Norton Chosen to Lead SON Research Mission
Nationally recognized expert in palliative care research Sally A. Norton, PhD, RN, FNAP, FPCN, FAAN has been named the new associate dean for research at the University of Rochester School of Nursing.
A longtime faculty member at the school, Norton assumed her new duties overseeing the School of Nursing’s research mission on April 1.
In a career dedicated to improving the care of patients with advanced illness, Norton’s research has focused on palliative care and end-of-life decision-making with emphases on the communication processes and practice patterns of care delivery in acute and long-term care settings. She has also worked successfully across professions to improve communication and understanding surrounding systems of palliative care and hospice delivery, and to pinpoint the approaches most meaningful to patients and families that lead to the highest quality outcomes.
Over the past two decades, she has been a principal or co-investigator in dozens of funded research studies on palliative care and has authored or co-authored nearly 100 papers. In 2017, Norton, who holds a secondary appointment in the Division of Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine at the University of Rochester, was honored with the Distinguished Researcher Award by the Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA).
“I’m thrilled that Sally has agreed to take on this critical leadership position at the school,” said Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, the dean of the UR School of Nursing. “Sally’s impressive body of work in the areas of palliative care and research design is well respected by her peers on the faculty, and her intimate knowledge of research funding and how scientific discovery today translates to better, more efficient health care for patients tomorrow makes her an ideal choice to build on our history of innovative and transformative research.”
Norton replaces Kimberly Arcoleo, PhD, MPH, who stepped down from the role after three years this past January to devote more time to her research activities.
“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead such a terrific team of researchers,” said Norton, the Independence Chair in Nursing and Palliative Care. “I appreciate the indelible contributions of Dr. Arcoleo which have helped leave the School of Nursing well-positioned to move to the next level, and I look forward to guiding our research mission to new heights.”
A fellow of the HPNA and the American Academy of Nursing, Norton was named Palliative Care Nurse of the Year by the March of Dimes in 2013, a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2012 and a fellow in Palliative Care Nursing in 2009. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and her master’s and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined the UR School of Nursing faculty in 2001.
