Low Country Profiles
Dr. Susan Newman, PhD, RN
LowcountryBizSC:
What is your educational background?
Dr. Susan Newman:
My educational journey has not exactly been a straight line. I entered Clemson University as a pre-veterinary major, however, after living in Germany for a year I ended up taking a different path and graduated with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts (BFA) in photography. I intended to get into advertising photography but decided the advertising world was not my cup of tea. Much to my parent's dismay, I became a bartender for a short time after college, but during that time I met several people who were saving up to attend either medical or nursing school. A career in nursing really appealed to me as a meaningful career path, so I went back to school for nursing, earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 1995, and have never looked back.
LowcountryBizSC:
Give an overview of your nursing career.
Dr. Susan Newman:
I have worked in the rehabilitation specialty of nursing for over 15 years, working with patients dealing with serious disabling conditions such as stroke, head trauma, spinal cord injury, and amputations. During my time working as a nurse in the rehabilitation hospital, I developed a particular fondness for working with people with spinal cord injuries. Many of these patients had sustained this life altering injury at the most productive times in their lives and the combination of physical and psychological issues associated with spinal cord injury can be especially challenging for them to overcome. Our goal in rehabilitation is to help people learn and believe that they can lead independent lives and be productive members of society, even with a new disability. That is the focus of my research now that I no longer work in the clinical setting.
LowcountryBizSC:
Why did you decide to pursue a doctoral degree?
Dr. Susan Newman:
I loved working in the clinical setting, but I wanted a new challenge. I had no desire to go into hospital management and decided I would like to teach nursing at a University. In 2008, I was the first graduate of a new BSN to Ph.D. in Nursing program offered by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Although my initial goal was to teach, I fell in love with research and thought that this was where I could potentially have a greater positive effect on people's health and lives.
LowcountryBizSC:
What is your title now?
Dr. Susan Newman:
I am now an Assistant Professor at the College of Nursing at MUSC.
LowcountryBizSC:
Talk about your unique research program.
Dr. Susan Newman:
In a bit of serendipity, I was able to blend my art and nursing backgrounds in my research by using a participatory research method called Photovoice. This involves giving people cameras so they can photograph the world from their perspective. In addition to taking photos, Photovoice really provides a platform for shared learning and discussion with the ultimate goal of creating positive change in the community in partnership with the people who live there. As a rehab nurse, I thought - How cool would it be to see the community through the eyes of someone with a spinal cord injury, of someone who uses a wheelchair? What could we learn that might enable us to better understand our patients' experiences outside the rehab hospital and help them become more independent? What was working well in the community and what was not?
I began the Photovoice project by developing a partnership with the disAbility Resource Center, a Center for Independent Living in Charleston. Together we recruited ten people with spinal cord injury to participate in the project. The team went out into the community with cameras and three tasks: take pictures of barriers that prevent you from doing what you want to do; take pictures of things that help you do what you want to do; and document a day in your life. After they completed their photo assignment, I followed up by interviewing the participants about their photographs, to learn the story behind the photo and give it "voice".
LowcountryBizSC:
What conclusions did you draw from the photos and interviews?
Dr. Susan Newman:
The project was incredibly educational for me. I became aware of many aspects of living with a disability in the community that I had no clue about, such as wheelchair lifts on accessible vans, inaccessible doctor's offices, and the problems with accessible parking. On the positive side, the participants photographed the inspiring people around them, their peers, family and friends who made life more manageable and enjoyable. Many used to opportunity to share "tricks of the trade" – things they had learned to do to become more independent. On the negative side, Photovoice uncovered numerous barriers to an independent life in the physical environment. Without curb cuts or ramps, people in wheelchairs have limited access to most of the places they want to go. One participant photographed a set of stairs at a local pub and added the caption, "These stairs lead the way to interaction with my friends. There is no ramp. These stairs are my enemy." Another showed a car parked on the blue hash marks beside a participant's wheelchair accessible van. People are just not aware that the blue hash marks define an access area to open the van's lift so the people can get in or out of their vans! The participant had to wait for the owner of the car parked beside her to return before she could get into her vehicle.
Readers can see some of the photos that came out of the Photovoice project in our online book (see it below) entitled, From Where I Sit. Also on YouTube.
LowcountryBizSC:
Where did you go from there?
