed transparency and team building at the forefront of the school’s administrative response. The environment she fostered broadcast to the entire school community that everyone was in this together. 

“That communication link was important. They were hearing from me. I was giving them all the information I had in real time. That was crucial,” she said. “That carried over from my nursing days when establishing a line of communication with your patients was your top priority.” 

Every town hall meeting, Dr. Jeffries ends with an inspirational quote. “In the beginning, I would bring those, but now I have faculty or staff closing the meetings with their own quotes.” She also had to slow herself down at points, knowing she tends to operate at warp speed. 

“Sometimes I had to remind myself, ‘Hey Pam. Pause here. Let them catch up.’ As dean, I might see the big picture ahead of other people, or I might have a vision that others don’t see,” she said. “As a leader, it’s important to tap into your emotional intelligence to know that when you lead, you have to bring your team along. You can’t be so far ahead.” 

Meetings of a critical-decision team Dr. Jeffries assembled, which had been a daily occurrence at the outset of the pandemic, scaled back to thrice weekly, and now are held two times a week. The team had succeeded in keeping the school up and running in the face of so much uncertainty. “Things were changing rapidly,” Dr. Jeffries said of the early days. “As a leader, you’ve got to be flexible and nimble.” 

Among the things the team has tackled are procuring remote proctoring software for exams delivered digitally, unifying communication so there are no mixed messages going out to different parts of the community, and “Fun Fridays,” where faculty and staff gather online for half an hour to discuss things other than work.  

The latter was in its 24th week at the time of the interview in August, and Dr. Jeffries said participants had shared with the group pictures of their children, of a road trip to Niagara Falls, of home remodeling and renovations, and of pets. One brought the trivia game Kahoot! for everyone to play, and another shared about a new mask-making hobby. Dr. Jeffries showed the group rocks she paints and leaves on a path for people to take or move around.  

“It’s nothing but fun,” she said. “It becomes a stress release.” 

Looking forward, Dr. Jeffries has no more access than anyone else to a crystal ball, but she has seen promising signs in the way GW Nursing has rallied together as a community. The faculty and staff have exceeded Dr. Jeffries’ expectations in their kindness and support, and the prior week, a student anonymously gifted $7,000 in support of scholarships. “It’s wonderful to know this particular student felt so supported through this stressful time that she wanted to acknowledge it through philanthropy,” Dr. Jeffries said. “For the student, $7,000 was probably a lot of money.” 

Dr. Jeffries added that pandemic has been compounded by social unrest and protesting following the May 25 death of George Floyd. With the help of Sandra Davis, assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, Dr. Jeffries penned a message to the public stating unequivocally that the school will not tolerate racism, bias and discrimination and the continuing cycle of health inequities across our nation. Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., the school holds virtual forums called “Continuing the Conversation,” to discuss structural racism.  

“We’ve embraced the need to bring more awareness and change to systemic racism and doing so requires us to bring  anti-racism into our classrooms, into our working relationships, and when we are in clinical settings,” Dr. Jeffries said. She is inspired by the vulnerable and highly personal stories shared by many faculty, staff and students, and is proud that the school has fostered an environment where members of the community feel safe doing so. 

One person, a black woman, shared with the group that at least while quarantined at home during the pandemic, she no longer worries about the safety of her children, who are black teenagers. “That was heavy,” Dr. Jeffries said. “People haven’t walked in other people’s shoes. Those stories were so striking.” 

Ric Ricciardi and Army Surgeon General
LTG R. Scott Dingle, Army Surgeon General with Dr. Ricciardi

Duty Calls

If life were a movie, a grizzled Richard “Ric” Ricciardi would have been splitting firewood at the end of a long driveway when Department of Defense officials drove up and told him the world needed him to come back to work. It wasn’t that dramatic, but the DOD certainly caught Ricciardi off guard when it asked for his help to lead COVID-19 operations and public health response at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. 

“Originally, I was shocked to be honest with you. I was retired from military service. I just figured I would never put on a uniform again,” said Dr. Ricciardi, director of strategic partnerships at GW’s Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement and a professor of nursing. He is also president of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society. 

The military’s ask wasn’t that unusual, however. As a 66P (family nurse practitioner), Dr. Ricciardi had worked at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and he was very familiar with public health models. Where most Army colonels had retired or were working in administrative roles, Dr. Ricciardi kept one foot in clinical practice his entire career and was still certified to practice as a nurse practitioner in Maryland. 

