Brief Bio

Dr. Melissa Batchelor-Murphy joined the DUSON faculty in July 2011. She earned a BSN (1996) and then a MSN in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty (2000) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON). From 2005 to 2011, she served as a full-time lecturer at the UNCW SON while maintaining a clinical practice as an FNP in geriatric primary care and nursing home settings. In 2011, she received the UNCW SON Faculty of the Year Award. She is board certified as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Gerontological Registered Nurse.

Dr. Batchelor-Murphy was a 2009-2011 National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Patricia G. Archbold (a program previously known as the John A. Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Scholars program). She completed her PhD in nursing and a Post-Master’s Certificate in nurse education at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing in August 2011. Her dissertation, which focused on alleviating mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia through development of a web-based dementia feeding skills training program for nursing home staff, received Distinguished Dissertation Award from the 2011 Southern Research Nursing Society/Aging Research Interest Group.

Since joining the DUSON faculty, Dr. Batchelor-Murphy was awarded the National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Claire M. Fagin Fellowship for 2012-2014 to support her post-doctoral program of study. With this funding, she conducted the first study to compare three different hand feeding techniques, which can be used to provide feeding assistance to persons with dementia in the nursing home setting. Additionally, she is a 2013-2016 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar. With this funding, she is completing an analysis of recorded meal interactions to determine the verbal and non-verbal behavioral cues that lead to increased meal intake in persons with dementia (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01780402).

Dr. Batchelor-Murphy has also received funding as a Project Director for a study funded through the Adaptive Leadership for Cognitive Affective Symptom Science (ADAPT) Center, a Center of Excellence grant funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) (ClinicalTrails.gov P30-NR014139; Project NCT02269956). This study being conducted 2014-2017. Her cumulative research efforts will result in development of a dementia skills training program for nursing home staff.

Dr. Batchelor-Murphy currently maintains her clinical practice in the Duke Medicine Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment (GET) clinic. Her consultation practice serves the surrounding region though a team of interdisciplinary geriatric experts.

Academic Program Affiliations

Education

Professional Certifications

Research Interests

Awards and Honors

• 2014 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar (2014-2017)

• 2013 Selected participant, 2014 Leadership Development for Researchers, Duke Leader Program

• 2013 Top 20 Medical Professors for North Carolina

• 2012 Claire M. Fagin Fellowship, 2012-2014, National Hartford Centers for Gerontological Nursing Excellence

• 2011 Distinguished Dissertation Award, Southern Nursing Research Society Aging Research Interest Group

• 2011 Faculty of the Year Award, University of North Carolina Wilmington, School of Nursing

• 2011 Featured in “A Day in the Life of an Academic Geriatric Nurse", John A. Hartford Foundation 2010 Annual Report: "BAGNC: A Decade of Achievement"

• 2011 Video created of her professional story for recruiting others into geriatric nursing, John A. Hartford Foundation website

• 2010 Recognition by graduating seniors, UNC-Wilmington Division of Student Affairs

• 2010 Convocation Leader, (nominated by UNC-Wilmington graduate seniors)

• 2009 Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Scholar, John A. Hartford Foundation

• 2009 Featured in "State of Aging at MUSC: Center on Aging Annual Report", Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Center on Aging

• 2009 Recognition by graduating seniors (Spring & Fall graduations), UNC-Wilmington Division of Student Affairs

• 2009 Soaring Seahawk Award, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

• 2008 Center for Teaching Excellence, Summer Pedagogical Award, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

• 2008 Gerontological nursing website development, AACN / John A. Hartford Foundation

• 2007 Elizabeth Scott Carrington Scholarship, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing

• 2007 North Carolina Nurse Educator of Tomorrow

• 2005 Outstanding UNCW Alumni, UNC Wilmington UNCW Magazine

• 2001 Outstanding UNCW School of Nursing Alumnii–FNP, UNC Wilmington School of Nursing Newsletter

