Faculty & Staff Directory
Virginia Prendergast, PhD, NP-C, FAAN
Virginia Prendergast, PhD, NP-C, FAAN, is the Director of Advanced Practice Nursing and Evidence-based Practice and the Director of International Neuroscience Nurse Fellowships at Barrow Neurological Institute. She also serves as the Course Director for the Nursing Symposium hosted at Barrow. Dr. Prendergast is board certified by the American Board of Neuroscience Nurses, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Dr. Prendergast’s expertise is rooted in the development of educational programs that span the continuum of neuroscience nursing—from novice to expert—and is internationally recognized for her leadership in neuroscience nursing education, research, and neurosurgical patient care. Dr. Prendergast is a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, the World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the National Honor Society for Nurses, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Nurses Association, and the Cochrane Collaboration for Oral Health.
Dr. Prendergast earned her PhD from the University of Lund in Sweden, her Master of Science in Nursing from Arizona State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of St. Teresa in Minnesota.
Dr. Prendergast’s tenure at Barrow has spanned more than 30 years, beginning with her time as a nurse in the neurosurgical ICU. In 2004, she developed a formal educational program to support nurses preparing for the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) examination; a program that remains in place to this day. As a result of Dr. Prendergast’s leadership, Barrow holds the distinction of employing the most CNRN nurses of any hospital in the U.S.
- PhD, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden, Health Science from Medical Faculty
- MSN, Arizona State University, 1988
- Graduate Neuroscience Nursing Program, Certificate Program, Barrow Neurological Institute, 1987
- BSN, College of St. Theresa, Winona, Minnesota, 1978
- Cochrane Collaboration, Oral Health Group Member
- Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
- World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses
- American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
- International Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, London, England
- American Nurses Association
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Sigma Theta Tau, National Honor Society for Nurses
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Nursing
- Editorial Board Member, World Journal of Critical Care Medicine
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Neurocritical Care
- National Healthcare Design Award Winner, Clinicians, Healthcare Design Foundation, 2023
- Transformational Leadership, Excellence in Nursing Leaders Award, Dignity Health, 2023
- Healthcare Hero Award Finalist, Nursing, Phoenix Business Journal, 2021
- Neuroscience Nurse Hero Award, Arizona Nurses Association, 2011
- Finalist, Healthcare Leadership Award, Arizona Business Magazine, 2011
- Finalist, Healthcare Hero Award, Phoenix Business Journal, 2006
- Nurse of the Year, Barrow Neurological Institute, 2006, 2004
- Nursing Excellence Awards: Teaching. Awarded by Nursing Spectrum & Nurse Week for Mountain West Division, 2005
Resilience Room Use and Its Effect on Distress Among Nurses and Allied Staff
Date: 06/2023
Authors: Virginia Prendergast, V Prendergast, Sandra Elmasry, Natasha A. Juhl, Kristina M. Chapple
Evaluation and Acceptance of an Electric Toothbrush Designed for Dependent Patients
Date: 06/2021
Authors: Virginia Prendergast, V Prendergast, Kristina M. Chapple
Implementation of a Standardized Multimodal Postoperative Analgesia Protocol Improves Pain Control, Reduces Opioid Consumption, and Shortens Length of Hospital Stay After Posterior Lumbar Spinal Fusion.
Date: 07/2020
Authors: Corey T Walker, David M Gullotti, Virginia Prendergast, John J Radosevich, Jakub Godzik, Tyler S Cole, Tyler S. Cole, Arpan A Patel, Arpan A. Patel, Alexander C Whiting, Alexander C. Whiting, Andrew S Little, Juan S. Uribe, U Kumar Kakarla, Jay D Turner
Patient-Controlled Analgesia Following Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery Is Associated With Increased Opioid Consumption and Opioid-Related Adverse Events.
