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

Kwame Wiredu-Mensah, MSN, RN

Fairleigh Dickinson University DNP
Biography

Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Fairleigh Dickinson University New Jersey, I have practiced as a staff nurse on a medical-surgical unit for five years and as a nurse leader in an inpatient medical-surgical/oncology and hemodialysis unit for five years. Currently, I function as the Administrative Nurse Manager in an ambulatory care setting comprising of internal medicine and pediatrics. I earned my Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration from New York University (NYU), NY. My research interests for the DNP program are health disparities and population health. While at NYU, I was selected as a research assistant to participate in a study at a leading teaching hospital in Ghana, West Africa. The study focused on staff nurses knowledge about pediatric resuscitation. I was called to join the Golden Key International Honor Society when I was a student at Lehman College. I have served as the church clerk, health and temperance director and as an education director at the North Bronx Ghana Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Bronx NY. I am hoping to complete the DNP program at FDU in Spring of 2018.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Global Health
Dissertation: The focus of my capstone will be related to population health and diabetes

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Bronx NY United States

Dora Wischik, MSN, RN-BC

Photo of Dora Wischik MSN, RN-BC
Yale University PhD
Biography

Dora Lendvai Wischik, RN was recently accepted to pursue her doctorate education in Nursing Science at Yale University’s School of Nursing under the mentorship of Robin Whittemore, RN FAAN. Dora has worked as a research nurse and study coordinator for national, VA-funded clinical trials at the West Los Angeles Healthcare system since 2014. Prior to her full-time engagement in research, she has worked as a bedside nurse at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dora comes from a diverse background. As a native of Hungary, she has immigrated to the US to further her education and completed her BA in Political Science at Rutgers University with a full athletic scholarship. She has gained experience at a political think tank in New York City, then as a research analyst and administrative assistant at Southern California Public Radio before changing her career and pursuing nursing. Dora has a strong motivation to help and assist underserved populations in their healing and ask research questions that could mitigate today’s health problems. Most remarkably she travelled to Uganda on a nursing mission trip with UCLA to provide medical care to remote areas of the region. Additionally, she recently completed a self-initiated, 6-month research project at the West Los Angeles VA in the goal of finding nursing interventions that bring safer relief to patients’ anxiety and pain during invasive cardiac catheterization. Dora along with her husband and son has relocated to New Haven, CT to pursue her PhD at Yale starting in Fall 2018.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Scholar – Chronic Health
Dissertation: Topic: Nursing Management of Effective Lifestyle Modifications in Veterans diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes Description: My dissertation will be focusing on identifying a cost-effective and impactful lifestyle modification nursing intervention that will be targeted to veterans diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Over 80 million Americans are diagnosed with this health condition and are expected to further develop diabetes (type 2) during their adult life. Lifestyle modifications – such as healthy eating, exercise, social networking, purposeful living with constant cognitive challenges and spirituality are all known to help offset the development of this chronic disease. Nurses are in a unique and primary role in helping and supporting patients to help find the most effective ways to get back into better health. As a nurse working with veterans and conducting research studies over the past 7 years, I would like to focus my efforts on this patient group.

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Hamden CT United States

Denise Kelsey Wishner, PHN, CLC, CCM

University of California-San Francisco PhD
Biography

Ms. Wishner has completed the second year of the UCSF Nursing Doctoral program and is writing her qualification exams. Her field of study and dissertation focuses on a critical component of quality palliative care – how well clinicians honor patients’ pre-stated wishes for their end-of-life. Ms. Wishner brings to her work an array of experiences that provide a solid base to her work and support her ability to achieve her educational goals and become a leader in her area of study. Ms. Wishner is a healthcare ethicist, the ethics consultation coordinator, and the IntegratedEthics® Program Officer at the VA Long Beach in California where she continues as a full-time employee. As the leader of the ethics service for the past six years, she has been successful at leading the various ethics committees that fall under the IntegratedEthics® program towards increasing Veterans’ communication of their end-of-life healthcare choices. In her role she manages two of the three core functions of IntegratedEthics®: ethics consultation and preventive ethics. Preventive ethics is the quality branch of ethics whose focus it is to narrow ethics quality gaps that are found within the facility, and the consultation branch is charged with both clinical and organizational ethical dilemmas. Ms. Wishner began ICU Ethics rounds at her facility where she is able to teach medicine and nursing trainees how to be more comfortable with end of life and goals of care discussions.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veteran Healthcare – Clinical Ethics
Dissertation: The Ethics of End of Life care

