Brief Bio

Paula Tanabe, who joined the DUSON faculty in July 2011, came to Duke from the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, where she was Research Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine with a secondary faculty appointment at the Institute for Healthcare Studies. She earned a BS in Nursing at Rush University and an MS in Nursing at Loyola University, Chicago. She completed her PhD in 1996 at the University of Illinois-Chicago. From 2004 to 2006, she was a post-doctoral Health Services Research Fellow at Northwestern University, and completed an MPH at Northwestern in 2006.

Dr. Tanabe’s research in emergency medicine and health services includes studies of pain management practices in the emergency department with a strong emphasis on sickle cell disease, the role of the emergency clinician in screening and referral for patients with undetected hypertension, and research with the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) five-level triage system. She served as the Co-Chair of the National Emergency Nurses Association (ENA)/ American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) five-level triage task force that has made national recommendations regarding five-level triage systems, and is currently a member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health Expert Panel developing evidence-based guidelines for primary care providers in the care of patients with sickle cell disease. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing and the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Tanabe has over 20 years of experience as an ED nurse, researcher and educator and has published more than 40 journal articles. She was co-author and co-editor of the Emergency Severity Index, Version 4: Implementation Handbook published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and was co-leader in the production of a 2-DVD video that is included in the standard training materials for the Emergency Severity Index.

Academic Program Affiliations

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
PhD in Nursing Program

Education

PhD	University of Illinois at Chicago
MPH	Northwestern University
MSN	Loyola University, Chicago
BS	Rush University

Research Interests

Dr. Tanabe has conducted investigations aimed at improving pain management in the emergency department, with a strong focus on patients with sickle cell disease. Dr. Tanabe developed the Emergency Department Sickle Cell Assessment of Needs and Strengths (ED-SCANS), a decision support tool aimed at improving the quality of care provided to adults with sickle cell disease in the ED setting.

Awards and Honors

• 2012 Fellow, American Academy of Nursing

• 2012 Fellow, Academy of Emergency Nursing, National Emergency Nurses Association

• 2007 Mayday Pain and Society Fellow – A Media and Policy Initiative, The Mayday Fund

• 2007 Outstanding Oral Research Presentation, Spring Symposium, Illinois College of Emergency Physicians

• 2004 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, NRSA, nstitute for Health Services Research and Policy Studies, Dept Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

• 2003 Nursing Practice Award, National Emergency Nurses Association

• 2002 Resident Research Award, 1st place, Illinois College of Emergency Physicians Resident Academic Forum, Oak Brook, IL

• 2002 Nursing Researcher Award, National Emergency Nurses Association

• 1997 Research Facilitation Award, National Emergency Nurses Association

• 1996 Doctoral Scholarship, National Emergency Nurses Association

• 1992 Nursing Educator Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Phi Chapter

• 1987 Inducted, Sigma Theta Tau

Areas of Expertise

• Acute / Critical Care

Areas of Interest

• Sickle cell disease
• Pain management
• Emergency care

Representative Publications

• 2013 -- Pubmed # 23636046 Tanabe, P., Thornton, V. L., Martinovich, Z., Todd, K. H., Wun, T., Lyons, J. S. The Emergency Department Sickle Cell Assessment of Needs and Strengths (ED-SCANS): Reliability and Validity. Adv Emerg Nurs J. April/June, 2013; 35(2); 143-153

• 2013 -- Pubmed # 23380119 Haywood Jr, C., Tanabe, P., Naik, R., Beach, M. C., Lanzkron, S. The impact of race and disease on sickle cell patient wait times in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. April, 2013; 31(4); 651-6

• 2013 -- Pubmed # 23342819 Porter, J., Feinglass, J., Artz, N., Hafner, J., Tanabe, P. Sickle cell disease patients' perceptions of emergency department pain management. J Natl Med Assoc. February, 2013; 104(9-10); 449-54

