Victoria Vaughan Dickson
FAAN FAHA FHFSA PhD RN
Dr. John W. Rowe Professor in Successful Aging
Assistant Dean, Research Innovation
Director, Pless Center for Research
vdickson@nyu.edu
1 215 704 7223
Dr. John W. Rowe Professor in Successful Aging
Assistant Dean, Research Innovation
Director, Pless Center for Research
433 FIRST AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10010
United States
Victoria Vaughan Dickson's additional information
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Victoria Vaughan Dickson, PhD, RN, FAHA, FHFSA, FAAN, is the John W. Rowe Professor in Successful Aging, Assistant Dean, Research Innovation, and Director of the Pless Center for Nursing Research at Rory Meyers College of Nursing. With extensive clinical and research experience in cardiovascular and occupational health nursing, her research program focuses on investigating the bio-behavioral influences on self-care in patients with cardiovascular disease risk, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and multiple comorbidities. Her work has led to an improved understanding of the sociocultural influences of self-care among vulnerable populations, including ethnic minority groups, women, and older workers; and the development of innovative theory-based interventions. Dickson is recognized as an international expert in qualitative research techniques, mixed methods research, and has conducted training for interdisciplinary teams locally, nationally, and internationally.
Prof. Dickson is dedicated to building research capacity across disciplines and advancing nursing science that impacts policy and clinical care. Currently, Dickson serves as PI and program director of the NIOSH-funded doctoral training program in occupational and environmental health nursing, PI of the NHLBI- funded Research Education in Cardiovascular Conditions program, co-PI of the NINR-funded NYU Meyers P20 Exploratory Center for Precision Health in Diverse Populations and KL2 co-director and co-investigator of the NCATS-funded NYU CTSI. In addition, she is a co-investigator on numerous team science initiatives focused on multiple chronic conditions.
Prof. Dickson has been recognized with numerous awards for her research and leadership including the STTI Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame (2019), HFSA Nursing Research Leadership award (2021), and ENRS Leadership Award (2020). She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (2014), American Heart Association (2011), Heart Failure Society of America (2016), and New York Academy of Medicine (2018). Dickson is the editor of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.
Prof. Dickson holds a clinical appointment as an advanced practice nurse in the division of cardiology at NYU Langone Health and Bellevue Hospital. She earned her PhD and MSN from the University of Pennsylvania and BSN from Temple University.
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PhD - University of PennsylvaniaMSN - University of PennsylvaniaBSN - Temple University
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Non-communicable diseaseCardiologyGerontology
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American Academy of Nurse PractitionersAmerican Academy of NursingAmerican Association of Occupational Health NursesAmerican Heart AssociationAmerican Nurses AssociationCouncil on the Advancement of NursingEastern Nursing Research SocietyEuropean Society of CardiologyGerontological Society of AmericaHeart Failure Society of AmericaNew York Academy of MedicineNew York Nurse Practitioners AssociationSigma Theta Tau, XI ChapterSigma Theta Tua International Honor Society
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Faculty Honors Awards
Nursing Research Leadership Award, HFSA (2021)Leadership Award, ENRS (2021)Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, STTI (2019)President-Elect, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2018)Associate Editor, Cardiovascular Nursing (2018)Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine (2018)President-Elect, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2017)Spirit of Nursing Award, University of Massachusetts (2017)Fellow, Heart Failure Society of America (2016)President-Elect, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2016)Associate Editor to Circulation, Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes (2016)Springer Publishing Company Award (2014)Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2014)PhD Faculty Excellence Award, NYU (2014)Research Award, ENRS Rising Star (2012)Fellow, American Heart Association Fuchs-Schoeck Research (2012)Minority Aging Research and Community Health Scholar, University of Pennsylvania (2011)Nursing and Allied Health Professional Award, European Society of Cardiology (2011)Fellow, American Heart Association (2011)Fellow, Brookdale Foundation Leadership in Aging (2010)Reviewer of the Year, Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (2009)Nursing Research Award, Heart Failure Society of America (2007)Martha Hill New Investigator Award, American Heart Association (2007)Student Award, University of Pennsylvania (2007)Research Award, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (2006) -
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Publications
Associations of Insomnia Symptoms With Cognition in Persons With Heart Failure
AbstractGharzeddine, R., Yu, G., McCarthy, M. M., & Dickson, V. V. (2021). Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(12), 1105-1117. 10.1177/0193945920988840AbstractAlthough cognitive impairment is common among persons with heart failure and negatively impacts self-care, hospitalization, and mortality, the associations between cognitive impairment and insomnia symptoms are not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore these associations and examine if they are maintained after adjusting for relevant sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Guided by the Neurocognitive model of insomnia and sleep and the self-care conceptual model, a cross-sectional data analysis using parametric testing was conducted on the Health and Retirement Study wave 2016. Difficulty initiating sleep and early morning awakening, but not difficulty maintaining sleep were significantly associated with poorer cognitive performance in the bivariate and multivariate analysis. Our results are suggestive of different phenotypes of insomnia symptoms that may have different associations with cognition in persons with heart failure. Further research using objective measurements of insomnia symptoms and detailed neuropsychiatric testing of cognition is needed to confirm this conclusion.Factors associated with work ability in adults with diabetes
