UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Donna Fick, a professor of nursing and of psychiatry and the co-director of the Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence at Penn State, has been named the editor of the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.
In her new role, Fick will be responsible for ensuring the overall quality, integrity and content of the journal, which publishes clinically relevant original articles on the practice of gerontological nursing across the continuum of care. The Journal of Gerontological Nursing includes sections focusing on geropharmacology, clinical concepts, diagnosis, dementia, legal issues, public policy, research briefs and technology innovations.
“Dr. Fick brings an impressive set of credentials and a deep understanding of gerontological nursing to the publication,” said John Bond, the senior vice president of SLACK Incorporated, the company that publishes the journal. “We are sure she will help the publication grow and continue as an integral part of the community.”
Fick’s research focuses on the causes of and treatments for delirium in people with dementia. In particular, she is studying the efficacy of cognitive stimulation, in the form of recreational activities, for resolving delirium in people with dementia. She also is examining ways to improve acute care nurse assessment and management of delirium in people with dementia who are hospitalized. In another line of research, she investigates those medications that adults age 65 or older should avoid.
Fick is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a 2009 John A. Hartford Geriatric Nursing Research Award, a 2007 Fran and Holly Soistman Faculty Development Award for Innovative Research in Healthcare and a 2000 Eli Lily Healthcare Improvement Award. She also is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and of the Gerontological Society of America. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing science at Berea College in 1986, a master’s degree in nursing science at the University of Cincinnati in 1990 and a Ph.D. degree in nursing at the University of California at San Francisco in 1997.
For additional information, contact the College of Health and Human Development Office of College Relations at 814-865-3831 or healthhd@psu.edu.