People
Faculty
Barbara J. Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Dean for Research and Charlotte Jane and Ralph A. Rodefer Chair
PhD, University of California, San Francisco; Sociology
MSN, Wayne State University; Nursing
BSN, University of Michigan; Nursing
Office Location: H6/250 CSC
Telephone: (608) 263-5189
E-mail: bjbowers@wisc.edu
Barbara Bowers’ research is with frail, older adults in both community and residential settings. She is interested in how public policies and organizational practices influence quality of care and quality of life. Professor Bowers is also interested in work life quality for workers in long term care systems. Her research has examined causes of staff turnover, the relationships among organizational structure, organizational culture and management practices, and care outcomes. Recent work explores teaching methods for staff development in long term care and organizational obstacles that interfere with using knowledge. Professor Bowers has extensive experience in qualitative research methods; particularly Grounded Theory.
Representative Publications
Bowers, B. (1993). Rigor in qualitative methodologies. The Japanese Journal of Nursing Research, 26(4).
Bowers, B. (1996). The relationship between staffing and quality in long term care facilities. Report to 105th US Congress, Subcommittee on Health: Appropriateness of Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios.
Bowers, B., Esmond, S., & Canales, M. (1999). Approaches to case management supervision. Administration in Social Work, 23(1), 29-49.
Bowers, B., Esmond, S., & Jacobson, N. (2000). The relationship between staffing and quality in long term care facilities: Exploring the views of nurse aides. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 14(4), 55-64.
Lutz, B., & Bowers, B. (2000). Patient-centered care: Understanding its interpretation and implementation in health care. Journal of Scholarly Inquiry for Nursing Practice, 14(2), 165-182.
Caron, C., & Bowers, B. (2000). Methods and application of dimensional analysis: A contribution to concept and knowledge development in nursing. In B.L. Rodgers & K.A. Knafl, Concept development in nursing, foundations, techniques and applications (pp. 285-319). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.
Zimmerman, D.R., & Bowers, B.J. (2000). Satisfaction surveys and other sources of information on quality of long term care. In J. Cohen-Mansfield, F. Ejaz & P. Werner (Eds.), Satisfaction surveys in long term care (Ch. 10). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Bowers, B.J., Lauring, C., & Jacobson, N. (2001). How nurses manage time and work in long-term care facilities. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33(4), 484-491.
Bowers, B., Fibich, B., & Jacobson, N. (2001). Care as service, care as relating, care as comfort: Understanding nursing home residents' perceptions of quality. The Gerontologist, 41(4), 539-45.
Bowers, B. (2001). State complaint investigations systems: A report of findings from residents and families. Report to The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Stone, R.I., Reinhard, S.C., Bowers, B., Zimmerman, D., Phillips, C.D., Hawes, et al. (2002). Evaluation of the Wellspring Model for Improving Nursing Home Quality. The Commonwealth Fund.
Bowers, B. (2002). The Work of Nurses and Nurse Aides in Nursing Homes. Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences.
Bowers, B. (2002). Organizational culture change in long term care. Urban Institute, Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health & Social Services.
Lauver, D., Ward, S., Heidrich, S., Keller, M., Bowers, B., Brennan, P., et al. (2002). Patient-centered interventions. Research in Nursing and Health, 25(4), 246-255.
Bowers, B. (2002). Best practice in care management. Journal of Social Work in Long Term Care, 1(3), 55-71.
Bowers, B.J., Esmond, S., & Jacobson, N. (2003). Turnover reinterpreted: CNAs' talk about why they leave. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29(3), 36-43.
Bowers, B., Lutz, B., Esmond, S., & Jacobson, N. (2003). Improving primary care for persons with disabilities: The nature of expertise. Disability & Society, 18(4), 443-455.
Hamilton, R., & Bowers,B. (2003). Autonomy, informed consent, and genetic testing: An uneasy tension. Journal of Nursing Law, 9(1), 7-17.
Caron, C.D., & Bowers,B. (2003). Deciding whether to continue, share or relinquish caregiving: Caregiver views. Qualitative Health Research, 13(9), 1252-1271.
