School of Nursing

Education

• PhD
• MS, South Dakota State University
• BS, Indiana State University

Biosketch

Dr. Janis Gerkensmeyer is a full-time, tenure track faculty member at Indiana University School of Nursing in the Environments for Health Department. She serves as the Director of the Child/Adolescent Psychiatric/Mental Health MSN Major and teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Her vision for children's mental health is guided by a child and family-centered, systems of care approach that integrates a holistic view of nursing. Dr. Gerkensmeyer's research interests include parent satisfaction with mental health services, quality of life of parents who care for children with mental health needs, and addressing the needs of parents caring for a child with mental health problems, including the prevalence of high levels of depressive symptoms among these parents. Dr. Gerkensmeyer's Parent Satisfaction Scale is being included in the American Psychiatric Association's Handbook of Instruments, soon to be published. Further, in 2005, she received the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses Research Award for Visionary Leadership for Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses Around the World. While a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric Nursing at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Dr. Gerkensmeyer was also involved in pediatric pain care research and practice.