beverly-k-lunsford
Beverly K Lunsford, PhD, RN, CNS-BC
Director of the Center for Aging, Health and Humanities

Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC
Phone: 240-441-6048
E-mail: bklunsfo@email.gwu.edu

Education

1994 PhD, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
1980 MN, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas
1974 BSN, Marymount College, Salina, Kansas 

Biography

Beverly Lunsford is director for the Center for Aging, Health and Humanities. She has worked for more than 35 years as a clinical nurse specialist, educator and researcher. She developed two new certificate programs at GW, Spirituality and Healthcare (12 hours) and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner (12 hours). Since joining GW School of Nursing in 2004, Dr. Lunsford has led funded research for interprofessional education in palliative care and gerontology, including the Washington, DC Area Geriatric Education Center Consortium, a collaboration of universities, healthcare organizations and community leaders. Another research project involved leading an interprofessional team to create six interactive online modules, Geriatric Education Using a Palliative Care Framework completed by more than 900 learners, including RNs, MDs, APRNs, SW, OT, PT, etc. Other research has focused on needs assessment of older adults for aging services, meaningfulness for older adults in long term care, community resources to enable older adults to age in place, and reducing isolation for homebound seniors.


Research Interest

  • Geriatric and palliative education for healthcare professionals
  • Person-centered approach to care for older adults and their families
  • Needs of older adults for aging services and community support to enable older adults to age in place
  • Interprofessional team care for older adults and their families
  • Meaningfulness for frail older adults

Scientific Activities

Professional Experience: Administration
2009 – Current Director, Center for Aging, Health and Humanities, George Washington University
Director, Washington DC Area Geriatric Education Center Consortium, GW
2009 – 2011 Associate Research Professor and Program Coordinator, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Post Masters Certificate Program, The George Washington University School of Nursing
2007 – 2008 Associate Research Professor, Program Director, Spirituality and Health Care Graduate Certificate Program, Clinical Management & Leadership, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
2005 – 2008 Associate Director, The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish)
2002 – 2006 Nurse Consultant, Washington DC Geriatric Education Center Consortium
2000 – 2005 Director, Foundation Relations, The Washington Home and Hospice of Washington
2000 – 2001 Interim Executive Director, Washington, DC Area Geriatric Education Center Consortium
1997 – 1999 Co Director, Pittsburg Community of Hope Wellness Center; Pittsburg, Kansas
1991 - 1992     Director of Development , Africa Nazarene University, Nairobi, Kenya
1989 Acting Director, Community of Hope Health Services; Community of Hope; Wash. DC
1984 –1987 Director, Nurses Care Partnership; Washington, DC
1980-1987 Founder, Director, Adolescent Health and Development Program; Community of Hope Health Services, Washington, DC
Professional Experience: Education
2012-Current Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, George Washington University
2005 -2011      Associate Research Professor, GWU Health Care Sciences School of Nursing
1995 - 1997     Associate Professor – Tenured, Pittsburg State University (PSU), Pittsburg, Kansas
1993 - 1995     Assistant Professor, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas
1992 - 1993     Assistant Professor, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland
1986 - 1987     Graduate Teaching Assistant, Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC
1986                Assistant Professor, Marymount College; Arlington, Virginia
1983 - 1986 Assistant Professor, Catholic University of America, School of Nursing;  Washington, DC
1978 - 1981     Instructor, Mid-America Nazarene College, Department of Nursing; Olathe, Kansas
1978 Graduate Research Assistant for Dr. Hester Thurston, University of Kansas, School of Nursing; Lawrence, Kansas
1976 – 1978 Lecturer, Marymount College, Department of Nursing; Salina, Kansas
Other Activities
George Washington University
2006 – 2010 Member of Faculty Committee, Department of Nursing Education at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
2008 – 2010 Member of Curriculum Committee, Department of Nursing Education at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Member of Graduate Programs Committee, Department of Nursing Education at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
2009 – 2010 Member of Marketing Committee, Department of Nursing Education at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
2010 – 2011 Member of Graduate Programs Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University
Member of  Marketing Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University
Member of Faculty Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
2013 – 2014 Member of Faculty Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
2014 – 2015 Member of Graduate Faculty Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Member of Graduate Faculty Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
2015 – 2016 Member of Graduate Faculty Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Member of Evaluation Committee, School of Nursing at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Member GW SON Division of Entrepreneurial Enterprises (DEE) LAUNCH TEAM
2016 Member GW SON Faculty Bylaws Committee
Research Foci Group to develop Research Agenda for SON
2016-2017 Member GW SON Evaluation Committee
Member, GW SON Faculty Search Committee
Chair, GW SON Faculty Search Committee for PhD, RN, Gerontology Specialist
Honors and Awards
1993 Professional Service Award
Community Service Award from the American Red Cross
1995 Who's Who in American Nursing
1995-1997 Distinguished Lecturer Program
1997-1999 Distinguished Lecturer Program
2000-2001 Distinguished Lecturer Program
2013-2014 ISCOPES Service Award
2014 National Association of Geriatric Education/ National Association of Geriatric Education for Outstanding Contributions to the 2013 Board of Directors, at Gerontological Society Association Annual Meeting November 24, 2013
2016 Inducted as Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, October 2016

