Kelly A. Bosak, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FHFSA

Professional Background

I am a certified adult nurse practitioner with expertise in acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions, with a focus on heart failure. I received pre-doctoral fellowship funding from the American Heart Association to develop and test my internet intervention to improve exercise adherence in adults with cardiovascular-renal-metabolic syndrome. Since joining the University of Kansas School of Nursing faculty, I received the NIH K-12 research career development award with competitive renewal over 5 years to test the active components of Social Cognitive Theory underlying exercise adherence in adults with cardiovascular disease facilitated by neuroimaging. I participated in the Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) post-doctoral research practicum at Mayo Clinic. I also received pilot funding from the KUMC Research Institute and the Office of Grants and Research plus other internal funding awards to investigate exercise adherence in adults with heart failure and implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy in clinical practice. As research evolves and priorities change, I identified the need and gained new knowledge and skills in implementation research methods.

• BSN, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing
• MSN, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing
• Other, Adult Nurse Practitioner, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Omaha, NE
• PhD, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Nursing Research, University of Kansas Medical Center

• Adult Nurse Practitioner Certification, American Nurses Credentialing Center
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Kansas State Board of Nursing
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
• Registered Nurse, State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

• Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research Ambassador Program , Friends of NINR Ambassador, Member, 2024 - Present
• American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing , Member, 2021 - Present
• Heart Failure Society of America, Data and Heart Failure Core Writing Committee; Scientific Statements Committee, Member, 2021 - Present
• Midwest Nursing Research Society , Research Interest Group Advisory Committee, Chair, 2013 - 2016
• Midwest Nursing Research Society , Research Interest Group Advisory Committee, Member, 2012 - 2013
• Midwest Nursing Research Society , Research Interest Group Advisory Committee, Member, 1996 - Present

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Research

Overview

My program of research focuses on intervention development and implementation to strengthen the biobehavioral mechanisms of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial resilience in patients with heart failure. In my pre-doctoral fellowship funded by the American Heart Association, I investigated the impact of an internet exercise intervention for individuals with cardio-metabolic-renal syndrome demonstrating positive effects on lipid biomarkers, feasibility, and fidelity of the exercise intervention (published in Western Journal of Nursing Research). My post-doctoral research (K12) at the University of Kansas demonstrated the biobehavioral basis of exercise adherence and tested theoretical constructs and cognition underlying my exercise intervention using functional magnetic resonance imaging (published in Nursing Research). I collaborated on an investigation of the factors affecting adherence to exercise in patients with heart failure with an interdisciplinary multi-site research team centered at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This research found that negative attitudes and self-efficacy mediated long-term adherence to exercise in patients with heart failure (published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine). I served as Co-I on a HRSA grant to expand respiratory therapy and hybrid cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and develop a rural network to increase the registered nurse workforce capacity in Kansas (completed June 2026). This experience has been key in developing my knowledge and skills for success as HRSA Fellowship Director for advanced practice nurses transitioning to autonomous practice in rural and underserved areas of Kansas. My previous research experience and variety of funding sources is consistent with my goals to develop and implement interventions that are widely disseminated, sustained, and evaluated in the real-world rural health clinic setting. My research focus has evolved to methamphetamine-associated heart failure (MAHF) that is becoming an epidemic. I am currently pursuing funding from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for a phased large comparative effectiveness trial of two different clinical treatment models for MAHF.

• Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship (ANE-NPRF), HRSA, Other

• Bosak Kelly, Yates B, Pozehl B. 2009. Feasibility of an internet physical activity intervention.. Western journal of nursing research, 31 (5), 648-61
• Bosak Kelly, Yates B, Pozehl B. 2010. Effects of an internet physical activity intervention in adults with metabolic syndrome.. Western journal of nursing research, 32 (1), 5-22
• Bosak Kelly, Pozehl B, Yates B. 2012. Challenges of applying a comprehensive model of intervention fidelity.. Western journal of nursing research, 34 (4), 504-19
• Bosak Kelly. 2012. Managing metabolic syndrome in women.. The Nurse practitioner, 37 (8), 14-20; quiz 20-1
• Bosak Kelly, Martin Laura E. 2014. Neuroimaging of goal-directed behavior in midlife women.. Nursing research, 63 (6), 388-96
• Bosak K, Park ShinHye. 2017. Characteristics of adults seeking healthcare provider support facilitated by mobile technology: secondary data analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research: Human Factors, 4 (4), e33
• Bosak Kelly, Shin Hye Park. 2018. Characteristics of adults' use of Facebook and the potential impact on health behavior: Secondary data analysis . Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 7 (1)
• Bosak Kelly, Vlad Papa B, Morgan Brucks G, Cary Savage R, Joseph Donnelly E, Laura Martin E. 2018. Novel biomarkers of physical activity maintenance in midlife women: preliminary investigation. BioResearch, 7 (1)
• Alonso Windy, Kupzyk Kevin, Norman Joseph, Bills Sara E, Bosak Kelly, Dunn Susan, Pozehl Bunny. 2021. Negative attitudes, self-efficacy, and relapse management mediate adherence to long-term exercise in patients with heart failure. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, XX, 1-11