Dr. Thomas-Hawkins’ early program of research focused on gaining an understanding of the illness experience of persons receiving long-term hemodialysis. Following this line of inquiry, her work transitioned to a focus on nursing workforce research with a focus on examinations and quantifications of the impact of nurse staffing, the adequacy of nursing care processes, nurse workload, and the nurse practice environment on patient adverse events, patient safety, and nurse outcomes in outpatient dialysis settings. This work included seminal investigations of the impact of the nephrology nursing workforce on quality patient outcomes in dialysis centers and led to changes in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Staffing Regulation policy in the CMS Dialysis Provider Conditions for Coverage for all US outpatient dialysis centers. Currently, Dr. Thomas-Hawkins has extended her nursing workforce research to hospital settings to understand and quantify the impact of workplace racism on hospital-based nurses’ well-being and other job-related outcomes.

EDUCATION

PhD          University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA
MSN         University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA
BSN         Thomas-Jefferson University School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA
Diploma    Temple University Hospital School of Nursing

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES/GRANTS

2017-2018  
The Effects of Nurse-Sensitive Indicators on Value-Based Outcomes in Outpatient Dialysis Facilities: A Multi-Level Model Approach
Role: PI
Sponsor: American Nephrology Nurses’ Association ($10,000)

2016-2017 
Exploring Daily Activity and Total Energy Expenditure in the Adult Hemodialysis Population
Role: Co-I (PI: Laura Byham-Gray)
Sponsor: Dean’s Intramural Grant Award, Department of Nutritional Sciences                                      School of Health Related Professions (Amount $35,000)

2012-2013   
Dialysis Nurse Manager Safety Practices
Role: PI
Sponsor: American Nephrology Nurses’ Association (Amount $15,000)

2010-2012 
Needs and concerns of caregivers of individuals with chronic kidney failure receiving home dialysis
Role: Co-I (PI: Janet Welch)
Sponsor: Indiana University School of Nursing (Amount: $8100)

2006-2010 
A theory-based pilot exercise intervention for elders with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
Role: PI
Sponsor: National Institute of Nursing Research (RO3) (Amount $154,000)

2006-2007            
The work environment and nurse-reported outcomes in dialysis centers
Role: PI
Sponsor: American Nephrology Nurses’ Association (Amount $75,000)

2005-2007            
Development and Testing of a Physical Activity Modeling Video for Elders with ESRD
Role: PI
Sponsor: Rutgers University Center for the Study of Health Beliefs and Behaviors, Institute of Health Care Policy and Aging Research (Amount $15,000)

2002-2006
Illness Representations in Elders with ESRD  
Role: PI
Sponsor: National Institute of Nursing Research (KO1) (Amount $261,188)

2001-2004            
Bridges to the Doctorate
Role: PI
Sponsor: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Amount $536,244)

2002-2003           
Elderly hemodialysis patients symptom and functioning experiences
Role: PI
Sponsor: National Kidney Foundation (Amount $20,000)

2001-2001            
Final revision and testing of the Inventory of Functional Status-Dialysis
Role: PI
Sponsor: Rutgers University Busch Biomedical Research Grant (Amount $19,402)

RECENT PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Crincoli, S., de Cordova, P., Thomas-Hawkins, C., Flynn, L., Zha, P., & Sagherian, K. (in press). Effects of organizational characteristics, individual nurse characteristics, and occupational fatigue on the incidence of missed care at night. Nursing Research.

Cox, J., & Thomas-Hawkins, C.(2023). Racial disparities and pressure injuries among hospitalized patients. Advances in Skin and Wound Care, 36(2), 78-84. DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000904460.94583.51

Kamataki, B., Zhang, P., Master, A., Adler, S., Jain, S., Thomas-Hawkins, C.,Lin, H., Cantor, J., & Choi, H. (2022). Differences in elective epilepsy monitoring unit admission rates by race/ethnicity and primary payer in New Jersey. Epilepsy & Behavior. Nov; 136:108923. DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108923.

Payongayong, J., Thomas-Hawkins, C., Jarrin, O., Barberio, J., & Hain, D. (2022). Effects of End-of-life communication knowledge, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control on end-of-life communication behaviors among nephrology nurse practitioners. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 49(3), 213-225.

Thomas-Hawkins, C., Payne, G., & Bednarski, D. (2022). The growing demand for home dialysis therapies: Challenges and potential solutions. Nephrology Nursing Journal. 49(2), 109-115, 120. https://doi.10.37526/1526-744x.2022.49.2.109.

Rothpletz-Puglia, P., Brown, T.L., Peters, E., Thomas-Hawkins, C., Kaplan, J., Myslinski, M.J., Mysliwiec, J., Parrott, J.S., & Byham-Gray, L. (2022). Functional status and engagement in physical activity among maintenance dialysis patients: A mixed methods study. Kidney Medicine, 4(6): 100496. https://doi.org//10.1016/j.xkme/2022.100469.

