Verna Hendricks-Ferguson Honored for Distinguished Pediatric Oncology Research Contributions

Verna Hendricks-Ferguson, professor and chair of nursing at Saint Louis University in Missouri, has received the 2024 Distinguished Researcher Award from the Oncology Nursing Society in recognition of her outstanding contributions to enhancing the science and practice of oncology nursing.

Dr. Hendricks-Ferguson currently holds the Irene Endowed Chair in the Trudy Bush Valentine School of Nursing at Saint Louis University, where she has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses for the past 12 years. Her current research focuses on making significant contributions to the study of palliative and end-of-life communication practices by pediatric oncology providers with parents of children with cancer. She has received many previous awards in recognition of her outstanding research endeavors including the 2022 Distinguished Research Award from the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nursing.

Prior to joining the faculty at Saint Louis University, Dr. Hendricks-Ferguson taught at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College in St. Louis for over two decades. Before she began her career in education, she was a practicing nurse and nurse educator with St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Hendricks-Ferguson is a two-time graduate of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, where she earned her bachelor of nursing degree and master of nursing degre in child and adolescent psychiatric nursing. She received her Ph.D. in maternal child nursing from Rush University in Chicago.