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)Associate Editor, Cardiovascular Nursing (2018)Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine (2018)President-Elect, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2018)Spirit of Nursing Award, University of Massachusetts (2017)President-Elect, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2017)President-Elect, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2016)Associate Editor to Circulation, Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes (2016)Fellow, Heart Failure Society of America (2016)PhD Faculty Excellence Award, NYU (2014)Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2014)Springer Publishing Company Award (2014)Research Award, ENRS Rising Star (2012)Fellow, American Heart Association Fuchs-Schoeck Research (2012)Fellow, American Heart Association (2011)Minority Aging Research and Community Health Scholar, University of Pennsylvania (2011)Nursing and Allied Health Professional Award, European Society of Cardiology (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
Noise Exposure and Quality of Life Among Nurses
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., McCullagh, M. C., Xu, J., Dickson, V. V., Tan, A., & Lusk, S. L. (2022). In Workplace Health and Safety (Vols. 70, Issues 4, pp. 207-219). 10.1177/21650799211044365AbstractBackground: The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between noise exposure, selected health conditions, and well-being among nurses. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on data obtained from 3,818 U.S. nurses who responded to a survey regarding noise exposure, health conditions, stress, professional quality of life, and workplace support. Findings: Those who reported high noise exposure reported more health conditions, higher stress and burnout scores, and lower supportive environments. High noise exposure was significantly associated with lower professional quality of life. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Noise may impact the health and quality of professional life of nurses. Occupational health nurses should advocate for the regular monitoring of nurses’ exposure to hazardous noise at work, compare it to OSHA permissible levels, and collaborate with the occupational health team to ensure safe noise levels are maintained. Occupational health nurses should advocate for expanded research on effects of noise on health."now Everybody Is Thinking about Things Like That." Young Adult Cancer Survivors Reimagining Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Ghazal, L. V., Santacroce, S. J., Merriman, J. D., & Dickson, V. V. (2022). In Nursing research (Vols. 71, Issues 2, pp. 153-157). 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000567AbstractBackground Diagnosed between ages 20 and 39 years, young adult (YA) cancer survivors have faced disruption to their lives well before the COVID-19 pandemic. Often seen as an at-risk population within cancer survivors, YAs experience the demands of a serious illness, such as cancer, alongside meeting the typical milestones of young adulthood and often have worse quality of life than their noncancer peers. There is a need to further study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on specific populations, including YA cancer survivors (YACS), as it relates to work. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore working YACS' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify facets of cancer survivorship that researchers can use to explore COVID-19 survivorship further. Methods Secondary thematic analysis of 40 semistructured, qualitative interviews conducted through Zoom audio during the COVID-19 pandemic. YA hematologic cancer survivors were recruited through social media; they were eligible if they had completed active therapy, were within 5 years of their diagnosis, and working at the time of diagnosis. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic content analysis. Results Themes surrounded COVID-19's influence on working YACS' experiences, with the overarching theme: "From solo to shared experience: A change in awareness and understanding."A subtheme was "Lesson reaffirmed: Reimagining the work environment."Discussion The consequences of COVID-19 on the overall quality of life for YACS are multilevel. Establishing the evidence for effective interventions to support YACS in the workplace, whether physical or virtual, is critically needed. Research is needed on YACS' risk and resilience factors that could ultimately impact future health and quality of life.Original Research : Losing the Art and Failing the Science of Nursing: The Experiences of Nurses Working during the COVID-19 Pandemic
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Stimpfel, A. W., Ghazal, L., Goldsamt, L. A., Zhanay, J., & Dickson, V. V. (2022). In American Journal of Nursing (Vols. 122, Issues 4, pp. 22-29). 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000827324.34143.7aAbstractPurpose:RNs have served as the bedrock of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working under unprecedented and difficult conditions. In this study, we sought to understand the experiences of nurses working across a range of care settings in the United States during the first six months of the pandemic, and to learn more about barriers to and facilitators of their work.Methods:This is a qualitative descriptive study. We recruited participants online through regional professional nursing membership listservs, program directors of occupational health nursing training programs, and social media. After completing a survey, potential participants were invited to complete an individual semistructured interview via the Zoom platform. From June through August 2020, we conducted 34 interviews. Content analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti software.Results:The overarching theme - "Losing the art and failing the science of nursing" - underscored the barriers nurses faced in the early months of this pandemic. It reflected the deeply painful disruptions in the care nurses were accustomed to providing their patients. Themes that reflected barriers included disrupted nurse-patient connection, lack of personal protective equipment and fear of infection, lack of evidence-based guidance, and understaffing, all of which drastically altered the delivery of nursing care. Themes that reflected facilitators to nurses' work included camaraderie and strength and resourcefulness.Conclusions:The study findings give important direction to nurse leaders, researchers, and organizations concerning potential areas of support that nurses need during and after this pandemic. Future research should investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 and similar public health crises on nurses, as well as interventions that could support the workforce after an extended crisis.Perceptions of Treatment Burden Among Caregivers of Elders With Diabetes and Co-morbid Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias : A Qualitative Study
