Becky Spencer Ph.D., RN, IBCLC

Contact

bspencer@twu.edu
940-898-2406
ASB 125

Biography

Becky Spencer is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at Texas Woman's University. She received her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Kansas in 2012. Dr. Spencer has over 25 years of experience in nursing practice with pediatric, neonatal, and maternity populations, and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She currently teaches in the doctoral and master's programs. Her research interests include health disparities and breastfeeding promotion and education in underserved populations. She is an active member of the International Lactation Consultant Association, The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, the Texas Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau.

Education

Ph.D., Nursing, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS
Post-Masters, PMHNP, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
M.S.N., Nursing Education, Research College of Nursing, Kansas City, MO
B.S.N., Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

Expertise

Breastfeeding, Maternal Child Health Care, Health Disparities

Latest Articles

On diagnosis and management of perinatal depression [Letter to the Editor]
Nursing For Women's Health (2023)
Becky S. Spencer

Outcomes of a breast pump combining compression and vacuum technology in exclusively pumping mothers of VLBW infants in the NICU.
Clinical Lactation (2023)
Nancy Wight, K Turfker, Becky S. Spencer, Jane Grassley

A qualitative description of nurses' experiences with incorporating research into practice
Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing (2018)
S Fesler, L Castillo, R Hermann, D Kuntz, Z Schuessler

Examining racial disparities in breastfeeding from a positive deviance lens: A commentary
Journal of Human Lactation (2017)
Becky Spencer

Multi-Institutional collaboration to promote undergraduate clinical research nursing
Nurse Educator (2015)
Shelby Garner, Becky Spencer, Claudia Beal

African American women's breastfeeding experiences: Cultural, personal, and political voices
Qualitative Health Research (2015)
Becky Spencer, Karen Wambach, Elaine Domain Williams

Whose breasts are they anyway?
International Journal of Women's Health and Reproduction Sciences (2015)
Becky Spencer, A Khaki

Incorporating breastfeeding into prenatal care.
Breastfeeding Medicine (2015)
Adrienne Pitts, Maryann Faucher, Becky Spencer

Medications and breastfeeding for mothers with chronic illness.
Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing (2015)
Becky Spencer

Books

Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care
Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2023)
Becky S. Spencer, S Hertzel-Campbell, K Chamberlain

Breastfeeding and human lactation
Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2019)
K Wambach, Becky Spencer

Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care
Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2018)
S Hertzel-Campbell, J Lauwers, R Mannel, Becky Spencer

Chapters

Clinical decision making in lactation care and support
in Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2022)
Becky S. Spencer, K Chamberlain

Scientific evidence supporting breastfeeding
in Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2022)
Becky S. Spencer, A Watkins

The cultural context of breastfeeding
in Breastfeeding and human lactation | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2021)
K Wambach, Becky S. Spencer

The composition and specificity of human milk
in Breastfeeding and human lactation | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2021)
Becky S. Spencer, J Francis

Biological specificity of human milk
in Breastfeeding and human lactation | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2020)
Becky Spencer

Cultural context of breastfeeding
in Breastfeeding and human lactation | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2020)
Becky Spencer, K Wambach

The normal newborn
in Comprehensive neonatal nursing: A physiologic perspective | Saunders (2019)
C Riley, L Prater, Becky Spencer

Clinical decision making in lactation care and support
in Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2018)
Becky Spencer

Scientific evidence supporting breastfeeding
in Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care | Jones & Barlett Publishers, LLC (2018)
Becky Spencer, A Watkins, Becky S. Spencer

A qualitative description of African American men's experiences as fathers of breastfed infants
in Breastfeeding, Social Justice and Equity | Preclarus Press (2017)
Becky Spencer

Theory and nursing research
in Foundations of nursing research (7th ed.) | Pearson (2017)
Becky Spencer

Hypotheses
in Foundations of nursing research (7th ed.) | Pearson (2017)
Becky Spencer, R Nieswiadomy

Recent Presentations

Creating Synergy: DNP perceptions of future PhD education.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 2019 Doctoral Educational Conference (2019)
Poster | Peggy Mancuso, L Roussel, B Spencer

