Virginia LeBaron, UVA School of Nursing

Virginia T LeBaron, PhD, APRN, FAANP, FAAN

Associate Professor of Nursing
Kluge-Schakat Associate Professor of Compassionate Care (Endowed Professorship)
Department
Nursing Research
Office
McLeod 5013

Biography

The majority of Dr. LeBaron's nursing career has focused on adult oncology palliative care. She practiced clinically as a medical oncology staff nurse and palliative care nurse practitioner before entering academia, and since 2004 has been involved with global palliative care and cancer control efforts (primarily in India and Nepal).

Dr. LeBaron directs the Technology Enhanced Compassionate Care (TECC) lab, which aims to conduct innovative research that leverages technology to alleviate suffering and enhance equitable access to quality care – for patients, family caregivers, and healthcare providers – in both domestic and international settings. Focal areas of the TECC lab include improving patient-clinician communication and optimizing safe and effective pain management for patients with advanced-stage cancer.

Dr. LeBaron’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (Fogarty International Center; National Cancer Institute; National Institute of Nursing Research), the American Cancer Society, and the Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leader and Innovator Fellows Program. Her research draws upon principles and theories of community-based participatory research, implementation science, ethnography/medical anthropology, and utilizes a Social-Ecological Model as a primary conceptual framework.

  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Cancer Center/UMass Boston, 2015
  • PhD, University of Utah College of Nursing, 2013
  • MS, University of Maryland School of Nursing, 2002
  • BSN, University of Virginia School of Nursing, 1996

Honors and Awards

  • National Cancer Institute/AcademyHealth Visiting Scholar, 2023 - 2024
  • Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leader and Innovator Fellow, 2023 - 2026
  • Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) Fellow, 2022
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Nurses (FAAN), 2021
  • NIH mHealth Summer Research Institute Scholar, 2016
  • Fulbright Fellow (India) 2011-2012
  • Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) 2011
  • American Cancer Society (ACS) Pre-Doctoral Fellow 2009-2013

Research Focus

Cancer pain; remote health monitoring; smart health; sensors; opioid availability; palliative care; communication

Recent Grants

  • Developing and testing a novel mobile health solution (CommSense) to improve patient-provider communication, Principal Investigator - Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leaders and Innovators Fellows Program (7/1/23 - 7/1/26)
  • Characterizing the complexity of cancer pain in the home context by leveraging smart health technology, Principal Investigator, R01 - National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research (2/1/21 - 11/30/25)
  • Using mHealth to support patients and caregivers in managing cancer pain, Principal Investigator, Pilot and Exploratory Projects in Palliative Care - American Cancer Society (7/1/19 - 6/30/21)
  • Exploring mHealth to improve the delivery of palliative care and cancer pain management in Nepal, Principal Investigator, R21 - National Institutes of Health/Fogarty International Center (8/15/18 - 4/30/21)

Clinical Focus

Adult oncology palliative care

Teaching Focus

Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (graduate)

Service

  • Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health Professions, Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Board
  • International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care, Policy and Advocacy Committee
  • Pain & Policy Studies Group, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, International Mentor
  • Oncology Nursing Forum, Associate Editor
  • Oncology Nursing News, Blog Contributor

Publications

Online Journals

Wang, Z., Yuan, F., LeBaron, V., Flickinger, T. & Barnes, L. (2024). PALLM: Evaluating and enhancing palliative care conversations with large language models. ACM Transactions on Computing for Healthcare. , . https://doi.org/10.1145/3712300

Journal Articles

LeBaron, V., Crimp, N., Homdee, N., Reed, K., Petermann, V., Ashe, W., Blackhall, L., & Lewis, B. (2025). “Less words, more pictures:” Creating and sharing data visualizations from a remote health monitoring system with clinicians to help manage cancer pain. Frontiers in Digital Health. (), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1520990

Wang, Z., Hassan, N., LeBaron, V., Flickinger, T., Ling, D., Edwards, J., Wu, C., Bouckhechba, M., & Barnes, L. (2024). CommSense: A wearable sensing computational framework for evaluating patient-clinician interaction. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 8(CSCW2), 1-31.

