Victoria Vaughan Dickson

Faculty

Victoria Vaughan Dickson

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

1 215 704 7223

433 FIRST AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10010
United States

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.

PhD - University of Pennsylvania
MSN - University of Pennsylvania
BSN - Temple University

Non-communicable disease
Cardiology
Gerontology

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Nursing
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
American Heart Association
American Nurses Association
Council on the Advancement of Nursing
Eastern Nursing Research Society
European Society of Cardiology
Gerontological Society of America
Heart Failure Society of America
New York Academy of Medicine
New York Nurse Practitioners Association
Sigma Theta Tau, XI Chapter
Sigma Theta Tua International Honor Society

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)

Return to Work after Acute Myocardial Infarction : The Importance of Patients' Preferences

Vaughan Dickson, V., Dreyer, R. P., & Dickson, V. V. (2018). (Vols. 11, Issues 6). 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.004806
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Self-care among Filipinos in the United States who have hypertension

Vaughan Dickson, V., Ea, E. E., Colbert, A., Turk, M., & Dickson, V. V. (2018). (Vols. 39, pp. 71-76). 10.1016/j.apnr.2017.11.002
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Background Despite the strong literature on the influence of self-care on hypertension (HTN) diagnosis, there is a notable lack of studies that explore self-care among Filipino immigrants in the United States (US) who have HTN. Aim To determine the levels of and relationships between and among acculturation, acculturative stress, HTN self-efficacy, patient activation, and HTN self-care among first generation Filipino immigrants in the US who have HTN. Design A cross-sectional correlational design was used to determine the relationships between and among acculturation, acculturative stress, HTN self-efficacy, patient activation, and HTN self-care using the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. One hundred and sixty-three community-dwelling first-generation Filipino immigrants participated in the study. Methods Data on HTN self-care, acculturation, acculturative stress, HTN self-efficacy, and patient activation were collected. Results The study results revealed that HTN self-efficacy and patient activation significantly contributed to the regression model that accounted for 29.5% of the variance in HTN self-care for this sample. Further analysis revealed that patient activation had a mediating role between HTN self-efficacy and HTN self-care. Conclusions Findings from this study revealed that HTN self-efficacy and patient activation were associated with self-care behaviors associated with HTN management for this sample. Clinical relevance Findings from this study highlight the importance of addressing HTN self-efficacy and patient activation in improving HTN self-care for this population.

Telephone-based mindfulness training to reduce stress in women with myocardial infarction : Rationale and design of a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Vaughan Dickson, V., Spruill, T. M., Reynolds, H. R., Dickson, V. V., Shallcross, A. J., Visvanathan, P. D., Park, C., Kalinowski, J., Zhong, H., Berger, J. S., Hochman, J. S., Fishman, G. I., & Ogedegbe, G. (2018). (Vols. 202, pp. 61-67). 10.1016/j.ahj.2018.03.028
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Background: Elevated stress is associated with adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes and accounts in part for the poorer recovery experienced by women compared with men after myocardial infarction (MI). Psychosocial interventions improve outcomes overall but are less effective for women than for men with MI, suggesting the need for different approaches. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an evidence-based intervention that targets key psychosocial vulnerabilities in women including rumination (i.e., repetitive negative thinking) and low social support. This article describes the rationale and design of a multicenter randomized controlled trial to test the effects of telephone-delivered MBCT (MBCT-T) in women with MI. Methods: We plan to randomize 144 women reporting elevated perceived stress at least two months after MI to MBCT-T or enhanced usual care (EUC), which each involve eight weekly telephone sessions. Perceived stress and a set of patient-centered health outcomes and potential mediators will be assessed before and after the 8-week telephone programs and at 6-month follow-up. We will test the hypothesis that MBCT-T will be associated with greater 6-month improvements in perceived stress (primary outcome), disease-specific health status, quality of life, depression and anxiety symptoms, and actigraphy-based sleep quality (secondary outcomes) compared with EUC. Changes in mindfulness, rumination and perceived social support will be evaluated as potential mediators in exploratory analyses. Conclusions: If found to be effective, this innovative, scalable intervention may be a promising secondary prevention strategy for women with MI experiencing elevated perceived stress.

