Villanova’s College of Nursing announces first Ph.D.

“I am honored to have a part in the history of the College of Nursing at Villanova,” says Dr. Bonnie Baloga-Altieri.

Villanova, PA, April 8, 2008 — A commitment to quality health care ultimately led to the words “Congratulations, Dr. Baloga-Altieri” on March 25, 2008 when Villanova University College of Nursing’s first Ph.D. candidate successfully defended her dissertation.

Dr. Bonnie Baloga-Altieri at Commencement with Dr. Suzanne Smeltzer and university President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A.

The College started its doctoral program in Nursing in 2004 to prepare teacher-scholars for careers in academic settings. With courses provided in a mostly distance learning format, students are progressing through the program both on a full-time and part-time basis. Dr. Baloga-Altieri was among the first cohort of students to start in the program and finished in four years

As director of Administration in the Office of the Dean at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Baloga-Altieri oversees a broad range of internal and external activities related to the teaching, research, clinical and outreach missions of the school, as well managing various performance measurement and evaluation processes originating from the Dean’s Office.

With experience as both a nursing and hospital administrator, Dr. Baloga-Altieri was moved by the 1999 Institute of Medicine report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Her commitment to provision of quality health care led to her passion for her research “Comparison of Staff Nurse Perceptions of Nurse Executive and Nurse Manager Leadership in Magnet and non-Magnet Hospitals.” How do the two relate? “Nursing leadership is a critical component of the nursing practice environment in hospitals,” explains Dr. Baloga-Altieri, “It is important that we study and improve our understanding of this leadership because of the influence of the nursing practice environment on the safety and quality of patient care outcomes in hospitals. It is my hope that the findings from this study will make a contribution to this effort.” Magnet hospitals are those that have been granted the status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in recognition of nursing excellence.

Celebrating with the new Dr. Bonnie Baloga-Altieri (2nd from left)
are (left to right) Suzanne C. Smeltzer, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN,
chairperson of her Dissertation Committee and director of the
College’s Center for Nursing Research; Nancy C. Sharts-Hopko,
Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, outside reader and director of the Doctoral
Program; Marguerite K. Schlag, Ed.D., R.N., Dissertation
Committee member and assistant dean of the Graduate Nursing
Program; and M. Louise Fitzpatrick, Ed.D., R.N., FAAN, outside
reader and Connelly Endowed Dean and professor.

Dr. Baloga-Altieri’s study demonstrated that there were some differences in staff nurse perceptions of some specific leadership behaviors in nurse executives and nurse managers between Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals, though not in the direction one might expect, and that staff nurses in both Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals perceived a positive relationship between nurse executive and nurse manager leadership behaviors, termed a “cascading effect.” Her research was well-received. “Bonnie's dissertation was meticulously carried out and beautifully written… we are delighted at the pace at which she completed her research,” says Nancy C. Sharts-Hopko, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, professor and director of the Doctoral Program.

Dr. Baloga-Altieri offers why she pursued her doctoral degree, “I have always worked within an academic health center (AHC) and love that kind of environment. My goal in completing Ph.D. study was to help me bring a more scholarly perspective to my work and my contributions to the missions of the AHC.” She further explains, “In my current role, as well as any future roles here or elsewhere, I hope to be able to contribute to the education of nurses and other health care professionals.” She reflects on her experience as a doctoral student as a positive one, “The program at Villanova was terrific. The faculty were very supportive. The course work really allowed me to study my areas of interest from multiple perspectives.”

A “significant commitment” is required when undertaking doctoral education, acknowledges Dr. Baloga-Altieri but she agrees it is “very worthwhile and achievable.” As for being “the first?” She says, “I am honored to have a part in the history of the College of Nursing at Villanova.”