Nursing PhD student to present research at national symposium

Kimberly Wallace, a nurse practitioner and soon-to-be graduate of the West Virginia University School of Nursing Ph.D. in Nursing program, was recently selected to present her work at the American Nephrology Nurses Association National Symposium.

Wallace’s research focuses on oral health and health-related quality of life among hemodialysis patients and was supported by an Evidence-Based Practice Project grant from the Association.

Hemodialysis, often called dialysis, is a process of cleaning the blood for someone whose kidneys do not function properly.

“Poor oral health is a common problem for many Americans and is correlated with lower levels of health-related quality of life,” Wallace said. “West Virginians are among the most likely to have poor health outcomes and are also more likely to require hemodialysis treatment. I wanted to better understand the relationships between oral health and health-related quality of life among hemodialysis patients in West Virginia. Ultimately, the goal is to develop interventions and teaching strategies that will benefit this population.

“West Virginia’s hemodialysis patients are particularly vulnerable to poor oral health outcomes. This topic is meaningful to me because it could ultimately improve health outcomes and improve health-related quality of life for West Virginia hemodialysis patients,” Wallace explained.

The work was completed as part of her dissertation. At the symposium, Wallace will present her findings to an international audience of nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse managers and nurse educators and will tailor the presentation to meet their needs. To prepare for her presentation in May 2023, Wallace will stay up to date on new literature published prior to the symposium in order to provide attendees with the most recent state of the science.

While Wallace was in enrolled in the Ph.D. program at WVU, she engaged in didactic lectures at the School of Nursing and was previously lecturer at the School from 2012-2017.

“During my time as a graduate teaching assistant while in nurse practitioner school, I developed a love for teaching and worked as a lecturer with the School of Nursing until 2017, when I transitioned to a full-time nurse practitioner,” Wallace explained. “As a nurse, I quickly learned that my strengths were in communication, listening and caring for patients. My passion is caring for West Virginians. The role of a nurse practitioner allowed me to develop my skills to serve as a better advocate for my patients and become a more effective patient educator.

“Nursing provides a human connection unlike any other career,” Wallace said. “We see people on their best days and on their worst days. We have the distinct honor of standing beside them as they navigate often difficult circumstances.”

Wallace chose a career in nursing because it aligned with her goals of societal contribution and personal fulfillment. Obtaining a Ph.D. in Nursing has allowed her to further contribute to the body of nursing knowledge and to serve West Virginians in a different way.

“I look forward to a long career of working to improve the lives of West Virginians,” Wallace said.

Wallace chose WVU’s School of Nursing to study at the largest academic medical center in the state. That opportunity, combined with the strong faculty and multiple scholarship opportunities, made the WVU School of Nursing the clear choice. Wallace will graduate in December from her PhD program. Wallace, a native of Delbarton, West Virginia, currently works as a nephrology nurse practitioner at WVU Medicine.