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 23099012 Pirotte, M. J., Buckley, B. A., Lerhmann, J. F., Tanabe, P. Development of a Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral for Treatment for ED Patients at Risk for Undiagnosed Hypertension: A Qualitative Study. J Emerg Nurs. October, 2012, Epub ahead of print;

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22575702 Buckley, B. A., McCarthy, D. M., Forth, V. E., Tanabe, P., Schmidt, M. J., Adams, J. G., Engel, K. G. Patient Input into the Development and Enhancement of ED Discharge Instructions: A Focus Group Study. J Emerg Nurs. May 2012, Epub ahead of print;

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22204885 Tanabe, P., Paice, J. A., Stancati, J., Fleming, M. How do emergency department patients store and dispose of opioids after discharge? A pilot study. J Emerg Nurs. May, 2012; 38(3); 273-9

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22506947 Tanabe, P., Hafner, J. W., Martinovich, Z., Artz, N. Adult emergency department patients with sickle cell pain crisis: results from a quality improvement learning collaborative model to improve analgesic management. Acad Emerg Med. April, 2012; 19(4); 430-8

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22114152 Tanabe, P., Hasnain-Wynia, R. Promoting equity: developing quality measures for sickle cell disease. Am J Med Qual. January 1, 2012; 27(1); 80-2

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22211429 McHugh, M., Tanabe, P., McClelland, M., Khare, R. K. More patients are triaged using the emergency severity index than any other triage acuity system in the United States. Acad Emerg Med. January, 2012; 19(1); 106-9

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22693773 Oliveira, W., Tanabe, P. Response to fall 2011 article: Clinical molecular testing: subspecialty, entry-level or specialist certification. Clin Lab Sci. 2012; 25(2); 66

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21937097 Tanabe, P., Stevenson, A., Decastro, L., Drawhorn, L., Lanzkron, S., Molokie, R. E., Artz, N. Evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer Workshop on Sickle Cell Disease for ED Providers. J Emerg Nurs. September, 2011 early online;

• 2011 -- Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P., Travers, D., Rosenau, A. M. Emergency Severity Index A Triage Tool for Emergency Department Care, Version 4. Implementation Handbook 2012 (AHRQ Publication No. 11-M031) 2011; Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality..

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21741568 Reddin, C. C., Cerrentano, E., Tanabe, P. Sickle cell disease management in the emergency department: what every emergency nurse should know. J Emerg Nurs. July, 2011; 37(4); 341-5

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21605324 Keough, V. A., Stevenson, A., Martinovich, Z., Young, R., Tanabe, P. Nurse practitioner certification and practice settings: implications for education and practice. J Nurs Scholarsh. June 1, 2011; 43(2); 195-202

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21661097 Tanabe, P., Ogunseitan, A. Understanding and meeting the hospitalist's challenge: Caring for adults with sickle cell disease. J Hosp Med. May 1, 2011; 6(5); 245-7

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21237363 Tanabe, P., Cline, D. M., Cienki, J. J., Egging, D., Lehrmann, J. F., Baumann, B. M. Barriers to screening and intervention for ED patients at risk for undiagnosed or uncontrolled hypertension. J Emerg Nurs. January 1, 2011; 37(1); 17-23

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 21293772 Gisondi, M. A., Lu, D. W., Yen, M., Norris, R., Courtney, D. M., Tanabe, P., Engel, K. G., Emanuel, L. L., Quest, T. E. Adaptation of EPEC-EM Curriculum in a residency with asynchronous learning. West J Emerg Med. December, 2010; 11(5); 491-9 PMCID: PMC3027445

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20382446 Cameron, K. A., Engel, K. G., McCarthy, D. M., Buckley, B. A., Mercer Kollar, L. M., Donlan, S. M., Pang, P. S., Makoul, G., Tanabe, P., Gisondi, M. A., Adams, J. G. Examining emergency department communication through a staff-based participatory research method: identifying barriers and solutions to meaningful change. Ann Emerg Med. December 1, 2010; 56(6); 614-22

