Amella heads nursing research agendaby Cindy AbolePublic Relations Fostering new research opportunities while guiding nursing faculty and students in new directions is the aim of nurse educator Elaine Amella, Ph.D., R.N., the College of Nursing’s new associate dean for research. A geriatric nurse practitioner, Amella came to MUSC in 1999 to help launch the CON’s geriatric nurse practitioner track. Not only is she certified and experienced to teach graduate and post-graduate advanced practice nurses, Amella is a nationally recognized researcher in aging and geriatric care nursing, specifically studying cognitive impairments among older adults. Last month, she was named by the college’s leadership to guide and coordinate nursing’s research agenda. “The College of Nursing is well positioned to engage in a focused research initiative, and Dr. Amella is the ideal person to lead us in this important endeavor,” said Gail W. Stuart, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the College of Nursing. “Dr. Amella brings a unique combination of scientific rigor, facilitative mentorship, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This is the exact combination of skills I believe we need in this position to build a successful research enterprise in the college.” Amella’s announcement follows the tone set by nursing’s revised 2002 strategic plan, which encourages the integration of nursing education, practice and research activities, and an increase in extramurally funded research work. “Our state has great health care needs that can benefit from good nursing care,” Amella said, citing South Carolina’s challenges in rural health care, health disparities, and the wavering support of the state’s trauma centers. “The College of Nursing has a strong culture and great tradition to support nursing education, which also places it in an ideal position to conduct translational research.” For nearly 30 years, the college has main-tained an active research presence within the community. With the expansion of a master’s program in 1976, research activities grew within the Lowcountry and throughout the state. Community programs involving the elderly, the state’s African-American population, and other health disparities sowed the seeds of effective academic community partnerships and funded research activities including the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina, Charleston’s Enterprise/MUSC Neighborhood Health Program, Healthy Aging Project, the REACH 2010 Charleston/George-town Diabetes Coalition, Project Export, Health-e-AME Faith-Based Physical Activity Program, and other projects. Through the years, much of nursing’s research funding relied on foundational, private, and federal support. A large portion of funding comes from training grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Communicable Disease Center, as well as state grants through the Healthy S.C. Initiative. But the addition of a nursing doctoral program in 2001 sparked the need for more active community nurse scholars, statewide collaboration, and mentorship. Amella will work closely with nursing faculty in building their research skills as principal investigators and active collaborators with faculty across campus. “We need to focus our research on how we can effectively tackle the state’s health disparities and other issues like community health, end-of-life care, and chronic illness management,” Amella said. “The department has a chance to help move the college and its faculty ahead by addressing these issues and making connections with statewide agencies and resources to help minimize barriers.” Important to nursing’s research foundation is its relationship with other clinical facilities including the Ralph H. Johnson Veteran's Administration Medical Center. For more than 25 years, both undergraduate and graduate nursing students have gained valuable clinical experiences at the VA. Some nursing faculty also have enjoyed joint appointments with the VA facility, and the college anticipates additional opportunities for further collaboration as both institutions expand in size and scope. MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., and John Raymond, M.D., vice president for academic affairs and provost, have helped shape the research dimensions of the institution, Amella said. The college has maintained a great tradition in nursing education. Support from both Greenberg and Raymond has been invaluable to nursing’s mission. Their vision and planning have expanded the college’s interests as they continue to serve local communities and the state. Amella also supports the college’s interest in training and preparing its career nursing scholars. According to Amella, nursing, like other career disciplines, is an applied profession where graduates are primarily prepared to practice. In her own experience, Amella was groomed as a researcher, but was not prepared in the fundamental skills as a teacher. Today, the college's curriculum offers a mentored teaching course and other electives to prepare master’s students and doctoral research candidates in curriculum development and instructional design to become the next generation of nursing faculty. “We are delighted that Dr. Amella has assumed this position and believe that the College of Nursing will see significant growth in its research goals in the days to come under her scholarship, leadership and mentorship,” Stuart said. CON Office of Research
Friday, March 19, 2004
|
|