Daniel David

Faculty

Daniel David headshot

Daniel David

PhD RN

Assistant Professor

1 212 992 5930

433 First Ave
New York, NY 10010
United States

Accepting PhD students

Daniel David is a geriatrics and palliative care (PC) nurse researcher and an Assistant Professor at the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at New York University. As an implementation scientist, he seeks to translate nursing research into feasible, effective, and scalable interventions for under-resourced, community-dwelling older adults and their care partners who are on the cusp of needing nursing home care.

His research program addresses the unmet social, emotional, and serious illness needs of low-income residents living in Medicaid-supported assisted living (AL) facilities in New York City. Notably, he developed the “Someone to Talk To” program in partnership with a community advisory board of AL residents. This initiative pairs residents with community health workers to foster serious illness conversations, explore values and care goals, and bridge care gaps for isolated individuals at high risk of nursing home placement. This work has been recognized nationally through the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) Tipping Point Challenge (Silver Medal) and internationally by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Distinguished Nursing Research Manuscript Award.

Prof. David serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), the advisory council of the American Assisted Living Nurses Association (AALNA), and the research core of the Center of Excellence for Assisted Living (CEAL-UNC). He has received career development awards from the Cambia Foundation and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC).

Beyond his primary research focus in assisted living, David has served as a Co-Investigator on NIH-funded projects, including a study on the experiences of New York City hospice team members during the COVID-19 pandemic (5R01NR019792). He is currently a Site Principal Investigator at NYU Langone Medical Center for a 40-site trial examining a nurse-led intervention aimed at reducing avoidable hospitalizations among patients living with dementia and their care partners (U19AG078105). Collectively, his research promotes person-centered and community-based approaches to improving care for older adults with serious illnesses.

PhD, Northeastern University
BSN, University of Virginia
MS, University of Colorado

Gerontology
Palliative care

American Geriatrics Society
Gerontological Society of America
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
Palliative Care Research Cooperative
Sigma Theta Tau

Junior Investigator, Palliative Care Research Consortium (2018)
VA Quality Scholar, VA Medical Center, San Francisco (2018)
Scholarship, End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (2017)
Sigma Theta Tau, Scholar Research Award, Northeastern University (2016)
Kaneb Foundation Research Award, Regis College (2015)
Scholar, Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence (2014)
Scholar, Summer Genetics Institute, NINR, National Institute of Health (2014)
Sigma Theta Tau, Rising Star Award, Northeastern University (2013)
Sigma Theta Tau, Beta Kappa (2004), Gamma Epsilon Chapter (2013)
Raven Society, University of Virginia (2005)
Distinguished Nursing Student Award, University of Virginia (2005)

“There Should Be A Nurse On Call” : Complex Care Needs of Low-Income Older Adults in Medicaid-Supported Assisted Living

Murali, K. P., Lassell, R. K., Brody, A. A., Schulman-Green, D., & David, D. (2025). In Journal of palliative medicine. 10.1089/jpm.2024.0445
Abstract
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Background: In the United States, nearly 1 million older adults reside in assisted living facilities, which aim to provide support for safe, autonomous living. However, low-income residents, especially those in Medicaid-supported facilities, experience unmet medical and social complex care needs and limited serious illness communication due to limited resources. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the complex care needs and serious illness communication challenges experienced by low-income older adults in Medicaid-supported assisted living. Methods: A qualitative secondary framework analysis was conducted on data from a parent qualitative study involving 17 residents aged 60 and older with serious illnesses at a Medicaid-supported facility in New York City. Residents completed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale and participated in semistructured interviews. This study was guided by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care, focusing on the residents’ experiences, complex care needs, and communication within palliative care domains. Results: Residents were predominantly Black and Hispanic, with nearly one-third having a history of homelessness or shelter use, and they experienced a high symptom burden. Four key themes emerged: (1) compromised quality of life; (2) high symptom burden and limited access to care, with residents reporting pain, fatigue, and emotional distress; (3) communication gaps while navigating health care, resulting in frustration and feelings of being unheard; and (4) fragmented care coordination, which exacerbated feelings of isolation and mistrust in the health care system. Conclusion: The findings reveal that Medicaid-supported assisted living residents encounter substantial challenges related to complex care needs and serious illness communication. There is an urgent need for community-based interventions to enhance care access, improve symptom management, and facilitate effective communication, ultimately supporting the residents’ quality of life and health outcomes. Enhanced training for staff and policy changes are key to addressing these systemic barriers to care.

“There Should Be A Nurse On Call”: Complex Care Needs of Low-Income Older Adults in Medicaid-Supported Assisted Living

Murali, K. P., Lassell, R. K., Brody, A. A., Schulman-Green, D., & David, D. (2025). In Journal of palliative medicine. 10.1089/jpm.2024.0445
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Navigating a "Good Death" during COVID-19 : Understanding Real-Time End-of-Life Care Structures, Processes, and Outcomes Through Clinical Notes

David, D. (2024). In Gerontologist (Vols. 64, Issues 10). 10.1093/geront/gnae099
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic severely disrupted hospice care, yet there is little research regarding how widespread disruptions affected clinician and family decision-making. We aimed to understand how the pandemic affected structures, processes, and outcomes of end-of-life care. Research Design and Methods: Retrospective narrative chart review of electronic health records of 61 patients referred and admitted to hospice from 3 New York City geriatrics practices who died between March 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. We linked longitudinal, unstructured medical, and hospice electronic health record notes to create a real-time, multiperspective trajectory of patients' interactions with providers using directed content analysis. Results: Most patients had dementia and were enrolled in hospice for 11 days. Care processes were shaped by structural factors (staffing, supplies, and governmental/institutional policies), and outcomes were prioritized by care teams and families (protecting safety, maintaining high-touch care, honoring patient values, and supporting patients emotionally and spiritually). Processes used to achieve these outcomes were decision-making, care delivery, supporting a "good death,"and emotional and spiritual support. Discussion and Implications: Care processes were negotiated throughout the end of life, with clinicians and families making in-the-moment decisions. Some adaptations were effective but also placed extraordinary pressure on paid and family caregivers. Healthcare teams' and families' goals to meet patients' end-of-life priorities can be supported by ongoing assessment of patient goals and process changes needed to support them, stronger structural supports for paid and family caregivers, incentivizing relationships across primary care and hospice teams, and extending social work and spiritual care.

Navigating a "Good Death" During COVID-19: Understanding Real-Time End-of-Life Care Structures, Processes, and Outcomes Through Clinical Notes

David, D. (2024). In Gerontologist (Vols. 64, Issues 10).
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Palliative Care in Assisted Living and Care Homes: A Multi-National Meta-Synthesis and Policy Analysis (GP140)

David, D. (2024). (pp. e831-e832).
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The perspectives of older adults related to transcatheter aortic valve replacement: An integrative review

David, D. (2024). In Heart & Lung (Vols. 68, pp. 23-36).
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Perspectives on Social Determinants and Home Hospice Care during COVID-19

David, D. (2024). (pp. e589-e590).
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Successes and Shortcomings of COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Older Americans

David, D. (2024). In J Gerontol Nurs (Vols. 50, Issues 9, pp. 12-17).
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Surviving Aging - An assets-based approach

David, D. (2024). In J Am Geriatr Soc.
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Surviving aging—An assets-based approach

Morgan, B. E., Mather, H., & David, D. (2024). In Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Vols. 72, Issues 10, pp. 2965-2968). 10.1111/jgs.19126
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