Nursing & Advanced Practice Research Program
Nursing & Advanced Practice Research Program
Our nurses and advanced practice providers enhance pediatric care through evidence-based practice, quality improvements, and research. As a proud recipient of Magnet® designation, Children’s Minnesota is recognized for nursing excellence in leadership and high-quality care. We are committed to empowering our nurses to engage in research that enhances the delivery of care, improves patient experiences, and achieves the best possible outcomes. This work is shared locally, nationally, and internationally through presentations and publications.
Children’s Minnesota nursing research is supported by generous funding from grants and donors – including a $1 million cancer research endowment fund awarded by the Pine Tree Apple Classic Fund in 2024.
Our commitment to excellence and innovation in nursing research
Our nursing initiatives are driven by a commitment to holistic, family-centered care. We take a comprehensive approach that considers the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of each patient and their family. In line with this commitment, nursing research at Children’s Minnesota explores specialties ranging from pain management and chronic disease management to mental health and the nursing workforce. The Nursing Research Fellowship program further supports resesarch excellence by guiding nurses with research questions through all aspects of the research process, from study design to implementation and dissemination.
Ongoing nursing research studies
Pups and Pokes: The Impact of an Educational Medical Play Book for PIV-C Insertion
Jackelyn Lutes, RN
Cultivating Moral Agency and Mitigating Moral Distress with an Ethics Liaison Program
Ian Wolfe, PhD, RN, HEC-C, Shika Kalevor, MBE, BSN, RN, Brenda Barnum, MA, BSN, RN, & Nicole Beckmann PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC
Telelactation Support for Mothers of Ill or Premature Infants after Hospital Discharge
Nicole Beckmann, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, Jenni Bloom, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, & Emily Nicol MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC.
Post-pandemic Professional Wellbeing Among Pediatric Advanced Practice Providers
Nicole Beckmann, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, Alycia Johnson, MHA, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC Andrea Bushaw, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, Christina McCarthy, MS, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC & Sandy Hagstrom, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC
Management of Pain in Children Receiving Naxitamab for Treatment of Neuroblastoma: A Chart Review Case Series of Evidence-Based Practice
Teresa Herriage, DNP, APRN, CPHON
Metabolic Syndrome in Childhood Cancer Survivors
Julia Gourde, APRN, CNP, CPON
Fatigue in Children, Teens, and Young Adults with Cancer: Promoting a Culture of Physical Activity
Austin Rondou DNP & Erin Bevers BSN, CPHNON
The relationship between physical activity and methotrexate clearance in children and adolescents receiving high-dose or very high-dose methotrexate.
Mylynda Livingston PNP, CPON
Hematology, oncology research endowment fund: from point-of-care through survivorship
This $1 million cancer research endowment supports nursing and advance practice provider research across the pediatric oncology care journey with a focus on the unique needs of patients in survivorship. Research focuses on improving patient-reported outcomes, mitigating distressing symptoms and toxicities of care, and improving the care experience.
Funded studies include:
Feasibility Pilot: Handheld Ambulatory PBMT Therapy in Mucositis Prevention and Treatment.
Anastasia Brown BSN, RN, CPHON, CCRP
Bone Health & Quality of Life in Young Adult Survivors of High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Julia Gourde, APRN, CNP, CPON
Recent publications
Low, A.B., Maresh, J.R., Jarvi, T., Esser, J., Rawson, T., Fernandez, N., Chiem, J.F., Feldman, R.M., Hale, J.V., Merguerian, P.A>, Lander T.A., & Martin, L.D. Pediatric Anesthesia.
Simulation-Based Education for Caregivers of Infants with Shunt-Dependent Cardiac Physiology: Decreasing Caregiver Anxiety. Journal of Pediatric Health Care.
Dahlen, B., Shafland, H., Berbee, J., Heil, J., & Vora, S. (2025).
Red cell transfusions in children with thalassemia: Outcomes of a10 mL/kg/h infusion rate. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 70(10), e30607.
Fritch Lilla, S., Goldstein, A., Hart, N., & Hooke, C. (2023).
Implementing and evaluating a standardized new diagnosis education checklist: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 38(5), 322-330.
Duffy, E. A., Herriage, T., Ranney, L., & Tena, N. (2021).
Current Practices for Delivering New Diagnosis Education at Children’s Oncology Group Institutions: A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer Nursing, 10-1097.
