— College of Nursing — About Us — Our People — Our Faculty — Breanna Hetland, PhD, RN, CCRN-K

Breanna Hetland, PhD, RN, CCRN-K

Assistant Professor, UNMC College of Nursing

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Dr. Breanna Hetland is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing and Nurse Scientist at Nebraska Medicine. Her novel program of research focuses on merging technology with nonpharmacological healing approaches to positively engage patients and family caregivers during the critical illness experience.

She graduated summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Nursing. Her clinical experiences include a study abroad medical trip to China and Tibet, a summer externship in the medical intensive care unit at the Mayo Clinic, and 5 years as a critical care nurse at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, IL and the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. She obtained her PhD in Nursing with a minor in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices from the University of Minnesota. Her work has been federally supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research through a Ruth L. Kirschstein F31 Predoctoral Fellowship as well as a T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Symptom Management and Palliative Care Research in Adults with Advanced Disease, which she completed at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. In her most recent study, which was funded by an Impact Research Grant sponsored the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Dr. Hetland and her team developed The Family Room mobile app, a digital platform to promote patient and family involvement in care during acute hospitalization. Additionally, she is conducting a clinical trial evaluating the psychophysiological impact of Paro ^TM, a therapeutic interactive robot, during rehabilitation sessions in the pediatric ICU. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and her nationally recognized expertise in critical care nursing science and clinical practice has resulted in invited consultations, keynote presentations, and expert commentary.

Education

2010, BSN, Southern Illinois University
2015, PhD, University of Minnesota
2017, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Case Western Reserve University

Research Interests

Critical Care
- Integrative, holistic intervention
- Symptom management
- Mechanical ventilation
- Patient and Family Engagement
- Patient and Family Self-Management
- Technological platforms in the ICU

Grant Support

2023-2026 Title: The Family Room: An Interactive Mobile Application to Support Family Caregiver Participation in Patient Care in the Intensive Care Unit , 2023-2026, Award Amount: $500,000, Role: PI: Breanna Hetland
2023-2024 Title: CU-CARE: An interactive mobile app to enhance the efficiency of daily informal caregiving in the intensive care unit, 2023-2024, Award Amount: $87,851, Role: PI: Breanna Hetland
2022-2024 Title: Robot Rehab: Animal Assisted Interactions with a Robotic Baby Harp Seal during Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation. Source: UNMC Pediatric Cancer Research Group, 2022-2023, Award Amount: $49,978, Role: PI: Breanna Hetland
2017-2022 Title: Animal Assisted Interactions with An Animal Robot During Physical and Occupational Therapy Sessions in The Pediatric ICU: A Feasibility Study. Source: UNMC Pediatric Cancer Research Group, 2018-2022, Award Amount: $43,200, Role: PI: Breanna Hetland
2017-2023 Title: Evaluation of a Web-Based Intervention to Promote Family Caregiver Engagement in Symptom Assessment and Management during Mechanical Ventilation, Source: American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), (20302), 2017-2022, Award Amount: $49,412.00, Role: PI: Breanna Hetland

Publications (Previous 5 Years)