Inclusion, equity, and diversity in lactation education
Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Resources Committee meeting (2018)
Podium | Becky S. Spencer, A Simpson

Putting discussion back in the discussion board using metacognition and the community of inquiry model.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Doctoral Education conference (2017)
Poster | Becky S. Spencer

Using a realist lens to implement and evaluate solutions for clinical nursing problems
International Philosophy of Nursing Science Conference (2017)
Podium | Becky S. Spencer

Interrelationships of compassion fatigue, job satisfaction, and life balance activities in oncology nurses
Oncology Nursing Society Conference (2017)
Poster | Becky S. Spencer, M E Barnhouse

The interrelationships of compassion fatigue, job satisfaction, and life balance activities in oncology nurses
Southern Nursing Research Society (2017)
Podium | Becky S. Spencer, B Barnhouse

A qualitative description of WIC breastfeeding peer counselor support
Southern Nursing Research Society (2017)
Podium | H Shaw, E Ruiz, R Spivey, Becky S. Spencer

A qualitative description of nurses' experiences with incorporating research into practice
Southern Nursing Research Society (2017)
Podium | S Fesler, L Casstillo, R Hermann, D Kuntz, Z Schuessler

A realist evaluation of a mobile technology used to facilitate interprofessional team-based care: Phase 1 theory development
Southern Nursing Research Society (2017)
Podium | K Courville, Becky S. Spencer, K McShane

Postpartum Education: Are We Meeting Mothers' Needs and Expectations?
Association of Women's, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing Conference (2016)
Podium | D McCarter-Spaulding, Becky S. Spencer

Putting Discussion Back in the Discussion Board through Metacognition and the Community of Inquiry Model,
Good Ideas for Teaching and Learning Series (2016)
Round Table | Becky S. Spencer

The Challenging Second Night
Breastfeeding and Feminism International conference (2016)
Podium | J Grassley, Becky S. Spencer, D McCarter-Spaulding

Race and Ethnicity of Researcher Effects on Authenticity in Nursing Research: Controversy, Discussion, and Resolves
Southern Nursing Research Conference (2016)
Podium | Becky S. Spencer

The Sequential Consensual Qualitative Design: Accessing Cultural, Personal, and Political Voices of African American Women's Breastfeeding Experiences.
Southern Nursing Research Conference (2016)
Podium | Becky S. Spencer

Transformative Learning Online: Putting Discussion Back in the Discussion Board
Transformative Learning conference (2016)
Round Table | Becky S. Spencer, G Anderson

Power of influence and its role among breastfeeding peer counselors
Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Conference (2016)
Podium | Emily Ruiz, Riley Spivey, Becky S Spenxer

Increasing Men's Involvement in Breastfeeding Support
International Breastfeeding and Feminism Conference (2015)
Podium | Becky S. Spencer, M Mwamba

Nursing Intuition in Acute Physiologic Decline: A Qualitative Description of Critical Care Nurses' Experiences
Southern Nursing Research Society Conference (2015)
Poster | B Rieke, Becky S. Spence

Professional Affiliations

• American Nurses Association
• Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing
• International Lactation Consultant Association
• International Philosophy of Nursing Society
• National Association of Neonatal Nurses
• Sigma Theta Tau International
• Southern Nursing Research Society
• Texas Nurses Association

Honors & Awards

• Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, American Academy of Nursing (2023)
• Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association, International Lactation Consultant Association (2022)
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Professions Hero Award: Assisting accredited lactation education programs to make modifications in course and clinical delivery due to COVID, Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee (2021)
• American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, third place in the maternal/child health category, Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 6th ed., American Journal of Nursing (2020)
• American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, second place in the maternal/child health category, Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care, American Journal of Nursing (2018)
• Honor Society induction, Phi Kappa Phi (2018)
• Dallas Fort Worth Great 100 Nurses Award, Dallas Fort Worth (2018)
• Faculty Award for Distinction in Distance Education, Texas Woman's University (2017)