Associate Professor
Dr. Leslie Davis is an Associate Professor of the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill where in addition to conducting research she teaches in the graduate nursing program and maintains a part-time nurse practitioner practice with the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Davis is a fellow in the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Heart Association, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. She is also a certified hypertension clinician through the American Society of Hypertension. As a clinician, she focuses her care on adults with hypertension, heart failure, and acute coronary syndromes. Her research interests include self-care and symptom management with women who have experienced cardiovascular conditions. Currently, she is testing an individualized education and skill-building intervention to improve symptom recognition, interpretation, and care-seeking behavior in those hospitalized for a heart attack.
Dr. Davis is an Associate Editor for the Journal for Nurse Practitioners where she also served as guest editor for two special cardiovascular editions (2013 and 2019). In addition to editing her own book, Cardiovascular Nursing Secrets (2004), she has authored/coauthored 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals including three ACC expert consensus documents, 12 book chapters, and other scholarly products. Dr. Davis has participated as an invited expert in Heart House Roundtables and served as faculty and chair of work groups and various CME events on heart-related topics. Dr. Davis was awarded the 2021 Distinguished Associate Award by the ACC in May of 2021.
Education, training, and certification: RN, BSN: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1981 – 1985; MSN: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1986 – 1989; Post-Master’s Adult Nurse Practitioner Certificate, Cardiology Specialty, 1998 – 2000; Board Certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner Certified Specialist: 2000 – present; PhD: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2006-2011; Post-Doctoral Certificate in Qualitative Research Methods: 2014; Certified Hypertension Clinician: 2016 – present
Original research:
*†‡Stone, E.L., Davis, L.L, McCoy, T.P., Travers, D., Van Horn, E., & Krowchuk, H. (2020). A secondary analysis to inform a clinical decision rule for predicting skull fracture and intracranial injury in children under age two. Research in Nursing & Health, 43(1), 28-39. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1002/nur.21993
(*data-based; †publication with student; ‡senior author):
*†‡Worth, M.G., Davis, L.L., Wallace, D.C., Bartlett, R., & Travers. D. (2019). Are emergency departments in the U.S. following recommendations by the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) to promote quality triage and reliability? Journal of Emergency Nursing, 45(6): 677-684. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.jen.2019.05.006
*Davis, L.L. & McCoy, T.P. (2019). An educational and skill building intervention to improve symptom recognition and interpretation in women with acute coronary syndrome: A pilot study. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing. 38(1): 29-37. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000329
*†‡Davis, L.L., & Maness, J.J. (2019). Nurse practitioner knowledge of symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 15(1): e9-e12. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2018.09.017
*†‡Davis, L.L., & Nino-Combs, A. (2019). Starting the conversation about left ventricular assist devices. Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 15(1): e13-e16. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2018.10.013
*Funk, M., Finnie, K.P., Stephens, K.E., May, J.L., Winkler, C.G., Drew, B., and the PULSE Site Investigators. (2017) Association of implementation of practice standards for electrocardiographic monitoring with nurses’ knowledge, quality of care, and patient outcomes: Findings from the Practical Use of the Latest Standards of Electrocardiography (PULSE) Trial. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 10(2): 1-10. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.116.003132
*Davis, L.L. (2017). A qualitative study of symptom experiences of women with acute coronary syndrome. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 32(5): 488-495. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/JCN.0000000000000381
*Davis, L.L., McCoy, T.P., Riegel, B., McKinley, S., Doering, L.V., Dracup, K., Moser, D.K. (2016). Congruence of the medical record and subject interview on time of symptom onset in patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 35(6): 332-338. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000207
*Davis, LL., Mishel, M., Moser, D.K., Esposito, N., Lynn, M., Schwartz, T.A. (2013).Thoughts and behaviors of women with symptoms of acute coronary syndromes. Heart & Lung, 42(6):428-435. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2013.08.001
*†‡Willette, E.W., Surrells, D., Davis, L.L., & Bush, C.T. (2007). Nurses’ knowledge of heart failure self-management. Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, 22(4): 190-195. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0889-7204.2007.06403.x
*†‡MacMillian, J.S., Davis, LL, Durham, C.F., & Matteson, E.S. (2006). Exercise and heart rate recovery. Heart & Lung, 35 (6), 383-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2006.07.003
(*data-based; †publication with student; ‡senior author):
*‡Davis, L.L., Vitale, K.A., Irmiere, C.A., Hackney, T.A., Belew, K.M., Chikowski, A.R., Sullivan, C.A., Hellkamp, A.S., Schron, E.B., Lamas, G.A. for the MOST Investigators and Coordinators. (2004). Body image changes associated with dual chamber pacemaker insertion in women. Heart & Lung, 33 (5): 273-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2004.04.005
