Dana Tschannen

Biography

Dr. Tschannen teaches in the Division of Systems Leadership and Effectiveness Science. With instructional roles in both the graduate and undergraduate levels, she focuses on leadership and management skills required of nurses in the clinical setting.  Using a variety of teaching strategies, she covers concepts of team building, delegation, motivation, negotiation and problem solving; all within an organizational content.  At the undergraduate level, she teaches senior nursing students ready to embark on the move from classroom/student nursing to professional practice the transitional skills necessary to become highly successful nurses in their professional nursing practice upon graduation.  At the graduate level she teaches Human Resources and Nursing Informatics.  Dr. Tschannen helps students refine their skills in clinical judgment, priority setting, time management, interdisciplinary collaboration and communication. Further, utilizing the virtual simulation technology available via the Second Life platform, she is working to enhance student learning and to provide opportunities for application of topics learned in the classroom.  With a faculty colleague, Dr. Tschannen is investigating the educational possibilities with a virtual School of Nursing in hopes of facilitating distance learning and social networking. 

Research Interest

Dr. Tschannen ardently embraces her interest in identifying and implementing the organizational processes, information, and collaboration/communication necessary to achieve high-quality patient outcomes. She examines the technology enabled care planning processes that are necessary to support effective nurse-nurse communication and safety, while also investigating the efficient implementation of those technology-backed processes.  She addresses the various methods for data collection as well as training required to support the processes.   In her current appointment, Dr. Tschannen works collaboratively with Nursing Administration at the UM Health System.  She has worked closely with nurses at various levels in the promotion of evidence based practice and improvement in processes related to the delivery of care at the bedside.  She is committed to advancing the role of systems in health care; linking technology, simulation, evidence based practice, skilled health care professionals and robust processes to deliver world-class care to patients in the 21st century.