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 21141291 Tanabe, P., Porter, J., Creary, M., Kirkwood, E., Miller, S., Ahmed-Williams, E., Hassell, K. A qualitative analysis of best self-management practices: sickle cell disease. J Natl Med Assoc. November 1, 2010; 102(11); 1033-41

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20670322 Tanabe, P., Reddin, C., Thornton, V. L., Todd, K. H., Wun, T., Lyons, J. S. Emergency Department Sickle Cell Assessment of Needs and Strengths (ED-SCANS), a focus group and decision support tool development project. Acad Emerg Med. August 1, 2010; 17(8); 848-58 PMCID: PMC2914333

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20173433 Lazio, M. P., Costello, H. H., Courtney, D. M., Martinovich, Z., Myers, R., Zosel, A., Tanabe, P. A comparison of analgesic management for emergency department patients with sickle cell disease and renal colic. Clin J Pain. May 13, 2010; 26(3); 199-205

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20370779 Tanabe, P., Artz, N., Mark Courtney, D., Martinovich, Z., Weiss, K. B., Zvirbulis, E., Hafner, J. W. Adult emergency department patients with sickle cell pain crisis: a learning collaborative model to improve analgesic management. Acad Emerg Med. April 1, 2010; 17(4); 399-407

• 2010 -- Keough, V. A., Tanabe, P. Survey research: An effective design for conducting nursing research. Journal of Professional Regulation. January, 2010; 1(4); 1-6

• 2010 -- Tanabe, P., Holleran, R. S., Reddin, C. J. Pain. In Sheehy’s emergency nursing principles and practice (6th ed), edited by Howard, P. K. and Steinmann, R. A. 2010; pp. 127-147. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.

• 2009 -- Pubmed # 19910790 Baumann, B. M., Cienki, J. J., Cline, D. M., Egging, D., Lehrmann, J. F., Tanabe, P. Evaluation, management, and referral of elderly emergency department patients with elevated blood pressure. Blood Press Monit. December 1, 2009; 14(6); 251-6

• 2009 -- Pubmed # 19591723 Valdovinos, N. C., Reddin, C., Bernard, C., Shafer, B., Tanabe, P. The use of topical anesthesia during intravenous catheter insertion in adults: a comparison of pain scores using LMX-4 versus placebo. J Emerg Nurs. July 1, 2009; 35(4); 299-304

• 2009 -- Pubmed # 19591722 Tanabe, P., Gisondi, M. A., Barnard, C., Lucenti, M. J., Cameron, K. A. Can education and staff-based participatory research change nursing practice in an era of ED overcrowding? A focus group study. J Emerg Nurs. July 1, 2009; 35(4); 290-8

• 2009 -- Pubmed # 19265789 Baumann, B. M., Cline, D. M., Cienki, J. J., Egging, D., Lehrmann, J. F., Tanabe, P. Provider self-report and practice: reassessment and referral of emergency department patients with elevated blood pressure. Am J Hypertens. June 1, 2009; 22(6); 604-10

• 2009 -- Tanabe, P., Todd, K. H. Pain in sickle cell disease. In Guide to pain management in low resource settings, edited by Kopf, A. & Patel, N. 2009; pp. 196-199. Seattle, WA: IASP Press.

