Clarissa Shaw is a PhD Candidate at the College of Nursing researching person-centered dementia care. Her dissertation evaluates the impact of nurse communication on behavior in hospitalized persons living with dementia. Care encounters between nurses and patients with dementia were recorded and observed. The recordings were coded for nurse elderspeak (i.e., baby talk) and the observations were coded for resistiveness to care (e.g., hitting). Statistical modeling will be used to determine the impact of elderspeak on patient behavior in hospital dementia care. Clarissa is supported by a F31 Predoctoral Fellowship through the National Institute of Nursing Research and through a Dean’s Award at the College of Nursing. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked as an Emergency Department nurse where she observed the importance of high-quality nursing care on patient well-being. Clarissa’s long-term goal is to become an academic nurse researcher focused on improving dementia care.