Areas of Expertise

• Gerontology
• Nursing Education

Areas of Interest

• curriculum development in gerontological and geropsychiatric nursing

Representative Publications

• 2015 -- Kennerly, S., Batchelor-Murphy, M., Yap, T. L. Clinical insights: understanding the link between nutrition and pressure ulcer prevention Geriatric Nursing. November 3, 2015, Epub ahead of print;

• 2015 -- Pubmed # 25769703 Batchelor-Murphy, M., Amella, E. J., Zapka, J., Mueller, M., Beck, C. Feasibility of a web-based dementia feeding skills training program for nursing home staff. Geriatr Nurs. May-June, 2015; 36(3); 212-8 PMCID: PMC4457612

• 2015 -- Batchelor-Aselage, M., Amella, E. J., Rose, S. B., Bales, C. W. Dementia-related mealtime difficulties: Assessment and management in the long-term-care setting. In Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Aging (3rd ed.), edited by Bales, C. W. and Locher, J. L. and Saltzman, E. 2015; pp. 287-301. New York: Springer.

• 2014 -- Pubmed # 24612316 Zapka, J., Amella, E., Magwood, G., Madisetti, M., Garrow, D., Batchelor-Aselage, M. Challenges in efficacy research: the case of feeding alternatives in patients with dementia. J Adv Nurs. September, 2014; 70(9); 2072-85 PMCID: PMC4130777

• 2014 -- Pubmed # 24983239 Batchelor-Aselage, M., DiMeglio, B., Aaron, C. S., Dugger, B. R. Infusing geropsychiatric nursing content into curricula: challenges and solutions. J Nurs Educ. July, 2014; 53(7); 387-94

• 2014 -- Pubmed # 24783377 Batchelor-Aselage, M., Amella, E., Zapka, J., Mueller, M., Beck, C. Research with dementia patients in the nursing home setting: a protocol for informed consent and assent. IRB. March-April, 2014; 36(2); 14-20

• 2014 -- Buhr, G. T., Konrad, T., Pinheiro, S., Pruitt, J., Poer, C., Shock, L., Yanamadala, M., Bailey, D., White, H. K., Devarayasamudram, S., Day, L., Aselage, M., Egerton, E. O., Matters, L., McConnell, E., Heflin, M. T. An interprofessional education collaborative (IPEC) competency-focused workshop to enhance team performance. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. January, 2014; 15(3); B10–B11

• 2014 -- Pubmed # 24354332 Amella, E. J., Batchelor-Aselage, M. B. Facilitating ADLs by caregivers of persons with dementia: the C3P model. Occup Ther Health Care. January, 2014; 28(1); 51-61 PMCID: PMC4487525

• 2013 -- Amella, E. J., Aselage, M. B. Eating and feeding behaviors: Problems in dementia. In The Encyclopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geriatric Health and Social Care (3rd), edited by Capezuti, E., Zwicker, D., Mezey, M., Fulmer, T., Gray-Miceli, D., & Kluger, M. 2013; pp. 247-249. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

• 2012 -- Aselage, M. North Carolina Compassionate Care Coalition. Tarheel Nurse. Jan-Mar, 2012; 74(1); 17

• 2012 -- Amella, E.J., Aselage, M. B. Mealtime difficulties (Chapter 23) In Evidence-Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice (4th ed.), edited by Boltz, M., Capezuti, E., Fulmer, T.T., Zwicker, D., & O'Meara, A. 2012; New York: Springer Publishing Co..

