Following are the projects of inaugural class members:

Shared Governance: Restructuring for the Future
Pam Cook, assistant dean for student affairs in the School of Nursing

Dr. Cook collaborated with MCG Health System to create an educational plan for shared governance among nurses and hospital administrators. This concept increases nurses’ opportunities for independence, accountability and control of the work environment.

The model includes workshops, mentoring, role modeling and active learning opportunities. “The objective was to educate identified nursing leaders on the framework, elements and principles of a shared governance model,” Dr. Cook says. “We also worked to develop leadership skills and knowledge related to their roles as leaders.”

An Assessment of Family Needs in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Cynthia Mundy, director of the School of Nursing Clinical Nurse Leader Program

What are the most important needs of families with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit? The least important? Do the needs change upon discharge? Do mothers and fathers need different things? These were among the questions answered by Dr. Mundy’s research. “For example, at admission, the need for support was higher than at the time of discharge,” she says. “But there was no significant difference in the needs of mothers and fathers at any time. Knowing these things can provide a more positive and family-centered experience in the NICU.”

Cultural Competence in an Interpersonal Counseling Research Program for African-Americans with Advanced Prostate Cancer
Rosalind Jones, assistant professor of health environments and systems 

Men most at risk for aggressive prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in American men, are black men with a family history of the disease. Dr. Jones developed and implemented a culturally competent telephone interpersonal counseling program for African-American men with prostate cancer and their partners. Cultural competence refers to the understanding and appreciation of cultural differences between ethnic groups. “This study showed, for example, that attention to building trust, language awareness, awareness of the stigma associated with depression and the importance of spirituality are critical issues with older African-Americans,” Dr. Jones says.

The Development of a National Multimodal, Multidisciplinary Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for the Prevention and Management of PONV/PDNV
Marguerite Murphy, coordinator of the School of Nursing R.N.-to-B.S.N. Program

Nausea and vomiting are two of the most common complications following surgery and discharge. “The problem frequently results in prolonged postoperative stays, unanticipated hospital admissions and increased health care costs,” says Dr. Murphy. Prevention could be as easy as identifying high-risk patients before surgery and giving them the right treatment, which can include a variety of medicines and hydration. A multidisciplinary and multi-treatment approach will likely improve outcomes for adult surgery patients.

A Fish Consumption Study of Anglers in an At-Risk Community:
A Community-Based Participatory Approach to Risk Reduction
Corliss Derrick, instructor of biobehavioral nursing, and Jacqueline Miller, assistant professor of biobehavioral nursing

What’s the best way to inform fishermen of environmental threats to the catch they depend  on for their livelihood? And will they listen? Drs. Derrick and Miller asked fishermen in an at-risk community near the Savannah River Site if they understood safe fishing behaviors before and after attending an intervention program. They also wanted to know if the fishermen applied that knowledge. Results found that the program influenced fishermen to make healthier choices.

Health Literacy and Socio-Cultural Tailoring of Health Promotion Education for Public Housing Neighborhoods
Gayle Bentley, director of undergraduate programs for the School of Nursing and assistant professor of biobehavioral nursing

Sister to Sister is an MCG program aimed at helping women in Augusta public housing projects stop smoking.

Dr. Bentley used focus groups, literacy level evaluations, interviews and field-testing to create effective materials for the program. The materials are written at an appropriate reading level and emphasize themes such as spirituality, collectivism and kinship. “Such an understanding can help enable health care and health system workers to service people more effectively,” Dr. Bentley says.

“With that, we can employ strategies that reduce health disparities in this population.”

Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Nurse-Managed Outpatient Smoking-Cessation Clinic
Sharon Bennett, assistant professor of biobehavioral nursing

Dr. Bennett developed and implemented a nurse-managed program for MCG employees, students, patients and patient families who wanted to quit smoking. For six weeks, participants went to group counseling sessions and received nicotine replacement therapy.

Dr. Bennett worked to determine barriers, such as depression and readiness to quit, that might impede their success. She found that regardless of their differences—how much they smoked or how ready they were to quit—participants could kick the habit. At the end of the program, 13 out of 18 people had quit smoking. “Advance-practice nurses are in prime position to assume leadership with local, regional and national tobacco-cessation initiatives,” Dr. Bennett says.

“They can provide significant contributions to the evidence for effective cessation practices and are working to develop and implement innovative and effective approaches for cessation treatments.”

- Jennifer Hilliard

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