“It really wasn’t my Ph.D. that got me called back. It was that I was still practicing as a clinician,” he said. “For me, they kind of got a twofer.”  

When the initial shock wore off, Dr. Ricciardi felt a sense of pride and honor. “I’ve always been very proud of this country, the American dream and what the country stands for,” he said. “To be asked by the Department of Defense to participate in a national emergency—I felt honored to be asked. If your nation calls and really needs you, if there’s something I can do to make the world a little bit better during a national emergency, I definitely should consider it.” 

Before making the big decision, Dr. Ricciardi talked to his wife—who was supportive—and to Dr. Jeffries, who gave him the green light on GW’s end. He said yes to the DOD, received his orders, and then things moved very quickly.   

At the fort, Dr. Ricciardi works out of an old dental clinic overseeing screening of incoming populations and setting the fort’s public health responses to prevent potential spread of the virus among trainees. Part of that means designing training “bubbles” for recruits and arranging sleeping accommodations in safe ways. (Trainees sleep head-to-feet and feet-to-head.) Dr. Ricciardi didn’t want to identify the fort’s population but said he has screened people “in the thousands.” 

“When conducting training in the field in a COVID environment, it’s about really trying to figure out if there are other ways to do something, like scaling a wall, in a different way, or questioning whether that activity is really something that is required in the training to ensure competence. Can that be left out? Can you just have the person do it on their own?” he said. “The critical element is trying to have reasonable assurance that when people are training together that you have done all that you can to minimize the risk of COVID transmission, such as removing the individuals that either have COVID or are at risk for developing COVID.” 

In high-pressure conditions, self-care is important for health care workers too, and Dr. Ricciardi relaxes by going on walks in the nearby Ozark Mountains. (He posts his stunning flora and fauna photos on Flickr and also writes poetry.) “It’s one way for me to unwind,” he said. “I’d never been to this part of the country before, so it’s quite striking how beautiful the countryside is. The good news is you’re out in the countryside by yourself. There’s no risk of COVID.” 

Dr. Ricciardi said photography and writing help him escape temporarily from overwhelming times with the global economic challenges, systemic racism and the pandemic. But looking forward, he is optimistic about some of the promises of telemedicine and virtual health care, which can handle certain health conditions more efficiently, and cheaply, than an in-person office visit.  

“COVID, in some ways, has been an opportunity for health care to advance and improve its efficiencies, effectiveness and customer service via telehealth and other modalities,” he said. “The paradigm of primary care will change to allow for more of this innovation around telehealth to be incorporated routinely in a visit.” 

“I think consumers are going to demand it and say, ‘I didn’t have to get in my car and drive. I could actually see my provider without leaving work. It worked out well. Why can’t I keep doing that?’” he added. “I suspect for certain kinds of medical issues, consumers will demand it.”      

GW Nursing pediatric clinical education instructors Kristen Stevens, Betsy Choma, Jennifer Walsh
(from left to right) Kristen Stevens, Betsy Choma, Jennifer Walsh

Clinical Simulations 

Pediatric clinical education instructors Betsy Choma, Kristen Stevens and Jennifer Walsh, who work as a team, have also found ways to adapt to social distancing requirements in ways they think will improve teaching even after there is a readily accessible and effective vaccine. 

When the pandemic forced hospitals to turn away nursing students for clinical rotations, the three instructors put their heads together to find a solution. In mid-March, one cohort of students still had a few weeks left, but the summer group needed to do its entire clinical component virtually. 

It was helpful to know ahead of time for the summer that the three would be designing the didactic (lecture) and clinical portions to complement one another, according to Choma. “The three of us were able to sit down and plan out, ‘OK. If we are talking about respiratory in lecture, let’s have respiratory case studies in clinical,” she said. 

When students see patients in hospitals, they never know what patient they will get at any given hour of any given day, but simulation allows for more customization. “It’s actually nice to be able to tailor and bring the student into the virtual classroom,” Choma said.  

The three could essentially put their pedagogic fingers on the digital scale and design vignettes to ensure students got to see, virtually, every relevant kind of patient. That gave both depth and breadth to the learning, and could bring examples virtually—say of child abuse or vaccine hesitation—that students otherwise wouldn’t necessarily experience. 

