Faculty Research Interests
PATRICIA M. BURBANK, DNSc, RN, Professor - Meaning in life; gerontology; health behavior change; fall prevention; long-term care issues; alternative health care strategies.
REBECCA CARLEY, MS, RNC, RNP, Assistant Clinical Professor - Primary care of women; spirituality; graduate nursing education; care for the homeless.
SUZANNE CARR, MS, RN, Lecturer - Emergency nursing; med-surg nursing; simulation learning: the effects on student learning; enhancing clinical practice outcomes.
DENISE A. COPPA, PhD, RNP, Associate Professor, Director, Family Nurse Practitioner Program - Alternative health care therapies; pain; wound healing; health care of vulnerable populations.
WYLIE DASSIE, RN, MSN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Prostate and testicular cancer research; minority health issues; men's health issues; diversity in nursing issues.
NANCY DOYLE-MOSS, MS, RN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Matters concerning disaster preparedness in bioterrorism; simulation in nursing education.
JOAN R. DUGAS, MS, RN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Gerontology and community health nursing.
LYNNE M. DUNPHY, PhD, RN, Professor, Routhier Endowed Chair - Nursing history, technology, workforce issues and nursing shortage, Florence Nightingale.
MARLENE A. DUFAULT, PhD, RN, Professor - Research utilization; evidence-based practice; competency-based evaluation; pain management; evaluation/outcomes research; translation research.
GINETTE G. FERSZT, PhD, RN, CS, Associate Professor, Director, Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Program - Loss, grief, and bereavement; the arts in health care; grief of women in prison; pregnant women in prison; hospice.
DIANE GERZEVITZ, MS, RN-C, FNP Assistant Clinical Professor - Nurse practitioner roles; spiritual care; inner-city health care; cross-cultural health issues; palliative care.
CAROLYN C. HAMES, MS, RN, CT, Associate Professor - Thanatology; grief and loss in children and adolescents; death education.
DAYLE HUNT JOSEPH, EdD, RN, Professor, Dean - Behavior change in clients with diabetes; coaching, an intervention for people struggling with diabetes; nursing work force issues.
MARY LAVIN, MS, RN, Associate Clinical Professor - Medical Surgical Nursing - educational issues in the clinical area; oncology nursing; pain management; spirituality; mentoring; health-care in the primary care setting.
MARY LEVEILLEE, MS, RN, CS, Assistant Clinical Professor - Psychiatric mental health nursing; eating disorders; women's issues.
JUDITH S. MERCER, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, Clinical Professor - Birth practices (especially umbilical cord clamping), newborn transition, nurse-midwifery and breastfeeding.
KARA MISTO, MS, RN, Lecturer - Emergency nursing; med-surg nursing; lateral violence.
MARY LOUISE PALM, MS, RN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Pain in children; computers in nursing; pediatric nursing care.
DONNA SCHWARTZ-BARCOTT, PhD, RN, Professor, Pain, anxiety and other central phenomenon experienced by patients across nursing care settings; community health; inductive approaches to theory development; sociocultural influences in health and illness.
PATRICIA STOUT, MS, RNP, RN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Med-surg nursing; pain management; educational issues in clinical areas.
MARY C. SULLIVAN, PhD, RN, Professor - Director of Graduate Studies, Developmental outcomes of low birthweight infants; neuroimaging (MRI/fMRI) in children w/clinical problems; maternal interaction styles.
HELEN ZAKEWICZ, RN, MS, Lecturer - Maternal postures in labor; urogynecology; perimenopausal care; relationship of birth and death care; gender issues in health care.
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships are agencies that serve as clinical sites for student learning. The College of Nursing has excellent placements available throughout the state of Rhode Island and the bordering states. For some perspective of the diversity of our partnerships and the scope of experiences available for our students at all levels, see our information on Community Partnerships.