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22494425 Aselage, M., Amella, E. Response to Watson R (2011) Commentary on Aselage MB (2010) Measuring mealtime difficulties: eating, feeding, and meal behaviours in older adults with dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing19, 621-631. Journal of Clinical Nursing 20, 297-298. J Clin Nurs. May, 2012; 21(9-10); 1494-5

• 2012 -- Aselage, M. B. Faculty tutorial for Portal of Geriatric Online Education (POGOe). July 24, 2012;

• 2012 -- Aselage, M. B. Overview of the Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative (Video). June 1, 2012;

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21757077 Aselage, M. B., Amella, E. J., Watson, R. State of the science: Alleviating mealtime difficulties in nursing home residents with dementia. Nurs Outlook. Jul-Aug, 2011; 59(4); 210-4

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21320213 Aselage, M. Commentary on Lopez R, Amella E, Mitchell S & Strumpf N (2010), Nurses' perspectives on feeding decisions for nursing home residents with advanced dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing 19, 632-638. J Clin Nurs. March, 2011; 20(5-6); 911-2

• 2011 -- Aselage, M. B. Why geriatrics? An interview with Melissa Aselage (video). 2011;

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20608595 Aselage, M. Mobilizing gerontological nursing education: The GNEC Podcast Project. J Gerontol Nurs. July, 2010; 36(7); 63-4

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20608592 Puentes, W. J., Bradway, C. K., Aselage, M. Older adult mental health: Teaching senior-level baccalaureate nursing students what they need to know. J Gerontol Nurs. July 1, 2010; 36(7); 44-53

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20608591 Gray-Miceli, D., Aselage, M., Mezey, M. Teaching strategies for atypical presentation of illness in older adults. J Gerontol Nurs. July 1, 2010; 36(7); 38-43

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Overcash, J. (Producer). Assessment and management of cancer related to older adults with complex care needs. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Beckie, T. (Producer). Assessment and management of heart disease related to complex care of older adults. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Happ, M. B. (Producer). Assessment and management of older adults with complex illness in the critical care unit. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Jefferson, V. (Producer). Assessment and management of type 2 diabetes in older adults with complex care needs. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Brock, L., Buchanan, C., Cray, D., Edwards, L., Gaines, S., et al. (Producer). Atypical presentation in the care of the older adult. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Puentes, W. (Producer) Complex care needs in older adults with dementia: Background and general interventions. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Aselage, M. B., Wexler, S., D'Amico, C. (Producer). Interdisciplinary teams for older adults with complex care needs. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Leak, A., Aselage, M., Park, J., Toles, M. North Carolina is building geriatric nursing capacity. Tarheel Nurse. April-June, 2010; 72(2); 11-12

• 2009 -- Aselage, M. B., Cox, A.., Cox, R., Bodnar, A., Grimsley, K., Hardin, M., et al. (Producer). Critical thinking related to complex care of older adults. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 5, 2010;

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20500303 Aselage, M. B. Measuring mealtime difficulties: eating, feeding and meal behaviours in older adults with dementia. J Clin Nurs. March 1, 2010; 19(5-6); 621-31

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20500242 Aselage, M. B., Amella, E. J. An evolutionary analysis of mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia. J Clin Nurs. January 1, 2010; 19(1-2); 33-41

• 2009 -- Aselage, M., Conner, B., Carnevale, T. Ethical considerations in conducting research with persons with dementia. Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research. November, 2009; 9(4);

• 2009 -- Aselage, M. B., Gray-Miceli, D., Mezey, M. (Producer). Geriatric Resources. Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts. April 1, 2009;

Grant Funding (selected)

• Adaptive approaches for effectively managing mealtimes in dementia  
  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  72115
  09/2014-08/2017
  Aim 1: To characterize the range of functional ability and feeding behaviors exhibited by persons with dementia during mealtimes. Aim 2: To characterize feeding assistants responses to PWD functional ability and feeding behaviors, and determine whether they promote or inhibit food intake. Aim 3: To develop an algorithm intended to help feeding assistants use adaptive approaches based on PWD functional ability and feeding behaviors encountered during a mealtime.

• Mealtime symptoms in dementia: Adaptive leadership approaches  
  National Institutes of Health
  1P30-NR014139-01
  09/2012-06/2017
  Role: Project Investigator
  Project Goal: Aim 1: Identify how nursing staff describe adaptive and technical challenges due to dementia-related symptoms of PWD during mealtime and use these data to revise an existing dementia feeding skills training program to incorporate adaptive leadership approaches; Aim 2: Evaluate and refine the revised dementia feeding skills training program; Aim 3: Conduct a 12-week feasibility study implementing the revised and refined dementia feeding skills training program that combines adaptive and technical interventions for nursing staff and ascertain the impact of training on resident outcomes.

