Research Overview

Dr. Walden is the Nurse Scientist Manager for the Nursing Research Department at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner with over 35 years of experience in caring for preterm and critically ill neonates. Dr. Walden holds an Adjunct Associate Professor appointment in the UAMS College of Nursing. Her research focuses on the assessment and management of pain in hospitalized neonates. Dr. Walden’s dissertation on pain assessment in extremely preterm neonates was awarded the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from The University of Texas at Austin. She has been the recipient of several research grants including serving as the Principal Investigator for a National Institute of Health grant examining the effects of sound, light, and sleep on pain response in preterm infants. Dr. Walden’s other research interests include heartbeat music therapy in pediatric palliative care, compassion fatigue in pediatric healthcare providers and the impact of animal-assisted therapy on hospitalized children. Dr. Walden is passionate about teaching and mentoring the nursing staff at ACH in research and evidence-based practice.