Cheri Friedrich, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, FNAP, FAAN

Cheri Friedrich is the specialty coordinator of the pediatric nurse practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the School of Nursing. Dr. Friedrich also has a broad focus on interprofessional education which is evident in all three missions of the School of Nursing: teaching, service and scholarship. She is the co-creator and co-director of the Center for Interprofessional Health. She is a national leader in developing innovative interprofessional health education approaches to support learners in interprofessional competency advancement. She led the development and implementation of interprofessional health care escape rooms, developed an innovative virtual interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum, and co-developed a continuing education series for clinical preceptors. Friedrich continues to support IPE as a practicing PNP and preceptor in a Federally Qualified Health Center. She is also a fellow of the National Academies of Practice and has been inducted into the American Academy of Nursing.

She first began teaching at the University of Minnesota in 1992 and has taught across three programs at the school: the Bachelor of Science (BSN) program, the Masters of Nursing (MN) program, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Dr. Friedrich draws on her years of experience as a primary care PNP and interprofessional team member to inform her teaching, as she consistently integrates teaching of graduate students into her clinical practice. Dr. Friedrich maintains an active clinical practice in a non-profit clinic that serves un- and under-insured children and their families in Anoka County.

• Daily Award: Scholarship in Practice, 2025
• Katherine R. & C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership, 2022
• Fellow American Academy of Nursing, 2022
• Fellow National Academies of Practice, 2021
• Daisy Award School of Nursing - Out of the Box Thinking, 2018
• Presidents Award, MN Chapter NAPNAP, 2014
• Daisy Award School of Nursing - Exceptional Mentoring, 2012
• Innovator's Award ATLES, University of MN School of Nursing, 2009
• Nominee for the Clinical Excellence Award, HealthEast, 2008
• Inductee, Sigma Theta Tau Professional Honor Society for Nurses, 1989

• American Interprofessional Health Collaborative
• American Nurses Association
• National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Associates
• Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs

DNP, University of Minnesota

MS, University of Minnesota

BSN, University of Minnesota

Zagoloff, A., Friedrich, C., Lafky, R., Horgos, B., & North, S. (2024). Advancing interprofessional workplace learning: Successful implementation of the 'WILD Series©' hybrid professional development model. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 37, Article 100721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2024.100721

North, S., Lafky, R., Horgos, B., & Friedrich, C. (2024). Collaboration in action: successful implementation of a learner-driven virtual interprofessional education curriculum in the clinical learning environment. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 38(5), 936–941. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2024.2343826

North, S. E., Jessen, J. L., Sicks, S., Friedrich, C. L., Salzman, B., Beran-Shepler, K. A., & Sick, B. (2024). A multi-institutional framework for building, sustaining, and evaluating a comprehensive interprofessional education curriculum. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 35, Article 100698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2024.100698

Swanson, N. M., Elgersma, K. M., McKechnie, A. C., McPherson, P. L., Bergeron, M. J., Sommerness, S. A., Friedrich, C. . . . Spatz, D. L. (2023). Encourage, Assess, Transition (EAT): A Quality Improvement Project Implementing a Direct Breastfeeding Protocol for Preterm Hospitalized Infants. Advances in Neonatal Care: official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, 23(2), 107-119.  doi: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001037

Friedrich, C., Schadewald, D. (2023). Interprofessional Partnerships. In D. Schadewald (Ed.). Zaccagnini & White's core competencies for advanced practice nursing: A guide for DNPs, 5th Edition (5th ). Jones and Bartlett (Awarded AJN Book of the Year)

Mahoney, E., Rohlik, G. M., Butterfass, E. S., Friedrich, C., Simpson, D. D., & Kawai, Y. (2022). Improving mobility practices of critically ill children. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 36(5), 406-415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2022.05.016

Friedrich, C. L., Sick, B., & North, S. E. (2021). Building Experiential Interprofessional Education: Bridging the Education to Practice Gap. American Nurse Journal, 16(11), 45-49.

Friedrich, C., & Saftner, M. (2020). Postpartum and Lactation. In D. M. Schadewald, U. A. Pritham, E. Q. Youngkin, M. S. Davis, & C. Juve (Eds.), Women's Health: A Primary Care Clinical Guide (5th ed., pp. 631-695). Pearson Publishers.

Friedrich, C., Teaford, H., Taubenheim, A., & Sick, B. (2020). Interprofessional Health Care Escape Room for Advanced Learners. Journal of Nursing Education, 59(1), 46-50. doi: https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20191223-11

Friedrich, C., Teaford, H., Taubenheim, A., Boland, P., & Sick, B. (2019). Escaping the Professional Silo: An Escape Room Implemented in an Interprofessional Education Curriculum. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 33(5), 573-575. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2018.1538941

Gardenier, D., Benbenek, M. M., & Friedrich, C. L. (2019). Should Nurse Practitioner Programs Share Courses? Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(7), 472-473. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.03.027

Sick, B., Hager, K. D., Uden, D., Friedrich, C., Kim, H. M., Branch-Mays, G., & Pittenger, A. (2019). Using a Guided Reflection Tool and Debriefing Session to learn from Interprofessional Team Interactions in Clinical Settings. Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice, 14, 53-57. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2018.11.007

Friedrich, C., Teaford, H., Taubenheim, A., & Sick, B. (2018). Advanced Interprofessional Health Care Escape Room Facilitator Guide. Journal of Nursing Education, 59(1), 46-50. doi: https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20191223-11

Friedrich, C., Teaford, H., Taubenheim, A., & Sick, B. (2018). Beginner Interprofessional Health Care Escape Facilitator Guide.

Friedrich, C., Petry, A. F., Roth, C., & Wagner, L. (2017). Human Relationships: The Heart of Interprofessional Education. Creative Health Care Management. Retrieved from https://chcm.com/news-events/

International Presentations

Friedrich, C. L., & Benbenek, M. (2024, September). Collaborating with community health workers in rural Guatemala to identify and address community health needs [Conference presentation]. ICN NP/APN Network Conference, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Friedrich, C. L., Belani, K., Norbie, E., Chaika, J., Miller, J., Baum, K., Harmon, J., & Madhok, M. (2018, June). Health education simulation four day workshop [Workshop presentation]. Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.

Friedrich, C. L. (2018, June). Using simulation for interprofessional team development [Breakout session]. Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.

Friedrich, C. L., Sick, B., & Taubenheim, A. (2019, October). Building an interprofessional health care escape room [Workshop presentation]. Collaborating Across Borders Fall Conference, Indianapolis, IN, United States.

Friedrich, C. L. (2018, September). Escaping the professional silo: Creation and implementation of simulated health care escape room [Podium presentation]. All Together Better Health Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

National Presentations

Friedrich, C. L., Jernigan, S., & Sick, B. (2019, January). Caring for the underserved in an interprofessional and interpersonal way [Keynote address and summit facilitation]. Ohio University Interprofessional Summit, Dublin, OH, United States.

Local Presentations

Friedrich, C. L., Fulkerson, J., Krzyzanowski, B., & Looman, W. (2019, August). Mindfulness in the workplace [Panel presentation]. School of Nursing All Staff, All Faculty-Fall Retreat, University of Minnesota, School of Nursing, St. Paul, MN, United States.

Friedrich, C. L. (2019, May). Health care escape rooms embedded in nursing curriculum [Podium presentation]. Child and Family Health Coop: Affiliate and Adjunct Faculty, University of Minnesota, School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN, United States.