Two nursing professors win research awards - The University of Iowa College of Nursing

Two nursing professors win research awards

Two University of Iowa College of Nursing researchers will receive prestigious awards at the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) Conference in Indianapolis March 28-31.

Associate Professor Janet Specht, PhD, RN, FAAN, will receive the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing/MNRS Award for Leadership in Geriatric Nursing Research. The award recognizes her longstanding program of scholarship and commitment to enhancing evidence-based care of older adults residing in nursing homes, in particular those experiencing advanced dementia. Through her many research activities, Specht aims to increase services to older persons, and to influence policy at the state and national level.

Assistant Professor Barbara Rakel, PhD, RN, has been chosen to receive the MNRS Harriet Worley New Investigator Award. This award recognizes exceptional achievement by an investigator in the early phase of his or her research career. In the past year, Rakel secured two grants totaling nearly $2.3 million funding for two studies of the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). One will focus on the use of TENS after total knee replacement; the other will study the effect of TENS on knee osteoarthritis pain, hyperplasia and function.

February 18,2008