Research
Funded Research
Ginette G. Ferszt, Ph.D., RN, PMHCNS-BC, Associate Professor
Health Care of Pregnant Women in Correctional FacilitiesDr. Ferszt's current research is focused on improving health care of pregnant women in correctional facilities. She recently completed a national survey examining health care practices of pregnant women in women's state prisons funded by The Nursing Foundation of Rhode Island. The findings will be used to inform and encourage Warden's, Health Care Correctional Professional Staff, and policymakers to address health care inequities of this underserved population.
The Experience of Nurse Researchers Conducting Research in Women's Correctional Facilities
Although women are the fastest growing segment of the burgeoning prison population in the United States, little research has been done with this population that addresses the significant health disparities between women in prison and women in the free world. By examining the experience of nurse researchers across the country who have and/or are conducting research with incarcerated women, Dr. Ferszt hopes to identify strategies to promote the nursing research in this field.
Marlene Dufault, Ph.D., RN, Professor
Translating an Evidence-Based Protocol for Nurse-to-Nurse Shift Handoffs(funded by the Nursing Foundation of RI, URI Faculty Development Grant, Rhode Island Hospital Risk Management & Patient Safety Grant, and Delta Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau)
With ineffective communication being the most frequently reported cause of sentinel events in hospitals, this study’s purpose is to test an evidence-based, patient-centered protocol for nurses' end-of-shift "handoff" communications. Our study incorporates directions established by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, The Joint Commission, and the National Quality Forum to create policy for meaningful and sustainable clinician change to reduce missing or incorrect communication of patient information, and omissions of relevant care. Guided by Roger's "adoption of innovations" theory, Dufault’s "translating-research-into-practice" model (Collaborative Research Utilization Model) is being used in this multi-site RCT to evaluate outcomes of cost & feasibility, nurse uptake & sustainability(N=324), and effectiveness in improving patient (N=360) and nurse satisfaction (N=216) along a 6-point implementation trajectory, from pretest to 3 years post-implementation. Study sites include a 129-bed community Magnet-designated hospital, a medium sized Magnet teaching hospital, and a large tertiary medical center. A Best Practice Audit Instrument, Nurse Satisfaction Survey (National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators), Press-Ganey Survey, and Satisfaction with SBARP Survey with analysis using change score transformations, Fisher’s exact test, and repeated-measures ANOVA (p < .05) will determine study outcomes to be completed in August, 2011.
Mary Sullivan, Ph.D., RN, Professor
Risk & Protection in Trajectories of Preterm Infants: Birth to Adulthood(funded by NIH, NINR #5 RO1 NR 003695-14)
A unique sample of 213 infants grouped by prematurity and perinatal morbidity with a full term control group are followed in an eighth study at age 23. It is one of the longest studies of preterm infants in the United States. Its purpose is to learn about development outcomes of preterm and full term infants from birth to young adulthood. Specifically, the study examines the influences of prematurity, medical, social, and other factors on achievements and deficits during young adulthood. Biomarkers of blood chemistry, pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary response to exercise and metabolic functioning, and HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis) function by salivary cortisol are also examined to better understand the impact prematurity has on health and early disease. Data are collected during home and laboratory visits using standardized questionnaires, interviews and objective performance based assessments. Biomarkers are integrated and include blood chemistry, pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary response to exercise and metabolic functioning, and HPA function by salivary cortisol. See the article about Dr. Sullivan's research in URI's 2009-2010 Research & Innovation publication.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Moderate and Late Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study
(funded by Dept of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital)
The specific aims of this pilot study are: 1) to determine the feasibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-mcDESPOT technique) to investigate brain development following premature birth, quantifying brain volume (both regional and global), myelin volume and myelin maturation among MPT, LPT, and full term infants; and 2) to relate these structural meaures to assessments of neurobehaviour. To achieve these aims, nine (9) infants will be recruited into one of three groups: MPT, LPT, and full term (FT; 390- 420 wga), with three infants per group.
