Directory Profile

Dr. Wood’s research is deeply rooted in her maternal child nursing and midwifery practice in both the U.S.  and Japan revolving around the promotion of health and wellness of mothers and their infants through breastfeeding. Her program of research focuses on perceived insufficient milk, a predominant risk factor for early breastfeeding discontinuation globally. The program for her dissertation study, “The Protecting Your Ability to Breastfeed Your Baby” was designed to add competencies in breastfeeding in response to infant behavior while helping mothers build confidence in their ability to breastfeed their infant, a pilot feasibility study.

Dr. Wood was trained in translational research as a pre-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington and graduated with her Ph.D. in Nursing Science. She has a master’s degree in Nursing Education and has taught maternal child nursing, midwifery, and med-surge nursing at a university in Japan as well as Skagit Valley College in Washington state.

Education

• Ph.D. University of Washington, Seattle, WA
• MSN Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
• BSN Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

Research Interests
Breastfeeding, Perceived Insufficient Milk, Mother and Infant Interactions

Funded Research

2022-2023, Principal Investigator: The Breastfeeding Relationship between Employed Mother and Infant Dyads: A Mixed Methods Prospective Study. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing 2021 Small Grant

2021-2022, Principal Investigator: Mothers who exclusively breastfeed directly on the breast: The development of an explanatory model. Sigma Theta Tau International at the Delta Chi Chapter at Large

2020-2021, Principal Investigator: Psychometric validation using confirmatory factor analysis of the Breastfeeding Relationship Scale, The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE)

Methodological Strengths
Mixed Methods

Areas of Expertise
Maternal Child Health

Memberships

• Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Delta Chi-at-Large Chapter
• The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE)

Honors & Awards

• Selected abstract & poster presentation, NINR’s 30th Anniversary: Advancing Science, Improving Lives Kickoff Symposium. Protecting your ability to breastfeed your baby: A pilot feasibility study of an educational program for breastfeeding mothers and babies. Bethesda, MD, 2015
• Research Grant Award, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing, Psi-At-Large Chapter, University of Washington, School of Nursing, 2015
• ITHS TL1 Multidisciplinary Pre-doctoral Clinical Research Training Program: NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TL1TR00422), University of Washington, 2014

Selected Publications

• Wood, N. K., Penders, R. A., Dryer, A. M. (in press). Breastfeeding Disparities among Rural Breastfeeding Dyads in High Income Countries: A Scoping Study. Breastfeeding Medicine.
• Wood, N. K., Barbosa-Leiker, C., Odom-Maryon, T. (2023). Determinants of Exclusive Direct Breastfeeding Using Constructs from the Breastfeeding Relationship Scale. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology. doi: 10.1080/02646838.2023.2191113
• Wood, N. K., Odom-Maryon, T. & Smart, D.A. (2022). Factors associated with exclusive direct breastfeeding in the first three months. Nursing for Women’s Health, 26(4), 299-307. doi: 10.1016/j.nwh.2022.05.006
• Wood, N. K., Barbosa-Leiker, C., Odom-Marion, T., Kantrowitz-Gordon, I., Reifsnider, E., & Helfrich-Miller, K, R. (2021). Instrument development and psychometric validation using confirmatory factor analysis of the Breastfeeding Relationship Scale, Journal of Nursing Measurement, JNM-D-20-00139. doi: 10.1891/JNM-D-20-00139.
• Wood, N. K., Odom-Maryon, T., & Denise, A. S. (2021). Factors Associated with Perceived Insufficient Milk in the First Three Months. MCN, American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 46(4), 223-229. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000723
• Wood, N. K., & Lewis, F. M. (2019) A feasibility study of a home-based program to promote perceived adequate milk. Journal of Woman’s Reproductive Health, 2, 20-34. doi: 10.14302/issn.2381-862X.jwrh-19-2617.
• Wood, N. K. (2019). Home-Based interventions in a case of first latch at 27 days. Nursing for Women’s Health, 23,135-140. doi: 10.1016/j.nwh.2019.01.004.
• Wood, N. K., & Woods, N. F. (2018). Outcome measures in interventions that enhance breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity: A systematic review. MCN, American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 43, 341-347. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000472.
• Wood, N. K. & Sanders, E. A. (2018). Mothers with perceived insufficient milk: Preliminary evidence of home interventions to boost mother-infant interactions. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 40, 1184-1202. doi:10.1177/0193945916687552
• Wood, N. K., Sanders, E. A., Lewis, F. M., Woods, N. F., & Blackburn, S. T. (2017). Pilot test of a home-based program to prevent perceived insufficient milk. Women Birth, 30, 472-480. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.04.006
• Wood, N. K., Woods, N. F., Blackburn, S. T., & Sanders, E. A. (2016). Interventions that enhance breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity: A systematic review. MCN, American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 41, 299-307. doi: 10.1097/NMC.00000000000264

updated 09/18/23