With ample parking, lots of bathrooms, plenty of flat surfaces and great lighting, local malls may be the perfect place to get some exercise and make friends. Thanks to new funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 91̽�� School of Nursing is about to make mall walking even easier.

The project aims to evaluate whether mall walking programs are effective, and whether they can lead to larger-scale increases in walking.

“I’ve been a mall walker for over three years, and to me it is a godsend,” said George Wong, an avid mall walker and supporter of mall-walking programs. “I love the comradeship that comes from belonging to a group, and it is a great way to make friends.”

Basia Belza, a 91̽��nursing professor, and partners in five states are leading the charge to develop an evidence-informed mall-walking resource guide, filled with tips, ideas and information to develop more mall walking programs throughout the country.

“This guide will be a culturally sensitive resource that will provide information to mall-walkers in several different areas, including Alaska, West Virginia, Illinois and Missouri,” said Belza. “We hope to develop a resource that will be used in a variety of cities to make mall-walking programs easier to find and use.”

Belza notes that malls make an excellent place for people to get their daily exercise, especially middle-age and older adults. Malls are equipped with bathrooms and access to water, lighting and benches. They also have on-site security, and many are covered, making it comfortable to walk in inclement weather. Many malls are also on public transit lines, meaning people can get to the mall without driving, though there is plenty of parking for those who drive.

“Many times, people will stay in their houses because they don’t have anyone to exercise with,” said Belza. “Mall-walking takes away some of those excuses and concerns—there is a built in safety system and plenty of resources available. Walking with a group is a great way to socialize while getting your exercise in.”

A $125,000 CDC grant will allow researchers to assess the status of current mall-walking programs while improving available resources. The project will look at how diverse socio-economic, regional and racial groups might access mall resources. An advisory will help disseminate information and study findings to interested groups.

“Malls exist in all kinds of neighborhoods, across socio-economic status, and are a wonderful place for people to gather,” said Belza.

Belza notes that the health benefits of walking in general are numerous and can make a difference in the quality of life of everyone, not just older adults. For older adults, however, mall-walking can also provide social stimulation.

“Being physically active helps older adults remain independent,” said Belza. “It increases overall muscle strength and health and improves balance which can reduce ones’ risk for falls. Walking is a wonderful activity and exercise for anyone.”

Wong, who walks with a sound-step program called “So Walk-on,” has been a mall walker for three years and says it has helped him to lose weight and lowered his blood pressure and cholesterol. “Mall walking is one of the better parts of my life,” he said.

David Brown, a senior behavioral scientist with the CDC, said there is a lack of low-cost, effective walking programs that have the potential to be packaged and disseminated on a large scale among communities. Shopping malls are a setting that could fill this void.

“Almost every community in the U.S. has the potential to have one or more mall walking programs and that can set a social norm for the nation to be more active,” Brown said.

”Dr. Belza and her team will determine if mall walking programs can be used in non-mall settings, and this is important since some rural communities or urban neighborhoods lack a shopping mall,” he said.

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Project funding is through the 91̽��Health Promotion Research Center, a CDC Prevention Research Center, and is in the 91̽��School of Public Health, where Belza is an adjunct professor.

It sounds simple: get outside and take a walk. Walking on its own is known to offer numerous health benefits, everything from lower blood pressure to less aches and pains. For some people, though, getting outside and taking that walk can be a challenge. This is especially true for the elderly or those with disabilities. How will I get to my destination? Is it a safe place to walk? Are there street lights? Will sidewalk cracks make it harder for my walker to roll?

These questions are pondered by millions of Americans who live with physical mobility challenges. After all, more than 40 percent of adults  age 45 or older have difficulty with physical movement, and 58 percent of adults age 65 or older have a disability, according to a recent paper appearing in The Gerontologist

The report covers study findings from the 91̽�� schools of nursing and public health. The work was led by Basia Belza, professor of biobehavioral nursing and health systems, and Dori Rosenberg, a postdoctoral fellow in rehabilitation medicine and an affiliate assistant professor of health services, based at Group Health Research Institute.

Their research team sought to  better understand the needs of adults with mobility disabilities related to neighborhood walkability. The investigators interviewed older adults with mobility disabilities about their experiences and impressions of trying to get about in built environments – the settings in which human activities take place.  The researchers learned that poorly lit neighborhoods, lack of public transportation, sidewalks in disrepair, and unmarked or poorly marked intersections prevent people with disabilities from taking advantage of the benefits of walking.

