Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice

Janie B. Butts, DSN, RN-The University of Southern Mississippi, School of Nursing, Mississippi

Janie B. Butts is Associate Professor at The University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and teaches classroom and online nursing courses at the doctoral, master's, and baccalaureate levels. Courses include ethics, advanced theory, advanced practice issues, professional development, research, and professional nursing practice. Dr. Butts has been elected to serve beginning in 2008 in the capacity of Consultant Editor for Nursing Ethics journal, an international journal with headquarters located in England. Current specific research interests include death and dying ethical issues. The most recent research is a content analysis on adult sibling loss. Dr. Butts' journal articles and book chapters include topics on ethics, her research, education, professional issues, and home care ethics, and she reviews for top nursing journals and book companies. Dr. Butts' doctoral degree is from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with an emphasis in nursing education and nursing science, and her master's degree is from the University of Mississippi at the Medical Center, Jackson, with an emphasis in adult health nursing and nursing management.

Karen L. Rich, PhD, RN-The University of Southern Mississippi, Long Beach, Mississippi

Karen L. Rich is an Assistant Professor at The University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing in Long Beach, Mississippi, where she teaches public health nursing, ethics, and professional development. Dr. Rich’s doctoral degree in nursing with an emphasis in ethics is from The University of Southern Mississippi. She has a master's in public health nursing from Louisiana State University and a post-master's in psychiatric-mental health nursing, nurse practitioner emphasis, from The University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Rich serves as a Consultant Editor for the international Nursing Ethics journal. She serves on the ethics committees of a large county hospital in Gulfport, Mississippi, and a private hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi. Dr. Rich has written a number of articles and book chapters about ethics and philosophy. Her special interests are communitarian ethics, virtue ethics, ethics in public health, Eastern philosophy and ethics, and critical thinking in nursing.