Rate My Professor Barb Hooper

Dr. Barbara Hooper serves as Associate Professor and Traditional BSN Program Director in the Kirkhof College of Nursing at Grand Valley State University, where she has been faculty since 2008. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nursing from Grand Valley State University in 2012 and holds a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), along with credentials as a Registered Nurse (RN), Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE), and Nurse Executive Board Certified (NE-BC). Earlier in her career at GVSU, Hooper was Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy Program, holding a Master of Science (MS) and Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) designation. Her scholarly work includes the publication 'Pragmatism and Structuralism in Occupational Therapy: The Long Conversation' in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2002, exploring foundational philosophical tensions in the field. More recently, she authored 'An Evidence-Based Review of Educational Strategies to Facilitate Novice Nurses’ Transition to Practice' available through ScholarWorks@GVSU, and contributed to research on 'Knowledge Acquisition Based on Participant Role Assignment in a High-Fidelity Simulation,' published in Nursing Education Perspectives.

Recognized with the 2022 Grand Valley State University Outstanding Teacher Award—the sole university-wide honor for teaching excellence that year—Hooper exemplifies innovative pedagogy through multiple instructional approaches in classroom and laboratory settings, including storytelling, technology integration, simulation, and targeted mentoring to ignite student curiosity, uphold rigorous standards, and promote evidence-based practices. Her teaching emphasizes leadership development, disciplinary knowledge, health policy, and clinical application, serving as a role model who supports student success and career launches while influencing nursing practice in West Michigan. Hooper actively engages in university service as Kirkhof College of Nursing representative on the University Conduct Pool (2025-2027 term), Faculty Partner for the Student Success Network at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, past officer of Sigma Theta Tau International (2017-2019), and participant in the University Academic Senate. She has presented on improving communication in healthcare provider education at the Lilly Conferences-MI in 2022 and chaired faculty searches, contributing to program growth and adjunct instruction oversight.