School of Nursing happenings

March 15 — Faculty present at statewide educational conference
Faculty from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, along with Doctor of Nursing Practice students and nurse practitioner fellows, recently shared their expertise at the 48th Annual Educational Conference of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP) March 12-15 in San Diego. Presenters delivered sessions on a wide range of clinical and public health topics affecting patients across the lifespan and in diverse communities. Their presentations included updates on the 2026 American Diabetes Association standards of care, management of elevated lead levels in Middle Eastern pediatric refugee populations and a discussion of why reproductive health is central to child health. Additional sessions explored HIV and hepatitis C prevention and treatment using a street medicine approach, pharmacology for skin lesions and wounds, and key takeaways from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2024 updates to contraceptive practice guidelines. Other presentations addressed suicide risk assessment for advanced practice registered nurses, clinical insights for managing chronic liver disease in primary care and the pathophysiology and progression of obesity across the lifespan. The conference brings together nurse practitioners from across California to exchange knowledge, highlight emerging clinical practices and strengthen the profession’s role in improving patient care.

March 15 — Professor publishes study on impact of body weight on quality of life
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published "Impact of body weight on quality of life trajectories following metabolic bariatric surgery in individuals with obesity: a longitudinal study" in Quality of Life Research. This collaborative longitudinal study reveals that patients generally experience improved health-related quality of life within the first year after metabolic bariatric surgery, but recovery follows three distinct paths depending on the starting point: low, medium, and high. Factors such as older age, female gender, higher education levels, and early postoperative depression symptoms significantly predict less favorable recovery outcomes, highlighting the need for personalized multidimensional support that goes beyond weight loss. Quality of Life Research is an international, multidisciplinary journal of original research, theoretical articles and methodological reports related to the field of health-related quality of life in all the health sciences.

Feb. 25 — Professor publishes study on trauma-informed research
Leigh Ann Simmons, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the study, “Reframing advisory as leadership to promote equity in trauma-informed community-engaged research: A case study of Yolo County, CA,” in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. This study examined how renaming a Community Advisory Board to a Community Leadership Board (CLB) could shift power and strengthen community-engaged research. The CLB identified key gaps and influenced multiple areas of implementation that others had missed. These findings highlight how naming and shared leadership can advance equity and accountability in translational research. Leigh Ann’s co-authors include Jasmine Cuellar, coordinator of the Perinatal Origin of Disparities (POD) Center and UC Davis biomedical engineer Jennifer Phipps.

Feb. 24 — Assistant professor coauthors study in national cancer journal
Alex Fauer, an assistant professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, coauthored the study, “Acceptability of a practical geriatric assessment intervention with older adult cancer survivors and community health workers/promotoras: a qualitative investigation,” published in Supportive Care in Cancer. The team refined and validated a protocol aimed to reduce the burden of cancer for older adults after they are diagnosed and treated, partnered with community health workers and cancer survivor consultants. Before new treatments and interventions are developed, exploratory and qualitative research help to understand what isn’t working so that the solutions built later are grounded in real needs. This matters because for many cancer survivors, health care systems are fragmented to identify and address long-term health care needs. His coauthors include PhD alumnae Sandra Calderon and Angela Usher, K12 mentors Diana Miglioretti and Fred Meyers, Quynh Vo of the Family Caregiving Institute, Chad Han from Flinders University and Vision y Compromiso’s Miriam Hernandez, a community partner.

Feb. 19 — National journal names caregiving research as Editor’s Choice
The Gerontologist selected “Comparison of Caregivers of Older Adults in State and National Surveys to Those Seeking Help in California’s Caregiver Resource Centers” as its second Editor’s Choice article for the fourth quarter of 2025. Led by Professors Janice M. Bell and Heather M. Young, along with colleagues at the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, the study examines whether national surveys fully capture caregivers’ needs. The research finds that California caregivers who seek help are more likely to provide high-intensity, full-time care and report poorer well-being than those represented in national datasets. Researchers say the implication is clear: caregivers with the greatest burdens may be undercounted in widely cited surveys. Rounding out the team of researchers are alumna Robin Whitney, Benjamin Link, and former postdocs Tina Kilaberia and Orly Tonkikh.

Jan. 27 — Dean and post-doc publish study on early-career nurses and burnout
School of Nursing Dean Stephen Cavanagh and postdoctoral scholar Willoughby Molone published the study, “Comparing Thriving at Work Among Trans-Tasman Early-Career Nurses: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study,” in the journal, Healthcare. The study finds that early-career nurses who experience strong workplace support and lower burnout are significantly more likely to thrive at work and less likely to consider leaving the profession. It underscores the role of supportive organizational environments in improving nurse well-being and retention.

Jan. 26 — Professor presents at international health intelligence conference
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, presented her research, "Causal Reinforcement Learning Based Agent–Patient Interaction with Clinical Domain Knowledge," at the International Workshop on Health Intelligence (W3PHIAI-26) in Singapore. This work by Shu-Fen and her team explores how AI learning model can integrate clinical domain knowledge to support more reliable and interpretable agent–patient interactions, with a focus on dementia care applications. Held in conjunction with the 40th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, the conference focuses on how large-scale pretrained models and autonomous systems are transforming clinical workflows, patient management, health system operations and public health surveillance.

