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Mary (Mary Beth) Happ, PhD, RN, FAAN

Professor, Department of Acute/Tertiary Care and (secondary appointment) Center for Bioethics and Health Law
Acute and Tertiary Care

School of Nursing
336 Victoria Building
3500 Victoria St
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Phone:	412-624-2070
Fax:	Fax not listed
Email:	mhapp@pitt.edu

Research

My research focuses on understanding and improving communication with nonspeaking patients in acute and critical care settings. I studied the processes of care and communication among patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation and have explored the feasibility of using electronic communication aids with nonspeaking ICU and postoperative head/neck cancer patients. Our research team is completing a Study of Patient-Nurse Effectiveness with Assisted Communication Strategies (SPEACS) funded by NIH/NICHD (5R01 HD043988) and the companion study of Symptom Management, Patient-Caregiver Communication, and Outcomes in ICU (5K24- NR010244). We are now conducting a translational project (SPEACS-2: Improving Patient Communication & Quality Outcomes in the ICU), funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation INQRI grant (2009-11), I am co-Investigator on several studies including a NIH/NCI-funded multisite study of Palliative Care for Hospitalized Cancer Patients (Diane Meier, PI).

Teaching

I am primary teacher for the doctoral course - NUR3022, Qualitative Research Methods, and lecture for the undergraduate course - NUR 1085, Ethics in Nursing and Health Care. I provide guest lectures on ethics and research methodology topics to nursing, medical and bioethics students at all levels of study. I also serve as research practicum faculty for masters and doctoral students.

Service

I am an active member of several nursing and interdisciplinary professional associations including the American Academy of Nurses (Expert Panel on Critical Care), American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Thoracic Society, and the Gerontological Society of America. Within the University, I participate as faculty in the Institute to Enhance Palliative Care and serve on the Executive Committee, as a member of the University Council on Graduate Studies and the Faculty Senate representative to the Board of Trustees` Risk and Compliance Committee .

Education

BS	Ursuline College , Peper Pike , OH
	Nursing
MSN	Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , OH
	Nursing
PhD	University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA
	Nursing
Post-Doctoral	University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA
	Psychosocial Oncology & HIV/AIDS