SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

I am a doctoral research student at the University of San Diego. My dissertation focus is on palliative care assessments in the emergency department with a focus on family readiness to discuss end of life issues in the emergency department. I have been a nurse for over 30 years with a very diverse background serving in both clinical and administrative roles. Currently, I am a Senior Nursing Director, over two campuses, responsible for emergency services, critical care, endoscopy and operations supervisors. Typically, the emergency departments are overcrowded with patients and families who lack the necessary knowledge and resources to be cared for in the right place for the right reason. Nurses need to be equipped with the appropriate instruments and tools to assist families and patients to access needed resources. Limited access to care, coupled with rising medical costs makes this dissertation topic a much needed research topic for the near future.