Lauren M. O'Donnell

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 and international 40 hospital system. She also served as the VP of Nursing for a Southwestern Pennsylvania home health agency in Pittsburgh, Dubois, and Erie.

Research Areas & Scholarly Emphasis

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

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. This research studied correlations between 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.

Teaching

Dr. O'Donnell teaches at the DNP level in the Health Systems Executive Leadership program.

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 of Western Pennsylvania from 2018-2024.

Clinical Emphasis

Dr. O'Donnell's clinical focus is in Pediatrics and Emergency Care.