Dana Hansen
Biography
Dr. Hansen serves as an Associate Professor for Kent State University College of Nursing. From a cross-sectional study of hospice patients, she discovered that dying patients value time together with their family, and the activities they enjoy must be low energy. Understanding that communication and relational conversation are a means for families to spend time together while not requiring high energy, she has examined the dynamics of family interaction during advanced serious illness by promoting communication among the dying person and family to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families and healthcare providers. Dr. Hansen utilizes several methods, including phenomenology, cross-sectional, and convergent designs, to understand the outcomes of patient and family communication and relational conversations.
Recent research projects include serving as the Principal Investigator for the CAREol Project, Catalyzing Relationships at the End of Life, funded in part by a Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation President’s Grant and the Henderson Reserve Fund. A collaboration between Kent State University College of Nursing and Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), this study featured a live forum theatre simulation experience as an intervention to affect student behavior when engaging with dying patients and their families.
In another collaboration with NEOMED, Dr. Hansen is a site PI for the "Resiliency: Caring for Ourselves While Caring for Others During Loss" grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The purpose of this grant, utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, is to examine the effects of the Healer’s Art training on resiliency among students, faculty, first responders, and healthcare professionals.
Dr. Hansen's research contributes to understanding how communication and relational conversations can positively impact the end-of-life experience for patients, families, and healthcare providers.
Courses
- NURS 40872 - Introduction to Evidenced Based Practice
- NURS 60101 - Theoretical Basis for Nursing Practice
- NURS 20020 - Honors - Assessment and Communication in Nursing
- NURS 20030 - Honors - Foundations of Nursing Interventions
- NURS 70715 - Theory Construction and Development in Nursing
Research Grants
Sanders, M.B., Hansen, D. Resiliency: Caring for Ourselves while Caring for Others During Loss, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), (January 2022) $1,034,528.00, Site PI.
Hansen, D., Motter, T., Shanholtzer, J. Catalyzing Family Relationships at the End of Life, Joshua Macy Jr. Foundation, (July 2020) $35,000, Board Grant, PI.
Hansen, D. Health Care Provider Experiences with Patient Social Media Illness Stories. Kent State University Research Council Award. (February 2019- February 2020). $2,500.00. PI
Petrinec, A.B., Hansen, D., Family Caregivers of ICU Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic Psychological and Health Related Quality of Life. LaBoon Stenporche/University Research Council Grant, Kent State University. $3,345. CO-I.
Hansen, D., Sheehan, D., Drew, B. Family Caregiver Recruitment through Social Media. New Investigator Seed Grant, Midwest Nursing Research Society. (March 2016-October 2018) $10,000.00, PI.
Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D., Hansen, D. Understanding Spiritual Uncertainty among Hospice and Palliative Care Providers. American Nurses Foundation. (October 2016- September 2018). $4,887.20; Co-I.
Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D., Hansen, D., & Broome, B. proposal submitted April, 2016, Determining the Feasibility of the State of Spirituality Scale. Palliative Collaborative Research Consortium (PCRC) subsidized by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). May 2016-May 2017. $17, 999. Co-I.
Hansen, D.M., Higgins, P.A., Warner, C.B. & Mayo, M.M. (2015). Exploring family relationships through associations of comfort, relatedness states, and life closure in hospice patients: A pilot study. Palliative and Supportive Care, 13 (2),
Hansen, D., Sheehan, D. The family caregivers’ experience with an illness blog: A pilot study. Zeller Scholarship Fund. (October 2014-October 2015). $2,500.00. PI.
Hansen, D. Exploring the associations among comfort, relatedness states, and life-closure. Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Alumni Research Committee, Case Western Reserve University. (January 2012 to January 2013). $500.00. PI
Education
MSN, Marquette University, 2003
BSN, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 1994
Publications
- Hansen, D. & Netzel, J. (2024). Effective use of role modeling videos for end-of-life education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 54, 106-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.06.015
- Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D. & Hansen, D. (2023). Integrating art and theory to understand moral distress. Journal of Nursing Education, accepted for publication February 2024.
- Stephenson, P., Hansen, D., Lalani, N., & Biggs, J. (2023). Nursing and medical students’ responses about end-of-life communication reveal educational opportunities for spiritual care. Journal of Nursing Education, 62 (11), 601-605.
- Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D., Petrinec, A., Hansen, D., & Mayo, M. (2023). Measuring spiritual uncertainty for hospice and palliative care providers. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 29(4), 180-186.
- Hansen, D., Stephenson, P., Lalani, N. & Shanholtzer, J. (2022). Reflective journaling as preparation for spiritual care of patients. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 25(1). Accepted 9-26-2022.
- Hansen, DM., Motter, T., Keeley, MP., Shanholtzer, J., Aultman, J. & Woodbridge, C. (2022). Interdisciplinary simulation for nursing and medical students about final conversations: Catalyzing relationships at the end of life (CAREol). Palliative and Suppo
- Distelhorst, K., Hansen, D (Chair). (2022). Neighborhood matters for transitional care and heart failure hospital readmission in older adults. Geriatric Nursing, 47, 183-190. Doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.07.014.
- Hebeshy, M., Hansen, D (Chair)., Broome, B., Abou Abdou, S., Murrock, C, & Bernert, D. (2022). Reliability and construct validity of the nurses’ intention to use deep vein thrombosis preventive measures questionnaire. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 30(1)
- Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D., Hansen, D., & Petrinec, A., (under review). Spiritual uncertainty with hospice and palliative care providers. International Journal of Palliative Care.
- Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D., Hansen, D. (Accepted September 2022). The State of Spirituality Scale as a screening tool for spiritual distress. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 26(6), TBD.
- Distelhorst, K., Graor, C.H. & Hansen, D. (Chair)(2021) Upstream factors in population health: A concept analysis to advance nursing theory. Advances in Nursing Science, 44(3), 210-223. DOI:10.1097/ans.0000000000000362
- Kanan, S., Shahrour, G., Broome, B., Bernert, D., Alibrahim, M. & Hansen, D (Chair). (2021) Predicting intentions to physical activity in Jordanian patients with coronary artery disease: Impact of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral cont
- Hansen, D., Petrinec, A., Hebeshy, M., Sheehan, D., & Drew, B.L. (2019). Advancing the science of recruitment for family caregivers: Focus group and Delphi methods. Journal of Medical Internet Research Nursing, 2(1), e13862. DOI: 10.2196/13862.
- Hansen, D., Petrinec, A. & Harb, N. (2019). Use of social media as a communication tool for people with serious illness and their families. In B.R. Ferrell and J. Paice (Eds.), Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing (5th ed. Pp. 791-799). New York: Oxford
Affiliations
- Midwest Nursing Research Society
- Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association
- Palliative Care Research Cooperative
Awards/Achievements
- Fellow of Palliative Care Nursing, 2023, Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association
- Palliative Advisory Board, 2022-present, Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Anti-Bias Training, Spring 2022, Kent State University
- Intercultural Faculty Scholars Cohort, AY 2018/2019, Kent State University
- Nominated for the Mid-American Conference Academic Leadership Program (MAC-ALDP) 2021
- The Daisy Faculty Award Nomination 2015
- Nurse Faculty Loan Program, Health Resources and Services Administration August 2009-May 2012
- Multiple Morbidities in Vulnerable Populations Nurse Scientist Training: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health (T-32 pre-doctoral Fellow in Nursing)