Laura A. Sardinia-Prager
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Ph.D., Molloy College, Barbara H. Hagan School of NursingMSN., Molloy CollegeBSN., Molloy College
Laura.Prager@liu.edu
Description
Laura Sardinia-Prager, PhD, MSN, RN, CDDN, CDCP is a full time faculty member at Long Island University in the School of Health Professions and Nursing, Nursing Department. Dr. Prager teaches in both the RN Completion Program and the Pre-licensure Program. In the RN Completion Program, RN to BSN, Dr. Prager teaches Issues in Professional Nursing [this course is an exploration and critical analysis of issues influencing nursing practice, nursing education and the delivery of health care; the political, social and economic factors influencing health care and health policy are studied]. In the Pre-licensure Program, Dr. Prager teaches the lab sections of Fundamentals of Nursing [in this course students explore foundational elements of nursing interventions with individual patients in controlled and predictable environments based on core principles underpinning safe, high quality, patient centered, and effective, efficient, equitable and timely care]. She also teaches Nursing Informatics [this is an integrated course that explores advances in technology as recommended by the Institute of Medicine-Future of Nursing 2010 in order for healthcare providers to be competent with information technology]. Additionally, Dr. Prager teaches Introduction to Professional Nursing [in this course the students are provided with an introduction to the profession of nursing including its history, development scope of practice, professional educational requirements, moral and ethical foundations, legal issues and career paths; students identify and explore key issues influencing nursing practice, nursing education and health care delivery systems].
Dr. Prager serves as a Department Faculty Student Liaison, providing professional counseling and support to nursing students. Dr. Prager was instrumental in the implementation of Pre-licensure Program first laboratory course. She informally assumed the role of simulation lab faculty coordinator and assists adjunct faculty with the weekly preparation of student learning experiences. She also provides adjuncts and students with an orientation to the Interprofessional Simulation Center.
Dr. Prager’s research interest is rooted in her desire to care, advocate and educate others about intellectually disabled/developmentally disabled (ID/DD) populations. Her dissertation focus explored how parent caregivers made decisions about residential group home placements for their adult children with ID/DD. The findings from her research represented an original contribution to nursing science and literature. She continues to share the findings at various professional forums and looks for appropriate opportunities to disseminate the information. As her exploration of the topic grew, Dr. Prager found a gap in the literature. This gap now is the impetus for future research. She is interested in exploring how nurses experience/feel about caring for patients with ID/DD. Her literature reviews have demonstrated that healthcare workers have preconceived notions of the ID/DD population as being difficult to care and work with. Her goal is to eventually prepare nursing students to care for this particular population effectively, to explore if student nurses have the opportunity for experiences and exposure to the population with ID/DD in their education and clinical experiences, if this results in a change in their attitude and preconceptions when caring for this special population. Promoting nursing schools and schools of medicine to include in their curriculum both didactic and clinical experiences with the ID/DD population could significantly impact the overall quality of healthcare provided to this vulnerable group. Her additional research interests include exploring the increase prevalence and early onset of Alzheimer’s in the person with Down Syndrome; and although the literature is rich with research on breast cancer disease, her area of interest is that of the younger breast cancer patient and her experience resuming her role back into the family after the cancer diagnosis and experience.
Before coming to academe Dr. Prager had 33 years of clinical/administrative experience in nursing. Many years of her nursing career have been devoted to caring and advocating for the intellectual and developmental disabled population and she is currently the President of the NYS ID/DD Nurses Association. Additionally, Dr. Prager has worked as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Molloy College teaching nursing students Foundations of Humanistic Nursing Practice and provided clinical instruction and guidance to students in the hospital clinical setting.
Specialties
Developmental Disabilities Nursing
Advocate for Individuals with ID/DD and their families
Nursing Administration
Nursing Management
Nursing Leadership
Medical/Surgical Nursing
Qualitative Research Methods
Home Care Nursing
Alzheimer’s Disease
Publications
Feeg, V., Prager, L., Moylan, L., Smith, K., & Cullinan, M. (2014). Predictors of mental illness stigma and attitude among college students: Using vignettes from a campus reading program. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 35:694-703
Lectures and Presentations
Podium Presentation: Co-authored “Stigma and Mental Illness” Impact of Campus Intervention to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma with Feeg, V.; Smith, K.; Prager, L.; and Dries, S. Presented at Eastern Nursing Research Society Annual Conference: Scientific Sessions at Yale, New Haven, CT. (2012).