Can a Left Ventricular Assist Device in Individuals with Advanced Systolic Heart Failure Improve or Reverse Frailty?

Vaughan Dickson, V., Maurer, M. S., Horn, E., Reyentovich, A., Dickson, V. V., Pinney, S., Goldwater, D., Goldstein, N. E., Jimenez, O., Teruya, S., Goldsmith, J., Helmke, S., Yuzefpolskaya, M., & Reeves, G. R. (2017). (Vols. 65, Issues 11, pp. 2383-2390). 10.1111/jgs.15124
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Background/Objectives: Frailty, characterized by low physiological reserves, is strongly associated with vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Features of frailty overlap with those of advanced heart failure, making a distinction between them difficult. We sought to determine whether implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) would decrease frailty. Design: Prospective, cohort study. Setting: Five academic medical centers. Participants: Frail individuals (N = 29; mean age 70.6 ± 5.5, 72.4% male). Measurements: Frailty, defined as having 3 or more of the Fried frailty criteria, was assessed before LVAD implantation and 1, 3, and 6 months after implantation. Other domains assessed included quality of life, using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; mood, using the Patient Health Questionnaire; and cognitive function, using the Trail-Making Test Part B. Results: After 6 months, three subjects had died, and one had undergone a heart transplant; of 19 subjects with serial frailty measures, the average number of frailty criteria decreased from 3.9 ± 0.9 at baseline to 2.8 ± 1.4 at 6 months (P =.003). Improvements were observed after 3 to 6 months of LVAD support, although 10 (52.6%) participants still had 3 or more Fried criteria, and all subjects had at least one at 6 months. Changes in frailty were associated with improvement in QOL but not with changes in mood or cognition. Higher estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline was independently associated with a decrease in frailty. Conclusion: Frailty decreased in approximately half of older adults with advanced heart failure after 6 months of LVAD support. Strategies to enhance frailty reversal in this population are worthy of additional study.

Care Innovations

Vaughan Dickson, V., Borden, W. B., & DIckson, V. V. (2017). (Vols. 10, Issues 6). 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.117.003957
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Mechanisms of change in self-care in adults with heart failure receiving a tailored, motivational interviewing intervention

Vaughan Dickson, V., Riegel, B., Dickson, V. V., Garcia, L. E., Masterson Creber, R., & Streur, M. (2017). (Vols. 100, Issues 2, pp. 283-288). 10.1016/j.pec.2016.08.030
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Self-care is challenging but we previously demonstrated that motivational interviewing (MI) was effective in improving heart failure (HF) self-care. Objective To identify the mechanisms of intervention effectiveness by elucidating the MI techniques used and the relationship between the techniques and changes in self-care. Methods Audiotaped sessions (first and subsequent sessions) from 8 participants were transcribed verbatim and coded to evaluate changes in self-care. Using a sequential mixed method design, quantitative and qualitative self-care data were triangulated; congruence was 97%. The MI techniques used and mechanisms of intervention effectiveness were identified from the qualitative data. Results Three MI techniques used were related to improved self-care: 1) reflection and reframing, 2) genuine empathy, affirmation, and humor, and 2) individualized problem solving. These techniques stimulated openness to goal setting, positive self-talk, perceived ability to overcome barriers, and change talk. The mechanisms by which the techniques achieved the desired outcomes were the development of discrepancy and self-efficacy, which are consistent with the principles of MI. Conclusion This study contributes to clarifying the mechanism by which MI facilitates behavioral change. Practice implications Using MI to discuss self-care can help to overcome barriers and engage HF patients in goal setting for behavior change.

Prognostic utility of the braden scale and the morse fall scale in hospitalized patients with heart failure

Vaughan Dickson, V., Carazo, M., Sadarangani, T., Natarajan, S., Katz, S. D., Blaum, C., & Dickson, V. V. (2017). (Vols. 39, Issues 4, pp. 507-523). 10.1177/0193945916664077
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Geriatric syndromes are common in hospitalized elders with heart failure (HF), but association with clinical outcomes is not well characterized. The purpose of this study (N = 289) was to assess presence of geriatric syndromes using Joint Commission-mandated measures, the Braden Scale (BS) and Morse Fall Scale (MFS), and to explore prognostic utility in hospitalized HF patients. Data extracted from the electronic medical record included sociodemographics, medications, clinical data, comorbid conditions, and the BS and MFS. The primary outcome of mortality was assessed using Social Security Death Master File. Statistical analysis included Cox proportional hazards models to assess association between BS and MFS scores and allcause mortality with adjustment for known clinical prognostic factors. Higher risk BS and MFS scores were common in hospitalized HF patients, but were not independent predictors of survival. Further study of the clinical utility of these scores and other measures of geriatric syndromes in HF is warranted.

