Listed below are the School of Nursing faculty with current research projects. All of the following faculty are authorized to chair masters theses. Those with dissertation chairing privileges are indicated.

Research Faculty

SON Research Faculty – August 2009

Health Behavior and Symptom Management Research Emphasis Area

LAUREN S. AARONSON, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor, School of Nursing and Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine

Dr. Aaronson also isthe deputy director of the Heartland Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (HICTR). She is Principal Investigator on a sub-contract with KU-Lawrence and senior Co-Investigator on the parent grant,"Exercise Trial for Wheelchair Users" (PI: K. Grobe) funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She also was theCo-investigator on a National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) grant, "Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Adolescents" (PI: K. Wambach) that recently ended.  Dr. Aaronson was formerly funded by NINR, NIH as Co-investigator on "Symptom Responses to Exercise in Rheumatoid Arthritis" (PI: G. Neuberger); and by NINR, NIH for the establishment of an "Exploratory Center for Biobehavioral Studies of Fatigue Management" as Principal Investigator and Center Director.

Otherpast research includes previous funding as PI by NINR, NIH for "Nursing Factors in Pregnancy Health Behavior and Outcome", a privately funded project, "Dietary Intervention for Hypercholesterolemia" (PI: C. Orringer), and studies of fatigue in healthy persons and those with chronic fatigue syndrome (with L. Pallikkathayil).

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

ELAINE WILLIAMS DOMIAN, ARNP, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Domian's research focus and interest are in qualitative research-specifically ethnography and other qualitative methods.  Her focus of research is on pregnancy outcomes for minority women and health care needs of vulnerable populations-specifically women and children.

Her past research includes 4 years funded NRSA Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Individual and Institutional National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her dissertation research on “Contextual Factors and Meaningful Pregnancies: An Ethnographic Study of Pregnant Hispanic Females and Their Families in Northern New Mexico.”

Dr. Domianhas also been aCo-investigatorwithDr. Karen Wambach, Principal Investigator, on a National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) funded research study on "Promoting and Supporting Breast-feeding in Adolescents."  She has also worked as a consultant on a qualitative NINR funded research project studying interventions with children with chronically ill or disabled siblings (PI: P. Williams). Dr. Domian was the on-site program coordinator of a grant from Children Internationalthat provided health services to low-income children at two preschool centers in Kansas City, KS.

Dr. Domian completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship with the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas in 2007.  During her postdoctoral studies she conducted qualitative research on mothers at risk for child abuse and neglect.  She continues her research in this area as she is now involved in a qualitative case study with mothers that received a 3 year intervention program to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Dissertation committee member.

EDNA HAMERA, PhD, APRN, Associate Professor

Previous funding from National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for "Symptom Use and Self-regulation in Type II Diabetes", Principal Investigator; by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA), Principal Investigator for "Substance Abuse/Use and Self-regulation in Schizophrenia", and for “Independent Living for People with Psychiatric Disabilities: Using Contextual Cues to Remove Environmental Barriers.”  Co-investigator funded by National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation Research and Health Resources and Services Administration and “Partnerships in Health Promotion”, funded by Health Resources and Services Administration.

Current funding from National Institute of Mental Health for study of “Psychiatric rehabilitation approach to weight loss”.

Other research foci include skills training and shared decision making in schizophrenia and other individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

GERI BUDESHEIM NEUBERGER, RN, EdD, Professor

Current research: Safety officer on funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, “Exercise for Wheelchair Users” (PI: K. Grobe)(1/01/06-1/01/10).

Previous research: Project Coordinator on funded HRSA grant, “Career Ladder, Adult-Geriatric CNS/Clinical Educator” (PI: W. Bonnel) (6/01/04-6/30/07).

Previously funded (9/20/96 – 6/30/02) by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) as Principal Investigator for RO1 study entitled "Symptom Responses to Exercise in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clients."