Belza said that older adults, who are the fastest growing demographic, are also the most physically inactive group and the age group most likely to face chronic disease due to inactivity.

“People who are inactive in general have a higher incidence of chronic disease such as stroke, heart disease, arthritis,” Belza said. “Regular engagement in physical activities leads to better health outcomes, including improved mobility, weight loss and fewer  falls. This is especially important in older adults who may already be dealing with health challenges.”

Belza noted that one study participant who lives in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle has already approached the Seattle City Council to ask for neighborhood improvements.

In another related project, Belza partnered with an Easter Seals project, called Accessible Community Transportation in Our Nation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Aging Research Network to create a . This guide was designed to show people ways to check out their neighborhoods and assess the state of sidewalks, transportation, street lights and other factors that could encourage or discourage neighborhood walking.

“The guide is a great way for people to get out in their neighborhoods and learn to be more active in general while also helping others,” Belza said.

The guide encourages people to consult with their city and town governments to share ideas for  improvement, with the hope that this will encourage cities to invest more in communities. Belza continues to look for ways to improve access to the built environment and increase physical activity in older adults. She and her colleagues in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Aging Network are doing a systematic review to better understand how older adults use technology to find their way.

Belza believes that with improved information and resources, will reap the benefits of walking, which has long been reported by adults as the most preferred way to be physically active and applauded by health experts as one of the best ways to improve overall health.

“Walking is a great way to decrease your risk for many chronic conditions, including heart disease, obesity and other health challenges,” she said. “We hope that our guide will help people improve their health by finding new and safe places to walk.”

The project was funded by the 91̽��Health Promotion Research Center, a Prevention Research Center.

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The 91̽��School of Nursing is re-envisioning and restructuring the curriculum in its Doctor of Nursing Practice program with an initiative that builds on the school’s long history of national distinction in preparing advanced practice nurses for a variety of careers.

The program, which had its first class of students beginning in 2007, prepares nurses for independent practice and leadership in careers such as community nursing, critical-care nursing, psychiatric mental health nursing, adult, gerontology, family and pediatric nursing, and nurse-midwifery.

As the program has grown, specialty tracks developed independently, which created a complex model that was ultimately unsustainable fiscally. To address these issues, a faculty work group collaborated during the summer of 2012 to re-envision the program.

The group proposed a consolidated program that upholds the foundations of advanced practice, clinical inquiry and leadership within a delineated structure. This increased core creates consistency for students while maintaining their ability to sit for national certification in role and population tracks, allowing appropriate levels of clinical experience, and ensuring flexibility for future program changes. The consolidation reduces costs by 26 percent, better aligning with current resources and tuition affordability.

The faculty committee aligned the curriculum with the current national standards for accreditation in doctoral education and with the expectations of state boards of nursing and national task forces on advanced practice nursing, while trying to ensure that students are prepared for certification exams and for practice. Students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program have achieved nearly a 100 percent passing rate on national certification exams to date, and School of Nursing faculty want to maintain that performance and enhance students’ doctoral education and foster their success after graduation.

The new program model was approved by school faculty in fall 2012 and its implementation is planned for the class entering the fall of 2013.

At last month’s American Association of Colleges of Nursing Doctoral Forum in San Diego, three peer-reviewed papers, each co-authored by several 91̽��faculty members, were presented. They outlined how the school  redefined the existing program, reaffirmed program goals, developed a consistent core curriculum, and made the program more financially sustainable.

Gail Kieckhefer, professor of family and child nursing; Cindy Dougherty, professor of biobehavioral nursing and health systems; and Cindy Perry, associate professor of family and child nursing, gave presentations at the conference, which was attended by national nursing leaders.

Dougherty said the work at 91̽��will benefit others trying to incorporate program changes in a resource-challenged environment. Following their presentations, several other schools asked the 91̽��faculty members to share information on how to “systematically change their curriculum” and integrate a program similar to the UW’s at their own schools.

“Faculty from the University of Wisconsin and Rush University spent time with us to talk about how we are merging our tracks in core coursework. They were also interested in our plans for inter-professional education,” said Kieckhefer.