Homdee, N., Blackhall, L., Lach, J., & LeBaron, V. (2024). The influence of ambient environmental factors on breakthrough cancer pain: Insights from remote health home monitoring and a proposed data analytic approach. BMC Palliative Care, 23(62), 1-10.

Prompahakul, C., Keim-Malpass, J., LeBaron, V., & Epstein, E. (2023). Thai translation and psychometric testing of the measure of moral distress for healthcare professionals. Journal of Health Science and Medical Research, 41(6), 1-10.

Amos, V., LeBaron, V., Chuong, T., Elmore, C., Hamal, P. K., Paudel, B. D., Steen, A., & Chapagain, S. (2023). Co-constructing collaboration: An evidence-based approach to advance and evaluate equitable global public health research partnerships. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(10), e0002481.

Salako O, Momodu A, Miesfeldt S, Kabukye J, Ngoma M, Namisango E, Ayers N, LeBaron V, Sisimayi C, Ebenso E, Wang Y, Ryan J, van den Hurk C, Allsop M. (2023). Remote symptom monitoring to enhance the delivery of palliative cancer care in low-resource settings: emerging approaches from the sub-Saharan Africa region. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 7190-71.

Bennett, R., DeGuzman, P., LeBaron, V., Wilson, D., Jones, R. (2023). Exploration of shared decision making in oncology within the United States: A scoping review. Supportive Care in Cancer, 31(0), 94.

LeBaron, V., Homdee, N. Ogunjirin, E., Patel, N., Blackhall, L. & Lach, J. (2023). Describing and visualizing the patient and caregiver experience of cancer pain in the home context using ecological momentary assessments. Digital Health, 2023(0), 9.

Bernacchi, V., LeBaron, V., Porter, K., Zoellner, J., & DeGuzman, P. (2023). Barriers and facilitators to resilience for rural cancer survivors during COVID‐19. Public Health Nursing, 40(5), 595-602.

LeBaron, V., Flickinger, T., Ling, D., Lee, D., Edwards, J., Tewari, A., Wang, Z., & Barnes, L. (2023). Feasibility and acceptability testing of CommSense: A novel communication technology to enhance health equity in clinician-patient interactions. Digital Health, 9, 0.

LeBaron, V. (2023). Moving the needle further and faster: Policy and leadership opportunities to support early career nurse faculty and build resilience in establishing and growing their programs of research. Nursing Outlook, 71(4), 101997.

Elmore, C., Chapagain Acharya, S., Dulal, S., Enneking-Norton, F., Kumar Humal, P., Kattel, R., Maurer, M., Paudel, D., Dutta Paudel, B., Shilpakar, R., Sundar Shrestha, D., Thapa, U., Wilson, D. T., & LeBaron, V. (2022). Building a ‘Virtual Library’: Continuing a global collaboration to build research capacity in Nepal and other low- and middle-income countries. Global Health Action, 15(1), 1-11.

LeBaron, V. (2022). Challenges and opportunities in designing and deploying remote health monitoring technology for older adults with cancer. Innovation in Aging, 6(6), 1-7.

LeBaron, V., Boukhechba, M., Edwards, J., Flickinger, T., Ling, D. & Barnes, LE. (2022). Exploring the use of wearable sensors and natural language processing technology to improve patient-clinician communication: Protocol for a feasibility study. JMIR Research Protocols, 11(5), 1-11.

Muir, K. J., Keim-Malpass, J., & LeBaron, V. (2022). “You have to ask yourself when you've had enough”: An ethnography of multi-level nurse burnout cultural impacts in the emergency department. SSM-Qualitative Research in Health, 2(100111), 1-11.