Other past research includes previous funding by NINR, NIH through the Exploratory Center for Biobehavioral Studies of Fatigue Management, Lauren Aaronson, RN, PhD, Principal Investigator, Center Director, additional support from Delta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau and the Research Office of the School of Nursing: Study #2 entitled: "Correlates of Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clients,” previous funding by NINR, NIH through grant no. R21NR01507, National Research Emphasis Grant Doctoral Program in Nursing, NINR, NIH, Roma Lee Taunton, RN, PhD, Principal Investigator, Geri Neuberger, RN, EdD, Project Director of study: “Determinants of Exercise and Aerobic Fitness in Outpatients with Arthritis," and previous funding by the National Arthritis Foundation, "A comparison of the relative effects of instruction contracting and practice on knowledge of and compliance to an arthritis treatment regimen."

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

LEONIE PALLIKKATHAYIL, RN, DNS, Associate Professor

Co-investigator on “The Type and Level of Shared Decision Making and Life Style Modifications of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities”, Edna Hamera, PhD, APRN, Principal Investigator.  Implementation phase.

Consultant on “Threats to Patient Safety: The Lived Experience of the Acute Care Nurse”, Diane Kennedy, RN, PhD and Sharon Kumm, RN, MN, MS, CCRN, Co-investigators.  Implementation phase.

Consultant on “Multidisciplinary Education: Improving Elder Heart Failure Patients’ Self-Management”, Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, RN, PhD, Principal Investigator.  Funded by American Heart Association.  Implementation phase.

NIH funded “Enhancements to KUMC Human Research Protections”, role - research subjects coordinator. Completed a survey and focus group entitled “Experience of Kansas University Medical Center Research Participation”, Co-investigator Dr. Lauren Aaronson.

Completed studies entitled: "The Experience of Fatigue in Healthy Individuals", funded through the Center for Biobehavioral Studies of Fatigue Management by NINR, Co-investigator Dr. Lauren Aaronson; and “Anxiety in the Junior Nursing Students”, Co-investigator Dr. Karen Tarnow.

Completed the component study previously funded by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), "Emergency Department Nurses Response to Attempted Suicide Patients", Roma Lee Taunton, Principal Investigator.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

SUE POPKESS-VAWTER, RN, PhD, Professor

Completed studies funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) for a KO7 Academic Investigator Award.  The study, entitled Reversal Theory and Motivation for Overeating, was an investigation of the adequacy of Apters reversal theory to explain motivations for overeating to measure tension and to develop nursing interventions to assist overweight women to stop weight cycling.  Current study with Kelli Kramer-Jackman, RN, PhD, involves instrument development of computerized tension measures to assess overeating, skipped exercise, and poor self-esteem.  Continue practice as a weight management clinical nurse specialist to apply study findings in intervention protocols for individuals and groups.  Currently planning studies in weight management to examine spiritually-based interventions for adult women using holistic individual and group rural Telehealth interventions.

Previously funded by the University of Kansas School of Nursing for "Reversal Theory and Motivations for Overeating--A Pilot Study," University of Kansas Research Institute for "Tension Stress and Motivations for Overeating," and National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Doctoral Emphasis Grant studying body image in overweight women - instrument validation study.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

VALMI D. SOUSA, PhD, ACNS-BC, RN, Associate Professor

Dr. Sousa’s primary research interests include: (1) the development and testing of research instruments, (2) interventions focused on the prevention and self-care management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), and (3) the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the development of T2DM.

Dr. Sousa just completed an internally funded project, “Content Validity of Hurley's Insulin Management Self-Care and Self-Efficacy Scales”.  The objectives of this study were to modify and refine the scales to reflect current standards of diabetes care and to establish clarity, consistency, and disease-specific content validity.  The data from this study were used for an NIH R21 submission to evaluate the full psychometric properties (reliability and dimensionality) of the scales.

He is also funded by ANF and internally funded to conduct the study, “An Instrument to Measure Perception of Risk Factors for T2DM”.  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometrics of the new Perception of Risk Factors for T2DM (PRF-T2DM) in adults from the general population who may or may not be at risk for developing T2DM.  The PRF-T2DM has the potential to become a useful measure in clinical practice and research on T2DM.

