College of Nursing
Department of Doctorate of Nursing Practice Program
Administration
Department of The Graduate School
For the past 20 years of my nursing career, I have been involved with the development of evidence based guidelines in the treatment of patients to improve outcomes and quality performance. My focus primarily has been not only the identification of best practices, but also how we in healthcare can deliver those to our patients overcoming barriers. I believe that when nursing care is delivered from an evidence based perspective, patient outcomes are optimized and families are supported.
My teaching philosophy, developed over 30 years of clinical practice and 20 years as an academic faculty member, reflects a commitment to the creation of a supportive educational climate that focuses on student success and intellectual inquiry. My role as a teacher is grounded in collaboration and respect for diversity, while reflective of the changing complexity of professional practice. My scholarly teaching is informed by pedagogical research findings guiding DNP students implementation of innovative, evidenced-based best practices to improve patient outcomes on a wide range of clinical topics such as sepsis, heart failure, diabetes, cancer, bleeding disorders, and medication administration.
My diverse clinical experience has challenged me to develop my understanding, knowledge, and world view of the discipline of nursing. My curiosity set me on a path to find answers to clinical questions, starting with how to identify and treat sepsis which remains a primary research and clinical interest. In my DNP program, I collaborated with Dr. Henry Wang and his team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on his NIH grant (R01NR012726), Risk Factors for Sepsis in the Community study. My participation increased my visibility as a nurse expert in sepsis patient care and has led to invitations to present at regional and national professional conferences. Additionally, I was recently invited to join an interdisciplinary research team at due to my recognized clinical expertise in sepsis quality improvement which resulted in first authorship on a manuscript published in American Journal of Critical Care. Other areas of research and clinical interest include heart failure, atrial fibrillation, bleeding disorders, cancer, and health disparities.
