Nursing Research
Optimizing Care and Education Through Research
At Creighton University’s College of Nursing, we’re moving big ideas forward. As part of our Jesuit, Catholic mission, we teach students to strive for magis, or “more,” and nursing research is essential to providing “more” in healthcare. It’s how we find better treatment options, discover new approaches to care and champion safety. Our faculty are contributing to the innovation of practice and advancing teaching techniques. They’re engaged in discovery and supported at the institutional level.
Center for Faculty, Innovation, Research and Education (FIRE)
Creighton’s FIRE Center is at the heart of the College of Nursing’s culture of scholarship. The donor-funded center was established to elevate the culture of research within the college and will help pay for research time and secure seed funding. The Center supports innovative research and scholarly lectures, while addressing critical issues in nursing. FIRE initiatives include:
- The Lenke Scholar endowed research fund
- The Brooks Scholar research fund
- Sponsorship of the Distinguished Scholar lecture series, which brings in speakers on topics like how to enhance nursing research
- Facilitating student-faculty research collaboration
The FIRE Center, which echoes the charge of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius of Loyola to “set the world on fire” and spark change, enables faculty to devote time solely to focus on research.
Students as Professionals Acquiring Research Knowledge (SPARK)
The SPARK program, facilitated by the College of Nursing at Creighton University, serves as a vital platform for undergraduate nursing and paramedicine students to engage in and foster their skills in clinical research.
As part of the program, College of Nursing faculty guide and mentor students through the complexities of research, helping them develop the skills needed to critically evaluate and apply evidence in real-world healthcare settings to improve healthcare outcomes.
The students selected to participate in SPARK get:
- Concentration in undergraduate research
- Opportunity to partner with faculty and local organizations to work on a topic that interests them
- Gain valuable experience in research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement
- Opportunities for dissemination of the project, including presentations, posters or journal articles
Creighton Develops Tools to Evaluate Nursing Simulation Performance
As simulations become more common in nursing education, Creighton’s nursing faculty have led the way in creating an instrument to gauge the effectiveness of clinical learning in simulated scenarios. Through research, they developed the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (C-CEI®). It’s a proven system for gauging performance in simulations, and the tool has become widely used.
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Leading in Palliative Care Research
The College of Nursing is at the forefront of incorporating palliative care education into its curriculum, assembling a team of expert faculty from both the Omaha and Phoenix campuses, each specializing in a different aspect of palliative care. The group is exploring new research opportunities as well as areas within the curriculum where palliative care education could be expanded. As an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare aimed at optimizing quality of life for people with long-term and complex illnesses, palliative care is a perfect fit with Creighton’s mission.
Example faculty projects and contributions in palliative care research include:
- Lindsay M. Iverson, DNP, APRN-NP, ACNP-BC, and Theresa Jizba, DNP, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN, have published manuscripts related to the graduate End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) national program
- Marilee Aufdenkamp, RN, MSN; Whitney Van De Graaff, MSN, RN, CPN; Cindy Lou Selig, DNP, APRN, RNC-OB, CPLC; and Mandy Boesch Kirkpatrick, PhD, BSN’05, MSN, RN, are working on an IRB-approved project that assesses the undergraduate ELNEC program
- Meghan Walker Potthoff, PhD, BSN’01, APRN-NP, Jizba and Kirkpatrick recently published an article on interprofessional palliative care competencies, while Kirkpatrick and Jizba were invited to serve as regional champions for ELNEC
- Potthoff, Kirkpatrick, and Jennifer Jessen, EdD, RN, FNAP, have funding to design an advance care planning intervention along with other interprofessional faculty
- Kirkpatrick led the development of an interprofessional palliative care elective and simulations that prepare health professionals to have difficult conversations with seriously ill patients across the lifespan. These Virtual Interprofessional Simulation Cases can be found on the Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research (CIPER) resources page
- Potthoff adapted the Pediatric Go Wish Together tool, which can be utilized as a conversation tool with families of seriously ill children
Endowed Chairs and Scholars
Creighton supports nursing research through endowed chairs and scholars within the College of Nursing. Chairholders’ and scholars’ talents leave an indelible mark on their fields, their students and their colleagues.
Started by the C.C. and Mabel Criss Memorial Foundation. Held by the Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, this chair fosters research leadership, faculty mentorship, and a vibrant scholarly culture.
