Cincinnati, OH - Three University Hospital nurses recently became among the first individuals in the nation to receive the J. Patrick Barnes Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Grant from the DAISY Foundation.

The DAISY Foundation is widely known for its DAISY Award, which recognizes extraordinary nurses in medical facilities across the nation. The grant, launched this year, provides funding for research and evidence-based practice projects that seek to impact treatment of patients with auto-immune diseases and cancer. Jennifer Hester, R.N., D.N.P.; Scott Looney, R.N.; and Kyra Whitmer, Ph.D., R.N.; will use the funds to study the effectiveness of a protocol to prevent and treat mouth sores caused by chemotherapy.

"Mouth sores caused by chemotherapy can result in major complications and can have a profound effect on quality of life," says Hester. "They can cause pain, infection and difficulty talking and eating. Patients don't always receive much guidance on basic mouth care during chemotherapy treatment partly because there are no clear guidelines for patients to follow. We hope to clarify the issue so health care providers are able to provide their patients with mouth care information that is based on real research."

The DAISY Foundation was formed in 2000 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ( an auto-immune disease in which the body creates antibodies that destroy its own platelets.) For more information, visit www.daisyfoundation.org .

University Hospital is part of the Health Alliance, an integrated health care delivery system of physicians and hospitals serving Greater Cincinnati. University Hospital provides care for more than 500,000 patients per year with primary care and specialized inpatient and outpatient care services. University Hospital is home to the area's only adult Level I Trauma Center, accredited helicopter ambulance service and multi-solid organ transplant center. The hospital is consistently ranked in U.S.News & World Report's annual guide to America's Best Hospitals. To view other Health Alliance news releases, go to www.health-alliance.com/pressroom .

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