Allison P Squires

Faculty

Prof. Allison P Squires headshot

Allison P Squires

FAAN PhD RN

Professor

1 212 992 7074

433 First Ave
New York, NY 10010
United States

Accepting PhD students

Allison P Squires, Ph.D., FAAN, RN, is a professor and the Director of the Global Consortium of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, or GCNMS. The GCNMS is an 82-country research consortium collaborating on research capacity-building projects in nursing and midwifery globally. The consortium's current research study is examining the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nursing and midwifery workforces globally to understand how to improve global pandemic response implementation protocols for the largest frontline workforce cadre. Domestically, her research focuses on improving immigrant and refugee health outcomes with a special interest in addressing inequities in health outcomes resulting from language discordance during a healthcare encounter. For both, she is an expert in contextual considerations of global health care services implementation.

Prof. Squires has consulted with the Migration Policy Institute and the World Bank on nursing and health workforce issues and produced several major policy analyses with their teams. A prolific writer, Squires has authored over 200 publications, including 140+ in peer-reviewed journals. She serves as an associate editor of the top-ranked International Journal of Nursing Studies since 2012. She was the 2019–2020 Distinguished Nurse Scholar in Residence for the National Academy of Medicine where she worked on the consensus study "Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Equity". In 2023, she received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues interest group of Academy Health.

Prior to entering academia full-time, Squires worked as a staff nurse in solid organ transplant and as a staff educator for 11 years in the U.S. healthcare system. Her practice has since shifted largely to community-based nursing roles as a volunteer.

Prof. Squires received her Ph.D. at Yale University, MSN at Duquesne University, and BSN with a minor in Latin American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Outcomes Research at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her primary appointment at the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at NYU, she holds affiliated faculty appointments/affiliations with the Department of General Internal Medicine at the Grossman School of Medicine, the Center for Latin American Studies, and the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research.

She is currently accepting Ph.D. students and/or post-doctoral fellows/associates with interests in the following areas: 1) global health, 2) migration & immigrant health, and 3) health services and workforce research.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship - University of Pennsylvania
PhD - Yale University
MSN - Duquesne University
BSN - University of Pennsylvania

Global
Immigrants
Gerontology
Health Services Research

Academy Health
American Nurses Association
Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues (Academy Health)
National Council for Interpreting in Health Care
Sigma Theta Tau International

Chair of the Nursing Section of the New York Academy of Medicine (2022)
Co-Chair, American Academy of Nursing's Global Health Expert Panel (2021)
Chair of the Nursing Section of the New York Academy of Medicine (2021)
Vice-Chair, Global Health and Health Care Interest Group for Academy Health (2020)
Co-Chair, American Academy of Nursing's Global Health Expert Panel (2020)
Chair, Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues for Academy Health (2020)
Chair of the Nursing Section of the New York Academy of Medicine (2020)
Distinguished Nurse Scholar in Residence, National Academy of Medicine (2020)
Vice-Chair, Global Health and Health Care Interest Group for Academy Health (2019)
Co-Chair, American Academy of Nursing's Global Health Expert Panel (2019)
Chair, Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues for Academy Health (2019)
Chair of the Nursing Section of the New York Academy of Medicine (2019)
Distinguished Nurse Scholar in Residence, National Academy of Medicine (2019)
Chair, Global Health and Health Care Interest Group for Academy Health (2019)
Outstanding Scholarly Contribution to Gerontological Nursing Practice, International Journal for Older People Nursing (2018)
Chair of the Nursing Section of the New York Academy of Medicine (2018)
Chair, Global Health and Health Care Interest Group for Academy Health (2018)
Prose Award, “A New Era in Global Health” (W. Rosa, Ed.) (2018)
Vice Chair, Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues for Academy Health (2018)
Fellow Ambassador to the Media, New York Academy of Medicine (2017)
Distinguished Alumna, Duquesne University (2015)
Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2015)
Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine (2014)
Fellow, Yale World Fellows Program (2003)

Validation of a spanish version of the practice environment scale of the nursing work index in the colombian context

Alzate, L. C. C., Bayer, G. L. A., & Squires, A. (2014). Hispanic Health Care International, 12(1), 34-42. 10.1891/1540-4153.12.1.34
Abstract
Abstract
The literature supports that organizations that create working conditions with positive practice environments improve nurses' job satisfaction and reduce turnover in hospital settings (Havens & Johnston, 2004; International Council of Nurses [ICN], 2007). Positive practice environments promote quality nursing care and better patient outcomes. However, in South America, there are no instruments to measure the nursing practice environment in a hospital setting. The purpose of this research was to examine the validity and reliability of a Spanish translation of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI; Lake, 2002) in the Colombian clinical context. An instrument validation study using expert panel review, content validity indexing techniques, and a factor analysis of survey responses from 144 nurses was used. The scale-level content validity evaluation achieved high levels of acceptability, with values above 0.90. Construct validity results suggest that the instrument consists of 5 factors as prescribed by original instrument. The overall internal consistency value was a Cronbach's alpha level of 0.89. This is the first instrument to measure the work environment of nursing practice in South America, now validated in the Colombian context.

