Directory Profile

Louise Kaplan, an associate professor in the Washington State University College of Nursing, has more than 20 years of academic experience. A family nurse practitioner since 1981, she has extensive primary care clinical experience. Her PhD focused on health policy and she has been actively engaged in legislative and regulatory changes throughout her career. Dr. Kaplan has conducted research and published on topics including APRN workforce issues, NP education; prescribing of controlled substances, prescriptive authority and medical marijuana. Active in many professional organizations, she chairs the legislative committee of ARNPs United of Washington State and serves on the organization’s Board of Directors. Dr. Kaplan is also the Washington State Representative for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is a member of the Washington State Nurses Association’s Hall of Fame, and a Fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing.

Education

• BA Simmons College, Boston, MA
• MN, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
• PhD, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

Research Interests

• ARNP prescribing of controlled substances
• APRN workforce
• ARNP reimbursement
• DNP program evaluation
• Landscape assessment of readiness for implementation of the family nurse practitioner role in Swaziland
• Medical marijuana

Methodological Strengths

• Survey research
• Qualitative research

Areas of Expertise

• Health policy both legislative and regulatory
• Primary care
• Global health
• ARNP workforce
• Rural NP practice

Funded Research

“Hiring, Credentialing, and Privileging of Nurse Practitioners as Hospitalists: A National Workforce and Employment Analysis.” National Council of State Boards of Nursing Center for Regulatory Excellence. Tracy Klein, PhD, ARNP, FNP, FRE, FAANP, FAAN and Louise Kaplan, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, Co-Principal Investigators, Julie Stanik-Hutt, PhD, ACNP, CNS, FAANP, FAAN and Carol Hartigan, MN, RN, Co-Investigators. $146,583 (direct). Awarded December 2018. (In Progress).

“Routes to Rural Readiness: Enhancing Clinical Training Experiences for Nurse Practitioner Practice in Rural Primary Care”, Davis Patterson, PhD, Susan Skillman, MS, Louise Kaplan, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, Co-Principal Investigators. University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies Subcontract, $38,056. July 6, 2018. (In progress).

“Washington State ARNP Workforce and Practice Reimbursement.” Louise Kaplan, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN principal investigator, and Justin Gill, MN, ARNP, co-investigator. Washington Center for Nursing, $10,000 (direct) Completed.

“Washington State ARNP Workforce and Practice Reimbursement.” Louise Kaplan, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN Principal investigator, and Justin Gill, MN, ARNP, co-investigator. American Association of Nurse Practitioners, $2,500 (direct). Completed.

“Landscape Assessment of Readiness for Implementation of the Family Nurse Practitioner Role in the Primary Care Setting in Swaziland” Project of Seed Global Health and the University of Swaziland. $50,000 grant received by Seed Global Health. Louise Kaplan, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, consultant and project lead. (Completed).

“Knowledge, Practices and Attitudes Regarding Medical Marijuana Among Washington State Healthcare Providers and Certified Marijuana Consultants.” Louise Kaplan, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, Principal Investigator; Tracy Klein, PhD, ARNP, FNP, FRE, FAANP, FAAN; Marian Wilson, PhD, MPH, RN-BC. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program Office of Research Dedicated Marijuana Account. $25,000 (direct). (In progress).

Honors & Awards

• 2018 – University of Washington School of Nursing Influencer
• 2017 – Fellowship in Global Clinical Education, Massachusetts General Hospital Global Health
• 2016 – University of Washington School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award
• 2014 – Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
• 2013 – American Association of Nurse Practitioners Advocate State Excellence Award
• 2010 – Fellow, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• 2010 – Outstanding Policy Award National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
• 2010 – Inductee, Washington State Nurses Association Hall of Fame
• 2007 – Nurse Researcher of the Year, Washington State Nurses Association

Selected Publications
Anathan, J., Dlamini, C., & Kaplan, L. (2020.) Developing advanced practice nursing education, practice and policy in Eswatini. In S.B. Hassmiller & J. Pulcini (Eds.), Advanced practice nursing leadership: A global perspective. New York: Springer Nature.

Dlamini, C.P., Khumalo, T.G., Nkwanyana, N.R., Mathunjwa-Dlamini, T.R., Macera, E., Nsibandze, B.S., Kaplan, L., & Stuart-Shor, E.M. (2020). Developing and implementing the family nurse practitioner role in Eswatini: Implications for education, practice and policy. Annals of Global Health, 86 (1), 50, 1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2813

Kaplan, L., & Gill, J. (2020). Using workforce and reimbursement data to advocate for payment parity for Washington State’s ARNPs. The Nurse Practitioner, 45(2), 38-47.

Kaplan, L., Klein, T.A., Wilson, M., & Graves, J. (2019) Knowledge, Practices and Attitudes Regarding Medical Marijuana among Washington State Healthcare Providers. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2019.0051

Kaplan, L., Klein, T.A., Wilson, M., & Graves, J. (2019). Knowledge, practices, and attitudes of certified medical marijuana consultants in Washington state. University of Toronto Medical Journal. 96(3), 6-12.

Mathunjwa-Dlamini, T.R., Ndlangamandia, C.C., Kaplan, L., Mhlongo-Manana, Z.C., Khumalo, P.P., Nxumalo-Magagula, N., & Gary, F.A. (2019). Swazi pregnant women’s knowledge on consuming alcoholic beverages. Journal of the National Black Nurses Association, 30(1), 7-13.

Craig-Rodriguez, A.A., Gordon, G., Kaplan, L., & Grubbs, L. (2017). The transition of Florida nurse practitioners to opioid prescribing. The Nurse Practitioner, DOI:10.1097/01.NPR.0000521997.84052.ef

Kaplan, L., Klein, T.A., Skillman, S.M, Andrilla, C.A., & Ostergard, S. (2016). Faculty supervision of NP program clinicals: A comparison of rural and urban site differences. The Nurse Practitioner, 41(7), 36-42.

Brown. M.A., & Kaplan, L. (2016). Opening doors: The practice degree that changes practice. The Nurse Practitioner, 41(4), 35-42.

Howell, D.N, & Kaplan, L. (2015). Statewide survey of healthcare professionals: Management of patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 26 (2), 86-92.

Kaplan, L., Zeller, E., Culbert, S., Damitio, D., Bayley, B. (2014). Organizational readiness of a Magnet hospital for evidence-based practice. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 30 (6), 274-280.

Doescher, M.P., Andrilla, C.A., Skillman, S.M., Morgan, P., Kaplan, L. (2014). The contribution of physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to rural primary care: Findings from a 13-state survey. Medical Care, 52(6), 549-556.

Melnyk, B.M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Gallagher-Ford, L., & Kaplan, L. (2012). The state of evidence-based practice in US nurses: Critical implications for nurse leaders and educators. Journal of Nursing Administration, 42(9), 410-417.

Kaplan, L., Skillman, S.M., Fordyce, M.A., McMenamin, P.D., & Doescher, M.P. (2012). Understanding APRN distribution in the United States using NPI data. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 8(8), 626-635.

updated 7/2020