Doris Schwartz (1917-1999) was a pioneer in gerontological nursing research and the first gerontological nurse to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health, and her 1961 study was one of the first research projects done by a nurse on the effects of aging. Her work and dedication to geriatric nursing continues to inspire nurse researchers.
In 1998, the first Doris Schwartz award was presented at the annual meeting of the GSA, to Cornelia Beck, PhD, RN. The award served as a catalyst, revitalizing the GSA nursing interest group and showcasing the contributions of nurse researchers in the field of gerontological research. Today, about 300 people annually attend the nursing interest group and it is a vital part of the GSA. The Doris Schwartz Award is now embedded in the Clinical Medicine Section of the Society and presented at the Society's Nursing Interest Group meeting. The Journal of Gerontological Nursing (JGN) publishes the speeches of the Doris Schwartz Award winners. Geriatric nursing research is also being recognized at the regional level. The Institute has developed partnerships with the four regional nursing research societies to give awards for outstanding research contributions of geriatric nurses.
Nurse researchers will continue to be recognized in the future, as GSA has made the Doris Schwartz Geriatric Nursing Research Award a permanent part of its Clinical Medicine Section. Such designation is a tribute to GSA's recognition of the importance of nursing's contributions to research on the care of older adults. Further acknowledging the significance of the award to geriatric nursing, the Nursing Care of Older Adults Interest Group has created an endowment fund with a goal of $50,000 to assure the award will continue in perpetuity.
"I was thrilled to receive the first Doris Schwartz award," says Cornelia Beck, PhD, RN, who is a professor at the College of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, Arkansas and holds joint appointments in the departments of geriatrics and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, as well. "This was an important milestone for me and also for the field of geriatric nursing research. I was particularly pleased that Doris Schwartz was at the award ceremony; she's such an inspiration on individualizing care to older adults." (Doris Schwartz died the following year.) The award recognized Dr. Beck's research on strategies to improve nursing care of older adults with dementia in longterm care settings, investigating ways to delay the decline of functional performance and deal with problem behaviors. She has promoted a rehabilitation approach to care of Alzheimer's disease patients.
"The focus is on capitalizing on the abilities and skills that are preserved, rather than just looking at patients' deficits," says Dr. Beck. She emphasizes the need to individualize care of Alzheimer's disease patients because the disease does not affect everyone in the same way.
Dr. Beck was the first nurse in Arkansas with a PhD in nursing and the first nurse at her university to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health. In 2001, she became the first nurse to be a director of one of the 29 NIH-funded Alzheimer's disease centers. She recently received the endowed Louise Hearn Chair in Dementia and Long-Term Care at UAMS. "Having a GSA award for geriatric nurse researchers gives national recognition to geriatric nursing research and is an important legacy to honor Doris Schwartz," says Dr. Beck.