Sigma Theta Tau International Grant Recipients
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is committed to improving the health of people worldwide through increasing the scientific base of nursing practice. In support of this mission, the society advances nursing leadership and scholarship, and furthers the utilization of nursing research in health care delivery as well as public policy.
Funding research is a historical imperative and major tenet of the honor society's current long-range plan – the advancement of nursing through research. In 1934, the honor society established the first fund for nursing research in the United States, now known as the Research Fund. From a modest initial award of $600 in 1936, the program has matured into a sophisticated and integral part of the organization’s scholarly activities. The honor society is pleased to announce the following Research Grant Recipients.
Sigma Theta Tau International Workforce Grants Sponsored by Cardinal Health Pyxis Products
Janet Katz, PhD, RN, is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Workforce Grant sponsored by Cardinal Health Pyxis Products. Dr. Katz will research, “Experiences of Native American Nurses Working in Their Communities.” The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain an understanding of the workplace issues facing the current and past Native American nursing workforce who work with Native communities in the geographical region of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB).
Joyce Zurmehly, PhD, RN, is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Workforce Grant sponsored by Cardinal Health Pyxis Products for her study, “Registered Nurses Empowerment and Intent to Leave Current Position and Profession.” This descriptive correlational study of registered nurses will explore the relationship of empowerment and intent to leave, both the current nursing position and the profession of nursing.
Sponsored Research Awards
Doris Bloch Research Award
Victoria V. Dickson , CRNP, MSN, is the recipient of the 2005 Doris Bloch Research Award. Ms. Dickson will research, “ A Mixed Methods Study Investigating the Influence of Psychological and Physiological Variables of Self-Care Management in Heart Failure Patients.” The purpose of this research is to explore the major psychological (attitudes and self-efficacy) and physiological (cognition and functional status) variables influencing heart failure self-care management and to characterize how they do so.
Rosemary Berkel Crisp Research Award
Kristin Haglund , PhD, RN, is the recipient of the 2005 Rosemary Berkel Crisp Research Award. Dr. Haglund will study, “ Periodic Secondary Abstinence: A Method for Sexual Risk Reduction.” The purpose of this pilot study is to test a periodic, secondary abstinence intervention for sexually experienced adolescent females.
Virginia Henderson Clinical Research Award
Shao-Yu Tsai , PhC, MS, RN, is the recipient of the 2005 Virginia Henderson Clinical Research Award. Ms. Tsai will research, “ Sleep Patterns and Ambient Light Experience in Mothers and Infants: A Pilot Study.” The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the daily light patterns that infants between 4-8 weeks of age and their mothers experience at home, and to explore the relations between those light patterns, infants' and their mother's sleep-wake patterns and infant-mother interaction.
Co-Sponsored Research Grants
Sigma Theta Tau International/American Association of Critical Care Nurses Grant
Rebecca Cross, MS, MSN, APRN, NP has been selected to receive the 2006 the Sigma Theta Tau International/American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Grant. Ms Miller will research “Impact of Major Depression on Regional Gray Matter Volume I HF Patients”. Heart failure (HF) afflicts almost 5 million persons in the Untied States. Additionally HF patients have moderate to sever depressive symptoms and a clinical diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Determining the contribution of MDD to gray matter loss in HF will provide important knowledge regarding the relationship of pathological processes between depression and HF, which may have important implications for future evaluation, treatment, and development of therapies for the disease.
Sigma Theta Tau International/American Association of Diabetes Educators Grant
Catherine S. Barnes, PhD, RN, is the recipient of the 2006 Sigma Theta Tau International/American Association of Diabetes Educators Grant. Dr. Barnes will research, “ Improving Care of African-Americans with Diabetes (IPCAAD).” Control of diabetes is a particular problem for racial/ethnic minority populations who suffer disparities in health – such as the population at Grady, which is largely African-American, and poor and/or uninsured. This study will focus on the DC nurse providers who will receive individualized performance feedback reviewing their glycemic management.
