A Publication of The Graduate Center, CUNY Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Program
Doctor of Philosophy in
Nursing
The Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue
Room 3317
New York, New York 10016
T: 212.817.7987
F: 212.817.1681
Doctor of philosophy in nursing program
Greetings from Executive Of-
ficer Dr. Donna M Nickitas
Faculty Achievements
Alumni Achievements
Student Achievements
Postdoctoral Researcher Mi-
guel A. Villegas-Pantoja
Keville Frederickson Schol-
arship Fund Announcement
In Focus: Retired Faculty
Executive Officer
Donna M. Nickitas PhD, NEA-
BC, CNE, FNAP, RN, FAAN
Deputy Executive Officer
Eileen Gigliotti RN, PhD
Deputy Executive Officer
Martha Whetsell RN, PhD,
ARNP
Assistant Program Officer
Sheren Brunson MA
Editorial Board
Donna M. Nickitas PhD, NEA-
BC, CNE, FNAP, RN, FAAN
Stephen Jones
Sheren Brunson MA
Designer, Editor, &
Photographer
Stephen Jones
1 C U N Y G r a d u a t e C e n t e r P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Upcoming Events
Jonas Center Nurse Leader
Scholars
Greetings from the Desk of Executive Officer Dr. Donna M. Nickitas
Greetings on behalf of the Faculty and Staff
of the Nursing Science Program. We are
pleased to provide the second edition of our
program’s E-Newsletter. We are grateful for
the excellent work of our Editor, Stephen
Jones, as he highlights the outstanding schol-
arship of our faculty, students, and alumni.
I will focus my comments on the 2014 Exter-
nal Review findings submitted by Dr. Cathe-
rine Bender and Dr. Lorraine Tulman. The
key issues are identified below in bold, with
their responses following.
Issue 1. Providing a Viable Model for Cur-
rent Students
Both faculty and students agree that the
program will remain a cohort, full-time pro-
gram. The faculty, after considering elimi-
nating core course requirements, have de-
cided that no changes are warranted in the
program at this time.
Based on the reviewers’ advisement, the
possibility of extending the time to comple-
tion is under consideration. I am also explor-
ing additional supports and interventions
with student services.
Issue 2. Best Practices regarding Practicum
Placement Issue 4. Maximizing the Disserta-
tion Experience *(#2 & # 4 combined re-
sponse)
The external reviewers recommended revi-
sions to the dissertation process that will
improve efficiency and effectiveness. Our
dissertation practicums stress the quality of
scholarship and the students’ ability to eval-
uate theory-based concepts, assist in imple-
menting research, and interpreting roles
nurse scientists.
Proposed Change: The development of dis-
sertation topics and pairing with faculty advi-
sors will now begin at the end of the first
year, prior to the First Examination. The fol-
lowing revisions are based on the external
reviewers’ recommendations:
This milestone is reached at the end of
the first year. The first examination tim-
ing, content, and format have been
evaluated and revised since our program
began. Students are now required to
demonstrate foundational knowledge by
writing a “State of the Science” paper.
The first examination goals are to:
1. demonstrate a broad mastery of core
content, theory, and research in a disci-
pline;
2. select an appropriate phenomenon for
an integrative literature review;
3. critically appraise empirical and con-
ceptual literature of the selected phe-
nomenon using articles, books, and/or
dissertations; and
4. undertake independent scholarship.
Students select a phenomenon that is
closely aligned with their proposed dis-
sertation topic, conduct an integrative
literature review and write the State of
the Science paper over the summer be-
tween the end of their first year and
beginning of the second year.
Issue 5: Advisability of the BS to PhD
Track
Both program faculty and the external
reviewers have decided not to develop a
BS to PhD track at this time. The Execu-
tive Committee will focus on 3 key rec-
ommendations: advisement, research
practicum, and the dissertation experi-
ence and evaluate the outcome of these
recommendations before undertaking
the task of developing an additional
track to the PhD.
We welcome your insights and recom-
mendations in ways to refine and en-
hance the quality of program.
Thank you,
Donna M. Nickitas, PhD, RN, FAAN
1. Greater effort will be made to estab-
lish a match between students’ research
interest and faculty research expertise.
This process will now begin during the
application process. By identifying stu-
dents’ research interests early on, their
pairing with faculty mentors will be
streamlined. This will allow students to
use coursework from the beginning of
the curriculum to more effectively and
efficiently develop their knowledge of the
science and methodologies relevant to
their area of research. Coursework will
be used to maximize & develop students’
dissertation research as well as scholarly
publications.
2. At the end of their first year, students
will work with a faculty advisor/sponsor
to identify coursework (including elec-
tives) and research experiences (i.e. Dis-
sertation Research Practicum) that will
move their dissertation research forward
more efficiently. This will improve the
student’s scholarly outcomes including
dissemination and establishment of ap-
propriate and productive interdisciplinary
activities.
3. Students and faculty will have time to
form a relationship and solidify the mutu-
al research interests, during the disserta-
tion practicum experience.
Issue 3. Content, timing and format of
the first examination
The first examination is given at the com-
pletion of 20 credits.
2 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
FACULTY PUBLICATIONS
Karsten, K. DiCicco-Bloom, B. (2014). Acknowledg-
ing the academic rigor of Associate degree nursing ed-
ucation: A Grounded Theory study of overcoming fail-
ure. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 4, 153-163.
