UC ERC trainees, alumni, and faculty attended the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) Conference on March 31-April 2, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA focusing on connecting worker health. The conference included workshops, posters, and sessions, some of which featured students and faculty from the UC Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) program.

On day one of the conference, the Golden Pen Awards were presented for excellence in writing contributions to the Workplace Health and Safety Journal. One of the awardees was Dr. Paul Norrod, a UC ERC faculty member of the OHN program for the published article Circumstantial Factors Among Kentucky Nurse Suicide Decedents.¹ In addition, Dr. Elizabeth Keller, a UC ERC alumna from the OHN program received the award as well for an article published from her dissertation research. Dr. Keller’s article, Unlocking Prevalence Data: Describing the Job Stress and Well-being of U.S. Correctional Nurses,² was co-authored by several UC College of Nursing and ERC faculty, including Drs. Beverly Hittle, Gordon Gillespie, and Kermit Davis and UC College of Nursing faculty, Dr. Samantha Boch.

Dr. Paul Norrod receiving the Golden Pen Award

Dr. Elizabeth Keller receiving the Golden Pen Award

A couple of ERC faculty presented posters as well. Dr. Beverly Hittle presented on “Advancing the Occupational Setting to Support Black Nurses' Sleep Health,” with co-authors: Dr. Cassie Wardlaw, Dr. Karen Bankston, and Elajah Trosclair. Dr. Ashley Velez (current post-doc and graduate of the UC ERC OHN program) presented on "Ohio Farmworkers and Heat-Related Illness Prevention: A Focused Ethnography" with co-authors: Dr. Gordon Gillespie, Dr. Beverly Hittle, and Dr. Amit Bhattacharya. Dr. Velez won the third-place award for best poster!

Dr. Beverly Hittle presenting her poster “Advancing the Occupational Setting to Support Black Nurses' Sleep Health” 

Dr. Ashley Velez presenting her poster "Ohio Farmworkers and Heat-Related Illness Prevention: A Focused Ethnography"

On day two of the conference, Drs. Beverly Hittle and Elizabeth McKinley presented on a panel discussion regarding “Discovery of Evidence and Translation of Evidence to Practice: The Work of PhD and DNP OHNs in the NIOSH Education and Research Centers.” The panel emphasized the professional development opportunities available to students and the work of NIOSH-sponsored ERCs to educate occupational health and safety professionals (including nursing) who then go on to work in sectors such as academia, industry, and policy development, to protect the US workforce. Other panelists included:

• University of Alabama, Birmingham OHN; Karen Heaton PhD, FNP-BC, COHN-S, FAAN, FAAOHN; Stephanie Hammond, DNP, CRNP, ANP-BC, COHN-S, FAAOHN; Allison Jones, PhD, RN, CNS, CNE
• University of Michigan OHN: Marie-Anne S. Rosemberg, PhD, MN, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN
• University of California, San Francisco OHN: Soo-Jeong Lee, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAOHN
  

Dr. Beverly Hittle presenting on the panel discussion regarding NIOSH Education and Research Centers

Dr. Elizabeth McKinley presenting on the panel discussion regarding NIOSH Education and Research Centers

Dr. Beverly Hittle was also asked to participate in a live episode of the AAOHN pulse podcast with two other poster presenters, who conducted research on sleep with shift workers, Dr. Yuan Zhang (UMass in Amherst) and PhD candidate Cara Harris (University of Alabama Birmingham). The podcast has been released, listen here.

Dr. Beverly Hittle and the two other poster presenters Dr. Yuan Zhang and Cara Harris participating in the live from the AAOHN conference podcast episode on sleep health and total worker well-being.

The AAOHN conference was a great opportunity for faculty, students, and alumni of the UC ERC OHN program to represent the work of the Cincinnati NIOSH Education and Research Center and to present current research, and network with other OHN professionals from around the country.

References:

¹Norrod PE, Marfell J, Walmsley LA, Brown S. Circumstantial Factors Among Kentucky Nurse Suicide Decedents, 2005 to 2019. Workplace Health Safety. 2024 Oct 26:21650799241289139. doi: 10.1177/21650799241289139.

²Keller EG, Hittle BM, Boch SJ, Davis KG, Gillespie GL. Unlocking Prevalence Data: Describing the Job Stress and Well-being of U.S. Correctional Nurses. Workplace Health & Safety. 2024;72(6):210-222. doi:10.1177/21650799231207977