*†‡Davis, L., Evans, J., Strickland, J., Shaw, L., & Wagner, G. (2001). Delays in thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction: Association with mode of transportation to the hospital, age, sex, and race. American Journal of Critical Care, 10 (1), 35-42. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11153182/
*†‡Griffin, H., Davis, L., Gant, E., Savona, M., Shaw, L., Strickland, J. (1999). A community hospital’s effort to expedite treatment for patients with chest pain. Heart & Lung, 28 (6), 402-408. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-9563(99)70029-4
Other peer reviewed articles in refereed journals
(*data-based; †publication with student; ‡senior author):
Maddox, T. M., Januzzi, J. L., Jr, Allen, L. A., Breathett, K., Butler, J., Davis, L. L., Fonarow, G. C., Ibrahim, N. E., Lindenfeld, J., Masoudi, F. A., Motiwala, S. R., Oliveros, E., Patterson, J. H., Walsh, M. N., Wasserman, A., Yancy, C. W., & Youmans, Q. R. (2021). 2021 Update to the 2017 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway for Optimization of Heart Failure Treatment: Answers to 10 Pivotal Issues About Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 77(6), 772–810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.11.022
PMID: 33446410
Hollenburg, S.M., Warner-Stevenson, L., Ahmad, T., Amin, V.J., Bozhurt, B., Butler, J., Chang, A.M., Davis, L.L., Drazner, M.H., Peterson, P.N., Reed, B.N., Roy, C.L., Storrow, A.B. (2019) 2019 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on risk assessment, management, and clinical trajectory of patients hospitalized with heart failure: a report of the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 74(15): 1966-2011.
†‡Stone, E. & Davis, L.L. (2019). State of the science: Intracranial injury and skull fracture in children under age two. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 45(5): 545-550. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.jen.2019.03.012
Davis, L.L. (2019). Hypertension: How low to go when treating older adults. Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 15(1): 1-6. (Continuing education credit application, questions, and evaluation of CE activity to accompany article is on pp 7-8). http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2018.10.010
(*data-based; †publication with student; ‡senior author):
Davis, L.L. (2018). Listening to stories from women with heart disease: my experience as a nurse practitioner. Journal of the Association of Nurse Practitioners. 30(5): 248-250. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000046
Yancey, C.W., Januzzi, J.L., Allen, L.A., Butler, J., Davis, L.L., Fonarow, G.C., Ibrahim, N., Jessup, M.L., Lindenfeld, J., Maddox, T.M., Patterson, J.H., Walsh, M.N., Wasserman, A. (2018). 2017 ACC expert consensus decision pathway for optimization of heart failure treatment: Answers to 10 pivotal issues about heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a report of the American College of Cardiology Expert Consensus Pathways Task Force. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 71(2): 201-230. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.11.025
Davis, L.L. (2015). Determining time of onset in patients with acute coronary syndromes: Agreement between medical record and interview data. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing. 34(4): 222-231. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000117
Davis, L.L. (2015). Hypertension guidelines: Evidence-based treatments for maintaining blood pressure control. The Nurse Practitioner, 40(6): 32-37. (Continuing education activities accompanied this article). http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/01.NPR.0000465116.19783.a7
Davis, L.L. (2014). Preventing stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Dimensions of Critical Care, 33(2): 96-102. (Re-printed with permission from The Nurse Practitioner). http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000033
Davis, L.L. (2014). Cardiovascular issues in older adults. Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America. Special Edition: Age Related Complications of Critical Illness. 26 (1): 61-89. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.ccell.2013.10.004
†‡Mapp, I.D., Davis, L.L., Krowchuk, H. (2013). Prevention of unplanned intensive care unit admissions and hospital mortality by Early Warning Systems. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 32(6) 300-309. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000004
Davis, L.L. (2013) Using the latest evidence to manage hypertension: Implications for nurse practitioner practice. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 9(10): 621-628. Continuing education questions/test accompanied this article (pp. 629-630). http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2013.08.013
Davis, L.L. (2013) Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 9(10): 643-652. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2013.08.023
(*data-based; †publication with student; ‡senior author):
†‡Lewis, J.M. & Davis, L.L. (2013). Management of stable ischemic heart disease. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 9(10): 661-668. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2013.08.020
Roberts, M.E. & Davis, L.L. (2013). Cardiovascular disease in women: A nurse practitioners guide to prevention. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 9(10): 679-687. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1016/j.nurpra.2013.08.018
Davis, L.L. (2013). Preventing stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. The Nurse Practitioner, 38(11): 24-32. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1097/01.NPR. 0000435781.73316.9c
Davis, LL. (2011). How to implement home blood pressure monitoring. Clinical Advisor to Nurse Practitioners, 14(7): 65-68.