AbstractMcCarthy, M., Yan, J., & Dickson, V. V. (2021). Applied Nursing Research, 61. 10.1016/j.apnr.2021.151478AbstractAims: The aims of this study were to explore associations between clinical and diabetes-related factors with work ability in a sample of working adults with diabetes. Background: Adults with diabetes may face challenges in the workplace, including managing their diabetes and overall physical and mental health. Methods: This was a cross-sectional design with a sample of 101 working adults. Subjects completed valid and reliable surveys assessing depressive symptoms, diabetes self-care, fear of hypoglycemia, diabetes distress, cardiovascular health using American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (range 0–7) and work ability. Factors significantly associated with work ability at bivariate level were included in linear and logistic regression. Results: The majority of the sample was female (65%) (mean age 54.1 ± 10.5), White (74%), non-Hispanic (93%), worked full-time (65%) and had type 2 diabetes (87%) (mean duration 12.4 ± 9.5 years). The majority (55%) had low diabetes distress, but 24% had high distress and 28% had depressive symptoms. The sample achieved 2.5 ± 1.4 ideal AHA heart health indices and 33% rated their work ability as excellent. In linear regression higher depressive scores were associated with lower work ability scores (b = −0.45, p = .002). In logistic regression, scores on heart health (OR = 1.4; 95%CI:1.0–1.9, p = .03) and diabetes distress (OR = 0.6, 95%CI:0.4–0.9, p = .048) were significantly associated with work ability at its best. Conclusion: Both cardiovascular and psychological health may impact work ability in adults with diabetes. Routinely screening for diabetes distress and depression while also promoting ideal cardiovascular health may improve overall health and work ability in this population.How clinicians manage routinely low supplies of personal protective equipment
AbstractRidge, L. J., Stimpfel, A. W., Dickson, V. V., Klar, R. T., & Squires, A. P. (2021). American Journal of Infection Control, 49(12), 1488-1492. 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.08.012AbstractBackground: Recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) is routinely limited or unavailable in low-income countries, but there is limited research as to how clinicians adapt to that scarcity, despite the implications for patients and workers. Methods: This is a qualitative secondary analysis of case study data collected in Liberia in 2019. Data from the parent study were included in this analysis if it addressed availability and use of PPE in the clinical setting. Conventional content analysis was used on data including: field notes documenting nurse practice, semi-structured interview transcripts, and photographs. Results: Data from the majority of participants (32/37) and all facilities (12/12) in the parent studies were included. Eighty-three percent of facilities reported limited PPE. Five management strategies for coping with limited PPE supplies were observed, reported, or both: rationing PPE, self-purchasing PPE, asking patients to purchase PPE, substituting PPE, and working without PPE. Approaches to rationing PPE included using PPE only for symptomatic patients or not performing physical exams. Substitutions for PPE were based on supply availability. Conclusions: Strategies developed by clinicians to manage low PPE likely have negative consequences for both workers and patients; further research into the topic is important, as is better PPE provision in low-income countries.Infection Prevention and Control in Liberia 5 Years After Ebola: A Case Study
AbstractRidge, L. J., Stimpfel, A. W., Klar, R. T., Dickson, V. V., & Squires, A. P. (2021). Workplace Health and Safety, 69(6), 242-251. 10.1177/2165079921998076AbstractBackground: Effective management of health emergencies is an important strategy to improve health worldwide. One way to manage health emergencies is to build and sustain national capacities. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2015 resulted in greater infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in Liberia, but few studies have investigated if and how that capacity was sustained. The purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of IPC capacity in Liberia after Ebola. Methods: For this case study, data were collected via direct observation of nurse practice, semistructured interviews, and document collection. Data were collected in two counties in Liberia. Data were analyzed using directed content and general thematic analysis using codes generated from the safety capital theoretical framework, which describes an organization’s intangible occupational health resources. Findings: Thirty-seven nurses from 12 facilities participated. Ebola was a seminal event in the development of safety capital in Liberia, particularly regarding nurse knowledge of IPC and facilities’ investments in safety. The safety capital developed during Ebola is still being applied at the individual and organizational levels. Tangible resources, including personal protective equipment, however, have been depleted. Conclusions/Application to Practice: IPC capacity in Liberia had been sustained since Ebola but was threatened by under-investments in physical resources. Donor countries should prioritize sustained support, both financial and technical, in partnership with Liberian leaders. Occupational health nurses participating in disaster response should advocate for long-term investment by donor countries in personal protective equipment, access to water, and clinician training.Insomnia and Insomnia Symptoms in Persons with Heart Failure: An Integrative Review
