About

Sefcik is a recipient of a 3-year K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Nursing Research. Her project is titled, “A Person-Centered Environmental and Sensory Intervention for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia who Exhibit Persistent Vocalizations”. This project aims to test the acceptability and feasibility of using a person-centered nature-based intervention in the nursing home setting. Working with several interdisciplinary research teams to date, Sefcik has several publications on topics important to the field of gerontology including: behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, care of persons living with dementia and their caregivers, innovative interventions to support frail older adults and post-acute care decision-making. Sefcik is a nationally recognized expert, author, presenter and researcher.
Sefcik completed her PhD in Nursing (2017) at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) School of Nursing where she was a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellow (F31), a 2012-2014 National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Patricia G. Archbold Scholar and a Jonas Hartford Scholar. She also completed a Master of Bioethics degree simultaneously at the Penn School of Medicine. Sefcik’s dissertation topic was informed from her nursing practice in long term care and was titled “A Multi-Methods Observational Study of Persistent Vocalizations in Nursing Home Residents with Advanced Dementia". One of her dissertation papers, titled “Nursing Home Residents with Advanced Dementia and Persistent Vocalisations: Observations of Surrounding Context”, was selected for the 2020 International Journal of Older People Nursing Award for Outstanding Methodological Innovation in Gerontological Nursing Research.

Organizational Affiliations

Doctoral Nursing, Nursing (Graduate), College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University

Past Affiliations

University of Pennsylvania (United States, Philadelphia)

Education

SUNY Oneonta (United States, Oneonta) - SUCO
BA
Nursing
AS, State University of New York at Delhi (United States, Delhi)
Nursing Administration
BS/MS, State University of New York (United States, Albany) - SUNY
Bioethics/Nursing Research
MBE/PhD, University of Pennsylvania (United States, Philadelphia)