Barbara DiCicco-Bloom RN, MA, PhD
Donna M. Nickitas, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, FNAP, FAAN Anderson, R., Ellerbe, S., Haas, S., Kerfoot, K., Kirby,
K., Nickitas, D., & … Christopher, M.A. (2014). Ex-
cellence and evidence in staffing: A data-driven model
for excellence in staffing (Second Edition). Nursing Eco-
nomic$, 1-35.
Nickitas, D.M. (2014). Awakening the human heart:
The power of poetry. Nursing Economic$, 32(4), 229-
230.
Nickitas, D.M. (2014). Keeping the faith and speaking
truth to power: A lifetime of advocacy. Nursing Eco-
nomic$, 32(4). 174, 177.
Nickitas, D.M. (2014). Clinical analytics for data-
driven models of care. Nursing Economic$, 32(3), 406,
165.
Nickitas, D.M. & Cohen, B. (2014) Remembering
Grace: A personal reflection on death and dying. Nurs-
ing in the 21st Century.
Eileen Gigliotti RN, PhD Giglioti, E., Samuels, W.E., Como, I., Gordon, B.,
Acerios, P. (2014). Identifying and addressing sources
of measurement error in the Norbeck Social Support
Questionnaire. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 22(3), 61
-76.
Steven L. Baumann RN, PhD, PMHNP, GNP Baumann, S., Wright, S.G., & Settecase-Wu, C.
(2014). A science of unitary human beings perspective
of global health nursing. Nursing Science Quarterly, 27,
324-328.
Baumann, S. & Bellefleur, C. (2014) Stories from Hai-
ti: A comparison of three approaches. Nursing Science
Quarterly, 27, 165-170.
Baumann, S. (2014). Nursing in Portugal: A global
perspective. Nursing Science Quarterly, 27, 62-67.
3 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
FACULTY PUBLICATIONS (Cont.)
Marianne Jeffreys RN, EdD Jeffreys, M.R. (2014). Student retention and success:
Optimizing outcomes from HOLISTIC COMPE-
TENCE and proactive inclusive enrichment (PIE).
Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 9(4), 164-170.
Jeffreys, M.R. (2014). Boxing transcultural nursing for
everyday use: A call to action. Journal of Transcultural
Nursing, 25(4), 420.
Elizabeth Capezuti PhD, RN, FAAN Tavares, J.P. de Almeida, Leite, A. da Silva, Sá-
Couto, P., Boltz, M., & Capezuti, E.(2014). Portu-
guese nurses’ knowledge of and attitudes toward hospi-
talized older adults. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sci-
ences, 1387-1393.
Hu, S., Foust, J., Boltz, M., & Capezuti, E. (2014).
Subtypes of potentially inappropriate medications in
older Chinese Americans during care transitions: Cross
sectional retrospective study. International Journal of
Nursing Studies, 1221-1229.
Cline, D., Dickson, V.V., Kovner, C., Boltz, M., Ko-
lanowski, A., & Capezuti, E. (2014). Factors influenc-
ing RNs’ perceptions of quality geriatric care in rural
hospitals. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(6), 748
-768.
Matsui, M. & Capezuti, E. (2014). Differences in per-
ceived autonomy among older adults in the United
States and Japan. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40,
(5), 36-44.
Backhaus, R., Verbeek, H., Van Rossum, E., Capezuti,
E., & Hamers, J.P.H. (2014). Nurse staffing impact on
quality of care in nursing homes: A systematic review
of longitudinal studies. Journal of the American Medical
Directors Association, 15(6), 383-393.
Fariña-López, E., Estévez-Guerra, G.J., Gandoy-
Crego, M., Luz, M., Polo-Luque, L.M., Gómez-
Cantorna, C., & Capezuti, E. (2014). Perception of
nursing staff on the use of physical restraints in Span-
ish nursing homes. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46(5),
322-330.
4 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
FACULTY PUBLICATIONS (Cont.)
Brigitte S Cypress, EdD, RN, CCRN Cypress, B. (2015). Review of J.J. Fitzpatrick & G.
McCarthy (2014) Theories Guiding Nursing Research
and Practice: Making Nursing Knowledge Develop-
ment Explicit. New York, NY: Springer Publishing
Company. Nursing Philosophy Journal.
Cypress, B. (2014). The emergency room: Experiences
of patients, families, and their nurses. Advanced Emer-
gency Nursing Journal, 36(2), 164-176.
Wald, H.L., Bandle, b., Richard, A.A., Min, S.J., &
Capezuti, E. (2014). Implementation of electronic sur-
veillance of catheter use and CAUTI at NICHE Hospi-
tals. American Journal of Infection Control, 42, S242-S256.
Wald, H.L. Bandle, B., Richard, A.A., Min, S.J. &
Capezuti, E. (2014). A trial of electronic surveillance
feedback for quality improvement at NICHE hospitals.
American Journal of Infection Control, 42, S225-S256.
Malone, M., Malsch, A., & Capezuti, E. (2014). Do
more with less. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,
62, 1977-1978.
Brush, B.L. & Capezuti, E. (2014). New approaches
for patient-provider communication. Geriatric Nursing,
35(5), 392-393.
Capezuti, E., Malone, M., Katz, P. & Mezey, M.D.
(Eds.) (2014). The Encyclopedia of Elder Care (3rd edi-
tion). New York: Springer Publishing Company.
