Dr. Mary Ann Cantrell celebrated for 25 years of service
Dr. Mary Ann Cantrell (center) received special recognition for 25 years of service from Associate Dean Dr. Lesley Perry. They are seen here with University President Rev. Peter Donohue, OSA who presided at the Mass on April 29, 2017.
Dr. Lesley Perry, associate dean, recogniized Professor Mary Ann Cantrell ’89 MSN, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN for 25 years of service to the College of Nursing.
Her citation follows:
Dr. Mary Ann Cantrell received her BSN degree from Duquesne University, her MSN from Villanova University and her PhD from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Her first love is pediatric nursing and she began her nursing career at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as a clinical staff nurse on an adolescent unit, followed by a cardiac care unit and then an oncology unit. Mary Ann has maintained her relationship with CHOP over the course of her career, first as a clinical nurse, then as a faculty member with her undergraduate students and then as an Educational Nurse Specialist, serving as an advisor on educational needs of nurses in the clinical area.
Dr. Cantrell has taught undergraduate students in the care of children and adolescents as well as undergraduate and graduate students in nursing research. She has also served as a faculty for PhD students, chairing numerous dissertations and serving on the dissertation committees of a number of other doctoral students. Dr. Cantrell is an excellent advisor and her keen knowledge of research methods is an asset to the College and the doctoral students. I know from direct experience that her ability to critique research proposals is significant.
Dr. Cantrell’s own research is two pronged: she has focused on health related quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer and quality and safety practice behaviors in simulation based teaching-learning experiences. Her interest in quality of life for survivors of childhood cancer led her to develop a “Hope Intervention” for childhood cancer survivors which she was able to test through an NIH grant. She has pursued other funding to support her simulation research and that research has been recognized by the International Association for Clinical Nursing Simulation and Learning. As one might expect, Dr. Cantrell has published a number of articles and presented at international, national and regional conferences.
In her spare time, Mary Ann is the mother of twins. One is a senior at Villanova, and he will graduate next month with a degree in philosophy. The other is a completing her degree at Moore College of Art. Apparently, Mary Ann could not convince either of them to become nurses.
We congratulate Mary Ann on all of her accomplishments and her 25 years of service to the students, faculty of the College of Nursing and the University and wish her well for the next 25 years.