Cox, Ruth P. 1947-

PERSONAL:

Born July 17, 1947, in New Bern, NC; daughter of Paul M. (a civil defense director) and Nettie (a homemaker; maiden name, Pinnix) Cox. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Watts Hospital School of Nursing, diploma, 1968; University of Virginia, B.S. N., 1971; Catholic University of America, M.S.N., 1973; Florida State University, Ph.D., 1990; University of Alabama at Birmingham, family nurse practitioner certificate, 1995. Religion: Methodist.

ADDRESSES:

Home—516 Pollock St., New Bern, NC 28562. Office—School of Nursing, Rivers West 322, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353. E-mail—ruthpcox@msn.com.

CAREER:

Writer. University of Virginia Hospital, Charlottesville, staff nurse, 1968-71; Porlock Vale Equestrian Center, Porlock, Somerset, England, member of instructional staff, 1973-76; Craven County Hospital, New Bern, NC, evening charge nurse in neuropsychiatric unit, 1977; Fortune Center, Ringwood, Hampshire, England, teacher of riding for the handicapped, 1978; Craven County Hospital, quality care assurance coordinator, 1979-80, director and consultant of extended B.S.N. degree program, 198081, assistant director of nursing for quality assurance and infection control, 1980-81; Valdosta State College, Valdosta, GA, assistant professor of nursing, 1981-86; Florida State University, Tallahassee, family therapy intern at Marriage and Family Therapy Center, 198790, student counselor, 1988-89; family therapy intern with physicians in Tallahassee, 1989-91; University of Alabama at Birmingham, assistant professor, 19912000, associate professor of nursing, 2000-04, marriage and family therapist at Wellness Center, 1992-93, associate scientist at Center for Health Promotion, 1997-2004, family nurse practitioner at Family Place Pediatric Practice at Sparks, 1997-2004, and at Adult Inborn Errors of Metabolism Clinic at Sparks, 200001, coordinator of family nurse practitioner program, 2000-04; East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, clinical associate professor of nursing and director of family nurse practitioner program, 2004—. University of Virginia, member of instructional staff at Pediatric Diabetic Camp, 1970; Carteret Technical College, instructor, 1980; American Heart Association of North Carolina, instructor, 1980, instructor trainer, 1981; Atlantic Christian College, adjunct faculty member, 1981. Watts Hospital, staff nurse, 1969; Brighton Rescue Squad, emergency medical technician, 198081; Health Care Services, Valdosta, home health nurse, 1981-82; Greenleaf Center, head nurse in adult unit, 1986; middle-school psychotherapist, Tallahassee, 1990-91; Florida Board of Nursing, support group facilitator, 1990-91; Samaritan Counseling Center, Birmingham, marriage and family therapist, 19922004, supervisor of marriage and family therapy, 1993-2004; Birmingham Health Care, family nurse practitioner, 1996-2004; expert witness for legal proceedings; nursing consultant. Member of International Critical Incident Stress Foundation; Amistad Mission, member of U.S. board of directors, 1999—, chair of medical resources committee, 19992002, vice president, 2001-03, visitor and lay missionary, 2004—. National Academies of Practice, chair of Nursing Academy and member of council, 2004—; American Nurses Credentialing Center, cochair of family nurse practitioner content expert panel, 2004-06. Interaction Coalition of Birmingham, member of board of directors, 1992-93; Special Equestrians, Indians Springs, AL, health consultant, 1995-2002; Interfaith Hospitality House, member of board of directors, 1998-2004, chair of task force on drug policy, 2001-02; Project Breakout, Bread and Roses, member of advisory board, 1998-2000; American Red Cross—Birmingham, member of disaster mental health committee, 1999-2004. Military service: U.S. Army Reserve, Nurse Corps, 1981-91; became major.

MEMBER:

North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Delta Society, Sigma Theta Tau, Kappa Omicron Nu.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Congressional Medallion, Nursing Academy, National Academies of Practice, 2000; grants from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children.

WRITINGS:

Health Related Counseling with Families of Diverse Cultures, Greenwood Group Publications (West port, CT), 2003.

Contributor to books, including Psychiatric Nursing, 2nd edition, edited by N. Keltner, L. Schwecke, and C. Bostrom, Mosby (St. Louis, MO), 1995. Contributor of articles and reviews to periodicals, including Clinical Nursing Research, Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, Clinical Excellence for Nurse Practitioners, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Journal of Family Nursing, Journal of Adolescent Health, Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, and Nurse Practitioner.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Research on continuity of medical care for foster children in Jefferson County, AL; research on increasing family nurse practitioners in under-served areas through the use of technology.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ruth P. Cox told CA: "My hope in the writing that I have done has been to assist others in their work with families. The publication of my book, Health Related Counseling with Families of Diverse Cultures, came out of a need for a textbook that had information on family development, family assessment, as well as the culture, spirituality, and medical treatment of mental illness (including drugs that are used), collaboration, and work with families during a disaster—all in one book. My intent has been an interdisciplinary one: an integration of social constructivism into nursing and medical practice."