Ph.D., Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.  2022
MSN, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI. 2014
BSN, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI. 2010
 
First recipient of the Dean's Diversity Fellowship at the School of Nursing
 
Interests: Pain management, health literacy, safe cannabis consumption,  health disparities

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Published  articles:
Sidhom, D., Aboul-Hassan, D., Clauw, D. J., Cofield, C., & Bergmans, R.  (2023). Chronic pain management in sickle cell disease: A systematic scoping  review of controlled trials. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, 104087.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104087  
 
Voepel-Lewis, T., Carpenter, Senger-Chen, T., Seng, Cofield, C.,  Ploutz-Snyder, R., Scott, E. (2023). Biopsychosocial Attributes of Single-  and Multi-Region Body Pain during Early Adolescence: Analysis of the ABCD  Cohort ®. Journal of American Medical Association Open Network.
 
Senger-Carpenter, T., Scott, E., Isaman, D., Lenko, R., Seng, J.,  Ploutz-Snyder, R., Robinson-Lane, S., Cofield, C., Chen, Bingxin,  Voepel-Lewis, T. (2022). Biopsychosocial Attributes of Single- and  Multi-Region Body Pain during Early Adolescence: Analysis of the ABCD Cohort.  The Clinical Journal of Pain, 8(11), 670–679.
 
Cofield, C. (2021, June). Weathering the Storms of Life While in Nursing  School. Nursing 2021.
 
Cofield, C. & Tate, N.H. (2019, June). A Systematic Review: Caregiver  Literacy Level, Pain Management and Health Outcomes in Adolescents with  Chronic Pain from Sickle Cell Disease. Journal of Chi Eta Phi Sorority.
 
Poster presentations:
Sidhom, D., Aboul-Hassan, D., Clauw, D., Bergmans, R., Cofield, C. (2023,  October), Chronic Pain Treatment in Sickle Cell Disease: A Systematic Scoping  Review of Controlled Trials. Poster presentation at Interdisciplinary  Association for Population Health Sciences Annual meeting in Baltimore  Maryland.
 
Cofield, C. (2023, June). Adolescents with chronic pain from sickle cell  disease and palliative care. Recorded oral poster presentation at the 1st  International Conference on Palliative Care and Family Health Nursing,  Thammasat University in Bangkok Thailand.
 
Cofield, C. & Hazard Vallerand, A. (2018, October). The effects of a  martial arts intervention on reducing chronic pain in adolescents with sickle  cell disease. Oral poster presented at Wayne State University’s School of  Medicine 2018 C.P. Lee Endowed Graduate Student Research Presentation Day in  Detroit, Michigan.
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Cofield, C. & Hazard Vallerand, A. (2018, September). The effects of a  martial arts intervention on reducing chronic pain in adolescents with sickle  cell disease. Oral poster presented at Wayne State University’s School of  Medicine 2018 RoBust Fall Symposium in Detroit, Michigan.
 
Cofield-Walker, C. & Hazard Vallerand, A. (2017, April). The effects of a  martial arts intervention on reducing chronic pain in adolescents with sickle  cell disease. Poster presented at The Annual Conference on Pain in Novi,  Michigan.
 
Cofield-Walker, C. & Hazard Vallerand, A. (2017, April). The effects of a  martial arts intervention on reducing chronic pain in adolescents with sickle  cell disease. Poster presented at Wayne State University’s College of  Nursing’s Urban Health Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

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My philosophy of teaching brings together perspectives gained as a practicing bedside nurse,  researcher, and an educator of nurses who are entering the profession. I believe that my obligation is to the student, the profession of nursing, and  the patients. We, as educators, must have the highest expectations for each  student in a nursing program. The job of the educator is to foster each  student’s abilities through encouragement of the student’s inquiry,  dedication, and hard work, which are keys to success. My approach to teaching  varies depending on the level of the student. Although each student has his  or her own experiences, talents, and interests, it is the educator’s  responsibility to recognize these individual attributes in each student to  facilitate the student’s learning. All learners are unique in their learning  styles and a curriculum that incorporates each style of learning is important  to the success of the learner. Combining the foundations of nursing and the  student’s individual talent, leads to the best educational outcomes. Emphasis  on a student-centered learning environment is key to the teaching, learning,  and student success. As a nurse educator it is important to provide a safe  learning environment so that students can freely exchange ideas and unique  perspectives and openly ask questions to allow growth. A question from the  student can lead the instructor to assist the student in understanding the  topic or may lead both the instructor and the student to search for the  answer. An instructor must be unafraid to say, “I don’t know.” This makes the  instructor less intimidating and more approachable to the student. Saying, “I  don’t know,” and then going through the process of finding the answer demonstrates problem solving for the student, and introduces the concept of  life-long learning.
 
Ultimately, it is my role as the teacher to make my expectations for learning  clear, but it is the responsibility of the student to meet those expectations  to the best of their ability. I encourage students to give me feedback on the  format and content of the clinical day to make sure it meets their needs. I  also reflect on how I could have done things differently after the clinical  day is done. Daily reflection is imperative to improve in teaching. As a  nurse educator it is essential to provide an example for good nursing skill,  judgement, collegial interaction, and bedside manner which resonates deeply  with the student and remains with them in their future practice.
 
Teaching is a continual, life-long process of learning from students,  colleagues, and evidence-based research. As educators we not only facilitate  learning in our students, but also in ourselves with an openness to continued  growth. In the constantly changing world of health care, understanding the  need for continued learning to maintain current knowledge is essential.  Teaching is sharing a part of oneself and I am confident in my skills as a  teacher. I believe students benefit from working with me and I benefit from  working with them. There is always more to learn in nursing and I strive to share this message of lifelong learning with students.

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My area of scholarship is adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Chronic pain in this population occurs daily from a known disease process that is not curable. The objectives of my dissertation were to investigate mindfulness martial arts in adolescents with chronic pain from SCD and extend current knowledge in chronic pain research by addressing the gap in perceived control over pain in adolescents with chronic pain from SCD. My research site was anon-profit organization called Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC). KKC uses a mindfulness martial arts program with pediatric cancer patients and is now providing the program for patients experiencing pain due to SCD. The purpose of my graduate study was to explore the experience of adolescents with chronic pain from SCD who were attending the Kids Kicking Cancer mindfulness martial arts program in Southfield, Michigan.To also contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession, I will advocate for diverse patients with SCD by expanding my research interest and with publications.

2018 Wayne State  University King Chavez Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Award
2018 Ailene C. Ewell Scholarship Award
2017-2018 Wayne State University Rumble Fellowship Award
2015-2016 Wayne State University Diversity Fellowship Award
2010 Elks Lodge Scholarship Award
2004 & 2010 University of Detroit Mercy – Dean’s Scholar Award
2009 University of Detroit Mercy – Robert Wood Johnson Nursing Scholarship
2003 Michigan Health Executives Group Associates - Scholarship Award
2003 University of Detroit Mercy - Lee Holmberg Student Achievement Award

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