Research Newsletter 1. Spotlight on a Faculty Researcher: Leanne M. Currie, DNSc, RN 2. Recent Grant Awards 3. Recent Grant Submissions 4. Funding Opportunities 5. Awards and Accolades 6. CUSON Presence at National Meetings 7. Electronic Grant Submission Update 8. New ORR Policies 9. NIH Announcements 10. Resources on the Shared Network Drive 11. Continuing Education and Training Courses 12. Statistical Assistance 13. Research Bulletin Boards

Research Newsletter

1. Spotlight on a Faculty Researcher: Leanne M. Currie, DNSc, RN

Each CUSON ORR Newsletter highlights the recent achievements and activities of one of our faculty researchers. The Spring 2008 Newsletter shines the spotlight on Leanne M. Currie, DNSc, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing.

Having completed her doctoral training (with honors) in Informatics at Columbia University School of Nursing in 2004, Dr. Currie became a tenure-track faculty member after graduation. She also holds a joint appointment as a Nurse Researcher at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Currie’s research interests include patient safety informatics, evidence-based practice, data mining, user interface design, information needs, and communication theory.

Research

• Dr. Currie received her first independent federal funding as principal investigator with her R21 proposal “Electronic Communication for Antimicrobial Management (ECAM).” This 2-year exploratory study, funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the NIH for $442,750, aims to improve the appropriate and judicious use of antibiotics in the neonatal intensive care unit by developing and testing an automated method to remind clinicians to stop or change inappropriate antibiotics. Dr. Currie’s project is also part of the established, ongoing Center for Interdisciplinary Research to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (CIRAR).
• Dr. Currie also recently received funding for her R03 feasibility study entitled, “Automated Fall and Injury Risk Assessment for Behavioral Health (AFIP-BH)” This 2-year study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of the NIH for $161,000, aims to develop and validate a fall and injury risk assessment model, identify appropriate safety measures to support clinical decision making and documentation, and ultimately develop and test a computer-based prototype for use by individuals caring for patients in the behavioral health setting.
• In addition to serving as PI on 2 federally-funded grants, she is also Co-Investigator on two Informatics-related grants in the School of Nursing. The first, “APN Access for Electronic Resources for Safety & Quality” (PI: S. Bakken), is a National Library of Medicine Knowledge Management & Applied Informatics grant which provides tailored desktop and wireless access to web-based information resources related to patient safety and quality of care for APN students, faculty, and preceptors. She also serves as a faculty member on a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) training grant, “Wireless Informatics Support for Evidence-based APN Care,” which is working to reduce health disparities in underserved populations by preparing this same group of individuals to use informatics approaches for improving patient safety and enhancing evidence-based practice in a culturally competent manner.
• Finally, Dr. Currie is a mentor for pre- and postdoctoral trainees on two National Institute of Nursing Research training grants funded in the School of Nursing, “Reducing Health Disparities Through Informatics” (PI: S. Bakken) and “Training in Interdisciplinary Research to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (TIRAR)” (PI: K. Gebbie).

Honor and Awards

In the past several years, Dr. Currie has received multiple honors and awards, including:

• Columbia University School of Nursing’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2006)
• Project Team Member and Leader for User Support & Training on Columbia University School of Nursing’s 21st Century Achievement Award for Education and Academia, Computerworld Honors Program
• Elected Fellow in the Glenda Garvey Teaching Academy at Columbia University (2007)
• Faculty Advisor for the Best BSN Student Paper at both the 2007 and 2008 Eastern Nursing Research Association National Meetings

Recent Publications, Presentations, and Posters

• Bakken S, Currie LM, Lee NJ, Roberts WD, Collins SA, Cimino JJ. Integrating evidence into clinical information systems for nursing decision support. International Journal of Medical Informatics 2007 Sep 27.
• Choi J, Currie LM, Wang D, Bakken S. Encoding a clinical practice guideline using guideline interchange format: A case study of a depression screening and management guideline. International Journal of Medical Informatics 2007;76:S302-S307.
• Collins S, Currie L, Patel V, Bakken S, Cimino JJ. Multitasking by clinicians in the context of CPOE and CIS use. Medinfo 2007;12:958-962.
• Currie LM, Desjardins KS, Stone PW, Lai T-Y, Schwartz E, Schnall R, Bakken S. Near-miss and hazard reporting: reporting mindfulness in patient safety education. Medinfo 2007;12:285-290.
• Currie LM. Nursing Informatics: Perspective for Healthcare Executives. Medical Informatics: an Executive Primer, 2007.
• Currie LM. Summary of Evidence for Fall and Injury Prevention. Advances in Patient Safety - An Evidence-based Handbook for Nurses (in press).

Teaching

In 2007, Dr. Currie was elected a Member of the Glenda Garvey Teaching Academy at Columbia University. Dr. Currie considers teaching a success when the students have acquired knowledge appropriate to their skill level, when they are confident in ability to perform a new skill, and when they understand their attitudes towards the topic and reasoning behind their actions. She strives for a learning environment that is fair and ethical. Students in her Assessing Clinical Evidence course consistently rate her at the highest levels. Her most significant teaching accomplishment is in master’s and doctoral core courses in the evaluation of clinical research studies and their application to practice. Students in Dr. Currie’s “Assessing Clinical Evidence” course consistently rate her at the highest levels.