What are the long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery in obese adults?

Caceres, B., & Squires, A. (2014). Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management, 21(6), 259-260.

"“In our country tortilla doesn’t make us fat:” Dimensions and meanings of goal-setting for lifestyle change in urban Latina women

Squires, A. (2014). Journal of the Poor & Underserved.

Content validity of the Spanish version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index

Orts-Cortés, M. I., Moreno-Casbas, T., Squires, A., Fuentelsaz-Gallego, C., Maciá-Soler, L., González-María, E., Gómez-García, T., María González-Martín, A., Gómez-González, B., Quesada-Ramos, C., Candel-Parra, E., Oltra-Rodríguez, E., Terol-García, E., Abad-Corpa, E., Guerra-Bernal, F. J., Lozano-Olea, F., Rodríguez-Escobar, J., Martínez-Gimeno, L., Ferrús-Estopa, L., … Sebastián-Viana, T. (2013). Applied Nursing Research, 26(4), e5-e9. 10.1016/j.apnr.2013.08.006
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the content validity of the Iberian Spanish version of the questionnaire The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) by using the Content Validity Indexing (CVI). Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional observational study was conducted. The Spanish version of the questionnaire was translated from the American English instrument through forward and back translation processes. Experts evaluated the translated items through content validity indexing. Once the assessments were completed, CVI indicators were calculated: number of agreements, item Content Validity Index and overall content validity and modified kappa coefficient of the instrument. Results: The overall content validity of the instrument was 0.82. The average modified kappa coefficient of the items was 0.80, with a rating of 'excellent'. Only 4 of the items were rated as weak or poor. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that the content validity of the Spanish version of the PES-NWI is acceptable. Some results indicate that some items have cross-cultural applicability challenges that need to be addressed in future research studies. Use of the instrument in other Spanish language speaking countries should be taken with caution since some words may not reflect the language of the healthcare systems there.

Sustainable nursing human resources systems

Squires, A., Kovner, C., & Kurth, A. (2013). In M. Delucca & A. Soucat (Eds.), Transforming the global health workforce (1–, pp. 159-177). New York University, College of Nursing.

A systematic survey instrument translation process for multi-country, comparative health workforce studies

Squires, A., Aiken, L. H., Van Den Heede, K., Sermeus, W., Bruyneel, L., Lindqvist, R., Schoonhoven, L., Stromseng, I., Busse, R., Brzostek, T., Ensio, A., Moreno-Casbas, M., Rafferty, A. M., Schubert, M., Zikos, D., & Matthews, A. (2013). International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(2), 264-273. 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.02.015
Abstract
Abstract
Background: As health services research (HSR) expands across the globe, researchers will adopt health services and health worker evaluation instruments developed in one country for use in another. This paper explores the cross-cultural methodological challenges involved in translating HSR in the language and context of different health systems. Objectives: To describe the pre-data collection systematic translation process used in a twelve country, eleven language nursing workforce survey. Design and settings: We illustrate the potential advantages of Content Validity Indexing (CVI) techniques to validate a nursing workforce survey developed for RN4CAST, a twelve country (Belgium, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), eleven language (with modifications for regional dialects, including Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish), comparative nursing workforce study in Europe. Participants: Expert review panels comprised of practicing nurses from twelve European countries who evaluated cross-cultural relevance, including translation, of a nursing workforce survey instrument developed by experts in the field. Methods: The method described in this paper used Content Validity Indexing (CVI) techniques with chance correction and provides researchers with a systematic approach for standardizing language translation processes while simultaneously evaluating the cross-cultural applicability of a survey instrument in the new context. Results: The cross-cultural evaluation process produced CVI scores for the instrument ranging from .61 to .95. The process successfully identified potentially problematic survey items and errors with translation. Conclusions: The translation approach described here may help researchers reduce threats to data validity and improve instrument reliability in multinational health services research studies involving comparisons across health systems and language translation.

