Jones named to Sigma Theta Tau International Researcher Hall of Fame
April 1, 2024
Cheryl Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN, Sarah Frances Russell Distinguished Professor at the UNC School of Nursing, will be inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International’s (STTI) Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame at the 35th International Nursing Research Congress in Singapore on July 27, 2024.
The International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame was founded in 2010 to recognize nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained broad national and international recognition for their work, and whose research has impacted the nursing profession and people it serves.
“Cheryl’s research focusing on the cost of care, nurse retention, and the quality of healthcare delivery has far-reaching implications that spans the bedside, the board room, and the halls of government,” said Leigh Mullen, President of the Alpha Alpha Chapter of STTI. “We’re thrilled that Cheryl’s work is again being brought to the international stage and proud to have Cheryl as a member.”
A leader in nursing health services research, Jones has devoted her career to studying micro- and macro-level nurse workforce issues to improve the work environment, inform executive practice and strengthen nurses’ role in delivering high-quality and safe care for patients and families.
She has contributed to countless books and publications over the course of her career, and one of her most recognized contributions has been the development, testing and refinement of a method to measure nurse turnover costs, the Nurse Turnover Cost Calculation Methodology, which has been used to calculate the return on investment for workforce retention.
Jones has studied other health workforce issues, including workforce mobility, educational and career transitions, wage differentials, employment patterns, burnout and workplace violence. She is a Research Fellow at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and served as an advisor on the NC Nursecast project. She and her team recently implemented a nurse-driven lifestyle change program to improve cardiovascular health, and they are currently gathering data from RNs, LPNs and CNAs for a cross-sectional study that will characterize current behaviors in the nursing workforce.
“These inspiring, trailblazing nurse researchers embody the collective impact of nursing research on global healthcare,” said Sigma President Sandra C. Garmon Bibb, DNSc, RN, FFNMRCSI, FAAN, in the organization’s announcement. “On behalf of the International Board of Directors, staff, and Sigma members worldwide, I congratulate our International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame honorees and look forward to learning more about their diverse research journeys.”
“We are delighted to see Cheryl’s remarkable body of work recognized by Sigma,” said Dean Valerie Howard. “Her contributions not only enrich our understanding of the nursing profession but also play a pivotal role in enhancing patient care outcomes. This is an honor her accomplishments richly deserve, and we are so pleased to celebrate with her.”
The criteria for the Hall of Fame are:
- Researcher’s program of research has a measurable, sustained, and current impact that includes more than one of the following: changes in widespread clinical practice; changes in national and/or international policy; changes in nursing science through the development of new methods; bringing existing methods from other fields into nursing science. Other kinds of substantive and widespread impact will be considered.
- Researcher has a distinguished and recent (within the last five years) record of publications in nursing and non-nursing peer-reviewed journals: first-authored; coauthored; presentations.
- Researcher has received external funding, university funding, or unique organizational support, with justified unique context of funding.
- Researcher mentors novice researchers with demonstrated scholarly outputs. Evidence includes but is not limited to number of past and current mentees (master’s, PhD, novice, and clinical researchers).
“When I looked at the list of honorees, it is evident Cheryl is among an amazing group of global scholars,” said Gwen Sherwood, professor emerita at the UNC School of Nursing who served as the former international vice president of STTI and president of the Alpha Alpha Chapter. “Cheryl’s work spans international boundaries, informing nurse migration policies, and guiding nurse managers in workforce decisions. Her career continues to make such a difference in so many lives.”
Jones joins UNC School of Nursing Professors Emeritae Nena Peragallo Montano, Ruth Anderson, Margarete Sandalowski and Merle Mishel (deceased) as members of the Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.
About Sigma
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare. Learn more at SigmaNursing.org.