Spotlight on Our PhD Students
and Graduates
The PhD in Nursing Science Program at Vanderbilt is committed to academic excellence. We prepare our students for intellectually rewarding academic and research careers. Our students engage in a variety of scholarly activities and collaborate with faculty in nursing and other disciplines. Through mentorship and collaboration, our students learn critical skills and gain the knowledge they need for a successful and productive career in nursing.
Spotlight on Our Students:
- Catherine Ivory presented at the Cerner Health Conference, Healthcare IT and Perinatal Safety: Friends or Foes? (October 5, Kansas City)
- Carrie Carretta was funded for her study, Correlation of hope with hopelessness and anxiety (PI). Funding Agency: Supported in part by Vanderbilt CTSA grant 1 UL1 RR024975 from NCRR/NIH. Type of Grant: Mentored Research Pre Doctoral Funding. Funding Date: 8/2009.
- Josh Squiers presented the following:
- Squiers JP, Wagner C, Beattie T. Multi-disciplinary Approaches to Cardiac Critical Care. University Health System Consortium, Fall 2009 Cardiovascular Council Meeting, Duke University, October, 2009.
- Theory in the Natural Sciences: A Popperian perspective, Vanderbilt University Graduate School of Nursing Invited Lectures, September 2009
Meet the PhD fall 2009 class
Alice C. Bernet, PMHNP-BC
Nashville, TN
Track: Health Services Research
Faculty Advisor(s): Susie Adams and Ann Minnick
I am currently living in Nashville (Sylvan Park) and recently started a position with the VA as a Nurse Practitioner with the Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program (MHICM). Prior to that, I worked as a Nurse Practitioner with the Mental Health Cooperative outpatient clinic, and crisis management services.
One experience that drove me to being a researcher is seeing that Psych NPs were just as capable and equipped to provide psychiatric emergency services in the community as physicians (more commonly residents) could provide in the emergency room. First, I wonder if this observation can be confirmed with data. Second, I am curious to see if the utilization of community-based services (as opposed to hospitalization) is comparable knowing that access to these services is the same regardless of who is conducting the assessment or where the assessment takes place.
Vanderbilt is local for me which was a factor in choosing a school. I graduated from the MSN program in 2005 and was familiar with the location and some of the faculty. In fact, I was encouraged to apply by a faculty member and she informed me of the centennial fellowship. This was very attractive, as cost was definitely a concern in pursuing a doctoral degree.
Additionally, I am interested in scope of practice issues for Psych NPs, based on the observation that there are no Psych NPs practicing in an inpatient setting in Nashville despite comparable experience in the community managing psychiatric emergencies and seeing patients at our Crisis Stabilization Unit (similar to an inpatient setting).
Gina A. Clarkson, MSN
Murfreesboro, TN
Track: Clinical Research
Faculty Advisor: Mary Jo Gilmer
I first earned Bachelor of Science degree from University of Florida in 1992 with a major in psychology. After moving to Hawaii, I became interested in nursing and obtained a second Bachelor's degree in nursing in December 1996 from Hawaii Pacific University. After working for a time in adult intensive care, I was commissioned as an Air Force officer. I made the move to neonatal intensive care while working at Wilford Hall Medical Center on Lackland, AFB in San Antonio, Texas. Shortly after transitioning to the NICU, I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for three years before moving back to the United States and separating from the Air Force.
I was employed at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit while obtaining my MSN as a neonatal nurse practitioner from Vanderbilt University. I graduated recently in August 2009 and started the PhD program. I came to the VUSN PhD program with a knowledge of the school and the professors as well as an interest very similar to my advisor. I am interested in pediatric palliative care programs and I will be researching end of life decision making by parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Lee Ann Jarrett, MSN
Nashville, TN
Track: Clinical Research
Faculty Advisor: Vaughn Sinclair
I am Lee Ann Jarrett aka Lee Ann and live in Nashville, TN. I am a full time student! In college I had the opportunity to spend two years working in a neuroscience lab at Ole Miss. I had a wonderful mentor who opened my eyes to the world of research. I knew then that research was where I belonged. During that time I also had the opportunity to work at UAB in a lab which focused on eating disorders. After I graduated from Ole Miss, I was awarded a Fulbright Student Research Grant to Malaysia. There, I extended part of my honors English thesis on Malaysian Chinese women. I did a qualitative study interviewing women from all over the country about what it means to be a Malaysian Chinese woman. The main areas I focused on at that time were education, careers, and marriage/family relationships. It was this opportunity which lead to my ultimate interest in researching with human subjects. While rats were indeed interesting, people fascinated me. It took a few years for me to find the field I was meant to be in, but nursing is it. Nursing allows me to combine my love of helping others with research.
Vanderbilt is full of experts and resources that are not available anywhere else. The program really is designed to help students to succeed and to create wonderful researchers. I also liked that Vanderbilt has a small, selective program. I feel like the students will get the attention and experiences needed to become excellent in research.
I am interested in how culture plays a role in health care, specifically end of life health care choices. And how does culture impact issues such as coping with death for both the patient and the family.
Mary Ellen Wright, MSN, ARNP, CPNP
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Track: Health Services Research
Faculty Advisor: Melanie Lutenbacher
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Duke University in 1981 and my Master’s of Science in Nursing, Nursing the Developing Family, at The Catholic University in 1983. I am an advanced practice nurse in the specialty areas of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. In my 26 years practicing in the area of maternal child health my focus has been in the community, including school based centers for pregnant and parent adolescents and their babies, pediatric HIV treatment, pediatric orthopedics, child maltreatment programs, healthy start preventive programs, and a variety of clinic programs for undeserved families. Nursing education has also been a focus, having taught at Florida Atlantic University in 1985 and maintaining adjunct faculty status during the years of my advanced nursing practice. My current position is Interim Director of Undergraduate Programs and I teach in the graduate program for the Family Nurse Practitioner at Florida Atlantic University.
I chose Vanderbilt for the excellent match with Dr. Melanie Lutenbacher and her research trajectory interest of support of the developing family through community intervention in order to promote health. In addition, the depth of faculty expertise that Vanderbilt offers drew me to study in the PhD program.
Dissertations
View a sampling of our student dissertations.