University of Phoenix College of Nursing Alumna and Faculty Publish Article on Lived Experiences of Intensive Care Unit Nursing During Pandemic
May 03 2024 - 2:57PM
Business Wire
Article co-authored by Dr. Gloria Littlemouse
grounded in Watson theory of Caring Science identified barriers to
self-care and potential of coaches to help nurses build
resilience
University of Phoenix College of Nursing is pleased to highlight
the recent publication by alumna Gloria Littlemouse, Ph.D. in
Nursing, MSN, RN, WCSI Scholar, whose dissertation study informed
an article, “Lived Experiences of ICU Nurses During COVID-19,” in
the journal, The Linacre Quarterly. The article was co-authored by
Littlemouse with Patricia Finch Guthrie, Ph.D., RN, faculty and
Project Chair, and Margaret Kroposki, Ph.D., RN, associate faculty,
both in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, College of
Nursing.
“The pandemic exposed the frailty of our healthcare
infrastructure and this study importantly gives voice to nurses who
practiced in the most challenging of circumstances taking care of
the sickest, most vulnerable patients,” Littlemouse states. “There
is more we can do to support nurses and help build resilience in
these challenging healthcare environments, and it’s meaningful that
the study has now been published and adopted into our community
body of knowledge.”
The article is a qualitative, phenomenological study based on
the work of Littlemouse’s dissertation, which describes intensive
care unit (ICU) nurses’ lived experiences caring for patients with
COVID-19 while trying to engage in self-care and care for their
families, in which 11 ICU nurses shared their individual
experiences working in a hospital ICU. Watson's theory of Caring
Science guided the study to ensure a holistic interpretation of the
data. Six themes and fifteen subthemes emerged, which revealed that
ICU nurses faced barriers to self-care. The conclusion of the data
analysis was that hospital leaders can make Caring Science evident
to ICU nurses during crises with trained Caritas coaches and help
build resilience among frontline nurses.
Finch Guthrie served as dissertation chair for Littlemouse. “Dr.
Littlemouse brought her profound understanding and compassion to
her study as she also cared for COVID patients during a very
difficult time in nursing,” Finch Guthrie shares. “Her work fully
illustrates the pain and suffering of the nurses during that time,
especially before the vaccine.”
Littlemouse’s journey is deeply rooted in the Navajo Nation and
her Diné ancestry. She undertook her self-education, putting
herself through school over the course of four decades, and
embracing the nursing profession as a deliberate path centered on
healing. Determined to realize her ultimate dream of attaining a
doctorate, Littlemouse completed a Master of Science in Nursing in
2011 and then a Ph.D. in Nursing in 2022 at University of Phoenix.
Her doctoral dissertation was nominated for the University of
Phoenix Dissertation of the Year in 2022 and she continues to
present her research at public speaking events, including at an
upcoming event at Universidad Santo Tomás in Santiago, Chile.
During her nursing career, 30 years ago, Littlemouse was drawn
to the philosophy of Jean Watson, Ph.D., RN, and the Watson Caring
Science Institute (WCSI), where she identified a synergy between
Diné teachings and the institute's holistic and humanistic
approach. “This approach honors the uniqueness and dignity of each
individual,” Littlemouse reveals. “It allows me to integrate
ancestral wisdom into my practice, weaving together the threads of
my heritage and education to contribute meaningfully to the nursing
profession and Indigenous representation in academia.” In 2023,
Littlemouse and her family were invited to open the annual WCSI
Caritas Community Conference with a smudging ceremony which was
attended by Watson and honored her contributions with special
prayers and blessings.
With over 35 years of experience in adult clinical practice,
Littlemouse is now an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University
School of Nursing where she leads clinical rotations for a new
generation of nurses. She aspires to amplify Indigenous
representation, and is currently leading a series of talks about
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).
University of Phoenix College of Nursing accredited programs
prepare students for the delivery of quality, compassionate care,
and recognizes that flexible and relevant educational programs are
essential to prepare students for contemporary nursing practice.
Nursing students with the College will encounter teaching and
learning strategies that encourage progression as well as program
options, learning with faculty that possess an average of 29.4
years of professional experience.
The article by Littlemouse, Finch Guthrie and Kroposki is
available here.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance
their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world.
Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning,
skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree
programs, and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students
more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while
balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit
phoenix.edu.
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Sharla Hooper University of Phoenix
sharla.hooper@phoenix.edu