AbstractGharzeddine, R., McCarthy, M. M., Yu, G., & Dickson, V. V. (2021). Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 36(4), 374-384. 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000719AbstractBackground/Objective Insomnia and insomnia symptoms are highly prevalent in persons with heart failure (HF), and they are associated with several untoward outcomes. The purpose of this integrative review is to describe the correlates, predictors, and outcomes of insomnia and insomnia symptoms in persons with HF. Methods Using integrative review methods, an extensive electronic search of 5 databases was conducted for the period of 2000-2019. Sixteen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for review and investigated insomnia or insomnia symptoms in HF. Results Various sociodemographic factors, chronic comorbidities, clinical factors, and cognitive-behavioral factors are correlates and predictors of insomnia and insomnia symptoms in persons with HF. Depression, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, poor self-reported physical functioning, decreased exercise capacity, cardiac events, and poor health-related quality of life are significant outcomes of insomnia and insomnia symptoms in persons with HF. The associations of insomnia and insomnia symptoms with age, sex, sleep-disordered breathing, and cognition were not consistent across all studies. Conclusion Larger studies with diverse age and race groups as well as longitudinal studies and designs that test mediation effects are needed to disentangle complex relationships between insomnia and insomnia symptoms and several of their potential predictors and correlates in HF.An Integrated Review of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Black Populations Underrecognized and Understudied
AbstractArabadjian, M., McCarthy, M., & Dickson, V. V. (2021). Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 36(2), 104-115. 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000718AbstractBackground: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disorder globally, affecting 0.2% to 0.5% of individuals. Existing clinical HCM guidelines do not address diverse populations, specifically minority groups who often experience health disparities. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the state of the science of HCM in black populations. Methods: This integrated review guided by Whittemore and Knafl's methodology included literature search of multiple databases, data evaluation, and analysis. Publications between 2000 and 2020 were included if they addressed HCM cardiac anatomic manifestations, disease course, symptoms, quality of life, or outcomes in black populations. Results: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Overall, blacks are underrepresented in HCM research. Certain HCM structural phenotypes are more commonly exhibited in blacks, and physiology drives HCM treatment. Sudden death events and all-cause mortality do not differ between blacks and whites with HCM. Fewer blacks with HCM undergo genetic testing than whites with HCM. The lack of diversity in general genomic databases has resulted in reclassification of several genetic variants identified as more common in blacks. Conclusions: Blacks are underrepresented in HCM research, even those focused on elucidating HCM manifestations, disease course, and outcomes in black populations. This may be due in part to HCM research that is largely generated from specialty centers that can require patients to navigate complex healthcare systems to reach expert HCM care. Longitudinal studies with large samples of blacks with HCM are necessary to elucidate how HCM affects this population.An integrative review: Women’s psychosocial vulnerability in relation to paid work after a breast cancer diagnosis
AbstractMelnyk, H., Djukic, M., Merriman, J., & Vaughan Dickson, V. (2021). Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(5), 2144-2154. 10.1111/jan.14730AbstractAim: The aim of this integrative review was to explore psychosocial vulnerabilities in women after a breast cancer diagnosis that are related to their paid work. Design: The review methodology was guided by Whittemore and Knafl. The Mehnert Cancer Survivorship and Work Model provided a lens through which to view vulnerability in working women with a focus on facilitating interventions to improve both recovery and work outcomes. Data Sources: PUBMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycNET databases were searched for English language papers published between January 2014–June 2020. Review Methods: Titles and abstracts were screened. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were then applied to full text screen of the remaining articles following PRISMA guidelines. Thirteen studies meeting the inclusion criteria were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. A constant comparison approach was used to systematically distil findings into categories and assess their fit within the Mehnert Model subdomains. Results: Vulnerabilities coalesced predominantly within the following subdomains: (a) changes in identity and role functioning; (b) social reintegration; (c) coping strategies; and (d) social supports. Patterns and themes within these subdomains were related both positively and negatively to form the contours of a survivor's satisfaction/dissatisfaction with quality of life related to work and breast cancer recovery. Conclusion: Overall, findings highlight the importance of employment and work environments in bolstering women's psychosocial health after a breast cancer diagnosis. Impact: Findings from this review support adapting psychosocial distress screening to include vulnerabilities relating to work life. Nurses are ideally positioned to facilitate this screening and engage clinicians in a dialogue surrounding patient's support needs due to nursing's central role on the interdisciplinary team. Nurses may also foster collective accountability for implementing ongoing multidisciplinary survivorship care plans that include a return to work component.Managing Diabetes in the Workplace