In an unexpected way, the virtual nature actually brought the patients to life, Choma added. 

“There are pros and cons of both. We obviously would love our students performing patient care. We’re nurses. That’s what we train for. That’s what we all want,” Walsh said. “With the COVID pandemic, we didn’t really have that opportunity, but we still had to provide a quality education to these students to get them out into the workforce.” Providing the course online allowed for “more synchronously connecting the didactic and clinical learning.” 

The program had previously used simulations and in-person teaching, and Stevens said the three of them found the two approaches to dovetail well. “In simulation you have a safer environment, and you can try things without the same degree of consequence, and so the thinking is very different,” she said. “Versus when there’s a child crying in front of you when you have to talk to the parent.” 

In the fall, students will be learning in hospitals and virtually, and the trio expects even when everything returns to normal to continue to tailor simulations to lecture topics. “As our pediatric curriculum features simulated patients and scenarios increasingly, we look forward to maximizing use of our high-quality simulation lab,” Choma said. “I think we are really going to see the value of simulated scenarios, because we can’t predict the outcomes, but we can control the environment.” 

“We learned so much with this transition to virtual,” Walsh said. “I think there’s no doubt that we will continue to evolve and continue to bring what works best for the students in the future.” 

Leah McElhanon, B.S.N. ’18, M.S.N. ’19

Finding the Silver Lining 

Before the pandemic changed everything, Leah McElhanon, B.S.N. ’18, M.S.N. ’19, had a plan. She was going to work at a clinic and save enough money until she could hang her own shingle. In March, she realized she had to detour. 

McElhanon was furloughed from the Dallas clinic where she worked. Unsure when she could return to work, she decided to volunteer at the Federal Medical Station in Santa Clara, Calif., as part of the medical team for the nonprofit Team Rubicon. There, she cared for COVID-19 patients before her deployment ended. 

Earlier this year, she started a pro bono practice on the side and began a new job recently as medical director for a COVID testing initiative, which she said is trying to find better and safer solutions to medical problems. (She didn’t want to say a whole lot more about the effort, which is in its infancy.) 

McElhanon has heard from former classmates and colleagues, and she said everyone is physically, mentally and emotionally worn. She felt some inertia initially, when there was some hope that there might be a big breakthrough, but she is prepared now for a long haul. 

Nursing school taught McElhanon to keep a poker face for the benefit of her patients, but in the face of COVID, it’s tough to be stoic. “It starts to wear on you,” she said. She currently has a very close family member in the hospital. Despite a resilient nature, she finds it devastating to be unable to care for her relative. Hospital policies bar visitors of any kind, which makes in-person support impossible. McElhanon went into the medical field to protect those close to her, but now she finds herself stuck at arm’s length due to the ongoing pandemic. 

“The nursing profession is needed now more than ever. Nurses are at the patient’s bedside 24/7, when their loved ones cannot be there,” McElhanon said. “The nurse’s presence ensures that the patient is never alone. In addition to their medical expertise, nurses are everything for the patient. They take on the roles of family, friend, advocate and much more.” 

Somehow, McElhanon sees a silver lining amid all the uncertainty. 

“We can’t change anything we did yesterday; we can only be better today,” she said. “Taking a step back and looking at what this experience is going to offer us. One thing is innovation in medicine. Right now, people are pushing in so many avenues for so many different medications and treatments and protocols. Researchers and medical professionals are out there trying everything that they can.” 

Medical professionals are starting to see that they can not only strive to help with the current pandemic, but also pioneer and push new boundaries. 

“Medicine is very foundational. Views and practices remain inside the box,” she said. “This silver lining is teaching us, ‘Let’s never think inside the box. Let’s keep going.’ I think this may benefit us in the long term. We may be able to identify and prevent viruses sooner. We might be able to predict how other viruses, with which we’re already struggling, infect and overtake the body. We might be able to cure some things that we’ve never been able to cure.” 

It’s really hard to try to find sources of optimism and positivity, she admitted. “But honestly, that’s what we need to do right now,” she said. “We will get through this. We can get through this. We just have to stay positive.” 

