EDUCATION

• City of Hope and AACN, 2004 End of Life Nursing Education Consortium Trainer
  
• The American Academy of Bereavement/CMI Institute, 2004 Advanced Bereavement Facilitator
  
• American Nurses Association, 1988 FNP Certification: Family Nurse Practitioner
  
• Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., 1983 D.N.Sc. Doctor of Nursing Science
  
• University of Washington, Seattle, 1973 M.S.N. Master of Nursing
  
• University of Maryland, Baltimore 1971 B.S.N. Bachelor of Science Nursing

AREA OF EXPERTISE

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 1999-present Associate Professor of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Howard University
• 1996-1999 Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, Graduate Program, College of Nursing, Howard University
• 1991-1995 Department Chairman, Graduate Studies, Howard University College of Nursing.
• 1991, July Visiting Professor, University of South Australia, School of Nursing, Adelaide, Australia.
• 1986--1998 Associate Professor and Coordinator of Primary Family Health Nursing Graduate Program, Howard University College of Nursing.
• 1983-1986 Assistant Professor of Nursing, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Coordinator of Community Health Nursing
• 1982-1983 Research Associate, Epidemiology and Medical Care Unit, Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Center, Harrow, Middlesex, England.
• 1974-1977 Assistant Professor of Nursing, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Graduate: Preceptor in advanced community nursing clinical course.
• 1973-1974 Instructor in Maternal-Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle.

RESEARCH INTEREST

• Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
• Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.
• American Nurses Association.
• National League for Nursing.
• Royal College of Nursing, London, England.
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

• Alexander, IM & Ruff, CC. (2003) Menopause and midlife health risks: Black women’s views. A pilot study funded through NIH/NINR P20 Nursing Research Center on Reducing Heath Disparities. Funded: $20,000.00.
• Ruff, CC. (2004) Implementation of a nursing elective on grief and loss: a project funded by the Fund for Academic Excellence, Howard University. Funded: $3500.00.
• Ruff, C. Investigator and Author (2000) Behavioral Inteventions in urinary incontinence in African American women. A research study funded by NINR. $86,000.00
• Principal investigator and author, "Nurse Practitioner & Nurse Midwifery Program at Howard University," an expansion grant funded by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Nursing, July 1997 - June 2000. Funded: $575,274.
• Principal investigator and author, "Primary Family Nurse Practitioner program at Howard University," (Funded) a grant funded by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Nursing, July 1992 - June 1995. Funded: $650,000.
• Principal investigator and author, "Psychosocial Stress, Coping and Help Seeking Behavior for Urinary Incontinence," (Funded) a research grant proposal funded by Foundation for Nursing of Maryland, July 1991 - $1,500.
  

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

• *Ruff, CC. Alexander, IM & McKie, C. (in press) The use of focus group methodology in reducing health disparities. Nursing Outlook.
• Ruff, CC. (2005) Risk factors in urinary incontinence in African American women, Urologic Nursing 25(1):33-39
• *Alexander, IM and Ruff, CC. (2005) Attitudes and Concerns About Menopause Among Black Women: What Busy Clinicians Need to Know. Menopause. (March/April) 14(2):22-26.
• *Lauver, DR., Gross, J., Ruff, CC., & Wells, TJ. (2004) Patient Centered interventions: Implications for incontinence. Nursing Research Vol 53:6S; S30-35.
• Alexander, IM, Ruff, CC., Rousseau ME., Motter, S. McKie, C., Clarke, P. (2003) Menopause symptoms and management strategies identified by black women (abstract) Menopause. 10(6): 601.
• Ruff, C., Van Rijswijk L., & Okoli, A (2002) The impact of urinary incontinence in African American women. Ostomy and Wound Management Journal. 48 (12); 52-58.
• # Karuhije, H & Ruff, C; (2002) External Examining, international collaboration in nursing education. ABNF Association of Black Nursing Faculty Journal. 13 (5):110-113.
• Karuhije, H & Ruff, C, (2001); External Examining, quality assurance in Nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, Jan 2001:14-16
• Ruff, C. (1995). Cultural diversity in nurse practitioner curricula. Published in Curriculum Guidelines National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Inc.
• Ruff, C.C. (1992). "Sociocultural and religious dimensions of health" in Berger and Williams (Eds) Collaborating for Optimal Health: The Fundamentals of Nursing, Norwalk, CT. Appleton and Lange Co.
• Ruff, C.C. (1990). Adolescent mothering: Assessing their parenting capabilities and their health education needs. JNBNA Journal of National Black Nurses' Association 4 (1), 55-62.
• Ruff, C.C. and Reaves, E. (1989). Diagnosing urinary incontinence in adults. The Nurse Practitioner. The American Journal of Primary Health Care. 1_4(6), 8-18.
• Ruff, C.C. (1987). How do adolescents mother? MCN American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing 12(4), 249-253.
• Thomas, T., Ruff, C., Karran, 0., Mellows, S. &Meade, T. (1987). A study of the prevalence and management of patients with faecal incontinence in old people's homes. Community Medicine, 9(3), 232-237.