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Nisha Mathews

Nisha Mathews, Ph.D., RN

Assistant Professor of Nursing,
College of Human Sciences and Humanities

Contact number: 281-212-1625
Email: mathewsn@uhcl.edu
Office: HSB 227

Biography

Dr. Nisha Mathews earned her Ph.D. in Nursing Science from Texas Woman's University's Nelda C. Clark College of Nursing, Houston. She has also received the 2020 Virginia Chandler Dykes scholarship from the College of Nursing. The title of her dissertation was "Cultural Competence and Knowledge of South Asian Culture of Registered Nurses Working in an Urban Hospital Setting." She has presented on national and international platforms and has published in peer-reviewed journals. Before joining UHCL, Dr. Mathews served as part of the nursing faculty at San Jacinto College from 2013 to 2022.

The immediate past chair of the Research/ Grants Committee of the National Association of Indian Nurses of America (2023-2024), Dr. Mathews, currently serves as the chair of the Editorial Committee of the National Association of Indian Nurses of America. Dr. Mathews is an (S.T.T.I.) International Honor Society of Nursing Academic Leadership Academy Scholar. Dr. Mathews is the 2024 Sigma/ANCC Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Grant recipient.

Dr. Mathews also received the Young Researcher Award, Universe International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Academic Research Foundation, 2021. She is also the Excellence in Nursing Award winner, Good Samaritan Foundation (2021). Dr. Mathews is one of the grant recipients and champions of ANA/CDC Project Firstline: American Nurses Association Infection Prevention and Control Content Dissemination Funding Opportunity. Her research areas are minority health, health disparities, cultural competence, and the South Asian population. Dr. Mathews believes in giving back to the community by doing research and scholarly activities.

Areas of Expertise

Dr. Mathews has been a great mentor to many nurses and faculty and has served as a lead faculty member at multiple levels. She has expertise in medical-surgical nursing, telemetry, gero-psych, pediatric nursing, and nursing education. She contributed to the RN to BSN course development at San Jacinto College Central, Pasadena, and served as curriculum committee chair for the associate degree nursing program.

Publications

Google Scholar List of Publications

  • Alexander, K. E., Mathews, N., & Jenkins, S. K. (2024). Expanding Educational Opportunities for Nurses: Faculty and Student Reflections of a HyFlex Pilot Program. ABNFF Journal, 1(1), 8–16.
  • Albuquerque, L. H., Luckose, A. B., Joseph, M., Mathews, N., Devarayasamudram, S., & Mahon, E. (2024). Original Research: Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Asian Indians in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study. The American journal of nursing, 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000998220. 62535.e4. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000998220.62535.e4
  • Mathews, N., & Joseph S. (2024). Health disparities among the South Asians in the United States. Journal of Nursing Research and Practice, 8(1):1-3.
  • Lee, L., Mathews, N., & Pettis, J. (2024). Nurses Breaking Down Barriers to Sizeism, American Nurse Journal
  • Madlock-Brown, C., Lee, A., Seltzer, J., Solomonides, A, Mathews, N., Phuong, J., Weiskopf, N., Adams, W., Lehmann, H., Espinoza, J. (2024). Racial disparities in Diabetes care and outcomes for patients with blindness/low Vision: A descriptive analysis of the TriNetX research network, BMC Public Health, accepted for publication on 04/11/24.
  • Mathews, N., Joseph, J., Joseph, M.E., Munoz, E.G., Lee, L.T. (2024). Obesity-related Biases Among Healthcare Personnel in Radiological Examination Environment: Impact, Manifestations, and Solutions, Journal of Radiology Nursing.
  • Mathews, N., Malecha, A., Cesario, S., & Shani, P. (2023). ‘Registered Nurses' Cultural Competence and South Asian Culture Knowledge: A Quantitative Study’, Association of Black Nurse Faculty Foundation Journal, 2(3), 14-24
  • Eapen, D., Mbango, C., Daniels, G., Mathew Joseph, N., Mary, A., Mathews, N., Carr, K. K., Wells, C., Suriaga, A., & Saint Fleur, A. (2023). Recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women in “The South”: A position paper from the SNRS minority health research interest & implementation group. Research in Nursing & Health, 1– 5. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22332
  • Joseph, J., & Mathews, N. (2023). Critical Thinking in Student Nurses, Association of Black Nurse Faculty Foundation Journal. Volume 2 (2), 14- 20.
  • Joseph, S., & Mathews, N. (2023). Pressure Injury Prevention for Nurses and Its Impact on Patient Outcomes, Association of Black Nurse Faculty Foundation Journal, 2(3), 8-13.
  • Alexander, K., Mathews, N., & Jenkins, S. (2023). Expanding Educational Opportunities for Nurses: Faculty and Student Reflections of a HyFlex Pilot Program (accepted for publication by Association of Black Nurse Faculty Foundation Journal on 08/10/2023).

