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By
Rorry Zahourek, PhD, PMHCNS, BC
Coordinator for Research
The 2011
AHNA Conference was wonderful, exciting and a chance for
AHNA's research efforts to shine. Many participants during
the conference approached me saying, "I have this great idea
for a project, can I talk with you about it?" The passion
experienced from the presentations and posters was
infectious. In fact, this year's grant recipient, Bonnie
Berk, was so stimulated when she attended last year's
workshop, "Birthing a Research Project," that she submitted
the award winning research proposal for this year!
Five
research papers were presented and nine research posters
were displayed. The full day pre-conference conducted by
Richard Cowling: The Holistic Nursing Avatar: Embodying
Wholeness in Praxis" provided insights and strategies for
practitioners, researchers and educators who wish to ground
their works in wholeness and pattern appreciation.
Bernadette Lange, Carla Mariano, and Ruth McCaffery,
presented the pre-conference workshop, "The Sacred Glow of
Understanding Research: The IMRAD method for Qualitative and
Quantitative Approaches". IMRAD is an acronym for the
research process: introduction, methods, results, and
discussion. The preliminary analysis of the "Stories of
Healing From Holistic Nurses" study presentation by the AHNA
members, Marlaine Smith, Diane Wardell, Joan Engebretson,
Mary Hines and Rorry Zahourek.
Research is
an important part of the conference each year. It provides
an opportunity to hear papers on completed research, view
posters and discuss new ideas for research with holistic
nursing colleagues. The conference also allows time for
networking and sharing with one another about research
ideas, and challenges that face us in holistic nursing.
Each year
conference evaluations ask that the next conference contain
more advanced content and more research based findings.
Please consider submitting a presentation, paper or poster
for 2012 to add to the quality and potency of the Conference
and holistic nursing research and practice. As a reminder
the deadline for submission of posters and research papers
will be extended this year to December 1st. All other
research presentations (workshops, panels, and more lengthy
presentations) must be submitted by next month on September
7th. See the
Request for Proposals on the AHNA website.
Also please make sure you fill out the survey of research
needs in AHNA that was sent from Colleen Delaney and her
students titled "We need your voice".
Click here to take the online survey. |
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Research Profile: Kay Sandor PhD, RN, LPC, AHN-BC |
Interview by Jen Reich MA, MS,
ANP-BC, ACHPN
As a palliative care
practitioner, hospice volunteer,
advanced holistic nurse, and
licensed professional counselor,
Dr. Sandor specializes in
spirituality and bringing a
compassionate presence to
end-of-life care. She is
currently a Professor at the
University of Texas Medical
Branch School of Nursing at
Galveston where she teaches the
nationally recognized
interprofessional course
entitled "Spirituality in
Clinical Care" for nursing,
medical, and health professions
students. Dr. Sandor was a
keynote speaker at the 2011 AHNA
Conference.
1.
How would you describe your
experience presenting [as the
final] keynote [speaker] at
conference?
I was honored and humbled when I
was first invited to speak. I'm
always looking for ways to share
my work as an end-of-life
practitioner and educator, and
this gathering provided a
powerful venue. As you know, the
end-of-life is not a topic we
speak about easily in our
culture; however holistic nurses
are generally more open, so I
felt I was speaking to kindred
spirits. Even though I was
"preaching to the choir," I
received feedback from my
evaluations that many had
learned new things to take back
to their practice and to their
personal lives. My hope is that
the web of connection created at
the annual conference will go on
and on as we continue to share
about this important final (?)
phase.
2. Tell me about how you
got started in end-of-life work.
As I explained in my Keynote
"tickler" on the opening night
of the conference, I have been
on this path my whole life. It
began in my early childhood and
it's linked to the death of my
brother, Joey. I was born after
Joey's death and we share
birthdays. I have come to
realize that it was my "soul's
code" to focus on this work. In
retrospect, I have had
experience after experience to
prepare my mind, body, and
spirit to share this practice
with the actively dying, and
with students, and the larger
community. It's the most
rewarding and the hardest work
I've ever done. I've learned
that the tension between the
gift and the burden of this work
is a creative space where I can
continue grow and serve.
