Caroline Stephens, PhD, GNP, FAAN
Associate Professor
Community Health Systems
School of Nursing

caroline.stephens@ucs.eu 415-502-6340

My program of research focuses on vulnerable populations at high risk for poor care transitions, particularly in the long term care setting.

Using national CMS claims and resident assessment data, I recently completed a series of studies examining key factors associated with Emergency Department (ED) use by high risk nursing home residents, such as those with cognitive impairment, a history of falls and feeding tubes. While much of my work to date has involved large data set analyses, I am currently looking at innovative ways we can use emerging health technologies to promote greater interdisciplinary collaborative work processes across care settings and more actively engage nursing home residents, families, nursing home staff and EDs to reduce unnecessary acute care transfers and promote better care coordination.

Clinically, I am a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and Geropsychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse, and I have cared for frail older adults across the care continuum, including the provision of geropsychiatric consultations in over 100 nursing homes in 3 states. I still maintain a geropsychiatric faculty practice in the nursing home setting.

From a teaching perspective, I am passionate about, and locally and nationally involved in, figuring out innovative ways to infuse more gerontological and geropsychiatric content into the generalist APN curriculum and across disciplines.

Awards

  • Clinical Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) KL2 Scholar, UCSF, 2013-2018
  • National Veteran's Administration Quality Scholar (VAQS), San Francisco VA Medical Center, 2010-2012
  • John A. Hartford Foundation/Atlantic Philanthropies Claire M. Fagin Fellow, UCSF, 2010-2012
  • Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society Research Award, Alpha Eta Chapter - UCSF, 2010
  • 9th Annual UCSF Outstanding Health Policy Paper Award, UCSF, 2008
  • John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar, UCSF, 2007-2009
  • Cota Robles Fellow, UCSF, 2006-2007
  • University of Pennsylvania Dean's Award, University of Pennsylvania, 2002
  • University of Pennsylvania Nightingale Award, University of Pennsylvania, 1999
  • Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honors Society, Xi & Alpha Eta Chapters, 1999

Education & Training

  • Ph.D. Gerontological Nursing & Health Policy University of California, San Francisco 2010
  • Post-Master's Certificate, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner School of Nursing University of Pennsylvania 2001
  • MSN, Geropsychiatric Advanced Practice Nursing (CNS) School of Nursing University of Pennsylvania 2000
  • BSN School of Nursing University of Pennsylvania 1999
  • BS, Biological Psychology with Minor in Human Development & Aging College of Letters & Sciences University of California, Davis 1995

Grants and Projects

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Publications (47)

Top publication keywords:
Trauma CentersDementiaTerminal CareEducation, NursingEmergency Service, HospitalNursing HomesPsychiatric NursingHomes for the AgedPalliative CareHospice and Palliative Care NursingEligibility DeterminationNursing Education ResearchAdvanced Practice NursingGeriatric NursingGeriatrics