Kristin E. Sandau, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN

Dr. Kristin E. Sandau, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, is a distinguished nurse researcher and educator with a diverse range of expertise spanning clinical practice, education, and international collaboration. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for individuals living with durable heart assist devices (dLVAD) and their caregiving partners, as well as enhancing continuous ECG monitoring in hospital settings. Dr. Sandau's academic interests encompass acute care nursing, evidence-based practice, and leadership in healthcare. She has extensive experience in bridging partnerships between hospitals, professional organizations, and labor groups to advance professional development in nursing. Internationally, Dr. Sandau leads study-abroad programs to Taiwan, fostering cultural global healthcare perspectives. As an educator, she teaches courses on healthcare leadership, innovation and foundational nursing concepts, ​and advises graduate students in quality improvement and research.

Research Interests: People living with durable heart assist devices (dLVAD) and their caregiving partners; continuous ECG monitoring for patients in hospital settings; professional development in nursing (preceptors and orientees).

Academic Interests: Medical-surgical nursing, clinical teaching, cultural diversity in healthcare, evidence-based practice, research, leadership and end-of-life care. 

Organizational Partnerships: Dr. Sandau has “bridging” experience working with hospitals, professional and collective bargaining organizations to collaborate on professional development of preceptors and orientees in nursing. 

International Interests: In collaboration with Taiwanese teaching partners, Dr. Sandau has led students on study-abroad to Taiwan to grow in appreciation and understanding of universal health coverage, traditional Chinese medicine, and indigenous people groups. 

Courses:
Nurses Leading Change and Innovation to Transform Healthcare
Foundational Concepts of Professional Nursing

• Board Certified: State of MN Board of Nursing - Current
• Basic Life Support (BLS) – renewed 2022 - Current
• Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), National League for Nursing - 2011-2021
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) - 1992-2019

• Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) - 2018 - present
• Fellow, American Heart Association (FAHA) - 2014 - present
• Fellow, Faculty Learning About Geriatrics (FLAG), University of MN/Hartford Foundation 2011-2012
• Bethel University Faculty Research Excellence Award - 2013
• Research Poster Award, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition - 2012
• Excellence in Nursing Award, United Hospital, St. Paul, MN - 2001

*Holm, M. S., Fålun, N., Bendz, B., Fridlund, B., Langørgen, J., Pettersen, T. R., Sandau, K. E., Norekvål, T. M. (2023). Patients' experiences of in-hospital telemetry monitoring - a qualitative analysis. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvad082

Saeed, D., Feldman, D., Banayosy, A. E., Birks, E., Blume, E., Cowger, J., Hayward, C., Jorde, U., Kremer, J., MacGowan, G., Maltais, S., Maybaum, S., Mehra, M., Shah, K. B., Mohacsi, P., Schweiger, M., Schroeder, S. E., Shah, P., Slepian, M., Tops, L. F., ...Sandau, K., ... D'Alessandro, D. (2023). The 2023 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines for Mechanical Circulatory Support: A 10- Year Update. The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation: The Official Publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation, 42(7), e1–e222. https://doi-org.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/10.1016/j.healun.2022.12.004

Fedorowski, A., Ricci, F., Hamrefors, V., Sandau, K. E., Hwan Chung, T., Muldowney, J., Gopinathannair, R., Olshansky, B. (2022). Orthostatic hypotension: Management of a complex, but common, medical problem. Circulation. Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, 15(3), e010573 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/circep.121.010573 

Dominic, P., Ahmad, J., Awwab, H., Bhuiyan, M. S., Kevil, C. G., Goeders, N. E., Murnane, K. S., Patterson, J. C., Sandau, K. E., Gopinathannair, R., Olshansky, B. (2022). Stimulant drugs of abuse and cardiac arrhythmias. Circulation. Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, 15(1), e010273. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCEP.121.010273

Sandau, K. E., Lee, C. S., Faulkner, K. M., Pozehl, B., Eckman, P., Garberich, R., Weaver, C. E., Joseph, S. M., Hall, S., Carey, S. A., Chaudhry, S. P., Schroeder, S. E., Hoffman, R. O., 3rd, Feldman, D., Birati, E. Y., Soni, M., Marble, J. F., Jurgens, C. Y., Hoglund, B., Cowger, J. A. (2021). Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with a Left Ventricular Assist Device (QOLVAD) questionnaire: Initial psychometrics of a new instrument. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 36(2), 172–184. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/jcn.0000000000000774 