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Melnyk, H., Ferris, R., Leon, A., Arcila-Mesa, M., Rapozo, C., Chodosh, J., & Blaum, C. S. (2022). In Clinical Nursing Research. 10.1177/10547738211067880AbstractMany older adults with diabetes (DM) have co-occurring Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD). Complex treatment plans may impose treatment burden for caregivers responsible for day-to-day self-management. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe caregiver perceptions of treatment burden for people with DM-AD/ADRD. Caregivers (n = 33) of patients with DM-AD/ADRD participated in semi-structured interviews about their caregiver role and perceptions of treatment burden of DM-AD/ADRD management. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis (ATLAS.ti). Caregivers reported high levels of burden related to complex treatment/self-management for patients with DM-AD/ADRD that varied day-to-day with the patient’s cognitive status. Four themes were: (1) trajectory of treatment burden; (2) navigating multiple healthcare providers/systems of care; (3) caregiver role conflict; and (4) emotional burden. Interventions to reduce caregiver treatment burden should include activating supportive services, education, and care coordination especially, if patient treatment increases in complexity over time.A Pilot Mixed-Methods Study of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Walker, S. L., Dickson, V. V., & Cacchione, P. Z. (2022). In Oncology nursing forum (Vols. 49, Issues 6, pp. 615-623). 10.1188/22.ONF.615-623AbstractOBJECTIVES: To describe symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a rare cancer associated with a poor prognosis and significant symptoms, via a pilot mixed-methods study, because it is unclear whether MPM symptom assessment tools accurately characterize these symptoms. SAMPLE & SETTING: Participants with MPM were recruited from a large northeastern U.S. academic medical center with an interprofessional MPM program. METHODS & VARIABLES: A mixed-methods pilot approach was employed using the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale for Mesothelioma (LCSS-Meso) to quantitatively describe MPM symptoms and semistructured interviews to qualitatively capture these symptoms. RESULTS: Seven participants with MPM completed the LCSS-Meso and qualitative interviews. The five symptoms evaluated by the LCSS-Meso were confirmed as symptoms of MPM in participant interviews. However, the presence and severity of some symptoms were either under-or overestimated by the scale. Two additional symptoms, distress and sleep disturbance, also emerged from the qualitative interviews. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses caring for people with MPM should have a thorough understanding of common symptoms, but they must also explore additional symptoms that are meaningful to each patient.Precision Health in Cardiovascular Conditions
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Dickson, V. V., & D'Eramo Melkus, G. (2022). In The Journal of cardiovascular nursing (Vols. 37, Issue 1, pp. 56-57). 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000879Abstract~Profiles of Work and Quality of Life among Young Adult Cancer Survivors
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Ghazal, L. V., Merriman, J. D., Santacroce, S. J., Fletcher, J., Wright, F., & Dickson, V. V. (2022). In Western Journal of Nursing Research. 10.1177/01939459221120742AbstractWork ability, or the perception of one’s ability to work presently and in the future, may impact quality of life (QOL) among young adult (YA) cancer survivors. Through a convergent mixed methods design, we explored work ability, work-related goals, and QOL among YA hematologic cancer survivors within five years of diagnosis. We described associations at the individual- and microsystem (work)- levels; and compared factors across low and high work ability groups. Participants (N = 40) completed a survey and interview via digital platforms. Qualitative analysis revealed self-assessed declines in work ability led to questioning work-related goals and influenced QOL. Integrated analysis led to the development of four profiles, growing our understanding of work’s influence on QOL for YA cancer survivors, and identifying components YAs considered when contemplating work-related goals after a cancer diagnosis. Larger studies are needed to elucidate these profiles and identify modifiable factors to inform targeted interventions to improve QOL.Providing Hearing Assistance to Veterans in the Emergency Department : A Qualitative Study
