News: 2006
McGonigle Inducted as Fellow of AAN
December 14, 2006
“Dee McGonigle, associate professor of nursing at Penn State New Kensington, was inducted Nov. 11 as an academy fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. McGonigle was honored for her outstanding achievements in the nursing profession at the organization's annual conference in Miami. A member of the campus faculty since 1985, McGonigle has taught numerous nursing courses as well as information sciences and technology courses....” continue reading Newswire article
Hatfield Joins Penn State School of Nursing
October 26, 2006
The Penn State School of Nursing is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Hatfield, PhD, CNNP, as Assistant Professor of Nursing and Assistant Professor of Health Evaluation Sciences, College of Medicine.
Linda Hatfield received her Ph.D. in nursing from Penn State in May 2006. While pursuing her doctoral degree, Hatfield was employed as a nursing research specialist at Penn State Children’s Hospital, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Hatfield has over 18 years of nursing experience in pediatrics and neonatology. Prior to her position at Penn State Children’s Hospital, she was employed as a neonatal clinical nurse specialist at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. She acquired neonatal intensive care experience at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania; Penn State Children’s Hospital; and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Her pediatric intensive care experiences were at hospitals in Idaho and Florida.
Hatfield’s research interests focus on pain management interventions for neonates, infants, and young children. She has received funding from the Children’s Miracle Network and the American Nurses Foundation to study the analgesic properties of oral sucrose during routine immunizations. She received the 2006 Young Investigator Award from the American Pain Society. Hatfield is the Aventis Pasteur American Nurses Foundation Scholar and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Theta Tau honor societies.
Hatfield received her M.S. in the neonatal nurse practitioner program in 1997 and her B.S. in 1985, both from Penn State. She received her associate’s degree in nursing from Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, Florida.
Loeb Receives National Gerontological Nursing Association Award
October 20, 2006
Susan Loeb, assistant professor of nursing in the College of Heath and Human Development, received the Judith V. Braun Award for Advancing the Practice of Gerontological Nursing through Research from the National Gerontological Nursing Association. Loeb received her award at the association's annual convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. She received the award for her research project, “Older Men Behind Bars: Exploring their Health Issues, Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Health-Promoting Behaviors.” With a seed grant from the College of Health and Human Development, Loeb surveyed 51 older male prisoners at a minimum security prison. Although the prisoners were, on average, 15 years younger than a comparison sample of nonprisoners, the prisoners were more likely to have multiple chronic illnesses. Loeb hopes to use her research findings to develop intervention programs to enable prisoners to manage chronic diseases.
Graduation from Summer Genetics Institute
September 18, 2006
Kim Kopenhaver Haidet, PhD, RNC, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, has graduated from the 2006 Summer Genetics Institute (SGI) at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH). “The SGI is a competitive two-month summer research training program held on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The program is designed to provide a foundation in molecular genetics for clinical practice and the research laboratory. Dr. Kopenhaver Haidet’s area of research is the influence of gene-environment interaction on stress response and recovery in preterm infants.” continue reading NINR announcement
Penrod Appointed Professor in Charge of Graduate Programs.
July 20 , 2006
Paula Milone-Nuzzo, Director of the School of Nursing, announced the appointment of Dr. Janice Pnrod as Professor in Charge of Graduate Programs effective July 24th. Dr. Penrod first joined the School of Nursing as a Research Associate in 1995 and has been on the faculty since completing her doctoral program in 2001. During her tenure, she has distinguished herself as an outstanding educator and researcher. She has taught courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs and is in the second year of funding from the AACN/John Hartford Foundation to prepare the next generation of clinical nurse specialists in gerontology.
Dr. Penrod's work as a scientist has been recognized nationally and internationally for its contributions to understanding the trajectory of end-of life care giving for families dealing with varied life-threatening conditions. She has also contributed to the evolution of qualitative research through her work in concept analysis and advancement.
“We all know Dr. Penrod for her attention to detail, her ability to solve problems as they arise, and her commitment to the role of student advocate. She is an exceptional candidate to fill this important role within the School of Nursing and I am excited to have her join our administrative team,” stated Dr. Milone-Nuzzo.
Donna Fick's article on “most frequently read” list of Archives of Internal Medicine
June 30, 2006
Although published more than 2 years ago in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Donna Fick's article on inappropriate medication use in the elderly still ranks high on the Archive's list of most read articles. Originally published in December 2003, Dr. Fick's article, “Updating the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: Results of a US Consensus Panel of Experts,” ranked #2 and #3, respectively, on the list for April and May 2006.
Susan Loeb Invited to Present at CANS
June 8, 2006
The Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) has invited Susan Loeb, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, to present her ENRS conference presentation (April 2006) at the State of the Science Congress in Nursing Research organized by The Council for the Advancement for Nursing Science (CANS). CANS is holding a special session and reception, National Network Nexus, during the 2006 State of the Science Congress, on Thursday, October 12th, 2006 in Washington, DC. Dr. Loeb's abstract is one of six from ENRS that were selected based on its high scientific quality. Her presentation was coauthored with Penn State colleague Darrell Steffensmeier, PhD, Sociology, Crime, Law, & Justice, and is entitled, “Older Male Prisoners' Health: Status, Beliefs, and Behaviors.”
Ann Kolanowski Receives Prestigious Research Award
May 4, 2006
The School of Nursing is very pleased to announce that Ann Kolanowski, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, was awarded the John A. Hartford Geriatric Nursing Research Award at the April 2006 Eastern Nursing Research Society conference in Philadelphia/ Cherry Hills, PA.
