Faculty Spotlight: Pamela Love

I am Pamela Love, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, an associate professor at the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions serving as the academic quality review (AQR) manager in the DNP program. I moved from Houston to Phoenix just after Hurricane Harvey visited last August. By the Grace of God, my family was spared the devastation so many others suffered. I also married the “Love” of my life before moving across the country to begin an exciting new adventure at GCU.

As the AQR manager, I enjoy reviewing countless direct practice improvement project manuscripts while working closely with students, faculty and AQR reviewers. The primary goal is to ensure quality and success of the DNP learners as they matriculate through the final three phases of their DNP program.

My scholarship originates with examining life purpose, health-related quality of life and effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention among the elderly with heart failure. My dissertation was a descriptive correlational mixed methods study using a QUAL + QUAN concurrent triangulation. The integration of the qualitative and quantitative data furnished particulars about the relationship among life purpose, health-related quality of life and hospital readmission. Research findings suggested a moderate to significant relationship between life purpose and health-related quality of life. Hospital re-admissions also played a key role with higher numbers significantly related to more difficulty with management of heart failure and a poor sense of life purpose.

Publications have expanded my focus leading to presentations nationally and internationally on additional topics related to mindfulness, simulation and educational teaching strategies. A passion for global health initiatives involves several study abroad experiences to Guatemala and continued collaboration with nursing faculty in Santiago, Chile after a week-long immersion experience.

Collaboration with colleagues is a key component of my academic career. A few of the professional organizations I enjoy include Sigma International Honor Society of Nursing, Texas Nurses Association, American Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, Southern Nursing Research Society and American Association of Heart Failure Nurses.

I have been committed to the highest standard of providing innovative educational experiences for future nurse leaders and taught in nursing programs from BSN to MSN and doctoral levels for 20 years. During that time, I was blessed to receive the following recognitions: Advisor of the Year Award at the University of St. Thomas Annual University-wide Leadership Banquet; “One of the 20 Outstanding Nurses for Nursing Celebration 2014” by the Texas Nurses Association; John P. McGovern Outstanding Teacher Award; Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing & the Zeta Pi Chapter Outstanding Researcher Award; the Texas/Southwest Region Nursing Excellence Award in Education and Mentorship from NURSE.com’s Nursing Excellence Program; and selected by StateStats.org as one of the “Top 25 Nursing Professors in Texas.”

I received my associate degree in nursing from Angelo State University in Texas. My BSN, MSN in administration and community and healthcare systems with a minor in teaching and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

GCU is proud of the achievements of our professors. If you want to learn more about Grand Canyon University’s College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, please visit our website or click on the Request More Information button on this page. You can also read about what our students and the news media think about our Nursing programs at GradReports and US News.