LeBaron, V., Horton, B., Adhikari, A., Chapagain, S., Dhakal, M., Gongal, R., Kattel, R., Koirala, G., Kutcher, A., Hass, B., Maurer, M., Munday, D., Neupane, B., Sharma, K., Shilpakar, R., Shrestha, A., Shrestha, S., Thapa, U., Dillingham, R. & Paudel, B. (2022). A global collaboration to develop and pilot test a mobile application to improve cancer pain management in Nepal. Frontiers in Pain Research, 3(910995), 1-20.

LeBaron, V., Alam, R., Bennett, R., Blackhall, L., Gordon, K., Hayes, J., Homdee, N., Jones, R., Lichti, K., Martinez, Y., Mohammadi, S., Ogunjirin, E., Patel, N., & Lach, J. (2022). Deploying the behavioral and environmental sensing and intervention for cancer smart health system to support patients and family caregivers in managing pain: Feasibility and acceptability study. Journal of Internet Medical Research Cancer (JMIR) Cancer, 8(3), 1-19.

Kutcher, A. & LeBaron, V. (2022). A simple guide for completing an integrative review using an example article. Journal of Professional Nursing, 40, 13-19.

Mayer, C., LeBaron, V., & Acquaviva, K. (2022). Exploring the use of psilocybin therapy for existential distress: A multi-method study of palliative care provider perceptions. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 54(1), 81-92.

Byon, H., Ahn, S., LeBaron, V., Yan, G., Grider, R., & Crandall, M. (2022). Demonstration of an analytic process using home health care electronic health records: A case example exploring the prevalence of patients with a substance use history and a venous access device. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 34(1), 35-41.

Kutcher, A. M., & LeBaron, V. T., (2022). Evaluating acupuncture for treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 44(2), 169-179.

Muir, K.J., Keim-Malpass, J.K., & LeBaron, V. (2021). Examining the sociocultural impacts of an emergency department move using ethnography. International Emergency Nursing, 59, 101082.

LeBaron, V., Adhikari, A., Bennett, R., Chapagain, S., Dangol R., Dhakal, M., Elmore, C., Fitzgibbon, K., Gongal, R., Kattel, R., Koirala, G., Maurer, M., Munday, D., Neupane, B., Shrestha, S., Tamang, A., Thapa, U., Sharma, K., Dillingham, R., & Paudel, B. (2021). A survey of cancer care institutions in Nepal to inform design of a pain management mobile application. BMC Palliative Care, 20(1), 0.

Prompahakul, C., Malpass, J., LeBaron, V., Yan, G., & Epstein, B. (2021). Moral distress among nurses: A mixed methods study. Nursing Ethics, 28(8), 1165-1182.

Byon, H., Ahn, S., Yan G., Crandall, M., & LeBaron, V. (2021). Association of a substance use disorder with infectious diseases among adult home healthcare patients with a venous access device. Home Healthcare Now, 39(6), 320-326.

Porter, K., Moon, K., LeBaron, V. & Zoellner, J. (2021). A novel behavioral intervention for rural Appalachian cancer survivors: Participatory development and proof-of-concept testing of ‘weSurvive’. JMIR Cancer, 7(2), 1-16.

Meadows, C., Martin, D., & LeBaron, V. (2021). A cross-sectional survey exploring nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding opioids and the opioid epidemic. Pain Management Nursing, 22(4), 539-548.

LeBaron, V., Bennett, R., Blackhall, L., Alam, R., Gordon, K., Hayes, J., Homdee, N., Martinez, Y, Ogunjirin, E., Jones, R., Thomas, T. & Lach, J. (2020). Understanding the experience of cancer pain management at home from the perspective of patients and family caregivers to inform design of an in-home smart health sensing system. Journal of Medical Internet Research Formative Research, 4(8), e-20836.