Dr. Susan Newman:
The ultimate goal of our project was to effect positive community change, to use the evidence we gathered to advocate for people with disabilities. One important issue our group decided to tackle was the misuse of accessible or "handicapped" parking. The Post and Courier (Charleston newspaper) became interested in our project and published a front-page story on us. Through the newspaper, we learned about a new bill to improve accessible parking that had been introduced in the State House but had not passed the previous two years. After documenting all the problems with accessible parking, our team was determined that this would not happen a third time. Representatives of the Photovoice team traveled to Columbia to present testimony, including data from the Photovoice project, to both SC House and Senate committees. Ultimately, the new bill was passed and signed into law by Governor Sanford on June 2, 2009 and on January 1, 2010, the SC Department of Motor Vehicles began issuing new placards and license plates for people with disabilities. In South Carolina, we now have more stringent accessible parking laws on the books and increased fines for violators. Most likely we were not the only reason the bill passed successfully this time, but I know our advocacy definitely helped. It was incredibly rewarding for everyone to see the results of research used to support advocacy so effectively.
[http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/jun/24/watchgroupweb45383/?print]
[http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/jan/29/parking_advocate69932/?print]
LowcountryBizSC:
It sounds like a very unique research program, one in which the participants are directly involved in the study.
Dr. Susan Newman:
[http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/nursing/cchp/documents/CBPR_Nov4_2009_Final.pdf]
This type of research provides a way to better understand the context of people's lives – where they live, work, play - and how this affects their health. Our research approach is called "community-based participatory research" (CBPR).. It's a collaborative process that empowers community members by acknowledging them as experts and engaging them as equal partners in the research team. Research is not conducted ON people; but WITH people. This is especially important to people with disabilities. They are the experts on what they need to live well in the community. I don't have a disability so I don't have that firsthand knowledge.
The increasing popularity of community-based participatory research is a direct result of the lack of sustainability of projects developed under the "traditional" research approach. What public health researchers have recognized is that the old system of the researcher "helicoptering" in to a community, telling the community what their problems were because the data showed this or that, implementing a research project to address that problem, collecting data, and leaving when the grant ended– often does not lead to sustainable outcomes. The old approach didn't take advantage of the vast expertise of the community that can help researchers develop health promotion programs that are truly relevant to the community, thus more likely to be sustainable because the community has taken ownership in the program through the participatory process.
LowcountryBizSC:
It sounds as though CBPR might be harder to implement.
Dr. Susan Newman:
CBPR can be more challenging because you share much of the decision making with community members who may not operate on the same schedule as us academic types. It can be difficult to organize at times, and you need to be really good at working in teams. But I love it! You get to develop great relationships, it's fun, and the outcomes are more relevant.
LowcountryBizSC:
How was this project funded?
Dr. Susan Newman:
Currently, we are funded by the National Institutes of Health . Our Photovoice project was funded by the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality and the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation.
LowcountryBizSC:
What other projects are you involved in?
Dr. Susan Newman:
I am continuing my work with the disAbility Resource Center. We are developing a project to help people with new spinal cord injuries learn how to navigate the community once they leave rehab. Going home can be overwhelming so we are developing a community based peer-navigator program so people have a support system when they leave the hospital. Right now we are just developing the program for the Lowcountry but hope the success of the project will set us up for a larger federally funded project with hopefully a much broader reach in South Carolina.
LowcountryBizSC:
What is your leadership style?
Dr. Susan Newman:
My leadership style is collaborative; I do not like to be in the spotlight. CBPR is a good fit for me. I like to organize a team, find the right people to help accomplish a goal.
LowcountryBizSC:
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
Dr. Susan Newman:
I have two horses and a barn. When I do have a bit of time off, I like to just hang out around the horses. I call it my "therapy". I also love getting out on the water in my kayak.
LowcountryBizSC:
What do feel South Carolina is doing well?
Dr. Susan Newman:
South Carolina has a rich history, great cultural opportunities, abundant natural beauty, and friendly people. I think we are doing a wonderful job at marketing the state as a great place to visit. Living in Charleston, I certainly appreciate what the tourism industry contributes to the state.
LowcountryBizSC:
In what areas would you like to see the state improve?
Dr. Susan Newman:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990]
I enjoy working in my area of research, but the challenges that we face are many. It's a common theme in our times, but the current lack of funding means there is simply not enough housing and transportation or other resources and support services for people with disabilities. In 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed, it was a huge step for the civil rights of people with disabilities. But we still have a long way to go. I would like to see South Carolina employers take the lead in hiring people with disabilities, for example. Many employers fear additional expenses hiring someone with a disability, but the ADA states that employers should allow "reasonable accommodation" if this helps a qualified person with a disability do the job. The cost is often much less than people think and furthermore, you have to factor in the economic cost to the state if someone with a disability can't work. Our unemployment rate is already bad enough!
Unless you have someone with a disability in your life as a family member, friend or colleague, this issue may be off of your radar. Our job is to help tell the story and to put it ON people's radar. I would like to see South Carolina become a leader in the promotion of the rights of all people, including the rights of people with disabilities.
