The Institute for Vital Practice (I4VP) explores and propagates evidence-informed practices to enhance subjective vitality and well-being for caregivers and caregiving organizations.

The Institute’s current initiatives and activities include:

• Research
• Presentations and Publications
• Educational Workshops

As part of our educational mission, we are dedicated to including undergraduate scholars in every phase of our work.

Initiatives and Activities

The Institute is currently engaged in the following initiatives and activities:

• The workbook, “The Double Edged Sword: An Evidence-Informed Workbook for Integrating a Vital Practice of Well-Being for Nurses and the Places They Work”, was recently completed and is currently under consideration for publication
  • Content from this workbook is utilized to guide workshops to enhance the vitality and well-being of faculty and staff at the UPSONHI.
• Corey Pressman recently presented, “Haiku: The Poetic Moment in the Medical Encounter,” at the 37th Annual Foundation for Medical Excellence Pain Management Conference.
  • The session introduced the practice of haiku as a means of engaging in active listening, gaining narrative competence, and discovering a deeper understanding of patient stories of suffering.
• Chloé Littzen-Brown is leading an integrative review with two undergraduate Integrative Health and Wellness (IHW) students examining current instruments utilized to measure nurse well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • This project will be submitted to Founders day, and if accepted, presented as a poster. Once complete, findings will be disseminated via publication in an academic journal.
• Corey Pressman is leading an integrative review with two undergraduate IHW students exploring the correlation between high-stakes testing and student well-being.
  • This project will be submitted to Founders day, and if accepted, presented as a poster. Once complete, findings will be disseminated via publication in an academic journal.

Corey Pressman, MA, CTP, CCFP, is an Instructor in the Integrative Health and Wellness program at the University of Portland, School of Nursing and Health Innovations. Instructor Pressman completed his Compassion Fatigue Professional and Trauma Professional certifications with The International Association of Trauma Professionals in 2020. He earned a Master's Degree in Anthropology at Washington State University in 1993. He joined the faculty of University of Portland in 2020. Instructor Pressman is a practicing emotional wellness coach. He has published stories and poetry and is an award-winning visual artist as well as a member/owner of the Waterstone Gallery. Instructor Pressman is also an active Fellow of Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination. His research interests focus in the intersection of creativity, stress management, and wellness.

Dr. Chloé Littzen-Brown, PhD, RN, AE-C, (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor at the University of Portland, School of Nursing and Health Innovations. She completed her PhD in nursing at the University of Arizona where her dissertation work focused on the work-related well-being of young adult nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research interests include well-being, nursing theory, nursing philosophy, integrative health, social justice, and mixed methods. Chloé’s clinical background is in pediatrics, primarily pediatric intensive care. Outside of her work, Chloé is a yoga practitioner and teacher, and she enjoys spending time with her husband and three dogs in nature.