Date: 05/2020
Authors: Arpan A Patel, Arpan A. Patel, Corey T Walker, Virginia Prendergast, John J Radosevich, Doneen Grimm, Jakub Godzik, Alexander C Whiting, Alexander C. Whiting, U Kumar Kakarla, Zaman Mirzadeh, Juan S. Uribe, Jay D Turner
Scholarship in Neuroscience Nursing
Date: 10/2019
Authors: Joanne Hickey, Lisa V. Duffy, Janice L. Hinkle, Virginia Prendergast, V Prendergast, Lori M. Rhudy, Cindy Sullivan, Nancy E. Villanueva
Virginia Prendergast, PhD, NP-C, FAAN
Virginia Prendergast, PhD, NP-C, FAAN, is the Director of Advanced Practice Nursing and Evidence-based Practice and the Director of International Neuroscience Nurse Fellowships at Barrow Neurological Institute. She also serves as the Course Director for the Nursing Symposium hosted at Barrow. Dr. Prendergast is board certified by the American Board of Neuroscience Nurses, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Dr. Prendergast’s expertise is rooted in the development of educational programs that span the continuum of neuroscience nursing—from novice to expert—and is internationally recognized for her leadership in neuroscience nursing education, research, and neurosurgical patient care. Dr. Prendergast is a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, the World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the National Honor Society for Nurses, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Nurses Association, and the Cochrane Collaboration for Oral Health.
Dr. Prendergast earned her PhD from the University of Lund in Sweden, her Master of Science in Nursing from Arizona State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of St. Teresa in Minnesota.
Dr. Prendergast’s tenure at Barrow has spanned more than 30 years, beginning with her time as a nurse in the neurosurgical ICU. In 2004, she developed a formal educational program to support nurses preparing for the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) examination; a program that remains in place to this day. As a result of Dr. Prendergast’s leadership, Barrow holds the distinction of employing the most CNRN nurses of any hospital in the U.S.
- PhD, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden, Health Science from Medical Faculty
- MSN, Arizona State University, 1988
- Graduate Neuroscience Nursing Program, Certificate Program, Barrow Neurological Institute, 1987
- BSN, College of St. Theresa, Winona, Minnesota, 1978
- Cochrane Collaboration, Oral Health Group Member
- Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
- World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses
- American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
- International Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, London, England
- American Nurses Association
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Sigma Theta Tau, National Honor Society for Nurses
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Nursing
- Editorial Board Member, World Journal of Critical Care Medicine
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Neurocritical Care
- National Healthcare Design Award Winner, Clinicians, Healthcare Design Foundation, 2023
- Transformational Leadership, Excellence in Nursing Leaders Award, Dignity Health, 2023
- Healthcare Hero Award Finalist, Nursing, Phoenix Business Journal, 2021
- Neuroscience Nurse Hero Award, Arizona Nurses Association, 2011
- Finalist, Healthcare Leadership Award, Arizona Business Magazine, 2011
- Finalist, Healthcare Hero Award, Phoenix Business Journal, 2006
- Nurse of the Year, Barrow Neurological Institute, 2006, 2004
- Nursing Excellence Awards: Teaching. Awarded by Nursing Spectrum & Nurse Week for Mountain West Division, 2005
Resilience Room Use and Its Effect on Distress Among Nurses and Allied Staff
Date: 06/2023
Authors: Virginia Prendergast, V Prendergast, Sandra Elmasry, Natasha A. Juhl, Kristina M. Chapple
Evaluation and Acceptance of an Electric Toothbrush Designed for Dependent Patients
Date: 06/2021
Authors: Virginia Prendergast, V Prendergast, Kristina M. Chapple
Implementation of a Standardized Multimodal Postoperative Analgesia Protocol Improves Pain Control, Reduces Opioid Consumption, and Shortens Length of Hospital Stay After Posterior Lumbar Spinal Fusion.
Date: 07/2020
Authors: Corey T Walker, David M Gullotti, Virginia Prendergast, John J Radosevich, Jakub Godzik, Tyler S Cole, Tyler S. Cole, Arpan A Patel, Arpan A. Patel, Alexander C Whiting, Alexander C. Whiting, Andrew S Little, Juan S. Uribe, U Kumar Kakarla, Jay D Turner
Patient-Controlled Analgesia Following Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery Is Associated With Increased Opioid Consumption and Opioid-Related Adverse Events.
Date: 05/2020
Authors: Arpan A Patel, Arpan A. Patel, Corey T Walker, Virginia Prendergast, John J Radosevich, Doneen Grimm, Jakub Godzik, Alexander C Whiting, Alexander C. Whiting, U Kumar Kakarla, Zaman Mirzadeh, Juan S. Uribe, Jay D Turner
Scholarship in Neuroscience Nursing
Date: 10/2019
Authors: Joanne Hickey, Lisa V. Duffy, Janice L. Hinkle, Virginia Prendergast, V Prendergast, Lori M. Rhudy, Cindy Sullivan, Nancy E. Villanueva