Becoming a Promotora: A Transformative Process for Female Community Health Workers

Squires, A., & O’Brien, M. J. (2012). Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 34(3), 457-473. 10.1177/0739986312445567
Abstract
Abstract
Drawing from role theory, this study sought to explore the effects of assuming a new role on Latina community health workers (CHW) participating in a cervical cancer prevention program in a new Latino immigrant community located on the East Coast of the United States. Through a series of in-depth, Spanish language interviews with the 4 participants, the researchers explored the process and effects of assuming and enacting the CHW role through a narrative analysis approach. Themes that emerged from the analysis included "Reasons for becoming a promotora," "Vision and reality of the role," "Structuring interactions: The hierarchy of knowledge transmission," and "Transforming identities." Findings showed that assuming the CHW role had transformative effects on the participants that, in the end, allowed them to reconcile disparate aspects of their own immigrant identities. The findings have multiple implications for designing prevention programs employing CHWs and immigrant community strengthening.

Cross-cultural evaluation of the relevance of the HCAHPS survey in five European countries

Squires, A., Bruyneel, L., Aiken, L. H., Van Den Heede, K., Brzostek, T., Busse, R., Ensio, A., Schubert, M., Zikos, D., & Sermeus, W. (2012). International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 24(5), 470-475. 10.1093/intqhc/mzs040
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: To describe the systematic language translation and cross-cultural evaluation process that assessed the relevance of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey in five European countries prior to national data collection efforts. Design: An approach involving a systematic translation process, expert review by experienced researchers and a review by 'patient' experts involving the use of content validity indexing techniques with chance correction. Setting: Five European countries where Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian and Polish are spoken. Participants: 'Patient' experts who had recently experienced a hospitalization in the participating country. Main OutcomeMeasure(s): Content validity indexing with chance correction adjustment providing a quantifiable measure that evaluates the conceptual, contextual, content, semantic and technical equivalence of the instrument in relationship to the patient care experience. Results: All translations except two received 'excellent' ratings and no significant differences existed between scores for languages spoken in more than one country. Patient raters across all countries expressed different concerns about some of the demographic questions and their relevance for evaluating patient satisfaction. Removing demographic questions from the evaluation produced a significant improvement in the scale-level scores (P = .018). The cross-cultural evaluation process suggested that translations and content of the patient satisfaction survey were relevant across countries and languages. Conclusions: The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey is relevant to some European hospital systems and has the potential to produce internationally comparable patient satisfaction scores.

A qualitative study of the work environments of Mexican nurses

Squires, A., & Juárez, A. (2012). International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(7), 793-802. 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.02.001
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Studies of the nursing work environment are increasingly common in developed countries, but few exist in developing countries. Because of resource differences between the two contexts, researchers need to clarify what aspects of the work environments are similar and different. Objectives: To study the perspectives of Mexican nurses about their work environments to determine similarities and differences to results from developed world studies. Design: A secondary, directed content analysis of qualitative data from 46 Spanish language interviews using workplace-oriented themes. Setting: Purposively selected Mexican states from four regions of the country that reflect the country's socioeconomic differences. Participants: Practicing Mexican nurses with at least 1. year of clinical experience and currently working in nursing. Participants were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Methods: Initial data collection occurred in 2006 and 2008 during a broader study about professionalization processes that occurred in Mexican nursing between 1980 and 2005. The secondary, directed content analysis focused on an in-depth exploration of a central theme that emerged from the two original studies: the workplace. The directed content analysis used themes from the global nursing work environment literature to structure the analysis: professional relationships, organizational administrative practices, and quality of care and services. Results: The three themes from the global literature were relevant for the Mexican context and a new one emerged related to hiring practices. By category, the same factors that created positive or negative perceptions of the work environment matched findings from other international studies conducted in developed countries. The descriptors of the category, however, had different conceptual meanings that illustrate the health system challenges in Mexico. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that studies that seek to measure nursing work environments will most likely apply in Mexico and other Latin American or middle-income countries. Instruments designed to measure the work environment of nurses in these countries may prove relevant in those contexts, but require careful adaptation and systematic translations to ensure it.

Exploring the Links Between Macro-Level Contextual Factors and Their Influence on Nursing Workforce Composition

Squires, A., & Beltrán-Sánchez, H. (2011). Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice, 12(4), 215-223. 10.1177/1527154411431326
Abstract
Abstract
Research that links macro-level socioeconomic development variables to health care human resources workforce composition is scarce at best. The purpose of this study was to explore the links between nonnursing factors and nursing workforce composition through a secondary, descriptive analysis of year 2000, publicly available national nursing human resources data from Mexico. Building on previous research, the authors conducted multiple robust regression analysis by federal typing of nursing human resources from 31 Mexican states against macro-level socioeconomic development variables. Average education in a state was significantly associated in predicting all types of formally educated nurses in Mexico. Other results suggest that macro-level indicators have a different association with each type of nurse. Context may play a greater role in determining nursing workforce composition than previously thought. Further studies may help to explain differences both within and between countries.