Bernard, T., Hetland, B., Schmaderer, M., Zolty, R., Pozehl, B. (2023). Nurse-led heart failure educational interventions for patient and informal caregiver dyads: An integrative review. Heart & Lung : The Journal of Critical Care, 59, 44–51. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2023.01.014
Hetland, B.D., McAndrew, N.S., Kupzyk, K.A., Krutsinger, D.C., Pozehl, B.J., Heusinkvelt, J.M., Camenzind, C.E. (2022). Family Caregiver Preferences and Contributions Related to Patient Care in the ICU. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 44(3), 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459211062954
Kopp, J., Cawcutt, K., Musil, L., Huang, X., Minard, C., Hetland, B. (2022). Efficacy of a Bioburden Reduction Intervention on Mobile Devices of Critical Care Nurses. American Journal of Infection Control, 51(1), 35-40. https://doi.org/10/1016/j.ajic.2022.04.013
Hetland, B.D., McAndrew, N.S., Kupzyk, K.A., Krutsinger, D.C., Turnbull, A.E., Pozehl, B.J., Heusinkvelt, J.M. (2022). Relationships among Demographic, Clinical, and Psychological Factors Associated with Family Caregiver Readiness to Participate in ICU Care. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 19(11): 1881-1891. https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.202106-651OC
Bach, C. & Hetland, B. (2022). A Step Forward for Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU): An Integrative Review of Early Mobility Interventions and Associated Outcome Measures. Critical Care Nurse, 42(6): 13-24. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2022459
Bernard, T., Hetland, B., Schmaderer, M., Zolty, R., Pozehl, B. (2023). Nurse-led heart failure educational interventions for patient and informal caregiver dyads: An integrative review. Heart & Lung : The Journal of Critical Care, 59, 44–51. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2023.01.014
Hetland, B.D., McAndrew, N.S., Kupzyk, K.A., Krutsinger, D.C., Pozehl, B.J., Heusinkvelt, J.M., Camenzind, C.E. (2022). Family Caregiver Preferences and Contributions Related to Patient Care in the ICU. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 44(3), 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459211062954
Kopp, J., Cawcutt, K., Musil, L., Huang, X., Minard, C., Hetland, B. (2022). Efficacy of a Bioburden Reduction Intervention on Mobile Devices of Critical Care Nurses. American Journal of Infection Control, 51(1), 35-40. https://doi.org/10/1016/j.ajic.2022.04.013
Hetland, B.D., McAndrew, N.S., Kupzyk, K.A., Krutsinger, D.C., Turnbull, A.E., Pozehl, B.J., Heusinkvelt, J.M. (2022). Relationships among Demographic, Clinical, and Psychological Factors Associated with Family Caregiver Readiness to Participate in ICU Care. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 19(11): 1881-1891. https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.202106-651OC
Bach, C. & Hetland, B. (2022). A Step Forward for Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU): An Integrative Review of Early Mobility Interventions and Associated Outcome Measures. Critical Care Nurse, 42(6): 13-24. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2022459
Dunn, H., Balas, M., Hetland, B., & Krupp, A. (2022). Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: A Review for the Outpatient Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. The Nurse Practitioner, 47(11), 15-22. https://doi:10.1097/01.NPR.0000884864.28090.c9
Castner, J., Bell, S. A., Hetland, B., Der-Martirosian, C., Castner, M., & Joshi, A. U. (2022). National Estimates of Workplace Telehealth Use Among Emergency Nurses and All Registered Nurses in the United States. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 48(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2021.07.001
Krutsinger, D., Hetland, B., O’Leary, K., Halpern, S., Courtright, K. (2022). A qualitative analysis of factors influencing critical care trial enrollment among surrogates. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, 37(3), 430–434. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885066621998978
McAndrew, N., Costa, D., Fortney, C., Guttormson, J., Harding, E., Hetland, B., & Jerofke, T. (2022). Systematic Review of Family Engagement Interventions in Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Nursing in Critical Care, 27(3), 296–325. https://doi.org/10.1111/nicc.12564
George, M., Hernandez, C., Smith, S., Narsavage, G., Carno, M., Guttormson, J., Disler, R., Hart, D., Chlan, L., Happ, M.B., Chen, Z., Hetland, B., Harper, N., Hutchinson, A., Jonsdottir, H., Redeker, N., Schell-Chaple, H., Fletcher, M., Yorke, J. (2020). Nursing research priorities in critical care, pulmonary and sleep: International Delphi survey of nurses, patients and caregivers. Annals of the ATS, 17(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201909-705ST
Hetland, B., Lindroth, H., Kamp, K., Hardin, H., Gilmore-Bykovski, A., Edmiston, E., Topp, B., Hershberger, P., Madigan, E. (2020). The Emerging Scholars’ Network within MNRS: from Acorns to Oaks. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 42(2), 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945919845065
Hetland, B., Guttormson, J., Lindroth, H., Chlan, L. (2020). 2020 - The Year that Needed the Nurse: Considerations for Critical Care Nursing Research and Practice Emerging in the Midst of COVID-19. Heart & Lung, 49(4): 342-343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2020.04.021
Hetland, B. (2019). The Resilient Emerging Scholar: Inspiration, Motivation, and everything in between…A recipe for BSN to PhD Success! Western Journal of Nursing Research, 41(4), 631-639. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945919839250
Guttormson, J., Chlan, L., Tracy, M.F., Hetland, B., & Mandrekar, J. (2019). Nurses’ attitudes and practices related to sedation: A national survey. American Journal of Critical Care, 28(4), 255-263. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2019526

NIH NLM NCBI Complete List of Published Work

Service

Innovation Operating Model Workstream Leader, Innovation Design Unit, Nebraska Medicine (2022-Present)
Member, Ethics and Interest Committee, American Thoracic Society (2021-2023)
Member, Nominating Committee, Midwest Nursing Research Society (2021-2023)
Member, Program Committee, American Thoracic Society (2021-present)
Member, Technology Committee, CENTRIC Center, UNMC (2020-present)
Chair, Research Committee, UNMC College of Nursing (2020-2021)
Member, Nurse Scientist Training Pathways Working Group, National Institute of Nursing Research (2020-2021)
Member, Patient Experience Applications and Technology Steering Committee, Nebraska Medicine (2019-Present)
Chair, Web Development Committee, American Thoracic Society (2019-2021)
Member, Program Committee Member, Critical Care Assembly, American Thoracic Society (2019-2021)
Member, Nominating Committee, Nursing Assembly, American Thoracic Society (2018-2020)
Member, Next Generation Leader Task Force, Sigma Theta Tau (2018-2019)
Chair, Acute and Critical Care Research Interest Group, Midwest Nursing Research Society (2018-2019)
Alternate Reviewer, Institutional Review Board, UNMC (2017-2022)
Co-Founder/Co-Chair Early Career Special Interest Group, Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (2017-2021)

Recognition

Harriet H. Werley New Investigator Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society (2023)
Equalize Cohort Member, Washington University St. Louis (2023)
Kathryn Sandahl Philp Creativity and Innovation Award, UNMC College of Nursing (2021)
Nursing Early Career Achievement Award, Nursing Assembly, American Thoracic Society (2021)
New Investigator Award, Acute and Critical Care Research Interest Group, Midwest Nursing Research Society (2021)