Kristen Overbaugh, Ph.D., RN

Kristen Overbaugh Ph.D., RN, is an Associate Professor of Nursing. She has teaching experience in clinical and didactic undergraduate courses focused on adult health, acute care, cardiovascular, palliative and hospice nursing, and professional issues as well as supporting graduate students in scholarly work. She has over 20 years of experience in acute care settings as a nurse in practice, management, and educator roles. She has a special interest in improving outcomes, including quality of life, for individuals living with chronic illness and their family members. She completed an inter-professional palliative care fellowship in 2016 through the South Texas Veterans Health Care Administration in San Antonio. Her research has focused on nursing education, personal growth in heart failure, palliative care, advance care planning, and family caregiving in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to conducting research, she is passionate about mentoring nursing students in becoming successful, compassionate clinicians and leaders in a complex healthcare environment.

Areas of Expertise

Adult Health
Cardiovascular Nursing
Palliative Care and Hospice

Professional Nursing Issues

Education

Ph.D., Nursing; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
MSN Acute Care of the Adult, Clinical Nurse Specialist; Minor in Teaching
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
BS, Nursing; Minor in Geriatrics; Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Certifications

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health (ACNS-BC)
Certificate of Training Inter-professional Palliative Care Fellowship

Teaching

Adult Acute Care/Medical Surgical Nursing
Professional Issues in Nursing
Palliative and End of Life Nursing Education

Publications

Overbaugh, K. & Laske, R. A. (2023). Building competency: Recognizing and managing clinical problems to improve care. Journal of Nursing Education, 62 (3), https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20230109-12

Overbaugh, K., Byrne, D., & DiGiacomo, P. (2022). Engaging nursing students in advance care planning. Nurse Educator, 47 (6), doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001255

Overbaugh, K., Monforto, K., DiGiacomo, P., & Maloney, C. (2022). Understanding COVID-19’s impact on nursing students’ education, professional perceptions, stress and coping. Nursing Education Perspectives, 43 (6), E47-E49. doi: 10.1097/01. NEP0000000000001043.   

Byrne, D., Overbaugh, K., & Matecki, D. (2022). Evaluating the effectiveness of using a documentary to teach the nursing process. Nurse Educator, 47(2), E23. https://doi.org/ 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001130

Overbaugh, K. J. (2020). Advance care planning: An update for the medical-surgical nurse in the age of COVID-19. MEDSURG NURSING, 29(5), 299-307.

Byrne, D, Overbaugh, K, Czekanski, K, Wilby, M, Blumenfeld, S, Laske, A. (2020). Assessing undergraduate nursing students’ attitude toward the dying. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 22(2), 123-129. https://doi:10.1097/NJH.0000000000000626

Molidor, S., Overbaugh, K. J., James, D., & White, C. (2018). Palliative care and stroke: An integrative review of the literature. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 20(4), 1-11. doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000450 

Overbaugh KJ, Zaragoza G, White C. The formation of a community academic partnership to address health disparities and improve outcomes for Latino family caregivers living in a rural community. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 2018; 1-3. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2017.1398793.

White CL, Overbaugh KJ, Pickering, CEZ, Piernik-Yoder, B, James D, Patel DI, Puga F, Ford L, Cleveland, J. Advancing care for family caregivers of persons with dementia through caregiver and community partnerships. Research Involvement and Engagement 2018; 4(1):1-7. doi: 10.1186/s40900-018-0084-4

Overbaugh KJ, Parshall MB. Personal growth, symptoms, and uncertainty in community-residing adults with heart failure. Heart & Lung 2017; 46:54-60. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2016.09.002.

Overbaugh, KJ. Acute Coronary Syndrome. American Journal of Nursing 2009; 109(5): 42-52.

Book

Hinkle, J. L., Cheever, K. C., & Overbaugh, K. J. (2022). Brunner and Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical Surgical Nursing (15^th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Book Chapters

Overbaugh, K. J. (2018). Assessment of Respiratory Function. In J. Hinkle & K. Cheever (Eds.) Brunner and Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical Surgical Nursing (14th edition). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

Overbaugh, K. J. (2013). Assessment of Respiratory Function. In J. Hinkle & K. Cheever (Eds.) Brunner and Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical Surgical Nursing (13th edition). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.