Dr. Sousa’s long-term goal is to design interventions that (1) promote health-behaviors and prevent the development of T2DM in individuals at increased risk for the disease and (2) to enhance diabetes self-management among insulin-treated individuals with T2DM to improve glycemic control and delay or prevent the disease-related complications.

Dissertation committee member.

KAREN A. WAMBACH, RN, PhD, Associate Professor

Dr. Wambach's research program deals with issues related to breastfeeding promotion and support.  Dr. Wambach recently completed a randomized clinical trial that was funded by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) titled "Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Adolescents".  This study tested a comprehensive prenatal, in-hospital, and postpartum intervention composed of lactation consultant and peer counselor education and support to impact breastfeeding decision-making, initiation and duration in teenage mothers fifteen to eighteen years of age.  Currently Dr. Wambach and her team are disseminating the results of the study which was very successful in enhancing breastfeeding initiation and duration among teenaged mothers!

Past funding includes: (1) KU Research Institute for a bridging grant to support pilot work with adolescents related to breastfeeding; (2) the International Lactation Consultant Association, Sigma Theta Tau Delta Chapter, and the KU School of Nursing for "Lactation Mastitis: A Descriptive Study of the Experience”; (3) KU School of Nursing for research pilot: "Maternal Fatigue and Breastfeeding"; and (4) National Research Service Awards, Individual and Institutional by NINR, National Institutes of Health (NIH) for "Test of a Breastfeeding Intention and Outcome Model" (Dissertation Research).

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

KRISTINE WILLIAMS, RN, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, Associate Professor

Dr Williams’ research program focuses on improving nursing care for older adults who require support in long term care settings, specifically focused on communication, cognition, and caregiving issues.  Dr Williams is currently funded by the National Institutes of Nursing Research and Aging in support of a study, “Elderspeak: Impact on Dementia Care”, using Behavioral and Psycholinguistic analyses of video recorded caregiving interactions to determine the impact of nursing staff elderspeak communication on problem behaviors of care recipients with dementia.

Dr. Williams has completed two years as a BIRCWH (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health) K12 Scholar at KUMC.  As a BIRCWH fellow, Dr Williams initiated research focusing on interventions to promote successful cognitive and functional health and effective communication for older adult residents of assisted living facilities.  Two cognitive interventions, Reasoning Exercises in Assisted Living (REAL) and Memory Exercises in Assisted Living (MEAL) have been pilot tested.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

ANITA L. WINGATE, RN, PhD, Associate Professor

Current scholarship activities:  My current areas of research interest are factors relative to fatigue and quality of life in oncology patients, and issues of nursing education related to predicting determinants of academic success (NCLEX pass rate, program completion).  I welcome involvement with project students working with oncology topics such as quality of life, hope/hopelessness, fatigue, and symptom distress.

Dissertation committee member.

Clinical and Organizational Systems Research Emphasis Area

SANDRA L. BERGQUIST-BERINGER, RN, PhD, Associate Professor

Program of research focuses on pressure ulcer risk and prevention across healthcare settings.  Studies conducted also include evaluation of a pressure ulcer education program, studies on pressure ulcer process and outcome indicators for quality of care, surveys to assess adoption of evidence based practice, tool validation and wound assessment and measurement.  Research methodologies include epidemiological research, quantitative methods including regression analysis, research with large data sets and qualitative methods (focus groups and content analysis).

Funded research studies include: (1) Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Chapter and ConvaTec, Inc. for the study "Risk Factors for Pressure Ulcers in Community Based Older Adults Receiving Home Health Care" (Dissertation); (2) Faculty Research Grant, Office of Grants and Research for the study "Pressure Ulcer Prediction and Prevention in Home Health Care"; (3) Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Chapter for the study “Validation of a Tool to Monitor Healing of Pressure Ulcers”; (4) Faculty Research Grant, Office of Grants and Research for the study "Extracting Reliable Electronic Data on Pressure Ulcer Risk in Elder Home Health Care Patients: A Feasibility Study"; (5) ANA for “The Reliability of the NDNQI Pressure Ulcer Indicator”; and (6) AHRQ (R03) for the study “A Computerized Decision Support System (CDSS) to Translate Pressure Ulcer Prediction and Prevention to Home Health Care”.

