Education

PhD, Indiana University
MSN, Indiana University
BSN, The Ohio State University

Awards and Honors

American Public Health Association/Public Health Nurse Section Lillian Wald Service Award
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators Outstanding Contribution to Community/Public Health Nursing Education
Global Classroom Fellowship
Sigma Theta Tau International Alpha Chapter Excellence in Education Award
Indiana University Trustee's Teaching Award
Dean's Faculty Award of Partnerships
Dean's Faculty Award for Innovation

Biography

Kim Alexander Decker is a clinical associate professor in the Community & Health Systems department for the IU School of Nursing, Bloomington. Dr. Decker received her BSN from The Ohio State University School of Nursing, her MSN and CNS from the IU School of Nursing (Indianapolis), and her PhD in Education Psychology, Learning, and Developmental Sciences from the Indiana University School of Education. Her research expertise is in the area of community health nursing educational interventions and outcomes. Dr. Decker directs The Dr. Anita Aldrich Community Health Promotion Project, a communication assertiveness intervention and social emotional learning program in regional school districts affecting more than 500 students per semester. The program, offered in multiple school districts in Bloomington and the surrounding area, is supported by a foundation grant and is a collaboration among IU’s health sciences schools, IU Center for Rural Engagement, IU Health, local public health departments, and community health organizations.

Dr. Decker’s teaching focuses on community health nursing in vulnerable populations in relation to social determinants of health.

External Funding

2016-present. (Program Director). Dr. Anita Aldrich Community Health Promotion Project.

Internal Funding

2022. "Addressing Youth Substance Use and Prevention through Social-Emotional Learning: Implementing the Second Step Curriculum Part II." (PI). Center for Rural Engagement, Indiana University Bloomington.

2022. "Global Classroom Fellowship Grant." (PI). The Office of the Vice President for International Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington.

2020-2022. "Addressing Youth Substance Use and Prevention through Social-Emotional Learning: Implementing the Second Step Curriculum." (Co-PI). Center for Rural Engagement, Indiana University Bloomington.

Publications

Decker, K. A., Sherwood-Laughlin, C. M., & Allen, S. R. (2024). Be better together: Importance of institution and network building. ENGAGE! Co-Created Knowledge Serving the Public Good. (5)3, 21-22. https://journals.indianapolis.iu.edu/index.php/ENGAGE/issue/view/1769/11

Moorman, M., Decker, K. A., Minix, A., & Huddle, J. (2024). The use of art to develop holistic nurses and clinical judgment: An educational intervention. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2024 Sep 3:8980101241273369. doi.org/10.1177/08980101241273369. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39228177.

Hunter‐Mullis, K., Qing, C., & Decker, K. A. (2024). Evaluation of remote and in‐person instruction of a social‐emotional learning curriculum in a rural midwestern middle school: A case study. Psychology in the Schools, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23270

Hebert, S., Siemon, M., Arriola, S., Blanchette, L., Correa, P., Dawn, K., DeBlieck, C., Decker, K., Hoffman, J., Johnson, R., & Weierbach, F. (2024). Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) Position Paper Faculty Qualifications for Community/Public Health Nursing. The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (achne.org) Public Website https://www.achne.org/aws/ACHNE/asset_manager/get_file/322291?ver=1363

Huddle, J., Minix, A., Moorman, M., & Decker, K. A. (2024). Frida Kahlo’s art as a canvas for knowledge: Visual thinking strategies enriching nursing education through librarian and faculty collaboration. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America. 43 (1), 25 -40.

Decker, K. A., & Priest, C. (2023). Utilization of book clubs to enhance a community health SDOH nursing course. The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators Website/Innovative Teaching Strategies at achne.org.

Little, S., Swider, S. M., Andresen, K. M., Arcille, D., Chaudrey, R. V., Cooper, J. L., Decker, K. A., Edwards, L., Graham, J. C., Haushalter, A. R., Hensley, J. L., Koyama, K., Morton, J. L., Ouzts, K. N., Robinson, A. Z., Saltzberg, C. W., Smith, C. M., & Weierbach, F. M. (2022). Public health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). (C. J. Bickford & E. Walpole, Eds.). American Nurses Association.

Decker, K. A., Garletts, D. M., Warwick, C. A., Ball, S. L., Watts, P. A., Titzer, J. K., & Hendricks, S. M. (2022). Sharing our journey: Implementing a multi-county substance use prevention program in area schools. NASN School Nurse, (37)2, 70-75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X211067225.

Johnson, R. H., Vandenhouten, C., Decker, K. A., Drake, M. A., Hoffman, J., & Charles, M. (2020). Recommendations for revisions to AACN’s Public Health: Recommended baccalaureate competencies and curricular guidelines for public health nursing, a supplement to the baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators Public Website/Education Advocacy & Policy: https://www.achne.org 

Decker, K. A., Hensel, D., Kuhn, T. M., & Priest, C. (2017). Innovative implementation of social determinants of health in a concept based curriculum. Nurse Educator, 42(3), 115-116.

Moorman, M., Hensel, D., Decker, K. A., & Busby, K. (2017). Learning outcomes with visual thinking strategies in nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 51, 127-129. doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.08.020

Decker, K. A., Miller, W. R., & Buelow, J. M. (2016). Parental perceptions of family social supports in families with children with epilepsy. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. 48(6), 336-341. https://doi.org/10.1097/JNN.0000000000000243

Decker, K.A. (2016). My personal journey with ovarian cancer treatment: Caring and chemotherapy tips. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 20(6), 669-670. https://doi.org/10.1188/16.CJON.669-670

Decker, K., Hensel, D., & Fasone, L. (2016). Outcomes of a bystander intervention community health service learning project. Nurse Educator. 41(3), 147-150. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000232

Work, J., Hensel, D., & Decker, K. A. (2015). A Q methodology study of perceptions of poverty among Midwestern nursing students. Nurse Education Today. 35(2), 328-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.10.017