Dr. Deborah (“Debbie”) Busch is a dual PhD and DNP-prepared Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Educator, International Board–Certified Lactation Consultant, and Fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP), with over 30 years of pediatric nursing experience. She is an Associate Professor and Track Director of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner track at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, where she engages in curriculum design and development. She has experience teaching online, in the classroom, and in simulation-based settings, and teaches pre-licensure, advanced pediatric, and doctoral-level courses.
Her scholarship includes more than 35 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, a certification review guide, and contributions to national guidelines, including co-authorship of the NAPNAP Position Statement on Breastfeeding. She is the author of the Tri-Core Breastfeeding Conceptual Model, a framework that informs breastfeeding education, research, and clinical practice, with emphasis on lactation support, targeted education for families and healthcare professionals, and the promotion of breastfeeding self-efficacy. She is a co-editor of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Guide (8th edition). Dr. Busch has delivered over 40 national and international podium presentations and has served as principal investigator and/or co–principal investigator on funded and in-kind research initiatives focused on nursing readiness, breastfeeding care and simulation, pediatric care and education, and maternal–child dyads. Dr. Busch is actively engaged in professional service and leadership at the state and national levels, supporting the advancement of pediatric nursing, nurse practitioner education, and practice.
JHU Center Affiliation:
Center for Equity in Child and Youth Health and Wellbeing