Susan E. Hickman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing 3455 SW US Veterans Road, SN-ORD Portland, OR 97239-2941 Phone: 503 494-6032 FAX: 503 494-7783 E-mail: hickmans@ohsu.edu Currently accepting Ph.D. students

"My program of research is focused on ethical issues in end-of-life care and research with the goal of improving the care of older adults. I approach this issue from two angles that are represented in my current work. First, I am conducting research on end-of-life care and ensuring treatment wishes are honored through the use of a medical order form called the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Program. The POLST converts treatment preferences into orders that are immediately actionable and can be followed by members of the health care team. For more information on the POLST, go to www.polst.org . Through my research experiences and my role as Co-Chair of the OHSU Institutional Review Board, I have become increasingly aware of the complex ethical issues that arise in conducting research with vulnerable populations. As a result, I have conducted research on ethical issues in long-term care research. I intend to expand my studies on ethical issues in research to address the issues that arise in research with persons near the end of life."

EDUCATION

University of Kansas, Doctorate in Psychology

RESEARCH

Ongoing Research Support

RSGPB-07-171-01 (Lyons, PI) 2007-2011
American Cancer Society
The Family Living with Lung Cancer: Perceptions and Outcomes
The goal of this prospective of this study is to describe the importance of congruence between patients and family members in reports of physical function and symptoms.
Role: Co-Investigator

RO1 NR 9784 (Hickman, PI) 2005-2008
National Institute of Nursing Research
Converting Treatment Wishes into Orders at End of Life
The goal of this multi-state study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program at ensuring the wishes of nursing home residents are honored at the end of life.
Role: Principal Investigator
Completed Research Support

The Greenwall Foundation (Hickman, PI) 2004-2006
Private Foundation
Community Based Collaborative Research in Long-Term Care: Ethical Issues
This pilot study is designed to assess the feasibility of sampling and methodological approaches to studying ethical issues in long-term care research.
Role:  Principal Investigator

3 R01 AT000212 (Sloane, PI) 2001-2005
National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
Subcontract: Light Therapy in Dementia (Hickman, PI)
The goal of the study is to assess the effect of high intensity, low glare ambient lighting on the sleep, mood, and behaviors of adults with dementia in Alzheimer’s care unit in Hillsboro, Oregon. 
Role:  Subcontract Principal Investigator

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation (Tolle, Hickman, Co-PI) 2001-2004
Private Foundation
Program of Outreach and Innovation in Compassionate Care
The goal of this project is to launch an education and outreach program directed at nursing facility providers to promote better care for frail and vulnerable patients.
Role:  Co-Principal Investigator

Practice Activities

Dr. Hickman is a licensed clinical psychologist with fellowship training in geriatrics and clinical ethics.

Service Activities

1999-2000       Assistant Editor, Special Issue on End-of-Life Care, Journal of Gerontological Nursing
2000-present   Member, Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Task Force
2000-2005       Consultant, Task Force to Improve the Care of Terminally Ill Oregonians
2000-present   Member, Oregon Cancer Center, Oregon Health & Science University
2000-2002       Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Sex Research
2000-2002       Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
2001-2005       Faculty, Ethics in Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health & Science University
2001-2001       Ad Hoc Reviewer American Cancer Society, Psychosocial and Behavioral Research Section
2002-2003       Assistant Director, Center for Ethics in Health Care, Oregon Health & Science University
2003-present   Senior Scholar, Center for Ethics in Health Care, Oregon Health & Science University
2004-present   Member, Research Committee Chair, National POLST Paradigm Initiative Task Force
2004-present   Member, Holladay Park Plaza Board of Directors, Portland, Oregon
2005-2006       Member, Institutional Review Board, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology 
2006               Ad Hoc Reviewer, Research in Nursing and Health.
2007               Ad Hoc Reviewer, The Cochrane Collaborations
2008               Reviewer, National Institute of Nursing Research

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Hickman, S.E., Cartwright, J.C., & Young, H. (2008). Administrator perspectives on ethical issues in long-term care research. Journal of Empirical Research in Human Research Ethics, 3, 69-78.

Hickman, S.E., Sabatino, C., Moss, A.H., & Nester Wehrle, J. (2008). The POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Paradigm to Improve End-of-Life care: Potential State Legal Barriers to Implementation. Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics, 36 (1), 119-140.

Hickman, S.E., Barrick, A.L., Williams, C.S., Zimmerman, S., Connell, B.R., Preisser, J., Mitchell, C.M., & Sloane, P.D. (2007). The effect of ambient bright light therapy on depressive symptoms in persons with dementia. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55, 1817-1824.

Cartwright, J.C., & Hickman, S.E. (2007). Ethical and Regulatory Implications of Conducting Research in Community-Based Care Facilities. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, October, 5-11.