Josef V. Hodgkins, MTS, BSN, RN, PhD(c)

Predoctoral Nurse Scientist | Psychocardiology Scholar | Psychospiritual Researcher

I am a PhD Candidate in Nursing Science at Florida State University, a Registered Nurse, and a Doctor of Divinity (DD) with a research program focused on the intersection of anxiety, stress, sleep disturbance, coping, and quality of life in individuals with cardiovascular disease. My work operates at the nexus of behavioral medicine, cardiovascular nursing, and psychophysiology - an area I conceptualize as psychocardiology: the systematic study of how psychological and psychosocial processes shape cardiovascular outcomes.

My scholarship integrates the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms with stress–appraisal–coping frameworks to clarify how anxiety and perceived stress are translated into symptom burden and functional decline. I am particularly interested in identifying modifiable psychosocial mechanisms - coping patterns, social support structures, sleep behaviors - that can be leveraged in nurse-led interventions to improve quality of life and clinical outcomes in cardiovascular populations.

Research Focus

My program of research centers on three interconnected domains:

Psychosocial Mechanisms in Cardiovascular Disease
Examining how anxiety, perceived stress, and coping processes influence sleep quality, adherence, and symptom clusters.

Symptom Science and Quality of Life
Modeling pathways linking psychological distress to fatigue, sleep disturbance, and impaired functioning in cardiovascular disease.

Psychospiritual Dimensions of Health
Theorizing and empirically exploring how meaning, spiritual distress, and existential factors intersect with psychological and cardiovascular health.

My dissertation, Examining the Relationships Among Coping, Social Support, Anxiety, Perceived Stress, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life in Individuals with Cardiovascular Disease, examines coping and social support as mediators and moderators in the relationships among anxiety, perceived stress, sleep quality, and quality of life in adults with cardiovascular disease.

Methodological Approach

My training includes advanced quantitative methods, path analysis, and mediation analysis. I employ cross-sectional and observational designs to test theoretically grounded models, with an emphasis on conceptual clarity and reproducibility. I am committed to rigorous measurement, transparent reporting, and the integration of theory with empirical testing.

Clinical and Professional Background

I am a Registered Nurse with experience as a Research Nurse at major academic medical centers and have served as both a Teaching and Research Assistant. My clinical background informs my scholarship: I approach symptom science not as abstraction, but as lived patient experience requiring scalable, implementable solutions.

In addition to my nursing training, I hold a Master of Theological Studies and a Doctor of Divinity. This theological formation shapes my long-term scholarly trajectory in psychospiritual inquiry and ethical reflection within health science, particularly as it relates to suffering, meaning, spirituality, and chronic illness.

Scholarly Trajectory

My publication pipeline includes empirical investigations, conceptual models, and theoretical integrations in cardiovascular nursing and psychosocial health. I am building a coherent research program that advances symptom science, strengthens nurse-led behavioral interventions, and contributes to interdisciplinary dialogue across nursing, health psychology, behavioral cardiology, theology, and spiritual care.

Long-term, I am pursuing a research-intensive faculty position at an R1 university where I can develop externally funded projects examining psychosocial and psychospiritual mechanisms in cardiovascular disease, mentor emerging scholars, and contribute to the advancement of nurse-led science.

Contact: Josef.hodgkins1@gmail.com