USD President's Report 1997

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a sa nursing sluckn l whose docloral rcsca n:h in rnlres hmr peopk' absorb and apply in fo1·- rnaIion. An n Mayo landed an inlriguing ssignmenl lasLsurnmcr. She1ras inrilecl Lo rnakea major presenlalion on nursing resea 1·c:h Loa group of Russian nursing Pcl uc:a Lorsand leaders. An exix-rl in Leaching nursing resea rch. ~Jayo had noconcernsaboul lhc lopic:. Whal worried her. howerer. 1ras how lopresenl l11e infonnalion Lo lliL' H.11ssian-speaking aucl ienc:e. A si111 ple lra nslalion 1rasrd enough. Mayo needed lo unclerslancl her aucl i- t'ncc so shecould presenl ll1r lercl and c:onlexl of in formalion ll iaLwould be 111osl usefu l lo lhern. She prepa reel a rough presenlaIion. then lefl for the !lrn-1reek Augusl conferenc:c 11·iIh nine American nurses. each of 1rhom 1rnulcl consul! 11·ith !he Russians and make presenlations in their area: of expertise. Erery clay. Mayo laJkecl lo the Russian physi- cians and nurses. assessing 1rhat lhe~· kne11·abou L nursing resea rch. a ne1v rnca tion in their country. She lea rned about lbeRussian nursing and medica l ecluca lion system. She1rnrkecl closely 1rilh oneof !he conference lra nslator. lo include !hecorrecl Russian lerrninology on her orerheacl lransparencies. And ercry nighl. she rcrisilecl her presentation. tailoring thematerial lo what . he1ras lea rning. Fina lI~-. lhecla.r arrirccl . As Mayo bega n her presentation. shesensed a fellowshi p 11ilh her aud i- ence ...They 11-ereso hungry for i 11 formalion on nursing research llia l afler aboul three minulcs. I losl . ighl of lhc fac:LIhat I was 11·01-ki ng wi I Ii a Irans- laLor... she reca Ils. ..There1ras a 11 energy. There1ras a connection_.. \•\'hen J\layo finished. she realized lwr hard 11·ork pa id off...They ga remea slanclingoralion... she&1~·s. --1 f'oughl back !cars. II 1ras orenrlwlrning... \'ol Iha I ~Jayo isany slranger lo hard work or success. Sheea rned an associalt•s degree in n11rsing in 1975 and a bachelor's of' science in nu rsing in 1988. Al L"SD. sheca rnccl a rnaslc1:s clegrC'l' in f'arnily lwallh nursing in 1990 and cnlcrecl !hedoclora l pro- graI11 in 1096. All lhe ll'hi lc. she has 1rnrlm:l in lhe prof'L'ssion as a clinician. ccl uca lor or resea rcher.

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Mayo's fascinalion ,vi Lh cogniLi rederelopmenL starlecl in a chi Id derelopmenl course. which sparked a lifelong interesl in Lhc slucly of LhemenlaI processc. ire use loac:q uire knmd eclge. When Mayo bega n leaching nurses. she became inlereslecl inadul l cog- nilion. realizing thal if she bell -r understoocl hmr ad ulls process information. shecould presenl malcria l moreef'feclirely. Very lillle va lid resea rch exists on adull cognilion. hmrer er. Mayo is correcting Lhal wilh a research projecl inrolving Lelephoneadrice Lriage nurses - nurses who help palients assess hea ILh queslions over Lhe phone. She 1ri 11 in lerriew the nurses regarding their decision-making. Theanalysis of' lheir IhoughLprocesses 1ri 11 proricle insights in lo !heir cognilireclerelopmenI. Mayo sa ys. The nursing profession ca n use Lhose insighIs lo rcfi ne Iheir Leaching efforls and loderelop assessmenLLools. Mayo balances her responsibililies as a. Lu- cien! with her professional pursuits. She isan acl111 inislrati1·e consultanl for Kaiser Permanenlc in Sa n Diego and an instruclor in corn muni ly health nursing for Ca liforniaSialeUnirersiLy. She i a con- sullanl Loa Russian docloral nursing sluclenl who 1rnn ls Loconducl research. and shemay relurn lo Russia nexI yea 1· lo help a rnecl ical and n II rsing academy direcLor in Legrale health promotion Lopics inlo hi.- curriculum and research. !l's lhis mi.\ of sluclenl life. resea rch. clinica l work and leaching thal slimulales Mayo. Bul she is quick lo poinl oul Iha! noneof ii would hare been possible 11·ithoul her exceptionally sup1:xirlire famil y. -- 1 come home from classes so exciled aboul something r re lea rned and Ihey all lislen and ask queslions... she&1ysof' her husband. Ron. and their llrins. Ke1·in and Kelly. now 14. "You ca n ask them abou l nursing theory. philosophy and qualitalire resea rch. and Ihey unclerstancl lilt' orcra lI concepts. My ecluca lional program has slrengthenecl usas a family. !L's been a family adrenlurc...

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i11f'urn rn lio11 011 nursing res(_la rch lhal af'l <·1·aboul l I iree 111 i 11 u I es. I los l sigh l or llw f'c1<:I lhal I ,ms ,rorki11g ,rilh a l ra 11 sIa Io r. T 11 e I'(' ,ras a con 1wtl io11 :·

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