Barbara J. Lutz

Dr. Barbara Lutz, McNeill Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington School of Nursing, is a certified rehabilitation nurse and advanced public health nurse. Her program of research focuses on understanding the needs and experiences of patients with stroke and other chronic illnesses and their family caregivers as they move through the continuum of care, from acute care to home. She has a consistent record of external funding. She currently serves as a Co-Investigator on a study funded by NINR exploring the needs of patients with severe acute brain injury and their families. She is also a Co-Investigator on a PCORI-funded multi-site study to test a post-stroke tele-health BP management intervention. Dr. Lutz is a Past President of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and Past Chair of the American Heart Association (AHA) Cardiovascular Disease in Older Populations Committee and the Stroke Nursing Committee. She is a member of an AHA writing group to develop metrics for Post-Acute Stroke care and has served on several other AHA scientific statement writing groups. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, American Heart Association, and Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. She recently served as a member of the NIH National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research Advisory Board and has served as a member of the ANA Care Coordination Quality Measures Steering Committee, ANA Care Coordination Expert Panel, and as a rehabilitation nurse expert on the Joint Commission Technical Advisory Panel for Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification.

Education

BS in Nursing (BSN), University of Iowa
MS in Community Heatlh, Northern Illinois University
MS in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison
PhD in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Specialization in Teaching

Nursing Theory
Ethics and Legal Issues in Nursing Leadership

Research Interests

Transitions of Care from Inpatient Care to Home
Unmet Needs of Family Caregivers -- Focus on caregivers of patients with stroke, brain cancer, and other disabling illnesses
Community-Engaged Research
Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Methods

Professional Service

Selected Service -- Past 5 Years
2021-Present Member, Complex Cardiovascular Disease in Patient and Family Care, Cardiovascular & Stroke Nursing (CVSN), American Heart Association
2014-2023 Immediate Past-Chair (2021-2023), Chair (2019-2021), Co-Chair (2017-19), Member (2014-17), Cardiovascular Disease in Older Populations Joint Committee, Councils on Clinical Cardiology (CLCD) & Cardiovascular & Stroke Nursing (CVSN), American Heart Association
2019-Present Member, Post-Acute Care Stroke Rehabilitation Writing Committee, American Heart Association, Dallas, TX
2020-2021 Past-President, Board of Directors, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Chicago, IL.
2020-2021 Chair, Nominating and Leadership Development Committee, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Chicago, IL.
2019-2020 President, Board of Directors, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Chicago, IL.
2019-2020 Member, Committee for Scientific Sessions Planning, American Heart Association, Dallas, TX
2018-2022 Member, Advisory Board, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, (Eunice Kennedy Shriver) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
2018-2019 President-Elect, Board of Directors, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Chicago, IL

Honors & Awards

2023 Distinguished Service Award, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
2018 Stroke Article of the Year Award, Council of Cardiovascular & Stroke Nursing, American Heart Association
2018 Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award, University of North Carolina Wilmington
2016 Discere Aude Award for Outstanding Student Mentoring, University of North Carolina-Wilmington