Overview
Debra Brandon, Professor joined the faculty of the Duke University School of Nursing in 1999. She was Director of the PhD Program in Nursing from from July of 2011 until January 30th of 2018. She is currently the Division Chair for the Division of Women, Children, and Families. She also practiced as a Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Intensive Care Nursery of Duke University Medical Center from 1993 to 2012. Dr. Brandon is an active member of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), the International Society for Infant Studies ISIS), and is a Co-editor in Chief for the journal Advances in Neonatal Care. Dr. Brandon’s research focuses on understanding the impact of the environment of care on the health and development of high-risk infants and young children with an overall goal of implementing interventions to improve the short- and long-term outcomes of both the infants and their families.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Observational Video Study of Maternal Sleep During the 24 Hours Before Hospital Discharge After Childbirth
Journal Article JOGNN Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing · July 1, 2025 Objectives: To quantify maternal sleep during the 24 hours before hospital discharge after childbirth and to identify and describe the antecedents and contexts of waking. Design: Secondary analysis of data from an observational video study. Setting: Academ ... Full text CiteDevelopment and Implementation of a Protocol for NICU Discharge With Nasogastric Tube Feedings: Successes, Barriers, and Lessons Learned.
Journal Article Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses · June 2025 BackgroundThere is sufficient evidence to support safe discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with nasogastric tube (NGT) feedings when appropriate caregiver education, outpatient support, and feeding therapy are available.Purp ... Full text CiteFeasibility of an Intervention to Support Shared Decision-Making for Critically Ill Infants.
Journal Article J Pediatr · May 2, 2025 OBJECTIVE: To develop and pilot an intervention to support communication and decision-making for critically ill infants. STUDY DESIGN: In this single-arm, mixed-methods, prospective, feasibility study, we enrolled infants, parents, and clinicians at a sing ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Nurse LEADS: Training in Nurse-LEd models of care ADdressing the Social Determinants of Health
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029Influences Of Social Determinants Of Health And Parental Participation In Hospital Care On Development Of Parenting Confidence Among Parents Of Children With A Congenital Heart Defect
FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2026Implementation of an Evidence-based Parentally Administered Intervention for Preterm Infants
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Children's Hospital of Wisconsin · 2020 - 2026View All Grants