Visungrae, N., González, P. D. C., Skipper, K. E., Li, P., Vance, D. E., Salem, A. J., … & Landier, W. (2022).
A natural history study of nitrous oxide versus propofol‐assisted intrathecal therapy in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 69(8), e29598.
Miller, L. H., Winter, S. S., Watson, D., Livingston, M., Nemata, R., & Messinger, Y. (2022).
Nursing research staff and leadership
Our scholarship and research activities are supported by a nurse scientist and research design and analytic experts within the Children’s Minnesota Research Institute.
Nicole Beckmann, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC
Nicole is a nurse scientist and pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Minnesota. She completed her nurse practitioner education at Duke University and her PhD in nursing science at Vanderbilt University. In her 20 years of nursing experience Nicole has practiced in diverse care areas including urology, blood and marrow transplant, hospital medicine, and neonatology. This has shaped her passion for researching interventions to support caregivers of children with complex and life-threatening diagnoses. She also is committed to mentoring students and clinicians alike in their own professional development, especially in the areas of evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and research.
Research fellows
2024-2025 Jackelyn Lutes, BSN, RN, CPN, VA-BC
Vascular Access Clinical Educator
Jackelyn Lutes, BSN, RN, CPN, VA-BC, is a clinical educator and staff nurse for the vascular access department at Children’s Minnesota. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Viterbo University in 2011. Jackelyn has served as a pediatric nurse for the last 14 years with experiences in med-surg, ICU, and ER. Through these experiences, she developed a love of vascular access and has worked as a vascular access nurse since 2020. She is passionate about making needle-stick procedures more comfortable for kids through the use of medications, comfort holds, education, and partnering with her hospital’s Child Life Specialists. Outside of work, her hobbies include gardening, hiking, and volunteering with her dog as a pet therapy team.
2025-2026 Michael McLoone, MBA, BSN, RN, PHN
Clinical Coordinator for Palliative Care and Hospice
Mike attended Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He then joined Children’s Minnesota as a visiting homecare RN, and years later he transitioned to a visiting palliative and hospice nurse. He secured his Master of Business Administration, with a healthcare focus, from the University of St Thomas Opus College of Business in 2023. He currently works as an ambulatory nurse coordinator with the pain and palliative care department. Mike is the 2025 nursing research fellow and is exploring projects to support the experiences of families by working to mitigate hospitalizations and length of stay for complex medical patients at Children’s Minnesota. Mike has 4 adult children and lives in Savage, MN with his wife. He enjoys following MN sports teams and spending time outside, especially if the BBQ grill and a Minnesota Twins baseball game are involved.
Hematology, oncology research endowment fund recipients
Anastasia Brown BSN, RN, CPHON, CCRP
Anastasia (Ana) is nurse in the Cancer and Blood Disorders (CBD) clinic at Children’s Minnesota. Ana completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at St. Catherine University and is currently enrolled in their Master of Science in Nursing: Nurse Educator program. Ana’s career in CBD began in 2012 and she has served in a variety of roles including Clinical Research Associate, Research Nurse, Nurse Case Manager and Safety Nurse. Ana’s is co-chair of the Research & Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Council at Children’s Minnesota. Ana is additionally involved with the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), serving as a Core Group Nurse for the CNS tumor discipline, and participating in the 2020 COG Nursing EBP project. With funding awarded to her from the research endowment, Ana is exploring the use of handheld red-light therapy devices to prevent and treat mucositis in pediatric oncology patients at risk for this possible side effect from their treatment. Outside of work, Ana enjoys spending time with family, attending her kids sports and theater activities, reading, hiking, and cheering on the Minnesota Wild.
Julia Gourde, APRN, CNP, CPON
Julia is a family nurse practitioner who has devoted her career to the field of pediatric hematology/oncology. After finishing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, she became an inpatient pediatric nurse in 2000. Gravitating quickly to pediatric hematology/oncology patients and realizing her passion, she finished her Master of Nursing in Family Practice at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in 2004 and began practicing as an outpatient nurse practitioner focusing on pediatric oncology, bone marrow transplantation, and survivorship at Mayo Clinic. She joined the Cancer and Blood Disorders Clinic at Children’s in 2015. Now with over 20 years of pediatric oncology nurse practitioner experience, her current research is focused on the quality of life of cancer survivors. Outside of work she enjoys music, fashion, and traveling with her family.