Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Forensics Track

Students enrolled in Xavier’s online MSN program take classes with the same world-class faculty as our traditional students. Our exceptional faculty members include:

Assistant Professor of Forensic Nursing, Coordinator of Forensic Nursing Programs

Dr. Angie Liggett is currently the Coordinator and an Teaching Professor in the graduate forensic tracks at Xavier University College of Nursing. She is a life-long resident of the Cincinnati area and graduated from Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing in 1985. Dr. Liggett graduated from the College of Mt. St. Joseph with her BSN in 2006. She was awarded her MSN in 2010 from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and received a certificate in Forensic Nursing from the Cyril Wecht Law School. Dr. Liggett received her Doctorate in Health Administration with a focus on Health Policy and Advocacy from Capella University in 2017.

Dr. Liggett’s capstone project at Duquesne was a training program, “Forensic Nursing in Trauma,” for ER staff. Her dissertation was titled, “Prevalence of Substance Abuse Screening in Adolescents by Pediatricians.” The methodology for this study was a qualitative survey, utilizing a modified Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire (DIBQ) survey tool and was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

With over 36 years of nursing experience, Dr. Liggett has worked in many clinical settings, both in rural and urban hospitals, mainly in the surgical and emergency room arenas. Her roles have included Med/Surg charge nurse, Director of Surgical Services, Perioperative Care Manager, Materials/Inventory Systems Manager, and Project Coordinator for corporate nursing. She was employed by the state, surveying health care facilities and investigating complaints and claims of harm. She was the Compliance Officer focusing on Title IX and other regulatory issues at a local college of nursing.

Dr. Liggett was a member of her previous county’s first rape/violence task force. She was also a member of the Cincinnati City Council Task Force for the Prevention of Campus Gender-Based Violence. She was a member and a previous chairperson for her community’s Board of Mental Health and Recovery and also that board’s Finance Advisory Committee. She has volunteered with a battered woman’s program and is a volunteer in her community’s Smallpox Response program and with a Disaster Medical Assistance Team.
Her journey in forensic nursing started prior to any formalized specialty. Dr. Liggett trained nurses regarding domestic violence (DV) in the late 1980’s. The physicians where she worked would call on her to consult with patients who were victims of DV, now known as interpersonal violence (IPV). While working in the ER, she became certified in trauma nursing and as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

Teaching Professor

Carlene is a Teaching Professor who graduated with her diploma in Nursing from St. Clare’s Hospital Health Center School of Nursing, NYC, in 1976. She earned her BSN in 1979 from Marywood University in Pennsylvania. She also completed her MSN with a specialty in Healthcare Law was achieved at Xavier University in 2006 followed by a Post Masters certificate in Nursing Education from the University of Cincinnati, College of Nursing in 2007. Currently, Carlene is a PhD c. with a focus in Health Services / Health Care Administration through Walden University. Her doctoral dissertation is focused on ‘How Clinical Nurse Managers describe the personal and professional impact of fatigue’.

Since 1976 Carlene has worked in a variety of settings to include an internship in The United States Senate on the Senate Subcommittee for Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP); Certified Case Management of Workers Compensation, National Catastrophic injury CCM, long term and short term disability, return to work; Surgical Intensive Care (SICU) at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Trauma Center; Rehabilitation; Nursing Director for The University Pain Control Center, acute and chronic pain management; Director, Leadership Development for Patient Services at CCHMC; designed, developed and provided NCLEX preparation at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for Nurse Interns;  Adjunct faculty for the University of Cincinnati, College of Nursing. She has presented locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally on Case Management, Pain Management, Healthcare law, Critical thinking, Ethics, Professional issues, Games/ Simulation in learning, Communication, and scope of practice including the AACN Synergy Model of Patient Care.

IPCP Project Coordinator

Dr. Lisa Niehaus is a Senior Teaching Professor at Xavier University College of Nursing. Dr. Niehaus’ educational credentials and leadership experience guide her role as Xavier faculty and her role as project director for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program for Xavier’s DNP Program.

Beginning in 2009, she worked closely with Dr. Susan Schmidt to develop, refine, and implement federal and state grant objectives in her role of a coordinator within the grants, which involved local and national collaboration. As coordinator, she researched data analytics and wrote Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) quarterly reports, which were peer-reviewed by HRSA authorities and accepted for submission. Nationally recognized by HRSA Grant projects, she served in Peer Learning Communities where innovation was shared, and mentorship of other grantees was possible. As NEPQR-IPCP Cooperative HRSA Grant Project Coordinator, Dr. Niehaus collaborated with Cincinnati Health Department, Episcopal Retirement Services, and Black Stone Home Care, demonstrating how interprofessional collaborative practice teams change population health outcomes. During the HRSA grant activities, she established relationships within the community, with community leaders and partners, and evaluated all outcomes.

As a recent DNP graduate in Population Health Leadership Dr. Niehaus’ facilitation expertise, promotes future nurses seeking to advance nursing practice, lead the transformation of nursing education, bridge practice needs with educational program development, and advance population-focused care.