RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND FIELDS OF STUDY

Professors and students in the School of Nursing conduct research under the organizing framework of empowerment in client, student and health care settings across three related fields of study:

Faculty research interests and supervision

LEADERSHIP IN NURSING EDUCATION

This field of study addresses a range of issues, concepts, and theories relevant to Nursing Education, including learning theories, principles of teaching and learning, curriculum and faculty development, and classroom, clinical evaluation and program evaluation. Students have an opportunity to collaboratively design and develop curriculum, focus their assignments on areas of particular interest., and conduct research on the issues and processes inherent in contemporary nursing education. Graduate students examine, reflect, critique, apply and research humanistic, participatory, and educational processes in nursing education in a variety of contexts.

Key areas of research include:

  • Mentoring of Students and New Graduates
  • Models of Interprofessional Education
  • Distributive Learning Strategies
  • Clinical Teaching and Learning
  • Curriculum Development and Evaluation
  • Faculty Development

NURSING LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALING

This field focuses on the development and evolution of knowledge about health promotion and healing, both within and outside of nursing. In this context, health promotion addresses the processes by which individuals, families, and communities attempt to gain control of their health and attain a desired level of quality life, regardless of the challenges they face. Healing focuses on these processes during a period of illness. Both Health Promotion and Healing emphasize the development of personal and social capacities and strategies for improving access to the determinants of health in clients experiencing varied health and social challenges across a multitude of settings. The creation of policies and systems that support health, including those in the health care sector, are considered.

Key areas of research include:

  • Trauma, Violence and Health Across the Lifepsan
  • Post-Partum Depression
  • Homelessness and Mental Health
  • Healthy Aging & Senior’s Independence
  • Health Literacy and Health Informatics
  • Health Promotion/Healing Strategies & Interventions
  • Women’s Health
  • Living with Chronic Illness

NURSING LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERY

This field provides nurses with the theoretical knowledge and perspectives which underpin the organization of patient care services across the continuum of care. The curriculum integrates knowledge from the disciplines of nursing, social sciences, business, and public administration and provides students with opportunities to study and apply concepts and approaches that address pressing issues and challenges in today’s health care environments. The focus is on the application of theoretical frameworks and research from contemporary organizational theory and management sciences to the understanding of organizational and care delivery structures and processes, including leadership strategies for effective human resource management.

Key areas of research include:

  • Workplace Civility in Health Care
  • Health and Well-Being of Nurses
  • Models of Clinical Leadership
  • Empowerment in Health Care Settings
  • Organization and Delivery of Health Services
  • Nursing Leadership and Client Outcomes

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