Brief Bio

Helen Gordon received her BSN from the University of Arkansas College of Nursing, her MS in Parent-Child Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery from the University of Utah, and her DNP from Case Western Reserve University in 2012.

Dr. Gordon's entire career (40 years) has been in birth and women's health. Before coming to Duke in 2003, she managed a grant for the American College of Nurse-Midwives in Washington, DC. For five years she was the state’s first technical specialist in nurse-midwifery care for the NC Office of Rural Health, assisting in the implementation of CNM-MD practices in rural North Carolina. She was the first nursing director in the U.S. to implement LDRP care in a tertiary setting. Dr. Gordon also has extensive experience in the development of market-driven competitive women’s care services. She co-teaches the maternity nursing course and teaches senior seminar courses in the ABSN program. She has also served as lead faculty in community health.

Gordon has received three teaching awards. She was selected by DUSON faculty to receive the Duke University School of Nursing Distinguished Teaching Award, and she received the DUSON Outstanding BSN Faculty Award from ABSN students in 2005 and 2011. Gordon’s scholarly interests are in the area of teaching and learning in adults and she is passionate about normal birth and the role that nurses play to keep labor normal and thereby influence birth. Dr. Gordon also teaches a mindfulness course for DUSON students.

Gordon currently serves as Faculty-in-Residence in Randolph dorm on Duke’s East Campus, where she and her lively fox terrier Cody reside with 182 coeds. Gordon is the first DUSON nurse to participate in this highly sought-after and uniquely rewarding Duke program. It is her mission to expose freshman students to a different perspective on nursing, and to encourage them to take advantage of all the incredible cultural opportunities offered by Duke.

Academic Program Affiliations

Education

Professional Certifications

Awards and Honors

• 2012 Duke School of Nursing Teaching Fellowship, Duke School of Nursing

• 2011 Distinguished Teaching Award, Duke University School of Nursing

• 2011 Outstanding BSN Faculty Award, Duke University School of Nursing ABSN Program

• 2010 "Faculty Matters" for March-April 2010, NLN

• 2010 NLN-Institutional Member, Duke University School of Nursing

• 2010 North Carolina ACNM-state member, Lamaze International

• 2009 Mary Lewis Wyche Fellowship, NC Foundation for Nursing

• 2007 Awarded Nurse Educators of Tomorrow Grant, State of North Carolina

• 2007 Jump Start Grant, "Video Workbook for Teaching Maternity Nursing", Duke University Center for Instructional learning

• 2005 The Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award, Duke School of Nursing ABSN Program

• 2003 Recognized as one of four founding members of The Raleigh School for Children, The Raleigh School for Children

• 1974 Little Rock Departmental Club Award for Outstanding Clinical and Academic Performance in the BSN Program, U. of Arkansas College of Nursing

• 1974 Sigma Theta Tau, American College of Nurse-Midwives

Areas of Expertise

• Global and Community Health
• Reproductive Health
• Women's Health

Areas of Interest

• Physiological Birth Practices
• Hospital Systems and Birth
• Women's Health
• Community Health

Representative Publications

• 2015 -- Pubmed # 26465347 Lewinski, A., Wainwright, K., Gordon, H., Derouin, A. Student-Faculty Lunch Program to Increase Mentoring and Facilitate Cross-Program Relationships in School of Nursing. Nurse Educ. October, 2015 Epub ahead of print;

• 2014 -- Hotelling, B., Gordon, H. A. How to Become Mother-Friendly: Policies & Procedures for Hospitals, Birth Centers, and Home Birth Services April, 2014; New York: Springer Publishing Company.

• 2014 -- Pubmed # 24535177 Stevenson, E. L., Gordon, H. A. Students as active learners and teaching partners in the clinical setting. Nurse Educ. March-April, 2014; 39(2); 52-3

• 2014 -- Valiga, T. M., Gordon, H. A., Phillips, B. C. Promoting and assessing critical thinking (Chapter 10) In Teaching Strategies for Nurse Educators (3rd ed.), edited by DeYoung, S. 2014; Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

• 2010 -- Gordon, H. Faculty Matters. Nursintg Education Perspectives. April, 2010; 31(2); 76-77

• 2008 -- Gordon, H. A., DUSON ABSN Students. Mother-friendly hospital policy manual. Fall, 2008;

• 2003 -- Gordon, H. A. Job Search Skills for Health Professionals. 2003;

• 1996 -- Pubmed # 8717770 Matyac (now Gordon), H. G., Fitchitt, B. L., Dearing, R. H. Compensation models of certified nurse-midwives in clinical practice. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. June, 1996; 10(1); 36-45

• 1996 -- Gordon, H. A. A word from the editor. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Winter, 1996; 1(4);

• 1996 -- Gordon, H. A. Job search with style. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Fall, 1996; 2(1);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. A word from the editor. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Fall, 1995; 1(3);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. Workshop review: Public speaking and media training. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Fall, 1995; 1(3);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. A word from the editor. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Summer, 1995; 1(2);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. Practice building strategies. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Summer, 1995; 1(2);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. A word from the editor. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Spring, 1995; 1(1);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. Patient satisfaction pays: Quality service for practice success -- A book review. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Spring, 1995; 1(1);

• 1995 -- Gordon, H. A. The midwife’s three “C’s” of job selection. Midwifery Business Quarterly. Spring, 1995; 1(1);

• 1993 -- Gordon, H. A. Business savvy for the CNM. 1993;

• 1990 -- Gordon, H. A. Maternity FORWARD for Nurse-Managers. 1990;

• 1987 -- Dearing, R., Matyac (now Gordon), H., Sohner, D., Weidel, L. Marketing Women’s Healthcare. 1987; : Aspen Publications.

• 1980 -- Pubmed # 259641 Ezrati, J. B., Gordon, H. Puerperal mastitis: causes, prevention, and management. J Nurse Midwifery. February, 1980; 24(6); 3-8

Grant Funding (selected)

• Video Workbook for Teaching Maternity Nursing  
  Duke University Center for Instructional Technology 2007/08 Jump Start Grant
  07/2007-06/2008
  Role: PI
  Project goal: This project will develop a series of short video lectures taped via a desk-top, Flip-video on a tiny tripod. A “Video Workbook” will be created for the N220: Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family.