Judith A. Vessey, PhD, CRNP, MBA, FAAN

Office

Cushing Hall 427
617-552-8817
vessey@bc.edu

educational history

• PhD University of Pennsylvania
• MBA Johns Hopkins University
• MSN University of Pennsylvania
• DPDP Certificate University of Miami
• BSN Goshen College

recent publications

Articles

• Vessey, J. A., Sherwood, J. J., Warner, D., & Clark, D. (in press). Comparing hand washing to hand sanitizers in reducing elementary school students’ absenteeism. Pediatric Nursing.
  
• Vessey, J. A., Horowitz, J. A, Duffy, M., & Carlson, K. L. (in press). Psychometric evaluation of the CATS: Child-Adolescent Teasing Scale. Journal of School Health.
• Vessey, J. A. & Horowitz, J. (in press). A conceptual framework for understanding teasing and bullying. Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
• Vessey, J. A., and the MASNRN Oversight Board (2007). Development of the Massachusetts School Nurse Research Network (MASNRN): A practice-based research network to improve the quality of school nursing practice. Journal of School Nursing, 23,65-72.
  
• Vessey, J. A. & McGowan, K. A. (2006). A successful public health experiment: School nursing. Pediatric Nursing, 32, 255-256,213.
  
• Horowitz, J. A., Vessey, J. A., Carlson, K. L., Bradley, J. F., Montoya, C. McCullough, B., & David, J. (2004). Teasing and bullying experiences of middle school students. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 10, 165-172.
• Horowitz, J. A., Vessey, J. A., Carlson, K. L., Bradley, J. F., Montoya, C., & McCullough, W. (2003). Conducting school-based focus groups: Lessons learned from the CATS Project. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 18, 321-331.
  
• Vessey, J. A. (2003). Children’s psychological responses to hospitalization. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 21, 173-203.
• Vessey, J. A., Duffy, M., O’Sullivan, P., & Swanson, M. (2003). Assessing teasing in school-age youth. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 26, 1-11.
• Vessey, J. A. (2004, February 9). PTSD – The hidden childhood illness. Nursing Spectrum,  8, 28-29. (PA Metro addition).
• Horowitz, J. A., Vessey, J. A., Carlson, K. L., Bradley, J. F., Montoya, C., & McCullough, W. (2003). Conducting school-based focus groups: Lessons learned from the CATS Project. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 18, 321-331.
• Vessey, J. A., Carlson, K., & Broome, M. E. (2003). Conduct of multi-site clinical studies by professional organizations. Journal of the Society of Pediatric Nurses,8, 13-21.
• Vessey, J. A., Carlson, K., & David, J. (2003). Helping children who are being teased or bullied.  Nursing Spectrum, 7, 14-16.
• Vessey, J. A., Andres, S., Fountain, M., & Wheeler, A. (2002). Rx for the Nursing Crisis? The economic impact of mandatory RN staffing to patient ratios. Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice, 3, 220-227.
• Vessey, J. A. (2002). An evaluation of commercial school health software for use in multi-site research studies. Journal of School Nursing, 18, 95-100.
• Vessey, J. A. & Huss, K. (2002). Using standardized patients in advanced practice nursing education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 18, 29-35.

Books & Book Chapters

• Allen, P. J. & Vessey, J. A. (Eds.). (2004). Primary care of the child with a chronic condition (4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby-Yearbook.
• Vessey, J. A. (Ed.). (2002). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). An information and action handbook for school nurses. New York: MedLearning.
• Vessey, J. A. (2006). Health and behavior risk assessment (pp. 247-265). In M. Craft-Rosenberg & M. Krajicek, (Eds), Nursing excellence for children and families. New York: Springer.
  
• Vessey, J. A. (2006). The school nurse’s role as a related to research (pp. 159-177). In J. Selekman (Ed.), School nursing: A comprehensive text. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
  
• Vessey, J. A. & McGowan, K. (2005). Evidence-based practice (pp. 15-24).  In C. K. Silkworth, M. J. Arnold, J. F. Harrigan, & D. S. Zaiger (Eds.), Individualized healthcare plans for the school nurse. Concepts, framework, issues, and applications for school nursing practice. North Branch, MN: Sunrise Press.
  
• Allen, P. J. & Vessey, J. A. (2004). The school and children with chronic conditions (pp. 71-87).  In P. J. Allen & J. A. Vessey (Eds.), Primary care of the child with a chronic condition (4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby-Yearbook.
  