Dissertation committee member.

WANDA BONNEL, PhD, ARNP, Associate Professor

Dr. Bonnel has served as Principal Investigator for two federally funded training grants from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Division of Nursing.  Her team initiated the online Nurse Educator Certificate and then blended with a School of Medicine HRSA grant to implement and evaluate the Web-based Health Professions Educator Certificate.  Her recent Career Ladder grant focused on developing clinical leaders and educators via accessible online RN to BSN and graduate programs.  Descriptive project evaluation included qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate program structure, process, and outcomes.

Current educational research interests focus on best practices in online education.  This work includes two funded projects from the National League for Nursing.  The first study included development of a conceptual model emphasizing new ways of envisioning online course feedback to students with an emphasis on course design strategies.  The second study further details this conceptual model using multi-site descriptive methods to identify faculty best practices in providing online course feedback.

Further interests in evidence-based practice; geriatric clinical educator role development, patient education, and health literacy continue to evolve from grant projects.  Past research has addressed older adults and nutritional issues.  Selected studies include Meal Management Strategies of Older Adult Women and Residents' Perceptions of the Nursing Home Group Dining Room.  Dr. Bonnel has recently been a team member of the Culture Change in Nursing Homes study directed by Dr. Marge Bott.

Dissertation Chair, Dissertation committee member.

KELLY A. BOSAK, PhD, ARNP, BC, Assistant Professor

Dr. Bosak completed her PhD in Nursing (2007) from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  Dr. Bosak’s dissertation used clinical trial methods to develop a physical activity intervention specifically targeted to reduce coronary heart disease risk in adults with the metabolic syndrome.  Dr. Bosak’s doctoral research was partially funded by a predoctoral fellowship grant (#0610096Z) from the American Heart Association, and a grant from the Clinical Research Center at the Nebraska Medical Center.  A graduate student award was received at the Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference (2007, and dissertation abstract was published: Bosak, K. (2008) A Physical Activity Internet Intervention to Reduce Coronary Heart Disease Risk in the Metabolic Syndrome Population. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 30(1), 145.

Research interests include: 1) conducting clinical trials to test lifestyle interventions in sedentary adults, and specifically perimenopausal women with the metabolic syndrome; 2) develop persuasive intervention strategies for delivery by interactive technology (mobile devices) to prevent cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; 3) with the ultimate goal of translating interventions to clinical practice.

MARGE J. BOTT, RN, PhD, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research, SON, Office of Grants and Research

Currently funded on the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) project that is examining end-of-life care in nursing homes.  Recently funded as Principal Investigator on the Kansas Department on Aging contract that studied culture change (resident-centered care) and turnover in nursing homes. And as a Co-Principal Investigator on the NINR funded study that examined the MDS care planning process in nursing homes to identify associations with resident outcomes as well as estimate costs and assess efficiency.

Previously funded by NINR on “Nurse Managers, Nurse Retention, Patient Outcomes” (PI: R. Taunton) and “Behaviors and Cognitions for Resisting the Urge to Smoke” (PI: K. O’Connell).  Other project collaborator and data analysis roles include: “The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators” (PI: N. Dunton) and “Nursing Facility Survey and Facility Characteristics” (PI: S. Thompson).

Expertise in doing various types of data management including working with large databases and data analysis procedures including structural equation modeling.  Has worked with several artificial intelligence methods (Bayesian approaches, influence diagrams, etc) to develop decision models for nursing home placement.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

DIANE BOYLE, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Department of Health Policy and Management

Current research activities:  (1) Co-investigator on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI®).  NDNQI is sponsored by the American Nurses Association (ANA) and is a repository for longitudinal data from over 1500 hospitals across the United States on nurse staffing, nurse turnover, and nursing sensitive patient outcome indicators.  Patient outcomes are collected for such units as adult medical, surgical, progressive care, rehabilitation, and critical care units; pediatric units; and psychiatric units.  NDNQI also collects an annual RN Job Satisfaction survey from nurses employed in all unit types (e.g., medical, surgical, critical care, pediatric, psychiatric, peri-operative, outpatient, etc.); (2) Co-investigator on a pilot study to examine the effect of intensive care unit physical design on nurse-physician collaboration.  I am conducting this study with Mahbub Rashid, PhD, AIA, School of Architecture and Urban Design, Lawrence.

