Dr. Johnnie Wijewardane

Education

• B.S.N., University of Mississippi Medical Center
• M.S.N., University of Mississippi Medical Center
• Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center
• Design Thinking Graduate Certificate, Radford University

Bio

Dr. Wijewardane joined Belhaven University School of Nursing in March 2023 with 19 years in nursing academia, spanning Associate Degree Nursing education and Baccalaureate and higher degree nursing education. She served in nursing leadership positions during the last 12 years, including as graduate nursing department chair at Mississippi University for Women, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Inaugural Dean of the School of Nursing at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. Dr. Wijewardane has worked as a registered nurse for more than 27 years, with the last 22 of those as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She welcomed the opportunity to incorporate her Christian faith and worldview into nursing leadership, academics, and practice in a well-grounded nursing program poised for growth. Dr. Wijewardane is active in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Mississippi Nurses’ Association, and the Mississippi Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is recognized as a leader in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, where she serves on the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Executive Committee.

Areas of Expertise

• Nursing Education
• Design Thinking
• Geriatrics
• Quality and Safety
• Family Nursing
• APRN Policy and Practice

Teaching Focus

Pharmacology

Scholarly Contributions

RESEARCH & GRANTS

Wijewardane, J. S. C. (2011). Development and psychometric testing of the Cooper Parental Self-Efficacy Scale-Child Health Behavior. The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Doctoral Dissertation Research. My research for the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program comprised the instrument development and psychometric testing of that instrument to measure parental self-efficacy of child health development. The Cooper Parental Self-Efficacy-Child Health Behavior instrument was tested for reliability and validity. It was used in a DNP scholarly project to measure Parental Self-Efficacy with Obese Children in a BCBS insurance program. Peer-reviewed and published in Virginia Henderson Library. (Note: 1055 downloads as of 2/19/17). http://hdl.handle.net/10755/296017

Carr, K. and Wijewardane, J. S. (2020). Co-PI/Co-Author of the $2.1M HRSA grant award UD7HP30926 “Improving Access to Behavioral Health Care among MS’s Children through Education, Interprofessional Collaboration, and Utilization of School Clinics and Telehealth (the ABC Program).

Wijewardane. J. S. (2020). AACN Nurse Practitioner Substance Use Disorder Medical Education (NP SUDMedEd) $5000 award for implementation into NP curriculum (January 2020-August 2020)

Wijewardane, J. S. (2015-2017). Subaward PI, D09HP22638 HRSA; Hoover, K, PI; Adams, S., sub-award to MUW for Statewide Consortium Outreach Model for Delivery of DNP Education. The purpose of this project was to increase the nursing leadership capacity in Mississippi by providing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education through the DNP Consortium of five public baccalaureate and higher degree nursing programs. Role: MS University for Women (MUW) Project Manager.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2013-2015). Subaward PI, D09HP0906 HRSA; Luther, C., PI; sub-award to MUW for Statewide Outreach for Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Education in MS. This project aimed to expand the number of Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioners (AGNP) in Mississippi to improve health outcomes for rural and underserved families and communities through the Mississippi Educational Consortium in Specialty Advanced Practice Nursing (MECSAPN). Role: MS University for Women (MUW) Project Manager.

Wijewardane. J. S. (2016). Partnered with OCH Regional Medical Center Administration to develop and complete a Community Health Needs Assessment for compliance with the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Starkville, MS

 

PAPERS

Peer-Reviewed

Young-Pitts, C., Hicks, R., Love, R., Harkless, G., Honig, J., …Wijewardane, J. S., et al. NONPF (2016). White Paper: The Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Practitioner Clinical Scholar.  Washington, DC.

 

Digital Media

Wijewardane, J. S. (2023). Provider Bias. Advancing Practice: Mississippi Association of Nurse Practitioners Winter Newsletter, 2(1). https://manp.memberclicks.net/assets/MS_NP_MAGAZINE/MANP%20NP%20Jan%202023%20Mag.pdf

 

Texts

Cooper, J. S. (2010). Appendix: Policy Fellowships and Internships in Nursing and Health Care. In Mason, Chaffee, & Leavitt’s Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 6th ed. Elsevier: St. Louis. (A1-A31).

Davis, S. & Cooper, J. (2008). Culturally sensitive treatment of pediatric and adolescent obesity. In W.T. O’Donohue, B.A. Moore, & B. J. Scott (Eds.), Handbook of pediatric and adolescent obesity treatment (pp. 49-72). London: Routledge.

 

PODIUM PRESENTATIONS

Wijewardane, J. S. & Phelon, J. S. (2023). Dementia, Depression, and Delirium: Teasing Out the Details. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium. June 24, 2023, New Orleans, LA. (pending presentation).

Wijewardane. J. S. (2023). Using Design Thinking as an NP: Solving Healthcare’s “Wicked Problems.” AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium. June 25, 2023, New Orleans, LA (pending presentation).

Wijewardane, J. S. (2022). Dementia and Depression: Addressing Tough Issues with Patients and Caregivers. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium, June 23, 2022, Orlando, FL.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2022). Preserving e-Professionalism and Amplifying your NP Career. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium, June 23, 2022, Orlando, FL.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2022). Polypharmacy across the Lifespan: A Case-Based Approach. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium, June 23, 2022, Orlando, FL.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2020). Preserving e-Professionalism and Amplifying your NP Career. Mississippi Nurses Association Annual Convention 60-minute podium, October 2020, Recorded Virtual Conference.

Wijewardane, J. S. & Phelon, J. S. (2019). Depression, Dementia, and Delirium in Older Adults. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium, June 22, 2019, Indianapolis, IN.

Phelon, J. S. & Wijewardane, J. S.  (2019). Geriatric Psychopharmacology in Primary Care. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium, June 21, 2019, Indianapolis, IN.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2018). Dehydration, Delirium, and Drug Effects Among the Geriatric Population. AANP Annual Conference 60-minute podium June 30, 2018, Denver, CO.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2017). Managing Complex Cases in Long Term Care. National Nurse Practitioner Symposium 60-minute podium July 20-23, 2017, Keystone, CO.

Wijewardane, J. S. and Davidson, S. R. (2017). Managing Complex Conditions in LTC Settings: A Case Study Approach. AANP Annual Conference 75-minute podium June 24, 2017, Philadelphia, PA.

Wijewardane, J. S. (2017). Reflections on the Evolution of Nurses as Clinical Scholars. Inez Driskell Alumni Lecture, University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing Alumni Day, April 7, 2017, Jackson, MS.

Wijewardane, J. S. & Phelon, J. S. (2017). Operationalizing the Clinical Scholar in DNP Nurse Practitioner Education. Podium presentation pending, January 18-21, 2017. AACN Doctoral Education Conference, Coronado, CA.

Phelon, J.S. & Wijewardane, J.S. (2016). Geriatric psychopharmacology: Managing psychiatric and behavioral symptoms in geriatric patients., National Nurse Practitioner Symposium, July 7-10, 2016, Keystone, CO. (Podium/Abstract; Published as enduring materials).