Kari Firestone, Walla Walla University (WWU) professor of nursing and associate dean of the WWU School of Nursing, presented the annual WWU Distinguished Faculty Lecture in November on the WWU campus.
Firestone’s lecture, “Lost voices: A biopsychosocial perspective on chronic pain,” addressed the significant health problem of chronic pain in the United States and issues such as what is chronic pain; can thoughts, emotions and behaviors really influence pain; and how can we challenge long-held assumptions about chronic pain and approaches to treatment.
After graduating from WWU in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Firestone worked directly with those in pain before completing a Master of Science in Nursing degree from California's Loma Linda University in 2006. In 2016, she completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in nursing science at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Firestone’s clinical and academic interests have centered on advancing health for children and families, with particular focus on enhancing quality of life through management of chronic illness, symptoms and pain. In addition to her master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation, which both focus on pain management, Firestone has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on the topic for journals such as Communicating Nursing Research and the Journal of Pain.
She is the recipient of grants from the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, the American Nurses Foundation and the Society of Pediatric Nurses. Her current research focuses on provider perceptions of access to care and treatment priorities for pediatric chronic-pain patients in rural communities.
Watch a recording of the lecture at www.wallawalla.edu/DFL.
Kari Firestone, Walla Walla University (WWU) professor of nursing and associate dean of the WWU School of Nursing