Sigma Theta Tau International/American Nurses Foundation Grant
Amany Abdrbo, RN, MSN, PhD C , is the recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International/American Nurses Foundation Grant. Ms. Abdrbo will study, “ Factors Affecting Information Systems (IS) Use and Its Benefits and Satisfaction among Ohio Registered Nurses.” The aims of this study are to explore the relationships between the individual characteristics and nurses' IS use, relationships between the organizational factors, and nurses' IS use, Relationship between nurses' IS use and IS benefits, to explore the relationship between nurses' IS use and IS satisfaction, and moderating effect of the nurses' beliefs about IS use on the relationship between IS use, and IS outcomes.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Grant
Wendy Henderson, MSN, CRNP , is the recipient of the 2006 Sigma Theta Tau International/Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Grant. Ms. Henderson will research, “ Testing a model of quality of life in persons with HIV and liver disease.” The purpose of this secondary analysis is to test the Wilson and Cleary model of QoL (1995) in two groups of patients: PLWHIV and PLWHIV+LD. Wilson and Cleary theorize that QoL has five components: biological/physiological factors, symptom status, functional status, general health perceptions, and overall QoL. This theoretical model has been shown to be useful in understanding QoL in PLWHIV; however, it has not been studied in PLWHIV and known LD.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Grant
James Stobinski, RN, MSN, CNOR, is the recipient of the 2006 Sigma Theta Tau International/Association of periOperative Registered Nurses grant. Mr. Stobinski will study, “A Comparison of Competency and Work Environments among Military and Civilian Perioperative Registered Nurses.” The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the relationship between perioperative nursing competency, the work environment and demographic factors common to perioperative nurses.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Grant
Karen F. Miller, MPA, RN, CIC, is the recipient of the 2006 Sigma Theta Tau International/ Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Grant. Ms. Miller will be studying “ Individual Emergency Nurse Report Cards: Do They Improve Efficiency?”. The purpose of this investigation is to study the unique application and effect of using individual emergency nurse specific report cards to improve efficiency measures.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation End of Life Nursing Care Research Grant
Debra Wiegand, BSN MSN, PhD , is the recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International/Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation End of Life Nursing Care Research Grant. Dr. Wiegand will study, “ Withdrawal of Life Sustaining Therapy After a Life-Threatening Exacerbation of a Chronic Illness: The Family Experience.” The purpose of this study is to describe the experience of family members participating in the process of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (LST) from a family member with a life-threatening exacerbation of a chronic illness.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Midwest Nursing Research Society Grant
Carolyn Garcia , PhD, MPH, MS will be researching, “ Development of An Instrument to Measure Latino Mental Health Knowledge Using Community-Based Participatory Action Research.” The specific aims of this study are to: 1. Design a survey measuring the attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of mental health and existing resources; and 2. Establish instrument cultural acceptability and reliability and validity.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Oncology Nursing Society Grant
Michele E. Gaguski, MSN, RN, AOCN, APN-C , is the recipient of the 2005 STTI/ONS grant. Ms. Gaguski will study “Evaluating Fatigue Education in the Oncology Outpatient.” The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the impact of a Social Cognitive Model (SCM) on a health education intervention geared towards fatigue management on patient outcomes in an outpatient oncology population.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation Grant
Beverly Reigle , RN, PhD , is the recipient of the 2006 Sigma Theta Tau International/Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation Grant. Dr. Reigle will study “Women's Rehabilitation Experiences Following Breast Cancer Surgery.” The purpose of this study is to examine the rehabilitation experiences of women following breast cancer surgery.
Sigma Theta Tau International/Western Institute of Nursing Grant
Wen-Wen Li, RN, MS, PhD , is the recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International/Western Institute of Nursing Grant. Dr. Li will be studying, “ Cultural Factors As Predictors for Medication Adherence in Older Chinese Immigrants with Hypertension: Follow-Up Study.” The purpose of this study is to estimate proportion of blood pressure (BP) control and medication adherence in older Chinese immigrants on antihypertensive medications and 2) to examine cultural factors for their ability to predict medication adherence.
Sigma Theta Tau International Research Grants
Hee-Ju Kim, MSN, RN , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Ms. Kim will research, “ Treatment-Related Symptom Clusters in Breast Cancer: A Secondary Analysis.” The purpose of this research is to identify treatment-related symptom clusters in breast cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy and to examine the influence of demographic and clinical variables on symptom clusters.
Mary Ireland, RN, PhD , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Dr. Ireland will research, “ A Family Affair: A Pilot Study of Inner-City Children With Asthma and Their Primary Caretakers: Responses to Receiving And Giving Massage Therapy.” The purpose of this study is to evaluate, in a randomized placebo-controlled trial over 60 days, the effect of MT on children 7 to 12 years of age with moderate or severe persistent asthma, when provided by the primary caretaker, and to learn what benefits may accrue to the caretaker who gives MT.
Yu-Ping Chang , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Ms. Chang will research, “ Caregiver Decisional Conflict Regarding Nursing Home Placement.” The purpose of this research is to understand Chinese caregivers' decisional conflict related to nursing home placement of their disabled elders.
Teresa J. Sakraida, MSEd, MS, DNSc , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Dr. Sakraida will research, “ Transition Experiences to Self-management of Chronic Kidney Disease.” The purpose of this study is to examine the transition to self-management by individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and with the comorbidity of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
Marilyn Smith, RN, PhD , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Dr. Smith will research, “ Electroconvulsive Therapy: Perceptions of Patients and Families on the Quality of Life.” The purpose of this research is to understand the efficacy of ECT on the quality of life from the perceptions of patients and their families.
Carolyn Garcia, PhD, MPH, MS , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Dr. Garcia will research, “ Understanding Culturally-Based Perceptions of Mental Health among Mexican-origin Immigrant Latino Adolescents and Parents: A Pilot Study.” The purpose of this qualitative study is to ascertain the perceptions of Latino adolescents and parents regarding mental health, mental health problems including depression and suicidal ideation, recognized barriers or facilitators to accessing mental health services, and cultural views of mental health.
Chiraporn Worawong , is a recipient of the 2005 Sigma Theta Tau International Small Research Grant. Ms. Worawong will research, “ A nutrition intervention focused on goals of Thai pregnant women.” The purpose of this research is to assess the feasibility of a patient-centered, nutrition intervention among Thai pregnant women.
For complete information, current deadlines and applications regarding the research grants offered through the honor society, please click here.