Associate Professor and Program Director the Traditional Undergraduate Program
Grand Valley State University
Barbara Hooper DNP, MSN, RN, CHSE, NE-BC is an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Traditional Undergraduate program at the Kirkhof College of Nursing, Grand Valley State University. She received her DNP in Nursing Leadership and Health Care Systems and her MSN with a focus on Administration and Care of the Adult from Grand Valley State University and her BSN from Nazareth College. She is board certified as a Nurse Executive and as a Healthcare Simulation Educator. Prior to moving to the academic setting, she worked for 20 years in a variety of leadership roles in the acute care setting. Her specific areas of interest include educational strategies to develop critical thinking skills, simulation, and new graduate nurses transitioning to the role of registered nurse. She has been published in peer reviewed journals and has disseminated her research at the local, state, and national level. Most recently, she received a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services for $1.5 million dollars to develop a multi-patient simulation for undergraduate senior-level nursing students. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Grand Valley State University Outstanding Teacher award, the Grand Valley State University Outstanding Educator award, a Grand Valley State University Pew Teaching Excellent award, and the Bonnie Wesorick Future of Nursing award.