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Gail L. Towsley, PhD, NHA

Gail Towsley, PhD is a tenured Associate Professor at University of Utah College of Nursing. She teaches in the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program and Nursing doctoral program. Dr. Towsley received her MS in Gerontology and PhD in Nursing at University of Utah. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at Polisher Research Institute and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. As a gerontologist and licensed nursing home administrator, Dr. Towsley’s professional goal is to conduct interdisciplinary applied aging research that advances scientific knowledge about palliative care in long term care settings and informs new approaches to enhancing communication among residents, families and staff in order to provide person-centered care. She has led the development of Me & My Wishes—resident centered video recorded conversations to communicate care preferences for today and at end of life.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Van Haitsm (2013).
  2. Edelman LS, Drost J, Moone RP, Owens K, Towsley GL, Tucker-Roghi G, Morley J (2021). Editorial: Applying the Age-Friendly Health System Framework to Long Term Care Settings. 25, 141-145.
  3. Clayton MF, Utz R, Iacob E, Towsley G (2021). Live hospice discharge: Experiences of families, and hospice staff. Patient education and counseling, 104, 2054-2059.
  4. Towsley, G.L (2012).
  5. Gustavson AM, Drake C, Lakin A, Daddato AE, Falvey JR, Capell W, Lum HD, Jones CD, Unroe KT, Towsley GL, Stevens-Lapsley JE, Levy CR, Boxer RS (2020). Conducting Clinical Research in Post-acute and Long-term Nursing Home Care Settings: Regulatory Challenges. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 20, 798-803.
  6. GL Towsle (2017). Talking about end-of-life care: Perspectives of nursing home residents. Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.),
  7. Towsley G (2012).
  8. Farrell TW, Towsley GL, Eaton J, Butler J (2022). The Development and Validation of a Communication Survey Instrument for Long-term Care Staff. Journal of continuing education in nursing, 53, 123-130.
  9. Dassel KB, Flattes V, Eaton J, Towsley G, Moyers L, Edelman (2020). Development of a Gerontology Graduate Certificate in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care. Journal of gerontological nursing, 45, 47-52.
  10. Bristol AA, Mata AC, Mickens M, Dassel KB, Ellington (2022). "You Feel Very Isolated": Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregiver Social Connections. 7, 23337214211060166.
  11. Beck, S (2009).
  12. Gail L. Towsle (2015).
  13. Gail L. Towsle (2016).
  14. Dassel KB, Towsley GL, Utz RL, Ellington (2021). A Limited Opportunity: COVID-19 and Promotion of Advance Care Planning. 2(1), 194-198.
  15. Pet (2013).
  16. Tay DL, Ellington (2021). Emotional expression in conversations about advance care planning among older adult home health patients and their caregivers. Patient education and counseling, 104, 2232-2239.
  17. Bec (2013).
  18. Towsley G (2011).
  19. Towsley GL, Neller (2021). Me & My Wishes: Concordance of End-of-Life Preferences Between Residents with Dementia, Family, and Staff. Journal of palliative medicine,
  20. Gail L. Towsle (2016).
  21. Beck, S (2010).
  22. Tay DL, Ellington L, Towsley GL, Supiano K, Berg C (2020). Evaluation of a Collaborative Advance Care Planning Intervention among Older Adult Home Health Patients and Their Caregivers. Journal of palliative medicine, 23(9), 1214-1222.
  23. Towsley GL, Wong B, Mokhtari T, Hull W, Miller S (2020). Piloting Me and My Wishes-Videos of Nursing Home Residents' Preferences. Journal of pain and symptom management, 59, 609-617.
  24. Towsley, G.L (2013).
  25. Towsle (2016).
  26. Gail L. Towsle (2015).
  27. Towsley GL, Wong B, Mokhtari T, Hull W, Miller S (2020). Piloting Me and My Wishes-Videos of Nursing Home Residents' Preferences. Journal of pain and symptom management, 59, 609-617.
  28. Madden (2017).
  29. Beck, S (2010).

Letter

  1. Towsley GL, Wong (2021). An Efficacy Trial of Long-Term Care Residents With Alzheimer's Disease Using Videos to Communicate Care Preferences. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22, 1559-1560.