Nurse Leader Named to Joint Nurse Scientist Position

A local nurse leader has accepted a unique new joint nurse scientist position. This position was created to build nursing research capacity and translate research into evidence-informed practice through sustained collaboration between the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and University of Minnesota Health (M Health). In this new role, Mary Fran Tracy, PhD, APRN, CNS, FAAN, will provide strategic direction for translating new discoveries into practice improvements that improve outcomes for patients.

Tracy will serve as a tenured Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and as a Nurse Scientist with M Health, working at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital among other locations.

“I am very excited to be able to combine my research and clinical experience to work with staff and leaders in advancing nursing and interdisciplinary research,” said Tracy. “I see this role as a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the research partnership between the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and the system delivering care to patients and families daily.”

Tracy, an advanced practice nurse with extensive research and teaching experience, knows the School of Nursing and M Health well. She has served as an adjunct clinical professor with the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and has worked as a clinical nurse specialist in critical care at the University of Minnesota Medical Center for 18 years. She also holds an adjunct Assistant Professor position in the School of Medicine.

“Creating this jointly funded position is an accomplishment of Nursing Collaboratory, a partnership between the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and M Health, focused on building new and efficient joint initiatives between academia and clinicians which will generate, disseminate and apply knowledge for the improvement of nursing practice and patient outcomes,” said Connie White Delaney, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota.

Originally from Iowa, Tracy earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Iowa and later earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a medical/surgical specialty and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.

As author on numerous research publications, Tracy has co-led research studies related to effective symptom management interventions for critical care patients. She also served as president of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, an organization with more than 100,000 members. Tracy is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

“We are thrilled about the activation of this new position and role in collaboration with the University of Minnesota School of Nursing", said Deb Cathcart, Chief Nurse Executive of M Health. “Mary Fran has led a variety of initiatives improving patient care and driving professional nursing practice. She is well suited for this nurse scientist role.”

Tracy begins her new position March 1.