Loralee Sessanna, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, Faith Community Nurse, Caritas Coach, Caritas Leader
Clinical Professor
ADDRESS:
School of Nursing
University at Buffalo
212 Wende Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214-3079
PHONE: 716-829-3913
EMAIL: ls33@buffalo.edu
The motivation and passion for my work in holistic nursing and patient care practice is grounded in the experiences that I have had taking care of family, friends, patients and their loved ones. The lessons that I learned from having the privilege and honor of caring for others has profoundly impacted my life both as a nurse and as a fellow human being.
Loralee Sessanna is a clinical professor for the School of Nursing. She has dedicated her life and nursing career to holistic care. Sessanna believes compassion, empathy, kindness, unconditional love, authenticity and patience and respecting and valuing the beauty of everyone’s unique talents and differences reinforces the need and importance of caring for the “whole who.”
Sessanna was part of a UBSON team that started the interprofessional partnership between UBSON and Millennium Collaborative Care for the national Million Hearts® initiative. The partnership began with a UBSON undergraduate course, “Health Promotion and Disease Prevention with Populations” that she co-taught with SON faculty. The course is designed to teach nursing students how to improve health outcomes among underserved populations. As a result of the collaborative partnership, nursing students gain valuable experience working alongside other health-related professions to provide free health care screenings multiple times a year throughout the Buffalo community.
- DNS, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, 2006 (converted to PhD, Fall 2021)
- Master of Nursing Science, D'Youville College, 2000
- Bachelor of Nursing Science, D'Youville College, 1998
- AAS Nursing, Trocaire College, 1987
- Community health nursing
- Faith community nursing
- Spirituality
- Holistic nursing and patient care
- Mindfulness
- End-of-life care
- NSG 311 Family Nursing
- NSG 370 Nursing as a Profession
- NSG 378 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention within Populations
- NSG 410 Public Health Nursing
- NSG 481 Concepts of Acute Care Practicum
- NGC 638 Program Evaluation
- NGC 520 Scientific Writing
- NGC 692 Seminar in Grantsmanship
- NGC 701 State of Nursing Science
- NGC 728 Advanced DNP Didactic Practicum I
- NGC 729 Advanced DNP Didactic Practicum II
- NGC 798 DNP Project Course I
- NGC 799 DNP Project Course II
Askew, Y., Pomeroy, S., & Sessanna, L. (in process). Faith community nursing connections: A mixed methods study. Geriatric Nursing.
Brown, K. D., Sessanna, L., & Paplham, P. (2020). Nurse practitioners’ and nurse practitioner students’ LGBT health perceptions. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(4), 262-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.12.028
Julien, D., Sessanna, L., & Campbell, N. (2020). A comparative analysis of testosterone therapy and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor monotherapy and combined therapy in men with erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels. Urologic Nursing, 40(1), 11-21.https://doi.org/10.7257/1053-816X.2020.40.1.11
Lorenz, R. A., Auerbach, S., Nisbet, P., Sessanna, L., Alanazi, N., Lach, H., Newland, P., Fisher, N., Pandey, K., Thomas, F. P., & Chang, Y. P. (2020). Improving sleep among adults with multiple sclerosis using mindfulness plus sleep education. Western Journal of Nursing Research. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920947409
Sessanna, L., Askew, Y., & Pomeroy, S. (2020). Faith community nursing practice and holistic nursing practice: A comprehensive and inclusive comparison of both specialties. Journal of Holistic Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010120928620
Sessanna, L., Nisbet, P., Alanazi, N., Lorissanit, D., Auerbach, S., Chang, Y.P., and Lorenz, R. (2020). The experience of participating in an 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction plus sleep retraining course among women living with multiple sclerosis. Clinical Nursing Research, https://doi.org/10.1177/1054773820958125
Chang, Y.-P., Sessanna, L., & Schneider, K. J. (2017). The applicability of the decisional conflict scale in nursing home placement decision among Chinese family caregivers: A mixed methods approach. Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal, 2(3), 110-120. doi:10.9741/23736658.1064
Iverson, A., & Sessanna, L. (2012). Utilizing Watson's Theory of Human Caring and Watson's Emacipatory Pedagogy to educate hospital-based multidisciplinary healthcare providers about hospice. International Journal of Human Caring, 16(4), 43-48.