Effects of Open-Bay vs. Single Room NICU on Infant Outcomes at Discharge
(Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital)
Efforts to improve preterm infant outcomes include environmental stimulation (sound and light), psychosocial factors, developmental care, family centered care and staff behavior and attitudes. Women and Infants Hospital has built a new NICU with 70 individual single rooms. The "single family room" model of care is one of the environments thought to enhance medical and developmental outcomes. The single room concept is attractive because factors that adversely affect the infant can be better controlled, patient care can be individualized and parent satisfaction can be improved. This study aims to compare the medical and neurodevelopmental course from birth through discharge from the NICU between infants in the current open bay nursery with infants in the new single room nursery. This provides an exciting one-time opportunity to conduct a naturalistic study and compare infant outcome in the current open bay nursery with the outcome of infants in the coming single room nursery. Medical outcomes include length of stay, gestational age at discharge, weight, weight gain, illness severity and resource utilization, gestational age at enteral feeding, sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Neurobehavioral outcomes include better NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) profiles, better sleep state organization and sleep physiology, better infant mother feeding interaction scores and lower pain scores. We also hypothesize that the positive effects of the new NICU will be explained in part by other mediating factors that can be expected to co-occur with the transition to the new NICU. These factors include changes in family centered care, developmental care, parenting and family factors, staff behavior and attitudes and changes in medical practice. These factors will be measured repeatedly before and after the move to the new NICU and used as mediators in the statistical analysis. Findings from this study will likely influence the future quality of NICU design and model of care throughout the Nation.
Faculty Research Interests
SANDRA BASLEY, M.S., RN, - Assistant Clinical Professor - Improving student retention in nursing education; Use of right brain dominant attributes in nursing education; Use of active teaching strategies in nursing education.
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.
ALICIA CURTIN, Ph.D., GNP-BC, Associate Professor - interventions for community dwelling elders with dementia
DENISE A. COPPA, Ph.D., 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, Ph.D., RN, Professor, Routhier Endowed Chair - Nursing history, technology, workforce issues and nursing shortage, Florence Nightingale.
MARLENE A. DUFAULT, Ph.D., RN, Professor - Research utilization; evidence-based practice; competency-based evaluation; pain management; evaluation/outcomes research; translation research; patient safety & quality; ANCC Magnet research criteria; and handoff communications.
DEBRA ERICKSON-OWENS, Ph.D., CNM, Assistant Professor, Coordinator, Graduate Education concentration.
GINETTE G. FERSZT, Ph.D., RN, PMHCNS-BC, Associate Professor, and Coordinator, Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Concentration – Health care of pregnant women in correctional facilities; improving health outcomes of women in prison; grief of women in prison; hospice and palliative care.
JENNIFER FUVITCH, M.S., RN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Self-efficacy and confidence in nursing students, simulation, computer mediated learning
KATHELEEN HAWES, Ph.D, APRN, BC, Assistant Professor - nursing practice and patient outcomes; nurse-patient interaction; preterm infant outcomes; exemplary nursing practice; leadership; system and culture change
CAROLYN C. HAMES, MS, RN, CT, Associate Professor - Thanatology; grief and loss in children and adolescents; death education.
DAYLE HUNT JOSEPH, Ed.D., RN, Professor, Dean - Behavior change in clients with diabetes; coaching, an intervention for people struggling with diabetes; nursing work force issues.
JOHN KENNA, M.S., ACNP, Assistant Clinical Professor - ineurocritical care and volunteering in the Dominican Republic through Intercultural Nursing, Inc
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.
DIANE C. MARTINS, Ph.D., RN, Associate Professor - vulnerable populations in the community, homeless person’s health care experiences, analysis of food insufficiency and hunger with homeless families, strategies used to survive in the lives of woman facing adversity
MARY MUMFORD HALEY, M.S., CNM, RNP, Assistant Clinical Professor - client-nurse interactions, midwifery
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; medical-surgical nursing, critical care nursing, lateral violence, family nursing in acute care, nursing education.
MARY LOUISE PALM, MS, RN, Assistant Clinical Professor - Pain in children; computers in nursing; pediatric nursing care.
KATHERINE PAQUETTE, M.S., RN, ACNS, BC, Assistant Clinical Professor - The phenomenon of hope, how patients engage in the hoping process, the relationship of hope to meaning making, experiences with hoping from a global perspective, theory development, qualitative research
DONNA SCHWARTZ-BARCOTT, Ph.D., 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, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Professor - Developmental outcomes of low birthweight infants; neuroimaging (MRI/fMRI) in children w/clinical problems; maternal interaction styles.
DIANE THULIER, M.S., RN, IBCLC, Assistant Clinical Professor - Maternal-child health nursing with specific focus on human lactation and infant weight gain
faculty research news
Discovering the
Long-Term Outcomes of
Premature Birth
URI Nursing Professor Mary Sullivan, Ph.D.,
RN, is conducting a groundbreaking study to answer questions regarding what happens to premature
infants' health as they get older. The study was recently featured in URI's Research & Innovation magazine.
Read the article
