Marife Aczon-Armstrong, PhD, MSN, MSCP, CCM, RN-BC

Dr. Marife C. Aczon Armstrong is a Fulbright Scholar appointed in 2014 – 2018 by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. She was reappointed for another four- year tenure as a Fulbright Senior Specialist (2021 – 2025). She served as a visiting Professor at Uganda Christian University in Mukono’s Master of Nursing Science Program co-leading courses in Nursing Research, Nursing Theories and Teaching and Learning Processes.

Prior to this, she was a full-time nursing faculty at University of Hawaii at Manoa’s School of Nursing, Veterans Administrations Nursing Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii and adjunct faculty at Hawaii Pacific University in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Dr. Aczon-Armstrong is a nationally board-certified nurse case manager. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Roseman University of Health Sciences (RUHS) College of Nursing (CON). She was offered to resume the position of Program Director/Principal Investigator in June 2022 for the CON HRSA Registered Nurse Primary Care Program 2.8 million federal grant’s one year extension providing continued opportunities for BSN students and RNs in the community to pursue careers in Primary Care Nursing in rural areas.

She holds degrees from Hawaii Pacific University (BSN ’97), Chaminade University of Honolulu (MSCP ’03), and University of Hawaii at Manoa (MSN ’07, PhD ’10). She is a SAMHSA MFP Alumni (2010) and a former National Advisory Committee member. She is the Founding President of Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA) Hawaii (2015) and AAPINA of Nevada (2018) and Faculty Advisor for AAPINA Roseman University Student Nurses Association (RUSNA).

In 2019, Dr. Aczon-Armstrong along with three nursing faculty members and 10 nursing students from RUHS CON went on a medical mission trip to Uganda, Africa to serve poor communities. The Uganda Mission Team provided over 1,000 free medical check-ups and prescription medications to communities in Natete, Kampala and an orphanage in Bugembe, Jinja.

Her passion to serve the community extends to partnering with Asian Community Development Council to address the needs of the API population in So NV. She was invited to celebrate the 4th of July BBQ at the White House in 2021 as a NV Super COVID19 volunteer. She is a Nevada Donor Network Diversity Advisory Council member and an inaugural member of the RUHS Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council (DIAC). She spearheaded a Townhall meeting to address the soaring incidences of Asian Crimes. As a radio host for the PHLV Radio’s Healthy Mondays with AAPINA of NV, she created and broadcasts a five-series episode on Anti-Asian Hate Crimes with invited diversity and racism experts in the community.

Dr. Aczon-Armstrong’s passion in research related to minority population is evident in all her professional personal endeavors. She was an editorial board member and reviewer for the Journal of Chronic Diseases International with Austin Publishers and an Article Editor for Sage Open Publication since 2016. Her article title “Depression and Chronic Illness in Asian/Pacific Islander Adults in Hawaii” published with Issues in Mental Health Nursing serves as a resource for other research scientists working with API population.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (2010). School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Dissertation: Relation of Depression to Substance Use, Chronic Illness, Asian and Pacific Islander Adults in Hawaii
• Master of Science in Nursing (2007). School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Foci: Nursing Administration and Clinical Systems Management
• Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (2003). Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, HI. Foci: Community Counseling
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1997). Hawaii Pacific University
  Kaneohe, HI
• License Practical Nursing (1994). Kapiolani Community College, Honolulu, HI

Research Interests

Relation of Depression to Substance Use, Chronic Illness in Asian/Pacific Islanders;  Global Health; Servant Leadership; Leveraging Social Media in addressing health disparities in ethnic minorities

Affiliations

• Nurse Scholar, Alumna & past National Advisory Committee member, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration Minority Fellowship Program (SAMHSA MFP) at ANA
• Founding President, Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association of Hawaii (AAPINA Hawaii)
• Founding President & Chair, Board of Directors, Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association of Nevada (AAPINA of NV)
• Board Member, Nevada Donor Network
• Lifetime member, AAPINA National
• Lifetime member, International Honor Society in Psychology, PSI CHI
• Member, Philippine Nurses Association of Nevada (PNA NV)
• Vice President; NV State Representative to ANA, Nevada Nurses Association (NNV)
• Member, American Nurses Association (ANA)
• Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Gamma Psi
• Sustaining Member, National Student Nurses Association (NSNA)
• Education Chair, Men in Nursing of So Nevada (MNSN)
• Cambridge “Who’s Who Executive, Professional and Entrepreneur Registry (Lifetime membership) (2008 – present)

Awards

• Super COVID19 Volunteer, attended the 4th of July BBQ Celebration at the White House in 2021
• Fulbright Specialist to the Roster list (2014-2014 and 2021-2025)
• Nurse Scholar Fellow, Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation and AAPINA National (2015)
• Nurse Educator Award, Philippine Nurses Association of Hawaii Foundation (2012)
• 1st Place Oral/Poster Presenter at 33rd Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) (2009)
• Outstanding Volunteer Lecturer, Nursing Advocates and Mentors, Inc. (HNAMI) (2011)
• Nurse of the Year Excellence in Nursing Research Award, Filipino Nurses Organization of Hawaii (FNOH)
• Pre-Doctoral Nurse Scholar Mentee, 4th Annual National Coalition for Ethnic Minority Nurses Association (NCEMNA) (2009)
• Graduate Nurse Scholar Nursing Professional Scholarship, The Queen’s medical Center, Queen Emma Nursing Institute (2007)

Research Highlights

Aczon-Armstrong, M., Inouye, J., & Reyes-Salvail, F. (2013). Depression and Chronic Illness: Asian/Pacific Islander Adults in Hawaii, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 34:169-179. ISSN: 0161-2849 print / 1096-4673 online; DOI: 10.3109/0161284.2012.738356.

Aczon-Armstrong, M. & Morone, J. (2018). International Clinical Immersion for Undergraduate Nursing Students: The Concept of Service Learning. 15th AAPINA Annual International Conference, “Local to Global: Future Directions for Research on Health Disparities”.

Ishida, D., Misola, J., Li, D., Aczon-Armstrong, M. & Kurihara, M. (2012). The Effect of Clinical Rotations to VA Nursing Academy Sites on Baccalaureate Students. The 9th Annual National Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA) Conference “Health Reform: Its Impact on Research, Practice and Education” March 22-24, 2012.

Aczon-Armstrong, M. (2016). “Depression, Substance Use, Chronic Illness, and Culture.” Annual Scientific Conference and International Nurses Day, June 22, 2016, Nambole stadium, Kireka, Kampala, Uganda, Africa.

Sorrell, T. & Aczon-Armstrong, M. (2021). Boosting vaccine confidence in minority populations. American Nurses Association. Virtual Webinar Presentation will be offered globally.

Aczon-Armstrong, M. & Sorrell, T. (2021). Boosting vaccine confidence in minority populations. ANA covid-19 video education series. American Nurses Association.
o The page with all our COVID Education topics is https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/disaster-preparedness/coronavirus/education/ana-covid-19-video-education/ The boosting vaccine confidence topic is the first one on the list.

The ANA page, with both the webinar registration and 5 Quick Videos embedded on the page, is now live. You can go see it at https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/disaster-preparedness/coronavirus/education/ana-covid-19-video-education/boosting-vaccine-confidence-in-minority-populations/ and feel free to promote this page to anyone you wish.

Aczon-Armstrong, M. (2022). Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel member for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative led by the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Series #2, November 16, 2022 (Virtual)