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Amanda Jolene Kirkpatrick, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP
Associate Dean, Research and Innovation
Professor
MandyKirkpatrick@creighton.edu
Amanda Kirkpatrick is internationally recognized for her leadership in palliative care education and simulation-based learning. Her framework shaped the AACN CARES competencies and her simulations have improved student competency and led to global tool adoption.
Started by Kathy Keough Soto, BSN’75, and Gilbert Soto, BA’72, the Donald and Marilyn Keough Foundation and Michael Keough. Established in 2023, this chair supports leadership in nursing education and practice, ensuring faculty have the resources to pursue transformative research.
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Meghan Potthoff, PhD, APRN-NP, PCPNP-BC, CPNP-AC, Chairholder
Professor of Nursing
MeghanPotthoff@creighton.edu
Meghan Potthoff developed the “GO Wish Together Pediatric Card Game” to help families navigate difficult healthcare decisions—translated into multiple languages. She also collaborates nationally to align palliative care education with AACN Essentials, ensuring curricular relevance and quality.
Started by Richard O’Brien, MS’58, MD’60, and Joan O’Brien, SJN’55. Rotating between the College of Nursing and the School of Medicine, this chair supports interdisciplinary teaching and research focused on addressing complex healthcare issues.
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Martha J. Todd, PhD, APRN-NP, FNP-C, FAAN, Chairholder
Professor
MARTHATODD@creighton.edu
Martha Todd co-developed the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (C-CEI®), a nationally and internationally recognized tool for evaluating clinical competency in both simulated and real-world settings. In collaboration with Laerdal, she recently launched the updated C-CEI® 2.0 to support competency-based nursing education.
This endowed chair alternates between School of Medicine and College of Nursing every 5 years.
Started by Elizabeth Lenke, BSN’86, and Lawrence G. Lenke, MD. This three-year award provides protected time and funding for faculty to conduct pilot studies that lead to extramural funding and national recognition.
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Sara Elizabeth Banzhaf, DNP, APRN-NP, PMHNP-BC
Associate Professor, Nursing
Track Leader for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Track
SaraBanzhaf@creighton.edu
Sara Banzhaf leads an interprofessional initiative to expand psychiatric-mental health care for vulnerable populations. She also secured a funding from the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska to increase the psychiatric-mental health workforce in Nebraska by supporting dual-certified nurse practitioners.
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Trina K. Walker, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Assistant Professor
TrinaWalker@creighton.edu
Trina Walker leads interprofessional efforts to integrate pharmacogenomics into primary care and nursing education, including the development of an educational hub for faculty unfamiliar with genomic content. She also chairs the NIH-affiliated Nursing Genomics Project Group and contributes to national educational modules on pharmacogenomics.
Past Scholar:
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Meghan Potthoff, PhD, APRN-NP, PCPNP-BC, CPNP-AC, Chairholder
Professor of Nursing
MeghanPotthoff@creighton.edu
Meghan Potthoff leveraged the Lenke Award to conduct nationally recognized research in pediatric care, developing evidence-based approaches to support families and improve outcomes for seriously ill children.
Started by Ella Stradinger Brooks, PhD, BSN’81. This three-year award supports faculty in advancing their research and leadership through protected time and targeted resources.
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Sarah Jo Ball, PhD, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CHSE
Faculty Chair, College of Nursing - Traditional BSN Program
Assistant Professor
Sarah Ball leads a team studying the use of immersive virtual reality (IVR) to assess nursing competencies using the C-CEI® 2.0 in realistic, 3D clinical environments. Her ongoing work explores the use of VR in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to enhance student preparation for clinical practice.
Past Scholar:
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Amanda Jolene Kirkpatrick, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP
Associate Dean, Research and Innovation
Professor
MandyKirkpatrick@creighton.edu
Amanda Kirkpatrick used the award to deepen her scholarship in palliative care, publishing widely and mentoring junior faculty on topics of caregiver support and serious illness communication.
“I am so grateful I have the opportunity to learn and grow under Dr. Oliver's guidance and learn from her extensive research experience. This inspires me to continue seeking opportunities to stay curious and dedicate my life to continuous learning.”
Olivia Manning, Class of 2025
