Donna M Hallas

Faculty

Donna Hallas headshot

Donna M Hallas

CPNP FAAN FAANP PhD PMHS PPCNP-BC

Clinical Professor
Program Director, Pediatrics NP

1 212 998 5295

433 First Ave
New York, NY 10010
United States

Donna Hallas, CPNP, FAAN, FAANP, PMHS, PPCNP-BC, PhD, is director of the Pediatrics NP Program and a Clinical Professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (CPNP: PPCNP-BC) and a pediatric mental health specialist (PMHS). Dr. Hallas is fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN); a fellow of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; and a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP). Dr. Hallas is a faculty scholar of the International Qualitative Institute at Alberta, Canada. She maintains a practice as a PNP in primary care for high-risk children and for young children with behavioral problems. At NYU Meyers, she prepares pediatric nurse practitioner students to provide quality health care services for infants, children, adolescents and young adults within a family-centered framework.

Prof. Hallas’ research is practice focused and includes developing and testing interventions for vaccine hesitant and refusing individuals. The overall goal of her research is to improve healthcare outcomes for pediatric patients. Her research focus for educational initiatives includes developing and testing interventions to increase diagnostic reasoning in nurse practitioner students.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Hallas has been a frequent speaker locally and nationally on the topic of vaccine hesitancy providing guidance on ways to improve vaccine uptake. In addition, she has been frequently asked to provide guidance on how to prevent COVID-19 infections for children in all settings.

Prof. Hallas has presented at national and international conferences on the implementation of evidence-based practice in ambulatory pediatric healthcare centers. She has presented the results of a randomized controlled trial to improve the social-emotional development of toddlers and improve maternal confidence in caring for toddlers at research conferences. She presented the outcomes for a qualitative study on the social and emotional development of adolescents whose mothers passed away during their pre-teen and teenage years. She implemented a funded study on oral health care for newborns and young children. She works collaboratively with dental faculty to improve the oral health care of children from diverse populations. She conducted a randomized controlled study to reduce the incidence of vaccine hesitancy in prenatal women and mothers of newborns. Prof. Hallas also received a 2.1-million-dollar HRSA grant to develop an innovative academic clinical partnership and educational program for preceptors who clinically educate primary care nurse practitioners.

She is published in peer-reviewed journals on the oral healthcare needs of young children and has designed a new approach for oral health assessment in office-based practices regarding young children. She was a content expert for the American Academy of Pediatrics for the design of a web-based program for pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and all primary care providers on oral health assessments, management, and referrals for children and adolescents to improve the oral healthcare and status of this population. Hallas also served as an expert panel member for the systematic evaluation of oral health programs through a grant from Robert Woods Johnson. Prof. Hallas writes a monthly column for nurse practitioners which is published in Contemporary Pediatrics. She is also co-editor for the Research Methodology section of the Journal of Pediatric Health Care. In 2018, Dr. Hallas’ first textbook, Pediatric Behavioral Health for Nurse Practitioners: A Growth and Developmental Approach to Intercepting Abnormal Behaviors, received the prestigious American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award: First Place for Psychiatric Mental Health and Third Place for Child Health.  

Among her many honors, in 2022, Prof. Hallas received NYU Distinguished Teaching Award and the NYU Meyers Distinguished Teaching Award; In the 2018, she received the Nassau County Woman of the Year Award from NYS Assemblyman Representative, John Mikulin; In 2016 she received the AANP Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice (New York State) and the Nurse Practitioner of the Year award from the Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island.

Prof. Hallas earned her PhD from Adelphi University, MSs from the State University of New York and Indiana University, and BSs from Adelphi University and the University of Hartford.

PhD - Adelphi University (1999)
MS - State University of New York (1991)
MS - Indiana University (1979)
BS - Adelphi University (1990)
BS - University of Hartford (1974)
Diploma - St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing (1971)

Primary care
Pediatric
Mental health

American Academy of Nursing (Fellow)
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Association of Nurse Practitioners Fellows
Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Programs
Eastern Nursing Research Society
Greater New York Chapter of NAPNAP
International Institute of Qualitative Methodology, Alberta, Canada
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty
Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Gamma Chapter and Upsilon Chapter

Distinguished Teaching Award, NYU (2022)
Distinguished Teaching Award, NYU Meyers College of Nursing (2022)
Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2019)
Book of the Year Award, American Journal of Nursing (2018)
Woman of the Year, Nassau County 17th District (2018)
Award for Excellence, American Association of Nurse Practitioners New York State (2016)
Named One of the Top 25 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Faculty, U.S. (2014)
Distinguished Educator Award, NYU College of Dentistry (2012)
Nelms-Miller Editorial Award, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (2011)
Fellow, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (2011)
Nurse Practitioner of the Year, Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island (2010)
Award for Excellence in Education Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Gamma Chapter (2009)
President's Outstanding Contribution Team Award, Pace University NCLEX Success Team (2006)
Presidents Award for Excellence for the Manuscript, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (2003)
Award for Excellence in Nursing Leadership, Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Gamma Chapter (1993)
Fellow, Nassau Association of Nurse Practitioners (1991)
Fellow, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (1991)
Induction Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Gamma Chapter, International Honor Society for Nurses (1990)
Winning Essay, Health and Public Affairs Scholarship (1990)
Honors Graduate, Adelphi University (1990)

