SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Deborah Wachtel

University of Connecticut DNP
Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area:
Dissertation: obstetrics/gynecology; public health

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United States

Ashley Waddell, MS, RN

Photo of Ashley Waddell MS, RN
Director of Government Affairs and Educational Programs Organization of Nurse LeadersAlumni Council Member 2018-2020
Biography

Ashley Waddell PhD, RN, is the Director of Government Affairs and Educational Programs for the Organization of Nurse Leaders MA, RI, CT, NH, & VT. With a passion for education and a strong belief that nurses should influence all levels of health policy, Dr. Waddell’s research and practice interests focus on how nurses participate in health policy and how nursing curricula prepares nurses for such work. Her doctoral studies resulted in the development of a nursing conceptual model and theory-based instrument that is valid and reliable for measuring nurses’ health policy participation. Dr. Waddell has a strong clinical background in pediatric nursing and a contemporary understanding of the political and operational complexities of the health care system. She was a key nurse strategist for the Coalition to Protect Patient Safety, a coalition opposing the 2018 MA ballot question on mandatory nurse staffing ratios, and has established a multi-state structure within the Organization of Nurse Leaders to support nurse leaders to influence state health policy in New England. Dr. Waddell was a 2016-2018 Jonas Nurse Scholar, she currently serves on the Jonas Alumni Council, and she was a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Faculty Policy Think Tank (2015-18). Dr. Waddell’s work has been published in leading journals including Policy, Politics and Nursing Practice; Nursing Science Quarterly; and the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

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Newburyport MA

Jennifer Waggoner-Donald, MS, MSN, PHN, RN

Western University of Health Sciences DNP
Biography

Jennifer Waggoner-Donald obtained her bachelor’s of science degree from Chapman University in kinesiology with a focus in athletic training, and went on to obtain a secondary bachelors in education. She received her primary master’s in sports science from Waikato University in New Zealand. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued an Associate degree in Nursing, obtained her registered nursing license and worked as an emergency room nurse and a mobile intensive care nurse. Afterwards, she went on to work in college health and in nursing education obtaining her bachelors and masters in nursing from Western Govenors University as well as her Public Health Nurse certificate. Currently, she teaches nursing at Riverside City College and is enrolled in the doctorate of nursing practice program at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona. She is also a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing honors society. Jennifer is proud to say her great-grandfather and grandfather were military veterans and currently her husband is in the Air Force Reserves nurse corps. Her dissertation is a joint effort along with her husband William, a fellow Jonas Scholar, focusing on knowledge of college heath nurses when managing concussions among veteran students on campus.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veteran Healthcare – nursing education
Dissertation: management of head injuries among veteran students

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Riverside Ca United States

Lara Wahlberg

Hunter DNP
Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area:
Dissertation: gerontology; oncology/bone marrow transplant; pain and anxiety

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United States

Kristin Wainwright, BSN, BA, RN

Duke University PhD
Biography

Kristin J. Wainwright is a 3rd year PhD student in the Duke University School of Nursing. Her research interests include genetics/genomics nursing, and symptom management in chronic illness. She earned a BA in the Natural Sciences from New College of Florida, a BSN from East Carolina University, and is a graduate of the NIH National Institute of Nursing Research Summer Genetics Institute. Kristin worked most recently in Neurosurgery Research at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, and served on the University and Medical Center IRB. She has taken part in a variety of research projects including a study on Florida Red Tide and human health with Mote Marine Laboratory, an occupational radiation exposure study in Vascular Interventional Radiology with Vidant Medical Center, as well as a multitude of neurosurgery-related clinical and device trials. While at Duke she has assisted with nursing mentorship and leadership projects, and serves as the Executive Secretary for both the Duke University Graduate and Professional Student Council, and the School of Nursing Student Council. For her dissertation she will be exploring symptoms and employment in adults with Multiple Sclerosis. She is married with three cats, and enjoys playing French horn with the Duke Medicine Orchestra.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veterans Healthcare – Other
Dissertation: Specific Symptoms, Pervasive Symptoms, and Employment Status in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis Using the MURDOCK-MS Dataset: A Secondary Analysis

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Durham NC United States

Kyra Waligora, BSN, RN

Johns Hopkins University PhD
Biography

Kyra Waligora graduated summa cum laude from high school with an AA degree and subsequently graduated summa cum laude from Florida Atlantic University with a BSN. She has been employed as a registered nurse in an oncology-hematology unit for approximately two years and is ONS/ONCC chemotherapy and biotherapy certified. As an undergraduate, she collaborated on a variety of research projects, including one which studied stress levels in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers and another which implemented strategies to reduce patient transfers from long term care facilities to acute care settings. She also received funding to pursue her own research study, investigating the impact adult day centers have on memory impaired older adults and their caregivers. Her research interests and passions involve enhancing the health and well-being of people with neurodegenerative diseases by using mind-body complementary and alternative therapies to manage symptoms and improve mobility. Ms. Waligora will be pursuing a nursing PhD at Johns Hopkins University, where she plans to continue research with adult day centers and investigate new, innovative ways to manage symptoms of the cognitively impaired aging population.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Aging/Geriatrics/Long-term care
Dissertation: Symptom Management of Cognitively Impaired Older Adults

