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Urmeka T. Jefferson, PhD, RN, FAWHONN

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Urmeka T. Jefferson, PhD, RN, FAWHONN

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Professor, Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing

College of Nursing

Professor, Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing

Contact Information

Address: 600 S. Paulina St., Suite 1080
Chicago, IL 60612
Email:
urmeka_jefferson@rush.edu

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Education

PhD, Nursing, Saint Louis University
MSN, Nursing Education, Union University
BSN, University of Memphis
Biography

Urmeka Jefferson has over 16 years of clinical experience caring for parents and critically-ill infants in the NICU that revealed the impact of implicit bias on the provision of breastfeeding support. She seeks to expand best practices in maternal-child health that promote equity and social justice for African American parents.
Jefferson has advanced the body of knowledge regarding infant feeding attitudes and intentions of college students and illuminated determinants of breastfeeding for African Americans. Based on this evidence, she has designed a mHealth intervention that combines multiple components in one app to bridge the gap in breastfeeding support from hospital to home. As a 2021 Betty Irene Moore Fellow for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, she has led breastfeeding research focused on technology that resonates with the cultural and contextual traditions of African American parents. Her research centers the voices of African Americans to promote breastfeeding as a positive part of their community, provide access to equitable support services, and empower parents to meet their breastfeeding goals. This mHealth approach to breastfeeding support provides evidence for a vital public health strategy with potential to improve longer durations of breastfeeding that can advance health and reduce mortality.
Honors & Awards
- Excellence in Research & Scholarship, Rush University College of Nursing, 2024
- Perinatal, Sexual, & Reproductive Health RIIG Senior Investigator Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society, 2024
- Fellow, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, & Neonatal Nurses, 2023
- Award of Excellence in Research, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, & Neonatal Nurses, 2022

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