Molly M. Scanlon, PhD, FAIA, FACHA, a post-doctoral research associate in the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, won first place in the National Spirituality and Public Health Student Essay Contest.
The essay contest is intended to foster broader awareness of the vast evidence base on religion and spirituality and health, and its relevance to public health as a field.
Dr. Scanlon received a $1,000 prize for her winning essay, titled, “Our Common Home: Embracing religious and spiritual tenets to advance a new model for environmental health research and education.”
Dr. Scanlon’s current research at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health focuses on occupational stress in registered nurses and how to reduce nursing stress through health promoting behaviors.
“Nurses under duress work excessive hours and are 3 times more likely to commit clinical errors resulting in negative patient outcomes,” said Dr. Scanlon. Determining risk factors and targeting interventions will improve nurses’ health and well-being, in addition to improving patient care outcomes, and reduce overall healthcare costs.”
Second and third place in the essay contest went to Kennadiid Abdulla from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and Edward Nelson Kankaka from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health respectively.