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Long Beach CA United States

Jennifer Withall, MS, RN

Molloy College PhD
Biography

Jennifer Withall is currently pursuing her PhD in nursing, with concentrations in health policy, leadership, and research at Molloy College, in Rockville Centre, NY. She earned her AAS in nursing at Ulster Community College, while simultaneously pursuing her BS in organizational leadership and communication at Marist College. She continued her education at SUNY New Paltz, where she completed her MS in nursing, with a concentration in adult health. She is credentialed as an Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. Jennifer has practiced nursing for more than ten years. Her first five years were spent at the bedside, where she worked with medical-surgical and critical care patients. She then transitioned into a nursing leadership role at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Hospital for Joint Diseases. Presently, Jennifer is an Assistant Nurse Manager on an inpatient medical-surgical unit, which specializes in the care of patients undergoing large-joint replacement orthopedic surgeries. She maintains specialty certifications in Progressive Care Nursing (PCCN) and Orthopedic Nursing (ONC). Jennifer is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders (NYONEL). A main clinical interest for Jennifer is working with older adults. She intends to focus her doctoral work on research designed to examine quality of life issues specific to the older adult population. Jennifer aspires to become nurse scientist at the completion of her doctoral work. She is hopeful that her enthusiasm for nursing research will inspire future nurse researchers, as well.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Aging/Geriatrics/Long-term care
Dissertation: Using data to examine quaity of life issues in older adults

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Farmingdale NY United States

Danielle Wofford, BSN, RN

Arizona State University PhD
Biography

Danielle Wofford, R.N. is an E.R. nurse and a PhD student at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University. Danielle’s current research centers on understanding health disparities and exploring the concept of wellness in refugee populations. She has experience with refugees both locally and internationally. Prior to ASU, Danielle served as an educator, volunteer and international aid nurse in Egypt, Haiti, Kenya, and Belgium (to name a few places). As a nurse manager for Aswan Heart Centre in Aswan, Egypt, Danielle assisted in building acute care environments for vulnerable populations as well as created care delivery models and nurse education curriculum. This experience drove her forward to pursue her PhD from Arizona State University. Ultimately, her goal is to pursue a career as a nursing faculty and contribute to the advancement of nursing research in holistic health and wellness in vulnerable populations.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Global Health
Dissertation: Introducing Caring Science to Syrian refugees

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Tempe AZ United States

Avi Wofsy, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Photo of Avi Wofsy MSN, PMHNP-BC
Emory University PhD

Robyn Wojeck, MSN, FNP-C, APRN

Photo of Robyn Wojeck MSN, FNP-C, APRN
Duke University PhD
Biography

Robyn Wojeck earned her BSN from the University of Miami in 2014 and her MSN from Vanderbilt University in 2015. While at the University of Miami, she was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing as well as Mortar Board Honor Society. During her nursing studies, she was selected for the VA Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR) program where she began working with veterans living with multiple chronic diseases. Additionally, Robyn worked as a research assistant during this time, which ignited her passion for nursing research. Upon graduation from Vanderbilt University with her MSN, Robyn began working as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in the emergency department at several large, urban Level 1 Trauma Centers. Robyn is currently a PhD student at Duke University School of Nursing and her research interests focus on the impact of chronic illness, specifically in those living with autoimmune diseases.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Scholar – Chronic Health
Dissertation: The Symptom Experience of Living with Systemic Sclerosis

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Durham NC United States

Alexander Wolf, CCRN

University of Virginia DNP
Biography

I have been a registered nurse since graduating with my BSN from the Loretto Heights School of Nursing at Regis University in 2010. In three years of clinical practice as a registered nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Denver Health, I founded the hospital’s ICU Delirium Journal Club and worked on several quality improvement team projects, including the development of the hospital’s “Sepsis Alert” protocol in 2013. In the fall of 2013, I began graduate study in the dual-track BSN-DNP program for Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist at the University of Virginia. In addition to facilitating rapid response simulations for medical and nursing students, I am collaborating with fellow nursing and medical students in developing a student-run free clinic to provide urgent care services and health coaching to underserved members of the Charlottesville community. Additionally, I serve as a leader of the HeArt of Medicine initiative, an inter-professional project that fosters an art-focused exploration and discussion of end-of-life topics between medical and nursing students. My clinical interests include palliative care, cognitive impairment, and geriatric health promotion.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veteran Healthcare – Palliative care
Dissertation: Transforming palliative care through inter-professional collaboration and education(anticipated)

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Charlottesville VA United States

