Jessica S. Bahorski, PhD, APRN, PPCNP-BC, WHNP is a clinician, educator, and researcher. She has worked in primary care and school health as a pediatric nurse practitioner, as an educator in acute care pediatric settings, and a researcher on numerous studies. Dr. Bahorski’s research program studies the developmental origins of childhood obesity with a particular focus on infant feeding practices and infant weight gain. Her research examines maternal decisions regarding infant feeding practices, factors that influence those decisions, and infant growth. Dr. Bahorski's recent research has examined maternal knowledge of infant feeding practices and factors that influence maternal deviation from their prenatal feeding plans. A recent collaboration with other researchers at FSU aims to test the feasibility of a responsive feeding intervention in mother-infant dyads enrolled in maternal-child home visiting program. Dr. Bahorski is also collaborating on a study which examines pesticide exposure on children living in rural farmworker communities. She is also passionate about finding ways to help nurses understand best practices and translate research into clinical practice.

EDUCATION

PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
MSN, Vanderbilt University
BS, Samford University

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION

Post-master’s Certificate as a Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, University of Florida

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION

Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner, Florida

Certification

Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification, American Nurses Credentialing Center

Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certification, National Certification Corporation

HONORS and AWARDS

FSU Provost Travel Grant – Spring 2019, Spring 2020

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Research Poster Award – Parental Self-Efficacy and Infant Feeding Practices in African-American Mother-Infant Dyads (2019)

Finalist 3MT® at University of Alabama at Birmingham (2017)

Society of Pediatric Nurses, 1st Place Research Poster Award - Reduction of Perceived Pain and Distress During Venipuncture in the Pediatric Population (2013)

ICARE Accountability Nursing Award, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (2012)

PUBLICATIONS

Bahorski, J. S., Mumbower, R., & Pocchio, K. E. (2021). Describing maternal knowledge of infant feeding practices. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 35(3), 278-284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2020.11.001

Schneider-Worthington, C. R., Bahorski, J. S., Fields, D. A., Gower, B. A., Fernandez, J. R., & Chandler-Laney, P. C. (2020, online). Associations among maternal adiposity, insulin and adipokines in circulation and human milk. Journal of Human Lactation. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334420962711

Bahorski, J. S., Schneider-Worthington, C. R., Chandler-Laney, P. C. (2020). Modified eating in the absence of hunger test is associated with appetitive traits in infants. Eating Behavior, 36. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.101342.

Bahorski, J. S., Childs, G. D., Loan, L. A., Azuero, A., Chandler-Laney, P. C., Rice, M., Hodges, E. A., Thompson, A. L., Wasser, H. M., & Bentley, M. E. (2020). Parental self-efficacy in new mothers predicts infant growth. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 42, 254 – 261. doi: 10.1177/0193945919854464

Bahorski, J. S., Childs, G. D., Loan, L. A., Azuero, A., Chandler-Laney, P. C., Rice, M., Hodges, E. A., Thompson, A. L., Wasser, H. M., & Bentley, M. E. (2019). Parental self-efficacy and infant feeding practices in a group of first-time, low-income, African-American mother-infant dyads. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 33, 377. 2019 Poster Award Winners and Presentation Abstracts.

Park, S. H., Park, C. G., Bahorski, J. S., & Cormier, E. (2019). Factors influencing obesity among preschoolers: Multilevel approach. International Nursing Review, 66, 346-355. doi: 10.111/inr.12513

Bahorski, J. S., Childs, G. D., Loan, L. A., Azuero, A., Morrison, S. A., Chandler-Laney, P. C., Hodges, E. A., & Rice, M. (2018). Self-efficacy, infant feeding practices, and infant weight gain: An integrative review. Journal of Child Health Care, 23, 286-310. doi: 10.1177/0193945919854464

Bahorski, J. S., Hauber, R. P., Hanks, C., Johnson, M., Mundy, K., Ranner, D., Stoutamire, B., & Gordon, G. (2015). Mitigating procedural pain during venipuncture in a pediatric population: A randomized factorial study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 52, 1553-1564. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015.05.014

Bahorski, J., Repasky, T., Ranner, D., Fields, A., Jackson, M., Moultry, L., Pierce, K., & Sandell, M. (2012). Temperature measurement in pediatrics: A comparison of the rectal method versus the temporal artery method. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 27, 243-247. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2010.12.015

BOOK CHAPTER

Bahorski, J. S. & Bray, L. A. (2020). Failure to thrive. In J. B. Benson (Ed.) Encyclopedia of infant and early childhood development (2^nd ed., pp. 584-594). Elsevier.

FUNDED RESEARCH (current)

Grzywacz, G., Hickner, R., Bahorski, J.S., Abbott, L.., Berryman, C., & Stanwood, G. (Feb 2020 – Dec 2021). Pesticides Implications for Rural Health Disparities. Funded by Florida State University CTSA, Rural Health Pilot Project. Total award $95,000.

Bahorski, J.S., Romano, M., & McDougal, J. M. (Sept 2019 – Aug 2021). Testing a responsive feeding intervention in a group of high-risk mother-infant dyads. Funded by Florida State University, Office of Proposal Development, Families & Children Collaborative Collision Seed Fund. Total award $21,052

SERVICE

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Research Committee Member, 2019-2022

Tallahassee Council of Advanced Practice Nurses, President, 2019-2020