Abbotoy, J., & Sessanna, L. (2012). Hands-on BCMA education for direct care nurses. Nursing Management, 43(11), 15-18.
Sessanna, L., Finnell, D. B., Underhill, M., Chang, Y., & Peng, H. (2011). Measures assessing spirituality as more than religiosity: A methodological review of nursing and health related literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(8), 1677-1694.
Chang, Y. P., Wray, O. L., Sessanna, L., & Peng, H. L. (2011). Use of prescription opioid medication among community-dwelling older adults with noncancer chronic pain. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 22, 1-6.
Finnell, D. S., Jezewski, M. A., Meeker, M. A., Wu, Y. W., Sessanna, L., & Lee, J. (2011). Applying the Transtheoretical Model to health care proxy completion. Medical Decision Making, 31(2), 254-259.
Chang, Y. P., Schneider, J. K., & Sessanna, L. (2011). Decisional conflict among Chinese family caregivers regarding nursing home placement of loder adults with dementia. Journal of Aging Studies, 25(4), 436-444.
Carey, M. Al-Zaiti, S., Dean, G., Sessanna, L., & Finnell, D. (2011). Sleep problems, depression, substance use, social bonding, and quality of life in professional firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(8), 928-933.
Sessanna, L. (2010). End of life care needs and preferences among independent community dwelling older adults: A secondary analysis. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 12(6), 360-369.*
Jezewski, M.A., Finnell, D.S., Meeker, M.A., Wu, Y.W., Sessanna, L., & Lee, J. (2009). Psychometric testing of four Transtheoretical Model questionnaires for the behavior, completing health care proxies. Research in Nursing & Health, 32(6), 606-620.*
Sessanna, L., & Jezewski, M.A. (2008). Advance directive decision making among community dwelling well older adults: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 27(4), 486-510.*
- Excellence in Clinical Scholarship Award, UB School of Nursing, 2020
- Second Place, Faculty Posters, School of Nursing Virtual Poster Session, Fall 2020 (Undergraduate Student Nurse Perceptions of Participating in an Interprofessional Two-Day Global Health Experience)
- Mecca S. Cranley Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, 2017
- Keynote Speaker for School of Nursing Convocation, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, Fall 2010
- Keynote Speaker for Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society Beta Class Induction Ceremony, University at Buffalo, 2009
- Dean's Mentor Award, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, Spring 2010
- Patricia H. Garman Behavioral Health Nursing Endowment Award, University at Buffalo ,School of Nursing, Spring 2010
- Doctor of Nursing Science Petsan Scholarship Award, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, 2002-2006
- Caritas Coach, Caritas Leader, Dr. Jean Watson & Watson Caring Science Institute (2023)
- Member, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Member, American Holistic Nurses Association
- Member, WNY Chapter of the American Holistic Nurses Association
- Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society
- Member, Professional Nurses Association of WNY
- Board Certified Advanced Holistic Nurse (AHN-BC), American Holistic Nurses Association
- Trained, Faith Community Nurse
- Trained, Mindfulness
- Trained, ELNEC Trainer (EOL)
- Trained, Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master
Current
COMPARING TWO WAYS TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH AMONG ADULTS FROM UNDERSERVED AND RACIAL MINORITY COMMUNITIES
Term: 2020-2021
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Yu-Ping Chang)
Funding Source: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Award Amount: $2,500,000
Faith Community Nursing (FCN) Connections
Term: June 2017 to December 2020
Role: Research Consultant (PI: Yvonne Askew)
Funding Source: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Award Amount: $35,000
Abstract: A pilot program exploring the role of the FCN as a caregiver-primary care physician liaison in helping caregivers manage patients with chronic disease through in-home visits.
Completed
Mindfulness Based on Stress Reduction Plus Sleep Retraining to Improve Depressive Symptoms Among Adult with Multiple Sclerosis
Term: 2018-2019
Role: Co-Investigator (in kind) (PI: Robecca Lorenz)
Funding Source: University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, Garman Award
The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Pain Patients
Term: 2017-2019
Role: Study Team Member, Intervention Coordinator (PI: Yu-Ping Chang)
Funding Source: University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, Garman Award