• Comparison of Careful Hand Feeding Techniques for Older Persons with Dementia  
  John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity: Claire M. Fagin Fellowship award
  07/2012-06/2014
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Project Goals: Experimental repeated-measures, within-subjects pilot study to compare three hand feeding techniques for assisting persons with dementia in the nursing home setting

• Comparison of hand feeding techniques for persons with dementia living in the nursing home.  
  Duke University School of Nursing Office of Research Affairs
  453-0320
  12/2011-12/2012
  Role: PI
  Project Goals: Experimental repeated-measures within-subjects pilot study to compare three hand feeding techniques for assisting persons with dementia in the nursing home setting.

• A web-based dementia feeding skills training program for nursing home staff  
  J. Richard Corbett Charitable Trust
  Grant # 62110
  07/2010-06/2011
  Role: Principal investigator
  Project Goals: This dissertation project is a two-month cluster-randomized feasibility study. The aims of this are: Aim 1: To determine feasibility the web-based module/ coaching model for skilled NH staff for feeding PWD; and to obtain estimates of variability for the relevant outcome measures for staff and PWD health outcomes; Aim 2: Staff outcomes are to improve knowledge of feeding persons with dementia, self-efficacy, feeding skills, and behaviors; Aim 3: Resident outcomes are to decrease disruptive resident mealtime behavior, maintain or increase resident food intake and weight, increase time for feeding, and improve quality of life for NH residents with dementia.

• Alleviating mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia  
  John A. Hartford Foundation/ American Academy of Nursing
  09-151
  07/2009-06/2011
  Project Goals: Pre-doctoral support awarded specifically to build skills in research, teaching, and leadership in geriatric nursing. Long-term career goals include being a national and international leader in improving the quality of care and quality of life for older adults.

• Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Podcasts  
  AACN / Hartford GNEC Faculty Development Institute
  06/2009-08/2009
  Role: Principal investigator and series editor
  Goal: Develop a series of podcasts to prepare baccalaureate nursing students to meet the care needs of the older adult population. Podcast content based on modules from "Older Adults: Recommended Baccalaureate Competencies and Curricular Guidelines for Geriatric Nursing Care" developed by the AACN Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) and the Hartford Institute. Podcasts are available online at http://consultgerirn.org/resources/gnec_podcasts, or from the iTunes store.

• Pilot: Podcasting GNEC curriculum for implementation in baccalaureate nursing education programs  
  AACN/ Hartford GNEC Faculty Development Institute
  12/2008-04/2009
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Purpose: To develop of pilot podcast for delivering Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) content to baccalaureate nursing students

• Congressionally-Directed Funds for Nursing Programs Including Military Veterans, Clinical Research, and Distance Learning  
  U.S. Department of Education
  07/2008-06/2009
  Role: Nursing faculty and online course designer for NSG 334 Gerontology/End-of-Life Care
  Project Goal: To plan for an accelerated Bachelor of Science program in nursing and a Master of Science program in clinical research targeted to military personnel, veterans, and their spouses.

• Congressionally-Directed Funds for Nursing Programs Including Military Veterans, Clinical Research, and Distance Learning  
  U.S. Department of Education, Congressionally-directed grant
  07/2008-06/2009
  Role: Nursing faculty and online course designer for NSG 404 Health Policy.
  Project Goal: To plan for an accelerated Bachelor of Science program in nursing and a Master of Science program in clinical research targeted to military personnel, veterans, and their spouses.

• Use of the Comprehensive Geriatric Nursing Assessment (CGA) in Baccalaureate Nursing Education  
  UNCW Summer Pedagogy Development Award Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
  06/2008-08/2008
  Role: Principal Investigator