Lakkireddy, D. R.....Sandau, K. E... Russo, A. M. (2020). Guidance for cardiac electrophysiology during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Heart Rhythm Society COVID-19 Task Force; Electrophysiology Section of the American College of Cardiology; and the Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association. Heart Rhythm, 17(9), e233–e241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2020.03.028

Varma, N., .. Sandau, K. E. ... Varosy, P. D. (2020). RS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS/ACC/AHA Worldwide Practice Update for Telehealth and Arrhythmia Monitoring During and After a Pandemic. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 76(11), 1363–1374. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.06.019

Sandau, K.E., Funk, M. What happened on telemetry? [Spotlight]. AHRQ WebM&M [serial online]. April 2019. Available at: https://psnet.ahrq.gov/webmm/case/473.

Sendelbach, S., Sandau, K.E., Smith, L.A., Kreiger, R., Hanovich, S., Funk, M. (2019). Implementing practice standards for inpatient electrocardiographic monitoring. American Journal of Critical Care, 28(2), 109-116. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2019699 

Halm, M. & Sandau, K. (2018). Skin impact of alcohol-based hand rubs vs handwashing. American Journal of Critical Care, 27(4), 334-337. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2018727

Sandau, K. (2023, June 6). ICCAC (International Consortium of Circulatory Assist Clinicians) European Educational Series Webinar. [Invited speaker]. “What kind of quality of life (QOL) are we talking about?” Using the QOLVAD Questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life in patients living with a left-ventricular assist device. [Online webinar].

Cowger, J...Sandau, K...Pagani, F. (2022, April). Defining metrics for short term success after LVAD implant: An analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Intermacs Registry. [Poster]. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Boston, MA https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/10408/presentation/3445

*Spielman, H,....Sandau, K., Okeson, B., Kugler, C. (2022, April). Measuring quality of life in patients with ventricular assist device – Psychometric evaluation of the German Version of the disease specific QOLVAD-Questionnaire. [Podium presentation]. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Boston, MA https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053249822004041

Sandau, K. (2021, April). Looking at MCS through a different lens: The psychosocial perspective. In: Success Starts at the Beginning: Improving Outcomes from Referral to Implant and Beyond. Session 27 [Invited Symposium presentation]. International Society for Heart Lung Transplant’s Annual Scientific Sessions, (virtual due to COVID-19).

Sandau, K.E., Cantillon, D., Fink, A. (2020, November). Cardiac Monitoring 2020. [Invited conference presentation]. Session AHA NR.CVS.NS.1479. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, (virtual due to COVID-19).

Sandau, K.E. (2020, February). Interpreting 12-lead ECGs. [Invited presentation]. Allina Health Clinical Nursing Conference Cardiovascular and Critical Care. St. Paul, MN

Cowger, J., Sandau, K.E. for the QoLVAD Investigators. (2019, April). QOLVAD detects changes in emotional, social, cognitive, and physical wellbeing after continuous-flow LVAD implant. [Abstract podium presentation]. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Orlando, Florida.

Sandau, K.E., Funk, M., Barsness, G., McDaniel, G., Langeberg, T. (2018, November). 2017 AHA/ACC Update to Practice Standards for ECG Monitoring: What we know and what we don’t. [Invited panel presentation]. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, IL.

*Sandau, K.E., Pozehl, B., Jurgens, C.Y., Garberich, R., Weaver, B.A., Hoglund, B.A., Joseph, S., Carey, S., Hall, S., Cowger, J., Chaudhry, S.P., Schroeder, S., Birati, E.Y., Soni, M., Marble, J., Eckman, P. (2018, April). Quality of Life with a Ventricular Assist Device (QOLVAD) questionnaire: Preliminary psychometrics for a new measure. [Poster]. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Nice, France.

*Eckman, P., Garberich, R., Weaver, B.A., Joseph, S., Carey, S., Hall, S., Cowger, J., Chaudhry, S.P., Schroeder, S., Birati, E.Y., Soni, M., Marble, J., Hoglund, B.A., Sandau, K.E. (2018, April). Spiritual well-being in LVAD recipients measured by FACIT-Sp is comparable to patients with malignancy. [Poster]. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Nice, France.