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Melissa Desroches

faculty

Melissa Desroches '06, PhD she/her

Assistant Professor

College of Nursing & Health Sciences / Community

Curriculum Vitae

Contact

508-910-6519

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Dion 318C

Education

2019University of Massachusetts DartmouthPhD, Nursing
2018Suffolk UniversityCertificate, Disability and Health Policy
2017University of Massachusetts DartmouthMS, Nursing Education
2006University of Massachusetts DartmouthBS, Nursing

Teaching

  • Health promotion theory and research
  • Community Health Nursing
  • Concepts of the Professional Nursing Role
  • Concepts of Lifespan and Development

Teaching

Programs

Teaching

Courses

Introducation to human development across a lifespan ¿ from birth until death. The purpose of this course is to build a foundation of understanding through various developmental theorists and age related physical, cognitive, and social-emotional expectations during significant milestones. This course introduces learners to theory and concepts that promote health in persons and families across the lifespan. This course contributes to nursing student development in care of the patient across the lifespan. The AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice were used to build this course.

Introducation to human development across a lifespan ¿ from birth until death. The purpose of this course is to build a foundation of understanding through various developmental theorists and age related physical, cognitive, and social-emotional expectations during significant milestones. This course introduces learners to theory and concepts that promote health in persons and families across the lifespan. This course contributes to nursing student development in care of the patient across the lifespan. The AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice were used to build this course.

Introduction to the concepts of evidence-based nursing practice, informatics, and technology. Connections between these concepts, related theory, the research process, and application to evidence-based practice and health care quality are explored. Building on the concepts of communication, culture and diversity, legal and ethical issues, and professional behaviors, this course fosters growth in student writing skills by integrating writing assignments with critical thinking skills. This course is based on the American Nurses Association (2015) Scope and Standards of Practice. The AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice were used to build this course.

This course prepares nursing students to promote health and provide care for clients across the lifespan, across local, national, and global settings and at all levels of the health care delivery continuum, with an emphasis on population health.

This course prepares nursing students to promote health and provide care for clients across the lifespan, across local, national, and global settings and at all levels of the health care delivery continuum, with an emphasis on population health.

Promotes health across local, national, and global settings with an emphasis on population health. Analyzes determinants of health that contribute to chronic illness and disease prevention needs in defined communities and populations. Reviews various health promotion theories/conceptual models supports to generate theoretically driven, culturally-relevant, evidence-based health promotion interventions with consideration of issues of safety, access, and equity. Synthesizes recommendations for policymakers to communicate with target audiences for policy change.

Promotes health across local, national, and global settings with an emphasis on population health. Analyzes determinants of health that contribute to chronic illness and disease prevention needs in defined communities and populations. Reviews various health promotion theories/conceptual models supports to generate theoretically driven, culturally-relevant, evidence-based health promotion interventions with consideration of issues of safety, access, and equity. Synthesizes recommendations for policymakers to communicate with target audiences for policy change.

Six-semester sequence orients and socializes the PhD in nursing student to the role of the nurse scholar educator through 1) seminars and forums on scholarship in chronic illness management and nursing education and on research methods; and 2) a formal mentor relationship with a designated research faculty member. This course sequence also addresses the identification of funding sources and the development of grantsmanship skills. The development of this course is guided by the AACN The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (2022) document. This course includes synchronous distance learning through computer-assisted technology.

Six-semester sequence orients and socializes the PhD in nursing student to the role of the nurse scholar educator through 1) seminars and forums on scholarship in chronic illness management and nursing education and on research methods; and 2) a formal mentor relationship with a designated research faculty member. This course sequence also addresses the identification of funding sources and the development of grantsmanship skills. The development of this course is guided by the AACN The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (2022) document. This course includes synchronous distance learning through computer-assisted technology.

Six-semester sequence orients and socializes the PhD in nursing student to the role of the nurse scholar educator through 1) seminars and forums on scholarship in chronic illness management and nursing education and on research methods; and 2) a formal mentor relationship with a designated research faculty member. This course sequence also addresses the identification of funding sources and the development of grantsmanship skills. The development of this course is guided by the AACN The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (2022) document. This course includes synchronous distance learning through computer-assisted technology.

Research

Research activities

  • "Establishing Best Practices in Telehealth for People with Developmental Disabilities", funded by the WITH Foundation
  • Medical Surgical Nursing Care of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (MSNCAID study), in partnership with Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses
  • Impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of people with developmental disabilities through the lens of the developmental disability nurse
  • International collaboration to articulate the contribution of the developmental disability nurse
  • Intervention development to promote the resilience of the direct support professional workforce for people with developmental disabilities

Research

Research awards

  • $ 4,278 awarded by UNI Texas Health Science Center Houston for Project DNA: A Blueprint and Guide Inspiring Diversity and Nursing Education Toward Adopting Inclusive Technical Standards
  • $ 39,819 awarded by Rush University Medical Center for Extending Advanced Service-Learning with People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • $ 21,542 awarded by RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER for Partnering with Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Improve Health Care Outcomes
  • $ 35,000 awarded by WITH Foundation for Establishing Best Practices in Telehealth Care for Adults with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

Research

Research interests

  • Articulating and strengthening the voice of intellectual/developmental disability nursing
  • Improving health equity of people with developmental disabilities, with special attention to the impact of healthcare provider bias and quality of care
  • Supporting the resilience of people with developmental disabilities and their formal and informal caregivers

Select publications

See curriculum vitae for more publications

  • Desroches, M. L., Fisher, K., Ailey, S., & Stych, J. (in press).
    "We were absolutely in the dark": Manifest content analysis of developmental disability nurses' experiences during the early COVID-19 pandemic."
    Global Qualitative Nursing Research
  • Desroches, M.L., Howie, V.A., Wilson, N. J., Lewis, P. (in press).
    Nurses’ attitudes and emotions toward caring for adults with intellectual disability: an international replication study.
    Journal of Nursing Scholarship
  • Desroches, M. L., Ailey, S.H., Fisher, K., & Stych, J. (2021).
    Impact of COVID-19: Nursing challenges to meeting the care needs of people with developmental disabilities
    Disability and Health Journal, 14, 10105.
  • Desroches, M. L. (2020).
    Facebook recruitment of nurses as research participants: Methodological considerations
    Applied Nursing Research, 54, 151282.
  • Desroches, M. L. (2019).
    Nurses' attitudes, beliefs, and emotions toward caring for adults with intellectual disabilities: An integrative review
    Nursing Forum, 55, 211-222.
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