The Research Nurse Initiative (RNI) is a collaborative of clinical nursing faculty from twelve Penn State campuses who have been trained as research nurses. These professional nurses are engaged with numerous clinical and community agencies through their clinical and teaching experiences. RNI scholars have completed training in research skills and ethics (including CITI and GCP training). The cohort of RNI scholars offers a wide range of clinical specialties combined with the research competencies necessary to engage in research on projects targeting their communities. For more information, please contact Janice Penrod (814-863-9734 or jlp198@psu.edu) or Nikki Hill (814-867-3265 or nikki.hill@psu.edu).
Marianne Adam - Schuylkill
Specialty: Family practice, health assessment, professional role transition, global nursing
Research Interests: Diabetes, chronic illness, patient education/learning, community based health promotion and programming, qualitative research
Ashley Clark - University Park
Specialties: Gerontology, medical/surgical
Research Interest: Hip fracture outcomes, simulation, nursing education
Darlene Clark - University Park
Specialties: Pharmacology, geriatric nursing, genetics, ethics, nursing workforce issues
Research Interests: Nursing workforce issues
Elizabeth Cutezo - University Park
Specialties: Family and community diversity, health planning, epidemiology
Research Interests: Epidemiology, community-based interventions, diversity, life-change stress and exacerbations of rheumatoid arthritis
Cathleen Dillen - Altoona
Specialties: Oncology, mental health
Research Interests: Psychosocial oncology, mental health
Diane Ebken - University Park
Specialties: Mental health, drugs of abuse, addictions
Research Interests: Issues related to mental health and drug use
Milton Evans - Worthington Scranton
Specialties: Community health, pediatrics
Research Interest: Public health
Justina Ferguson - Worthington Scranton
Specialties: Critical care, nursing administration Research Interests: Palliative care team and support in the ICU, nurses’ perceptions of bedside reporting, retention and mentoring programs for new nurse hires, stroke and community education
Christopher Garrison - University Park
Specialties: Gerontology, simulation, medical/surgical
Research Interests: Gerontology, simulation, nursing education
Sherry Goertz - Mont Alto
Specialty: Psychiatric mental health
Research Interests: Teen suicide, religious coping in persons with mental illness
Brenda Holtzer - Abington
Specialties: Pediatric nursing, care coordination for children with special needs, evidence-based practice utilization in clinical practice, outcomes in nursing education
Research Interests: Coordination of care for at-risk populations, nursing education models and outcome studies
Jill Kargo - Altoona
Specialties: Fundamentals, medical/surgical, community health
Research Interests: Adult learning, curriculum development and leadership
Margo Kertis - Behrend
Specialties: Maternity, women’s health, education
Research Interests: Adult learners, nursing interventions for positive birth outcomes
Erin Kitt-Lewis - University Park
Specialties: Long-term care, critical care
Research Interests: End of life, family caregiving
Tracey Kleinmeyer - Altoona
Specialties: Adult medical/surgical, emergency, trauma, post-anesthesia care, ambulatory surgery, endoscopy
Research Interests: Complimentary/alternative therapies for reducing stress and test anxiety, sleep hygiene
Janet Knott - New Kensington
Specialties: Technology use in classrooms, simulation, adult and pediatric cardiovascular and pulmonary care
Research Interests: Use/effectiveness of educational modalities, simulation as an educational modality
Suzanne Kuhn - Altoona
Specialties: Dying and death, Home Health, Ethics
Research Interests: Animal Therapy in Healthcare, End of Life Issues, Nursing Education
Sharon Lacue - Altoona
Specialties: Nursing simulation, gerontology, health assessment
Research Interests: Simulation in nursing (standardized patients, deliberate practice)
Dede McCreary - Altoona
Specialties: Community health nursing, leadership/management
Research Interests: Patient experience, patient satisfaction, patient safety, quality, leadership, health care innovations, nursing job satisfaction, shared governance
Sarah McVeigh - University Park
Specialties: Adult/gerontology, medical/surgical
Research Interests: Nursing education, simulation, process improvement initiatives
Deborah Strickland - New Kensington
Specialties: Geriatrics, palliative care, community
Research Interests: Palliative care for chronic disease in the elderly
Mary Anne Ventura - University Park
Specialties: Physical assessment, fundamentals, medical/surgical, family practice
Research Interests: Clinically based research; changing skills, techniques, procedures, and equipment for better patient outcomes
Donna Volpe - Worthington Scranton
Specialties: Obstetrics, fundamentals, mental health, case management, informatics, nursing leadership
Research Interests: Flipped classroom, improving nursing through evidence-based practice