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Hollywood FL United States

Cristen Walker, MNE, RN, CNRN, CNE

Photo of Cristen Walker MNE, RN, CNRN, CNE
Indiana University of Pennsylvania PhD
Biography

My professional nursing career began in 1988 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. For several years, I practiced as a certified critical care nurse in various cities including Pittsburgh, Chicago and Scranton. After receiving my master’s degree from Binghamton University in 1996, I practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the specialty of nephrology as well as family practice.

My career as a nurse educator began in 2008, teaching in a practical nursing program, allowing me to discover my love for teaching. In 2014, my role as an educator expanded to the university setting, where I proudly continue to teach as a faculty member at the University of Scranton. My doctoral journey began at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2015. After successfully completing four years of this program, focused on nursing education, I am excitedly preparing to conduct my doctoral research in the fall of 2019. This multi-site study will investigate the impact of an animal-assisted therapeutic intervention, using certified therapy dogs, on various psychological and physiological measures of BSN test anxiety. I have recently been awarded a PHENSA Emerging Nurse Leader Doctoral scholarship on the basis of this study.

I also continue to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner on a volunteer basis at multiple health clinics in the local community, providing care for the vulnerable population. Additionally, I serve as a board member for Nurse Practitioners of Northeastern PA and a committee member for the Collaborative Nursing Network and Nursing Education Consortium in northeast and central Pennsylvania.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Scholar – Preventive Health
“Dissertation: Title: The Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Various Measures of BSN Test Anxiety

This multi-site, quasi-experimental study will examine the impact of an intervention using certified therapy dogs on junior-level baccalaureate nursing student test anxiety. Using a pre/post-test, one group design, multiple measurements of anxiety will be utilized including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults, heart rate, and salivary cortisol levels. It is anticipated that the structured therapy dog intervention will significantly reduce BSN test anxiety prior to a nursing course exam. “

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Pittston PA United States

Mark Walker, MS, RN, CNL, CCRN

University of Maryland PhD
Biography

Mark Walker is a 2011 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing Clinical Nurse Leader program and the recipient of a Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship. As part of his CNL program, his capstone paper addressed spirituality and its importance in nursing care. He has guest lectured on the topic for both undergraduate and graduate courses during his tenure a student and clinical instructor. He began his Doctoral studies at the University of Maryland in 2014 and is researching the impact of compassion on nursing practice and patient outcomes. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Notre Dame of Maryland University and still maintains his bedside practice at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital. With the completion of his doctoral studies he intends to research and implement methods that will improve the quality of nursing education to foster compassion and resilience in the nurses.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Education/Inter-professional education
Dissertation: Understanding Compassion and Compassion Fatigue within Nursing Practice

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Perry Hall MD United States

Dr. Pamela Wall, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAANP

Photo of Dr. Pamela Lynn Herbig Wall PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAANP
Nurse Practitioner Neuropsychiatric Wellness CenterAlumni Council Member 2018-2020
Biography

Pam is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and 20 year veteran of the United States Navy Nurse Corps. Her clinical expertise is in traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder and caregiver fatigue and resiliency. Her program of research is focused on sleep disorders in the military, especially in those with traumatic brain injury. Wall has been a member of a congressionally-appointed panel that developed the curriculum for DoD/VA caregivers of patients with traumatic brain injury and has authored and co-authored several publications that focus on mental health disorders, PTSD, and TBI. She was the progenitor of two psychiatric nurse practitioner programs: at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and at Duke University. Her clinical practice has spanned patient populations from the department of defense, the Veterans Health Administration, private practice, and the United States Peace Corps. Pam is a Jonas Veterans Healthcare Program Scholar (2010-2014).

