Barbara St. Marie

Barbara St. Marie is an esteemed associate professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing, where she combines her extensive clinical expertise with a robust research agenda. As a certified adult, gerontology, primary care nurse practitioner, she holds a pain management certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and earned her PhD from the University of Wisconsin. Her academic and professional journey has been deeply rooted in addressing the complexities of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. St. Marie's research is pivotal in identifying patients who are at risk for opioid misuse or developing an opioid use disorder. Her work is instrumental in enhancing decision support systems to ensure safe and responsible pain management practices. By examining both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, she aims to improve clinical practices and reduce the risks associated with opioid prescriptions, especially in light of the ongoing opioid crisis. Her research endeavors have been supported by several grants, allowing her to explore pain management strategies across diverse settings. These include methadone clinics, primary care environments, and among advanced practice nurses who prescribe opioids for chronic pain. Through these studies, St. Marie seeks to develop evidence-based practices that can be implemented to improve patient outcomes and promote safer prescribing habits. In addition to her research, St. Marie is dedicated to educating the next generation of nurses. She teaches courses in physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology within the College of Nursing's Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program. Her teaching is informed by her research, ensuring that students receive a comprehensive education that is both theoretically sound and practically applicable. St. Marie's contributions to the field of nursing and pain management have been recognized through various accolades and her work continues to influence both policy and practice. Her commitment to advancing knowledge and improving patient care in the realm of opioid use and pain management underscores her role as a leader in the nursing community.