AUTHOR MENACHEM WECKER

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Accelerated B.S.N. students create COVID-19 prevention video for Costa Ricans

Costa Rica

“I remember being in class and Dr. Karen Dawn asking who spoke Spanish,” said Eva Cruz, an accelerated B.S.N. student in her final semester. “Instinctively, I raised my hand. It turns out I’d volunteered myself to do a project for global health.” 

As the spring 2020 semester wore on amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the university making difficult decisions to ensure programmatic continuity while keeping students safe, many of them were disappointed to learn that all university-related international travel would be suspended. This had implications for Ms. Cruz and her colleague, Victoria Hinson. Both were nearing the end of the Accelerated B.S.N. program and were eager to broaden their nursing horizons in Costa Rica as part of their global initiatives community project requirement. 

Like her colleague, Ms. Hinson was drawn to this opportunity because it offered a great opportunity to strengthen her medical Spanish skills and make a positive impact on an international community during such difficult times. “I was greatly disappointed with the travel restrictions cancelling the Costa Rica study abroad program, but I thought ‘no better way to give back than to work on this project with our in-country partners virtually.’” 

“Our school was partnering with Global Learning in Costa Rica,” said Hannah Hahn, program associate in the Office of Community and Global Initiatives at GW Nursing. “Our two students and I worked with two of their local partners, Asociación por la Sonrisa de los Niños (ASONI) and Children’s Well-Being Foundation’s mobile clinics, to develop educational materials and provide donations of personal protective equipment.” 

This virtual collaboration turned out to be a perfect way to demonstrate the hands-on knowledge and skills that Ms. Hinson and Ms. Cruz had learned throughout the accelerated B.S.N. program, while helping a community in need and discovering how effective they could be making an impact on people’s health and well-being from such a great distance.  

Not knowing about the community and its needs, the students engaged the partners to help shed light who these families were, where they lived and what resources would be most beneficial. “During the conversations, we identified that educational materials could play a significant role in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” said Ms. Hinson. “And, of course, it would need to be virtual,” added Ms. Cruz. 

The team decided to make three educational videos in Spanish for children ages 3-15 about how to prevent COVID-19, how to make masks with used T-shirts and how to wash your hands properly. 

“We created scripts that were edited and amended by our partners,” said Ms. Hinson. “And after this exhaustive prep work, it was satisfying to see them come to life in these videos with the help of GW Nursing’s Community and Global Initiatives team and Online Learning and Instructional Technology team.”  

The students were amazed by the end-product, and thrilled to learn that the videos they had created reached hundreds of Costa Rican children and their families. They were also excited to hear that rising final-semester Accelerated B.S.N. students would use this project as a launching pad for future projects.   

“By choosing to work with our partners to provide informative health videos for Costa Ricans in need, I realized that my nursing skills could transcend internationally,” said Ms. Hinson. “My colleagues and I were encouraged to engage our creativity and think outside the box to see how we could engage children and their families for something bigger than a project. I am thrilled that other students will have this same opportunity, and I am excited to see what products will be created in semesters to come.”  

“Despite the challenges and hard work this virtual global health project was a uniquely fulfilling learning experience,” said Ms. Cruz. 

Watch the COVID-19 prevention videos developed by Ms. Hinson and Ms. Cruz. 

Costa Rica Part 1 – What are the Germs and How to Prevent COVID-19
Costa Rica Part 2 – How to make masks with used t-shirt- No Sewing Needed
Costa Rica Part 3- How to wash your hands properly
Costa Rica Part 3 – How to wash your hands properly (spanish)

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NCSBN Grants Bolster Banner Year for GW Nursing Research

Grad students in Sim lab

Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, which resulted in many sudden changes to the school’s research endeavors, and the university moving to a shared-services model for research administration services, GW Nursing has seen significant increases in its commitment to sponsored research this year. 

As exemplars of the schools heightened focus on research are three grants awarded through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) totaling more than half a million dollars. 

Jeongyoung Park secured funding for her study titled, “To what extent is the degree of state scope of practice autonomy associated with malpractice lawsuits filed against nurse practitioners (NPs)?” 

“A growing number of states are taking action to expand the roles of NPs—who have the authority to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications,” said Dr. Park. “These states are doing so as a response to emerging health care needs in their communities.”  