Research interests include: RN job satisfaction and turnover; nurse sensitive quality indicators; patient outcomes; and nursing workforce characteristics; ICU physical design and nurse-physician communication.  Methodologies: quantitative and measurement.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

Juliana J. Brixey, PhD, MSN, MPH, RN, Associate Professor

Research interests focus on clinical informatics and patient safety. Dr. Brixey’s primary research interest is how interruptions and distractions change workflow.  Current research is funded by a K30 fellowship awarded through the University of Kansas 2007-2009 and a research grant awarded through the University of Kansas Office of Grants and Research.  Previous research was funded through a training fellowship from the Keck Center for Computational and Structural Biology of the Gulf Coast Consortia (NLM Grant No. 5 T15 LM07093).

LYNNE M. CONNELLY, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor and Clinical Nurse Researcher, Department of Nursing, University of Kansas Hospital

Dr. Connelly's research focus is patient safety, leadership competencies, educational research, and facilitating clinical research and quality improvement.  She is currently a co-investigator on a number of studies that are being conducting in the University of Kansas Hospital, including “Non-Epileptic Seizure Patients: Support and Education at the Time of Diagnostic Disclosure,” funded by the American Nurses Foundation; “Can the use of virtual reality goggles decrease anxiety in patients having a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy?” funded by Delta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau.  She is the Principal Investigator (PI) on a number of projects including: “Preoperative education for joint replacement patients”, Psychometric testing of a new instrument to assess Delirium in the ICU”, and others funded by the Department of Nursing. Her research projects have included both qualitative and quantitative research.

Previously funded research includes:  PI: "A Study of Staff Nurses' Administration Practice Patterns and Attitudes Regarding the Titration of Opioids for Dying Patients in the Acute Care Setting" funded by Delta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International Reasons cited by Undergraduate nursing students for not participating in online evaluations Sigma Theta Tau and Office of Nursing Research; PI: "Patient's Concerns about Healthcare," which was funded by a grant from the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio; Co-PI, "Tool Development of an On-line Patient Safety Climate Survey”, funded by the Department of the Army; PI: "Professional Values of LVN-BSN Students," funded by the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio, School of Nursing Dean's Teaching Scholar's Program; PI: "Perceptions of Military Chief Nurse Competencies," funded by the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program; Co-Investigator, "Readiness Instrument Psychometric Evaluation," PI: Dr. Carol Reineck, funded by the Tri-Service Research Program; Co-Investigator, "Fatigue Experienced by Bone Marrow Transplant Patients," PI: Dr. Linda Yoder, funded by the Department of Clinical Investigation, Brooke Army Medical Center, Delta Alpha Chapter of Sigma Theta and the Oncology Nursing Society; PI: "Qualitative Study of Charge Nurse Competencies," funded by the Tri- Service Nursing Research Program; Co-PI, "Individual Medical Readiness in the Army Nurse Corps," PI: Dr. Carol Reineck, funded by the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program; Military Principal Investigator (Army), "Combat Readiness: Hygiene Issues Related to Military Women," PI: Dr. Barbara S. Czerwinski, University of Texas-Houston, funded by the Defense Women's Health Research Grant Program.

Dr. Connelly is currently the Research Editor for MEDSURG Nursing Journal and also a reviewer for Nursing Research and Journal of Nursing Scholarship.  She was awarded the 2004 MEDSURG Nursing Research in Practice Writer's Award for her article entitled "A Qualitative Study of Charge Nurse Competencies."

Dissertation committee member, Comprehensive committee member.

