Thank you for your visit!

 

Thank you for visiting TheComfortLine.com! On this site you will find many resources that explain the Comfort Theory (CT), define the concepts, offer downloadable articles, and demonstrate how the theory can be used in practice. There is also a section for Frequently Asked Questions and descriptions of how CT evolved. Please use the links at the top of the main page for a variety of navigation options.

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Where is Dr. Kolcaba now?

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Currently she is retired as Associate Professor, Emeritus from University of Akron. She and her husband reside in Northeast Ohio where they enjoy being near their children and grandchildren. Hobbies include gardening, walking, reading, traveling, and volunteering. She founded and coordinated a parish nurse program in an underserved, inner city neighborhood. She and her husband adopted a sweet mini-Schnauzer during the COVID pandemic and love taking her to various parks near and far. Jenny brings them comfort every day.

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For several years Dr. Kolcaba has been working with Dr. April Bice-Braswell, a PhD prepared pediatric nurse practitioner, Associate Professor, and promoter of Comfort Theory. Dr. Kolcaba is presently enjoying a lengthy retirement with her husband. Dr. Bice-Braswell has taken over many more responsibilities regarding the utilization and dissemination of CT. Her background and interests are now included on TheComfortLine and she should be the primary contact for questions and invitations (e-mails below).  

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The evolution of a Collegial Relationship

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You might be wondering how Dr. Braswell got so involved with Comfort Theory? In 2013, she contacted Dr. Kolcaba as a PhD candidate and a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Bice-Braswell wanted to use Comfort Theory for her Dissertation study with children experiencing invasive procedures. So a meeting was arranged to discuss the possible ways to apply Comfort Theory and/or build more evidence to support the theory. Dr. Bice-Braswell decided on a qualitative comfort study which she later published. She then developed a pediatric holistic comfort storybook instrument for young children and has published a feasibility study on that as well. She is now in the midst of a psychometric study to examine validity and reliability of her storybook comfort measure.

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Dr. Kolcaba and Dr. Bice-Braswell have been working together ever since that first meeting, as she has been prolific in her program of research. Most of her work focuses on the enhancement of comfort in children and adolescents, especially after invasive procedures. Dr. Bice-Braswell is now an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and has received several awards for her work. In addition to helping Dr. Kolcaba navigate Facebook, she also helps with designing and revising the website <www.TheComfortLine.com>. She has collaborated with Dr. Kolcaba on national and international presentations and serves as a support and consultant to students and scientists interested in Comfort Theory all over the world. Dr. Kolcaba and Dr. Bice-Braswell have been truly blessed by their mentoring relationship over the years.

 

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