{AJN—Book of the Year Award 2nd Place}
Flaherty, E., Resnick, B., Boltz, M., Galick, E., &
Capezuti, E. (Eds.) (2014). Geriatric Nursing Review Syl-
labus: A Core Curriculum in Advanced Practice Geriatric
Nursing (4th edition). New York: American Geriatrics
Society.
Malone, M.L., Capezuti, E., & Palmer, R. (Eds.)
(2014). Acute Care for Elders—A Model for Interdiscipli-
nary Care. Cham, Swintzerland: Springer International
Publishing AG.
Elizabeth Capezuti PhD, RN, FAAN
5 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
FACULTY AWARDED GRANTS
Barbara DiCicco-Bloom RN, MA, PhD “Undertanding Information Sharing and Relationships
between Hospice Staff and Hospital Staff at a Subur-
ban Medical Center: Implications for End of Life
Care.” School of Health and Human Services, CUNY
Grant/Office of Dr. William Ebenstein. Sept. 2014-
July 31, 2015.
Donna M. Nickitas, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, FNAP, FAAN “New York City Nursing Education Consortium in
Technology (NYCNECT).” Health Services Admin-
istration. Principal Investigator. 2013-2015 ($1.5 mil-
lion)
Diversity Recruitment Grant. Office of the Associate
Provost. 2015-2016 ($1200).
Eileen Gigliotti RN, PhD “Revising the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire.”
Professional Staff Congress CUNY. 2014
Linda J. Scheetz EdD, RN, FAEN “Tracking Level of Consciousness in Injured Older
Adults to Estimate Time to Development of Increased
Intracranial Pressure.” CUNY Lehman College Shus-
ter Award Intramural Support. Prinicpal Investigator.
2014-2015.
Elizabeth Capezuti PhD, RN, FAAN “Nurses on the move: Towards high quality care in
nursing homes.” ZonMw (the Netherelands Organisa-
tion for health Research and Development). Consult-
ant. 2012-2017. € $750,000.
McCain, G. & Capezuti, E, College Center for Nurs-
ing Research, Subcontract to School of Nursing, Clini-
cal & Translational Science Center, Joan & Sanford I.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University/NIH,
July 1, 2014—June 30, 2015, $128,510.
6 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
FACULTY PRESENTATIONS
Barbara DiCicco-Bloom RN, MA, PhD DiCicco-Bloom, B. (2015, April). Eastern Nursing Re-
search Society 27th Conference.
Roye, C. & DiCicco-Bloom, B. (2014, December). Un-
derstanding risk behaviors for HIV-transmission in
women. Presented at NIMHD Grantee Conference.
National Harbor, MD.
Nickitas, D.M. (2015, February). Economics of Care:
The science of patient-engagement. Keynote speech
delivered at Nursing Research & Scholarly Practice.
Sigma Theta Tau Epsilon Chapter, International Hon-
or Society. Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New
York.
Nickitas, D.M. & McGinniss, S. (2014, November).
Using technology to improve learner-centered nursing
education: A CUNY-wide development program. Pre-
sented at ACERT Lunchtime Seminar. Hunter-
Bellevue School of Nursing.
Nickitas, D.M. (2014, November). Economic implica-
tions of infections on cost & quality. Presented at CIRI
Seminar, Columbia University School of Nursing,
New York, NY.
McGinniss, S., Nickitas, D., & Dornbaum, M. (2014,
October). Evaluating faculty development training in
teaching and learning with technology. Poster present-
ed at 9th Annual NLN-Elsevier Technology Confer-
ence, Nashville, TN.
Donna M. Nickitas, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, FNAP, FAAN Nickitas, D.M. (2014, October). On becoming a nurse.
Presented at White Coat Ceremony. Concordia Col-
lege, Division of Nursing, New York, NY.
Nickitas, D.M. & McGinniss, S. (2014, September)
Improving nursing education through faculty develop-
ment in technology. Presented at National League of
Nursing Education summit, Phoenix, AZ.
Nickitas, D.M. & Jacobson, J. (2014, August) Break-
through writing: Narrative and reflective strategies for
editors. Presented at International Academy of Nurs-
ing Editors, Portland, MN.
Brigitte S Cypress EdD, RN, CCRN Cypress, B. (2014, October). The intensive care unit:
Experiences of patients, their families, and nurses. Pre-
sented at International Institute for Qualitative Meth-
odology (IIQM) 20th Annual Qualitative Health Re-
search Conference. Victoria, British Columbia, Cana-
da.
Cypress, B. (2014, September). Phenomenology, evi-
dence-based practice and the study of family presence
in critical care units. Presented at 18th Annual Interna-
tional Philosophy of Nursing (IPONS) Conference.
The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
7 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Linda Scheetz EdD, RN, FAEN
FACULTY PRESENTATIONS (Cont.)
Marianne Jeffreys EdD, RN
Jeffreys, M. (2014, December). Nursing student re-
tention: Understanding the process and making a dif-
ference. Workshop facilitator at National University,
La Jolla, CA.
Jeffreys, M. (2014, October) Nursing student reten-
tion: Understanding the process and making a differ-
ence. Workshop facilitator at Illinois Organization of
Associate Degree Nursing, Heartland Community
College, Normal, IL.