3. What is your current
program of research?
I'm currently involved in
educational research. I am a
member of the University of
Texas Medical Branch Academy of
Master Teachers and I've
recently completed an 18 month
faculty development program
called "Scholars in Education."
My project for the "Scholars"
program was to develop,
implement, and evaluate an
online clinical module teaching
graduate nursing students
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
in Second Life ®. MI is an
evidenced-based approach to
create behavioral change for
health promotion, and primary,
secondary, and tertiary
prevention. Motivational
Interviewing is a
client-centered guiding method
of communication and counseling
to elicit and strengthen
motivation for change. It has
been shown to support behavioral
change and improve adherence
with physical and emotional
health conditions. The graduate
nursing students used scenarios
and scripts highlighting MI
techniques and interviewed each
other online in Second Life to
develop these specific
communication and interviewing
skills for use in future
practice settings.
The unique part of this project
was that the clinical practicum
took place in Second Life®.
Second Life (SL™) is a virtual
world that has been successfully
used in educational settings.
It's a free Internet program
developed by Linden Lab, and
students and faculty develop
avatars that meet in a virtual
setting for seminar and
instruction. The use of Second
Life provides the opportunity to
apply new knowledge and
techniques in a virtual setting
where barriers and geographic
boundaries are overcome and
sensitivity about topics can be
eased. The University of Texas
Medical Branch (UTMB) and all
the University of Texas system
schools currently have a
presence on SL in the form of a
virtual campus or an "island."
SL has been successfully used in
several graduate courses at
UTMB. However, none of these
courses have systematically
evaluated SL as a teaching
strategy. I had successfully
used SL in an online
interprofessional graduate
research elective for several
years. In the research elective,
students were invited to an
optional online seminar with
faculty. Although it was
optional, students were
interested, engaged, and
regularly attended. My goal for
the "Scholars" project was to
introduce the use of
Motivational Interviewing in
Second Life to provide an
innovative way to engage
students as they increase
communication skills for
patient-centered care. I'm
currently evaluating the use of
Second Life as a teaching
environment. I'm also in the
process of evaluating the
feasibility of teaching
Motivational Interviewing in
Second Life.
4. What are your biggest
challenges in doing holistic
nursing research?
I think all researchers, both in
the academic and/or practice
setting, are challenged by time
and money. One of the ways to
manage those challenges is to
make everything count. My
educational research project is
a good example. If you're
implementing a new procedure or
policy in the practice setting,
use that as an opportunity to
conduct research about outcomes.
I have also learned over the
years, that I can conduct
preliminary, pilot, and
feasibility studies with small
amount of funding. Actually,
these small studies are
necessary to seek larger funds
with NIH/NINR or foundation
funding. Because I'm a holistic
nurse, my questions tend to
include the domains of mind,
body, and spirit. I model that
with my students and I share it
here now to encourage future
researchers to ask holistic
questions and seek holistic
answers.
5. What advice can you
share with holistic nurses who
want to do research?
There are many paths to research
and I can talk about three. 1.)
If you're a novice, you can work
on a research project in a
practice or academic
setting. 2.) If you have a
pressing question, find a mentor
in your practice or academic
setting to assist you or to link
with her/his grant or consult
with the research mentors at the
annual AHNA conference. Finally,
research is a part of most
nursing programs at many levels.
It is always a part of any
doctoral education. Continue to
ask questions-continue to ask
holistic questions. Most
research starts with these
simple questions, "I wonder what
. . . ?" or "I wonder if . . .
.?" It is one way we move
nursing forward.
6. What keeps you
inspired to keep doing research?
I stay inspired by talking about
research with my colleagues, by
reading about research, and by
coming the annual AHNA
conference and others. I can't
promote the AHNA Research
Committee and this e-Newsletter
enough. Finally, I stay inspired
because I have so many questions
and so little time (Remember the
Nine Contemplations of Atisha!
www.upaya.org/roshi/dox/Contemplations.pdf)
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Poster Sessions Offer
Cutting Edge Exchanges |
Research Posters are often times "cutting edge"
as they can represent new findings and those
that may not be mainstream. Cutting edge because
findings were not ready when abstract submission
is required (usually six months or so before
conference). Mainstream is not usually an issue
at AHNA as the focus is broad and holistic!
