Associate Dean and Assistant Professor
Department of Graduate Nursing
School of Nursing
Obal Hall, Room 201B, Second floor
Phone: 201-559-6151
Email: waszakd@felician.edu
Biography:
Originally from sunny Southern California, I am a board-certified nurse educator, emergency nurse, and occupational health nurse – specialist with over 24 years clinical and administrative nursing experience in areas including: occupational and environmental health, emergency, forensic nursing, expert witness testimony, outpatient psychiatry, pain management, research, and of course, academia. I am also a certified mental health first aid instructor. I am passionate about veterans’ care, mental health, community health, and innovation and technology.
I am a volunteer with the NYC Medical Reserve Corp and reside in Staten Island, NY with my husband and three children. In any spare time (or even while cooking), I enjoy dancing Zumba.
Courses Taught:
- NURS 510: Nursing Research: Application, Utilization, and Evaluation NURS 620: Critique of Quality and Safety Practices
- NURS 330: Issues and Trends in Professional Nursing NURS 380: Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare
- NURS 385: Healthcare Policy and Politics
- NURS 412: Public Health and Disaster Management for RNs NURS 426: Leadership and Management for RNs
- NURS 450: The Critique and Evaluation of Nursing Research
Positions Held
- Licensed in New Jersey and New York
- Certified Nurse Educator, National League for Nursing
- Certified Emergency Nurse, Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing
- Certified Occupational Health Nurse – Specialist, American Board of Occupational Health Nurses
- E-Learning Certificate, Felician University
Academic Accomplishments
- DNP, University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA
- MSN, University of California Los Angeles, School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA
- BSN, San Diego State University, School of Nursing, San Diego, CA
Clinical Area of Specialization
- Occupational and environmental health, emergency, forensics
Professional Presentations/Scholarly Activities
- Regular Contributor, Working Nurse Magazine. (2010-Present)
- Margaret M. Dick Quasi-Endowed Scholarship, University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing (2016)
- Enid Goldberg Award, Sigma Theta Tau Eta Chapter (2016)
- Lois Norton Award, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing (2015)
Publications/Research
- Co-Trainer, Mental Health First Aid, Felician University, Rutherford, NJ, January 7-9, 2020
- Waszak, D. (2019, Nov). Teaching nursing research using doughnut holes and free interactive gaming: Application of the cookie experiment, Nurse Educator, 44(6).
- Innovation Lab Participant / Presenter, NurseUp App, Felician University, Rutherford, NJ, Summer 2020
- Waszak, D.L., Mitchell, A., Ren, D., & Fennimore, L.A. (2018, July). A quality improvement project to improve the education provided by nurses to emergency department patients prescribed an opioid analgesic at discharge. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 44(4), 336-344.
- Poster Presenter. American Organization of Nurse Executives Conference. Evidence-Based Education of Patients Prescribed an Opioid. Indianapolis, IN. April 2018.
- Waszak, D. (2018, Jan). Opioid overdose: Keep your patient alive, but protect yourself. Working Nurse. http://www.workingnurse.com/articles/Opioid-Overdose-Keep-Your-Patient- Alive-But-Protect-Yourself
- Waszak, D.L. & Fennimore, L.A. (2017, Nov). Achieving the IOM’s six aims for quality in the midst of the opioid crisis: Considerations for the emergency department. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 43(6), 512-518.
- Waszak, D.L. & Holmes, A.M. (2017, Sept). The unique health needs of post-911 U.S. veterans. Workplace Health & Safety, 65(9), 430-444.
- Waszak, D. (2017, Aug 11). DNP & Me: Five reasons to get a DNP. Working Nurse. http://www.workingnurse.com/articles/DNP-Me-Five-Reasons-to-Pursue-a- Nursing-Doctorate
- Waszak, D. (2016, July). Experienced RNs Conquer Obstacles and Pursue BSN with Felician University. NJ Nurse. http://nursingald.com/uploads/publication/pdf/1363/New_Jersey_Nurse_7_ 16_SMALL.pdf
- Faugno, D., Poarch, C.J., & Waszak, D. (2016). Chapter 14: Forensic Examination of the Sexual Assault Suspect. Sexual Assault Victimization Across the Life Span, 2nd Ed, Vol 1: Investigation, Diagnosis, and the Multidisciplinary Team. Florissant, MO: STM Learning.
- Waszak, D. (2014, August). The Modern Nurse Educator. Working Nurse. http://www.workingnurse.com/articles/The-Modern-Nurse-Educator
- Waszak, D. (2015, July, 6). The Culture of Healthcare and Ethical Dilemmas. UCLA School of Nursing magazine, 20-23. https://ucla-son.wixsite.com/magazine/single-post/2015/07/07/The-Culture- of-Healthcare-and-Ethical-Dilemmas
- Waszak, D. (2014, Summer). Review of Funding for Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care. NYSENA Newsletter, 2(2). http://nysena.org/library/news/2014/140508.pdf
- Faugno, D., Waszak, D., Strack, G.B., Brooks, M.A., & Gwinn, C.G. (2013, Oct/Dec). Strangulation Forensic Examination: Best Practice for Healthcare Providers. The Journal of Advanced Emergency Nursing, 35(4), 314-327.
- Waszak, D. (2012, September). The Master Class: From RN to MSN. Working Nurse. http://www.workingnurse.com/articles/The-Master-Class-From-RN-to-MSN
Podium Presenter. Pharmaceutical Safety Group: Special Conference on Health. Tracking Medical Surveillance. New Brunswick, NJ, 2006. - Poster Presenter. American Occupational Health Conference. Use of the Palm Pilot for Worksite Audits. Chicago, IL. 2002.