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8600 Harrington Place Sanford NC 27332

Laura Wallace, MSN, RN

Photo of Laura Wallace MSN, RN
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing PhD

McKenzie Wallace, BSN, BA, RN

Case Western Reserve University PhD
Biography

McKenzie Wallace is a PhD student at Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Her program of research focuses on investigating genetic and lifestyle interactions with inflammation and the development of diseases of pregnancy. Ms. Wallace graduated from the University of Iowa in 2015 with her BSN and BA in International Studies and Global Health. While at the University of Iowa she worked with a research team investigating the interactions between lifestyle behaviors and manifestation of symptoms in a prodromal Huntington Disease population. This experience piqued her interest in the interaction between genes and lifestyle behaviors. While pursing a BA in International Studies and Global health, Ms. Wallace became particularly interested in maternal health and mortality. In her PhD program, Ms. Wallace is marrying her interests in lifestyle behaviors, genetics, and maternal health in her dissertation, which will investigate the associations between the LPA gene variants, physical activity, fat mass, stress, inflammation levels, and pregnancy induced hypertension and gestational diabetes. Ms. Wallace is a student liaison for the Emerging Scholars Network with MNRS and chair of the PhD Student Nursing Association at CWRU.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Women’s and Children’s Health
Dissertation: Piecing together the puzzle: a prospective, longitudinal analysis measuring associations among genetic and modifiable determinates of inflammation, inflammation biomarkers, and pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes

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Cleveland Ohio United States

Jessica Wallar, BSN, RN

Photo of Jessica Wallar BSN, RN
Northeastern University PhD
Biography

In 2015, Jessica graduated with honors, earning her BSN degree from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. She moved to the Boston area with her husband, who is a graduate student at MIT. Jessica passed the NCLEX Nursing exam on her first try and for the past several years she worked as a staff nurse on a medical surgical unit. In September 2017 Jessica matriculated to the Northeastern University Nursing PhD Program as a full time, post-BSN student. She has excelled academically and as a teaching assistant for our undergraduate program. For 2018-19 she will be a TA/RA for Dr. Lisa Duffy who is an expert in neurological nursing and studies young adult patients with multiple sclerosis. Jessica is an excellent writer and prior to her doctoral program, she was an author on three non-refereed clinical publications. Jessica has a strong interest in autoimmune diseases and long-term conditions as well as in the health and well-being of older adults. This summer, she is completing a research practicum in the Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, working with a post-doctorate nurse scientist under the guidance of Donna Berry, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Scholar – Chronic Health
Dissertation: The dissertation title is not yet decided upon as this is still in development.

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Cambridge MA United States

Alvin Walters, BSN, RN

University of San Francisco DNP
Biography

Alvin Walters grew up near Seattle, WA. After completing his BSN at Washington State University in Spokane, he began working for Seattle Children’s Hospital in the emergency department. In 2014 Alvin was accepted into the University of San Francisco’s BSN to DNP program, Family Nurse Practitioner track. Shortly after moving to the bay area Alvin began working for Stanford Health Care in their pediatric emergency department, which is where he works today. Alvin’s masters and doctoral research focuses on combating health disparities seen in low income populations. An example of this is his work with the Jonas foundation. For this work Alvin will be creating evidence based treatment pathways for pediatric patients presenting to rural emergency departments. These patients often have no reliable access to primary care services, face unique environmental challenges such as mold and pesticides, and must rely on emergency rooms for all of their care. Sadly small rural ED’s are not well designed to perform this function, and have little if no access to experienced pediatric healthcare providers. By designing realistic, functional, and easily implemented treatment pathways, Alvin will be able to bring the most current evidence based care to the patients in these settings. In the future, Alvin plans to continue working for a research/ teaching Magnet status hospital while simultaneously opening his own clinic for low income populations. Implementing his doctoral research in this way, Alvin hopes to bring the most current evidence based practice to the populations who need it the most.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Other
Dissertation: Bundle of Joy: Evidence Based Treatment Pathways for Pediatric Patients Presenting to Rural Emergency Departments

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San Francisco California United States

AnnMarie Lee Walton

University of Utah PhD
Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area:
Dissertation: Health & Social Justice, Oncology, Qualitative & Mixed-Methods Research Methodology, Systems/Policy/Informatics; (rural/farmer healthcare (pesticides) during doctoral studies)

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United States

Nayomi Walton, BSN

University of Connecticut PhD
Biography

I am in my fourth year in the PhD program at the University of Connecticut. My research interests include improving quality of life and quality of care for persons with dementia. I have a passion for caring for older adults and caring for patients with dementia, which has led me to starting a career on a geriatric psychiatric unit.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Aging/Geriatrics/Long-term care
Dissertation: Improving Transitions of Care for Persons with Dementia

