Current Research Projects and Focus Areas at the Capstone College of Nursing
Students & faculty interested in participating and/or collaborating with a research project should contact the principal investigator.
| Faculty Name | Project Title/Focus Area |
| Research Area: Technology/Informatics | |
| Dr. Heather Carter-Templeton | Nursing Informatics Competencies among MSN Students |
| Nursing Informatics Competencies at Three Program Levels | |
| Simulated Clinical Experiences with Distance Graduate Students | |
| Diffusing Nursing Research in a Nurse Residency Program via a Twitter Online Journal Club | |
| Dr. Todd Smith | My research focuses on healthcare outcomes, healthcare financing, telehealth, and leadership |
| Chronic Disease Management or Prevention | |
| Dr. Michele Montgomery & Dr. Paige Johnson | Assessing Overweight and Obesity and Associated Risk Factors in Rural Preschool Children |
| Improving Pickens County Residents’ Knowledge of Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Through Increased Access to Health Screenings and Health Education: The Pickens Health Promotion Program. | |
| Longitudinal study of the Tuscaloosa Pre-K Initiative | |
| Utilizing Aliceville Public Library as a Community Change Agent: Implementation of Two Health Promotion Programs | |
| The Health Lab: A Student-Staffed Clinic to Improve Health Literacy and Health Outcomes | |
| Dr. Mary Ann Kelley | Women Wellness Workshops for Breast Cancer Awareness |
| Dr. Ann Graves | Comparisons of Cardiometabolic Risk between African- American and Caucasian Women in a Worksite Wellness Program |
| Prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors in a worksite wellness program at a U.S. southeastern university | |
| Reducing Cardiometabolic Risk with an iHealth Watch in WellBAMA: A Pilot Study | |
| Dr. Safiya George | Spirituality, Stress and Social Support HIV Project |
| Neural Substrates of Sexual Decision-Making and Sexual Risk Behavior of Mid-Adolescent Females: Neuroimaging Pilot Study | |
| Affordable Housing and Community Advocacy for People Living with HIV: Assessing Best Practices and Health Impact | |
| Dr. Mercy Mumba | Substance abuse and addiction disorders; mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of individuals, communities, and populations |
| Dr. Rachael Mumbower | My research is focused on sleep in survivors of TBI and their caregivers, particularly factors that influence sleep and fatigue and the impact of sleep on social and occupational engagement |
| Dr. Betty Key, Dr. Teresa Welch, Dr. Ann Graves | Community Health Workers and Chronic Disease Management |
| Dr. Monika Wedgeworth, Dr. Josh Eyer | Behavioral Health Integration in a Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Clinic in Rural Alabama |
| Health Promotion and Wellness | |
| Dr. Leslie Cole , Dr. Sara Kaylor, Dr. Melondie Carter, and Mr. Stephen Ungvary | The Impact of an Employee Wellness Program on Biometric Screening Data: A Longitudinal Study |
| Determining the Effectiveness of the STOP-BANGING Sleep Apnea Questionnaire in Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Community Setting | |
| Dr. Leslie Cole, Dr. Heather Carter-Templeton, Dr. Ann Graves | Clustering of Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Worksite Wellness Program |
| Dr. Ann Graves | Comparisons of Cardiometabolic Risk between African- American and Caucasian Women in a Worksite Wellness Program |
| Access to diabetic education services in Alabama: A geographical information system analysis. | |
| Mindful Eating: A Path to Cardiometabolic Health for Women (MAP-CH). | |
| Promotion of Evidence-Based Communication Strategies Focused on Health Literacy in the Advanced Nursing Practice Curriculum | |
| Dr. Frances Hardin-Fanning | Development/testing of theory-based behavioral change interventions in community settings |
| Nursing Education/ Professional Development | |
| Dr. Alice March & Dr. Monika Wedgeworth | Factors Affecting Undergraduate Progression and Graduation |
| Dr. Felicia Wood | Assessment of Writing Self-Efficacy |
| Dr. Leigh Dickson | |
| Dr. Haley Strickland & Dr. Michelle Cheshire | Predicting Nursing Student Success: Exploring New Variables |
| Dr. Cheryl Hines | To promote critical thinking in critical care settings through active learning strategies and experiential learning |
| Dr. Sara Kaylor | Assessment of Leadership Competency and Skill in Baccalaureate Nursing Students |
| Dr. Haley Strickland, Dr. Michelle Cheshire, Dr. Melondie Carter, Dr. Sara Kaylor | Predictors of Baccalaureate Nursing Student Success |
| Dr. Michelle Cheshire, Dr. Haley Strickland, Dr. Peter Harms, Dr. Dustin Wood, and Graham Lowman | Investigating Nursing Job Search Behavior, Perceptions of Organizational Fit, and General Work Outcomes |
| Dr. Michelle Cheshire | Emotional Intelligence a Longitudinal Study in Nursing Education |
| Dr. Ashley Woods & Meredith Rice | Role Modeling in Simulation |
| Dr. Megan Pfitzinger Lippe | End of Life Education within Baccalaureate Programs: A Feasibility Study Assessing Nursing Curricula |
| Withdrawing Care for an Unexpectedly Ill Patient: Interprofessional Simulations | |
| Evaluating the Impact of End-of-Life Simulations on Students’ Emotional Perceptions and Perceived Competence in Caring for Dying Patients | |
| Development of an Instrument to Measure Nursing Students’ Knowledge of Palliative Care | |
| Preparing Students for their First Clinical Day: A Communication Simulation | |
| Dr. Betty Key | I am currently focusing on research in undergraduate nursing education and in faith-based organizations |
| Dr. Monika Wedgeworth, Dr. Cassandra Ford | Clinical Journaling in Mental Health Education |
| Dr. Rebecca Owings | My area of research focuses on evaluation of programs and educational interventions which assist pre and post licensure registered nurses during their transition into the clinical work environment |
| Dr. Teresa Welch | A Feasibility Study: Assess Knowledge. Educational Experiences, Attitudes and Practices of Unit Based Nurse Managers in Acute Care Hospital Settings Related to Cost and Cost Management |
| Angela Collins-Yoder | Nursing education with an emphasis on the identification and implementation of strategies, including emotional intelligence, that promote success among undergraduate nursing students. |
| Genetics | |
| Dr. Susan Appel | Polymorphisms, plasma levels of PAI-1 and genetic admixture among African-Americans |
| Ghrelin, PAI-1 and their associations with adipokines and obesity indices, CVD and fat mass distribution in the Jackson Heart Study | |
| Dr. Felecia Wood, Dr. Ann Graves | Promotion of Evidence-based Communication Strategies Focused on Health Literacy in the Advanced Nursing Practice Curriculum |
| Dr. Norma Cuellar | All of Us Research Program in Collaboration with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses |
| Nursing Care/ Palliative Care | |
| Dr. Amy Beasley | Physicians attitudes towards end-of-life |
| Boundaries in Hospice | |
| Disparities in palliative care in rural Alabama communities | |
| Program Grants | |
| Dr. Norma Cuellar & Dr. Michelle Cheshire | Nursing Workforce Diversity Program: BAMA- Latino |
| Dr. Alice March | Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students |
| Nurse Faculty Loan Program | |
| Dr. Robin M. Lawson | Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Bama-Care |