The American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (ABOHN) recently awarded the 2021 Applied Research Grant to Lisa Hunwardsen, an MPH student in our Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing (OEHN) program.
The purpose of the Applied Research Grant is to demonstrate the value occupational health nurses are providing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaining insights into the experiences of occupational health nurses through the pandemic response and their perspectives on the future of their work in the post-pandemic workplace is important. Their perspectives will be helpful in identifying critical resource needs and ways employers must better position to advance whole person health among their employees.
Congratulations, Lisa!
Lisa M. Hunwardsen, BS, RN, OHN
MPH Trainee, Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety
University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Advisor: Carolyn Porta, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
Lisa Hunwardsen is an Occupational Health Nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System based in Rochester, MN. In this role, she is responsible for employee health in the SWMN Region, teaching and advising employees on how to work safely and assisting with immunizations and injury case management at five southern MN locations. Ms. Hunwardsen has worked for Mayo Clinic Health System for 20 years.
With the ABOHN research award, Lisa will develop and deploy a mixed methods survey designed to collect practicing OEHNs’ experiences and perspectives surrounding the SARS CoV-2 pandemic and the post-pandemic occupational health needs and priorities. Ms. Hunwardsen is currently a NIOSH trainee enrolled in the Occupational Environmental Health Nursing program in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Ms. Hunwardsen received a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in 1990 and received her nursing degree at Mercy School of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa in 1994. Lisa enjoys being active and has been a runner for many years, including completing her first marathon in 2019. Lisa has been married for almost 30 years, and she and her husband have two adult children that she adores.