Ian Wolfe, BA, RN, CCRN

University of Minnesota PhD
Biography

I am currently a PhD student in the nursing department at the University of Minnesota. In addition to my PhD work I am pursuing MA degree in the center for bioethics. I have worked in burn and pediatric intensive care units. In addition to nursing, I completed a bachelor’s degree in philosophy with a focus on illness and relational ethics. My interests are in pediatrics, ethics, and social justice. I have attended the Nurse in Washington Internship and participated in my state internship planning committee, as well as chairing thelocal chapter of the AACN’s research committee. I have also chaired and participated in many other critical care committees. My area of study and interest is the bioethics of medical complexity. I am interested in the competing values that medical complexity elicits, which influences policy, law, ethics, and practice. Social justice and equity are the overall fundamental driving forces behind this pursuit towards the allocation of resources based on health care obligations and needs. In particular I am interested in how rescue grants moral legitimacy in healthcare and creates disparate domains of health between private and public health. My research is informed by critical realism, which seeks to identify causal mechanisms and structures that underlie observable phenomena. My work is integrative and acknowledges the need to utilize mixed methods. Overall my area of research utilizes qualitative methods such as narrative inquiry, case study, and ethnography. Social justice, systems theory, critical realism, integral theory, feminist theory, and bioethics inform my research.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veterans Healthcare – Policy and Leadership
Dissertation: “How does this happen?” A critical realist approach to complexity in pediatrics after rescue in a particular case.

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Minneapolis MN United States

Jerome Wray, MPH, MS, RN, CNS

Photo of Jerome U. Wray MPH, MS, RN, CNS
University of Cincinnati PhD

Crystal Wright

University of Virginia PhD
Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area:
Dissertation: N/A

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United States

Lauren Wright, RN

University of South Florida PhD
Biography

My name is Lauren, a 25 year old Nurse Practitioner and PhD student at the University of South with a focus in psychoneuroimmunology. I am passionate about preventative health in the global community and utilization of integrative medicine to improve health outcomes. The opportunity to further my education came in the form of an invitation to study abroad in India for four weeks with the support of the Benjamin A. Gillman International Scholarship. This comprehensive clinical and cultural immersion experience provided the opportunity to impart health care and patient education during clinical rotations in the underserved community of Dehradun, Patti, and Rishikesh while receiving didactic and hands on education in traditional medicine systems. Studying Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Reiki and their interactions with Allopathic medicine under trained practitioners has provided a fundamental foundation necessary to reach my goals: my personal goal of providing compassionate care, professional goal of Adult Nurse Practitioner and Scientist, and academic goal of researching integrative medicine and psychoneuroimmunology. Working towards these goals included interning at the Florida Naturopathic Physician’s Association (FNPA) as Fundraising Chair, where I have gained leadership experience by collaborating with numerous health care professionals. During a research assistantship with holistic company, Medicine Talk, I gained experience with synthesis of evidence based articles to improve patient education. Currently, I work as a Graduate Research Assistant with Sigma Theta Tau International hall of fame Scientist, Dr. Munro, on a capstone Frequency of Oral Care Interventions Study to determine optimal toothbrushing frequency for mechanically ventilated adults.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veterans Healthcare – Global Health
Dissertation: The impact of mindfulness based stress reduction on the microbiome in pregnant Veterans

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Tampa Fl United States

Salena Wright-Brown

Duquesne University PhD
Biography

I am currently pursuing PhD in Nursing at Duquesne University. I have worked for the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in a variety of Advanced Practice and leadership roles, including as APN in Emergency Department, Cardiac Evaluation clinics and Occupational Health and as the Manager for the Clinical Support Section. Currently I am the Associate Director, Patient Care Services at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and detailed to the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Medical Center in Jackson as their Associate Director, Patient Care Services. My research interests include the effect of violence, espeically in the health care work site. I also have interest in the use of informatics in health care and have served as the technical liaison in previous roles in the VHA and currently as the co-chair of the national barcode oversight committee. Additionally I have served as the chair of the Nursing Practice Transformation workgroup for the VHA Office of Nursing Service, a role which afforded me the opportunity for input to the operational aspects of portions of the strategic plan. I have dual post graduate certifcations in forensic nursing and forensic science and have served part time as deputy coroner. In 2013, I was awarded the Graham/Tucker award for the City of Lowell, Arkansas for service as chair of the Planning Commission.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veteran Healthcare – Violence in Healthcare
Dissertation: Registered Nurses injured by violence while on duty in Emergency Departments

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Lowell AR United States

Linden Wu

PhD, MSN, BSN, RN University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Biography

Linden Wu earned her PhD ’19, MSN ’19, BSN ’14 at the University of Pittsburgh. Her dissertation examined the relationship among cyber dating abuse, binge drinking and emotion dysregulation. She has expanded her nursing research skills through receipt of multiple fellowships supported by the National Institute of Health, a fellowship with the GetWellNetwork’s O’Neil Center focusing on patient engagement using technologic tools, a fellowship with the Jewish Healthcare Foundation Feinstein Patient Safety Fellowship, participation in federally-funded research studies with well-established mentors, and presentations at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Linden is currently working as a Clinical Integration Specialist in the quality improvement department of a local hospital. She works to coordinate quality improvement and research projects/ initiatives. Her role is to ensure and introduce evidence based based standards and best practices at the hospital.