AbstractMcCarthy, M., Vorderstrasse, A., Yan, J., Portillo, A., & Dickson, V. V. (2021). Workplace Health and Safety, 69(5), 216-223. 10.1177/2165079920965538AbstractBackground: Although many adults with diabetes are productive members of the workforce, loss of work productivity has been associated with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between work-related factors and current work ability in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: This study used a convergent mixed-method design. We assessed the relationship between work-related factors and work ability using bivariate statistics and logistic regression. Work ability was measured using the Work Ability Index and Karasek’s Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) was employed to measure job demands. Qualitative interviews (n = 30) explored the relationship between diabetes and work. Findings: The sample (n =101) was mostly female (65%) and White (74%). Most worked full-time (65%), had T2D (87%), an elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c ≥ 7% (56%), and were overweight (22%) or obese (68%). Only 33% of subjects self-reported their work ability as excellent. Four of the JCQ subscales (skill discretion, psychological demands, supervisor support, and coworker support), and work–life balance were significantly associated with work ability (all p <.05). In adjusted models, better coworker support (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = [1.04, 1.9]) and better work–life balance (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = [1.1, 1.5]) were associated with excellent work ability. Many stated their diabetes impacted them at work and spoke of the effects of stress. Few engaged in workplace wellness programs. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Social support and work–life balance were associated with excellent work ability. Engaging workers with diabetes in workplace educational programs may take strategic efforts by occupational health staff.A mixed methods study describing the self-care practices in an older working population with cardiovascular disease (CVD): Balancing work, life and health
AbstractDickson, V. V., Jun, J., & Melkus, G. D. (2021). Heart and Lung, 50(3), 447-454. 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2021.02.001AbstractBackground: Self-care is essential to cardiovascular disease (CVD) health outcomes, but may be challenging for older working adults. Objective: Describe self-care and the relationship of work-related characteristics to self-care among older workers with CVD. Methods: Convergent mixed methods design (n = 108) assessed self-care, organization of work, job-level and clinical factors; qualitative data (n = 40) explored self-care and working. Data integrated in the final analytic phase. Results: Sixty-eight percent reported adequate self-care maintenance (SC-CHDI maintenance ≥70); only 22% had adequate self-care management (SC-CHDI management ≥ 70). Controlling for physical capacity, work-related factors explained 22% variance in self-care maintenance; physical capacity was only significant determinant of self-care management. Individuals with poor self-care described low job control, job stress and work-life imbalance that interfered with routine self-care. Individuals with poor self-care management reported “feeling stressed out” and “extreme fatigue” attributed to their job. Conclusions: Interventions targeting self-care, stress management and work-life balance among older workers with CVD are needed.Survivors’ Dilemma: Young Adult Cancer Survivors’ Perspectives of Work-Related Goals
AbstractGhazal, L. V., Merriman, J., Santacroce, S. J., & Dickson, V. V. (2021). Workplace Health and Safety, 69(11), 506-516. 10.1177/21650799211012675AbstractBackground: Young adult cancer survivors have significant work-related challenges, including interruptions to education and employment milestones, which may affect work-related goals (WRGs). The study purpose was to explore posttreatment perspectives of WRGs in a sample of young adult hematologic cancer survivors. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used social media to recruit eligible cancer survivors (young adults working or in school at the time of cancer diagnosis). Data were collected through telephone semi-structured interviews and analyzed using directed content analysis, followed by thematic content analysis to identify themes. Findings: The sample (N = 40) were mostly female (63.5%), White (75%), and diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (57.5%); most worked in professional (40%) or health care (23%) roles. The overarching theme, “Survivors’ Dilemma,” highlights a changed perspective on work-related fulfillment and financial obligations, capturing survivors’ decision-making process regarding work. Three subthemes illustrated questions that participants contemplated as they examined how their WRGs had changed: (a) Self-identity: Do I want to do this work? (b) Perceived health and work ability: Can I do this work? and (c) Financial toxicity: Can I afford to/not to do this work? Conclusions/Application to Practice: Participants experienced a state of dilemma around their WRGs, weighing areas around self-identity, perceived health and work ability, and financial toxicity. Findings suggest occupational health nurses should be aware of challenges surrounding WRGs, including how goals may change following a cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the potential stressors involved in the Survivors’ Dilemma. Occupational health nurses should assess for these issues and refer young survivors to employee and financial assistance programs, as necessary.