Recent changes in delivery and payment policies spurred by health care reform, coupled with a nationwide shortage of primary care physicians, are expected to shift greater responsibility for patient care to NPs. “As NPs continue to expand their autonomy and responsibilities, they may become more vulnerable to malpractice exposures,” Dr. Park said. 

The overall goal of this study is to examine the extent to which the degree of state scope of practice and prescriptive autonomy is associated with malpractice lawsuits filed against NPs. Dr. Park’s study will use a repository of all malpractice claims against licensed health care practitioners in the U.S. It will also tackle several research questions that address the association between NPs’ increased authority and the magnitude of malpractice claims; differences in the types of claims, allegation groups and severity of injury; and other factors associated with the scope of malpractice claims against NPs. 

“As NPs achieve greater autonomy and move into independent practice, it may be necessary to develop additional regulatory standards or processes to better protect the public and promote delivery of high-quality care,” said Dr. Park. “It may also be important to assess efforts to educate NPs regarding their potential exposure to malpractice lawsuits and how best to decrease it.” 

Dr. Angela McNelis was awarded funding for her study titled, “Using Screen-Based Virtual Simulation in Family Nurse Practitioner Education.” 

“Innovations in nursing education are a funding priority for NCSBN and a necessity for schools of nursing across the globe as we collectively and collaboratively create new learning models that ensure quality preparation and sufficient numbers of nurse practitioners,” said Dr. McNelis. 

As demand soars for primary care providers amid the COVID-19 pandemic and physician shortage, NPs are increasingly providing frontline care. At the same time, care delivery to those who are aging, battling chronic health conditions or living in underserved areas continues to be most affected. With NPs consistently demonstrating positive performance comparable to primary care physicians, they can address these needs and the provider gap. Yet, educating enough NPs is a challenge and requires developing and testing novel and pioneering methods for clinical education, such as virtual simulation. 

“Generating a robust evidentiary base for alternative approaches, such as screen-based virtual simulation, is critical for nursing education and regulation,” said Dr. McNelis. “The expansion and acceptance of substituting simulation hours for clinic practice hours in NP education, is dependent, in part, on strong and favorable evidence from rigorous, high quality studies. Findings from our study may support a change in regulations similar to the impact the NCSBN National Simulation Study had in pre-licensure programs.” 

And Dr. Ellen Kurtzman completed the NCSBN triad with her study titled, “Medical Cannabis: Are Nurse Leaders Prepared?” 

As more and more states move to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use, nurse leaders will face increasing challenges and play greater roles in patients’ access to and use of medical cannabis.  Dr. Kurtzman’s study explores nurse leaders’ attitudes toward, knowledge of and experiences with medical cannabis, as well as their awareness and use of The NCSBN National Nursing Guidelines for Medical Marijuana, which were published in July 2018.   

“While a handful of studies has examined health care clinicians’ attitudes towards and experiences with medical cannabis… none has focused exclusively on nurse leaders,” said Dr. Kurtzman. “Yet, nurse leaders are pivotal because of their responsibilities and accountabilities for maintaining a safe environment and setting the vision for nursing practice in their organizations.”    

The study will examine the perceived barriers to patients’ use of medical cannabis and explore the education and training needs of nurses in the range of settings and organizations in which nurse leaders practice. Given very different state policy environments—to date, 34 jurisdictions have legalized cannabis for medical use and 11 states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized cannabis for adult, recreational use—this study will also illuminate whether the legal status of the jurisdiction in which a nurse leader practices predicts the level to which he or she is prepared to deal with patients who use medical cannabis.  

“NCSBN has shown tremendous leadership in publishing guidelines for nurses about medical cannabis,” said Dr. Kurtzman. “This study will contribute to our understanding of these guideline’s utilization in the real-world and provide a baseline against which we can gauge changes in nurse leaders’ knowledge and attitudes towards medical cannabis as state-level policy environments shift.”

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Alumna Profile – Stacia Moreno

Alumna Stacia Moreno

In the spring, GW Nursing had planned to celebrate its 10th anniversary with an awards luncheon and gala at the Army Navy Club in Alexandria, Virginia. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced the rescheduling of both events, but the school felt it was important to still celebrate its inaugural distinguished alumni award winners. The school did so with a special profile in the commemorative 10th anniversary issue of the spring magazine, announcements and social media posts to the GW Nursing community, as well as etched glass awards sent to their homes.

