Loretta SeccoLoretta Secco, RN, BScN, MN, PhD

Contact information

Loretta Secco
Professor
Interim Assistant Dean of Research and Faculty Development
Phone: (506) 458-7645
Fax: (506) 453-4519
Email

   


Education summary:

  • PhD (Community Health Sciences) University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, 1997
  • MN (Community Health Nursing) University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, 1988
  • BScN St Francis Xavier University, 1978

Key area(s) of interest/expertise:

  • Parenting & Child Health – mothering competence, intimate partner violence, and difficult child behaviour
  • Instrumentation and Quantitative research
  • Nursing Information/Informatics

Research, grants & publications summary

  • 2012 - A Faculty Development Pilot to Implement Virtual Clinical Excursion in a Maternity Clinical Course, principal applicant with co-applicants K. Wilson, D Bulman and K Day (Atlantic Region Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, $2000.000).
  • 2012 - 14 - Student Technology Fund (STF) Application for a Two-Year Nursing Central Pilot for Information Support, principal applicant (UNB Student Technology Fund, VP Academic, and Dean of Nursing, $56,001.10).
  • 2010-2011 - Phase I: Pilot Evaluation of a Virtual Clinical Experience (VCE) Among Senior Nursing Students, Principal Investigator with Co-Investigators: D Bulman and K Wilson (Sigma Theta Tau International, Technology Grant, $4879).
  • 2009 – 2012 - Sustained Telephone Peer Support for Mothers with Postpartum Depression Co-Applicant with Dr. Nicole Letourneau (PA), with Co Applicants from U of T, UNB, U of A, and Dal with Decision Makers, Province of New Brunswick, (CIHR; PHSI Partnerships for Health Systems Improvement, $536,879).
  • 2009-2010 - Postpartum Depression: Screening and Interventions in the Maritimes. Co-Investigator with N. Letourneau (PI) and other Co-I’s(L. Duffett-Leger, C. Brannen, K., Critchley, L. Secco, C. Dennis) (CIHR Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant, $14,642).
  • 2009 - Pain in People with Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review, Temple (PI); Yu, MacMillan Kepron (U of M) and decision makers from St Amant Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, (CIHR Knowledge Synthesis Grant Application, $39,685).
  • 2009 - Supporting Mothers’ Engagement in Community-Based Methadone Treatment, N Letourneau and G Munn (Co-Principal Applicants) with team of researchers and practitioners/decision makers from UNBSJ, Ridgewood Addictions, and District B (Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation, Health Promotion Research Fund, $ 29,895.23)
  • 2007 - 2011 - Evaluation of the Island Community Justice Society, CATCH – Children At the Critical Hour (Restorative Justice Program for Children Under 12 Years of Age), funded by Island Justice Community Society, Sydney, Cape Breton
  • 2005 – 2009 - Supporting mother-infant Relationships Affected by Intimate Partner Violence, funded by CIHR, with Letourneau (PI), and CO-Investigators: Hughes (Dal), Critchley (UPEI), Gill and Willms (UNB), and Sewart (Univ of Alberta)
  • 2005- 2007 -An Evidence-based Pilot Project: The Influence of Information-Laden Handheld Computers on Computer Competence, Information Sources and Stress Levels of Nursing Students, completed data collection, funded by St FX Start-Up Grant, Role: Research Leader and Mentor for PI (Jamieson, CBU) and research team (Profit, Bailey, Brennick, (CBU); Whitty-Rogers, MacIsaac (ST FX).

Peer reviewed publications:

  • Secco, M.L., Nancy Doiron-Maillet, N., Amirault , D. & Furlong, K. (Under Review). Evaluation of Nursing Central© as an Information Tool: Part I: Student Learning. Nursing Education Perspectives
  • Secco, M.L., Nancy Doiron-Maillet, N., Amirault , D. & Furlong, K. (Under Review). Evaluation of Nursing Central© as an Information Tool: Part II: Clinical Instruction. Nursing Education Perspectives
  • Secco, M.L., Bulman, D., & Wilson, K. (Submitted). Pilot Evaluation of a Virtual Clinical Excursion (VCE) Among Senior Nursing Students: Part I Quantitative Findings, Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics
  • Secco, M.L., Bulman, D., & Wilson, K. (Submitted). Pilot Evaluation of a Virtual Clinical Excursion (VCE) Among Senior Nursing Students: Part II Qualitative Findings, Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics.
  • Letourneau, N., Young Morris, C., Stewart, M., Hughes, J., Critchley, K, & Secco, L. (Under review). Social Support for Mothers and their Young Children affected by Intimate Partner Violence, Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
  • Letourneau, N., Young, C., Secco, L. Hughes, J., & Critchley, K. (Under Review). Mother-child interactions and child development affected by intimate partner violence. 

