Michael Beach | School of Nursing | University of Pittsburgh

DNP, ACNP-BC, PNP, FAAN

Associate Professor, Second Degree Accelerated Track

Acute & Tertiary Care

Teaching

As an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, I teach in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Area of Concentration and act as coordinator of the 2nd Degree Accelerated BSN Program. I teach in both the Doctor of Nursing Practice and BSN programs. My area of practice includes Emergency Medicine and Disaster Preparation and Response.

Courses I teach include: Physical Assessment on both the graduate and undergraduate levels, Trauma and Emergency Medicine Clinical Emphasis for the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner AOC, Differential Diagnosis Clinical, Clinical Diagnostics, and Critical Care Nursing. One of my main courses is Fundamentals of Disaster and Mass Casualty Care. Through this course, students learn about disaster response and experience hands on use of a TVI Decontamination tent, PAPR hood assemblies and TYVK suits. Students will also utilize SimMan for computerized emergency experiences.

As coordinator for the 2nd Degree Accelerated Program, I am responsible for reviewing and admitting students and mentoring and advising them throughout their time in the program.

Service

I have worked in search and rescue and disaster management for over 30 years within the Tri-State area and am a member of Pennsylvania 1 Disaster Medical Team (PA-1 DMAT). Besides experience with pre-hospital emergency medical treatment, I have particular interest and expertise in tracking, team management, diving and technical rescue.

Following the Katrina Disaster along the Gulf Coast, I responded with my search and rescue team and part of the Red Cross to provide relief efforts to victims in Waveland and Pearlington MI. As a member of PA-1 DMAT, I have also responded to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.