PhD Student

Heide Bursch
30A NB

319/353-5765

heide-bursch@uiowa.edu


Education:
MSN, University of Iowa College of Nursing

BSN, University of Iowa College of Nursing

Advisors:   

Keela Herr, PhD, RN, FAAN (EOL focus)

Howard Butcher, PhD, RN, ARNP, PMHCNS-BC (method and caregivers)

                 

Cognate Area:  Ethics

Research Focus:

I entered the PhD program after a long career in ICU nursing and bring with me a passion for improving communication surrounding end-of-life care.  In my dissertation I plan to explore the family surrogate decision maker role in heart failure, using hermeneutic phenomenology.  Long-term plans include teaching and more communication research with focus on older patients.  Ultimately, I want to develop nursing interventions which empower older patients and their formal and informal caregivers in holistic chronic illness management.

 

Publications and Presentations:

Shega, J., Emanuel, L., Vargish, L., Levine, S. K., Bursch, H., Herr, K., et al. (2007).  Pain in persons with dementia: complex, common, and challenging.  J Pain, 8(5), 373-378.

 

Faculty Affiliations/Clinical Research:

RA for Howard Butcher:  Reducing cancer caregiver stress: Does journaling promote health?

RA for Keela Herr:  Review of pain assessment tools for older cognitively impaired patients.