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Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program
Meet Our Team                                                               

Deborah  E. Becker, MSN, CRNP, BC
Program Director

Deborah is responsible for the daily management of the ACNP program. She conducts admission interviews, manages the admissions process for new students, advises incoming student on course selection, and coordinates clinical placements for students. Ms. Becker is a graduate of Villanova University (BS), Thomas Jefferson University School of Allied Health (BSN) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (MSN and Post-Master's Nurse Practitioner Certificate). She is a certified acute care nurse practitioner. She has worked in critical care for 20 years and has been teaching at the University of Pennsylvania for nine years, previously at the senior undergraduate level, as well as, at the graduate level. She has presented nationally on a variety of critical care topics. She is a contributing author and reviewer on several nurse-related topics.  She is a member of American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Nursing Council, and Sigma Theta Tau honor society.

If you have general program questions or would like more specific information, we encourage you to contact Mrs. Becker by e-mail at debecker@nursing.upenn.edu or by phone at (215) 898-0432.

Recent Publications

Becker, D.E. (in press).  Cardiovascular Anatomy & Physiology and Physical Assessment. In Kaplow, R. & Harding, S. (Eds.) Primer to Critical Care Nursing: A Synergistic Approach. Boston:  Jones & Bartlett Publishers. 

Becker, D., Kaplow, R., Muenzen, P., & Hartigan, C. (2006).  Activities Performed by Acute and Critical Care Advanced Practice Nurses: American Association of Critical Care Nurses Study of Practice. American Journal of Critical Care, 15(2), 130-148.

Richmond, T.S. & Becker, D.E. (2005). Creating an Advanced Practice Nurse-friendly culture: a marathon not a sprint. AACN Clinical Issues, 16(1), 58-66. 

Becker, D.E. (2005). Temporary Transvenous Pacemaker Insertion. In Lynn-McHale, D & Carlson, K. (Eds.) AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care, (2nd Ed) (pp. 340-361). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Becker, D.E. (2005) Arterial Line Insertion. In Lynn-McHale, D & Carlson, K. (Eds.) AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care, (2nd Ed.) (pp. 445-450). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Becker, D.E. (2005) Performing a Pericardiocentesis. In Lynn-McHale, D & Carlson, K. (Eds.) AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care, (2nd Ed.) (pp. 281-288) Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Becker, D.E. (2005) Assisting with a Pericardiocentesis. In Lynn-McHale, D & Carlson, K. (Eds.) AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care, (2nd Ed.) (pp. 289-295) Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Keane, A. & Becker, D. (2004). Emerging roles of the Advanced Practice Nurse. In L. Joel (Ed.) Advanced Practice Nursing:  Essential for Role Development. (pp. 31-56). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.

Becker, D.E. & Richmond, T.S. (2003). Advanced practice nurses on acute care services in Mezey, MD, McGivern, DO, & Sullivan-Marx, EM. (Eds.), Nurse Practitioners: Evolution of the Advanced Practice Nurse (4th Ed.). (pp. 135-148).  New York: Springer.

Meghani, S.H. & Becker, D. (2001). b-Blockers: A new therapy in congestive heart failure. American Journal of Critical Care, 10(6): 417-427.

Becker, D.E. (2001). Temporary Transvenous Pacemaker Insertion. In Lynn-McHale, D & Carlson, K. (Eds.) AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care. (pp. 278-284). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Becker, D.E. (2001) Arterial Line Insertion. In Lynn-McHale, D & Carlson, K. AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care. (pp. 361-366). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.