Poster Presentation: How Do Parent Caregivers Make the Decision About Residential Group Home Placement for Their Adult Child with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Epsilon Kappa Chapter Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice Conference, Molloy College Center for Nursing Research and Scholarly Practice (March 12, 2017).
Integrated Health Care New York State ID/DD Nurses Association 30th Annual Conference, Saratoga, NY (2014).
Leadership Skills: Emotional Competence, New York State ID/DD Nurses Association 29th Annual Conference, Albany, NY (2013).
Informed Shared Decision Making Process with the ID/DD Population. NYU Langone Medical Center Annual Nursing Research and Evidenced-Based Practice Conference (2013).
Informed Shared Decision Making Process with the ID/DD Population. New York State ID/DD Nurses Association 28th Annual Conference, Albany, NY (2012).
Informed Shared Decision Making Process with the ID/DD Population Stony Brook University, Converging Science Summit, Stony Brook, NY (2011).
Exploring 3 of Hesook Kim’s Theoretical Domains in Nursing with Graphical Representation and Organization of Expanded Research Questions. Prager, L.; Dries, S.; Magri, E.; Terzano, V.; Darcy, J.; Kearney, G.; Fiore-Lopez, N.; Duffy, M.; Tennapal, A.; and Mannino, J. Molloy College Annual Research Day (2010).
Invited Presentations: Research: What is the Experience of the Young Mastectomy Patient in Resuming Her Role Within the Family? Guest speaker: Molloy College, Rockville Centre (1994).
How Parents Make the Decision About Residential Group Home Placement for their Adult Child with ID/DD, Podium Presentation. Community Care Rx Educational Seminar, Crowne Plaza JFK Airport Hotel, Jamaica, NY (2016).
Shared Keynote: Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Keynote, Faculty Recognition Reception, Podium Presentation. Prager, L.; Feeg, V.; Smith, K. Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY (2016). Representing the departments of sociology and nursing collaboration with research on Mental Stigma and co-authored the article entitled: Predictors of Mental Illness Stigma and Attitudes Among College Students: Using Vignettes from a Campus Common Reading Program.
How Parents Make the Decision About Residential Group Home Placement for their Adult Child with ID/DD, Podium Presentation: Grand Clinical Rounds Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Bethpage, NY (2015).
Integrated Health Care: Podium Presentation. In collaboration with Dr. Richard Timo (Psychologist), Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Bethpage, NY (2015).
Creating Positive Outcomes for People with Developmental Disabilities through Improved Communication Among Health Care Providers, Podium Presentation, ChemRx Pharmacy Spring Educational Seminar, Leonards Palazzo, Great Neck, NY (2014).
Internship in Washington D.C. at the House of Representatives: Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health Evaluating the Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Podium Presentation. A report was prepared and presented on the federal effort to combat TBI at Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. (2012).
Exploring the Link: Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes. Guest Speaker, Garden City
Hotel, Garden City, NY (1993).
Stress Management monthly in-service presented at A Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, Uniondale NY (1993).
Honors/Awards
Inducted Sigma Theta Tau: International Honor Society in Nursing, Epsilon Kappa Chapter
Professional Affiliations
American Nurses Association (ANA) Member #03343115
New York Nurses Association Member
Stand-up for Homeless St. Joseph’s College: Provides Blood Pressure Screenings and Nutrition Education
National League for Nursing Member #543124
New York State Intellectually Disabled/Developmentally Disabled Nurses Association: President 2016-2018
New York State Intellectually Disabled/Developmentally Disabled Nurses Association: President Elect 2014-2016
New York State Intellectually Disabled/Developmentally Disabled Nurses Association: Zone Representative: Zone 6, 2005 to present
Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association (DDNA) Member #24358
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Member
Sigma Theta Tau: International Honor Society in Nursing, Epsilon Kappa Chapter member 1982
AHRC: Nassau, Lifetime Member
Member of the New York State Aging and Policy Committee of the Third Age
Member and consultant for Disabilities Competencies Review Committee funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