Jan. 23 — Professor publishes study on strategies for older adults
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the study, “The Lived Experience of Older Adults with Monitoring Technologies: An Interpretive Phenomenology Study,” in the journal Healthcare. This study highlights the real-life experiences and strategies older adults use to manage a monitored life, providing insights for effective technology-assisted interventions. Involving individuals with dementia in the design process offers a framework for co-developing technologies that support aging in place while preserving identity and independence. Healthcare is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on health care systems, industry, technology, policy and regulation.

Jan. 16 — Faculty present at AACN doctoral education conference
Several faculty from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis presented at the 2026 Doctoral Education Conference: Chart the Future of Doctoral Nursing Education of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Associate Professor Charleen Singh gave a podium presentation on “Integrating, DNP education, global opportunities, as well as challenges and achievements faced at UC Davis with the DNP-FNP Program" where she discussed scholarly projects from the inaugural cohort of the DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner program, including global work. And Assistant Professor Jody Minnick presented the poster, “Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in DNP Project Prospectus Development: a Pilot Framework,” which discussed how artificial intelligence can support doctoral work through synthesizing data to create an outline. The annual conference explores national trends in doctoral nursing education, strategies to increase enrollment and ways to increase or maintain rigor in terminal degree programs. Associate Dean for Academics Amy Nichols also presented.

Jan. 15 — Professor publishes study on artificial intelligence in heart journal
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the study, “Dysphagia in Heart Failure: Demographics, Nutritional Status, and Patient-Reported Outcomes,” in Heart & Lung. Shu-Fen and her team have developed an artificial intelligence application that provides personalized self-care education for patients recovering from heart surgery to reduce preventable hospital readmissions. Initial evaluations indicate that it effectively addresses common recovery questions and has received high ratings from clinical experts, underscoring its potential as a reliable resource for home post-surgical care. The journal is the official publication of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses.

Jan. 9 — Professor named to statewide advisory board
Leigh Ann Simmons, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, has been appointed to the advisory board for the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine. Launched in 2015, the initiative drives the development of innovative technologies and personalized strategies to coordinate cross-sector partnerships for prevention, diagnosis and treatment to improve the health and well-being of all Californians. The purpose of the council is to advise and make recommendations to the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) on matters related to the initiative. Leigh Ann’s experience leading the ReACH Equity T32 predoctoral training program could help support in designing professional development activities for a new doctoral student cohort of grantees.

Jan. 9 — Professor publishes study on artificial intelligence in heart journal
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published the study, “Artificial intelligence applications for enhancing patient self-care education following sternotomy: Development and initial evaluation,” in Heart & Lung. Shu-Fen and her team have developed an artificial intelligence application that provides personalized self-care education for patients recovering from heart surgery to reduce preventable hospital readmissions. Initial evaluations indicate that it effectively addresses common recovery questions and has received high ratings from clinical experts, underscoring its potential as a reliable resource for home post-surgical care. The journal is the official publication of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, and publishes original, peer-reviewed articles that advance the clinical and translational science of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.

Jan. 3 — Professor publishes review in physiology journal
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published “Health effects of plants, light, and natural elements of biophilic interventions in confined settings: a systematic review,” in Frontiers in Physiology. The systematic review found that biophilic interventions — those that incorporate elements like plants, natural light and other features of nature — significantly enhance health and resilience in highly confined settings, such as hospitals and eldercare facilities. These strategies effectively reduce physiological stress, improve mood and accelerate recovery. They are being implemented through tailored, often pathogen-free systems designed to address environmental challenges and infection control issues.

Jan. 2 — Clinical researcher funded for traumatic brain injuries in children
Lori Kennedy, an associate professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, received $100,000 grant from Children’s Miracle Network to support “$100,000 from the Children's Miracle Network to support “Optimal Virtual Care for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.” Lori’s research will test a regional telehealth model for children with mild traumatic brain injury that combines application of Brain Injury Guidelines and pediatric neurosurgeon consultation with structured follow-up provided by advanced practice providers. The study aims to improve outcomes, reduce unnecessary transfers and promote equitable access to specialty care for families across rural and underserved communities. Lori is a clinical nurse scientist who serves as director of the Center for Nursing Science at UC Davis Health.

Jan. 1 — Professor co-authors policy statement for American Heart Association
Shu-Fen Wung, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, co-authored the policy statement, "Genetic and Genomic Testing in Cardiovascular Disease," in Circulation. The new statement updates a previous AHA policy from over a decade ago and provides a comprehensive framework for public policy. It is essential for ensuring equitable access, appropriate regulatory oversight, and ethical stewardship of data related to genetic and genomic testing. The policy statement serves as a roadmap for policymakers, payers and researchers. It urges them to take decisive action to ensure that advances in genomics lead to high-quality, nondiscriminatory and universally accessible care for patients with cardiovascular conditions. Circulation is a journal of the American Heart Association that publishes original research manuscripts, review articles and other content related to cardiovascular health and disease