Foli earns APNA Award for Media

Karen J. Foli PhD, RN, FAAN, an associate professor and director of the PhD in Nursing program, earned the American Psychiatric Nurses Association’s Award for Media in recognition of her book, “Nursing Care of Adoption and Kinship Families: A Clinical guide for Advanced Practice Nurses” (Springer, 2017).

The award recognizes APNA members “who exhibit excellence in creating media that is related to psychiatric-mental health nursing.” Recipients have made significant contributions to education, research and mental health treatments.

The APNA cited Foli’s book as “ … designed to deliver best practices as advanced practice nurses offer holistic care to nontraditional families. …Through her research and book, Foli has described and tested a mid-range theory of post-adoption depression.”

It also is the first comprehensive text for advanced practice nurses who treat patients within these populations.

Foli’s research focus is threaded together by a trauma-informed approach that includes mood disorders in parents, substance use in registered nurses and nontraditional families’ support during transitions. Her research collaborators include clinical psychologists, Purdue Extension educators and researchers from the College of Veterinary Medicine. She is also a faculty partner with the Center for Families at Purdue.