Jeffreys, M. (2014, September). Optimizing out-
comes through a TEAM approach using PIE and
TEA. Keynote speaker at Kaplan Nursing’s National
Continuing Education Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
Scheetz, L. (2014, September). Slip, trip, and fall: Inju-
ry morbidity, mortality, and trauma center admission
among older adults. Presented at 1st Global Confer-
ence on Emergency Nursing and Trauma Care. Dub-
lin, Ireland.
Steven L Baumann RN, PhD, PMHNP, GNP Baumann, S. & Hybrid FNP (2014, December). Edu-
cation in Haiti: An international collaboration model.
Presented at Region 14 Biennial Conference, Sigma
Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing,
Regina McGinn Education Center, North Shore-LIJ,
Staten Island Univeristy Hospital, Staten Island, NY.
Baumann, S. (2014, November). Educating Master’s
level Primary Care Nurses in Haiti. Presented at Mai-
monides Medical Center, 2nd Annual Nursing Re-
search Conference: Advancing Nursing Science
across the Globe: Are We Ready? Brooklyn Public
Library, Brooklyn, NY.
Baumann, S. (2014, October). Synergy in Interpro-
fessional Teams. Presented at Conference and For-
mation, Centre de l’Esperance, Geneve, Switzerland.
Baumann, S. (2014, October). The meaning of fa-
thering and being a sibling of a ‘child that is not the
same’. Presented at Conference and Formation 2014,
Centre de l’Esperance, Geneve, Switzerland.
8 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
FACULTY HONORS AND AWARDS
Barbara DiCicco-Bloom RN, MA, PhD Researcher Award Sigma Theta Tau International, Mu
Upsilon, 2014.
Mentor of Natasha Nurse, Doctoral Candidate Award,
Mu Upsilon, 2014.
Appointed Co-Lead, Raise the Voice Campaign,
American Academy of Nursing, 2014-Present
Appointed Faculty, Sigma Theta Tau, Experience
Nurse leadership Academy, 2014-Present
Elizabeth Capezuti RN, PhD, FAAN American Journal of Nursing, Book of the Year
Award: Gerontologic Nursing, 2nd Place for The Ency-
clopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geri-
atric Health and Social Care, 3rd Edition. Edited by Eliz-
abeth Capezuti, Michael Malone, Paul Katz, and
Mathy Mezey.
Donna M. Nickitas, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, FNAP, FAAN
ALUMNI PUBLICATIONS
Hewitt, C.M., & Cappiello, J. (2015). Essential compe-
tencies in nursing education for prevention and care
related to unintended pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrical
and Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. DOI:
10.1111/6909.12525
Caroline M. Hewitt DNS, RN, WHNP-BC, ANP-BC
Heather A Gibson RN, PhD Gibson, H.A. (2014). A conceptual view of test anxie-
ty. Nursing Forum, 49(4), 267-277.
Meriam Caboral-Stevens PhD, RN, NP-C Caboral-Stevens, M. & Medetsky, M. (2014). The con-
struct of financial capacity in elder adults. The Journal
of Gerontological Nursing, 40(8), 30-37.
Fridman, M. & Frederickson, K. (2014). Oncology
nurses and the lived experience of participation in an
EBP project. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(4), 382-388.
Mary Fridman DNS, NP, AOCNP
Brigitte S Cypress EdD, RN, CCRN Best Research Award. Montefiore Medical Center, 4th
Annual Nursing Research Symposium. Montefiore
Medical Center, Moses Campus, Bronx, NY. Septem-
ber 19, 2014.
9 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
ALUMNI AWARDED GRANTS
Caroline M Hewitt DNS, RN, WHNP-BC, ANP-BC “Provision of Family Planning Services by Nurse Prac-
titioners in New York State.” The Central Office of
Academic Affairs, Office of the University Dean for
Health and Human Services. 2015.
“Impact of Dance for PD on Quality of Life, Depres-
sion and Fear of Falling.” CTSC award for Pilot
Study. 2015
Michele Crespo-Fierro RN, PhD(c), AACRN “Cultural care needs of Puerto Rican women receiving
HIV care from Nurse Practitioners in NYC.” Upsilon
Research Grant, Sigma Theta Tau International. 2014.
ALUMNI PRESENTATIONS
Amicucci, B. (2015, January). Service learning improv-
ing student experiences in a nursing assessment course.
Presented at Lilly Conference for Evidence Based
Teaching in Higher Education. Austin, TX.
Bernadetta Amicucci DNS, RN, CNE
Paul G Quinn PhD, ACNM, MS, RN Quinn, P. (2015, April). Becoming someone different:
A qualitative study of how nurses integrate pregnancy
& full time employment. Presented at Eastern Nursing
Research Society 27th Annual Scientific Session,
Washington, DC.
Heather A Gibson PhD, RN Gibson, H.A. (2014, November). Afro-Caribbean
women perceptions of their child’s food practices. Pre-
sented at Caribbean Alliance of National Psychological
Associations (CANPA), Caribbean Regional Confer-
nece of Psychology II, Paramaribo, Suriname, South
America.
Gibson, H.A. (2014, November). Afro-Caribbean
mothers’ cultural perceptions of their child’s weight
and food practices in London and New York. Present-
ed at Maimonides Medical Center’s Second Annual
Nursing Research Conference, Advancing Nursing
Science Across the Globe: Are We Ready? Brooklyn
Public Library’s Dweck Center. Brooklyn, NY.
