Introduction
Teaching Interests
Educational Background
Schedule

School of Nursing

Darlene Finocchiaro
Assistant Professor of Nursing

Office: ST 406
Phone: 323 - 343-5663
FAX: 323-343-6454
Email: dfinocc@calstatela.edu

INTRODUCTION

Darlene Finocchiaro has been an Assistant Professor of Nursing since summer 2009. Previously she was a Lecturere at CSULA since 1990. Rehabilitation, Spirituality and Medical Surgical nursing are Darlene's area of expertise. Darlene was a staff nurse at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey CA for 10 years, caring mostly for Spinal Cord Injury patients. Darlene has written a chapter on Spirituality for Rehabilitation Nursing, by Shirley Hoeman, published in 2008.. Darlene is a co-author of the published textbook (1998) Rehabilitation Nursing Practice. This fulfilled her goal of publishing a textbook for students on rehabilitation nursing. Professional involvement includes serving as past Secretary-Treasurer and Regional Director for the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Past President / Board member of the Nursing Alumni Association at CSULA, and past President and Board member of the Nu Mu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing.  Darlene received the Educator Role Award from the Association of Rehabilitation Nursing in 2002. Most recently she was voted by the senior class "School of Nursing,Undergraduate Professor of the Year, 2011."   Darlene received her PhD in Nursing in May 2011 at the University of San Diego. Darlene has presented the results of her dissertation study, Spiritual well-being and Quality of Life among Persons with Paraplegia at several educational conferences.

TEACHING INTERESTS

 Darlene  re-developed the nursing elective course "Assessment and Care of the Patient's Spiritual needs", (N480),which is offered during the Winter or Spring quarters. Darlene strongly feels that addressing a patient's spiritual needs during an illness can greatly affect a patient's recovery and outcome. She hopes to take this further by conducting additional research, looking at the use of spiritual interventions with patients, post her PhD, possibly writing a book on spirituality and illness. Darlene would also like to do research in the areas of pain,incontinence and pressure ulcer incidence and management with the spinal cord injury population.

Representative Professional Activities:  Reviewer for Rehabilitation Nursing Journal for the previous seven years.  Darlene is also a parish nurse at her local church and a certified rehabilitation nurse. Currently she is the chair of the Education special interest group of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.