Courses (Current Academic Year)

  • NURS 5030 Advanced Nursing Research
  • NURS 4313 Nursing Research
  • NURS 5032 Population Health
  • NURS 5060 Advanced Pathophysiology, Physical Assessment, Pharmacology
  • NURS 3311 History & Theories of Nursing
  • NURS 3310 Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing

Research Projects

  • Primary Investigator: A mixed methods approach to cultural competence (CC), health disparity knowledge, and the South Asian culture knowledge among nursing professionals, I.R.B.# 24-059
  • Co-investigator: An exploration of self-perception of weight status and preferences for weight management strategies among South Asians living in the U.S.; Maya Joseph, I.R.B. # 2023-323
  • Co-investigator: Racial Disparities in Diabetes Care and Outcomes for Patients with Blindness/Low Vision: A Descriptive Analysis of the TriNetX Research Network, Charisse Madlock (exempt).
  • Co-investigator: Barriers to Leadership and Career Advancement in the Nursing Profession: Experiences and Perceptions of Immigrant Indian Nurses in the United States project, 2023- present, Doncy Eapen, I.R.B.# 256544
  • Co-investigator: Predictors of COVID- 19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Asian Indian Communities: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study, National Association of Indian Nurses of America, US, Lydia Albuquerque, I.R.B. # 2021-340.
  • Project Lead: ANA/ CDC Project Firstline: American Nurses Association Infection Prevention and Control Content Dissemination Funding Opportunity: 2023; ($8,000)
  • Co-Lead: ANA/ CDC Project Firstline: American Nurses Association Infection Prevention and Control Content Dissemination Funding Opportunity: 2022; ($10,000)

Awards and Accomplishments

  • "Community Insight to Clinical Care: A Nursing-Led, Evidence-Based Patient Education Program for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID," American Nurses Credentialing Center Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Grant, (2024) ($19870).
  • "Barriers to Leadership and Career Advancement in Nursing Profession: Experiences and Perceptions of South Asian Indian Immigrant Nurses in the United States," Zeta Pi Chapter STTI Evidence-Based Practice and Research Award, Co-investigator (2024) ($2000) 
  •  ANA/ CDC Project Firstline: American Nurses Association Infection Prevention and Control Content Dissemination Funding Opportunity: Project Lead ($10,000.00)
  • Recipient of the Young Researcher Award, Universe International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Academic Research Foundation (2021)
  • Virginia Chandler Scholarship, Texas Woman's University (2020)
  • Excellence in Nursing Award Winner, Bronze, Good Samaritan Foundation (2021)
  • Mary Gibbs Jones Nursing Scholarship, Texas Woman's University (2020)
  • Tom & Tillie McDonald Trust Scholarship, Texas Woman's University (2019)
  • John Winston Carter Memorial Fund, Texas Woman's University (2017)
  • Visiting Nurses' Association Scholarship, Texas Woman's University (2017)
  • Edith Anderson Leadership Education Grant, Sigma Foundation for Nursing Leadership (2019) ($50.00)
  • Cultural Competence and Knowledge of South Asian Culture of Registered Nurses Working in an Urban Hospital Setting, Texas Woman's University, Center for Student Research (2019) ($500.00) Cultural Competence and Knowledge of South Asian Culture of Registered Nurses Working in an Urban Hospital Setting, Lucile Petry Leone Research Grant, STTI, Beta Beta Houston ($1000.00)
  • Innovation of the year award campus finalists (San Jacinto Community College, BSN Program), The League for Innovation in the Community College (2019-2020).