Melissa Batchelor

Melissa Batchelor headshot

Melissa Batchelor

Ph.D., RN-BC, FNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN

Director, Center for Aging, Health and Humanities

Associate Professor (Tenured)


Department: , Center for Aging, Health and Humanities

Contact:

Office Phone: 202-994-1117
1919 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 500, #527 Washington DC 20006

Melissa Batchelor is a tenured associate professor of nursing and geriatric nursing researcher. She is the director of GW's interdisciplinary Center for Aging, Health and Humanities. Dr. Batchelor has worked as an administrative nurse in skilled nursing homes and practiced as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) across long-term care settings. Her research, focusing on patients with dementia, has been supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program, and the National Institute of Health/National Institute for Nursing Research. 

Dr. Batchelor was previously an associate professor at Duke University and is board-certified as a gerontological registered nurse and FNP. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a 2017-2018 Health and Aging Policy Fellow serving the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging in the office of Senator Susan Collins.


  • Fellow, Gerontological Society of America (2018)
  • American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, Health and Aging Policy Fellow — non-residential track (2017-2018)
    • Placement: United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, Office of the Chairman, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
  • Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2017)
  • Selected participant, National Institute on Aging Butler-Williams Summer – Scholar (2015)
  • National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review, Early Career – Reviewer (2014 - present)
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar (2014-2017)
  • 100 Nursing Professors to watch in 2014 — Online RN to LPN (2014)
  • Selected participant, Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing and New York – University College of Nursing Research Summer Scholars Program (2013)
  • John A. Hartford Foundation/National Centers for Gerontological Nursing – Excellence Claire M. Fagin Fellow (2012 - 2014)
  • John A. Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) – Scholar (2009-2011)
  • Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs, Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing (2008-2010)
    • Advanced Education Nurse Traineeship (AENT)

Refereed Journals

  • Aselage, M.. Conner, B., & Carnevale, T. (2009). Ethical considerations in conducting research with persons with dementia. Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research, 9(4). PMID 1749679

  • Aselage, M. (2010). Measuring mealtime difficulties: eating, feeding, and meal behaviors in older adults with dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(5-6, 621-631. PMID: 20500303

  • Aselage, M., & Amella, E.J. (2010). An evolutionary analysis of mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(1-2), 33-41. PMID: 20500242

  • Aselage, M. (2010). Mobilizing geriatric nursing education: The GNEC Podcast Project. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 36(7), 63-64. PMID: 20608595

  • Gray-Miceli, D., Aselage, M., & Mezey, M. (2010). Teaching strategies for atypical presentation of illness in older adults Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 36(7), 38­43. PMID: 20608591

  • Puentes, W., Bradway, C., & Aselage, M. (2010). Older adult mental health: Teaching senior-level baccalaureate registered nurse students what they need to know. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 36(7), 44-53. PMID: 20608592

  • Aselage, M., Amella, E., & Watson, R. (2011). State of the science: Alleviating mealtime difficulties in nursing home residents with dementia. Nursing Outlook, 59(4), 210-214. PMID: 2175707

  • Amelia, E. J., & Batchelor-Aselage, M. (2014). Facilitating ADLs by caregivers of persons with dementia: The C3P Model. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 28(1), 51-61. PMCID: PMC4487525

  • *Batchelor-Aselage, M., Amelia, E., Zapka, J., Mueller, M., & Beck, C. (2014). Research with Dementia Patients in the Nursing Home Setting: A Protocol for Informed Consent and Assent. IRB : Ethics & Human Research, 36(2), 14-19. PMID: 24783377

  • *Zapka, J., Amelia, E., Magwood, G., Madisetti, M., Garrow, D., & Batchelor­Aselage, M. (2014). Challenges in efficacy research: the case of feeding alternatives in patients with dementia. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(9), 2072-2085. PMCID: PMC4130777