One of these distinguished alumni is Stacia Moreno, a labor and delivery nurse in the birthing center at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as a Med-Surg 1 clinical instructor for GW Nursing.

Ms. Moreno entered the Accelerated B.S.N. program in August of 2014, serving as the cohort’s president and an active member of the Student Nurses Association. In 2016, she received the Outstanding Student Award for “Excellence in Community Services” and, upon graduating, became an active Alumni Ambassador for the university, participating in networking sessions at Dean Jeffries’ home and speaking with incoming students at the Ashburn campus. She’s also a proud member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).

Ms. Moreno earned a degree in biology from North Carolina Central University, and is currently studying in GW Nursing’s D.N.P. Family Nurse Practitioner program option. When she finishes her doctorate, Ms. Moreno plans to focus her efforts on education and prevention of peripartum cardiomyopathy in African American women.

Ms. Moreno has served as a member of the GW Student Government Association as a graduate senator for the School of Nursing and collaborated with Sandra Davis, assistant dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to create a multicultural workshop for GW Nursing to promote meaningful engagement between students, alumni and faculty through shared cultural experiences and explorations throughout our nursing journey.

“I selected the field of nursing because of the professional opportunities that will allow me to make an impact in health care and my community,” Ms. Moreno said.

We caught up with Ms. Moreno recently to see how she’s persevering with work, teaching, school and the unprecedented circumstances that 2020 has thrown our way.

Q. Are you still in the same role at St. Agnes? How has your role changed due to COVID-19?

A. Yes, I’m still in my same role at St. Agnes Hospital. Like many facilities, we have increased our safety measures that provide additional protection for our patients and hospital staff. The workload has shifted slightly to include extra screening for COVID-19, but the goal remains the same: to provide quality care to our patients and their families. 

Q. How has your work (and/or personal life) been affected by the heightened awareness and demonstrations around structural racism and health inequities?

A. As an African American woman working in an urban landscape, I am professionally and personally affected by structural racism and health inequities. I view these issues, not as obstacles but challenges to overcome. It’s essential to my community to close the gaps of social determents, and through nursing, I can assist in those efforts. This new awareness is a wake-up call that change is not only needed but required for all of us to move forward to a better tomorrow. 

Q. What has the experience been like working to prepare the next wave of nurses as an adjunct clinical instructor? 

A. Being a clinical instructor has been a rewarding experience for me, and it is also something that I never thought I would be doing. That’s what I find so appealing about nursing is the professional diversity. Nursing has no limitations on the impact that you can provide to others. I enjoy seeing the look on students’ faces when they have conquered an assessment or give an accurate nursing report. The George Washington School of Nursing’s programs continue to grow and thrive, and being a part of those efforts gives me a sense of pride as an alumna and a nurse. 

Q. I know you’re currently pursuing the D.N.P. FNP program option, with the goal of providing education about, and facilitating the prevention of, peripartum cardiomyopathy in African American women. How is GW Nursing and the D.N.P. program preparing you for this endeavor?  

A. The D.N.P. program is providing me with a strong foundation rooted in evidence-based practices. Through this program, I’m able to strengthen my clinical skills, and gain further insight into my future as a healthcare provider. 

Q. Have there been any watershed or “Aha!” moments during your studies or career that can provide insight or guidance to those following in your footsteps? 

A. I guess my “Aha!” moment was when I failed my first nursing test. I was totally distraught, needless to say, I even questioned being a nurse, but I reached out for help. With the aid of new study tools, I was able to overcome the failure of that one test and become quite successful in that class and the program overall. My grandmother would say before her passing, “anything worth having is worth working for,” and that sentiment is so true whether it be undergraduate or graduate studies. Determination and fortitude have propelled me along this nursing journey. Everyone’s journey will be different, and that’s ok. Just run your race, and you will make it to the finish line. I tell my students all the time, “I’m your evidence-based research that you can get through this program and be successful.” 

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A Partnership to Break Down Stereotypes About Alzheimer’s

Geriatric patient being helped up

The Office of Clinical Practice & Community Engagement (OCE), created in 2019, serves as a central resource for GW Nursing’s community engagement partnerships and activities. Led by Karen Drenkard, the school’s inaugural Associate Dean for Clinical Practice and Community Engagement, the OCE houses GW Nursing’s centers (Center for Aging, Health and Humanities and the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement), global initiatives, and community engagement initiatives.  

