Barbara Bailey graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at McMaster University. Upon graduating, she worked across the United States and returned to Canada in 2001 when she joined the University Health Network (UHN). She began her UHN career as a staff nurse in the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit. In 2007, she completed her Master’s in Nursing/Acute Care program at the University of Toronto while working as a nurse clinician in cardiovascular surgery, transitioning to nurse practitioner (NP) once completing her studies. Barb has developed advanced knowledge in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) with a focus on postoperative management. However, since April 2015 she has been the NP for the Toronto ACHD program at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
Barb is currently cross-appointed with the Lawrence S. Bloomberg, Faculty of Nursing University of Toronto and is currently an instructional assistant in the Adult NP program. She holds memberships with the Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses (CCCN), International Society of Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ISACHD), Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada (NPAC), Registered Nurses of Ontario (RNAO) and Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and is the current President of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario. Barb is certified in cardiovascular nursing (CCN(C)), basic and advanced cardiac life support.  Her accomplishments include a patient education initiative, a children’s storybook to help parents discuss their heart surgery with their children, and the development of a mindfulness recovery program after cardiac surgery. She has co-authored publications in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and cardiovascular surgery. She has co-published in the Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership and recently published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology (CJC) Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, which explores cannabis use in ACHD.
