UT School of Nursing educator appointed to Southern Nursing Research Society Board of Directors
Deborah J. Jones, Ph.D.
HOUSTON – (Dec. 18, 2008) – Deborah J. Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor of acute and continuing care at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing, has been named to the Southern Nursing Research Society (SNRS) Governing Board as membership director.
SNRS is made up of nursing researchers from 14 U.S. states, the Caribbean and Latin America. Its mission is to advance and encourage nursing research, disseminate research findings, facilitate nursing career development as researchers and promote nursing as a scientific discipline. Jones’ role will be to oversee the organization’s State Liaison Program, a volunteer group that manages state memberships as part of the Membership Committee.
Jones is researching the identification of biomarkers (biological agents) of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill, mechanically-ventilated patients. Identifying biomarkers from saliva could lead to a more accurate, rapid and non-invasive method of diagnosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 36,000 people die each year in the United States from ventilator-associated pneumonia.
“I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve SNRS as a member-at-large,” said Jones. “I believe in the mission and work of SNRS and have a strong commitment to encouraging other developing and established nursing scientists to join an organization developed to promote and highlight nursing research.”