“It was pretty clear, from listening to the 700 plus AACN doctoral conference attendees, that the 91̽��School of Nursing is staying abreast of issues around doctoral education and, in many ways, leading,” said Maggie Baker, interim associate dean for academic services in the School of Nursing. “For example, our work to revise the (Doctor of Nursing Practice) curriculum and our work around doctoral-level recruitment and retention is clearly on par with that our peer institutions and, in many ways, cutting-edge.”

The 91̽��School of Nursing is consistently a top-rated nursing school, according to U.S. News & World Report surveys and analyses, and is ranked No. 2 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2011.

School of Nursing Professor and Interim Dean Pamela Mitchell has been selected for the highest award of the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing. Mitchell is the first nurse scientist working with stroke survivors to receive this award.

The Katharine A. Lembright Award was presented Nov. 6 to Mitchell during the  American Heart Associations  Scientific Sessions.  As the award recipient, Mitchell gave a lecture at the conference titled “Broken Hearts, Broken Brains and the Blues.”  In this lecture, she explored current theories about why depression might be so much more prevalent in acute and chronic cardiac disease and stroke, how genes might interact, and what practitioners can do to improve the quality of life for their patients with these challenges.  This was based on the current and past work of the interdisciplinary research she and others have led.

“I am truly honored to receive this lifetime achievement award, particularly as the first nurse scientist working with stroke survivors,” said Mitchell. “It is a particular honor to join other 91̽��alumni – Dr. Marie Cowan and Dr. Susan Woods, among other distinguished recipients.”

The Lembright Award recognizes and encourages excellence in cardiovascular research by established nurse scientists. It is named in honor of  the American Heart Association’s assistant director for nursing from 1960-81, who played an important role in the development and growth of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing.

Mitchell has had a long and notable career in clinical and translational research and has been honored with several major awards. Her research interest is in improving care for patients with such conditions as stroke, heart attack, hypertension, and neurological diseases.  She is known throughout the nursing community as the “mother” of current practices in nursing care for patients with increased intracranial pressure, such as those with head injury and stroke.  She is recognized as a leading researcher in managing recovery from brain injury in both acute and community care settings.

Recognizing the need to change this, the National Institutes of Health have selected 12 schools to develop pain curricula, and the 91̽��has been named the lead site. The center will receive $300,000 to start, with the potential for further funding. The curricula will advance the assessment, diagnosis and safe treatment of a wide variety of pain conditions.

Housed jointly in the schools of nursing and medicine, the 91̽��Center of Excellence in Pain Education is co-led by  Ardith Doorenbos, associate professor of  nursing, and David Tauben, clinical associate professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine. More than 30 core faculty are involved in the center.  They represent all the 91̽��health sciences schools:  nursing, pharmacy, medicine, social work, dentistry and public health.

“Nurses have a great ability to manage the impact of pain,” said Doorenbos, who is from the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems. “Pain is something that nurses have to deal with often and is one of the top reasons that people go to the emergency room. Nurses take a holistic approach to managing pain, rather than just a pharmacological approach.”

The 91̽��center has three main components: ; interprofessional education; and the integration of pain management content into existing curricula. The center launched the telehealth program for pain management earlier this year to give rural hospitals and practitioners access to a team of experts here at the 91̽��.

“We are hopeful that telehealth will provide better pain management in the patient population in the rural setting,” Doorenbos said. “Overall, along with decreased pain severity, we would like to see less anxiety and depression among patients dealing with chronic pain. We also hope  to see a reduction in hospitalizations and ER visits, a sign of more cost-effective care delivery.”

The interprofessional education program will bring together students from across the health sciences  to learn about pain assessment and diagnosis and each discipline’s individual role in managing pain. Doorenbos notes that the interprofessional opportunities afforded by this center will be instrumental in moving forward.

“Interprofessional education is the way of the future,” she said. “This improved curriculum will really bring students together and help to identify the role that each discipline can play in pain management.”

Doorenbos also notes that the training provided by the center will lead to better care for patients, as the curriculum will teach students how to work in interprofessional health care teams.

“Good teamwork doesn’t just happen, it requires clear communication,” she said. “The center will provide training to students so they work together, which ultimately reduces conflict and miscommunication. This leads to better care for the patient.”

Ten  NIH institutes came together to fund these centers, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is coordinating the project; the National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Institute on Aging, among others. Other NIH Centers of Excellence in Pain Education include the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Southern Illinois University. and The University of Rochester in New York.  You can read the full list of schools .