HELEN CONNORS, PhD, Dr.PS (hon), RN, FAAN, E. Jean M. Hill Endowed Professor

Dr. Connors is a recognized leader in educational innovations and strategic partnership.  Her research focus is on evaluating outcome of innovative educational and technology-based practice programs.  She has garnered grants totaling more than $5 million to support these efforts.  She is currently Project Director for the HRSA funded Faculty Development Collaborative: Integrating Technology into Nursing Education and Practice Initiative.  This is one of seven funded projects in the US.  She also serves in a leadership role on a DHHS Office for National Coordination (ONC) for Health Information Technology funded project for advancing health informatics and Chairs the e-Health Advisory Council for Kansas.

Dissertation committee member.

NANCY DUNTON, PhD, Research Professor, School of Nursing and Department of Health Policy and Management

Research interests focus on health systems research, especially the effects of nurse staffing on quality of care in acute and long term care settings.

Currently funded by the American Nurses Association as Principal Investigator on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI).

Past research has focused on nursing home quality, the outcomes of welfare reform, outcome indicators of children’s well being, use of Census data and administrative data systems, and various survey research projects.

Dissertation Co-chair, Dissertation committee member.

KAREN L. MILLER, RN, PhD, FAAN, Senior Vice Chancellor, Academic & Student Affairs, Dean and Professor

Currently funded by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City & REACH Foundation Grant Project ($48,481), Cultural Competency Curriculum Enhancement Project.  In 2008 was funded by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City & REACH Foundation Grant Project ($74,543), Cultural Competency Faculty Preparation Pilot Program, University of Kansas School of Nursing, Kansas City, KS.  Previous funding by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for “Effects of a Policy for Managing Children’s Pain,” Co-investigator; “Work Sampling Validation of Pediatric Patient Classification I-II”, Co-investigator, funded by The Children’s Hospital, Denver, Colorado; “Multiple Case Comparison of Nursing Practice Models: Rehabilitation Unit Pilot Study”, Principal Investigator, funded by the Kempe Research Center, Denver, Colorado.

Among past national committee appointments, Dr. Miller has been a member of the Commission on Workforce for Hospitals & Health Systems of the American Hospital Association.  She is active in the National Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.  Dr. Miller recently completed a four-year term on the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and she has served on the National Advisory Council of the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Dr. Miller was named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1995.

Currently, Dr. Miller is Immediate Past President of the Board of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research and is on the following review/editorial boards: IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship; Collateral Reviewer, Sigma Theta Tau International, and the on-line Journal of Nursing Education.  She also serves on corporate Boards of Directors including the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

UBOLRAT PIAMJARIYAKUL, PhD, RN, Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Piamjariyakul received a bachelor of science degree in nursing and midwifery from Saraburi Nursing College, Thailand; master degree in nursing and healthcare management from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.  Her doctorate is in nursing from the University of Kansas, School of Nursing, where she was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Chapter.

Dr. Piamjariyakul’s program of research in health care services delivery to improve outcomes across elders with heart failure is her highest priority.  Multidisciplinary education for this vulnerable population may be cost-effective in improving the patients’ self-management and their quality of life.

Dr. Piamjariyakul is currently Operations Director for the Nurse Practitioner (NP) Heart Failure (HF) Clinic Appointment Clinical Trial grant (funded by NHLBl) and on the Caregiving in Technology Home Care Clinical Trial grant (funded by NINR).  Carol Smith, RN, PhD is the Principal Investigator (PI) on both these grants.

As PI, Dr. Piamjariyakul is currently funded by American Heart Association Beginning Grant-in-Aid (cover 25% of her salary for 3 years), to conduct a focus group research to identify factors/ mechanisms that patients, their family member, and professional deem essential for HF self-management.  Also, most recent her NIH Minority Supplement grant was awarded to cover 75% of her salary for 4 years.

Previously, Dr. Piamjariyakul was the PI and completed a small seed faculty grant research study identifying factors that result in nurse satisfaction and position retention.  She used focus group research methods and advanced statistical software for the analyses.  Also, she was Co-PI on a project that tested symptom self-management among cancer patients who received chemotherapy or radiation therapy (Faculty Research Award 2005, PI: Dr. Phoebe Williams, PhD, RN).