    Published

  • Temple, B., Dube, C, McMillan, D., Secco, L., Yu, D., Kepron, E. Dittberner, K., Ediger, J., & Vipond, G. (2012).  Pain in People with Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 18(1), 73-86. http://www.oadd.org/docs/41011_JoDD_18-1_73-86_Temple_et_al.pdf
  • Letourneau, L., Young, C., Hughes, J, Secco, L. & Stewart, M. (2011). Supporting Mothering: Service Providers’ Perspectives of Mothers and Infants Affected by Intimate Partner Violence. Research in Nursing and Health, 34, 192-203.
  • Secco, M.L., Jamieson, B., Profit, S., Bailey, J., Brennick, D., Whitty-Rogers, J., & MacIsaac, A. (2010). A survey of nursing students’ perspectives on use of Nursing Central (C) on clinical learning. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 5(3), 2 – 20.
  • Jamieson, B., Profit, S., Bailey, J., Brennick, D., Whitty-Rogers, J., MacIsaac, A., & Secco, M.L. (2009). An Evidence-based Pilot Project: The Influence of Information-Laden Handheld Computers on Computer Competence, Information Sources, and Stress Levels of Nursing Students, Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 4(4), 3 – 34.
  • Secco, M.L., Jamieson, B., Profit, S.,Bailey, S., Brennick, D., Whitty-Rogers, J. & MacIsaac, A. (2009). Psychometric features of the Nursing Information Use Scale with a Sample of Nursing Students. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 4(1), 3–21.
  • Woodgate, R., Secco, M. L., Ateah, C. (2008). Living in a World of Our Own: The Experience of Parents Who Have a Child with Autism. Qualitative Health Research, 18(8), 1075-1083.
  • Feldman, M., McDonald, L., Serbin, L., Stack, D., Secco, M.L., & Yu, C.T. (2007). Predictors of Depressive Symptoms in Primary Caregivers of Young Children with or At-Risk for Developmental Delay. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51(8), 606-619.
  • Secco, M.L., Kennedy, E., Profit, S., Walsh, A., Letourneau, N., & Stewart, M. (2007). Factors influencing postpartum depression among adolescent mothers. Journal of Gynecological Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing, 36(1), 47-54.
  • Secco, M.L., Askin, D. & Yu, D. Garinger, J., Scharf, L., Schwartzman, L., Serban, L, MacDonald, L. & Feldman, M. (2006). Factors affecting parenting stress among biologically vulnerable toddlers. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 29(3), 131-156.
  • Secco, M.L., Woodgate, R., Hodgson, A., Kowalski, S., Plouffe, J., Rothney, P., Sawatzky-Dickson, D., & Suderman, E. (2006). A survey study of pediatric nurses’ use of information sources, Computers Informatics Nursing, 24(2), 105-112

Non peer reviewed publications:

  • Secco, M L (2008). (commentary). Parenting interventions for the prevention of unintentional injuries in childhood. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007, Evidence-Based Nursing 11(3), 73.
  • Secco, M L & Walsh, A. (2007). (commentary). Weak infant sucking in the first 8 weeks, reliance on breastfeeding for 9 months, small feeds, and difficulties in weaning were associated with failure to thrive. Evidence-Based Nursing, 10(3), 90.).
  • Jamieson, B & Secco, M L (2006). (structured abstract and commentary). The use of personal digital assistants at the point of care in an undergraduate nursing program by Goldsworthy, S., Lawrence, N., & Goodman, W. Computers, Informatics and Nursing 2006; 24(3), 138-143, Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 1(3). http://www.cnia.ca/journal/volume1_no3a.html.
  • Secco, L. Profit, S, & Letourneau, N. (2006). (Commentary). A self directed behavioural family intervention with telephone consultations improved toddler behaviour and parenting skills. Evidence-Based Nursing, 9(4), 106.
  • Secco, M.L, Kennedy, E, & Profit, S. (2006) (Structured abstract and commentary). Falls in hospitalized patients. Can nursing information systems predict falls? By Giles, LC et al., (Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 24(3), 167-172, Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 1(2). http://www.cnia.ca/journal/volume1_no2g.html 

Volunteer/service work

2010 - present: Board Member, Muriel McQueen Furgusson Centre on Family Violence

2010 - present: Member, O'Brien Foundation Evaluation Committee

2007 - 2011:   CATCH (Children at the Critical Hour) Program Management Committee, Island Justice Community Society, Sydney, NS