A Day in the Life of an Academic Geriatric Nurse
Elena Siegel, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing
University of California, Davis
Sacramento, California
Pre-doctoral Scholar 2004-2006
Claire M. Fagin Post-doctoral Fellow 2007-2009
Research: Nursing home organization
Dr. Siegel presents a statistical analysis of the data she has collected
Elena Siegel, who had a 15-year career as a certified public accountant and controller, had a life-changing experience while caring for her mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s disease. “At first, I went into the nursing home with blinders on, not noticing what was happening around me,” she says. But in the final days of her mother-in-law’s life the blinders came off. “I noticed the way the nursing assistant was caring for my mother-in-law and I decided I wanted that job,” she says.
“The Hartford Foundation made a calculated decision to invest in me and believed that I would make a contribution to the future of geriatric nursing.”Dr. Siegel went to nursing school with the intention of working in a nursing home to “provide the soul-touching care that I saw role modeled.” But she couldn’t easily shake her 15 years of business experience. With help and advice from her mentor, Dr. Heather Young (see profile), Dr. Siegel realized she needed an advanced degree if she wanted to be involved with changing systems to support nursing in the care of older adults.
Dr. Siegel was the recipient of both a Pre-doctoral Scholarship and a Claire M. Fagin Post-doctoral Fellowship. “This support was instrumental,” she says. “I recognized that the Hartford Foundation had made a calculated decision to invest in me and believed that I would make a contribution to the future of geriatric nursing.”
Dr. Siegel is doing just that with her research on ways to structure nursing home organizations to enhance quality, decrease costs, and increase value.
Dr. Siegel advocating on behalf of nursing home residents.
Dr. Siegel sorts through data she has collected from nursing home administrators. She will use this to work to improve care of nursing home residents.
Dr. Siegel attends a faculty retreat, led by Dr. Heather Young, Dean of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Melissa Aselage, MSN, RN, FNP-BC ›