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Dickson, V. V., Blustein, J., Weinstein, B., Goldfeld, K., Radcliffe, K., Burlingame, M., Grudzen, C. R., Sherman, S. E., Smilowitz, J., & Chodosh, J. (2022). In Journal of Emergency Nursing (Vols. 48, Issues 3, pp. 266-277). 10.1016/j.jen.2022.01.005AbstractIntroduction: Effective communication is essential to good health care, and hearing loss disrupts patient-provider communication. For the more than 2 million veterans with severe hearing loss, communication is particularly challenging in noisy health care environments such as emergency departments. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe patient and provider perspectives of feasibility and potential benefit of providing a hearing assistance device, a personal amplifier, during visits to an emergency department in an urban setting affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in parallel with a randomized controlled study. We completed a semistructured interview with 11 veterans and 10 health care providers to elicit their previous experiences with patient-provider communication in the ED setting and their perspectives on hearing screening and using the personal amplifier in the emergency department. Interview data were analyzed using content analysis and Atlas.ti V8.4 software (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany). Results: The veteran sample (n = 11) had a mean age of 80.3 years (SD = 10.2). The provider sample included 7 nurses and 3 physicians. In the ED setting, hearing loss disrupts patient-provider communication. Screening for hearing loss in the emergency department was feasible except in urgent/emergent cases. The use of the personal amplifier made communication more effective and less effortful for both veterans and providers. Discussion: Providing the personal amplifier improved the ED experience for veterans and offers a promising intervention that could improve health care quality and safety for ED patient populations.Psychometric Testing of the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory Version 3.0
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Dickson, V. V., Iovino, P., De Maria, M., Vellone, E., Alvaro, R., Di Matteo, R., Dal Molin, A., Lusignani, M., Bassola, B., Maconi, A., Bolgeo, T., & Riegel, B. (2022). In Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000952AbstractBackground: In this updated Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory (SC-CHDI) v3.0, items were added to better reflect the theory of self-care of chronic illness and revised based on recent research. The expanded SC-CHDI now reflects the theoretical concepts of self-care maintenance, monitoring, and management. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the SC-CHDI v3.0. Methods: In a sample of adults with coronary heart disease, we tested the SC-CHDI v3.0 validity with confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was calculated using Cronbach α, factor score determinacy coefficient, and global reliability index for multidimensional scales, with values > 0.70 considered adequate. Results: The sample (n = 205) was predominantly male (79%) with a mean age of 65.3 ± 11.1 years. The self-care maintenance scale encompassed 2 distinct behaviors, namely, “illness related behaviors” and “health promoting behaviors,” which reflect consulting and autonomous dimensions, respectively. The goodness-of-fit indices were adequate: χ2(25, N = 205) =31.86, P = .16, comparative fit index = 0.97, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.95, root mean square error of approximation = 0.04 (90% confidence interval, 0.00-0.07), P = .705, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.045. Analysis of the new self-care monitoring scale yielded a single factor; goodness-of-fit indices were excellent: χ2(12, N = 205) =11.56, P = .48, comparative fit index = 1.00, Tucker-Lewis Index = 1.00, root mean square error of approximation < 0.001 (90% confidence interval, 0.000-0.07), P = .86, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.02. The self-care management scale had 2 dimensions of autonomous and consulting behavior with strong goodness-of-fit indices: χ2(7, N = 205) =6.57, P = .47, comparative fit index = 1.00, Tucker-Lewis Index = 1.00, root mean square error of approximation ≤ 0.001 (90% confidence interval, 0.00-0.08), P = .76, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.02. Reliability estimates were ≥0.80 for all scales. Conclusions: Our testing suggests that the SC-CHDI v3.0 is a sound measure of the essential elements of self-care for adults with coronary heart disease.Quality of life and physical functioning in black and white adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
AbstractVaughan Dickson, V., Arabadjian, M., Yu, G., Vorderstrasse, A., Sherrid, M. V., & Dickson, V. V. (2022). In Heart and Lung (Vols. 56, pp. 142-147). 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.07.001AbstractBackground: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common and clinically heterogeneous inherited cardiac disease. Quality of life (QOL) and physical functioning are important clinically but are underexplored in diverse populations with HCM. Objectives: To examine predictors for and compare QOL and physical functioning in Black and White adults with HCM. Methods: We analyzed a sub-sample from a longitudinal prospective study on HCM. Eligibility criteria included self-identified Black and White adults (≥18 years) with clinical HCM. QOL was measured with the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHF);physical functioning included age-adjusted exercise capacity and NYHA class. Covariates included HCM structural characteristics and common comorbidities. We analyzed data from 434 individuals, 57 (13.1%) of whom self-identified as Black/African American. Results: In this sample, the Black cohort had higher MLWHF scores, 31.2 (27.2) v. 23.9 (22.1), p=0.042, signifying worse QOL, but there were no intergroup differences when QOL was dichotomized. Mean metabolic equivalents (METs) on symptom-limited stress testing were similar, though the Black cohort was younger, 54.6 (13.4) v.62.5 (14.8) years, p=0.001. No one from the Black cohort achieved an “excellent-for-age” exercise capacity, and 64.1% had a “below-average-for-age” exercise capacity vs 47% in the White cohort, though this was not statistically significant, p=0.058. There was no difference between groups in advanced NYHA class. Female gender was associated with worse QOL and physical functioning irrespective of covariates. Conclusions: This study is a starting point that underscores the need for a more comprehensive examination of well-being and physical functioning in Black populations with HCM.