However, the study may have been relegated to
"non-significant" category if there was lack of
statistically significant findings. Yet, due to
the complex nature of human interaction there
are often subtle areas of change or influence
that are of interest and could benefit from
discussion and exploration. A great opportunity
for this is at the Poster Board Sessions.
At any conference, reviewing posters is often a
delightful and insightful way to learn about
research. You can see a visual representation of
the study at your own pace and dialogue
 with
the author(s) about any questions or ideas that
you have. It serves to facilitate learning for
all who engage in participating, both the doers
and observers.
This year's conference had nine research poster
sessions on a variety of topics that included:
an herbal product to reduce anxiety
pre-procedurally; self-massage for
osteoarthritis; Healing Touch for caregiver
stress and also for the elderly with chronic
pain; spiritual care in geriatrics; prayer and
spiritual transformation; understanding the
experience of seasonal affective disorder;
dancing into wholeness; and a nurse manifest
project. For more information please
visit the AHNA website on research.
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Research Needs
Assessment |
The AHNA Research
Conference Planning
Subcommittee would
like to invite you
to participate in
this online survey
regarding holistic
nurses research
needs. We are
interested in
identifying the
knowledge and
educational needs of
members of
the AHNA related to
research resources,
education, and
conference
offerings.
This should take
approximately 10
minutes of your
time. Your
participation is
anonymous. Your
contribution is
important to our
study and your
answers play a vital
role in our planning
for the 2012
conference.
Click here to take
this survey.
Thank you to those
who have already
taken this survey.
We sincerely
appreciate your time
and input!
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Research Mentorship at AHNA |
 Theory,
Research and Practice are the three pillars that
support the discipline of nursing. Research in
holistic nursing continues to expand the knowledge
and assert the importance of a whole person approach
to care. AHNA has developed a mentoring process
for members who are interested in research. Each
year at the national conference, participants have
the opportunity to sign up for one-on-one mentoring
meetings with experienced holistic researchers to
share ideas, ask questions, create research partners
and in general become more acquainted with the
research process. The mentoring sessions have been
very popular and each year the number of one-on-one
mentor and mentees dyads grows. At this year's
conference mentees filled out a questionnaire that
gave the mentor an idea of the areas of research
interest and experience to enhance and maximize the
time spent together at the conference.
There were eight
mentor/mentee pairs.
A wonderful benefit to this process is that mentors
and mentees often continue to work together
throughout the year furthering the work begun at the
conference. This is not just a one time offering.
Throughout the year, as well, AHNA members can ask
for help with research questions and ideas by
contacting Ruth McCaffrey (rmccaffr@fau.edu)
who connects them with appropriate research mentors.
As the mentor-mentee work continues it is hoped that
research teams consisting of theorists, researchers
and practice oriented holistic nurses will increase
holistic knowledge and spread the value of a
holistic perspective for nursing care.
In order for AHNA to continue to offer mentoring
services we are compiling a database of holistic
researchers who might be interested in offering
their mentoring services to those who have questions
or connecting with other researchers who are
involved in similar types of research. In the near
future, look for a call for researchers to submit
information for this database. As members support
each other in holistic research we not only assist
others to grow but also create a better
understanding among nurses, patients, and other
healthcare professionals about the importance of
holistic nursing research.
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AHNA Research News |
Research Committee
News:
We will have a new AHNA
staff person, Debra
France, as of
August 1, 2011. We want to
thank Amber Cline for all
her help over the last few
years. She has been
instrumental in making
research enews a wonderful
publication. She also
started our now more
developed section on the
website. Sarah Auerbach
became our assistant this
past spring when web
development demanded more of
Amber's time. Thanks to both
of you for your
contributions to the
research committee. Amber
will continue to publish our
research eNews,
Connections in Holistic
Nursing Research.
The
policy for soliciting
members to participate in
research has been revised
and the most current version
is on the
AHNA web site research
section.
