Nursing and Health Policy Collaborative at UNM

Description:  The main purpose of this research is to analyze the network of organizations and individuals engaged in policies aimed at preventing bullying among school age children.  The network encompasses federal, state, and local education agency (LEA) government officials, advocacy and professional organizations representing children’s interests, parents and community groups. The research focuses on the interdisciplinary role of health and education, how the players in these respective areas interact with one another, and the role of nurses in preventing bullying among children.

Description:  New Mexico ranks 50^th in child health outcomes in the U.S.  This study aims to describe nursing perspectives on the diverse policy environments that shape child health.  Using life history and open-ended interviews, this study examines how school-based nurses in New Mexico engage in, understand, and impact multiple policy environments for school health. Findings from the study will be utilized to inform ongoing and new school nursing and child health advocacy efforts in the state.

Description:  This study will address the role of hospital emergency department (ED) nurses in combating human trafficking, particularly in states along the U.S. border with Mexico, with the goal of developing a set of recommendations for ED nurses to use in identifying and assisting trafficking victims.

Description:  This study will identify key variables likely to impact the implementation of the eight Institute of Medicine recommendations for women’s clinical preventive services within the state of New Mexico.  The study will also assess the feasibility of applying this approach to evaluating capacity for implementation in other states.

Description:  This project will analyze success, gaps, and policy areas to serve as a foundation for community mobilization to reduce youth obesity in partnership with two school districts; strengthen the ability of Las Vegas City schools to collect, analyze and disseminate data on nutrition policy implementation; and bring together key community stakeholders who are working on issues related to food, nutrition, and health.

Description:  This study examines the practice environment for nurse practitioners in New Mexico and assesses whether the future supply of NPs will be adequate to meet the health care needs of a varied population in a sparsely populated state with a relatively low average standard of living, yet one that offers a broad scope of practice authority for its NPs. A paper reporting the results of this study has been accepted for publication in a forthcoming issue of Nursing Economic$.

Description:  The main purpose of this research is to analyze components of doctoral nursing curricula that pertain to health policy education, research, and experiential learning by analyzing the data collected through a survey of DNP and PhD programs offered by schools of nursing.  It will also identify areas of consensus, gaps, and need so that health policy research and other initiatives at RWJF and elsewhere can best target future programs.

Description:  This dissertation examines whether the location of hospitality venues, considering rurality, presence of local ordinances, and socioeconomic status, influences the quantity of tobacco smoke pollution in a predominantly rural state. The resulting manuscript, “Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Impact of Local Ordinances on Rural and Non-Rural Hospitality Venues in North Dakota,” will appear in the August 2015 issue of Research in Nursing & Health.

Description:  The purpose of this dissertation study was to determine whether there are differences in children’s self-perceptions of weight based on age, gender, actual body mass index (BMI) category, grade level, and ethnicity compared with their clinically measured BMI and to determine the association of gender, age, grade level, ethnicity, and actual BMI category with their perception of ideal BMI category.

Description:  This dissertation study compares perceptions of team climate between Registered Nurses who work with state certified Community Health Workers (CHWs) and those RNs who work with CHWs who are not state certified.