JANET D. PIERCE, DSN, ARNP, CCRN, Professor

Currently, Dr. Pierce is studying hemorrhagic shock and the effects on both the diaphragm and the lung using an animal model.  She collaborates with other scientists including Dr. Richard Clancy, Dr. Joyce Slusser, Dr. Byron Gajewski and Mrs. Lynelle Pierce.  This year she will be investigating the effects of various oxygen concentrations on diaphragm and lung function following hemorrhagic shock and measuring diaphragm and lung apoptosis using fluorescent microscopy and hydrogen peroxide production using digital lazer scanning cytometry.  It is the hope of the investigators that they will learn more about how oxygen affects the diaphragm and lung following a hemorrhagic event to understand how to assist patients who experience hypovolemic shock.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

CAROL E. SMITH, RN, PhD, Professor

Currently funded by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) for "Technology Home Caregiving with HPN Families", "Testing Internet Algorithm Support in HPN Caregivers", and The National Health Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) "Heart Failure Group Clinic Appointments with Nurse Practitioners” and  “Research Supplement Support”.  Dr. Smith was invited to present testimony on Capitol Hill for "Technology Support of Family Home Caregiver" at the 21stCenturyHealthcareCongressional Caucus chaired by Congressional Representatives Patrick Kennedy.  The NP group clinic was selected byNationalHF Nurses Associationas “A Program Design Innovation Showcase for HF Management”.  Dr Smith also has been named as an NIH Interdisciplinary Women's Health Research Mentor and by American Heart Association as an Interdisciplinary Sponsor on Clinical Trials Research.

Dr Smith’s current research activities/interests are assisting patients and their family caregivers who manage chronic illnesses such as congestive heart failure and highly technical care in the home.  Subjects are families with adults dependent on mechanical respiratory assistance, total parenteral nutrition infusions or other complex devices and all family members including children. Dr Smith has developed and replicated with SEM and across populations the Caregiving Effectiveness Model into a Midrange Theory to guide practice.   Model testing to identify variables associated with patient and family cost and quality of life is ongoing.

Interventions being tested include: CPAP adherence support via in-home Telehealth, computer systems that guide symptom monitoring, and use algorithm guides or IPhone interactive technology for daily technology care.  Dr. Smith developed interactive patient education on the Internet for adherence to HPN guidelines for reducing infusion catheter sepsis, managing depression, and for monitoring economic and managing human resources of the family.  Other nursing interventions such as caregivers mobilizing assistance, social support, patient to patient (peer) support, high tough for high technology, and group clinics managed by nurse practitioners are being tested.  Cost-benefit analysis for family caregivers and for nurse practitioner group clinics is being studied.

Research methodologies used include telephone interview and survey, model development/testing, meta-analysis, videotape picture phone data analysis, time-series analysis and economic ratio comparisons.  Dr. Smith has numerous publications in medical, nursing and laymen journals.  She was invited to Washington, DC to present data and health policy information in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2007.  Notably she has been an Invited Member of the State of the Science in Caregiving NIH in 2003 and AARP in 2008 Interdisciplinary panels and Capital Hill Congressional Science panel: Technology to Support Family Caregiving for 21st Century HealthCare, Patrick Kennedy, Chair.

Dr. Smith was an invited member of the NIH grant review panel NINR Special Emphasis Panel on Caregiving RFP applications, June 2002.  She was awarded the 2003 Higuchi Endowment Association Research Achievement Award, the 2003 University of Kansas Chancellor Teaching Award, the Sigma Theta Tau International Award for Research Dissemination in 2004 and 2005, and the 2008 Chancellor’s Research Award.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

CYNTHIA S. TEEL, RN, PhD, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs, Associate Professor

Dr. Teel recently completed a 3-year Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Fellowship in the Executive Nurse Leader Program.  As part of the fellowship, Dr Teel is coordinating a study of innovative models for enhancing capacity and quality in undergraduate clinical nursing education programs.  Other research activities include testing a Self-Care TALK intervention partnership between nurses and older spouse caregivers of stroke survivors and spouses caring for persons with dementia.  The stroke study was funded by the American Heart Association and the dementia study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).

