Deborah Busch

Deborah Busch is a national leader in breastfeeding and lactation care, as well as pediatric primary and acute care. Her innovative Tri-Core Breastfeeding Model was adopted by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners as a standard of practice, refining healthcare providers’ approaches to lactation-consult support and maternal self-efficacy. Currently, Dr. Busch is implementing this model within her research on opioid use disorder, peripartum breastfeeding women and infant dyads, and in developing innovative simulation lactation education. Dr. Busch is nationally recognized as a Certified Nurse Educator and Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and has co-developed the JHUSON Breastfeeding Practice and Research course, one of the few International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) approved-graduate-leveled online lactation courses, which nearly 240 students have completed and receive continuing education credits for (CERPS). She has practiced in semi-rural pediatric primary care settings providing acute, well, and lactation care. She has practiced both in the United States in the hospital and community settings, as well as globally while in the Peace Corps, Nepal, and medical missions to Haiti. In addition to her clinical practice and academic teaching responsibilities, Dr. Busch has been an active preceptor to both nursing and nurse practitioner students for over twenty years. She is the immediate Past-President of the Maryland Chapter of NAPNAP (National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners). Dr. Busch has dedicated her career to serving families and mentoring students, and her expertise is invaluable to the healthcare community.