• 2008 -- Pubmed # 18703306 Mercer, L. M., Tanabe, P., Pang, P. S., Gisondi, M. A., Courtney, D. M., Engel, K. G., Donlan, S. M., Adams, J. G., Makoul, G. Patient perspectives on communication with the medical team: pilot study using the Communication Assessment Tool-Team (CAT-T). Patient Educ Couns. November 1, 2008; 73(2); 220-3

• 2008 -- Pubmed # 18926342 Ducharme, J., Tanabe, P., Homel, P., Miner, J. R., Chang, A. K., Lee, J., Todd, K. H., Pain, Emergency Medicine Initiative Study Group, The influence of triage systems and triage scores on timeliness of ED analgesic administration. Am J Emerg Med. October 1, 2008; 26(8); 867-73

• 2008 -- Pubmed # 18804714 Pearlman, M. K., Tanabe, P., Mycyk, M. B., Zull, D. N., Stone, D. B. Evaluating disparities in door-to-EKG time for patients with noncardiac chest pain. J Emerg Nurs. October 1, 2008; 34(5); 414-8

• 2008 -- Pubmed # 18640432 ESI Triage Research Team LLC,, Eitel, D., Gilboy, N., Rosenau, A. M., Tanabe, P., Travers, D. Does this patient meet the criteria for Emergency Severity Index level 2? J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 2008; 34(4); 382-3

• 2008 -- Pubmed # 18640406 Tanabe, P., Gisondi, M. A., Medendorp, S., Engeldinger, L., Graham, L. J., Lucenti, M. J. Should you close your waiting room? Addressing ED overcrowding through education and staff-based participatory research. J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 2008; 34(4); 285-9

• 2008 -- Pubmed # 18207606 Tanabe, P., Persell, S. D., Adams, J. G., McCormick, J. C., Martinovich, Z., Baker, D. W. Increased blood pressure in the emergency department: pain, anxiety, or undiagnosed hypertension? Ann Emerg Med. March 1, 2008; 51(3); 221-9

• 2008 -- Tanabe, P. Pathways and protocols for the triage patient with acute pain. In Emergency sedation pain management, edited by Burton, J. H. & Miner, J. 2008; pp. 67-74. New York: Cambridge University Press.

• 2007 -- Pubmed # 17898244 Lehrmann, J. F., Tanabe, P., Baumann, B. M., Jones, M. K., Martinovich, Z., Adams, J. G. Knowledge translation of the American College of Emergency Physicians clinical policy on hypertension. Acad Emerg Med. November 1, 2007; 14(11); 1090-6

• 2007 -- Pubmed # 17306626 Todd, K. H., Ducharme, J., Choiniere, M., Crandall, C. S., Fosnocht, D. E., Homel, P., Tanabe, P., PEMI Study Group, Pain in the emergency department: results of the pain and emergency medicine initiative (PEMI) multicenter study. J Pain. June 1, 2007; 8(6); 460-6

• 2007 -- Pubmed # 17389246 Tanabe, P., Myers, R., Zosel, A., Brice, J., Ansari, A. H., Evans, J., Martinovich, Z., Todd, K. H., Paice, J. A. Emergency department management of acute pain episodes in sickle cell disease. Acad Emerg Med. May 1, 2007; 14(5); 419-25

• 2007 -- Pubmed # 17379042 Tanabe, P., Gilboy, N., Travers, D. A. Emergency Severity Index version 4: clarifying common questions. J Emerg Nurs. April 1, 2007; 33(2); 182-5

• 2007 -- Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P. Oral rehydration therapy for pediatric gastroenteritis: can oral ondansetron eliminate the need for intravenous therapy? Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal. Jan.-Mar., 2007; 29(1); 3-9

• 2006 -- Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P. Can different types of central venous catheters be used to measure central venous pressure in an emergency situation? Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal. Oct.-Dec., 2006; 28(4); 269-274

• 2006 -- Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P. Transporting low-risk chest pain patients – Do you need an RN and a monitor/defibrillator? Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal. Jul.-Sept,. 2006; 28(3); 168-174

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 16126100 Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P., Travers, D. A. The Emergency Severity Index Version 4: changes to ESI level 1 and pediatric fever criteria. J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 2005; 31(4); 357-62

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 16046958 Fernandes, C. M., Tanabe, P., Bonalumi, N., Gilboy, N., Johnson, L., McNair, R. S., Rosenau, A. M., Sawchuk, P., Suter, R. E., Thompson, D. A., Travers, D. A. Emergency department triage: why we need a research agenda. Ann Emerg Med. August 1, 2005; 46(2); 204-5