Publications

  1. Lunsford, B. & Breisch, A. (2017).  Making a Spiritual Assessment, 1.0 Contact Hours for CE249-60. Evidence Based Practice Continuing Education offering for Advanced Practice Nursing, Nurse.Com. On Course Learning. Website. http://ce.nurse.com/course/ce249-60/making-a-spiritual-assessment/
  2. Lunsford, B. & Posey, L. (2017). Geriatrics Education Using a Palliative Care Framework. Journal of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education (Routledge Taylor and Francis Group). Manuscript ID is GGE-2016-0022. Access http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2017.1285293
  3. Lunsford, B. (2016). Religious and Spiritual Dimensions of Care for People with Neurocognitive Disorders and Their Families. Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Religious-Spiritual Counseling and Care. Istanbul Turkey.
  4. Lunsford, B. & Janes, D. (2015). Engaging Older Adults to Build Social Capital. GSTF Journal of Nursing and Health Care (JNHC), 3(25). (Print ISSN: 2315-4330, E-Periodical ISSN: 2315-4349).
  5. Lunsford, B. and Wilson, L. (2015). Assessing your patients' risk for falling. American Nurse Today 10(7): 29-31.
  6. Lunsford, B. & Breisch, A. (2015).  Making a Spiritual Assessment, 1.0 Contact Hours for CE249-60. Evidence Based Practice Continuing Education offering for Advanced Practice Nursing, Nurse.Com. On Course Learning. Available at: http://ce.nurse.com/course/ce249-60/making-a-spiritual-assessment/
  7. Lunsford, B. (2014). Quality of life for older adults with serious, chronic illness. Forum on Public Policy at: http://forumonpublicpolicy.com/Vol2014no1Health/Lunsford.pdf
  8. Sheingold, Brenda Helen; Warson, Elizabeth; Lunsford, Beverly; and Pintz, Christine (2014) "Using Art Therapy Techniques for Team Building in Distance Education Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Cohorts," Journal of Interprofessional Healthcare 1(1), Article 4. Available at: http://www.jihonline.org/jih/vol1/iss1/4
  9. Pace, J. & Lunsford, B. (2011). Palliative Care Education in Nursing. Journal in Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing, 13:6, S8-S19
  10. Puchalski, C.M., Lunsford, B., Harris, M., Miller, T. (2006). Interdisciplinary spiritual care for seriously ill and dying patients. Special Edition on Palliative Care, CANCER Journal.
  11. Panke, J., Bourneman, T., Lunsford, B., Wagner, B. (2005). Palliative Care. In Facing the challenge, DC Cancer Control Plan 2005-2010.C. Cancer Coalition Report on the State of Cancer Care in Washington, DC.

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