Monday, June 13, 2016
Ohio Nurse Receives National Nursing Association’s Research Award
Dr. Wilford Accepts AWHONN’s Every Woman, Every Baby and
The Tara Hansen Foundation Award
Washington, DC, June 13, 2016 – The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) today presented its 2016 Every Woman, Every Baby and
the Tara Hansen Foundation Award to Barbara Morrison Wilford, DNP, MBA/HCA, CKC, RN, for her research entitled, “Effects of Skin-to-Skin Contact on Newborn Responses During Extrauterine Transition.” The award was presented at the AWHONN national Convention in Grapevine, Texas.
AWHONN’s Every Woman, Every Baby and the Tara Hansen Foundation Award is granted to a researcher whose proposal investigates variables relevant to women’s health, obstetric and neonatal nursing. It is jointly supported through AWHONN’s Every Woman, Every Baby charitable giving program and the Tara Hansen Foundation. This is the first year the award has been presented by AWHONN.
Dr. Wilford is an associate professor of nursing at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio where she has been the lead faculty for the maternal newborn area since 2000. Her larger program of research has focused on family centered nursing care, safe transition of the newborn at delivery, skin-to-skin care effects on Apgar score and initiation of breastfeeding, baby friendly hospital initiatives, and best practices in newborn care.
“Dr. Wilford’s research supports the important nursing intervention of skin-to-skin care immediately after birth,” said AWHONN’s Chief Executive Officer, Lynn Erdman, MN, RN, FAAN. “Her work will help nurses and other clinicians make the case for implementation at their facility.”
A long-time AWHONN member, Dr. Wilford earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from St. John College of Cleveland; a Master’s of Science in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University; a Master’s of Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College; and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University. She is also a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator.
“We are so pleased to partner with AWHONN on this important project improving quality of life for moms and their families,” reports Ryan P. Hansen, President and Founder of the Tara Hansen Foundation. “Our heartfelt congratulations go out to to Barbara Morrison Wilford on her work to advance best practices in the field.”
For media interviews, contact:
Kelly Mack for AWHONN
202-296-2002
krm@awhonn.org
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About AWHONN
Since 1969, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has been the foremost authority promoting the health of women and newborns and strengthening the nursing profession through the delivery of superior advocacy, research, education, and other professional and clinical resources. AWHONN represents the interests of 350,000 registered nurses working in women’s health, obstetric, and neonatal nursing across the United States. Learn more about AWHONN at www.awhonn.org.
About the Tara Hansen Foundation
The Tara Hansen Foundation was established in 2012 to honor the life and memory of Tara Hansen, a special education teacher at the West Freehold School in Freehold, NJ., who passed away on March 31, 2011, due to complications from childbirth. Six days earlier, she had given birth to her first child, Brandon Ryan. The foundation is dedicated to the advancement of maternal health awareness and believes expecting parents deserve equal education on the risks associated with the mother as well as the child.
