Biography
Rebecca S. Appleton, Ph.D., MSN, RN is a professor at the Marshall University School of Nursing. She has been teaching at Marshall since 1996. Dr. Appleton currently serves as coordinator of the MSN education program and teaches MSN core classes. Originally from Portsmouth, Ohio, Dr. Appleton completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and a Master of Science degree with a major in Nursing at The Ohio State University, after completing her thesis called ‘A Secondary Analysis of First Time Fathers.’ Her primary mentors were Dr. Edna Menke and Dr. Nancy Ryan. In 1995, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Utah after defending her dissertation entitled “Validity of Pulse Oximetry during Ventilator Weaning of Adult Open Heart Surgery Patients.” Dr. Appleton’s primary mentors were Dr. Ann Voda and Dr. Sue Huether. She has taught nursing at The Ohio State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Utah and Westminster University in SLC, Utah. She has taught undergraduate classes between 1996 and 2010 and they were: Nursing Fundamentals I and II for 14 years, delivering didactic and clinical content while serving as course coordinator; Junior Medical-Surgical Nursing I; Pharmacology; Nursing Management; as well as Evidence-Base Practice in Nursing. In 2010, she began teaching graduate classes and managing the MSN Nursing Education Track. She has received several teaching and research awards including Fabulous Faculty and Gamma Beta Phi Professor given by undergraduate students at Marshall as well a two summer research awards and an INCO grant given by Marshall University. She has served on many university and professional committees: Library, MUDASA, Faculty Senate, University Functions, P & T, and Curriculum. She has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau International since 1985, and serves as the current president of NU Alpha Chapter. She has also served as treasurer, historian and counselor for NU Alpha. She holds memberships in the National League for Nursing and Phi Kappa Phi. Dr. Appleton’s current research interests are in the area of evidence-based practice in which she is currently working collaboratively on a project with nurses at Cabell Huntington Hospital called, “Beliefs of Registered Nurses in Central Appalachia Regarding the use of Evidence-Based Practice.”