It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Dr Barbara Braden in Omaha, Nebraska on June 24, 2023. Dr Braden was Brilliant. She had vast knowledge of healthcare issues and used her well-educated mind to improve practice. This outstanding nurse transcended borders and gave the world the enormous gift of her ground-breaking Research. She will long be remembered for fostering professional inquiry among nurses.
Of course, most nurses know that in the 1980s, Barbara, along with her colleague Dr Nancy Bergstrom, created an Assessment scale to detect persons at risk for what we now call pressure injuries (PIs). The official name of the risk assessment scale was originally "The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk."1-4 Most clinicians simply called it the Braden Scale. Dr Braden, along with a team of likeminded nurses, evaluated the reliability and validity of the scale in several care settings and identified PI risk assessment gaps in diverse populations, especially among older long-term care patients and individuals with dark skin tones.
Dr Braden was a great storyteller. Accordingly, we would both like to share a personal story of one experience with her.
Elizabeth A. Ayello. I remember sitting on Barbara's porch in Omaha, drinking tea and chatting. She took me into her dining room and said, "This is the table where we laid out the papers to look at the different factors for the risk assessment scale." It was a magical moment. Then I asked the question that had been burning in my mind for a long time: "Why did you score high-risk PI patients with a low numerical score?" She countered my question with another to make me think about the origins of the scale. I remembered that it was part of a larger study on persons in long-term care facilities and that the other tools being used related lower scores with declining function. She smiled and confirmed that a core value was prevention, and higher numerical scores were better aligned with health and wellness. What a visionary thinker! Years later she invited me to co-author an article on the Braden Scale5 and write a reflection for a celebratory issue of our journal.6
R. Gary Sibbald. I had several conversations with Barbara and her sister in Tokyo 2012 for the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) meeting. Elizabeth, Hiske Smart, and I sat together in the audience as Barbara recounted the Braden Scale journey. Each time I looked up she was watching us. After the presentation, I congratulated her, and she commented that she was pacing her talk based on my reactions! I was humbled, and it has and will continue to be one of our key connecting moments.
Dr Braden was a key Disseminator of her findings through publications and presentations. We both remember her willingness to share with others. She was a consummate Educator and communicated her research and insights throughout the world. Her team saw the need not only to conduct risk assessment but also begin linking risk to prevention interventions.
She had a distinguished presence-you knew when she was in the room-yet she was humble in nature. She had a wonderful sense of humor, and it is fun for us to imagine what she would be thinking and what funny phrase she would use to summarize this Editorial. She had such an amazing wit; her commentary was usually short and poignant. She would even wonder why she was being honored with awards and named lectures-there were many, including the Joanne Maklebust Award from NPIAP, the WUWHS Lifetime achievement Award 2022, and the WUWHS inaugural Barbara Braden Oration session on PIs. The WOCN Society also named a PI lecture session in her name at their annual conference. All these recognitions and accolades are so well deserved.
The world will long remember this inspirational Nurse who meant so much to so many. Her life, well spent, improved the lives of so many patients globally. To her spouse, family, and colleagues; healthcare professionals; and organizations around the world, we extend our heartfelt condolences on this tremendous loss. Please follow the link below to read some of the other personal stories sent from individuals and organizations about how she touched people and the legacy she left behind (Supplemental File, http://links.lww.com/NSW/A153).
Barbara Braden, thank you for all you gave the world. It has been said that "grief is the price we pay for love," and Barbara BRADEN (Brilliant, Researcher, Assessment scale, Disseminator, Educator, Nurse) was loved.
Elizabeth A. Ayello, PhD, MS, RN, CWON, FAAN
R. Gary Sibbald, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FAAD, JM
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