Sandra Richardson, PhD., Dip Tert. Teach, PG Dip Heal Sci (Dist.), Dip Soc Sci., BA, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury and a Nurse Researcher in the Emergency Department at Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury District Health Board in New Zealand.

Her research focuses on nursing response to disasters and emergency nursing and she has an interest in the healthcare providers response to earthquakes in New Zealand. In addition, she has a long-standing interest in cultural safety, and has researched this concept with district nurses, public health nurses, and emergency nurses working with families. She is also a member of the IFNA international research cluster examining ICU nurses and family engagement. Another area of scholarly interest is violence towards nurses and the impact this has on the ability to maintain compassion and patient centered care. Dr. Richardson uses the Questionnaire on Factors that influence Family Engagement (QFIFE), the Calgary Family Assessment Model adapted for a 15-Minute Family Interview, and Braun & Clarke’s approach to thematic analysis.

Through her scholarly work, Dr. Richardson seeks to gain a deeper understanding of: the social impacts of disasters on healthcare, the role and importance of culture in nursing, and the significance and contribution of nursing in disaster and emergency care. She is also interested in identifying hidden elements that contribute to effective care and hearing the voices of nurses.

Dr. Richardson has been acknowledged for her outstanding contributions to research and teaching through the award of the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ) Award in 2012, the Outstanding Teaching Award by the University of Otago in 2011, and the Medxus Award for Emergency Nursing Research in 2009.

For more information, contact IFNA member Dr. Sandra Richardson at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @SandraR_PhD

Karen Kalmakis, PhD, MPH, FNP, FAANP, is an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (USA). She is a former Center for Research on Families Scholar, and a current member of the steering committee. 

Dr.  Kalmakis studies the health consequences of childhood adversity to expand understanding of how exposure to chronic stress in childhood, such as results from child abuse and neglect, affects the long-term health of individuals and families. She is currently studying the relationship between the chronic stress response and health outcomes among young adults who experienced childhood adversity as stated on this page, and screening for childhood adversity among adults in various health care settings. Dr. Kalmakis also examines a program designed to create supportive, holistic health care for children in foster care and their families. Foster children are a vulnerable population with a high prevalence of childhood adversity.

Dr. Kalmakis has experience with cortisol extracted from saliva and hair as a biomarker of neurological effects following childhood adversity. She has also used self-reported measures of perceived stress, acute stress, post-traumatic stress, and resilience in her research. She has authored several articles for peer-reviewed journals including articles focused on the stress response to and health consequences of childhood adversity. 

To learn more about Dr. Kalmakis, contact her at [email protected]

Follow Karen Kalmakis on Twitter @Karenicloud  and view her LinkedIn profile here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kalmakis-0b015834.

Wendi Smith, MSN, is an Instructor at the Holy Family University, School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions and a PhD student at Villanova University in the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (USA).

Her dissertation research focuses on examining pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses and their perceptions and reported practices of family-centered care. She uses the Family-Centered Care Questionnaire-Revised in her study. Last year, she published a concept analysis of family-centered care of hospitalized pediatric patients. In support of her doctoral studies, Wendi was awarded The Dowrick Family Nursing Scholarship.

Wendi’s foundational work in family-centered care supports her long-term goal of developing a program of research focused on the relationship of family-centered care and patient, parent, and nursing outcomes in the PICU. Wendi seeks to contribute to knowledge development around PICU nurses, their unique perspectives surrounding the elements of family-centered care, and the degree to which they report incorporating such practices into their current nursing practice.

Wendi is currently a co-leader of the IFNA Student Engagement Group which was formed in August 2019 at IFNC14.

For more information, contact Wendi at [email protected]

Or connect with her through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendi-smith-706aa1116/

Michele Polfuss, PhD, RN, APNP-AC/PC, is an Associate Professor and Joint Research Chair in the Nursing of Children at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, College of Nursing and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (USA).

The focus of her research is on advancing the science of pediatric weight management through leveraging the role of individual and familial behaviors, genetics, and environment with a specific inclusion of youth with special needs. Her research has examined 1) accurate assessment of energy intake and expenditure and identification of weight status for this unique population, and 2) the influence of the family in the child’s weight-related behaviors of nutrition, activity and weight-management strategies.

These efforts seek to contribute to our understanding of the multi-factorial nature of overweight and obesity, and the identification of what the child and family have control over and their perceptions of their roles. The larger aim is to contribute to the development of interventions with the highest likelihood of success, marked by improvement of weight-related behaviors (e.g., healthy and balanced nutritional intake, engagement in physical activity, and decreased sedentary activity). 

In 2018, Dr. Polfuss was recognized for her outstanding scholarly achievements by receiving the New Investigator Award from the Family Section of the Midwest Nursing Research Society and the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Julie Lathrop Nursing Research Award. In July 2019,  she was awarded a five year $3.6 million dollar grant through NIH NICHD for a R01 multisite study titled, “Body Composition and Energy Expenditure in Youth with Spina Bifida” to support her research trajectory.  The study includes four pediatric spina bifida programs (Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Birmingham) across the United States.

Learn more about IFNA member, Dr. Polfuss: Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-polfuss-7b421432/

Martin Nagl-Cupal, PhD, RN, CCRN is an Assistant Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Vienna, Austria.

His research is on family caregiving and Dr. Nagl-Cupal and his team recently finished a nationwide survey about caring within families in Austria. Specifically, they investigated how caring develops and is maintained within an informal caring network over time. Within the broader area of family caregiving, Dr. Nagl-Cupal’s focus is on children who serve in the role of caregivers, so-called “young carers.” He conducted one of the rare prevalence studies on young carers, investigated factors that contribute to the health and a positive adaptation process of young carers, and developed and implemented a family-based support program for young carers and their families. The Austrian government has recognized his scholarly work on caregiving within families and the contributions he has made to improving formal support measures for family caregivers.

As a former ICU nurse, Dr. Nagl-Cupal is highly qualified for his participation in the IFNA Acute Care International Research Cluster where he explores family engagement in the adult intensive care unit.

His teaching, like his research, reflects his passion for family nursing topics. He addresses theoretical foundations and models of family-centered care in adult and pediatric care, and nursing skills required to work effectively with families.

For more information on INFA member and IFNA Country Liaison for Austria, Dr. Martin Nagl-Cupal, please contact him at [email protected] or connect with him through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-nagl-cupal-11809987/