Barbara J. Braden, Ph.D, SJN'66, BSN'72
Dr. Braden was honored during the morning Commencement Ceremony on May 18, 2013. 
Since her graduation from nursing school in 1966, Dr. Barbara Braden,
through consistent, excellent and sustained scholarship, has
established an international reputation as a researcher of the first
rank, placing her among those who can say that their contributions to
the field have improved the quality of life of literally millions of
people.
Long before anyone had coined the words “clinical translational
research,” Dr. Braden developed a tool to assess the risk for skin
breakdown in elderly and bedridden patients, to reduce the pain,
suffering and expense associated with patient care. The assessment tool
she introduced in 1987 was known for incorporating diverse risk factors
under broad concepts that combined ease of use with accuracy in
prediction in all levels of healthcare facilities. Its success was
immediate and indisputable, and it was readily implemented in hospitals,
home care agencies and nursing homes around the world.
Today, it is commonly recognized that preventing pressure ulcers is a
significant strategy to lowering cost and suffering through prevention.
Dr. Braden’s lifelong career of testing and measuring the success of
her pioneering tool – now known the world over as the Braden Scale – has
become a key measure of quality care in hospital and long-term care
settings.
Recognition for Dr. Braden’s work abounds. As a doctoral student at
the University of Texas, Austin, her dissertation won top honors among
all dissertations, all graduates, all disciplines. The University of
California San Francisco honored her as one of its all-time Top 100
alumni. The Wound Care and Ostomy Nursing Society named their keynote
address the Braden Lecture. Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth Hitchcock
Hospitals, Duke University Hospitals, Hill-Rom Inc., and the countries
of Canada, Japan and Singapore have sought her consultation. In 2001,
she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Pressure
Ulcer Advisory Panel in LeMans, France.
In recognition of her significant contributions to healthcare,
Creighton University is pleased to award Barbara J. Braden, Ph.D., the
Alumni Achievement Citation.