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 15930399 Tanabe, P., Travers, D., Gilboy, N., Rosenau, A., Sierzega, G., Rupp, V., Martinovich, Z., Adams, J. G. Refining Emergency Severity Index triage criteria. Acad Emerg Med. June 1, 2005; 12(6); 497-501

• 2005 -- Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P., Travers, D. A., Rosenau, A. M., Eitel, D. R. Emergency Severity Index, version 4: Implementation handbook. (AHRQ Publication No. 05-0046-2) May, 2005; Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 15682128 Fernandes, C. M., Tanabe, P., Gilboy, N., Johnson, L. A., McNair, R. S., Rosenau, A. M., Sawchuk, P., Thompson, D. A., Travers, D. A., Bonalumi, N., Suter, R. E. Five-level triage: a report from the ACEP/ENA Five-level Triage Task Force. J Emerg Nurs. February 1, 2005; 31(1); 39-50; quiz 118

• 2004 -- Pubmed # 17381999 Worster, A., Gilboy, N., Fernandes, C. M., Eitel, D., Eva, K., Geisler, R., Tanabe, P. Assessment of inter-observer reliability of two five-level triage and acuity scales: a randomized controlled trial. CJEM. July 1, 2004; 6(4); 240-5

• 2004 -- Pubmed # 15192674 Tanabe, P., Steinmann, R., Kippenhan, M., Stehman, C., Beach, C. Undiagnosed hypertension in the ED setting--an unrecognized opportunity by emergency nurses. J Emerg Nurs. June 1, 2004; 30(3); 225-9

• 2004 -- Pubmed # 15175213 Tanabe, P., Steinmann, R., Anderson, J., Johnson, D., Metcalf, S., Ring-Hurn, E. Factors affecting pain scores during female urethral catheterization. Acad Emerg Med. June 1, 2004; 11(6); 699-702

• 2004 -- Pubmed # 15072092 Tanabe, P. The effect of blood-drawing techniques and equipment on the hemolysis of ED laboratory blood samples. J Emerg Nurs. April 1, 2004; 30(2); 106-8

• 2004 -- Pubmed # 14765078 Tanabe, P., Gimbel, R., Yarnold, P. R., Adams, J. G. The Emergency Severity Index (version 3) 5-level triage system scores predict ED resource consumption. J Emerg Nurs. February 1, 2004; 30(1); 22-9

• 2004 -- Pubmed # 14709429 Tanabe, P., Gimbel, R., Yarnold, P. R., Kyriacou, D. N., Adams, J. G. Reliability and validity of scores on The Emergency Severity Index version 3. Acad Emerg Med. January 1, 2004; 11(1); 59-65

• 2003 -- Tanabe, P. New triage system gains popularity. Nursing Spectrum -- Greater Chicago. September 8, 2003; 16(18); 5

• 2003 -- Pubmed # 12896895 Tanabe, P., Kyriacou, D. N., Garland, F., Kyriacou, D. Factors affecting the risk of blood bank specimen hemolysis. Acad Emerg Med. August, 2003; 10(8); 897-900

• 2003 -- Gilboy, N., Tanabe, P., Travers, D., Eitel, D., Wuerz, R. Emergency Severity Index (ESI) implementation manual: A five-level triage system. 2003; Park Ridge, IL: Emergency Nurses Association.