The community engagement initiatives aim to create partnerships using GW Nursing resources — faculty, staff, and students — with community organizations to enrich service-learning, scholarship, development opportunities, creative activity and research endeavors.  

At GW Nursing, we prioritize our engagement in the community as some of our most important work. We are fortunate to have a multitude of local, regional and international partners, including community service organizations and volunteer groups. The OCE aims to leverage these partnerships through a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources to enhance our curriculum, teaching and learning experiences. Our partnerships help GW Nursing prepare educated, engaged nurses who contribute to the health of the diverse communities they serve.

One of our excellent partnerships is with the Alzheimer’s Association, an organization that seeks to “lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.”  

In August, the Alzheimer’s Association and GW Nursing co-hosted a virtual webinar on dementia for nurse practitioner students, community health students and capstone students. This event consisted of an Alzheimer’s case study simulation, small group discussion and a Q&A with experts, all designed to introduce nursing students and stimulate conversation around dementia. There are also volunteer opportunities for students, faculty and staff through Memory Cafés and Virtual Community Education Programs. 

Through this partnership, GW Nursing and the Alzheimer’s Association both hope to break down stereotypes of Alzheimer’s for our nursing students, equipping them to become advocates and better caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association also conducts training and outreach with established medical professionals, but their hope is, by working with nursing students before they are deployed, that our students will enter their future jobs with more compassion, knowledge and skills in their tool belt. The goal is that our students, once professionals, will understand the unique challenges that come with working with dementia patients and will help to improve the way dementia is cared for in hospitals and the health system at large.  

by HALEY STEPP

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Knowledge Sharing in the Age of COVID-19

Just as the emergence of COVID-19 affected many aspects of GW Nursing’s operations, the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement saw interruptions of our typical lecture series. Knowledge sharing is one of the pillars of the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement, and we were determined not to let the inability to host in-person events hinder our ability to further that goal. By utilizing technological innovation and the impressive expertise of our faculty, we found our solution.   

In April, amid the height of the shortage of personal protective equipment that was plaguing the U.S. health care system, center Executive Director Y. Tony Yang moderated a webinar titled Masks and PPE: COVID-19 and the Next Pandemic. Utilizing the expertise of Senior Service Professor Diana Mason and a colleague at University of Michigan, Christopher Friese, the center had the opportunity to educate a large and diverse virtual audience on the current state of the coronavirus and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages. The webinar covered routes of transmission of COVID-19, PPE needed to reduce transmission for both health care workers and the public, reasons for shortages of PPE for health care workers, short-term options for addressing the shortage, and finally, long-term options for preparing for the next pandemic. This partnership of nurse experts was reflected further in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) forum piece on “Protecting Health Care Workers Against COVID-19—and Being Prepared for Future Pandemics.”  

In May, the center had the opportunity to utilize the expertise of two GW Nursing professors, Joyce Pulcini and Joyce Knestrick. In conjunction with Susan Hassmiller of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Silvia Cassiani with the Pan American Health Organization, and David Stewart of the International Council of Nurses, we brought together this team of global nursing expertise and put on a webinar titled Global Advanced Practice Nursing Leadership in the Era of COVID-19. They spoke on the role of advance practice nurses in the health workforce in the U.S., in different regions across the globe, the role of nursing during COVID-19, and how the pandemic will influence the future of nursing. The speakers of this center-sponsored virtual event are also the authors and editors of the book Advanced Practice Nursing Leadership: A Global Perspective. 

Many of the center’s members are also utilizing their expertise to conduct COVID-19 related research, win grants, and publish think pieces on health during the pandemic. Dr. Yang, for example, has written multiple pieces examining the legality of vaccine mandates and travel restrictions during the pandemic. Ashley Darcy-Mahoney wrote an op-ed weighing the dangers and importance of getting children back to school. Diana Mason has written on the challenges of care and lessons learned.  

It is an understatement to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a lot of hurdles to the way work gets done — including at GW, the center, for nurses and the medical community at large. However, there has been great resilience and incredible adaptation. The Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement was proud to engage our community in new ways during this time, to continue to share timely and critical information, and for the opportunity to showcase the great work and expertise of our quality faculty.  

by HALEY STEPP

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