Psychometric Testing of the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory (SC-CHDI)

Vaughan Dickson, V., Lee, C. S., Yehle, K. S., Mola, A., Faulkner, K. M., & Riegel, B. (2017). (Vols. 40, Issue 1, pp. 15-22). 10.1002/nur.21755
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Although coronary heart disease (CHD) requires a significant amount of self-care, there are no instruments available to measure self-care in this population. The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory (SC-CHDI). Using the Self-Care of Chronic Illness theory, we developed a 22-item measure of maintenance, management, and confidence appropriate for persons with stable CHD and tested it in a convenience sample of 392 adults (62% male, mean age 61.4 ± 9.6 years). Factorial validity was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was tested with the Medical Outcomes Study MOS-SAS Specific Adherence Scale and the Decision Making Competency Inventory (DMCI). Cronbach alpha and factor determinacy scores (FDS) were calculated to assess reliability. Two multidimensional self-care scales were confirmed: self-care maintenance included “consultative behaviors” (e.g., taking medicines as prescribed) and “autonomous behaviors” (e.g., exercising 30 minute/day; FDS =.87). The multidimensional self-care management scale included “early recognition and response” (e.g., recognizing symptoms) and “delayed response” (e.g., taking an aspirin; FDS =.76). A unidimensional confidence factor captured confidence in each self-care process (α =.84). All the self-care dimensions were associated with treatment adherence as measured by the MOS-SAS. Only self-care maintenance and confidence were associated with decision-making (DCMI). These findings support the conceptual basis of self-care in patients with CHD as a process of maintenance that includes both consultative and autonomous behaviors, and management with symptom awareness and response. The SC-CHDI confidence scale is promising as a measure of self-efficacy, an important factor influencing self-care.

Psychometric Testing of the Self-care of Hypertension Inventory : Conceptual Challenges to Collaborative Care

Vaughan Dickson, V., Dickson, V. V., Lee, C., Yehle, K. S., Abel, W. M., & Riegel, B. (2017). (Vols. 32, Issues 5, pp. 431-438). 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000364
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Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a global public health issue. Self-care is an essential component of HTN treatment, but no instruments are available with which to measure self-care of HTN. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to test the psychometric properties of the Self-care of Hypertension Inventory (SC-HI). Methods: Using the Self-care of Chronic Illness theory, we developed a 24-item measure of maintenance, monitoring, and management appropriate for persons with chronic HTN, tested it for content validity, and then tested it in a convenience sample of 193 adults. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify measure structure. Cronbach's α and factor determinacy scores and were used to assess reliability. Validity was tested with the Medical Outcomes Study General Adherence Scale and the Decision Making Competency Inventory. Results: Seventy percent of the sample was female; mean age was 56.4 ± 13 years; mean duration of HTN was 11 ± 9 years. Removal of 1 item on alcohol consumption resulted in a unidimensional self-care maintenance factor with acceptable structure and internal consistency (α =.83). A multidimensional self-care management factor included "consultative" and "autonomous" factors (factor determinacy score = 0.75). A unidimensional confidence factor captured confidence in and persistence with each aspect of self-care (α =.83). All the self-care dimensions in the final 23-item instrument were associated with treatment adherence and several with decision making. Conclusion: These findings support the conceptual basis of self-care in patients with HTN as a process of maintenance, monitoring, and management. The SC-HI confidence scale is promising as a measure of self-efficacy in self-care.

Reduce noise : Improve the nation's health

Vaughan Dickson, V., Lusk, S. L., McCullagh, M., Dickson, V. V., & Xu, J. (2017). (Vols. 65, Issues 5, pp. 652-656). 10.1016/j.outlook.2017.08.001
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