Chow, P. I., Shaffer, K. M., Lohman, M. C., LeBaron, V., Fortuna, K., & Ritterband, L. (2020). Examining the relationship between changes in personality and depression in older adult cancer survivors. Aging and Mental Health, 24(8), 1237-1245.

LeBaron, V., Hayes, J., Gordon, K., Alam, R., Homdee, N., Martinez, Y., Ogunjirin, E., Thomas, T., Jones, R., Blackhall, L., & Lach, J. (2019). Leveraging smart health technology to empower patients and family caregivers in managing cancer pain: Protocol for a feasibility study. Journal of Medical Internet Research Protocols, 8(12), e16178-16178.

Bennett, R., & LeBaron, V. (2019). Parental perspective on roles in end-of-life decision making in the pediatric intensive care unit: An integrative review. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 46, 18-25.

Desai, R., Camacho, F., Tan, X., LeBaron, V., Blackhall, L., & Balkrishnan, R. (2019). Mental health comorbidities and elevated risk of opioid use in elderly breast cancer survivors using Adjuvant Endocrine Treatments. Journal of Oncology Practice, 15(9), 777-786.

LeBaron, V., Camacho, F., Balkrishnan, R., Yao, A., & Gilson, A. (2019). Opioid epidemic or pain crisis? Using the Virginia All Payer Claims Database to describe opioid medication prescribing patterns and potential harms for patients with cancer. Journal of Oncology Practice, 15(12), e997-e1009.

LeBaron, V. (2018). LeBaron, V. What is the rural cultural perspective? Oncology Nursing Forum, 45(6), 683-685.

Croson, E., Keim-Malpass, J., Bohnenkamp, S., & LeBaron, V. (2018). The medical-surgical nurse's guide to understanding palliative care and hospice. MedSurg Nursing, 27(4), 215-222.

Vyas, M. B., LeBaron, V. T., & Gilson, A. M. (2018). The use of cannabis in response to the opioid crisis: A review of the literature. Nursing Outlook, 66(1), 56-65.

Yao, N., Rose, K., LeBaron, V., Camacho, F, & Boling, P. (2017). Increasing role of nurse practitioners in house call programs. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65(4), 847-852.

Nguyen, L., Annoussamy, L., & LeBaron, V. T. (2017). Challenges encountered by Vietnamese nurses when caring for patients with cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 44(2), 147-151.

LeBaron, V. T., Palat, G., Sinha, S., Chinta Kumari, S., Jamina, B. J., Pilla, U. L., . . . & Beck, S. L. (2017). Recommendations to support nurses and improve the delivery of oncology and palliative care in India. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 23(2), 188-198.

Tan, X., Camacho, F., LeBaron, V., Blackhall, L., & Balkrishnan, R. (2017). Opioid use among female breast cancer patients using different adjuvant endocrine therapy regimens. Breast Cancer Treatment & Research, 165(2), 455-465.

Galassi, A., Pradhan, R., Palat, G. & LeBaron, V. (2017). Global oncology volunteering: Making an effective contribution. Oncology Nursing Forum, 44(5), 530-533.

LeBaron, V. T., Smith, P.T., Quinones, R., Nibecker, C., Sanders, J.J., Timms, R.M., Shields, A.E., Balboni, T.A., & Balboni, M.J. (2016). How community clergy provide spiritual care: Toward a conceptual framework for clergy end-of-life education. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 51(4), 673-681.

LeBaron, V.T. (2016). Global cancer disparities and the need for new initiatives. Oncology Nursing Forum, 43(1), 118-120.

LeBaron, V.T., Cooke, A., Garinther, A., Chow, V., Quiñones, R., Noveroske, S., Baccari, A., Smith, P., Peteet, J., Balboni, T., & Balboni, M. (2015). Clergy views on a good versus poor death: Ministry to the terminally ill. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 18(12), 1000-1007.