The John A. Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing Practice Research Award is given annually by the Eastern Nursing Research Society. The recipient must be a member of ENRS who has:
- Evidence of outstanding contributions to nursing research directed toward the older adult population.
- Record of publications emanating from the program of research.
- Record of research-related activities.
Dr. Kolanowski's research focuses on complex care issues in the health of the elderly, dementia behavior in the elderly, and non-pharmacological interventions for behavioral symptoms in persons with dementia. In May 2005, Dr. Kolanowski was awarded an NIH grant for her project “A Prescription to Enhance Resident Quality of Life.”
Kim Kopenhaver Haidet Receives Johnson & Johnson Award
May 4, 2006
The College of Health and Human Development and Johnson & Johnson have awarded funding to Kim Kopenhaver Haidet, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, for her proposal “Autonomic and Behavioral Stress Responses in LBW Preterm Infants.” Co-investigators on the project are Charles Palmer, MB, Ch.B., Neonatology, College of Medicine, and Elizabeth J. Susman, Ph.D., RN, Biobehavioral Health.
The proposed study will examine early biological and behavioral correlates of stress in preterm infants to determine if individual differences in preterm infants’ stress responses have utility in predicting which infants are more susceptible to the effects of stress exposures. Evidence from this phase of research will provide clinicians with information on the relevance of biological and behavioral indicators of stress vulnerability in sick infants and will direct the next phase of research on testing of complementary supportive developmental approaches to preterm infant care.
“A gift of $100,000 from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Worldwide has been matched by the College of Health and Human Development to establish the Health Behaviours and the Quality of Life: Research Innovation Grants 2006.” (Read more on Penn State Live)
School of Nursing Well Represented at Annual Research Conference
March 30, 2006
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (March 31, 2006) – Four faculty members, a recent Ph.D. recipient, two current doctoral candidates and two undergraduate students from the Penn State School of Nursing are among those invited to make presentations during the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS). This year’s conference, “New Momentum for Nursing Research: Multidisciplinary Alliances,” will take place April 20-22 at the Philadelphia/Cherry Hill Hilton in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
ENRS was established in 1988 as a forum for nurse researchers to promote and support regional nursing research in the northeastern United States. This year’s scientific sessions will explore the unique contributions that nursing researchers brings to multidisciplinary teams that together are tackling some of the most significant health problems facing society today. By promoting such dialogue among nurse scientists, scholars, clinical leaders and health policymakers, the sessions will create additional opportunities for nurses to use such findings as fully as possible, thus improving the delivery and quality of health care.
Faculty and students in the Penn State School of Nursing already are actively involved in such multidisciplinary research, which is why several of them have been invited to present during the annual sessions.
Dr. Janice Penrod, assistant professor of nursing, will lead a session titled “Creating Multidisciplinary Alliance to Advance Nursing Research” on April 21. The session will feature presentations from Penrod (“Building Alliances: Exploring States of Uncertainty”), Dr. Ann Kolanowski, associate professor of nursing (“Maintaining Alliances: Testing Practice Theory for Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia”, co-authored by Dr. Donna Fick, associate professor of nursing, and Dr. Fang Yu, postdoctoral scholar), and Dr. Susan Loeb, assistant professor of nursing (“Forging New Alliances: Comparing the Health Status, Beliefs and Behaviors of Older Men in Prisons and the Community”).
Kolanowski and Loeb will make additional presentations during the sessions. Kolanowski will present “Concordance of Self-Report and Staff Assessment of Emotional Well-Being in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia” during a session on Geriatric Care for Nursing Home Residents on April 21; Loeb will present “Older Male Prisoners’ Health: Status, Beliefs, and Behaviors” during the Health Care in Correctional Settings session on April 22.
Recent Penn State graduate Dr. Nancy A. Johnston will present “Physiologic Markers and Subjective Symptoms Predicting Onset of Labor in Healthy Gravidas” during the Addressing Challenges During Pregnancy and Childbearing session on April 21.
Dr. Deborah Preston, professor emerita of nursing, will present “The Effects of Stigma on the HIV Risk Behavior of Rural Men Who Have Sex with Men” during the HIV Risk Reduction and Treatment Adherence session on April 22.
Doctoral candidate Linda A. Hatfield will present “Efficacy of Oral Sucrose Analgesia during Routine Immunizations at 2 and 4 Months of Age” during the Neonatal Issues and Outcomes session on April 22.
Doctoral candidate Donna Reck will present “Charting New Directions for Research Collaboration” during the Professional Role Transitions & Research Collaborations session on April 21.
Two BSN students will participate in the poster session on April 20: James Fenush, who will present a poster on “An Investigation of Clinical Unit Choices by Graduating Baccalaureate Nursing Students”; and Casey Khouri, who will present a poster on a “Comparison of Three Methods of Medication Management and Compliance in Older Adults.”
“We are thrilled at the strong representation that we have at this year’s scientific sessions,” notes Dr. Paula Milone-Nuzzo, director of the Penn State School of Nursing. “The participation of our faculty and students shows that we are making significant contributions that have a profound impact on the delivery and quality of health care – contributions of which we can all be proud.”
Those interested in attending the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions should contact ENRS at (215) 599-6700 or by e-mail at info@enrs-go.org. Additional information also can be obtained on the Web at http://www.enrs-go.org/html/2006-conference.html
Editors: Dr. Milone-Nuzzo can be reached at (814) 863-0245 or pxm36@psu.edu. For additional information, please contact Kimberly Walker in the Penn State School of Nursing at (717) 531-4211 or kew13@psu.edu.