Barbara J. Levin, BSN RN ONC CMSRN LNCC is a certified orthopaedic nurse (ONC) and certified medical-surgical nurse (CMSRN), and was named a Clinical Scholar at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she works on the orthopaedic trauma unit. This is where she received the prestigious Partners in Excellence award for exemplary performance in “Outstanding Community Contributions.” Barbara has several passions in practice and this includes her love of teaching about clinical, legal and patient safety initiatives.
Barbara draws on a wealth of nursing experience in a myriad of clinical settings. She has published and lectured to nurses and physicians nationwide about patient safety, orthopaedics and documentation practices. Assisting facilities in redesigning key policies and procedures, Barbara has improved patient safety and reporting of such incidents. Recently, Barbara has expanded her role in small hospitals by performing comprehensive needs assessments, with the overall goal of improving patient safety and obtaining Joint Commission accreditation. For these projects, she develops a strategic plan to achieve these objectives. As a result of her comprehensive analyses, numerous changes are implemented into facilities, improving the quality of care, while achieving Joint Commission accreditation.
Implementing change at the patient bedside, Barbara designs and presents a variety of topics to nurses and physicians nationally. In 2016, she was awarded the prestigious Donahoo & Dimon Memorial Clinical Legacy Lectureship Award, given for promoting excellence in orthopaedic nursing practice through a lectureship, best practices and clinical research. This innovative, cutting edge and visionary program was the product of collaboration between a nurse and a physician, both of whom are committed patient safety champions.
Barbara was appointed to and served on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (2012-2020). In 2017, she was appointed as Chair of the Board (2017-2020). In the past, she has shared her expertise and knowledge with the Massachusetts Tribunal, where she participated as a rotating member of the board that reviews and determines the future of medical malpractice claims.
Barbara has also served as a National Director (2012-2015) and on the Executive Board (2012-2015) for the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON). She also taught the orthopaedic nursing review course for NAON and prepared nurses nationwide who were taking the orthopaedic nursing examination.
She is an experienced legal nurse consultant providing education for clients in a variety of roles. Earning the distinction of Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC), Barbara served as President (2004-2005) of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) and was on the national board of directors for five years. During Barbara’s term on the AALNC Board of Directors, she chaired the committee for the development and writing of the position statement, “The Specialty Practice of Legal Nurse Consulting.” In 2007, Barbara received the national honor of “Member of the Year” from the AALNC. She collaborated with the American Nurses Association (ANA) to define the scope and standards of legal nurse consulting and to gain recognition for the legal nursing specialty as a nationally recognized and accepted nursing specialty. In working with the ANA, Barbara chaired the project to publish “Legal Nurse Consulting: Scope & Standards of Practice.”
Barbara has presented numerous programs to national and international conferences, in addition to local chapter meetings. She has presented to nurses, physicians, medical students, nursing students and attorneys nationally, covering topics which include orthopaedics, medical-surgical, legal nursing, diversity in practice and patient safety programs. She designed a patient safety program, “Untangling Charlotte’s Web,” that received both national and international acclaim for its powerful, insightful and inspirational message. She was given the honor to teach two programs – “Untangling Charlotte’s Web” and “Effective Education Using Non-Traditional Approaches” – to the International Council of Nurses, 2007 conference, in Yokohama, Japan. Barbara also co-designed the online legal course for nurse managers for the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.
Barbara’s presentations motivate and inspire healthcare providers in all disciplines. She has been included in “Who’s Who in Nursing,” which is an honor bestowed upon the most distinguished nurses.
For more information, please contact her.
Barbara@BarbaraJLevin.com