Vicki began working at Hope College in 2004 as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. She continues to teach and has held the curriculum and practicum director position since 2012. Classes she teaches include:

• Health Assessment
• Nursing Research Practicum
• Pathophysiology
• Family Nursing Theory and Practicum

Her other responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the nursing department's curriculum and program evaluation plan
• Coordinating the Assessment Technologies Institute program
• Coordinating student placements in agencies and affiliated organizations
• Serving as a representative on the Clinical Placement Consortium
• Planning and implementing new student orientation
• Mentoring part-time faculty
• Assisting with teaching assignments

Her research interests focus on increasing physical activity among sedentary, adolescent girls and psychometric assessment of psychosocial instruments used in adolescent research.

Vicki has previously worked as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and San Jose, California, and as a staff nurse at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. 

EDUCATION

• Ph.D., nursing, Michigan State University, 2016
• M.S., nursing, University of Michigan, 1994
• BSN, Calvin College, 1989

Honors, GRANTS and AWARDS

• “Exploring the Physical Activity Behavior of Adolescent Girls: A Mixed-Methods Study,” principal investigator, Faculty Collaborative Summer Research Grant, Jacob E. Nyenhuis Faculty Development Grant, 2017
• Dissertation Completion Fellowship: “The Conceptual, Operational, and Theoretical Basis of Physical Activity Self-Efficacy among Urban, Adolescent Girls,” Michigan State University Graduate School, 2016
• “Predicting Physical Activity among Urban Adolescent Girls: A Test of the Health Promotion Model,”
  principal investigator, American Nurses Foundation Grant – Society of Pediatric Nurses, 2015 ($5,000)
• Inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, 2015
• Ph.D. Jonas Nurse Scholar, Michigan State University College of Nursing, Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, 2014–2016
• “Evaluation of the Healthy Beginnings Ready For School Access to Healthcare Pilot Project,” principal investigator with Sonja Trent Brown, Hope College – Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Development Grant for Interdisciplinary Research, 2011 ($12,000)
• Excellence in Education Award, 2008
• Sigma Theta Tau International, Kappa Epsilon Chapter-At-Large, 2008

Select Conference Presentations:

• “Exploring the Physical Activity Behaviors of Adolescent Girls Using Activity Trackers: A Mixed-Methods Study,” poster presentation, Midwest Nursing Research Society 42nd Annual Conference, Cleveland, Ohio, 2018
• “Predicting Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: A Test of the Health Promotion Model,” poster presentation, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practicioners–Michigan Chapter, Spring Conference, Novi, Michigan, 2017
• “Deconstructing Physical Activity Self-Efficacy: A Critical Review of the Literature,” oral podium presentation, 43rd Sigma Theta Tau Biennial Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2015
• “Use of Motivational Interviewing to Increase Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: A Mixed Methods Analysis,” poster presentation, 143rd American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 2015
• “Application of the Health Promotion Model in Motivational Interviewing Sessions to Promote Physical Activity among Adolescent Girls,” oral podium presentation with Dr. Lorraine Robbins and Dr. Jying Ling (Michigan State University College of Nursing), 143rd American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 2015
• “Effect of Physical Activity Interventions for Girls on Objectively Measured Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials,” poster presentation, 39th Midwest Nursing Research Society Annual Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2015

PUBLISHED WORK

• “A school- and home-based intervention to improve adolescents’ physical activity and healthy eating: A pilot study,” Journal of School Nursing, advance online publication, 2018
• “Intervention effects of ‘Girls on the Move’ on increasing physical activity,” Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 1–8, 2018
• “Comparing the psychometric properties of two physical activity self-efficacy instruments in urban, adolescent girls: Validity, measurement invariance, and reliability,” Frontiers in Psychology, 8(1301), 2017
• “Effect of physical activity interventions for girls on objectively measured outcomes: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials,” Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 31(1), 2017
• “The Conceptual, Operational, and Theoretical Basis of Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Among Adolescent Girls” (doctoral dissertation), Michigan State University, 2016
• “Chronic student absenteeism: The critical role of school nurses,” NASN School Nurse, 31(3), 2016
• “Biological and sociocultural differences in perceived barriers to physical activity among fifth- to seventh-grade urban girls,” Nursing Research, 64(5), 2015
• “Youth physical activity self-efficacy: A concept analysis,” Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(9), 2015

Why I Love Hope

Vicki loves teaching at Hope because she gets to know students on a personal level. Hope has an excellent nursing program which attracts high caliber students that go on to be leaders in the nursing profession and she considers it an honor to participate in their education.

Outside of Hope

Vicki lives in Holland with her husband, Jeff, daughter, Olivia, and son, Matthew. She is passionate about physical activity and enjoys running and walking her dog, Barkely, a Wheaten Terrier.