Dr. Teel’s previous research includes a project with the Kansas State Board of Nursing to describe the clinical educational capacity for pre-licensure nursing students in Kansas.  Other studies include the Kansas Memory Assessment Project (funded by the State of Kansas), dementia diagnosis studies (funded by KU Primary Care Physician Education Grant), development and testing of a music and movement intervention to promote older adult health (funded by the KUMC Center on Aging), fatigue in spouse caregivers of persons with dementia, Parkinson's disease, or cancer and non-caregiving older spouses (funded by the Center for Biobehavioral Studies of Fatigue), and an investigation of family caregiver experiences at one, three, and six months after stroke (Center on Aging Kansas City Stroke Study).

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

JUDITH J. WARREN, PhD, RN, BC, FAAN, FACMI, Christine A. Hartley Centennial Professor

Research activities and interests include (1) designing and testing data structures that support nursing data, information, and knowledge; (2) testing Web 2.0 tools in the classroom and online classroom; (3) developing, modeling, and mapping nursing terminologies to terminologies of other healthcare disciplines to ensure interoperability; (4) testing approaches for developing evidence-based practice protocols; and (5) evaluating the use of the electronic patient record as an educational teaching strategy.

General interest: expertise in qualitative research methods, developing nursing data sets.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

PHOEBE DAUZ WILLIAMS, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor

Currently funded by the Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation.  Dr. Williams and others at KUMC, Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, and 3 other Children’s Hospitals across the USA, are calibrating the Therapy-Related Symptom Checklist for Children (TRSC-C).  An adult version of the scale (TRSC) has been developed and used in studies in the USA, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Manila.  Publications in Cancer Nursing in 2006 and 2009.  Earlier, Dr. Williams also completed a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) study on interventions for siblings and parents of children with chronic illness, funded for $1.3 million by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Publications in Journal of Pediatrics in 2003 and 2006; Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing 2008 and 2009; Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2002.  Two Fulbright awards and other sources funded her studies on child development including the re-standardization (in metropolitan Manila) of the Denver Developmental Screening Test; a study in Indonesia on the Child Development Expectations Inventory; and in Thailand, on the HOME scale.  Publications in Nursing Research, Western Journal of Nursing Research, and International Journal of Nursing Studies.

Completeda Fulbright Scholar (Research/Teaching) award twice (2000 in Thailand; 1991 in Indonesia and the Philippines 2000) from the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars in Washington, DC.  Dissemination of findings, studies on: (1) the Sibling Project; (2) Instrument development: Therapy - Related Symptoms Checklist (TRSC) for adult oncology patients; (3) the TRSC for children (TRSC-C), a multi-site study; (4) Fatigue in Caregivers of Preterm Infants at Home; and (5) Mothers' developmental expectations for young children.

Previously funded by: (1) NINR, NIH for "Hospitalized Child Parent Stress and Sleep Onset Latency", M. White, Principal Investigator, and P.D. Williams, Co-Principal Investigator; (2) the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (Fulbright) for research on "Mothers' Developmental Timetables for Young Children in Two South East Asian Countries", P.D. Williams, Principal Investigator; (3) the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Child and Adolescent Nurse Research Mentorship Program, Phase III, for a research proposal titled "Sibling Experience Enhancement for Kids (SEEK)", P.D. Williams, Principal Investigator; (4) NINR, NIH through the Center for Biobehavioral Studies, located at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, for Study #4 entitled: "Caregiver Fatigue and At-Risk Infants at Home", P.D. Williams, Principal Investigator; and (5) as PI, completed the largest re-standardization of a developmental screening test for children under 6 years old (funded by the Philippines’ National Science Development Board), published in Nursing Research (1984).  The Manual (2000, 2nd edition) and CD (2003) continue to be used in courses in Pediatric Nursing.  Translated into Indonesian and other languages.

Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member.

Statistician Information:

BYRON J. GAJEWSKI, PhD, Associate Professor

Research activities and interests include (1) statistical applications in the fields of nursing, hearing and speech, physical therapy, diet and nutrition and medicine; (2) creating new Bayesian data analysis techniques and applying them to the above disciplines; and (3) developing new methods to teach statistical science to non-statisticians.

Dissertation committee member.