Louisiana Nurse Receives Novice Researcher Award

Dr. Debra Craighead Accepts $2,400 Research Grant

NEWS RELEASE: June 25, 2012
CONTACT: Jessica Gillman, 202-296-2002

Washington, DC— The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) today presented its 2012 Novice Researcher Award to Debra Craighead, PhD, RN. The award was presented at the AWHONN annual convention in the Washington, DC area.

Through generous charitable contributions from AWHONN members, the organization presented a $2,400 research grant to Dr. Craighead to further her study titled, “Early term infant care: Hospital utilization and feeding practices.â?? Using AWHONN’s Conceptual Model for Late Preterm Infant Care, the study will describe current care practices used to promote health outcomes for the early term infant during the early postpartum period. The Novice Researcher Award is intended to assist new researchers to begin areas of study, investigate clinical issues or launch a pilot study.

"AWHONN is dedicated to improving the care of women and newborns through research," said AWHONN’s Chief Executive Officer, Karen Peddicord, PhD, RN. "Dr. Craighead's research examines the important issue of preterm birth and the health outcomes for this vulnerable population of newborns."

Dr. Craighead received a Bachelor of Science and a Master's of Science in Nursing from Northwestern State University in Shreveport, Louisiana. She recently received a PhD in Nursing from The University of Texas at Tyler and has devoted her twenty-nine year nursing career to maternal child health nursing with an emphasis in neonatal nursing. She is currently employed by the University of Louisiana at Monroe where she teaches pediatric nursing, testing skills and nursing research.

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About AWHONN

The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is the foremost nursing authority that advances the health care of women and newborns through advocacy, research and the creation of high quality, evidence-based standards of care.

AWHONN's 24,000 members worldwide are clinicians, educators and executives who serve as patient care advocates focusing on the needs of women and infants. A leader in professional development, AWHONN holds the distinction of twice receiving the Premier Program award by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for innovation and excellence in Continuing Nursing Education (CNE).

Founded in 1969 as the Nurses Association of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the association became a separate nonprofit organization called the Association of Women's Health and Neonatal Nurses in 1993.

Visit AWHONN on Facebook.

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