Leadership Council
News:
In June the Leadership
Council participated in a
day-long board development
workshop with a consultant.
It was a terrific experience
in learning where our
strengths and weaknesses
lie. In terms of the
Research Council (RC), the
coordinator has also been
acting as the RC chair. The
consultant suggested that
this was not a good idea
since it left the
Coordinator with far too
much responsibility for the
activities of the committee.
In meeting with the 4
co-chairs and the
coordinator it was decided
to have, instead of one
committee chair, two
co-chairs.
Diane Wardell will chair the
section on research
dissemination and Ruth
McCaffrey will chair the
section on the development
of Holistic Nursing
researcher(s) and research
teams.
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AHNA Researchers in Action |
News and Updates:
Dr. Marlaine Cappelli Smith RN,
PhD, AHN-BC, FAAN has been
appointed Dean of the Christine E. Lynn
College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic
University in Boca Raton, Florida
effective July 1, 2011. Dr. Smith has
served the College since 2006 as
Associate Dean of Academic Programs and
the Helen K. Persson Eminent Scholar.
Valerie Eschiti PhD,
RN, AHN-BC, CHTP, CTN-A
accepted a position as Associate Editor
for the Journal of Transcultural
Nursing.
Ruth McCaffrey DNP was
appointed as the Susan B. Raddock
Distinguished Professor in Holistic
Nursing at Florida Atlantic University.
Recently Funded Studies:
Colleen Delaney PhD, RN, AHN-BC
received a $51,2000 grant from VNA
HealthCare Inc. for the study: 'A
Randomized Trial of Telemonitoring in
Patients with Heart Failure Recently
Discharged from Home Care or Skilled
Nursing Facility". The primary aim of
this experimental study is to determine
the efficacy of a telemonitoring
intervention in reducing hospital
readmission, improving quality of life,
and increasing knowledge of heart
failure among patients recently
discharged from home care or a skilled
nursing facility due to heart failure.
Anne Vitale PhD, APN, AHN-BC
and Christine E. Lynn received
a two-year grant for $84,651.00 from the
FDC Foundation a Philanthropic
organization for a pilot study to
determine the feasibility of an
interventional Reiki research protocol
in an acute care hospital setting with
hospitalized surgical knee replacement
patients. This study uses an
experimental design, is 3-armed (Reiki,
sham, control, plus standard of care at
pre-planned intervals), randomized,
blinded and powered to detect trends
with Reiki with pain and anxiety that
would support entry into a larger
multicenter study.
Ruth McCaffrey DNP, the
Susan B. Raddock Distinguished Professor
in Holistic Nursing, in conjunction with
the Morikami Japanese Gardens, have
received a $200,000 grant from the
Astellas Corporation, a Japanese based
Pharmaceutical Corporation, to continue
research in the area of Reflective
Garden Walking. The study supports 15
groups for a Reflective Garden Walking
program at the Morikami. Each group will
have a unique focus such as teachers,
caregivers and persons with depression.
In addition to funding these groups a
final program will be provided to alert
the public and health care providers
concerning the findings and future
plans.
Publications
Coleen Delaney,
Fortinsky, R., Doonan, L., Grimes, R.,
Pearson, T., Rosenberg, S., & Bruce, M.
(2011).
Depression screening and interventions
for older home health care patients:
Program design and training outcomes for
a train-the-trainer model. Home
Health Care Management & Practice
(E-pub ahead of print, DOI:
10.1177/1084822311405459).
Jen Reich. (2011).
Flow: Poems and Stories.
Lexington, KY. CreateSpace
Jen Reich &
Cathy Michaels. (2011). Becoming
whole: The role of story for healing.
Journal of Holistic Nursing.
Online First DOI:
10.1177/0898010111412188
Grassley, J. S., & Valerie
Eschiti. (2011).
The value of listening to Grandmothers'
infant feeding stories. Journal
of Perinatal Education, 20(3),
134-141.
AHNA members names in bold. We would
love to hear about your research. Have
you started your dissertation, had a
paper published, presented, etc. Send
your "Researcher in Action" to
amber@ahna.org
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