In addition to serving as director of nursing research,
Janice Roper is acting director of the nursing education
program, chair of the Nursing Research Council and
its annual conferences, and a professor and chair
of the Nursing Research Mentorship program.
This full plate doesn't keep her from responding
when colleagues need guidance or support. She has
created a team of nurses that loves research at her
hospital, a team that is advancing the profession
and improving clinical care and practice. Her mentoring
has educated and groomed these researchers.
"I try to get the person to tell me where they
are with respect to their skills or knowledge, and
do the mentoring from there. You have to assess where
you are before you look at where you want to go. You
do have to put preparation into mentoring, you can't
just tell a person to change this or that. It has
to be an interaction."
Roper's style is to motivate, influence, guide and
educate. The educational aspect is often accomplished
through formal channels, such as the class "How
to Write a Research Proposal" that she teaches
to nurses at the BSN level and above. Students are
required to complete a proposed study or project for
the class, and Roper provides them with personal support,
motivation and guidance. A number of clinically significant
projects have resulted from the class.
Because she believes that participation in research
keeps more nurses active in the profession, Roper
established a nursing research mentoring program at
the VA. This program provides a team of mentors to
support advanced practice and graduate students, effectively
expanding Roper's individual support of professional
enrichment to more nurses.
"I believe that mentoring works with everybody,
and that it is something that I am willing to do,
to work with anyone. I have had great success working
with people others may have thought couldn't learn
anymore. Everyone should have an opportunity to have
some help."
Soon, she will present the program to the main headquarters
of the Veterans Administration. Recently, six interns
graduated from the program. They produced evidence-based
practice studies on a variety of nursing aspects,
from psychiatry to long-term care, and the results
will help to improve patient care.
Roper's own research is extensive, recently including
a comparison of pain assessment methods in cognitively
impaired patients and an analysis of barriers to care.
She formally mentors doctoral students and is a mentor
and program director for a postdoctoral fellow. Under
her influence, many nurses have pursued further education
or set higher career goals. She encourages nurses
to seek the highest levels of the profession.
Roper also is a reviewer for the Western Journal
of Nursing Research, the Journal of Clinical Research
and the Journal of Transactional Nursing. She
is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the American Nurses
Credentialing Center and an adjunct clinical faculty
member at UCLA.