LeBaron, V. T., Blonquist, T. M., Hong, F., Halpenny, B., & Berry, D. L. (2015). Screening for pain in the ambulatory cancer setting: Is 0-10 enough? Journal of Oncology Practice, 11(6), 435-441.

LeBaron, V., Iribarren, S., Perri, S. & Beck, S. (2015). A practical field guide to conducting nursing research in low and middle-income countries. Nursing Outlook, 63(4), 462-73.

LeBaron, V., Beck, S., Black, F., Maurer, M. & Palat, G. (2014). An ethnographic study of barriers to cancer pain management and opioid availability in India. The Oncologist, 19(5), 515-522.

LeBaron, V., Beck, S., Black, F., & Palat, G. (2014). Nurse moral distress and cancer pain management: An ethnography of oncology nurses in India. Cancer Nursing, 37(5), 331-344.

Gilson, A., Maurer, M., LeBaron, V., Ryan, K., & Cleary, J. (2013). Multivariate analysis of countries’ government and healthcare system influences on opioid availability for cancer pain relief and palliative care: More than a function of human development. Palliative Medicine, 27(2), 105-114.

LeBaron, V., Bohnenkamp, S. & Reed, P. (2011). A community partnership approach to building and empowering a palliative care resource nurse team. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 13(1), 31-40.

LeBaron, V., Brody, J., Lee, E., Hardin, C., & Snyder, L. (2011). Pain and practicalities: The experience of transitioning a cancer patient from high-dose intravenous hydromorphone to intravenous methadone. Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, 25(4), 356-361.

Badger, T., LeBaron, V., & McCorkle, R. (2010). Screening for emotional distress in older patients with lung cancer. ONCOLOGY Nurse Edition, 24(4), 25-37.

Bohnenkamp, S., LeBaron, V., & Yoder, L. (2007). The Medical Surgical Nurse’s Guide to Ovarian Cancer: PartII. MedSurg Nursing: The Journal of Adult Health, vol. 16(5), 323-331.

Bohnenkamp, S., LeBaron, V., & Yoder, L. (2007). The Medical Surgical Nurse’s Guide to Ovarian Cancer: Part I. MedSurg Nursing: The Journal of Adult Health, vol. 16(4), 259-267.

Brown, S., Black, F., Vaidya, P., Shrestha, S., Ennals, D., & LeBaron, V. (2007). Palliative care development: The Nepal model. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 33(5), 573-577.

Books

LeBaron, V. (2024). Caring in Context: An Ethnography of Cancer Nursing in India. London: Routledge Press.

Black, F., Brown, S., Ennals, D., Harris, J., LeBaron, V., & Love, R. (2008). Clinical Guidelines for Palliative Care. International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (4th Edition). Belgium.

Book Sections

LeBaron, V., & Galassi, A. (2019). Global palliative care. In B. Ferrell & J. Paice (Eds), Oxford textbook of palliative care nursing (5th ed) (pp. 868-876). Oxford University Press

Columns, Editorials and Op-Eds

LeBaron, V. (2016, January 21). Don't just do something, stand there: The power of The Pause: Column. Oncology Nursing News. https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/dont-just-do-something-stand-there-the-power-of-the-pause.

LeBaron, V. (2015, March 2). What 'The Dress' can teach us about the opioid epidemic: Column. Oncology Nursing News. Retrieved from https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/what-the-dress-can-teach-us-about-the-dual-epidemic-of-pain.

LeBaron, V. (2015, August 31). The accountable care act: One to grow on: Column. Oncology Nursing News. Retrieved from https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/the-accountable-care-act--one-to-grow-on-.

LeBaron, V. (2015, January 5). Dignity awareness: The ultimate targeted therapy: Column. Oncology Nursing News. Retrieved from https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/dignity-awareness-the-ultimate-targeted-therapy.

LeBaron, V. (2014, December 7). How to get involved in global oncology nursing: Column. Oncology Nursing News. Retrieved from https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/how-to-get-involved-in-global-oncology-nursing.