  • Batchelor-Aselage, M., DiMeglio, B., Aaron, C. S., & Dugger, B. R. (2014). Infusing Geropsychiatric Nursing Content Into Curricula: Challenges and Solutions. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(7), 387-395. PMCID: 24983239

  • *Batchelor-Murphy, M., Amelia, E. J., Zapka, J., Mueller, M., & Beck, C. (2015). Feasibility of a web-based dementia feeding skills training program for nursing home staff. Geriatric Nursing, 36(3), 212-218. PMCID: PMC4457612

  • Van Cleave JH, Szanton SL, Shillam C, Rose K, Rao AD, Perez A, O'Connor M, Klimmek R, Buron B, Boltz M, Bellot J, Batchelor-Murphy M. (2015). Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders: From funding Initiative to national organization. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(1), 25-31 PMID: 26802588

  • *Kennerly, S., Boss, L., Yap, T., Batchelor-Murphy, M., Horn, S., Barrett, R., & Bergstrom, N. (2015). Utility of Braden Scale Nutrition Subscale Ratings as an Indicator of Dietary Intake and Weight Outcomes among Nursing Home Residents at Risk for Pressure Ulcers. healthcare, 3, 879-897. PMCID: PMC4934619

  • Kennerly, S., Batchelor-Murphy, M., & Yap, T. (2015). GAPNA Section. Clinical insights: Understanding the link between nutrition and pressure ulcer prevention. Geriatric Nursing, 36(6), 477-481 475. PMID: 26958665

  • *Colon-Emeric, C., Toles, M., Cary, M. P., Batchelor-Murphy, M., Yap, T., Song, Y., Hall, Rasheeda, Anderson, A., Burd, A., Anderson, R. A. (2016). Sustaining complex interventions in long-term care: a qualitative study of direct care staff and managers. Implementation Science, 11(1), 1-10. PMCID: PMC4947307

  • Batchelor-Murphy, M. (2016). GAPNA Section. Changing times: Helping families choose a nursing home. Geriatric Nursing, 37(3), 237-238. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2016.04.006

  • *Batchelor-Murphy, M., McConnell, E., Amelia, E., Anderson, R., Bales, C., Silva, S., Barnes, A., Beck, C., & Colon-Emeric, C. (2017). Experimental Comparison of Efficacy for Three Handfeeding Techniques in Dementia. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14728 PMID: 28165618

  • *Colon-Emeric, C., Corazzini, K., Pan, W., Toles, M., Hall, R., Batchelor-Murphy, M., Yap, T., Anderson, A., Burd, A., & Anderson, R. (2017). Study of Individualization and Bias in Nursing Home Fall Prevention Practices. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, DOI: 10.1111/jgs.1467 PMID: 28186618

  • *Colon-Emeric, C., Corazzini, K., McConnell, E., Pan, W., Toles, M., Hall, R., Cary, M., Batchelor-Murphy, M., Yap, T., Anderson, A., Burd, A., Amarasekara, S., Anderson, R. (2017). Promoting Effective Staff Interactions to Improve Fall Prevention in Nursing Homes: a Cluster-Randomized Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.5073 PMID: 28973516

  • *Colon-Emeric, C.S., Corazzini, K., McConnell, E., Pan, W., Toles, M., Hall, R., Batchelor-Murphy, M., Yap, T., Anderson, A., Burd, A., Amarasekara, S., Anderson, R.A.A. (2017). Resident Vignettes for Assessing Care Quality in Nursing Homes. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2017.10.018 PMID: 29174560

  • *Batchelor-Murphy, M., Kennerly, S., Horn, S., Barrett, R., Bergstrom, N., Boss, L., & Yap, T. (2018, in review). Impact of Cognition and Handfeeding Assistance on Nutritional Intake for Nursing Home Residents. Journal of Nutrition in Geriatrics and Gerontology.

Non-refereed Publications

  • Contributor as featured Ph.D. student, (2009). Nursing workforce development programs: Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act.