Case study

Dalina, K., Katinas, M. E., Ashmawi, S. M., & Hallas, D. (2018). In Behavioral Pediatric Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners: Adolescent with a substance use disorder (1–, pp. 375-386). Springer Publishing Company. 10.1891/9780826116819.0028
Abstract
Abstract
This chapter discusses the case study of adolescent with a substance use disorder. Confidentiality is defined as an agreement between patient and provider that information discussed during the encounter will not be shared with other parties without patient permission. A confidentiality statement must be provided to adolescents at every healthcare visit. The confidentiality statement assures adolescents that information provided to the pediatric primary care provider (P-PCP) during the office visit is a standard of care that supports full disclosure and trust between the adolescent and the P-PCP, without punitive consequences for the adolescent. P-PCPs must be knowledgeable about the laws in the state in which they practice to provide accurate information to the adolescents with admitted substance use problems. The key to intercepting these behaviors is effective office-based screenings and an immediate intervention with prompt referral to treatment and interprofessional collaborative initiatives at the national, state, and local community levels.

Identifying and intercepting behavioral health problems in infancy

Hallas, D. (2018). In Behavioral Pediatric Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners (1–, pp. 69-81). Springer Publishing Company. 10.1891/9780826116819.0006
Abstract
Abstract
Infancy is a wonderful time for healthy parents and healthy infants to grow together within healthy home and community environments that support the social-emotional development of infants, thus establishing the foundation for lifelong behavioral and mental health. Pediatric primary care providers (P-PCPs) must acknowledge the paradigm shift to attain behavioral health for all by viewing behavioral health as beginning at the moment of conception and existing on a continuum throughout the life span, delicately balancing between behavioral/mental health and well-being versus behavioral health disorders/mental illness and malady. This chapter examines, analyzes, and evaluates the best available evidence to identify and intercept behavioral health problems prior to conception, post-delivery, and during the first year of life. P-PCPs must assess the mother-infant bonding and attachment relationship, maternal nurturing behaviors, and maternal responses to the infant, as well as the infant’s social-emotional developmental patterns, at every primary care encounter.

Infant depression

Hallas, D. (2018). In Behavioral Pediatric Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners (1–, pp. 83-89). Springer Publishing Company. 10.1891/9780826116819.0007
Abstract
Abstract
Infant depression has been studied as a phenomenon within psychology and psychiatry since the early 1970s. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders (fifth edition; DSM-5) eliminated the terminology “disorders usually classified in infancy, childhood, and adolescence” and classified them as neurodevelopmental disorders removing infantile depression as a discrete condition. Pediatric primary care providers (P-PCPs) who provide care to infants need to be familiar with the best available evidence for recognizing signs of infantile depression to avoid missing the opportunity for early recognition of this problem. Recognizing the signs of infant and/or maternal depression affords the opportunity for P-PCPs to implement strategies to intercept negative emotional infant development to positive emotional outcomes. This chapter discusses research on infant depression, signs and symptoms of infantile depression, and provides strategies to enable mothers and other caregivers to actively engage the emotional development of infants throughout the first year of life.

Intercepting behavioral health problems

Hallas, D. (2018). In Behavioral Pediatric Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners: A conceptual model (1–, pp. 3-16). Springer Publishing Company. 10.1891/9780826116819.0001
Abstract
Abstract
The overarching goal for providing behavioral and mental health services in pediatric primary care settings is to provide immediate and effective services to children, adolescents, and their families to change the course from potential adverse behavioral health outcomes to supportive positive directions in growth and developmental behavioral health. This textbook provides an analysis of evidence-based behavioral health practices to foster growth and developmental behavioral health through early behavioral health screenings and assessments with the goal of intercepting behavioral development and characteristics that are not within the “norm” of pediatric and adolescent development. The conceptual model for Intercepting Behavioral Health problems focuses on identifying the very earliest presentation of even one symptom that may lead to a behavioral health problem and immediately beginning the process for intercepting the potential problem with evidence-based treatments. Pediatric primary care providers play a unique role in caring for children with behavioral health problems.