Bernadetta Amicucci DNS, RN, CNE “Effects of Prolonged Staff Shortages on Nurses Mo-
rale.” Co-Investigator. Zeta Omega Research Grant,
Sigma Theta Tau International. 2014.
1 0 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
ALUMNI PRESENTATIONS (Cont.)
Meriam Caboral-Stevens PhD, RN, NP-C
Margaret Reilly DNS, APRN, CNE Reilly, M.J. & Burke, P. ( 2014, November). Imple-
mentation of an academic electronic health record
(AEHR): Student perceptions and outcomes. Presented
at Maimonides Medical Center Second Annual Nurs-
ing Research Day: Advancing Nursing Science across
the Globe: Are We Ready? Brooklyn, NY.
Burke, P. & Reilly, M.J. (2014, October). Implementa-
tion of an academic electronic health record (AEHR):
Student perceptions. Presented at Elmhurst Hospital
Center Annual Research Conference: Nurse leading
the way: Creating an environment of empowerment for
nurses and patients. Elmhurst, NY.
Reilly, M.J., Lavin, J., & Reeves, M. (2014, October).
Let’s get real: Using standardized patients for nursing
assessment. NYSIM symposium. Bellevue Hospital,
NY.
Caboral-Stevens, M., Whetsell, M.V., Evangelista,
L.S., Cypress, B., & Nickitas, D. (2015, March). De-
velopment of a U.S.A.B.I.L.I.T.Y. Framework. Pre-
sented at INTED2015. Madrid, Spain.
Casapao, L., Rosario-Sim, M., & Caboral-Stevens, M.
(2014, October). Project W.I.N.: An innovative ap-
proach to student success. Presented at Robert Wood
Johnson Summit. Rosemont, IL. [Recipient of the In-
novative Teaching Strategy Award, RWJF]
1 1 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
Catherine Mbewe RN, MS Mbewe, C. (2015). Do Associate Degree curricula ade-
quately prepare nurses for leadership roles. Academy of
Medical-Surgical Nurses Newsletter, January/February
2015 Issue.
Thomas A Haggerty MS, BSN, MS Hagerty, T., Kertesz, L., Schmidt, J.M., Agarwal, S.,
Claassen, J., et al. (2015). Risk factors for catheter-
associated urinary tract invections in critically ill pa-
tients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Journal of Neuro-
science Nursing, 47(1), 51-54.
STUDENT AWARDED GRANTS
Elvy Barroso MD, MSc, MSN, RN “Use of Live Video Directly Observed Therapy in New
York City” Verizon Foundation. September 2013-
September 2014.
Margaret S Alexandre MSN, CNA, RN The Office of Academic Affairs/Office of the Universi-
ty Dean of Health and Human Services. Visiting Pro-
fessor at the Nursing School, Public Regional Universi-
ty in Gonaives, Haiti, January & June 2015.
$10,100.00
1 2 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Theresa L Lundy Lundy, T. (2014, September). Simulation in nursing
education. Presented at Montefiore 4th Annual Nurs-
ing Research Symposium, NYCNECT Technology
Transformers Collaborative Program. New York, NY.
Barroso, E. (2014, November). Video directly observed
therapy. Presented at 25th Annual Symposium on
Health Care Service in New York: Research and Prac-
tice. City University of New York Graduate Center,
New York, NY.
Elvy Barroso MD, MSc, MSN, RN
Alexandre, M.S., Oladipupo, O., & Ahmad, S. (2014,
August). Incidence of Hypertension/High Blood Pres-
sure amongst college students. Presented at York Col-
lege Summer Research Program. New York, NY.
Alexandre, M.S., Nelzy, S., Mejia, D., Noble, T. &
Thomas, L. (2014, October). The experiences of York
College nursing students in Haiti: Theory to practice
and collaboration. Presented at Queens Black Nurses
Association Annual Research Conference: Using Re-
search to Make a Difference in Nursing Practice.
Queens, NY.
Margarett S Alexandre MSN, CNA, RN
Haggerty, T.A. (2014, August). Report of research
study findings about English and Spanish-speaking
ICU family member satisfaction with care and decision
-making. Presented at New York Presbyterian Hospital
Neuroscience Lecture Series. New York, NY.
Thomas A Haggerty MS, BSN, MS, AD
Jensen, M.K. (2014, August). Tackling tough topics:
Practical steps to successful conversations. Presented at
VA Safe Patient Handling Coordinator Conference.
Houston, TX. August 2014.
Jensen, M.K. (2014, August). Sustaining a safe patient
handling & mobility program through interdisciplinary
mentoring and coaching of unit peer leaders (UPL).
Presented at VA Safe Patient Handling Coordinator
Conference. Houston, TX.
Meredith King Jensen MSN, MA, RN
1 3 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS (Cont.)
Natasha J Nurse RN, MS, CNS Nurse, N. (2014, September). Dissertation research
presentation to Vermont nursing students. Presented at
Vermont’s Future of Nursing Initiative. UVM and Ver-
mont Action Coalition. University of Vermont, Ver-
mont Tech, Norwich University.
Nurse, N. & Myriam, C. (2014, January). Developing
an online exemplary nursing Blackboard course.
Workshop Presentation at the Hispanic Educational
Technology Conference (HETS), San Juan, Puerto Ri-
co.
