"A Primer on Research, EBP, and QI for the Faith Community Nurse”
Presented by: Mary Lynne Knighten, Donna Callaghan, and Lori Kokoszka
Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Description: This session will cover the basics of nurses conducting scholarly inquiry including the process and examples of projects and/or studies in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), Quality Improvement (QI), and Nursing Research, both Qualitative and Quantitative methods.
Bios: Mary Lynne Knighten, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, is a transformational academic and practice leader and a board-certified nurse executive with 40+ years of progressive management experience in leading patient care operations, developing staff, building clinical programs, improving patient satisfaction and quality outcomes, mitigating cost inefficiencies, controlling budgets, ensuring regulatory compliance, educating, conducting research, and negotiating contracts for major medical centers and teaching hospitals. She has taught RN-to-BSN and DNP programs at private faith-based universities. Dr. Knighten is a recognized expert, international speaker, and published author in the areas of leadership, palliative care, patient- and family-centered care, patient/family engagement, finance, health policy, and faith community nursing. Dr. Knighten is the Immediate Past-President for Faith Community Nurses International. She is currently a reviewer for nursing publications and an author of multiple articles and book chapters.
Donna Callaghan, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, is the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor at Widener University Dwyer School of Nursing, Chester, PA and teaches the Research and EBP course in the undergraduate program. Dr. Callaghan is a Past President of FCNI and past chair of FCNI’s Research Committee. She is a certified faith community nurse (ANCC) and is the Coordinator of the Health and Wellness Ministry at her New Jersey church. She is the lead faculty for the Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing’s Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Curriculum at her university. Her program of research and community engagement focuses on health promotion within faith communities.
Lori Kokoszka PhD, RN is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Widener University in adult health and gerontology. She is a qualitative researcher and has published on caregiving of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. She recently expanded her research interests to include the experiences of individuals coping with sudden loss and its profound psychological and social impacts including her reflection about being a survivor herself. Her work emphasizes the need for compassionate interventions and shaping a more empathetic and informed approach to grief care and recovery.
Learning outcomes: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:
