Susan Weber Buchholz
- Professor
- Associate Dean for Research and the PhD Program
About Me:
Dr. Susan Buchholz brings to nursing science her background as a nurse researcher, nurse practitioner, and nurse educator. As a nurse researcher, she studies how to increase health promotion in a wide range of adult populations. Her interest in health promotion began with examining physical activity in African American women. She expanded that work with women to look at physical activity interventions and fitness measures that could be easily implemented in clinical practice settings with older adults. This body of research led to new and innovative methods to expand her program of research with mobile health (mHealth) text messaging. Messages were developed following focus groups and are now also available in Spanish. Her bilingual Text Messages were applied in a physical activity intervention with Food Service Employees. She has collaborated with other leaders in health promotion research, including Dr. Joellen Wilbur, on the Women’s Lifestyle Physical Activity Program (R01 NR04234; 2009-2014). She then designed a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) for sedentary women employed in an academic medical center (R01 NR017635; 2018-2023). In this study (N=301), the first large clinical trial focusing solely on physical activity, using a SMART design, the research team used previously tested interventions to promote walking. She is now a Co-Investigator on Dr. Jennifer Salinas’s study, which also uses a SMART design and tests how to improve walking engagement in school employees (R01 NR017635; 2023-Present). Dr. Buchholz is a recent past president of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and is a Board Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner. She brings her research expertise to understanding the impact of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) on Nurse Practitioner education. Dr. Buchholz is committed to health promotion and high-quality nursing and nurse practitioner education and research as essential and critical strategies to leading toward improved health for all people.
Education:
PhD, Wayne State University
MSN, Indiana University
BSN, Capital University
ADN, Illinois Central College
Interest Areas:
Physical Activity Research
Health Behavior Research
Literature Reviews
Nurse Practitioner Education
Adult Primary Care
Publications:
Funding:
Research
2023–2028 (Co-I). Evidence-Based intervention to improve walking engagement in El Paso, Texas. Funded 2023 by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (J. Salinas, University of Texas at El Paso, PI; $4,408,600).
2023-2024 (Co-I). Impact of Direct Patient Care Clinical Hours on National Certification Pass Rates and Domain Scores. Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (S. Idzik, University of Maryland; $3000).
2019–2021 (Mentor). Feasibility study of Walk4Memory, a walking exercise program using activity monitors and text messaging for older African American adults with mild cognitive impairment. Funded 2019 by Research Centers in Minority Institutions Investigator Development Core (S. Nadarajah, Howard University, PI; $100,000).
2019–2021 (Co-I). An innovative mobile health intervention to improve self-care in patients with heart failure [R21NR0118281]. Funded 2019 by National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (S. Kitsiou, University of Illinois Chicago, PI; $554,735).
2018–2022 (PI). Testing adaptive interventions to improve physical activity for sedentary women [R01NR017635]. Funded 2018 by Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health and Rush University College of Nursing ($1,900,000).
2018–2019 (Co-I). A patient-centered mobile health intervention to promote self-management and improve patient outcomes in chronic heart failure. Funded 2018 by Midwest Roybal Center Pilot Grant (S. Kitsiou, University of Illinois Chicago, PI; $40,000).
2018–2019 (Mentor). Testing the feasibility of a mHealth exercise adherence program on physical activity in older African American adults with mild cognitive impairment. Funded 2018 by Howard University Research Faculty Fellowship(S. Nadarajah, Howard University, PI; $4,800).
2013–2015 (PI) Pilot study of a physical activity text messagingintervention for a food service employee population. Funded 2013 by Rush Translational Sciences Consortium ($34,000).
2011–2013 (PI). Development of a text message data bank for Text4Walking. Funded 2011 by Rush University College of Nursing ($10,000).
2009–2015 (Co-I). Reducing health disparity in African American women: Adherence to physical activity [R01 NR04234]. Funded 2009 by National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH (J. Wilbur, PI; $3,110,902).
2005–2006 (PI). Health promotion intervention for the medically uninsured. 4Community Health Implementation Project Steering Committee. Funded 2005 and managed by HealthVisions Midwest. Made available from Eli Lilly to the United Ways of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties with matching funds provided by Purdue Calumet, St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers, and St. Anthony Medical Center. ($92,490).
2005 (Co-I). Physical fitness assessment of older adults in the primary care setting. Funded 2005 by Washington State University College of Nursing and School of Nursing, Purdue University Calumet (J. Purath, PI; $775).
2004 (PI). Physical activity counseling and physical fitness assessment: Barriers and facilitators encountered by nurse practitioners in the office setting. Funded 2004 by Sigma Theta Tau International, Delta Chi Chapter Research Grant and School of Nursing, Purdue University Calumet ($250).
2004 (PI) Measuring physical fitness in adults: Nurse practitioner practices. Funded 2004 by Sigma Theta Tau International Mu Omega Chapter Research Grant and School of Nursing, Purdue University Calumet ($500).
2000 (PI) Barriers to obtaining breast and mammogram screening in low income women. Funded 2000 by Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Race for the Cure ($3,400).
Educational
2014–2016 (PD/PI). Advanced education nursing traineeship. Funded 2014 by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA Award ($750,000).
Honors & Awards:
2022 Literature Review Team: President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Science Board
2022 MNRS Health Promoting Behaviors Across the Lifespan Senior Investigator Award
2020 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN)
2019 National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Outstanding Researcher Award
2018 2018 Pinnacle Leader – The Power of Nursing Leadership
2016 Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy Leadership Mentor
2015 2015 Capital University Award for Distinguished Service to Nursing
2014 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP)
2013 Rush University College of Nursing MVP Award for Outstanding Clinical Practice
2006 Best Poster Runner-Up Award, Western Institute of Nursing Conference
2004 The Young Investigator Award, Women’s Health Research, MNRS