USI>Sponsored Research Office

What are you currently working on in terms of research? What are the questions you are trying to answer?

I am working with a team of nurse researchers (USI Nursing faculty and representatives from 5 area hospitals) on investigating work complexity for nurses employed in the hospital. We looked at how nurses prioritize care for multiple patients and what factors in the work environment influence the nurse to re-prioritize the care provide to multiple patients. We looked at three groups of nurses based upon years of experience and ability to function on the nursing unit. We looked at advanced beginner nurses who have less than one year of experience, competent/proficient nurses who have worked as a nurse for 3 to 6 years, and the expert nurse who had worked longer than 6 years as a nurse and exemplifies the level of critical thinking needed to provide quality cost-effective nursing care. We had each nurse complete a short questionnaire, we interviewed each nurse, and we completed a two hours observation of each nurse in the work environment. We are currently completing our data analysis. One goal is to identify some methods to assist nursing educational programs in developing experiences that will assist nursing students to better understand prioritization of care. A second goal is to assist hospitals to identify programs that will support the new graduate with prioritization of nursing care.

If there is a single motto that serves as a guide for your career and life, what is it?

Probably, people most often hear me say “There is always a Plan B”. I never know exactly what the plan may be but I think we sometimes give up too quickly. I always like to think that with some additional thought and investigation, there will be another alternative for whatever situation which in fact maybe even better than the original plan.

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