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. Haley Townsend & Dr. Mercy Mumba | Delivering SBIRT Services Using Mobit Technology to Address Substance Abuse Disorders |
| Chronic Disease Management or Prevention | |
| Dr. Felecia Wood | Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease and Treatment |
| Dr. Shameka Cody | Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Strategies for Individuals with Opioid and Methamphetamine Use Disorder in Rural Alabama |
| Impact of Insomnia on Substance Use in People with HIV | |
| Exploring Racial Disparities in Sleep Health and Neurocognitive Function in Older Adults with HIV | |
| Dr. Mudasir Andrabi | Physical Activity Program for Cardiac Health among Older African American Populations Living in Rural Alabama: Needs Assessment and Initial Development. Funded by National Institute on Aging and Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR). |
| Dr. Mercy Mumba | Substance abuse and addiction disorders; mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of individuals, communities, and populations |
| Social Determinants of Health, Health disparities, Minority Aging, Community Based Participatory Research, and Global Health Issues | |
| Dr. Keri Barron | Cardiovascular Disease Management and Prevention in African-Americans |
| Dr. Cassandra Ford | Health Disparities in Rural Populations, Particularly Related to Cardiovascular Disease |
| Dr. Michele Montgomery & Dr. Paige Johnson | Assessing Overweight and Obesity and Associated Risk Factors in Rural Preschool Children |
| Dr. Gwen Hooper & Dr. Ann Graves | Geographical Information Systems Bivariate Mapping to Inform Prostate Cancer Prevention and Control Efforts in Alabama |
| Investigating the real-life experience of living with urinary incontinence and heart failure in a rural community: A case study approach | |
| Self-management of patients with heart failure and urinary Incontinence | |
| Health Promotion and Wellness | |
| Dr. Abby Horton | Research Focus: Mental Health, Resilience, & Wellness |
| Dr. Jeff Parker, Dr. Laura Hobson, Dr. Abby Horton, et al. | Risk, resilience, and context: Analyzing the social adjustment and wellbeing of adolescents and families in Rural Alabama during COVID |
| Dr. Mudasir Andrabi | A Pilot Study on Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Nursing Concept Based Yoga Program on Psychological Distress of First Semester Upper Division Nursing Students. Funded by Sigma- Epsilon Omega chapter |
| Brian Dickson | Dissertation: Determining if there is a relationship between demographics and the use/misuse of child safety devices among fatal accidents involving children 0-14 years old |
| Dr. Sara Kaylor & Dr. Michael Callihan | Uniontown Running Club |
| Dr. Michael Callihan, Dr. Sara Kaylor, Josh Gunter, Dr. Haley Townsend | Access to Care and Healthcare Disparities in the Black Belt Region of Alabama |
| Dr. Robin Bartlett | Interviews to Inform the HOPE Intervention |
| Primary research focus is in understanding and prevention of risky behaviors, primarily among minority youth. Broadly she is interested in health disparities research. | |
| Dr. Michele Montgomery & Dr. Paige Johnson | Hale County Initiative – this project involves conducting health screenings in school-age children throughout the county |
| Dr. Michele Montgomery | My research focus is health disparities, cardiovascular risk factors, and health promotion among rural and underserved populations utilizing community engagement |
| Dr. Teresa Welch | Surviving in today’s health care environment? |
| Dr. Paige Johnson | Longitudinal study of the Tuscaloosa Pre-K Initiative |
| Nursing Education/ Professional Development | |
| Dr. Felecia Wood | Assessment of Writing Self-Efficacy |
| Dr. Kim Wilson & Dr. Jill Hobbs | use of a simulation model kit to increase skills acquisition in fundamental nursing students |
| 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. |
| Brian Dickson | Students in an internship program: what are their experiences and obstacles to learn and be successful |
| Dr. Rebecca Owings | Evidence-Based Practice Demonstration project at DCH with two professional shared governance teams for the medical ICU and trauma-surgical ICU |
| Dr. Rebecca Owings & Dr. Cheryl Hines | curricular improvement project |
| Dr. Cheryl Hines | To promote critical thinking among nurses and nursing students in complex situations involving pharmacotherapy |
| Dr. Michael Callihan, Dr. Sara Kaylor, Josh Gunter | Development of a Safer Strategy for Nurses Placing a Patient in the Prone Position. |
| Dr. Teresa Welch | Competency and Competency Development for Nursing Leadership in Rural Hospitals |
| Gaming strategies to improve leadership skills in professional nursing practice. | |
| Dr. Teresa Welch & Dr. Ann Graves | Historical examination of the phenomena of nursing leadership: A creative research and art project. |
| Dr. Betty Key, Dr. Rebecca Owings, Dr. Cassandra Ford & Dr. Ann Graves | Innovation and Excellence in Academic Nursing: Advancing Student Evidence-Based Practice Competency |
| Dr. Rebecca Owings & Dr. Ann Graves | Advancing evidence-based practice competency in a community hospital: An implementation and demonstration project |
| Nursing Care/ Palliative Care | |
| Dr. Megan Pfitzinger Lippe | Enhancing the Provision of Palliative Care in Alabama through APRN Education and Leadership (Funded by Cambia Health Foundation) |
| Dr. Megan Pfitzinger Lippe & Dr. Andra Davis | Development of an Instrument to Measure Nursing Students’ Knowledge of Palliative Care |
| Program Grants | |
| Dr. Robin Bartlett, Bethany Hornbeck, Dr. Mercy Mumba, Dr. Michele Montgomery, Dr. Betty Key, Brandi Lester, & Dr. Paige Johnson | The Health Sciences and Technology Academy- Alabama |
| Dr. Norma Cuellar & Dr. Michelle Cheshire | Nursing Workforce Diversity Program: BAMA- Latino |
| Clinical Practice | |
| Angela Collins-Yoder | Quality Assurance with Drug Induced Diseases and Neuroscience Patients |
| Women’s Health | |
| Dr. Haley Townsend | Consultant for She’s R.E.A.D.Y., in conjunction with Selma-Air aiming to increase sexual and reproductive health in young girls in rural Alabama |
| ASNA: implementing menstrual hygiene education for rural residing girls in Uniontown, Alabama | |
| CCBP: implementing menstrual hygiene and sexual/reproductive education in Uniontown, Alabama | |
| Dr. Debra Pettit Bruns | Adaption of Cuban Maternity Homes Practices to Rural Alabama |
| Dr. Amy Lee | Creating a model for accessible and sustainable social support to improve breastfeeding outcomes in rural Alabama: A pilot study |
| Violence Against Women, Emergency Gynecology, Obstetric and Gynecologic Care, Family Planning | |