Nurse, N. (2015, January). Developing an online ex-
emplary nursing Blackboard course. Presented at 5th
Annual Health Professions Education Conference and
Technology Summit, Baruch College, NY.
Gross, R.E. (2015, March). Paula Major Lecturer: Ma-
lignant bowel obstructions in Gynecologic cancer pa-
tients. Presented at 32nd Annual Symposium of the
Society of Gynecologic Nurse Oncologists. Boston,
MA.
Randy E Gross MS, RN, WHNP-BC, ACNS-BC, AOCNP
Okumakpevi, P. (2014, December). Women of faith:
Adaptation of African American women breast cancer
survivors. Presented at Sigma Theta Tau International
Honor Society of Nursing. North America Region 14
Biennial Conference Service, Leadership Transforming
and Being Transformed: Locally, Regionally, and Be-
yond. Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island,
NY.
Pearline Okumakpeyi, RN, MA, Med, DNS(c)
From left: Professor Lor-
raine Byrnes with her
students, Catherine Lo-
renzo, Theresa L Lundy,
Patricia Macho, Deborah A
Lawrence, Donna Tanzi,
Corinne Settecase-Wu,
Kimberly Ambruso, Sandra
Russo, and Joanne Knoesel
1 4 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
STUDENT HONORS AND AWARDS
Certificate of Appreciation. Queens Black Nurses As-
sociation Annual Research Conference. October 2014.
Margaret S Alexandre MSN, CNA, RN
Scholarship Award. Sigma theta Tau, Mu Upsilon
Chapter.
Natasha J Nurse RN, MS, CNS
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY
Foundation.
Fifth Place Winner, Poster Presenter. Nursing Re-
search Day, New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Thomas A Hagerty AD, MS, BSN, MS
Judith Whittaker Scholarship. Nurses Educational
Fund. 2014-2015.
Nancy Roecklein MS, ANP-BC
Student Member. New York Academy of Medicine. Randy E. Gross MS, RN, WHNP-BC, ACNS-BC, AOCNP
Paula Major Lectureship Award. 32nd Annual Sympo-
sium of the Society of Gynecologic Nurse Oncologists.
Boston, MA, March 2015.
Pearline Okumakpeyi RN, MA, MEd, DNS(c)
Fall 2014’s Cohort 9, from left: Linice Zambra-
no, Scott Kaye, Mimi Lim, Elvy Barroso, Cathe-
rine Mbewe, Georgina Colalillo, Magdalena
Ryniak, and Marcia Jones George.
1 5 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Jonas IV Nurse Leader Scholars
Scott Kaye was born and raised in NYC but spent
nearly eight years living in Europe, where he earned his
Bachelor’s Degree in International Nursing from the Helsinki
College of Healthcare and Social Services in Finland. He re-
ceived his Master’s degree in Nursing Administration from
Long Island University in Brooklyn.
In his current position as the Manager of Nursing
Education and Special Projects at New York Hospital
Queens, Scott’s focus is on the planning, creation, and imple-
mentation of online learning programs and clinical simulation, plus clinical deci-
sion support. At NYHQ, he participates in several organizational initiatives such as
the magnet committee, performance improvement committee, and clinical claims
review committees. He has held numerous clinical, educational, and leadership
positions in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. He is currently certified in
Emergency Nursing, Pediatric Emergency Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Nursing
Informatics, and as a Nurse Executive (Basic Level).
As a large part of the job is designing online interactive coursework for
orientation and training programs, Scott has a great deal of technical and informat-
ics experience. He hopes that both his dissertation and future work involve integrat-
ing technology and nursing to provide the best patient outcomes.
Scott Kaye RN-BC, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, NE-BC
Catherine Mbewe
Catherine Mbewe is a Professor in the Bronx Com-
munity College (BCC) School of Nursing and Allied Health
Sciences Program in New York City. Within the program,
she is involved in all levels of student education (didactic,
hospital clinical rotaions, practice labs, etc.) to prepare stu-
dents for graduateion. BCC specifically aims to educate stu-
dents from underprivileged areas with cultural, financial,
and personal constraints. In an effort to meet some of these
diverse student needs, Prof. Mbewe incorporated multicultural pedagogy. As a reg-
istered nurse, she has an extensive background in critical care nursing and medical-
surgical nursing with a focus on neurological nursing. Ms Mbewe is obtaining a
Ph.D. in Nursing to garner the skills necessary to become a nurse scientist/
educator. Overwhelmed by the health disparity divide in developing countries, her
study will examine the factors that place Zambian women at risk for cervical cancer
and their health promotion behavior patterns in relation to screening and treat-
ment. One goal of the study would be to identify culturally appropriate nursing
interventions to address c ervical cancer management and treatment in Zambian
women. As an educator, she plans to mentor and lead the next generation of nurses
and to motivate policy changes that will impact disparities in health in the United
States and abroad. Professor Mbewe received her MS from Lehman College and
her BX from City College, both in New York city. She lives in New York City. She
is a native of Zambia, Central Africa and has lived in the United States since 1985.
*Bios from Jonas Center website with edits
1 6 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) Program Room 3317 365 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016-4309 212.817.7987 212.817.1681 fax www.gc.cuny.edu
This Fall/Winter Semester marked the eighth anniversary of our Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of
Nursing Science in Program! We are so proud of our students and so excited for the many years ahead.