• 2002 -- Tanabe, P. You must brace for change in ED pain management. ED Nursing. November, 2002; 6(1); 8-11

• 2002 -- Pubmed # 11960123 Tanabe, P., Ferket, K., Thomas, R., Paice, J., Marcantonio, R. The effect of standard care, ibuprofen, and distraction on pain relief and patient satisfaction in children with musculoskeletal trauma. J Emerg Nurs. April 1, 2002; 28(2); 118-25

• 2001 -- Pubmed # 11275859 Tanabe, P., Thomas, R., Paice, J., Spiller, M., Marcantonio, R. The effect of standard care, ibuprofen, and music on pain relief and patient satisfaction in adults with musculoskeletal trauma. J Emerg Nurs. April 1, 2001; 27(2); 124-31

• 2000 -- Pubmed # 11106476 Roettig, M. L., Tanabe, P. Emergency management of acute coronary syndromes. J Emerg Nurs. December, 2000; 26(6 Pt 2); S1-S42

• 2000 -- Pubmed # 10940837 Tanabe, P., Buschmann, M. Emergency nurses' knowledge of pain management principles. J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 2000; 26(4); 299-305

• 2000 -- Tanabe, P. Out of compliance with standards? You must assess and treat pain quicker. ED Nursing. March 1, 2000; 3(5); 56-63.

• 2000 -- Tanabe, P. Front line: Emergency department tackles pain management. Joint Commission Benchmark. February, 2000; 2(2); 6-7

• 1999 -- Pubmed # 10346837 Tanabe, P., Buschmann, M. A prospective study of ED pain management practices and the patient's perspective. J Emerg Nurs. June 1, 1999; 25(3); 171-7

• 1998 -- Mayer, T. A., Ryan, N., Currier, S., Zimmers, T., McKernan, K. M., Schmidt, L., Tanabe, P., Weinman, S., Sanders, P., Zimmerman, P. G. Customer service still running amok. EN: Journal of Emergency Nursing. June, 1998; 24(3); 208-12

• 1997 -- Pubmed # 9379584 Tanabe, P., Bollenberg, B., Ignatowicz, N. An ENA state research committee: the Illinois experience. J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 1997; 23(4); 375-7

• 1996 -- Pubmed # 8936154 Koziol-McLain, J., Tanabe, P. Reviewing the research literature: you don't have to do it alone. J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 1996; 22(4); 352-5

• 1995 -- Pubmed # 7658626 Tanabe, P. Recognizing pain as a component of the primary assessment: adding D for discomfort to the ABCs. J Emerg Nurs. August 1, 1995; 21(4); 299-304

• 1991 -- Bielawski, B., Tanabe, P. Cardiogenic shock. In Decision making in trauma management: A multidisciplinary approach, edited by Mancini, M. E. & Klein, J. 1991; pp. 316-317. Philadelphia, PA: B. C. Acker, Inc..

• 1991 -- Bielawski, B., Tanabe, P. Neurogenic shock. In Decision making in trauma management: A multidisciplinary approach, edited by Mancini, M. E. & Klein, J. 1991; pp. 318-319. Philadelphia, PA: B. C. Acker, Inc..

• 1991 -- Bielawski, B., Tanabe, P. Septic shock. In Decision making in trauma management: A multidisciplinary approach, edited by Mancini, M. E. & Klein, J. 1991; pp. 320-321. Philadelphia, PA: B. C. Acker, Inc..

Grant Funding (selected)

• Improving Emergency Department Management of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease  
  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  R18-HS019646-01A1
  09/2011-07/2014
  This researching implementation and change while improving quality project will redesign the process of emergency department (ED) management for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). The project will use the Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) to identify the vulnerabilities, risks, and weak points (failures) in the systems and processes involved in using the Emergency Department Sickle Cell Assessment of Needs and Strengths (ED-SCANS), a decision support tool developed to improve the quality of care for adults with SCD. The root causes of each failure will be identified, then redesigned. The aims for the proposed project are to: (1) conduct a proactive risk assessment, FMECA of the workflow and operational systems and processes involved in four key decisions of the ED-SCANS regarding evaluation and management of SCD patients; (2) develop and implement standardized processes and interventions for each of the four decisions of the ED-SCANS; (3) conduct a formal program evaluation of the quality improvement implementation at each site; and (4) develop a toolbox for dissemination and implementation of effective systems and processes to support use of the ED-SCANS in EDs at additional low-resource US hospitals.

