PhD Program in Nursing

Molly Fitzpatrick, BSN, RN was drawn to nursing because of the profession’s unique ability to be present for some of life’s most significant moments. She graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Nursing Honors Program in 2020. There she researched adjuvant therapies in management of breast cancer pain and completed her honors thesis on post vicarious growth in NICU nurses. After graduation, she completed a nurse residency on a COVID/Neuro/Stroke floor at Boston Medical Center. Since then she has worked in the Emergency Department, starting at New York Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center and most recently in Connecticut. She truly loves being an ED nurse but looks forward to returning to academia, and feels privileged to have the opportunity to do so at Duke. Molly chose to pursue a PhD in nursing because she believes nursing research has the potential to reduce health inequity, improve access to care, and improve the physical and mental well-being of our communities. While at DUSON, Molly hopes to focus her research on mental health in the pediatric and adolescent population, particularly in the school setting, and as it relates to social determinants of health.

Olivia Short, BSN, RN joins DUSON after three years as a clinical research nurse on neurological and maternal-fetal medicine studies, two of those years with Duke School of Medicine. Her passion for research blossomed during her senior thesis, where she tested the impact of biofeedback videogaming on stress and anxiety in young adults. This experience, alongside her own journey with PTSD, highlighted the importance of considering both internal and external factors in addressing anxiety, especially in low resource environments. Healthcare systems and providers play an enormous role in determining the evolution of long-term health outcomes of anxiety, PTSD, and trauma. Olivia recognized the pressing need to establish networks of trauma-informed care environments, where individuals can safely and actively shape their healthcare experiences and avoid re-traumatization and delayed or inappropriate care. Her research interests center around understanding the healthcare experiences of survivors of interpersonal violence, particularly those dealing with chronic pain and PTSD, and addressing individual and systemic barriers to improved care coordination. With a passion for holistic sexual health, Olivia aims to incorporate education on violence prevention, power dynamics, autonomy, and pleasure within the trauma-informed framework. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys spending quality time with her partner and their cat Nutmeg. She spends as much time as she can doing activities that fill her cup such as cooking, reading fiction, camping, hiking, dancing, and playing piano.

Osborn Owusu Ansah, BSN, RN is a registered nurse from Ghana who has keen research interests in the fields of oncology and palliative care. He graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has since gained significant nursing experience from working across different healthcare settings in both Ghana and the United Kingdom for the past four years. His passion for oncology and palliative care research stems from the worrying statistics on the high mortality rates associated with cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and the low number of opportunities available for individuals to extensively study on the merits of incorporating palliative care into the healthcare system in Africa. Osborn’s purpose for pursuing doctorate-level studies is to acquire competencies that will help him discover and develop cost-effective interventions that can enhance symptom management and well-being of people with cancer.

Bridget Dobson, BSN, RN is passionate about eliminating sexual health education disparities, specifically related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual violence prevention, and promoting inclusivity regarding sexual orientation. Her goal is to research best forms of providing sexual health education that empower people of all communities, orientations, and abilities to make informed decisions about their bodies. She is also interested in taking advantage of opportunities in health policy and global health at Duke. Coming from Louisville, Kentucky, Bridget worked for over 2 years as a trauma surgical intensive care nurse, where she was able to observe the impact that social determinants of health had on patient outcomes. During this time, Bridget was involved in implementing a “Trauma Informed Care” education module on the unit to improve cultural competence amongst nursing staff. She also served as a research assistant for UL Health’s Nursing Education Department, where we she assisted in the data collection and collaborative manuscript for the study: Institution-Wide Moral Distress Among Nurses: Post-COVID-19 Pandemic. Bridget learned lessons in active communication and importance of community engagement when she volunteered with Kentucky Refugee Ministries. There she assisted residents in acclimating to the city through resource and conversational English education. Bridget is inspired to get involved in Durham’s community and discover how her research goals can impact sexual health equity on a larger scale.