Linden has worked as an informatics nurse (2019-2020), a position that has allowed her to expand her knowledge regarding electronic health records, serve as an internal consultant to staff and create sustainable end user engagement. She has participated at system-wide go lives, educating staff regarding the transitions to the electronic health record, and new technological applications. Previously, she worked as a clinical psychiatric nurse (2015-2019) on an integrated health and aging program, where she had the privilege of caring for patients with co-occurring diagnoses including depression, suicide ideation, and post traumatic stress disorder, bandaging their wounds, and advocating for their health needs.

Kerry Wulpern, BSN

University of Michigan-Flint DNP
Biography

Kerry Wulpern has completed two years of a four year program at the University of Michigan at Flint, planning to graduate May 2016 receiving an Adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and Doctorate of Nursing Practice degrees. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Norwich University in 2010. She currently works on a step down cardiology unit at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. After starting her career in cardiology it soon became very obvious to Kerry that she had grown quite fond of the heart failure patient population, it is in this area that she hopes to specialize as a nurse practitioner. She is an active participant on the heart failure committee to improve patient education and decrease readmission rates. When Kerry isn’t working or doing school work she likes to spend time volunteering, most recently participating in a blood pressure clinic at local community dinners. She likes to spend time participating in outdoor activities, alpine skiing, kayaking, playing golf, spending time at the water, and playing with her American Bulldog Daisy.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Heart Failure
Dissertation: Heart Failure

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Lebanon NH United States

Renee Wynn, CRNP, MSN, WHNP-BC

Photo of Renee Wynn CRNP, MSN, WHNP-BC
Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing DNP

Jiayun Xu

Johns Hopkins PhD
Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area:
Dissertation: family caregivers; care transitions; elderly; chronic disease

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United States

Sherry Yamamoto, MS, RN, CCRN

University of California-San Francisco PhD
Biography

Sherry L. Yamamoto is a doctoral student at the University of California San Francisco with a focus on health policy and palliative care. Her interest in health policy stems from her extensive clinical background that traverses the life spectrum, from labor and delivery to critical care. She believes that nurses have the knowledge, strength, and expertise to contribute to rational and effective policy making that affects our health care system and individual health. Sherry’s experiences with death and dying as both a clinician, as well as a friend and daughter, sparked her passion for palliative care and improving the communication and care provided to those living with serious illness. She received her Master’s degree in Health Policy Nursing from the University of California San Francisco and also works in the Medical Center in a supervisory role. Her doctoral research is focused on policy issues surrounding advance care planning and end-of-life outcomes for those without surrogate decision makers.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Nurse Leader – Policy and Leadership
Dissertation: Palliative and End-of-Life Care for the Unbefriended

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San Francisco CA United States

Teresa Yambo

Rush University PhD
Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area:
Dissertation: psychiatric-mental health (military spouses of veterans with PTSD)

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United States

Kamla Yancy, ACLS, TNCC, BLS

Wayne State University DNP
Biography

Kamla Yancy is a retired Chief Master Sargent in the United States Air Force. Ms. Yancy received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University Of Detroit Mercy School Of Nursing, Detroit, Michigan, and a Bachelor of Computer Science Degree from Rochester College, Rochester, Michigan and an Associate’s Degree of Allied Health from the Community College of the Air Force. She is a current Doctoral student at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Ms. Yancy’s nursing career includes over 25 years of progressively complex clinical and administrative assignments and a graduate of the National Defense University, Joint Force Staff College and has created strategic educational plans for military deployments. Prior nursing roles include Nursing Services Administrator, Manager, and Clinical Educator, specializing in Information Systems managing the deployment of over $2M in assets within government organizations. Her background includes Emergency Department and Level 2 trauma, Trauma Nurse Core Course, with prior nursing roles in Intensive Care, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonary, Surgery, Family Practice, Orthopedic, and Immunizations. Ms. Yancy is a member of the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners, Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority, and a member of the ED Unit practice council. Her DNP capstone interest involves cardiovascular risk reduction with the use of motivational interviewing.

Notes

Research/Clinical Practice Area: Jonas Veteran Healthcare – Family Nurse Practitioner
Dissertation: Implementing Motivational Interviewing to Women who have or at risk for Cardiovascular disease

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Detroit MI United States