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Windsor CT United States

Kimberly Waltrip, APRN-BC

University of Missouri-St. Louis PhD
Biography

Kimberly Waltrip is a Ph.D student in the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Her research interest is low back pain and related musculoskeletal disorders of the lumbar spine. She received a BSN from Southeast Missouri State University and a MSN from Vanderbilt University. Kimberly worked in general, progressive, and intensive care areas at Vanderbilt Medical Center as a neuroscience staff RN, then as an advanced practice nurse for Vanderbilt Neurosurgery before transferring to a faculty position. She was a clinical instructor and lecturer for BSN and MSN students at Belmont University and Vanderbilt University. Her professional experience includes staff positions at Barnes-Jewish Hospital as a Clinical Educator for the neuroscience progressive and intensive care areas, and as a Patient Safety Quality Improvement specialist in the Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management. She continues in a nurse expert role, reviewing neuro and critical care issues in her part-time work as a legal consultant. Kimberly has served on various hospital committees and task forces, developing standardized patient care protocols and documentation for nursing staff, policies and procedures, physician order sets, patient and nursing education materials, and curriculum redesign for nursing orientation, working toward goals for safer clinical practice, performance and quality improvement, and increased staff recruitment and retention rates.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Low back pain/Neurosurgery or Occupational Health
Dissertation: Low back pain in the neurosurgical patient or in the healthcare worker

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St. Louis MO United States

Lee Ann Waltz, CNE

University of Texas Medical Branch PhD
Biography

Lee Ann Waltz, MSN, RN, CNE has been a full time nursing faculty member at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas since 2007 and is currently pursuing a PhD in nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch. A Registered Nurse since 1986, she began her career with an associate degree from McLennan Community College and subsequently obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She has held multiple leadership positions in geriatric nursing, including Program Director of an outpatient geriatric mental health center, Director of Nursing at a long term care facility, and Primary Nurse Planner of CNE activities for mmLearn.org at Morningside Ministries. Her ambitions include contributing to the improvement of care provided to older adults and inspiring students to do the same. Her research interests include best practices for geriatric curriculums in pre-licensure nursing programs and quality of life issues related to care of older adults.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Anticipated Research: Care of Older Adults
Dissertation: Anticipated Dissertation: Investigating best practices for improving geriatric competencies of BSN students

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San Antonio TX United States

Serge Wandji, MSN, MBA, RN-BC, NEA-BC, CNL

Photo of Serge Wandji MSN, MBA, RN-BC, NEA-BC, CNL
University of South Carolina PhD

YanYan Wang

Photo of YanYan Wang
Wayne State University DNP
Biography

YanYan Wang earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Michigan State University in 2011 and he is currently enrolled in the BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program (psych-mental health specialty) in the College of Nursing at WSU. YanYan moved to the U.S. from Shanghai, China in 2006 to begin a pre-nursing program at Western Michigan University. Despite the hardships of overcoming multiple language barriers and cultural dissonance, he was on the Dean’s list at two different universities. As adolescent in his country of origin, he experienced a cousin with severe autism who required an immediate psychiatric hospitalization. This experience of having to restrain and visit his physically restrained cousin has shaped his career choice. His bi-cultural health care experiences of acute psychiatric crises in China and in Detroit have stimulated his passion to improve the care of mentally ill individuals and advocate for the best care possible. Since his graduation in 2011 from Michigan State University, YanYan has worked in geriatric, emergency room, emergency and inpatient psychiatric settings. Currently, he practices in the inpatient psych/med unit at St John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit and inpatient psychiatric units at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Mt Clemens. His experience of working with the vulnerable population in urban settings has inspired him of having a special interest in reducing aggressive patient behaviors and the use of coercive measures in acute psychiatric care environment, and YanYan intends to focus his DNP final project on this topic.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Scholar – Psych-Mental Health
Dissertation: Anticipated project title ” Reducing physical restraint use in acute psychiatric care settings through utilizing a nursing assessment tool linked to intervention decision making algorithm for early recognition and prevention of aggressive patient behaviors”

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Roseville Michigan United States

Casey Wangen, RN

University of Minnesota DNP
Biography

Casey Wangen is enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program specializing in nurse anesthesia at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. Casey received his Masters of Nursing degree with honors at the University of Minnesota in 2011 where he served as Vice-President of the National Student Nurses’ Association and member of the Nursing College Board. He is an active member of the Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Casey earned his Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science from Minnesota State University Moorhead in Moorhead, MN where he received honors including a Distinction in Engagement and named one of MSUM’s greatest grads. Casey’s nursing experience has primarily been as a critical care registered nurse working in medical and surgical intensive care units as well as in the emergency department. In his three-year nursing career, Casey has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses as well as a Guardian Angel Award for exceptional patient care. He is currently a nurse anesthesia trainee at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. For his doctoral scholarly project, Casey is focusing on optimizing awakening patients who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the emergence phase of anesthesia to minimize triggering events and experiencing flashbacks.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veteran Healthcare – Nurse Anesthesia
Dissertation: Emergence Protocol for patients diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Crookston MN United States