Whitewater Times

Dr. Caleb Armstrong, a 2019 graduate of Maranatha Baptist University, has earned his PhD in Nursing from the UT Tyler School of Nursing. He was also recognized with the 2025 PhD Dissertation Award for his research contributions.

After graduating from Maranatha, Dr. Armstrong worked in intensive care units at a large public hospital. Reflecting on his experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, “the overwhelming amount of suffering and death that I witnessed on a daily basis drove me to look for ways to better support both critically ill patients and their family members.” He observed the challenges faced by surrogate decision-makers (SDMs) and noted the importance of trust between SDMs and healthcare professionals (HCPs). According to Dr. Armstrong, to “develop interventions to increase trust and improve SDM outcomes, trust must be quantifiable,” but there was no “validated instrument with which to measure” it. This need became the focus of his dissertation.

Dr. Armstrong examined the factors leading to and resulting from trust, reviewed existing literature using a conceptual model, and identified interventions that build trust as well as related outcomes. He developed a 22-item scale designed to quantify SDM trust in HCPs. His dissertation is titled “Development and Validation of the Surrogate Decision-Maker Trust Scale.” Dr. Armstrong expressed hope that this work will mark “a career-long journey to improve the care of patients and their family members in the adult ICU setting.”

He acknowledged the complexity of completing a dissertation involving human-subject research: “The dissertation process can be incredibly complex,” Dr. Armstrong said, “especially when you’re dealing with the ethical requirements and legal regulations surrounding human-subject research.” He added that successful completion is rewarding and creates new opportunities for both research and employment.

Currently working full-time as an ICU nurse, Dr. Armstrong also serves as an adjunct assistant professor locally. Inspired by tutoring nursing students at Maranatha Baptist University, he now aims to transition into full-time teaching next year.