Very few people outside of the academy understand what a tremendous achievement it is to pursue a doc-
torate and to mature into an academic career of helping others, or use a trained mind to achieve research or
business goals in a distinguished non-academic career. And so we honor the dedication and drive of our
students past, present, and future.
In order to sustain our current and future scholars, I would like to invite you to contribute to The
Keville Frederickson Nursing Doctoral Scholarship Fund. Ours is the first publicly funded PhD Nurs-
ing Program at the Graduate Center. Since we began in 2006, we have graduated 29 nurses with
doctoral degrees. Our graduates compose the vanguard of doctorally prepared nurses who will pro-
vide decisive solutions to the current healthcare issues.
Your contribution to The Keville Frederickson Nursing Doctoral Scholarship Fund will go a long
way towards supporting our program and students. The fund has been set up to provide for professional
development activities and dissertation research and writing support. While some of our students are
awarded external grants for dissertation support, your backing will make it possible for even more students
to complete their scholarship.
THE KEVILLE FREDERICKSON NURSING
DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE 2014 ANNUAL APPEAL DONORS:
Bernadette J Amicucci
Emma Kontzamanis
Theresa L Lundy
Mary A Joseph
Paul G Quinn
Barbara M Cohen
Unn Hidle
Katherine Weilbaecher
Alsacia Pacsi
Mary G Tesoro
Regina Cardaci
Donna Nickitas
Keville Frederickson
Mercy College Dept. of Nursing
Dr. Karen V Bourgeois
Dr. Anne Marie Simmons
The College of Staten Island, Dept. of Nursing
Dr. Nancy M Manister
Dr. Danna L Curcio
**To contribute to our Scholarship Fund, please see donation
cards and instructions at the end of the newsletter.
1 7 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Welcome Postdoctoral Researcher
MIGUEL A VILLEGAS-PANTOJA BN, MNSc, DNSc
Since 2011 Dr. Villegas has been a Professor in the Bachelor of
Nursing Program at the Nursing School of Nuevo Laredo, Uni-
versidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, México. He teaches Re-
search Statistics and Research Methodology. He has also served
as statistical advisor in bachelor and master dissertations. Since
2009 he has been a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Interna-
tional Honor Society of Nursing, Tau Alpha Chapter.
In 2009 and 2011 he received scholarships to pursue graduate
studies. He earned a BN from the Universidad Autonoma de
Tamaulipas and received his Master and Doctor degrees from
the Nursing School of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo
León, the only nursing graduate program recognized by the
National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) in
Mexico. During this time he collaborated in workshops for the
“Grupo de Estudiantes de Enfermería Contra las Adic-
ciones” (GREECA; Group of Nursing Students against Addic-
tions) and in an intervention for teachers of elementary , junior
high, and high school of the metro area of Monterrey titled,
“Prevención de Adicciones en los Adolescentes” (Prevention of
Addictions in Adolescence).
In 2014 he worked as a part-time professor in the Master of
Nursing Science Program at the School of Nursing of the Uni-
versidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, México,
where he was teaching Publications and Dissemination Semi-
nar. In that program he spent some time working with Master
nursing students in the southern state of Chiapas, México as an
agreement with the Instituto Superior de Estudios de Enfer-
mería del Estado de Chiapas.
His research career has been focused on the study of substance
use in adolescents - a national problem that threatens the quality
of life of the Mexican population, particularly the residents near
the border with the US. Also, he has taken part of the goals of
the Academic Board for Prevention of Drug Addictions from
the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon. During 2013-2014
he published the following scientific journal articles and book
chapters based on his addiction research.
Scientific articles
Villegas-Pantoja, M. A., Alonso-Castillo, M. M., Benavides
-Torres, R. A., & Guzmán-Facundo, F. R. (2013). Alcohol
consumption and executive functions in adolescents: a sys-
tematic review. Aquichan, 13(2), 234-246.
Villegas-Pantoja, M. A., Alonso-Castillo, M. M., Alonso, B.
A., & Guzmán-Facundo, F. R. (2014). Stressful life events
and its relationship to alcohol and tobacco consumption in
adolescents. Ciencia y Enfermería, 20(1), 35-46.
Villegas-Pantoja, M. A., Alonso-Castillo, M. M., Alonso-
Castillo, B. A., & Martínez-Maldonado, R. (2014). Percep-
tion of parenting and its relationship to the onset of drug use
in Mexican adolescents. Aquichan, 14(1), 41-42.
Book Chapters
López, M. A., Villegas, M. A., Alonso, M. M. & Armendá-
riz, N .A. (2012). Capítulo IV: Los métodos cualitativos en
investigación del fenómeno de las drogas. En M. M. Alon-
so, K. S. López, N. A. Armendáriz & F. R. Guzmán. Facto-
res de riesgo y consumo de drogas en adolescentes de se-
cundaria, un estudio multiregional. El caso México (pp. 65-
87). Monterrey, México: Editorial UANL. ISBN 978-607-
433-864-5
Alonso, M. M., Armendáriz, N. A., Guzmán, F. R., López,
M. A., Villegas, M. A. & Álvarez, A. (2014). Integración de
contenidos temáticos de drogas al currículo de doctorado en
ciencias de enfermería: El caso de la Facultad de Enfermería
de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. En S. E. Es-
parza, M. M. Alonso, K. S. López, L. Rodríguez. Compe-
tencias específicas de enfermería en la reducción de la de-
manda de drogas (pp. 235-249). Monterrey, México: Edito-
rial UANL. ISBN 978-607-27-0218-9
By the end of 2015 he aims to become part of the Mexican Na-
tional System of Researchers (SNI) to produce research in his
hometown. Currently he resides in New York and works as a
Visiting Assistant Professor at the Nursing PhD Program, Grad-
uate Center, where he is advising Ph.D. students. His future
plans for research include incivility in nursing students, a prob-
lem often ignored in Mexican nursing schools.