• Sickle Cell Treatment Demonstration Project  
  Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Bureau
  U1EMCO7656
  02/2011-08/2014
  Role: Consultant
  The project will use the Emergency Department Sickle Cell Assessment of Needs and Strengths (ED-SCANS) in four FQHC’s to identify adults with sickle cell disease seen in the emergency department who meet high risk or high utilization criteria, according to the ED-SCANS. Patients will be referred to a Regional Care Coordinator who will try to link patients with healthcare services.

• A Decision Support Tool for Adult Sickle Cell Emergency Department Patients  
  National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research
  1K23NR010940-01A2
  02/2008-01/2011
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Title of Project: “A Decision Support Tool for Adult Sickle Cell Emergency Department Patients” Project Goal: The major goal of this career development project is to develop and pilot-test a decision support tool that will be used to identify service delivery needs and guide emergency department management and referrals for an under-served population: persons with sickle cell disease

• Improving Pain Management Through Surveillance and Quality Improvement - The Illinois Emergency Department Pain Management Collaborative” (IED-PMC) Project I: Sickle Cell Disease - Acute Pain Episodes (SCD-APE)  
  The Mayday Fund
  06/2007-05/2011
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Project Goal: The major goals of the project are to: (1) develop and test an ED-based SCD surveillance system, (2) implement a continuous quality improvement initiative and test the surveillance system for responsiveness to interventions, and (3) develop a tool-box of assessment tools, analgesic protocols and education materials designed to optimize quality care.

• NP CAPS Study: Nurse Practitioner Certification and Practice Setting Study  
  National Council of State Boards of Nursing
  P17001
  06/2007-05/2009
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Project Goal: The major goals of the project are to: (1) identify practice settings for the following groups of nurse practitioners currently certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center: Adult Nurse Practitioners, Acute Care Nurse Practitioners and Family Nurse Practitioners, (2) measure agreement between identified practice settings and certification specialty, (3) identify additional preparation, orientation or education NPs receive in their clinical setting which may enhance their ability to safely practice, and (4) report NP’s self-perception of the ability to practice safely in an area outside their certification examination.

• Asthma Surveillance  
  Illinois Department of Public Health
  03/2008-06/2009
  Role: Consultant
  Project Goal: The major goal of this project was to develop a state asthma surveillance system of patients who presented to the emergency department with asthma symptoms.

• Palliative Care for Cancer Patients in Emergency Ward  
  Cancer Education (R25E) Grants Program
  NCI - 1R25CA116472-01A1
  09/2006-08/2010
  Role: Co-Investigator
  Project Goal: This project developed a curriculum for emergency clinicians in palliative care.

• Undetected Hypertension in the Emergency Department  
  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  1 RO3 HS015619-01A1
  09/2005-09/2006
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Project Goal: The goal of this project was to determine the proportion of patients with no known history of hypertension seen in an emergency department (ED) for an unrelated visit with elevated blood pressures, who have sustained elevated blood pressure when taken at home the week following the ED visit.

• Should You Close Your Waiting Room? The Effect on Emergency Department Overcrowding  
  National Emergency Medicine Foundation/National Emergency Nursing Foundation
  07/2005-06/2006
  Role: Co-Investigator
  Project Goal: The goal of this project was to develop criteria in which the emergency department waiting room could be closed. The project used staff-based participatory research methods to determine criteria by conducting workshops with emergency physicians and nurses.

• Optimizing Triage of High-Acuity Patients: Revision of the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) Level 1 & 2 Criteria  
  National Emergency Nurses Foundation/Sigma Theta Tau
  07/2003-06/2004
  Role: Principal Investigatpror
  Project Goal: The goal of this multi-center project was to identify characteristics of ESI Level 2 patients that require immediate evaluation and treatment, and refine ESI Level 1 and 2 criteria accordingly.