  • Leak, A., Aselage, M., Park, J., & Toles, M. (2010). North Carolina is building geriatric nursing capacity. The Tarheel Nurse, April, May, June, pp. 11-12.

  • Aselage, M. (2012). North Carolina Compassionate Care Coalition. The Tarheel Nurse, January, February, March, p. 17.

  • Batchelor-Murphy, M. (2018). Joining the Conversation: Using Twitter to Improve the Health of Older Adults. Gerontological Advanced Practice Nursing Association (GAPNA) newsletter. Retrieved February 28, 2018 at http://bit.ly/2FdcAIM

  • Batchelor-Murphy, M. & Amella, E. (2018, in press). Try this:® Best Practices in Nursing Care to Older Adults Eating and Feeding in Older Adults with dementia: Part I: Assessment.

  • Batchelor-Murphy, M. & Amella, E. (2018, in press). Try this:® Best Practices in Nursing Care to Older Adults Eating and Feeding in Older Adults with dementia: Part II: Interventions.

Book Chapters

  • Aselage, M.B. (2013). Eating and Feeding Behaviors: Problems in Dementia. In E. A. Capezuti, M.L. Malone, P.R. Katz, & Mezey, M. (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geriatric Health and Social Care (3rd ed.) (pp. 247-249). New York: Springer Publishing Company.  ***American Journal of Nursing's Best Books of the Year, 2014 (Second Place)

  • Batchelor-Aselage, M., Bales, C., Amella, E. J., & Rose, S. (2014). Dementia-related mealtime difficulties: Assessment and management in the long-term-care setting. In C. Bales, J. Locher, & E. Salzman (Eds.), Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Aging (3rd ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Co.

  • Batchelor-Murphy, M. (2017). Palliative Handfeeding in Dementia. In E. A. Capezuti, M.L. Malone, D.S. Gardner, A. Khan & S.L. Baumann. (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geriatric Health and Social Care (4th ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Clinical Practice Guidelines

  • Amella, E.J., & Aselage, M.B. (2012). Mealtime difficulties. In E. Capezuti, D. Zwicker, M. Mezey, T. Fulmer, D. Gray-Miceli, & M. Kluger (Eds.), Evidence-Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice (4th ed.) (pp. 453-468). New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

  • Batchelor-Murphy, M., & Crowgey, S. (2015). Mealtime difficulties in dementia. In E. Capezuti, D. Zwicker, M. Mezey, T. Fulmer, D. Gray-Miceli, & M. Kluger (Eds.), Evidence-Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice (5th ed.) (pp. 417-429). New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

Non-authored Publications

  • Lopez, R. P. (2010). Commentary on Aselage MB. (2010) Measuring mealtime difficulties: eating, feeding and meal behavior in older adults with dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 621-631. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(19/20), 2950-2951.

  • Manthorpe, J. (2010). Commentary on Aselage, MB & Amella, EJ (2010) Evolutionary analysis of mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing 19, 33-41. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(9-10), 1477-1478.

  • Watson, R. (2011). Commentary on Aselage, MB (2010) Measuring mealtime difficulties: eating, feeding, and meal behaviors in older adults with dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing 19, 621-631. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20(1-2), 297-298.

 

  • Duke University – Post-doctoral Training in Nursing (2012-2014)
  • Medical University of South Carolina – Post-Master's Certificate in Nursing Education (2011)
  • Medical University of South Carolina – PhD in Nursing (2011)
  • University of North Carolina, Wilmington School of Nursing – Master of Science in Nursing (2000)
  • University of North Carolina, Wilmington School of Nursing – Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1996)

 

  • Aging
  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • Dementia
  • Geriatrics
  • Health Care Workforce
  • Health Policy
  • Hospice and Palliative Care
  • Implementation Science
  • Long-term Care
  • Activator
  • Communication
  • Strategic
  • Woo
  • Focus