NLNAC BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Ruth E. Davidhizar, RN,
DNS, ARNP, BC, FAAN
Biographical Sketch
Ruth E. Davidhizar earned her BSN
from Goshen College and her MSN in Psychiatric Nursing Education and DNS in
Psychiatric Nursing Research from Indiana University. She received an honorary
doctorate in Humane Arts from Andrews University. She is board certified as a
psychiatric nursing practitioner and is a fellow in the Academy of Nursing. She
has been designated in 2006 as Transcultural Nursing Scholar by the
Transcultural Nursing Society.
She has been employed at Bethel College, Mishawaka, IN since 1987. She is
Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing and Dean of Faculty in the MSN
program. She has also served as adjunct professor and consultant at Ball State
University, Muncie, IN and research consultant to the graduate programs at
Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI. She is a frequent preceptor for
graduate students; in addition, she was on the faculty at Memorial Hospital of
South Bend School of Nursing and the Director of Nursing at Logansport State
Hospital, Logansport, IN. During her tenure at Logansport, the hospital gained
JCAHO
accreditation.
Dr. Davidhizar has authored more than 850 articles, book chapters, and books on
strategies to enhance the provision of culturally-appropriate care and has
developed a model for assessing cultural phenomena relevant to the delivery of
culturally appropriate care. Her co-authored textbook, Transcultural Nursing:
Assessment and Intervention, Mosby Year Book, Inc. (1990; 1995; 1999; 2004) has
been widely adopted by schools of nursing and has been translated into French.
She is an expert on cultural competency and health disparity. She frequently
serves as a writing mentor for faculty, students, and colleagues.
Dr. Davidhizar serves or has served as a reviewer for multiple journals
including: Journal of Community Health Nursing; Nursing and Health Care;
Perspectives on Community; Hospital and Community Psychiatry; Journal of Nursing
Administration; Journal of Psychosocial Nursing; Journal of Cultural Diversity;
Health Manager; Violence against Women; Perspectives in Health Care; Alternative
Therapies; American Journal of Nursing; and Nurse Author & Editor. She is the
consulting editor for the Journal of the Black Nurses Association.
She has served as an NLNAC site reviewer since 1992 and has served on the
Evaluation Review Board (ERP) for the baccalaureate and higher degree council
since 1997. She has also served as a curriculum, self study, and cultural
consultant to numerous educational programs throughout the United States.
As a cultural competency expert, she is a frequent consultant for programs
receiving grants from the HRSA Division of Nursing. She serves as a grant
reviewer and review panel chair for the Division of Nursing. She also serves as
a member of the Peer Review Corps as consultant-evaluator for the Higher
Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. She is
the recipient of many private and federal grant awards receiving $1.6 million
for long-term care grant fellowships from 1998-2001.
She has held a number of state and national positions. She is the co-chair of
the Expert Panel on Cultural Competency for the Academy of Nursing. She is a
member of the State of Indiana Health Care Professional Development Commission.
She has been a Sigma Theta Tau writing mentor and expert speaker on writing for
publication and cultural competence. She has also served as an ACCN Dean mentor.
She is a common presenter of cultural competency and other health related topics
throughout the United States to nursing, educational, and other health related
groups. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau; NLN; Transcultural Nursing Society;
Association of Black Nurses; Northern Indiana Organization of Nursing
Executives; American Nurses Association; Council of Indiana Deans of Nursing
Schools; and she is an Executive Board Member of Nursing 2000 North Central
Indiana Region.