Thomas-Hawkins, C.,Flynn, L., Zha, P., & Ando, S. (2022). Effects of race and workplace racism on nurses’ intent to leave the job: mediating roles of job dissatisfaction and emotional distress. Nursing Outlook, 70, 590-600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.03.001.

Thomas-Hawkins, C., Zha, P., Flynn, L., & Ando, S. (2022). Effects of race, workplace racism, and COVID worry on the emotional well-being of hospital-based nurses: A dual pandemic. Behavioral Medicine, 48(2), 95-108. DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2021.1977605

Montoya, V.M., Donnini, K., Gauthier-Loiselle, M., Sanon, M., Cloutier, M., Maitland, J., Guerin, A., Dutka, P., Pryor, L., Thomas-Hawkins, C., Voegel, A., Hoffmann, M., Savin, S., Kurzmann, A., & Kear, T. (2021). Mental health and health-related quality of life outcomes among nephrology nurses: A large survey-based cross-sectional study. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 48(5), 447-461.

Smith, J., Jarrin, J., Lin, H., Tsui, J., Dharamdasani, T., & Thomas-Hawkins, C. (2021). Racial disparities in post-acute home health care referral and utilization among older adults with diabetes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 3019.  Available at https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/3196

Smith, J., Jarrin, J., Lin, H., Thomas-Hawkins, C.,&Tsui, J. (2021). Timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by race and ethnicity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Available at https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/5623

Savage, B., Cole, P., Lin, H., & Thomas-Hawkins, C. (2020). Hispanic children hospitalized with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at increased risk for pancreatitis. Cancer Nursing, 44(6), 509-515. DOI: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000872.

Kamataki, B., Rishty, S., Mani, R., Wong, S., Bateman, L.M.,Thomas-Hawkins, C., Cantor, J.C., & Kleinman, L.C. (2020). Using ICD-10 codes to identify elective epilepsy monitoring unit admissions from administrative billing data. A validation study. Epilepsy & Behavior. DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2020107194. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7286261/

Savage, B., Thomas-Hawkins, C., Cole, P. D., Stapleton, J. L., & de Cordova, P. B. (2020). Increased risk of severe sepsis in Hispanic children hospitalized with acute myeloid leukemia. Journal of Pediatric Oncology.Nursing, 37(6), 349-358. DOI: 10.1177/1043454220919699

Thomas-Hawkins, C., Flynn, L., & Dillon, J. (2020). Registered nurse staffing, workload, nursing care left undone, and patient safety in dialysis units. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 47(2), 133-142.

Clark-Cutaia, Jarrin, O.F., Thomas-Hawkins, C., & Hirschman, K.B. (2020). The perfect storm: Stakeholder perspectives on factors contributing to hospital admissions for patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 47(1), 11-20.

Thomas-Hawkins, C., Flynn, L., Zha, P., & Savage, B. (2019). Associations among community income, residential segregation, race, and emergency room use by adults with end-stage renal disease. Public Health Nursing, 36(5), 645-652. DOI: 10.1111/phn.12644

Ren, Q., Lian, M., Liu, Y., Thomas-Hawkins, C.,Zhu, L., & Shen, Q. (2019). Effects of a transtheoretical model-based WeChat health education program on self-management among hemodialysis patients: a longitudinal experimental intervention study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(12), 3554-3565. DOI: 10.1111/jan.14182

BOOK CHAPTERS

Thomas-Hawkins, C.,Latham, C., & Hain, D. (2022). Nursing sensitive quality indicators. In S. Bodin (Ed.). Contemporary Nephrology Nursing (4^th edition). Pitman, NJ: Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc.

Thomas-Hawkins, C.,Dinwiddie, L., & Payne, G. (2017). Research priorities for nephrology nursing: Challenges and recommendations (pp. 825-840). In S. Bodin (Ed.). Contemporary Nephrology Nursing (3^rd edition). Pitman, NJ: Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc.

Thomas-Hawkins, C.,Latham, C., & Hain, D. (2017). Nursing sensitive quality indicators (pp. 979-992). In S. Bodin (Ed.). Contemporary Nephrology Nursing (3^rd edition). Pitman, NJ: Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc.

Flynn, L., Thomas-Hawkins, C., & Bodin, S. M. (2008). Using research to influence federal policy: The nephrology nurses’ experience. In G.L. Dickson & L. Flynn (Eds.), Nursing Policy Research (pp. 343-348). New York: Springer Publishing.

Thomas-Hawkins, C., & Mapes, D. (2008). The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study. In C. Counts (Ed.). Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing, 5^th ed (pp. 473-494). Pitman, NJ: Janetti Publishers.

Thomas-Hawkins, C.(2006). Chronic illness management and outcomes: A theory-based approach. In A. Molzahn & E. Butera (Eds). Contemporary Nephrology Nursing: Principles and Practice. Pitman, NJ: Janetti Publishers.