Barbara Felder
BSN '00, MSN '03
Adult Nurse Practitioner

Barbara Felder, '00 B.S.N., '03 M.S.N., R.N., OCN, has dedicated her entire 14-year nursing career to the care of cancer patients. Even before earning her bachelor's degree in 2000 through the College's R.N. to B.S.N. program, Felder was working in oncology in home health settings and later became a staff nurse in the Hematology/Oncology Outpatient Clinic of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Treatment Center in Philadelphia where she practices today. Not one to slow down in terms of her education and exploration of oncology nursing issues, Felder went right into the College's adult nurse practitioner program after earning her B.S.N. She graduated in December of 2003.

While in her current position in outpatient oncology, Felder published "Multiple Myeloma and Its Treatment" in the November 2002 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, a case study illustrating the complexities of care surrounding a patient with multiple myeloma. By the time this article was published, Felder already completed the yearlong research project she conducted as her independent study in the master's program.

Motivated by an interest in truth telling and whether it affects hope in patients, Felder began investigating theories of hope and coping. Felder's study, entitled Hope and Coping in Patients with Cancer Diagnoses was conducted at an outpatient cancer treatment center and included 183 participants, both males and females. They had varied cancer diagnoses and were at different points along the disease trajectory, from newly diagnosed to end stage. Seventy-one percent had advanced disease. Felder began her work, guided by College of Nursing faculty Dr. Suzanne Smeltzer and Dr. Barbara Ott, by doing a concept analysis of hope and then developing her own definition of hope. She then found a theoretical framework and tools that used the same framework she did. Felder also obtained a definition, tool, and theoretical framework for coping. Participants completed two 2 evaluation tools, the Herth Hope Scale and Jalowiec Coping Scale. Her findings indicated that levels of hope were consistently high across all diagnoses and the disease trajectory. Felder sees many implications for nursing. "Nurses have a responsibility to foster and maintain hope. To paraphrase Jean Watson, (a noted nursing theorist) 'Care is always possible, even when cure is not.' " Felder has outlined characteristics of hope, hope fostering, and hope hindering behaviors of nurses, and hope assessment tools to assist nurses in patient care.

Felder's research has already had an impact on the local oncology care community. She presented her work at the College of Nursing's Graduate Scholar’s Day in April 2003, as well as at the Oncology Nursing Research Symposium and the Symptom Management Rounds for the Outpatient Cancer Treatment Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She looks forward to reaching more colleagues and is currently preparing a manuscript for publication.

A member of the Oncology Nursing Society, Alpha Nu chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, and Phi Kappa Phi, Felder has been recognized for her achievements with the Nursing Alumni Society Graduate Scholarship in April, 2003. She wishes more nurses would get involved in research and contribute to the advancement of nursing knowledge. She felt a "tremendous sense of accomplishment" once her research was completed.

After earning her M.S.N., Felder looks forward to specializing in palliative care, remaining in direct patient care, her first love. Why palliative care? "End of life issues are very important. Many patients can benefit from palliative care—it brings quality of life to those who have incurable diseases. I believe it should begin at the time of diagnosis," says Felder. She intends to use her research findings in practice and wishes other nurses would as well, "Nurses can reframe unrealistic hope into something more constructive. There is no situation that’s hopeless, there’s always something we can do."