The influence of nurse caring behaviors on patient outcomes has been a predominant focus of study since 1986. It was heavily influenced by Watson's (1985;1988b) Theory of Human Caring and Mayerhoff's (1971) caring philosophy. In an attempt to demonstrate the value of nurse caring, Dr. Duffy developed the Caring Assessment Tool (CAT) and used it to measure relationships between nurse caring and selected patient outcomes.

In 1993, Dr. Duffy investigated the influence of nursing administrator caring behaviors on staff nurse satisfaction and retention. The original Caring Assessment Tool was revised to incorporate the staff nurse's perspective. The new version, CAT-adm was developed during this study.

In 1999-2000, Dr. Duffy studied student nurses' perceptions of faculty caring behaviors. The CAT- edu, another revised version of the original Caring Assessment Tool was developed to measure faculty caring behaviors.

The three Caring Assessment Tools, by Dr. Joanne R. Duffy:

• Caring Assessment Tool (CAT) for patients
  
• Caring Assessment Tool – Adm (CAT-adm) for staff nurses
  
• Caring Assessment Tool – Edu (CAT-edu) for students
• Testing the Quality Care Model ©

  Telehomecare and Outcomes of Home Health in Heart Failure Patients (NINR-funded clinical trial). The effects of a caring-based intervention (developed by Duffy) on quality of life and hospital readmission rates will be tested.

• Collaborative relationships including organization and management practices, multidisciplinary teams, and care management approaches have been studied in terms of outcomes of critical care. As a cardiovascular clinical nurse specialist, Dr. Duffy has participated in several studies related to critically-ill patients with coronary artery disease, including those patients living with angina, myocardial infarction, angioplasty, coronary bypass surgery, and congestive heart failure. Presently, she is the principle investigator in testing the effect of a comprehensive nursing intervention on a range of clinical and service outcomes in congestive heart failure patients who are receiving home healthcare. This study tests the Quality-Caring Model© developed by Duffy & Huskins in 2003.
  

• As a profession with the unique privilege of caring for individuals who are most vulnerable.  Dr. Duffy is interested in the career trajectory of professional nurses from the beginning hunch of this career choice through the university nursing program, and on into the workforce. This is a serious area of investigation, especially in light of the present nursing workforce challenges. Dr. Duffy is currently conducting an NLN funded studey "Summative Evaluation of Baccalaureate Studentds Nurse Caring Behaviors." She is also the principal investigator of "The Influence of Professional Values on Nursing Career Choice," a longitudinal study of the congruence between nursing student beliefs about nursing and behaviors of practicing nurses. The continuous development of caring behaviors by professional nurses may be the key to enriching the lives of practicing nurses, creating caring work environments and contribute to improved patient outcomes.
  

Select this link to see Dr. Duffy's Web page.