Pamela Cone, PhD, RN, CNS, PHN

Professor Emerita, School of Nursing

Photo of Pamela Cone, PhD, RN, CNS, PHN

Biography

Pamela Cone, PhD, has been a nurse for more than 40 years, a nurse educator for over 25 years, and research for over 20 years. She has taught courses in theory, research, international health, and writing with Bachelors, masters, and doctoral students at Azusa Pacific University and has served as an expert in grounded theory research for doctoral students at APU and other universities since 2006. Her passion is understanding the what and why of spirituality in health. Cone's 1994 master's thesis was Connecting: A basic social process of spiritual care, and her 2006 PhD dissertation was Reconnecting: A grounded theory study among formerly homeless mothers. A US Fulbright Scholar in Norway in 2008-2009, Cone worked collaboratively with Norwegian nurse researcher, Dr. Tove Giske to develop several grounded theories from their spirituality research: Opening up to learning spiritual care, Journeying with students through maturation, and Open Journey Theory. Through an APU funded intramural research fellowship in 2014, Cone continued working with Giske on their spiritual domain research among nurses and patients in the hospital setting with mixed method research resulting in a qualitative product - Discerning the healing path, and a quantitative one - Nurses' comfort with spiritual assessment. Their research partnership has resulted in six publications and numerous presentations in 14 countries to date, with plans to continue researching and publishing on spiritual issues and presenting their work to nurses around the world.

Education

  • PhD, Nursing, University of California, San Francisco - 2006
  • MSN, CNS & Nursing Education, Azusa Pacific University - 1994
  • BSN, Alderson Broaddus University - 1974

Credentials/Certifications

  • RN - Board of Registered Nursing State of California
  • CNS - Board of Registered Nursing, State of California
  • Public Health Nurse - Board of Registered Nursing, State of California

Academic Area

  • School of Nursing

Expertise

  • Grounded Theory Research
  • Nursing Education Research
  • Research Methods
  • Spiritual Care Research
  • Theory: Nursing Theory and Education Theory

Courses Taught

  • UNRS 282 & 282P – Transcultural Health Care: Haiti Specific
  • GNRS 501 – Theoretical Thinking in Nursing
  • GNRS 508A – Research and Theory in Advanced Practice Nursing
  • GNRS 510 – Family Theory in Health Care
  • GNRS 597 – Comprehensive Examination Directed Study