Social-Emotional Development of Toddlers: Randomized Controlled Trial of an Office-Based Intervention

Hallas, D., Koslap-Petraco, M., & Fletcher, J. (2017). Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 33, 33-40. 10.1016/j.pedn.2016.11.004
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose During the toddler years, temper tantrums and impulsive behaviors are the norm. These behaviors can frustrate even the most experienced mothers. Design and Methods A prospective, double blind, randomized controlled trial using pre-test/post-test experimental design was used to examine the effectiveness of an office-based educational program to improve maternal confidence and the social-emotional development of toddlers. The Toddler Care Questionnaire (TCQ) was administered to all mothers as a pre and post intervention test. The treatment intervention was a videotaped (DVD) parenting skills intervention on the social-emotional development of toddlers and on maternal confidence in caring for toddlers. Results Sixty mothers and 60 toddlers entered the study with 29 mothertoddler dyads randomized to the treatment group and 31 to the control group. Twenty-six (26) mother-toddler dyads in the treatment and 25 mother-toddler dyads in the control group completed the study. Pairwise comparisons of adjusted means showed significant improvements for both toddler groups on the Brigance toddler screen, and no statistically significant difference in gains between the groups. The mixed model results for the TCQ showed an overall significant improvement from preto post-test, and a non-significant interaction between group and time indicting no significant difference in gains seen by treatment groups. Conclusions Brief educational programs on DVD's are an efficient way to offer information to mothers while in the office waiting area. Practice Implications: Pediatric nurses who encounter mothers who struggle with caring for their toddlers may find brief-office based interventions a valuable tool for educating parents.

Haber et al. respond

Haber, J., Hartnett, E., Allen, K., Hallas, D., Dorsen, C., Lange-Kessler, J., Lloyd, M., Thomas, E., & Wholihan, D. (2015, May 1). In American journal of public health (Vols. 105, Issues 5, pp. e3-e4). 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302648

Management of a child with nutritional rickets, multiple cavities, enamel hypoplasia, and reactive attachment disorder

Hallas, D., Herman, N. G., Benichou, L., Morales, E. L., & Touchette, L. (2015). Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 29(3), 283-288. 10.1016/j.pedhc.2014.11.010

OHEP: An Oral Health Education Program for Mothers of Newborns

Hallas, D., Fernandez, J. B., Lim, L. J., Catapano, P., Dickson, S. K., Blouin, K. R., Schmidt, T. M., Acal-Jiminez, R., Ali, N., Figueroa, K. E., Jiwani, N. M., & Sharma, A. (2015). Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 29(2), 181-190. 10.1016/j.pedhc.2014.11.004
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: The purposes of the study were to determine (a) the knowledge base of mothers of newborns on oral health for newborns and young infants and (b) the effectiveness of an oral health education program provided to mothers of newborns prior to discharge from the postpartum unit. Methods: Ninety-four mothers of healthy newborns on a postpartum unit were randomized to the treatment or control group. A pretest was administered to each mother to assess the mother's knowledge of infant oral health. The treatment intervention was a DVD designed collaboratively by an interprofessional team of nurse practitioners and dental faculty to educate the mothers on oral health care for their newborns. The control intervention was a DVD on newborn nutrition. All participants received routine newborn nursery discharge instructions by the postpartum nurses and physicians. Follow-up appointments were scheduled 6 and 12months later for administration of the posttest to the mothers and for oral health assessments of the infants. Results: Pretest questionnaire results revealed that most mothers lacked knowledge about oral health care for infants and young children, especially concerning vertical transmission of streptococcus mutans through food-sharing practices. In addition, 28.4% of the mothers were not aware of the benefits of fluoride as a prevention strategy for dental caries. A significant no-show rate for the planned follow-up visits in the dental clinic hindered our plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the oral health educational program on prevention of dental white spots or decay when the study infants were 6 and 12months old, respectively. Discussion: The knowledge deficit of mothers of newborns regarding oral health care for infants may be one of the contributing factors to the high prevalence rate of dental caries in children younger than 71months. An oral health educational program provided to mothers on the postpartum unit prior to discharge from the hospital may help increase mothers' knowledge about oral health care and prevention of dental caries in infants and young children.

Putting the mouth back in the head: HEENT to HEENOT

Haber, J., Hartnett, E., Allen, K., Hallas, D., Dorsen, C., Lange-Kessler, J., Lloyd, M., Thomas, E., & Wholihan, D. (2015). American Journal of Public Health, 105(3), 437-441. 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302495
Abstract
Abstract
Improving oral health is a leading population health goal; however, curricula preparing health professionals have a dearth of oral health content and clinical experiences.We detail an educational and clinical innovation transitioning the traditional head, ears, eyes, nose, and throat (HEENT) examination to the addition of the teeth, gums, mucosa, tongue, and palate examination (HEENOT) for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of oral-systemic health. Many New York University nursing, dental, and medical faculty and students have been exposed to interprofessional oral health HEENOT classroom, simulation, and clinical experiences. This was associated with increased dental-primary care referrals.This innovation has potential to build interprofessional oral health workforce capacity that addresses a significant public health issue, increases oral health care access, and improves oral-systemic health across the lifespan.

Home-based whitening toothpastes for the prevention and treatment of tooth staining in adults: Protocol

Brennan, M., Hallas, D., Jacobs, S. K., Norman, R., Robbins, M., & Northridge, M. (2014). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1.