Lauren M. O'Donnell

PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Associate Professor
Acute & Tertiary Care

Profile

Lauren M. O'Donnell is an Associate Professor for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Health Systems Executive Leadership Program, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Before joining the Pitt faculty, she served numerous leadership roles for a national hospital system. She also served as the VP of Nursing for a Southwestern Pennsylvania home care agency in Pittsburgh, Dubois, and Erie.

Dr. O'Donnell received her Doctor of Philosophy at Robert Morris University, where she studied Instructional Management and Leadership. Preceding her Doctor of Philosophy, Dr. O'Donnell received a Nurse Executive - Advanced board certification (NEA-BC) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Scholarly Emphasis

CMS Penalty Claims | Pediatrics | Patient Quality Outcomes | Health Research | Health Policy

Dr. O'Donnell has been the principal investigator on numerous research studies including a multi-hospital study, researching 18 hospitals over a 5-year time frame linking CMS penalty claims and nurse communication. She also is an author and editor for Wolters Kluwer, Critical Care Nurses Made Incredibly Easy, for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency care, drug overdose, and poisoning.

Service

Dr. O'Donnell currently holds a scientific review board member seat for the Institutional Review Board, University of Pittsburgh, Human Research Protection Office (HRPO). Simultaneously, she has a director at Large board position for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (SWOPNL). She chairs the Legislative and Advocacy committee dedicated to improving and accelerating the nursing profession by developing and reviewing legislative initiatives within the state of Pennsylvania. Preceding SWOPNL and IRB leadership, Dr. O'Donnell was a board member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Western Pennsylvania from 2018-2024.