From left: Executive Officer Dr. Donna Nickitas, Mi-
guel A Villegas-Pantoja, and Deputy Executive Officer
Dr. Martha Whetsell
1 8 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
In Focus: Retired Faculty
KEVILLE FREDERICKSON
What a life changing experience my work at the Grad-uate Center of CUNY has been. I was part of two plan-ning committees for the PhD in Nursing for CUNY, neither of which became a reality. So, when the third request came to join yet another planning committee, I was not enthusiastic. However, after meeting with Vice Chancellor Selma Botman, it was clear that there was support for a research doctorate in nursing. Through the dedication and hard work of the faculty from the consortium colleges, Hunter and Lehman Colleges and
College of Staten Island, the Letter of Intent and the Proposal were developed and passed by the Graduate Center and the Board of Trustees. In July 2006 the first twelve students were admitted and the program was in full swing by September (Note: it is anticipated that by Fall 2015 all 12 students from the first class will have completed and defended their dissertations.)
It was my honor to be elected to the leadership posi-tion as Director and then as Executive Officer of the DNS program and then lead the transition to a PhD program. All of this was made possible by the talented faculty scholars from the three campuses who were also appointed to the Graduate Center faculty. Work-ing with motivated and bright students who will be-
come the next generation of nursing leaders has been my joy. The most memorable honor of my professional career was the creation of the Keville Frederickson Nurs-
ing Doctoral Scholarship Fund.
Developing international agreements with Mexico and accepting our first international student moved the PhD agenda forward. In the collaboration with the Public Health Doctoral Program through Executive Officer Nicholas Freudenberg, many connections were developed—specifically in London and South Africa. We led an interdisciplinary educational research trip which focused on childhood obesity and food policy. Under the leadership of the current Executive Officer
Donna Nickitas and Deputy Executive Officer Martha Whetsell, the goal of international connections contin-
ues to progress.
My seven years as Director and Executive Officer of the Nursing Research Doctorate has changed my life and led to the fulfillment of a goal that I have long as-pired to achieve: to provide the opportunity for a wide range of students, especially those from under-represented minorities, to enroll in an affordable re-search doctoral program. I will miss the GC and PhD nursing faculty and students but will never forget them.
1 9 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
In Focus: Retired Faculty
CAROL ROYE, EdD, CPNP, RN
I thoroughly enjoyed teaching in the Ph.D. in Nursing Program
at the Graduate Center (GC). I had many years of experience as
a nursing faculty member (at Columbia and Hunter), researcher,
and clinician when I joined the GC faculty. Yet, the experience
of working with doctoral students as a professor in the class-
room and as dissertation sponsor and committee member pre-
sented a wonderful experience for me as I guided doctoral stu-
dents. I learned from them as they explored research topics
which tapped into their passions. Often, it was a shared passion
for adolescent reproductive health which brought us together on
the dissertation path. I spent many hours excitedly looking at
publicly available data on sexually transmitted diseases in ado-
lescents of different ethnic groups with one particular student;
devouring the data and certain aspects of it which had not been
noted by other researchers. Sadly, she was not able to complete
her GC journey, but I plan to continue this important investiga-
tion.
While at Hunter and the GC I continued my own program of
research in HIV/AIDS prevention in adolescent and young
adult women. I formed ongoing research partnerships with GC
faculty whose areas of expertise complement and enhance my
work. In addition, I now have the enormous pleasure of work-
ing with some of our graduates, most recently in my work to
improve nursing education in Haiti. With colleagues, we start-
ed the first Master’s Degree and the first nurse practitioner pro-
gram in Haiti. One of our GC alumnae has joined in this work.
My GC experience remains very much a part of who I am and
the work I am doing now.
Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference
Save-the-Date Professional Development Event
Advising for Fall 2015 Registration
Registration for Fall 2015 Begins
Save-the-Date End of Year Luncheon
Graduation!
Washington, DC April 15th– 17th
April 24th, 2:30-4:00pm location TBA
April 20th-30th
Begins April 30th
May 15th, 2:00-4:00pm in Skylight Conference Rm
May 27th, 5:00pm at Avery Fisher Hall
Calendar of upcoming events
2 0 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
THE KEVILLE FREDERICKSON NURSING
DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
If you wish to donate to The Keville Frederickson Nursing Doctoral Scholarship Fund, please cut and fill
out the cards below.
Donation cards can be mailed to:
The Graduate Center Foundation, Inc.
365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 8204
New York, NY 10016
Or, donation cards can be filed online:
https://community.gc.cuny.edu/annual_fund
2 1 T h e G r a d u a t e C e n t e r , C U N Y P h . D . i n N u r s i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Doctor of Philosophy in
Nursing
The Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue
Room 3317
New York, New York 10016
T: 212.817.7987
F: 212.817.1681