• Vessey, J. A., & Rumsey, M. (2004). Chronic conditions and child development (pp. 23-43). In P. J. Allen & J. A. Vessey (Eds.), Primary care of the child with a chronic condition (4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby-Yearbook.
  
• Vessey, J. A. (2004). Financing care for children with chronic conditions (pp. 12-136). In P. J. Allen & J. A. Vessey (Eds.), Primary Care of the child with a chronic condition (4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby-Yearbook.
  

international presentations

• “Advancing EBP in school nursing using a Practice-based Research Network (PBRN): A model for community nursing settings”* (with O’Neill), Sigma Theta Tau International 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice, Montreal, Canada, July, 2006.
• “Teasing and bullying experience of elementary school students”* (with Horowitz & David) & “Evaluating harmful teasing among middle school American youth”* (Horowitz, J. A., Vessey, J. A., & Gregory, K. A.), Building Community through Research, 15th International Nursing Research Congress, Sigma Theta Tau International, Dublin, Ireland, July, 2004.
•  “Development of the CATS: Child-Adolescent Teasing Scale”* (Symposium), (with David, Duffy, Horowitz, Carlson, Montoya, Bradley, & Gregory), Sigma Theta Tau International 37th Biennial Convention, Toronto, Canada, November, 2003.
• “The influence of demographic and psychosocial factors on reported teasing and bullying experiences in middle-school youth”* (with Duffy, David, Horowitz, Carlson, Bradley, & Montoya), Celebrating global diversity in Research, education, and practice, 14th International Nursing Research Congress, Sigma Theta Tau International, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, July, 2003.
  
• "The relationship between teasing and bullying and suicide or homicide"* (with Larsson & Battista), The Adventures of Nursing Practice through Research: How Far Have We Come—Where to from Here? 13th International Nursing Research Congress, Sigma Theta Tau International, Brisbane, Australia, July, 2002.
  
• “Advanced practice nursing: A global initiative”+, Mahidol University, School of Nursing, Bangkok, Thailand, May, 2002.
  
  

The Lelia Holden Carroll Chair in Nursing attracts outstanding teachers and researchers to the School of Nursing. The inaugural holder of the position is Judith A. Vessey, PH.D., FAAN. Vessey is a developmental pediatric nurse practitioner and a leading nurse researcher in the field of developmental pediatrics with a specialty in school health.

Dr. Judith Vessey’s career has been dedicated to caring for children, specifically in the area of primary care for children with, or at risk for, chronic conditions. As a developmental pediatric nurse practitioner, she has had the opportunity to influence children’s health outcomes through practice, research, and teaching.

Dr. Vessey received her BSN from Goshen College, a certificate as a Developmental Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from the University of Miami, her MSN and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco. More recently, she received her MBA from Johns Hopkins University. The decision to seek this degree came from her realization that understanding the economics and business practices of health care was essential to being able to contribute to related policy determinations for children with chronic conditions.

Dr. Vessey’s current research focuses on teasing and bullying in school-age children. Her interest in this area of inquiry began when she witnessed the difficulties that children with chronic conditions faced on being included in school. This work has led to a new avenue of study - bullying in the workplace. Dr. Vessey’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, professional organizations and private foundations. In addition, she is a founding member and director of MASNRN: The Massachusetts School Nurse Research Network. MASNRN, a practice-based research network comprised of a representative, collaborative group of professional school nurses, nurse academicians, and other interested parties. MASNRN conducts school health research and evidence-based practice projects designed to improve the quality of school health services and school nursing practice. Dr. Vessey has authored over 100 articles, chapters, and books and has presented widely. Dr. Vessey is actively involved in the American Academy of Nurses and serves as co-chair of the Child and Family Expert Panel. 

research interests

The effect of chronic teasing and bullying on psychological and physical health of children and adolescents; evidence-based school health services and school nursing practices; bullying in the workplace.

appointments & awards

• 2007 Excellence in Nursing Research Award, Massachusetts Association of Register Nurses
• 2006 Excellence in Nursing Research Award, Society of Pediatric Nurses
• Co-chair, Child, Adolescent, and Family Expert Panel, American Academy of Nursing
• 2006-2007 Visiting Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 2005-present Society of Scholars, Nurses’ Educational Fund.
• 2005 Mentor Award, Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chi
• 2004-2007 Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
• 2004 NCAST certification, research level
• 2004 Best Clinical Poster, “Bibliotherapy: A pediatric nursing intervention to help children cope with teasing and Bullying,”The Society of Pediatric Nurse
• Editorial Board:
  - Journal of Nursing Scholarship
  - Nursing Research
  - Journal of Pediatric Nursing