Melissa A. Forsythe, RN, PhD
Assistant Professor
Specialty: Nursing Administration and Leadership
Contact Information VCU School of Nursing |
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Education
| Ph.D. | Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA |
| MS | Medical-Surgical Nursing, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI |
| BS | Truman State University, Kirksville, MO |
Military Education
| 2006 | Acquisition Level 3 Certification, Science & Technology Management, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, VA |
| 2004 | Acquisition Level 2 Certification, Program Management, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, VA |
| 2003 | Grant Officer’s Representative Course, Fairfax, VA |
| 2002 | Contracting Officer’s Representative Course, Fairfax, VA |
| 2001 | U.S. Army Medical Department, Executive Skills Course, San Antonio, TX |
| 1992 | U.S. Army Medical Department, Advanced Nurse Leadership Course, San Antonio, TX |
| 1992 | U.S. Army War College, National Defense Strategy Course, Carlisle, PA |
| 1990 | U.S. Army Institute of Chemical Defense, Medical Management of Chemical Biological Casualties, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia |
| 1986 | U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, Combined Arms & Services Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, KS |
| 1984 | U.S. Army Medical Department, Officer Advanced Course, San Antonio, TX |
| 1981 | U. S. Army Medical Department, Officer Basic Course, San Antonio, TX |
Professional Experience
2005 – Biomedical Research Program Manager, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, U.S. Army Research & Materiel Command,
Ft. Detrick, MD
2002 - 2005 Deputy Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Ft. Detrick, MD
2000 – 2002 Chief, Surgical Nursing Services, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
1997 – 2000 Chief, Consolidated Education Department, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
1990 – 1994 Chief, Nursing Administration, Kenner Army Hospital, Ft. Lee, VA
1990 – 1991 Head Nurse, ICU #1, 85th Evacuation Hospital, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (deployed during Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm)
1986 – 1990 Nurse Methods Analyst, Reynolds Army Hospital, Ft. Sill, OK
1985 – 1986 Project Officer, Hospital Renovation, 97th General Hospital, Frankfurt, W. Germany
1983 – 1984 Quality Assurance/Risk Management Officer, 97th General Hospital & the Frankfurt Army Regional Medical Center, Frankfurt, W.Germany (concurrent duty)
1982 – 1983 Head Nurse, Emergency Department, 97th General Hospital, Frankfurt, W. Germany (concurrent duty)
1982 – 1985 Head Nurse, General Outpatient Clinic, 97th General Hospital, Frankfurt, W. Germany
1982 Assistant Head Nurse, CCU-Medicine Unit, 97th General Hospital, Frankfurt, W. Germany
1979 – 1982 Charge Nurse/Staff Nurse, CCU-IMCU, Straub Hospital & Clinics, Honolulu, HI
1977 – 1978 Staff Nurse/Charge Nurse, IMCU, The Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu, HI
1976 – 1977 Staff Nurse, Float, Potomac Hospital, Woodbridge, VA
1976 Staff Nurse, Neuromedicine, The Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Memberships in Professional Organizations
Sigma Theta Tau International, Gamma Omega and Omega Psi Chapters (1980)
Phi Kappa Phi National Interdisciplinary Honor Society (1997)
Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. Army
National League for Nursing
Order of Military Medical Merit (No. 5071)
Research Activities
2001 - 2004 Consultant, ‘Work Satisfaction and Intent to Stay Among Staff Nurses’, funded by the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
1997 – 2002 Co-Investigator, ‘Physical Activity and Exercise Participation of Active Duty Women’, funded by the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
1996 – 1997 Primary Investigator, ‘Decision-Making Behaviors of Nurse Managers’, funded by Omega Psi Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA; conducted at 33 Army Medical Facilities
1995 – 1996 Primary Investigator, ‘Autonomy and Power Among Nurse Managers’, conducted at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Norfolk, VA
1988 – 1990 Primary Investigator, ‘Impact of External and Environmental Factors on Job Satisfaction and Intent to Stay’, Reynolds Army Hospital, Ft. Sill, OK
1979 – 1980 Primary Investigator, “Heart Rate and Ventricular Ectopy During the Sleep-Waking Transition’, funded by Gamma Omega Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Presentations/Posters
2007 ‘The Department of Defense and Cancer Survivors: Serving Together’ presented at the Annual Weekend of Hope, Stowe, VT
2005 ‘The Department of Defense Congressional Special Interest Research’ presented to Ms. Sarah Young, Senior Staffer for the House Authorization Committee for Defense (HAC-D), Fort Detrick, MD
2004 ‘Congressional Special Interest Research’, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Fort Detrick, MD
2003 ‘The Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program’, National Breast Cancer Coalition Congressional Forum, Washington, DC
2003 ‘Overview of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’, Institute of Medicine Committee on New Approaches to Early Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, Washington, DC
2003 ‘Research on Breast Cancer and the Environment’, National Institutes of Health Workshop, Washington, DC
2003 Keynote Speaker, ‘Consumer Advocates Making a Difference in Cancer Research’, Weekend of Hope Conference, Stowe, VT
2003 Keynote Speaker, 3rd Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer, Philadelphia, PA
2002 ‘Exercise-Related Injury Experiences of Active Duty Women’, Phyllis J. Verhonick Tri-Service Nursing Research Course, San Antonio, TX
2001 ‘Physical Activity and Exercise in Active Duty Women’, Association of the United States Army Convention, Las Vegas, NV
2000 ‘Decision-Making Behaviors of Nurse Managers’, Phyllis J. Verhonick Tri-Service Nursing Research Course, San Antonio, TX
1997 ‘Autonomy & Power Among Nurse Managers’, Southern Nursing Research Society Annual Conference, Lexington, KY
1991 ‘Project Management Software as an Administrative Tool’, 4th Annual International Information Conference, Melbourne, Australia
Teaching Appointments
2005 - Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program appointee to support the Congressionally Directed Research Programs, Ft. Detrick, MD, for 60% effort.
1997 – 2001 Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX. Chaired Thesis committees for 15 graduate students in Nursing Anesthesia Master’s Program and taught Applied Research Methods course.
1998 – 2000 Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA