Jeanie Kayser-Jones, RN, PhD, FAAN, was the recipient of the 1999 Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award at the Gerontological Society of America's annual fall meeting for her groundbreaking research into the dietary needs of nursing home residents. The findings of her five-year study have greatly influenced the way in which nurses care for elderly patients experiencing eating problems that often result in malnourishment, dehydration and death. Dr. Kayser-Jones was the first researcher to systematically investigate these problems.
Throughout her career, Dr. Kayser-Jones has been recognized nationally and internationally for her rigorous, methodical investigation of problems that influence the quality of care and the quality of life of nursing home residents. Dr. Kayser-Jones is a professor in the Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing and the Medical Anthropology Program, School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She holds a doctorate in Medical Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley; and a master of science degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.
The Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award is named for Doris Schwartz, a pioneer in gerontological nursing research, and is given in recognition of visionary and exemplary contributions advancing the field of geriatric nursing research. This annual award was presented at the Gerontological Society of America's Annual meeting on November 21, 1999 and was bestowed by the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing in collaboration with the Gerontological Society of America.
In addition to winning this award, Dr. Kayser-Jones spoke at a special nursing interest group symposium, sponsored by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing on "The nutritional care of nursing home residents: nursing's responsibility."
"The findings from Dr. Kayser-Jones' research," said Mathy Mezey, director of the Hartford Institute, "have had far-reaching effects on research, education, clinical practice, and health care policy."
The John A Hartford Institute Foundation for Geriatric Nursing at New York University - The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU seeks to shape the quality of the health care that elderly Americans receive by promoting the highest level of competency in the nurses who deliver that care. By raising the standards of nursing care, the Hartford Institute aims to ensure that people age in comfort and with dignity. The Hartford Institute Website can be visited at www.nyu.edu/education/nursing/hartford.institute . The email address is: hartford.ign@nyu.edu
The Gerontological Society of America was established to promote the scientific study of aging, to encourage exchanges among researchers and practitioners from various disciplines related to gerontology, and to foster the use of gerontological research in forming public policy. The Gerontological Society of America website can be visited at www.geron.org .