Baik, S-Y., Bowers, B., Oakley, L.D., & Susman, J.L. (2005). The recognition of depression: Primary care providers' perspectives. Annals of Family Medicine, 3(1), 31-7.
Hamilton, R., & Bowers, B.J. (2005). Disclosing genetic test results to family members. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 37(1), 18-24.
Lutz, B., & Bowers, B.J. (2005). The influence of disability on everyday life. Qualitative Health Research, 15(8), 1037-1054.
Mezey, M., Burger, S., Bloom, H.G., Bonner, A., Bourbonniere, M., Bowers, B., et al. (2005). Experts recommend strategies for strengthening the use of advanced practice nurses in nursing homes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53(10), 1790-1797.
Dosa, D., Bowers, B., & Gifford, D. (2006). Critical review of resident assessment protocols. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 54(4), 659-666.
DeVores, D.J., & Bowers,B. (2006). Childcare for children with disabilities: Families search for specialized care and cooperative childcare partnerships. Infants & Young Children, 19(3), 202-213.
Hamilton, R., & Bowers, B.J. (2006). Internet recruitment and email interviews in qualitative studies. Qualitative Health Research, 16(6), 821-835.
Bowers, B., Esmond, S.L., Norton, S., & Holloway, E. (2006). The consumer/provider relationship as care quality mediator. In S. Kunkel & V. Wellin (Eds.), Consumer Voice and Choice in Long-Term Care (Ch. 10) New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Pandhi, N., Bowers, B., & Chen, F. (2007). A comfortable relationship: A patient derived dimension of ongoing care. Family Medicine, 39(4), 266-73.
Hamilton, R.J., & Bowers, B.J. (2007). The theory of genetic vulnerability: A Roy Model exemplar. Nursing Science Quarterly, 20, 254-264.
Baik, S., Bowers, B.J., Oakley, L.D., & Susman, J.L. (2008). What comprises clinical experience in recognizing depression? The primary care clinician's perspective. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 21(3), 200.
Downs, M., & Bowers, B. (2008). Caring for people with dementia [Editorial]. British Medical Journal, 336 (7638), 225-226.
Bigby, C., Webber, R., Bowers, B., & MacKenzie-Green, B. (2008). A survey of people with intellectual disabilities living in residential aged care facilities in Victoria. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(5), 404-414.
Landefeld, C.S., Bowers, B.J., Feld, A.D., Hartmann, K.E., Hoffman, E., Ingber, et al. (2008). National Institutes of Health State-of-the Science statement: Prevention of fecal and urinary incontinence in adults. Annals of Internal Medicine, 148(6).
Downs, M. & Bowers, B. (Eds.) (2008). Excellence in Dementia Care: Research Into Practice. McGraw-Hill Publishers, London
Morse, J., Stern, P., Corbin, J., Bowers, B., Charmaz, K., & Clarke, A. (2008). Developing Grounded Theory: The Second Generation. Developing Qualitative Inquiry Series. Left Coast Press.
Buckwalter, K.C., McCarthy, A.M., Bowers, B., Beck, Co., Hartzler, L.E. (2008). Intervention Research in Highly Unstable Environments. Research in Nursing and Health, 32 (1), 110-21.
Hamilton, R., Williams, J., Bowers, B., and Calzone, K. (2008). Life Trajectories, Genetic Testing, and Risk Reduction Decisions in 18-39 year old Women at Risk for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Journal of Genetic Counseling. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10897-008-9200-1
McGilton, K., Bowers, B., McKenzie-Green, B., Boscart, V., Brown, M. (in press). Against all Odds: How do charge nurses get through their day? Exploring and Understanding the Supervisory Role in Long-Term Care. Journal of Applied Gerontology.
Selected Awards and Honors
Community Living Alliance, Award for Commitment to Independence for People with Disabilities, 2005
Center for Excellence in Long Term Care, University Community Partnership Award, 2002
Wisconsin Network for Health Services Research, Most Useful Research Award, 1999
Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), 1996