Foody, J.M., Cleary, J.K., Davis, L.L., McGinnity, J.G., Zuber, K. (2011). Chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular risk: A perfect storm. A Clinical Supplement to the Clinical Advisor.
Gary, R., & Davis, L.L. (2008). Diastolic heart failure. Heart & Lung, 17(6): 405-416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2007.12.002
†‡Shirley, S., Davis, L.L., & Carlson, B.W. (2008). The relationship between BMI/body composition and survival of heart failure patients. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 20: 326-332. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2008.00328.x
Moyer, P., Ornato, J.P., Brady, W.J., Davis, L.L., Ghaemmaghami, C.A., Gibler, W.B., Mears, G., Mosesso, V.N., Zane, R.D. (2007). Development of systems of care for ST-Elevation myocardial infarction patients. The emergency medical services and emergency department perspective. Circulation, 116:e43-e48.https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.184047
†Cobb, S. L, Brown, D. J., Davis, L.L. (2006). Effective interventions for lifestyle changes after myocardial infarction and coronary artery revascularization. Journal of American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 18(1), 31-39. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2006.00096.x
Training Grants – Submitted (Scored)
Adaptation to Fatigue and Trajectory of Physical Function among Stroke Survivors
$63,040/2 years
Pre-doctoral training grant/dissertation award
Submitted Nov 2020; scored April 2021; resubmission Sept 2021.
American Heart Association 2021-2023 (Role: Co-Sponsor)
Training Grants – Funded
Teamwork in Research and Intervention to Alleviate Disparities (TRIAD) Center for Health Disparities. Designated Center of Excellence in Health Disparities Research
$4.79 million
National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (P20MD002289; PI: D. C. Wallace)
Summer 2013- Fall 2016 (30% effort; Role: junior faculty mentee)
Teamwork in Research and Intervention to Alleviate Disparities (TRIAD) Center for Health Disparities. Designated Center of Excellence in Health Disparities Research
Funded (Ongoing)
REHEARSE Usability Study
$1,000
Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Alpha chapter
Jan 2021- Dec 2021 (Role: Primary Investigator)
Funded (Completed)
Feasibility Study: Symptom Monitoring in Women with Heart Disease
$ 4,981
Univ of North Carolina, Greensboro;
Regular Faculty Grant
Jan 2018 – July 2019 (Role: Primary Investigator)
Feasibility Study: Nurse-delivered Intervention to Reduce Pre-hospital Delay in Women with Acute Cardiac Symptoms
$1,779
Sigma Theta Tau International, Gamma Zeta Chapter
Sept 2014 – April 2016 (Role: Primary Investigator)
Exploration of Women’s Recognition and Interpretation of Acute Coronary Syndromes Symptoms and Its Influence on Help-Seeking Behavior.
$5,000
University of North Carolina, Greensboro; New Faculty Grant
August 2012 – March 2014 (Role: Primary Investigator)
Women’s Experience in Seeking Care During Symptoms of Acute Coronary Syndromes
$500.00
Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chapter
Nov 2009-Jan 2011 (Role: Primary Investigator; Pre-Doctoral Fellow)
Other Funded (Completed)
Practical Use of the Latest Standards for Electrocardiography (PULSE) Study. R01 HL81642; PI: M. Funk
$3,900,000
National Institutes of Health/ National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
2008- 2013 (Role: Site investigator: UNC Hospitals)
Curriculum/Faculty Development Activities (TEACHING)
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Curriculum Development Award
$2,500 (competitive selection)
UNC Chapel Hill; Global
2021-2022 cycle (Role: PI; Faculty)
Open Education Mini-grant Initiative
$1,000 (Competitive selection)
UNC Greensboro; Office of the Provost and Univ Libraries
May 2018 (Role: PI; Faculty)
Open Education Mini-grant Initiative
$1,302 (Competitive selection)
UNC Greensboro; Office of the Provost and Univ Libraries
May 2017 (Role: PI; Faculty)
Faculty development workshop (6 days): Online course development
$2,000 (Competitive selection)
UNC Greensboro; Division of Continual Learning (DCL)
May 2015 (Role: PI; Faculty)
Faculty development workshop (2.5 day): Building Undergraduate Research Skills into Curriculum
$500 (Competitive selection)
UNC Greensboro; Office of Undergraduate Research
May 2012 (Role: PI; Faculty)
Development of the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing and Alamance Regional Medical Center Partnership for Undergrad Teaching
$1,000 (Competitive selection)
AHEC Clinical Site Development Grant
1996-1998 (Role: Co-investigator; Faculty)
$6,659,123
National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (P20MD002289; PI: D. C. Wallace)
Spring 2012 (30% effort; Role: junior faculty mentee)