Susan Gaskins, DSN, ACRN

Professor
205.348.1027
sgaskins@bama.ua.edu

Dr. Gaskins received a BSN from the Medical College of Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University), an MPH from the University of Pittsburgh, and a DSN from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her background is Community/Public Health Nursing and she has worked in Public Health, Home Health, and Hospice Care. She teaches NUR 502: Issues in Community Health Nursing for Rural Populations in the masters program, NUR 731: Philosophical, Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing, and NUR 735: Population Health in Advanced Nursing Practice in the DNP Program. She also teaches a Freshman Seminar entitled AIDS: the Evolving Pandemic. Additionally she coordinates a cultural exchange program for nursing students with Chiba University in Japan. Her research focuses on psychosocial issues related to HIV/AIDS, especially stigma and disclosure. Currently she is Co-Investigator in Dr. Beverly Thorn's (PI) NIH funded study, Cognitive Behavioral Chronic Pain Trial Among Rural Minorities and non-Minorities. Her role is working with students to rate treatment sessions on therapist competence and adherence to protocol. Dr. Gaskins is an AIDS Certified RN, and serves as a Director-at-Large on the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board. She has been the recipient of the Capstone College of Nursing’s Board of Visitors Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award, and the Alabama League for Nursing Lamplighter Award. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the American Nurses Association, and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC). She serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC).