The GW Nursing Office of Research sat down with Adriana Glenn, Ph.D., M.A, MN, RN, FNP-BC, CNE, Interim Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Director of RN-BSN Program Track, and Assistant Professor at the GW School of Nursing, to learn more about her and her work at GW.
Hometown and Educational Background
I hail from the great city of Shaker Heights, Ohio, which is a suburb of Cleveland. The Cleveland area was once (and in my mind still is) considered the best location in the nation. I received my BS in nursing from Boston University (the last class to graduate from the School of Nursing, which closed in 1988). I then received my MN in Primary Ambulatory Care/Family Nurse Practitioner from UCLA. I also have a MA from California State University, Los Angeles in Education Administration with a focus on Education Leadership. My PhD in nursing is from George Mason University.
Current Work
I have worn many hats in my time at GW. Research is an enjoyable and important part of my professional life. My interests center on culture and health, as well as online/e-Health communication, with a special focus on underserved populations - those who have been marginalized/disenfranchise and populations impacted by rare disease. I enjoy qualitative research, particularly community-based participatory action research (CBPR). CBPR can be quite challenging with regard to earning trust and buy-in, but it is incredibly valuable in terms of making an impact on a community. My most recent project, "A Nurse-Led Approach to Testing and Adapting a Telehealth Guide for E-Empathy in Goals of Care Conversations for African American/Black Kidney Patients", funded by the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, was a fantastic opportunity to follow my research passion in the areas of e-Health communication and providing a voice to underserved members in the nephrology space. The guide, designed for nephrology providers (APRNs, RNs, MDs, PAs), is an attempt to provide culturally-tailored care through telehealth to patients with chronic kidney disease who also identify as Black/African American. I feel strongly about the need to bring research to the people who will benefit from it the most and involve them as much as we can in the process to reduce the fear and distrust rooted in past wrongdoings.
How I Got Interested In Research
Well, I can tell you I did not aspire to becoming a researcher! My first exposure to research was during my BSN program, and the way it was introduced back in those days was a real turn off! We have come a long way since then. My repeated exposure to research in both of my masters’ programs allowed me to see the value and power of research. As a clinician and as adjunct faculty, the need for evidence to support my practice really piqued my interest in research and a desire to pursue my PhD. Initially, I was interested in research focused on alternative points of entry into our health care system, which came from over a decade of experience working as a healthcare provider in public education settings. However, while in my PhD program, my youngest child - a daughter named Avery - was diagnosed with a rare disease called Alagille syndrome (she passed during my PhD coursework). This life altering experience led me to shift my focus to how mothers of children with rare diseases manage online health communication. My late husband and I struggled to manage, even though we were equipped (he was an attorney and professor and I, an FNP). What about the moms and families who did not have the background or tools to navigate the healthcare minefield? My life experiences have driven me to seek an understanding of the human condition for the underserved in our healthcare systems.
Fun Facts
I have many - so many. One, long before I met my amazing late husband Bill, I was a contestant on a dating show. Another fun fact, Bill and I met while we were both employed in a public-school district. I was a school NP and he was teaching first grade. We got engaged less than 3 months after our first date. Lastly, I have two amazing sons Liam and Aidan. Liam is a junior at Virginia Tech (computer science major). Aidan is a freshman at the University of Virginia (pre-med and global health studies). We are very close and love to travel when we are able. Thank you for the opportunity to share my work and passions with you!